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Mama Byrne’s eyes widened, but she held Charlie close. Papa Byrne didn’t know what to say, as he leaned over to look at Charlie, who was burbling away, happy as anything for more snuggles. Mama Byrne took a seat, lifting Charlie away from her so she could get her fill of him.
“He’s gorgeous. He looks like you. Oh, Jax, he’s so beautiful. Just look at this red hair.” Then, she glanced up at us. “Where is Zach? Is he here? Did you find him? Hecancome inside you know.”
Jax tensed, and I placed a hand on the small of his back, reassuring him. He shot me a grateful smile. Then, shoulders back, he took the seat opposite his mama, and explained everything.
Mama listened, Papa paced, and we all sat around the old table until the story was done.
“Oh, Jax,” Mama Byrne said, her eyes bright with emotion. “He must be heartbroken to be apart from his son.” I knew she’d be this way. I knew she’d love without condition and open her family to anyone who needed it.
Jax’s eyes grew bright, and he reached for his mom to hug her.
“Charlie is safe with us,” she said. Then, she kissed Charlie and snuggled him again, and he curled into her as if he was supposed to be there. “Our family has just grown bigger. Welcome to the family, little one.”
By the time we left, we were weighed down with spare clothes that she’d kept from when Reid’s son was little, plus blankets, a portable crib, a sterilizing unit, and of course, a container with half a dozen cannoli oozing with cream and chocolate.
Oh, and kisses and hugs and promises of love, and no criticism of Zach leaving the baby at all.
Juggling everything, we made it back into the house, and with Charlie tucked into the temporary crib set up in Jax’s room, I had no more reason to stay. I headed down the stairs first, helping Jax set up a monitor his mom had added to the box, and then, it was time for me to go.
Jax walked me to the door. “Thank you,” he said with feeling, pulling me in for a bro-hug with added back-slapping. Only, I changed it, ducked the bro part, and tugged him in for a proper hug. I felt him relax against me, and my heart melted a little as we held each other for the longest time, and I didn’t want to let go. He was warm in my arms, lax, as if he had relaxed in my hold. I smoothed circles on his back, until my thoughts turned to more touching, and a kiss, and I knew I had to pull away.
“Always,” I said as I released him, then stepped back. “I’ve got the work covered this week—we only have the sketches I said I’d do, and starting on the summer house for Ian Bevan. Dan and I will handle that and message you everything as it happens.”
He blinked at me as if it’d only just occurred to him that, yes, Charlie being here made Jax attending building sites awkward.
“Sure,” he sounded dazed.
I squeezed his shoulder. “You’ve got this.”
“I’ll be okay,” he said.
“I can stay.”Please ask me to stay.He shook his head, and I tried not to feel too disappointed. “I need to go home and find that crib.” He closed his eyes for a moment as if he was overwhelmed. “Jax? Look at me.”
He opened his eyes, which were wet.
I reached out as if I was going to touch his face, but let my hand fall. “I can stay if you need me to,” I said. “I get it’s overwhelming.”
“No,” he murmured. “I’ll be okay.”
This close to him, I could see the flecks of olive in his green eyes, dark at the center, and the emotion swimming in them. I could cradle his face, tell him I’d stay, that I wanted him, I wantedus. Now was the perfect time. God, I was on fire with wanting him, but my skin was tight, and my heart beat fast, and he hadn’t asked me to stay.
I headed out to the truck, waved at him and Charlie as if I were okay.
“Shit,” I told my steering wheel, then turned up the volume on a Dolly Parton retrospective and tried to sing my way home. I only got a mile from Jax’s place when Dolly seemed too bright, happy, and loud, and I flicked the music off.
God dammit.
I wish he’d asked me to stay.
ChapterTwelve
Arlo
Returning home didn't liftmy spirits.
I should have stayed with Jax, but the sudden flood of emotion was too much. I wanted him to ask me to stay, and I wanted to tell him I’d stay, and after all that, I’d just left.
My place was too lonely and quiet—too much time for thinking. Living in this place was overwhelming because there was so much room, way more than I needed as a man living on my own. Yes, my brothers came home from college on occasion, but it was just me now—well… me and next door’s cat, Panda, who spent way more time in my place than was probably right, and to be honest, with my brothers gone, I enjoyed the feline company.
