bet it seems odd for you to have brothers who are so different.”
Watching her walk back to the sofa, apparently accepting her return to their original topic, he said, “Yes and no. We never met until we were adults, so I spent most of my life growing up as an only child. When we did meet, we didn’t like each other. I was the product of a marriage. They resented me because our father didn’t marry either of their moms. And Nick’s mom had a long-term relationship with our dad. It was a surprise when he walked away rather than marry her.”
“That is kind of awful.”
He took the poker from beside the fireplace and stirred the logs, creating a shower of sparks.
“If you dislike that story, you’ll really hate Cade’s. His mom was a one-night stand. Stephone simply refused to return her calls until she got a court order for a DNA test after Cade was born.” He shook his head. “He didn’t think enough of Cade’s mom to call her back. I don’t know Cade, but if someone treated my mother that badly, I’d hate him, too.”
“No wonder they’re bitter.”
“And don’t forget, our different mothers taught us different things. Mine always loved our dad. She taught me to respect him.” He shook his head. “I wanted to hate him.” He caught her gaze. “Not for me, but for her. He loved her, yet he couldn’t stop cheating.”
She understood Darius’s anger, but she’d handled enough divorces to be a realist. “For some men, fidelity is impossible.”
He looked at the ceiling. “Do you really believe that?”
“Yes.” She answered unequivocally, knowing that would bring some sort of meaning to his childhood suffering. It didn’t exactly smooth it over, but it did somewhat explain it and take the burden off the women who bore the Andreas brothers and put it where it belonged. On Stephone.
“With some men an affair is the best a woman will get. Lots of women go into them with their eyes open.” She shrugged. “I know Missy did. She hadn’t expected anything from your dad but what they had in the moment. I’ll bet she never spent a sorry day because her expectations were real, honest.”
Darius turned to face her and his gaze slid over to hers. His dark eyes held hers, as if there was something else he wanted to say, but instead he turned away and headed for the bar.
“So we get beer and steak,” she said, snatching the opportunity to return them to their intended subject because the silence in the room was strained. Awkward. And she wasn’t sure why. Especially since they had been getting along, relating normally, for several days.
She couldn’t risk losing that. “Since Nick is from the South, I’d say some Tennessee whiskey would probably also be in order.”
“Some shrimp.”
“And crab legs.”
Darius laughed. “Are you still trying to please Cade’s potential mystery wife or yourself?”
“Hey, if I have to be here, I’m making the most of your money and connections to get some really good fresh fish.”
Chuckling, he pulled a bottle from beneath the bar. “How about a glass of wine?”
“Actually, if our work here is done, I want to go talk with Cook and then call my dad.”
“Why?”
“I have a fabulous recipe for jambalaya and my father has the name of a whiskey I think both your brothers will like.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
She smiled. “I want to.”
The funny part of it was she did. She liked taking charge. She liked the spike of adrenaline that formed when she had a plan to work and was working a plan. She’d been hiding in the background for so long she’d almost forgotten what a formidable force she could be. After a brief smile, she left the room.
Darius watched her leave, not missing one sway of her soft hips, one step of her long, curved legs. He leaned on the bar and rubbed his hand across his mouth. He wasn’t sure if it was wishful thinking on his part, but could she have just told him that she wouldn’t mind an affair?
Could it be that in the same way she’d gotten comfortable with her role in his house, she was also getting comfortable with their attraction?
He replaced the wine on the rack and poured himself two fingers of whiskey.
There was only one way to find out.
* * *
Saturday afternoon, after the baby had awakened from his nap, Darius and Whitney set him on the nursery floor. Strong, happy Gino crawled to a stray block that had missed being put into the toy box.
“Did you see that? He crawled!”
Whitney laughed. “You need a video camera.”
Darius pulled his cell phone out of his jeans pocket. “Until I get one, this will do.”
He aimed the camera at the little boy who slapped the block on the floor by the toy box. Whitney slipped behind him, lifted the toy-box lid and began tossing other soft plastic toys to Gino, who giggled with delight. Darius moved his cell phone to her.
She held up her hand. “Don’t!”
“Why not? You look great.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to be in your pictures.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re … we’re …” She wanted to say they were only co-guardians. She wasn’t family and didn’t really have to be a part of his life. But that was wrong. They were working together for Gino. Both were committed to raising him right and well. Like it or not, they were connected. Maybe for the rest of their lives.
She threw her hands up in defeat. “Whatever. Get me in the video if you want.”
He laughed. “Such enthusiasm, right, Gino?” He said, catching the baby’s attention. Gino patted his thighs and spouted a bit of gibberish.
“Wish we could get him to crawl again.”
Whitney stooped beside the toy box and tossed a colorful ball a few feet away from the baby. “Hey, Gino. See the ball?”
He slapped his chubby hands on his thighs.
Whitney tossed another toy over by the ball.
Gino screeched.
This time she tossed a little stuffed frog she knew was one of Gino’s favorites. Finally, he rolled to his knees and crawled after it.
Darius’s face blossomed into a broad smile. “Got it.”
She lifted herself from the floor. “You need a real video camera. Come on. We’ll take Gino to your office, get on the Internet and have one delivered.”
Darius scooped Gino
