“I have to go in too,” Matt told him.
Jack’s chin dropped to his bony chest in disappointment. “Okay.”
Matt pulled on his shirt while the kids slipped on their shoes.
Charlie spun around and tripped on the edge of his Buzz Lightyear towel. Man down.
“Whoa, little guy.” Matt picked him up, checking hands and knees. No blood.
Charlie was reluctant to let go, but Abby took him. Matt reached to pick up her bags since her hands were now full.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m helping you.”
“I can do it.” She moved to pull the bag from his hand. “Thank you, but I don’t need help.”
He grinned. “I think you do.”
“Well, you’re wrong.”
“Really?” He didn’t let go of the bag, heavy with wet towels.
“Really. I made it out to the pool all by myself and I can make it back in.”
She stared at him stubbornly, still holding the chunky toddler on her hip, his little leg pulled up over her swollen belly. Matt bet most men backed away when she pushed, but he’d been raised to be a gentleman. There was never a time he and his brothers didn’t hold the door for their mom and sister, or carry their heavy loads. His dad was firm on that.
But in this case he just wasn’t ready to let her go.
“Are you really going to help me build a giant castle?” Jack asked. “Cause we’re not going to stay in our room long. Right, Mom? Like maybe five minutes.”
He and Abby shared a smile over Jack’s misconception of time. And maybe something more?
“We’ll see. If Charlie could sleep for an hour it would make life easier for all of us.” Her eyes fell to the bag he was holding.
Jack peered up at him. “Do you know how to find us? Our umbrella is blue, and you’ll probably see me because I have on this red shirt.” He pulled at his Spider-Man T-shirt. “I’ll look for you. You won’t forget, will you?”
Something about the way Jack said it made Matt think the kid was used to being forgotten. “No, I won’t forget.”
Abby set Charlie on his feet and reached for her bag again. This time he had no choice but to let it go.
He tried to read her expression as Jack cheered. Anger? Skepticism?
Whatever. She hadn’t said no.
—
Matt rooted around in his condo’s refrigerator and found enough meat and cheese to make one sandwich. If he was going to stay, he’d have to go to the store at some point.
He sat on the couch, flipping through the TV channels, finding nothing and picturing Abby. And the kids— Shit. Had he missed a birthday? Matt tried to think who had a summer birthday as he picked up his cell and called his brother Tony.
“Well, if it isn’t the prodigal son,” his brother said into the phone. “You’re in big trouble, little bro.”
There was a scream in the background. “Where are you? Sounds like you’re in a casino.”
“The Chuck E. Cheese casino from hell. These kids are ruthless. It’s like they think these coins are real gold.”
“Sounds dangerous.”
“It is. Crazy little fuckers.”
Matt laughed. “Beth was smart enough not to go, huh?”
“Of course. She’s looking at vaginas.”
“Fun.” He smiled to himself, rummaging for more food. “How’s my favorite doctor?”
“She’s good.” Tony hesitated. “Now that she’s stopped throwing up.”
“Why was she throwing…” Matt’s hand stilled on a cabinet. He’d heard the smile in his brother’s voice. “No way.”
“Way. Number four will be here sometime next May.”
Matt ignored the squeeze in his chest. “Damn. You’re like the master of procreation.”
“Yep, and continue to be Mom’s favorite.”
“Only you would have a baby to go to the top of the leader board. You think this puts you past Elizabeth?” His five brothers and one sister had kept a point system as kids, tracking who was Mom’s favorite.
“I know it does, even with the extra point Lizzy gets for being the only girl. Grandchild trumps all.”
“How’s Stephen?”
Tony paused before answering. “You know. Stephen is Stephen.”
Yeah. He knew. Stephen may have been the golden-boy real estate investing genius, but he was going through his own hell. And there was nothing any of them could do.
“And J.T.?” His youngest brother was nineteen and not the easiest person to get along with. Or so he’d heard, since Matt wasn’t around much.
“Jake’s just a hair above you, little brother. Prickly as hell. Acts like he’s premenstrual.”