She sat perfectly still while he continued his featherlike caress. “And what’s that?”
He just barely grazed her lower lip with the tip of his finger. “I don’t know. That’s what scares me.”
“If you’re scared then I’m petrified.”
Her tongue darted out and caught his finger. The cool moisture sent waves of fire through his blood. He had a sudden, animalistic urge to flip her beneath him on the couch and strip them both of their clothes. She had the sort of body a man could get lost in. All that softness and those curves had the potential to turn him into a babbling idiot. Hell, he was halfway there and they were still clothed.
“Dad?”
The voice came from behind Brody and had Elisa pulling away from him. He dropped his hand from Elisa’s mouth and stood up from the couch.
“Hey, buddy,” he said when Tyler stood in the kitchen, staring at Brody and Elisa. “Did you get your report finished?”
“Yeah. Can we go home and call Mom?”
Brody wanted to spend a little time with his son, talking about his day at school, before getting on the phone with Kelly. “Why don’t we go get some dinner first?”
“Elisa made me a sandwich, so I’m not that hungry.”
He glanced at Elisa, whose attention volleyed back and forth between him and Tyler. “It was just a grilled cheese,” she said.
“Thanks for doing that. I really didn’t mean to be late. With the state the restaurant is in, it’s hard for me to get away on time.” Every moment not spent with Tyler was like a rusty knife in his gut. The boy deserved every second of his undivided attention. Sometimes he felt like he needed to split himself a dozen different ways to please everyone in his life. In the past, Tyler had always come first. Lately Brody had been slacking in that department and needed to change it.
Elisa stood from the couch and walked them to the door. “You weren’t that late. Besides, Tyler had plenty to keep him busy. Didn’t you?” she asked as she placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder.
Tyler wrapped his gangly arms around Elisa’s midsection. “Thanks for all the help. And thanks for letting me use your computer.”
Brody’s heart clenched as Tyler held on a moment longer before letting Elisa go. He wanted to repeat Tyler’s actions with a hug of his own but settled for a light touch to her cheek. Like the night before, Brody grazed her soft cheek with one knuckle. “I’ll see you next week for the shoot.”
“Do you think Anthony’s ready for that?”
“I’ve been working with him in the mornings before we open, and he’s learning from Vic and Stanley. And I honestly don’t think throwing together some dishes for a camera will be a problem for him.”
Elisa nodded. “Okay. When should I be there?”
“Tuesday. Seven-thirty a.m.” Then Brody and Tyler left her standing in the front doorway.
EIGHT
WILL LILY BE THERE? Will Lacy be able to get out of bed when we get there?” Tyler continued to pepper Brody with questions as he drove toward Chase’s house. First he wanted to know if Mason would be napping, then he wanted to know if his uncle Chase would be there. This was the chattiest Tyler had been in several months, and Brody planned to take advantage.
“I’m pretty sure Lily will be there. But Lacy can’t get out of bed. You know that.” He tossed Tyler a glance. The boy had lost interest in his handheld gaming system, which now lay on the floor by Tyler’s black-and-white Nikes.
Lacy was just six weeks shy of her due date and had been restricted to bed rest since her second trimester. Chase told Brody this was a common thing among women who carried twins. He’d also told Brody that Lacy had not been shy about her distaste for lying on her backside twenty-four hours a day.
Her hobby of selling her sketches had just started to take off in the past year. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to draw as much as she’d like thanks to severe morning sickness and fatigue.
Chase and Lacy’s house came into view and Brody turned his truck onto the driveway. The vehicle hadn’t even come to a complete stop when Tyler threw the door open and ran into the house. When Brody ambled through the door a moment later, Tyler already had nineteen-month-old Mason in his lap. Two-and-a-half-year-old Lily bounced up and down on the living room floor, her dark curls springing in perfect synchronization to some musical cartoon. Avery walked out of the kitchen with a sippy cup in one hand and a package of crackers in the other.
Her friendly eyes lit up when she saw him. “I thought I heard someone come through the door. What’re you two doing here? I thought you normally worked on Saturdays?” Avery’s hair had darkened slightly over the past few years and brushed the edges of her jawbone. The cut suited her perfectly, practical yet sophisticated.
“Every other Saturday, but Kelly had to go out of town for a little while so I’m taking the weekends off until she gets back.” Brody followed Avery into the living room. Lily still hopped up and down on two feet with boundless energy two-year-olds were so famous for. Mason had left Tyler’s lap and directed his attention to the cartoon. “Looks like you’ve got your hands full.”
“They’re really good at entertaining themselves. Except when Lily is having a terrible-two moment or Mason won’t take his nap, like he’s supposed to be doing right now.”
The tow-headed mini-version of Chase tried to mimic Lily’s bouncing but was much less coordinated on his stubby legs. Tyler picked up a toy football and tossed it in Mason’s direction, hoping to snag the toddler’s interest. Mason spared the ball a quick glance before returning his attention to the television.
“I came by to see Lacy. How’s she doing?”
Avery handed the cup to Mason and the crackers to Lily. “She took about a two-hour nap this morning. I think she’s drawing right now.” An amused grin lit up Avery’s face. “I feel so bad for her. I know she’s dying to get out of that bed. And I know it’s killing her not being able to take care of Mason.”
Brody settled on the ottoman in front of the couch. “I’m sure she appreciates all you’re doing, though.”
Avery glanced at the children. “It’s the least I could do. Besides, I know she’d do the same for me.”
The two women had hit it off as sisters-in-law. Lily had only been about a year old when Mason had been born, and the two children had fast become good playmates. Then Lacy got pregnant with twins on hers and Chase’s belated honeymoon, and Avery selflessly offered to help out with Mason while Chase was at work.
Mason let out an ear-piercing squeal when Lily took the toy football right out of his hands. Big, fat tears rolled down the boy’s face. Avery dropped to her knees in front of her daughter. “We talked about how to play nice, remember, Lily? Mason had the ball first and you need to wait your turn. And we ask; we don’t just take.” She turned Lily to face her bawling cousin. “Now give the ball back to Mason like a good girl.”
Mason reached his chubby little fingers out to swipe the ball from Lily’s grasp. The two-year-old held the ball just out of Mason’s reach and stuck her bottom lip out. Mason’s white-blond eyebrows tugged together in a thunderous scowl. He stomped his feet and tried once again to get the ball back.
“Lily,” Avery commanded in a firm voice. “If I have to start counting, you’re going to lose a sticker on your chart today. You know what happens when you lose all your stickers.”
Lily dropped the ball on the carpet and walked to the couch so she could bury her face in the cushions. She sobbed like her poor little heart had been broken in two from having to give up a ball neither of the kids had been interested in a moment ago. Brody chuckled when Avery rolled her eyes.