Marcus looked so serious. “You okay?” he asked.
That was the second time Liam had been asked that today, and he didn’t have an answer for it this time any more than he had the first. He could try the way he was normally, stoic and focused, but Marcus was looking at him with such tenderness and understanding that it nearly broke Liam.
“No,” he answered, and for the first time in a long while, he was being completely honest.
“Okay.” Marcus gripped his hand and tugged him from the barn and up the metal stairs to their place. As soon as he got inside, he peeled off Liam’s clothes and pushed him into the shower before stripping his own suit and pulling on jeans and a T.
Liam watched him through the glass, saw him puttering around their small kitchen, smelled the chocolate as soon as the water stopped. He knew exactly what Marcus was doing, and abruptly most things in his world righted themselves. Marcus opened the shower door and wrapped Liam in one of their huge gray towels before guiding him to their bed. Together they settled against the headboard, and even though Marcus was smaller, he still managed to support Liam.
Liam rested his head on Marcus’s chest and listened to his heartbeat, and Marcus didn’t ask any questions. He just hugged and waited while Liam settled his breathing. He thought he’d gotten past all the shit in his head, but coming up to the court case, he was losing the fine control he’d built.
“Jack came and talked to me today,” Liam finally said. Marcus hummed that small noise that meant he’d heard Liam’s words. “Said he and Robbie are coming with us down to Laredo.” Only the slight tightening of Marcus’s hold gave away his reaction.
“That’s a good thing,” Marcus said. “Isn’t it?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“Will be good to have both of them backing you up.”
“But do you think it’s because they know it’s going to be so bad that they need to be there? Robbie already gave his statement about what he found when he got to the barn, and you’ve given your statement. Jack was ill, he only saw…” Liam stopped and closed his eyes tightly. All Marcus did was rub circles on his bare skin, and after the longest time, Liam could feel himself relaxing.
Marcus began to talk. “Had the Reysons in today. Their surrogate is due in the next couple days.”
Liam appreciated the change in direction. “Are they excited?”
“Big-time, although I think Mrs. Reyson has redone the nursery four—no, five—times.”
They talked about Marcus’s day, about Marcia, the weather, the news, and they stayed away from the elephant in the room.
And for that Liam was happy.
Chapter 5
Riley settled Connor in his crib and pulled the blanket up and over him. The twins were five months now and both doing well. They were healthy and strong, just like Jack. Every so often Riley could swear he’d see Connor look up at him with Jack’s intense gaze, and each time it happened, he melted from the heart outward. Connor was the easy one, the baby who ate, slept, and smiled. Lexie, on the other hand, was curled in Jack’s hold and fussing at a bottle.
“She’s really not happy,” Jack said. He shifted position a little, and Riley crossed to feel Lexie’s forehead. She didn’t feel warm, so it was probably that she was just being as temperamental as she could tonight. She let out a cry and batted away the bottle, and as she cried, Riley spotted the problem, a new tooth cutting the gum.
“Aww, sweetie has a new tooth,” he said softly and handed her the cooling gel ring that Carol swore by. When she gripped it, bit down on it, and stopped crying, Riley smiled. Jack held her close and patted her back as he examined the bottle. It was nearly empty anyway, and she was snuffling into Jack’s chest like she wanted to stay there all night. Riley knew the feeling.
“I’d make you coffee, but…” Jack indicated with his free hand, and Riley shook his head.
“Lame excuse. Lame.” He went to the kitchen to make coffee and found Max sitting with Hayley and Carol. “Lexie has a new tooth,” he announced with pride. He never failed to be proud of every single thing his kids did.
“I thought she might,” Carol said. “She was fussy today.”
Max leaned into her, and she glanced down at him. “Sorry, Maxy.” She resumed the book she was reading out loud. “Drip drip went the kitchen tap…” Max followed every word, staring at the book intently and smiling softly. He had this way of holding himself like his every molecule was utterly absorbed, and as usual, Thomas wasn’t far away, just to one side. Riley sat next to Hayley and glanced at her homework. Math this time. He could do math.
“You want any help?” he asked, and she passed him the worksheet she was working on, listing a whole lot of percentage calculations. He pointed out a couple of errors she’d made, but they were small, and she raced through the sheet. Clearly their daughter was a genius. The coffee dripped through, and he took it in to Jack but stopped dead at the sight of his husband asleep in the chair with Lexie, tiny Lexie, sprawled on his chest. Jack held her, and Riley was loath to wake either of them up, but he knew Jack would thank him for it later. Carefully he peeled Jack’s hand from Lexie and managed to move Lexie to her crib without her opening her eyes. Jack, on the other hand, slowly woke and blinked before yawning widely behind his hand.
They left the room and pulled the door shut, then waited until Carol had finished the story before Riley hoisted Max into his arms and half danced out of the kitchen. Max liked that. He giggled, and he held on tight. It was Jack’s job to gather up any random Thomas toys and Max’s blankie.
Together they encouraged Max to brush his teeth, which had definitely been a work in progress up until last week. Riley had lost count of the number of times he and Jack had brushed their teeth alongside their son so he could see how easy it was. Riley’s inspiration that perhaps Max didn’t like the taste or texture had them trying out all kinds of brushes and pastes.
Jack was the king of toothbrush-land, though, when he bought a Thomas toothbrush. Problem solved in an instant.
Max climbed into bed, and Riley read him the tickle book, coupled with some physical tickling and laughter, and then Jack and Riley left the room. Max didn’t sleep in the dark. He had to have light, and Riley had long since bought special lights that cast stars on the ceiling. The odd thing was with Max sleeping right in the quilt, no one was quite sure why he needed the light on. But not a single person argued.
Finally it was Hayley’s turn. She didn’t need a bedtime story, but she did need to be told to stop reading and turn out her light. She devoured books as quickly as Jack ate bacon.
“Dad, Pappa? Can I ask you a question?”
Riley sat on the edge of her bed. He always felt so big in her room against all the little things she had like small cuddly kittens and tiny this and that.
Jack leaned against the doorjamb, since there was no room on the bed for two grown men and all those stuffed toys.
“Mary-Ann is having a party for her birthday, and there will be boys. Can I go?” She was looking at Riley because she knew as much as her other father did that Riley was the pushover. She even did that whole melty-eyed look, and Riley was ready to do anything she wanted. Thank God Jack was in the room as well.
“How old are the boys?”
“The same grade as us.” She was so earnest. “From St. Edwards.”
Riley frowned. St. Edwards was the all-boys school that sat directly opposite the girls’ school Hayley attended. They were kept separate for a reason; after all, he knew exactly what teenage boys wanted because he’d been one. He’d been thwarted, though, in his attempts to date at that age by having to have a series of tutors in a homeschool environment. The Hayes Oil company had pissed off one too many players and there had been an attempt on Jeff’s life, hence the tutors. Jack interrupted Riley’s thoughts.