steps—snapped him back to reality. He glanced over his shoulder, only to stare up into the face of the very man he’d been thinking about all day.
“Raven!”
Mark jumped up in surprise—glad he managed to end up landing on the deck outside the kitchen’s back door where he had plenty of room to stumble about rather than on one of the narrow steps he’d been sitting on where he was sure he’d have fallen flat on his ass.
“H-hi,” Raven said, staring down at him from several steps above.
At least Raven was still talking to him. That was a plus. And looking him in the eye, too. Definitely a good sign. But this late at night Raven should have been long gone, even if he had dropped Wolf off from preschool and stayed to let the kids play for a while. Mark felt a little flutter of unease.
“What are you doing here?”
Raven continued carefully down the steps until he was standing on the small landing outside the kitchen as well. “I’m b-babysitting.”
“What happened to Cindy?”
“She quit.”
“Really?” Cindy—Wolf’s regular sitter—was a really nice girl. Young, but she’d seemed to love looking after Wolf. Mark certainly couldn’t imagine her up and leaving Brody, Lark and Zak in the lurch. “What happened? Is she all right?”
“She’s p-pregnant and has bad m-morning sickness. Like all day m-morning sickness. She couldn’t keep working, so Brody asked me if I’d be interested in the j-job.”
“Oh! Um…wow.” Mark considered Raven—standing in front of him, talking to him, looking back at him. “So, I guess that means you’ll be around here even more from now on, huh?”
“Y-yeah.”
Raven blushed and looked away shyly. But the tentative smile that tugged at his lips at the same time made Mark’s heart pound.
“Ryan really loves the idea. And the extra m-money won’t hurt.”
Mark sobered instantly. “Are you and Ryan okay?”
He felt a definite twinge of guilt for asking—money being one of those subjects—but he had to make sure the two of them were all right.
“Oh, yeah. But you know…k-kids are expensive.”
“Yeah,” Mark replied with a wash of relief. “I remember that part well.” They shared a smile and Mark felt instantly, pathetically better for it. Even his head wasn’t throbbing so badly anymore. “So…um…what are you doing? I mean now. Out here.”
Smooth . Mark fought against the urge to roll his eyes at himself. What was it about Raven that turned him into the village idiot? And it seemed to be getting worse, he realised, as he finally noticed the garbage bag Raven was holding up.
“I was c-cleaning the kitchen upstairs. Just trying to help out a b-bit. I thought I’d take the g-garbage out.”
It took Mark several seconds to realise Raven was looking at him expectantly, and then several more seconds to figure out he was blocking the way to the dumpster.
“Oh! Um…sorry. I’ll just…”
Mark stepped aside to allow Raven to dump the bag he was carrying. But when Raven finished and turned back to face him, he didn’t rush to hurry away as Mark had expected. Instead, they stood staring at one another in silence. Mark’s tension now had more to do with a quivering anticipation and the need building inside him. And he desperately wanted to know if he was the only one feeling it. Judging by the look on Raven’s face—part wonder, part desire and part panic—he didn’t think he was alone.
“I…ah…I really enjoyed last night,” Mark finally managed.
In the dim light, Mark could see Raven’s blush, but it looked more like shy pleasure than embarrassment.
“Me t-too.”
His heart rate really picking up the pace now, Mark decided to push his luck…just a little. “I was wondering, are you going running tomorrow?”
“Y-yes.”
“Would you like some company?”
As usual, Raven took his time studying Mark and carefully considered the question. Which made the answer all the more heady when it finally came. “I think…I’d l-like that.”
It was
“Raven!”
Mark jumped up in surprise—glad he managed to end up landing on the deck outside the kitchen’s back door where he had plenty of room to stumble about rather than on one of the narrow steps he’d been sitting on where he was sure he’d have fallen flat on his ass.
“H-hi,” Raven said, staring down at him from several steps above.
At least Raven was still talking to him. That was a plus. And looking him in the eye, too. Definitely a good sign. But this late at night Raven should have been long gone, even if he had dropped Wolf off from preschool and stayed to let the kids play for a while. Mark felt a little flutter of unease.
“What are you doing here?”
Raven continued carefully down the steps until he was standing on the small landing outside the kitchen as well. “I’m b-babysitting.”
“What happened to Cindy?”
“She quit.”
“Really?” Cindy—Wolf’s regular sitter—was a really nice girl. Young, but she’d seemed to love looking after Wolf. Mark certainly couldn’t imagine her up and leaving Brody, Lark and Zak in the lurch. “What happened? Is she all right?”
“She’s p-pregnant and has bad m-morning sickness. Like all day m-morning sickness. She couldn’t keep working, so Brody asked me if I’d be interested in the j-job.”
“Oh! Um…wow.” Mark considered Raven—standing in front of him, talking to him, looking back at him. “So, I guess that means you’ll be around here even more from now on, huh?”
“Y-yeah.”
Raven blushed and looked away shyly. But the tentative smile that tugged at his lips at the same time made Mark’s heart pound.
“Ryan really loves the idea. And the extra m-money won’t hurt.”
Mark sobered instantly. “Are you and Ryan okay?”
He felt a definite twinge of guilt for asking—money being one of those subjects—but he had to make sure the two of them were all right.
“Oh, yeah. But you know…k-kids are expensive.”
“Yeah,” Mark replied with a wash of relief. “I remember that part well.” They shared a smile and Mark felt instantly, pathetically better for it. Even his head wasn’t throbbing so badly anymore. “So…um…what are you doing? I mean now. Out here.”
Smooth . Mark fought against the urge to roll his eyes at himself. What was it about Raven that turned him into the village idiot? And it seemed to be getting worse, he realised, as he finally noticed the garbage bag Raven was holding up.
“I was c-cleaning the kitchen upstairs. Just trying to help out a b-bit. I thought I’d take the g-garbage out.”
It took Mark several seconds to realise Raven was looking at him expectantly, and then several more seconds to figure out he was blocking the way to the dumpster.
“Oh! Um…sorry. I’ll just…”
Mark stepped aside to allow Raven to dump the bag he was carrying. But when Raven finished and turned back to face him, he didn’t rush to hurry away as Mark had expected. Instead, they stood staring at one another in silence. Mark’s tension now had more to do with a quivering anticipation and the need building inside him. And he desperately wanted to know if he was the only one feeling it. Judging by the look on Raven’s face—part wonder, part desire and part panic—he didn’t think he was alone.
“I…ah…I really enjoyed last night,” Mark finally managed.
In the dim light, Mark could see Raven’s blush, but it looked more like shy pleasure than embarrassment.
“Me t-too.”
His heart rate really picking up the pace now, Mark decided to push his luck…just a little. “I was wondering, are you going running tomorrow?”
“Y-yes.”
“Would you like some company?”
As usual, Raven took his time studying Mark and carefully considered the question. Which made the answer all the more heady when it finally came. “I think…I’d l-like that.”
It was
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