Though the story was a bestselling thriller, Tag couldn’t seem to focus. The spy plot didn’t seem half as exciting as the sight of Flynn’s long eyelashes sweeping his chubby cheeks. Or the way every once in a while he’d pucker his plump lips. Had there ever been a more beautiful child?
If only Maria could see him. But then maybe shecould. Tag liked to think a part of her was still with him, smiling down on his good fortune of having a son.
“Tag?” Her voice raspy with sleep, Olivia stirred. “Mmm…how long was I out?”
“Just long enough to skip out on doing dishes.”
She grinned. “I’m good.”
If she hadn’t looked so damned cute, Tag would’ve pitched his book at her. “Consider yourself fortunate I’m a gentleman.”
“Oh, I do,” she said, easing upright, being careful not to wake Flynn. “Want to assist me in putting him to bed, and then watch a movie?”
“Thought you’d never ask.”
Tag helped Olivia off the sofa, then walked with her to the bedroom. “Does Flynn need a bath or anything?”
“Probably,” Olivia said as she eased their son into his portable crib. “But one night of filth won’t hurt him.”
“Sure?” Tag asked, genuinely concerned.
She laughed.
“What’s funny?”
“You,” she said, still giggling while covering Flynn. “We’ve got to get you some on-the-job training, or you’ll never make it to Flynn’s five-month birthday.”
Trailing after her into the living room, he said, “On the job. I like the sound of that. Yeah.” He parked himself on the sofa. “I’m a hands-on kind of guy. So how are we going to make this work? Or are you planning on giving me a crash course over the next few days?”
“I guess.” She popped a movie into the VCR and wrinkled her nose. “I haven’t thought it out that far.”
“What’s tonight’s fare?”
“With Six You Get Eggroll. It was Doris Day’s last movie.”
Pretending to be enthusiastic, Tag said, “Hmm, sounds good.”
“It is,” she argued. “Give it a chance. You liked the last one, didn’t you?”
“If I admit it, does that make me less of a man?”
The comment earned him a swat. “You’re horrible.”
He smiled before putting his feet on the coffee table.
Though he wouldn’t give Olivia the pleasure of hearing it, this movie turned out to be good, too. Not especially cerebral, but entertaining nonetheless. The interesting part was the way two single parents came together to form a new family. It was rough going, but they made it work. Which made him think…“Hey, Olivia?”
“Yes?” she said as she poured herself a glass of iced tea from the fridge.
“You know how in the movie Doris Day and Brian Keith were both single, but ended up together?”
“Uh-huh.”
Excited by his plan, Tag went to her and poured a glass of tea for himself. “What if we tried the same? Not likegetting married or anything, but solving our dilemma of how to share Flynn by doing the obvious—living under the same roof?”
Chapter Eight
Once Olivia stopped choking on her last sip of tea, she asked, “Are you crazy? That would never work. The movie was Hollywood, Tag. Not real life.”
“I know that. But what if we could make it work?” He set down his glass, lightly cupping her shoulders. “Think about it. We’d lead our separate lives by day, but by night we’d be roomies who happen to share a baby. Kind of like Will and Grace, only I’m straight.”
“You watch Will and Grace? ”
“What can I say?” His mouth parted in a slow grin. “The late-night reruns sucked me in and now it’s my guilty pleasure. Anyway, focus. Liv, think about it. It’s a win-win for all three of us. Flynn gets a full-time mom and dad. And since neither of us is looking for anything more than friendship and my house has more than enough room—hell, private wings for each of us—I dare you to come up with one good reason why this isn’t the answer to our every problem.”
For the longest while,
If only Maria could see him. But then maybe shecould. Tag liked to think a part of her was still with him, smiling down on his good fortune of having a son.
“Tag?” Her voice raspy with sleep, Olivia stirred. “Mmm…how long was I out?”
“Just long enough to skip out on doing dishes.”
She grinned. “I’m good.”
If she hadn’t looked so damned cute, Tag would’ve pitched his book at her. “Consider yourself fortunate I’m a gentleman.”
“Oh, I do,” she said, easing upright, being careful not to wake Flynn. “Want to assist me in putting him to bed, and then watch a movie?”
“Thought you’d never ask.”
Tag helped Olivia off the sofa, then walked with her to the bedroom. “Does Flynn need a bath or anything?”
“Probably,” Olivia said as she eased their son into his portable crib. “But one night of filth won’t hurt him.”
“Sure?” Tag asked, genuinely concerned.
She laughed.
“What’s funny?”
“You,” she said, still giggling while covering Flynn. “We’ve got to get you some on-the-job training, or you’ll never make it to Flynn’s five-month birthday.”
Trailing after her into the living room, he said, “On the job. I like the sound of that. Yeah.” He parked himself on the sofa. “I’m a hands-on kind of guy. So how are we going to make this work? Or are you planning on giving me a crash course over the next few days?”
“I guess.” She popped a movie into the VCR and wrinkled her nose. “I haven’t thought it out that far.”
“What’s tonight’s fare?”
“With Six You Get Eggroll. It was Doris Day’s last movie.”
Pretending to be enthusiastic, Tag said, “Hmm, sounds good.”
“It is,” she argued. “Give it a chance. You liked the last one, didn’t you?”
“If I admit it, does that make me less of a man?”
The comment earned him a swat. “You’re horrible.”
He smiled before putting his feet on the coffee table.
Though he wouldn’t give Olivia the pleasure of hearing it, this movie turned out to be good, too. Not especially cerebral, but entertaining nonetheless. The interesting part was the way two single parents came together to form a new family. It was rough going, but they made it work. Which made him think…“Hey, Olivia?”
“Yes?” she said as she poured herself a glass of iced tea from the fridge.
“You know how in the movie Doris Day and Brian Keith were both single, but ended up together?”
“Uh-huh.”
Excited by his plan, Tag went to her and poured a glass of tea for himself. “What if we tried the same? Not likegetting married or anything, but solving our dilemma of how to share Flynn by doing the obvious—living under the same roof?”
Chapter Eight
Once Olivia stopped choking on her last sip of tea, she asked, “Are you crazy? That would never work. The movie was Hollywood, Tag. Not real life.”
“I know that. But what if we could make it work?” He set down his glass, lightly cupping her shoulders. “Think about it. We’d lead our separate lives by day, but by night we’d be roomies who happen to share a baby. Kind of like Will and Grace, only I’m straight.”
“You watch Will and Grace? ”
“What can I say?” His mouth parted in a slow grin. “The late-night reruns sucked me in and now it’s my guilty pleasure. Anyway, focus. Liv, think about it. It’s a win-win for all three of us. Flynn gets a full-time mom and dad. And since neither of us is looking for anything more than friendship and my house has more than enough room—hell, private wings for each of us—I dare you to come up with one good reason why this isn’t the answer to our every problem.”
For the longest while,
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