Startled, she looked up to meet very blue, very amused eyes. Her heartbeat quickened. Confused by his reaction, by her own response, she ducked her head and hugged her nephew's shoulders.
Amy, undeterred, swooped on the last person out of the car. "And … is this big boy Jack? Oh, sweetie, your poor face."
Kate gritted her teeth. How could she ask Patrick to trust her recommendations when her own sister was so insensitive? "It's just a scar, Amy. I told you that."
"Well, I know, but—"
Billy cocked his head. "A scar? Like a pirate? Cool. Can I see?"
A muscle tensed in Patrick's jaw. Kate held her breath. Would he give the boys a chance, or would his need to protect Jack overcome his grudging acceptance of her judgment?
Jack flinched but held his ground. In respectful silence, Billy inspected his puckered face and misshapen ear.
" Yowsers . Does it hurt?"
"No. But my hand still does, a little."
Billy gave the big bandage a cursory look. "Yeah. Aunt Katie operated on it. She told me. You want to see my space blaster? Aunt Katie got it for me."
Jack's face lit. "Okay."
Bless her nephew. But before Kate could draw her breath in relief, Amy intervened. "Billy, did you leave the baby inside all alone?"
He squirmed. "Ma, she was fine."
"Billy." She shook her head, seemingly more disappointed than angry. "You're the oldest. You go in and get her now and bring her to Aunt Katie."
He scuffed the ground at his feet. "Yeah, okay. Be right back."
"Can I come?" Jack asked.
"Sure."
They ran into the trailer, two sets of sneakers thumping on the steps.
"Honestly." Amy turned to the other two adults. "You'd think he'd be more responsible by now. It's like some things never change."
"Yes," Patrick said dryly. "I see that."
Kate glanced at him sharply. Whether he meant to support her or not, she wouldn't tolerate him mocking her family.
He hesitated, as if searching for an inoffensive explanation. "I'm an oldest child myself."
Amy nodded, uncomprehending.
Jack banged back through the screen door and held it open for Billy. The boy trundled down the steps, precariously balancing his baby sister, her fat little legs sticking out on either side of his waist.
Rescuing her niece from Billy's slipping clasp, Kate settled the baby competently on her hip. "This is Jenny."
A girl. The punch of yearning caught Patrick unaware. A real cutie, too, with her mother's flyaway curls and her aunt's observant eyes. A lifetime ago, Patrick had wanted a baby girl. The joy of Jack's arrival had eclipsed that dream. The loss of his wife had extinguished it. But seeing Kate with her sister's child in her arms, he realized that the hope still flickered deep inside.
Two sets of pink cheeks, two pairs of brown eyes, two rosy smiles…
He jammed his hands in his back pockets to keep from reaching for them both and took a step back. "Cute."
Kate, he saw, registered his withdrawal without understanding it, bristling at the imagined slight to her niece. "Don't you like babies?"
The child lurched for a fistful of her aunt's wavy hair and stuffed it in her mouth. Nine months old, he guessed. Probably crawling, and into everything. He'd missed this stage with Jack. Jack had gone from a sturdy five-month-old just sitting up to wasted muscle on a hospital cot. By the time he was able to crawl, Jack was well over a year old.
"I like babies fine."
"But not girls."
He smiled at the challenge in Kate's voice, letting her needling prick him from his memories, "Oh, I like girls."
"I just bet you do," Amy murmured, widening her eyes at him.
"Too bad he can't go to lunch with you and Ma," Kate said, tongue planted firmly in cheek.
She was teasing him. His body responded with instant, serious intent.
"Well, now, I know Mama wouldn't mind the company. If Patrick's free…" Amy trailed off suggestively.
Damn, she was coming on to him.
"I was joking, Amy," Kate said flatly.
"I know that, but it's not a bad idea. The kids are used to you. We'll only be
Amy, undeterred, swooped on the last person out of the car. "And … is this big boy Jack? Oh, sweetie, your poor face."
Kate gritted her teeth. How could she ask Patrick to trust her recommendations when her own sister was so insensitive? "It's just a scar, Amy. I told you that."
"Well, I know, but—"
Billy cocked his head. "A scar? Like a pirate? Cool. Can I see?"
A muscle tensed in Patrick's jaw. Kate held her breath. Would he give the boys a chance, or would his need to protect Jack overcome his grudging acceptance of her judgment?
Jack flinched but held his ground. In respectful silence, Billy inspected his puckered face and misshapen ear.
" Yowsers . Does it hurt?"
"No. But my hand still does, a little."
Billy gave the big bandage a cursory look. "Yeah. Aunt Katie operated on it. She told me. You want to see my space blaster? Aunt Katie got it for me."
Jack's face lit. "Okay."
Bless her nephew. But before Kate could draw her breath in relief, Amy intervened. "Billy, did you leave the baby inside all alone?"
He squirmed. "Ma, she was fine."
"Billy." She shook her head, seemingly more disappointed than angry. "You're the oldest. You go in and get her now and bring her to Aunt Katie."
He scuffed the ground at his feet. "Yeah, okay. Be right back."
"Can I come?" Jack asked.
"Sure."
They ran into the trailer, two sets of sneakers thumping on the steps.
"Honestly." Amy turned to the other two adults. "You'd think he'd be more responsible by now. It's like some things never change."
"Yes," Patrick said dryly. "I see that."
Kate glanced at him sharply. Whether he meant to support her or not, she wouldn't tolerate him mocking her family.
He hesitated, as if searching for an inoffensive explanation. "I'm an oldest child myself."
Amy nodded, uncomprehending.
Jack banged back through the screen door and held it open for Billy. The boy trundled down the steps, precariously balancing his baby sister, her fat little legs sticking out on either side of his waist.
Rescuing her niece from Billy's slipping clasp, Kate settled the baby competently on her hip. "This is Jenny."
A girl. The punch of yearning caught Patrick unaware. A real cutie, too, with her mother's flyaway curls and her aunt's observant eyes. A lifetime ago, Patrick had wanted a baby girl. The joy of Jack's arrival had eclipsed that dream. The loss of his wife had extinguished it. But seeing Kate with her sister's child in her arms, he realized that the hope still flickered deep inside.
Two sets of pink cheeks, two pairs of brown eyes, two rosy smiles…
He jammed his hands in his back pockets to keep from reaching for them both and took a step back. "Cute."
Kate, he saw, registered his withdrawal without understanding it, bristling at the imagined slight to her niece. "Don't you like babies?"
The child lurched for a fistful of her aunt's wavy hair and stuffed it in her mouth. Nine months old, he guessed. Probably crawling, and into everything. He'd missed this stage with Jack. Jack had gone from a sturdy five-month-old just sitting up to wasted muscle on a hospital cot. By the time he was able to crawl, Jack was well over a year old.
"I like babies fine."
"But not girls."
He smiled at the challenge in Kate's voice, letting her needling prick him from his memories, "Oh, I like girls."
"I just bet you do," Amy murmured, widening her eyes at him.
"Too bad he can't go to lunch with you and Ma," Kate said, tongue planted firmly in cheek.
She was teasing him. His body responded with instant, serious intent.
"Well, now, I know Mama wouldn't mind the company. If Patrick's free…" Amy trailed off suggestively.
Damn, she was coming on to him.
"I was joking, Amy," Kate said flatly.
"I know that, but it's not a bad idea. The kids are used to you. We'll only be
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