Page 76 of His Best Friend's Baby

Now, if she could only get to work.

“What are you still doing here?” Jesse asked, stepping into the living room.

“Amanda’s late.” She shrugged.

“Well, go,” he said, his forehead furrowed. “I’m here.”

“Right, but he’ll be up soon and I don’t want to impose.”

“Impose?” He smiled. “You stole all the covers and snored all night.”

“Liar.” She laughed. She grabbed her bag from the couch. It was a ten-minute walk and if she left now, she’d make it.

“How’d you know? You were asleep.”

She hopped over to him, kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered. I love you, her heart sobbed.

JESSE WATCHED JULIA run out of the house.

What am I doing? he wondered. But he knew the answer. He was leading on a good woman. He was pretending. Playing a game he had no business playing.

But maybe it’s real, a quiet voice within him said. Maybe you don’t have to pretend.

He heard a soft thud from the bedroom and braced himself for Ben’s arrival. He’d been spending a lot of time with the boy, but never without Julia in the house. Ben came walking out wearing a pair of Spider-Man pajamas that looked like an updated version of a pair Jesse had worn when he was a kid.

“Mama?” He shrugged and looked around.

“She’s gone to work,” Jesse said and waited for the waterworks.

Ben just yawned and rubbed his eyes. “Hungry,” he said.

“Let’s see what we’ve got.” Jesse led the boy into the kitchen.

“I like your dog,” Ben said as Wain nearly pushed him over with his morning greetings.

“I think he likes you, too.”

Ben laughed as Wain licked him. Jesse had to admit he’d never seen anything so sweet.

“After breakfast, let’s play fetch in the backyard, what do you say?” Jesse asked and Ben nodded, his curls waving.

Jesse set about gathering a breakfast for both of them.

Ben was an amazing child with all of Julia’s good cheer and smiles. Simply looking at him made Jesse feel like laughing. He saw bits of Mitch in him—sudden temper tantrums, a certain look of mischief from the corner of his eye that was all Mitch Adams.

Amanda called when they were part way through their meal and said she’d be there in a second. She sounded panicked and scared and he told her to relax that everything was fine.

He surprised the hell out of both of them when he told her there was no rush. She could take her time. Sleep a little longer.

“Thanks, Uncle Jesse,” she said. “I owe you.”

“No problem,” he told her. Ben handed him a soggy Cheerio from his bowl.

“Thanks, buddy.”

Jesse wondered what would happen to the kid. How he’d grow and change. If he’d keep his generous nature and curiosity.

He wanted to see Ben grow up—the urge surprised him. Ben would surely need a man to teach him how to throw a ball and how to pee standing up. How to fight if he needed to and how to walk away when it was smart. Girls, math class, team tryouts, driving. He’d need help with all of it.

Jesse wanted to be that man.

That quiet voice got louder. Why couldn’t you have this? What’s to stop you?

JULIA NUDGED one of the shrubs into place on the asphalt and directed the shower of water from her hose over the new shipment of roses. The sun was hot on her neck and her shoulders ached but she couldn’t remember the last time she felt this…good. This was the best week she could remember having.

She wiped her arm over her forehead and released the trigger on the hose.

“Hey, Julia.” Virginia Holmes stood at her elbow, riffling though envelopes.

“Hey, Virginia. The new roses look good.”

“Thanks to you.”

“Doug’s new.” Julia stuck up for the young man. He was a nice guy and he knew Virginia was getting tired of his mistakes. “I’ve just been helping him along. He didn’t realize which pesticide he was using.”

“Doug’s your boss, Julia. And he’s been here longer. He’s supposed to be correcting your mistakes.” Virginia stopped paging through the envelopes and handed her one. “You’re doing really good work for us. We’re glad you’re here.”

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