Page 14 of The Benefits of Love (As I Am 2)

“You’re growing bigger by the minute,” Itold her in ababy-talking voice and blew to her chubby belly, coaxing more giggles out of her.

“Both of them, too quickly.” Erin sighed. “That’swhat Istarted saying, that we want to have brunch this Saturday so we can all hang out together. It’sbeen forever since the last time we did.”

“I’ll be doing the cooking,” Thomas said with Rowan in his arms. They did their best to give both twins the same attention, to not have either of them feeling left out.

“And baking,” Erin added, gazing lovingly at her husband.

Thomas’sloving gaze was almost areflex when it came to his wife. “And baking, of course.”

“Ididn’tthink otherwise.” Thomas’skitchen skills were as brilliant as his paintings, and he was in charge of every meal we had together. If my face reflected any concern about the source of the meal, it had nothing to do with the cook. It did have everything to do with the other guest.

Because if Iacted like ahot mess now, without him around, Icouldn’timagine what the stress of acting like there was nothing between us would’ve been like with him in the room. Irealized we’dnever even considered this very likely, very probable scenario. Despite being two intelligent people, our need for some sort of connection, as shallow as it was, had overpowered our basic common sense.

And it wasn’tlike we could’ve just put astop to this. We already knew each other in avery intimate, no-going-back-from-this kind of way. We’djust have to make do, along with being more discreet. Much more discreet.

Giving Violet one last kiss, Iput her back in her mama’soutstretched hands. “I’ll be there.”

Most of the tension left my body when Ientered my home with my essentials, reveling at the soothing effects of the sun and short walk over. In fact, Ienjoyed it so much that Ididn’tlet myself miss out on this wonderful day.

Iwhipped up asandwich from the premade chicken salad Ibought earlier, locked it in my lunchbox and into my backpack along with my camera, hurrying out the door before my workaholic brain could convince me otherwise. The work would have to wait to be crammed into hours when it wasn’tso fucking gorgeous outside.

Instead of just wandering aimlessly around the neighborhood, Ihad two missions ahead of me. The first was to visit one of my favorite places in Boston, the Charles River Esplanade. The park stretched along the banks of the three-mile-long Charles River and offered plenty of greenery, ponds, playgrounds, and running trails, with even more people of all kinds, young and old and everything in between. Practically agold mine of photos waiting to be captured.

Later, after I’dhave my fill of photographing for the pure fun of it, I’dgo shopping for toys and cute outfits for Rowan and Violet for our Saturday brunch. Iloved these two so much and there wasn’tatime Iarrived there empty-handed.

But first, the park. Isoaked up the place, captured the fields of grass and the running routes, and then chatted with random people, asking for their consent to be photographed. Everything had been just as Ipictured it to be, literally. With the right number of clouds in the sky as abuffer from the sun, the photos turned out perfect, not burned out and not too dark.

Within less than an hour of playing scavenger hunt with my camera, my stomach protested with hunger and the sandwich Ihad in my bag whispered seductivelyEat me, an offer Icouldn’tdecline, especially after not eating since yesterday morning.

The camera hung loose around my neck while Isought aplace to have my lunch. It didn’ttake long before Isettled on the row of benches under the eye-catching pink cherry blossom trees that overlooked the river and Cambridge on the other side.

Apparently, other people saw the same allure to the same exact spot. As Iapproached the nearest bench, Ispied abroad-shouldered, dark-haired man in agray tailored suit sitting on abench afew feet shy from the one Iwas eyeing. He alternated his focus between the river and the take-out sushi he popped into his mouth, chewing while appearing deep in thought.

Ishook my head at the freak coincidence of seeing Zach here. Two people with hectic schedules were having lunch outside of their offices, midweek, after seeing each other the night before.

My first instinct was to call out to him, but Iheld myself back. This chance meeting seemed so unlikely, that adoubt gnawed at me of Zach thinking Iwas stalking him. Then again, he was the one who came to my house last night. It didn’tget more stalkerish than that.

And Iliked his stalking. His stalking had me up on my feet and not-stalking him on my trip here. The more Ithought of it, the more Ifelt sure that he’dlike me being there just as Iliked having him over yesterday. Besides, Ihad to tell him what Thomas told me, in case he hadn’ttalked to him already.

“Zach!” Iwaved, walking over to his bench.

He averted his gaze from the river, flashing his familiar smile when he saw me. The tiny knot of doubt was released at his apparent happiness to have me there. He placed his food to the side, got up, and waved back, waiting for me to stand by him. Last night proved he’dtaken the part ofbuddyjust as seriously as the first part offuck, and by the sincere welcoming gaze and actions it wasn’taone-time thing.

“Thor.” Ipaused just in front of him, unsure of how to greet him. Do we hug? Do we shake hands? Istill remembered how he carried me to the bed and took care of me when Ifelt ill, and it did things almost as much as recalling his lips on my naked body did.

So Idid nothing and he did nothing and Ifelt so fucking flustered that Igrabbed the straps just so Iwould have something to occupy my hands with.

“Tulip.” He rubbed my shoulder, then dropped his hand when my brows furrowed and my head twisted to where he touched me. “You look better.”

Iclosed my eyes, snapping myself out of the uptight cloud around me. Irefused to be stressed out over him touching my shoulder, atotally normal gesture between friends who had known each other for years. When Iopened them, Ihoped my gaze conveyed the same giddiness Ifelt at finding him here.

“Ifeel it, alot, thanks to you.”

“It was mostly Mother Nature. Iwas just the delivery guy.” Icouldn’tbelieve my eyes when atinge of blush colored Zach’sshaved cheeks, and Idecided not to embarrass him further. Iknew him as aconfident man who took pride in his work, but apparently he wasn’tone to brag about his good actions. That part Ididn’tknow, and it warmed my heart to discover that about him.

“And not that Idon’tappreciate aglimpse of that cleavage in the middle of aworkday, but what are you doing here?”

His crudeness, the one Irecognized, brought alaugh out of me. It also made me feel self-conscious and Iarranged the top of my dress that the camera had pulled down.

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