Page 30 of The Irish Rogue

She looked at him over her shoulder. “I can’t have beer, so no. There’s none in my house.”

“You work for a brewery. Why the hell can’t you…?” His eyes dropped to her breasts and she felt that gaze all the way down to her…well, lower. Her nipples tightened as well and she wanted to cover herself. That man’s gaze was too compelling and she resented the way he could just look at her and her body responded.

“We’re not going there,” she told him firmly.

He lifted his eyes, a teasing glint in their dark depths. “Not going where?”

Kennedi didn’t have a pithy reply, but she was saved from having to say anything by Declan objecting to the fact that she hadn’t taken him out of his car seat yet. A squawk warned her that he wasn’t going to endure this nonsense much longer.

“I’m here for you, sweety,” she replied, rushing over to the car seat. Expertly, she released the safety harness. Declan was already waving his tiny arms and legs around, demanding to be picked up.

“Do you…want to hold him?” she asked, cradling Declan in her arms.

Sean stared at the two of them for a long moment, his Adam’s apple bobbing, revealing his nervousness.

“No, I’ll break him.”

Kennedi laughed, charmed by his nervous response. “You won’t hurt him.” She glanced over his strong arms and shoulders. “You’ll keep him safe.” And so she stepped closer, Declan still unsure of his mother’s intentions.

She showed Sean how to hold his son and Declan stared into his father’s eyes, neither of them moving. Neither of them saying anything.

Kennedi walked over to the fridge and pulled out the pitcher of herbal tea. “I don’t make the traditional sweet tea that everyone here in the south makes,” she warned him, glancing over her shoulder. The two hadn’t moved. Sean was holding Declan’s head and neck in one hand and the rest of his body with the other.

For his part, Declan was still, staring up at the stranger holding him. There was movement that seemed like the little man might start crying, but neither son nor father made a sound.

“It’s peach tea,” Kennedi announced.

No response.

“I can make some raspberry tea?”

Nothing. The two just stared at each other.

“There are alligators in the backyard.”

That caught his attention and Sean pulled Declan protectively against his chest and frowned at Kennedi. “Alligators?”

She laughed, shaking her head. “Just teasing you. Why don’t you sit down over there? I have Declan’s floor toys out. I usually set him down on the floor under those stuffed arches and he plays for a few minutes while I get his dinner ready.”

Sean stared over at the cushioned mat with colorful toys hanging from two arches. He walked carefully over to the mat, then bent down carefully, as if he were holding the crown jewels.

“Does he just lay on his back?”

“Yep. He’s started holding his head up, and he’s even rolled over from his tummy to his back, but not all the time. Sometimes, he gets stuck.”

“Is that bad?”

She chuckled again as she poured two glasses of cold tea over ice. “Actually, he’s about a month ahead of schedule. Most babies don’t start rolling until four months.”

“That’s good then, right?”

She smiled, amazed at how concerned Sean was. “Yes. That’s very good.”

“What else does he do?” Sean asked, getting down on the floor to stare into Declan’s eyes more easily. The two seemed to be fascinated with each other.

“You can take his socks off and count his toes, if you’d like,” she suggested. “It was one of the first things I did after giving birth.”

He did just that, tugging the tiny sock off of one foot. Instantly, Declan’s toes curled up, then spread out. He loved having his socks off and wiggled his legs more emphatically.

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