“Nothing.” He kept his hold on the baby gentle. “That’s what scares me.”
The more roles he played, the more he became characters of other people and wasn’t himself. Except when he was with his siblings and he was then a Morgan with family, and they all knew that family mattered above all else.
“You have time to figure out what you want next. Or you canturn into one of the dashing older actors that are still relevant.”
Now was the time, but he watched her with fascination as she took paste she’d made with pureed tomatoes and gently mixed it into the melted butter of the pan like she was trying to change the butter’s color from golden yellow to rose.
He’d never watched a chef in the kitchen but found himself enthralled by Ashley—simpleingredients that she created amazing scents and flavors with. Cosimo fell asleep in his arms.
The doorbell rang and he flinched. Silence had been the wrong course to take.
Hopefully Ashley understood that family came first. He rose, the babe snug in his arm. She flipped the chicken and said, “Someone’s at the door.”
Great. He adjusted Cosimo and lowered his head. “He’s early.I told him dinner.”
“Huh?” Ashley asked with wide, trusting eyes. “Who?”
Letting his brother see his son was the right thing, so his cheeks shouldn’t burn as he headed toward the door and said, “I thought I had more time to tell you.”
She followed behind him. “Tell me what?”
No beating around this. She needed to know. Once they were in the hallway, he stared at a spoton the floor in front of him. “I invited my brother Anthony over to meet his son.”
“You what?” Ashley’s face turned red and she raced to his side.
He held the baby, though if she grabbed the boy and ran, he couldn’t stop her, exactly.
After his brother left, he’d explain his actions. Ashley was reasonable, right? His heart raced as he waved off Rosita, in case there was ascene, as he took the last few steps. “I’m getting the door.”
Rosita disappeared into her room.
Ashley’s voice went higher as she asked, “Is that why you brought us here?”
Reason wasn’t a bad thing. He wasn’t going to kidnap the baby, but this was a means to help family.
And family lasted.
That sounded like his father’s voice he’d repeated in his head, not hisbrothers or sisters.
The banker wasn’t someone he’d thought had influenced him.
Until now.
No wonder he didn’t want that role.
He held the handle of the door and met Ashley’s betrayed gaze. His gut was tight, but he said, “You, no. I want you to live with me, but Cosimo… yeah.” Her eyes were huge and he swore he saw steam escape her ears, but he opened the door andwaved for his brother to enter his home. “Anthony, come in.” The door shut with a bang and Matt rocked the baby to keep him calm as he showed Cosimo to Anthony. “This is your son with Jennifer.”
“You have him.” Anthony held his hands out to hold him.
Matt glanced at Ashley. Her arms were crossed and her leg was out like she was gearing up for a fight. He should have said somethingto her. He turned to Anthony. “You can’t keep him.”
Anthony gently held Cosimo, rocking the baby in one arm as he slipped the bottle with the boy’s saliva into his pocket. “He’s sweet. I just need DNA evidence to prove he’s mine.”
If a court case happened, and a judge asked where the DNA came from, he and Ashley would be witnesses.
She went toward their bags from Jennifer’shouse and zipped them closed. “You can’t just take what you want.”
Was she leaving?
