Matty makes a gurgling noise while Theo throws some Cheerios at me, almost as if he understands I’m the bad guy at this table right now. Matthias stops behind Ava’s chair and leans down to kiss her before kissing Matty on top of his head.
“What do you say to taking Theo into your office this morning, honey? He can hang out in his baby walker.”
Matthias shrugs and walks back to pick up Theo from the high chair. “Seems your mother thinks you should be put to work, little man. Time to go make a living with your father.”
I can’t help but smile at how easygoing my older brother is now that he has Ava and kids. It’s like all those years of being miserable disappeared when they came into his life. That’s good for him, though. He’s got enough problems to deal with at King Industries. I’m happy he has a family he loves to come home to.
He walks out with Theo in his arms, leaving Ava holding Matty, Eleanor cleaning up something over on the countertop, and me. I can tell by Ava’s expression that she isn’t finished with the conversation about the party and Eden. I’m just not sure I’m awake enough for it.
“So you’ll come?” she asks.
“As always. Maybe I should bring a date. That way I’ll fit in more,” I say, joking.
Her blue eyes get big, and she seems frustrated when she says, “The first time Eden’s single and you want to bring a date? Just tell me you don’t like her. That would be simpler.”
I want to joke that bringing a woman to her party would actually be much simpler than telling her I might not be interested in her friend, but I don’t. The truth is I’m not disinterested in Eden. I just don’t like my family being in my personal business, especially my romantic business.
“Just trying to fit in. Okay, single Marius will be there with bells on.”
Like a gift from the heavens, Ronan walks in through the kitchen door, thankfully taking the attention off me. “Hey, everyone! I thought I’d come by to visit.”
Ava stands up with Matty still in her arms and gives Ronan a hug. “It’s so good to see you! Come, sit down, and tell us what you’re doing up so early on a Sunday.”
He sits next to me, so I say, “Seriously, dude. You’re with the woman of your dreams, and you’re not in bed with her on a weekend morning?”
Ronan twists his expression into a grimace for me but then smiles at Ava. “I couldn’t sleep, to be honest. Kate’s father and I were talking about a prosthetic hand last night, and I swear I didn’t get any shut eye all night. All I could think about was the possibility that I might get my hand back.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Ava coos. “I’m so happy for you, Ronan.”
I nudge him with my elbow and smile. “Sounds like a reason to celebrate.”
“Ooh, it does! That’s perfect. We’re having a party here next Saturday, and we really want you and Kate to come. Can you?”
My youngest brother nods. “Sure! I’ll have to ask Kate if she has anything planned, but I don’t think she does. It’s the weekend before Labor Day, so she’ll be working all that week.”
“Then she’s going to need a party to blow off some steam,” I say, practically shuddering at the thought of teaching a room full of third graders.
“Right?” he says, laughing. “She found out she has twenty students. Twenty eight-year-olds, five days a week. She’s going to be great at it, but damn, I don’t know how anyone does that.”
When Ronan gets up to ask Eleanor if there’s any breakfast left over, I lean in toward Ava and jokingly ask, “Why does my little brother get a hug when he walks in, but I get nothing?”
“I said good morning. Doesn’t that count?” she answers with a smile.
“Hmmm…I see how it goes now.”
Covering Matty’s ears, she levels her gaze on my face and lowers her voice. “If you must know, I find hugging men who have raging hard-ons a little awkward when they aren’t my husband.”
Sometimes Ava surprises me. Now’s one of those times.
Ronan hears what she says and laughs loudly as he sits down with a plate of scrambled eggs. “Don’t ask questions if you don’t want the answers, dude.”
I guess so.
“In my defense, if I stayed away from people every time I had a hard-on, I’d be a hermit living in the wilderness somewhere.”
Ava glares at me from across the table and points at the baby on her lap. “Marius! Little ears!”
I could tell her he’s going to have hard-ons all his life, but I don’t. Instead, I apologize, like the good brother-in-law and uncle that I am.
