A Family After All. Kathy Altman
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not the lady in question.” He grabbed his beer and cocked his head. “I take it back. I’d be thrilled to hit that and you should be, too.”
Seth started around the table toward him and Gil popped to his feet. It took him two strides to get tangled up in a chair. He fell on his ass and Joe shook his head.
“You’d have to talk to her first,” Joe said. “During and after wouldn’t hurt, either. Sure you’re up for that?”
Gil offered up a silly grin as Joe helped him to his feet. “I can talk to a girl. Just ask the one I’m dating.”
“Virtual chicks don’t count,” Noble yelled.
“Neither do the ones who ask for money,” Joe added.
“Screw all of you.” Gil squinted at Seth. “You’re seriously not putting out till there’s a ring on your finger?”
“It’s not about the ring, assholes.” Seth dropped back into his chair. “It’s about commitment. I don’t want my kids to see a parade of women coming in and out of my house.”
“So don’t bring ’em home.” Harris had given up on the cookies. He fished a pack of spearmint gum from the pocket of his plaid shirt. Cellophane crinkled. “That’s what motels are for.”
“Not my motel,” Joe growled.
“Parade of women, huh?” Gil rolled his eyes. “Don’t you need a permit for an ego that size?”
Seth ignored him. “Bottom line is, I have to set an example for my kids.”
“Good for you, man.” Joe nodded solemnly. “They’ll erect a statue in your honor.”
“A special-order one.” Noble leaned forward. “With blue balls.”
Seth gave him a dirty look while Joe hooted and Gil offered Noble a sloppy high five.
“Speaking of rings—” Joe leaned back in his chair “—I’m thinking about getting one.”
Noble scratched his chin. “For your nose or your—” he raised his eyebrows at Joe’s lap “—love muscle?”
Joe blinked. “Love muscle? Seriously?”
Gil’s expression was dubious. “You going to pop the question?”
“Thinking about it,” Joe said. “Though I don’t know what I’ll do if she turns me down.”
An uneasy silence, broken by an occasional plastic chink as Gil busied himself restacking his chips. Abruptly, Joe straightened and turned to Harris.
“Harris, man, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
The older man waved him off. “Don’t go gettin’ your dress over your head,” he said gruffly. “Yeah, I turned Eugenia down, but I had good reason and she knows it. You get that ring. That young woman of yours won’t say no.”
Noble gave Joe an elbow to the ribs. “You planning on telling them what is going to happen, instead of getting us all worked up about what might happen?”
Seth stood and started gathering the empties. “I knew you were a little too happy about lending me your truck. What’s up, Gallahan?”
Joe leaned back and linked his hands behind his head. “It’s like this, guys.” There was no mistaking the giddy in his gaze, and Seth figured it out the instant before Joe spilled. “Allison’s pregnant.”
Shouts and backslaps followed, quickly turning into whispers and knuckle bumps when Seth warned his guests that if they woke up his kids, he’d be serving tea and cucumber sandwiches the next time he hosted poker night. Ever the librarian, Noble asked, “When you say cucumber, you talking English or Armenian?”
Joe reached for the last cookie. “Any advice for a father-to-be?” He cut his eyes at Noble. “I’m talking to those of us who have a kid, not those of us who act like one.”
Gil belched, long and loud. “That leaves us all out.”
“Hold on.” Noble folded his arms across his massive chest and watched Seth carefully set the empties in a recycling bin. “The kids are with your ex every other weekend, so why can’t you do your parading around then?”
“Because that’s not what I want,” Seth growled. He offered up a half smile and a shrug. “That’s not all I want. Besides, I won’t have her thinking I’m ashamed of her.”
With a snick, Gil popped the top of another brew. “But if she’s good with it—”
“I’m not. End of story. Now how about we turn the conversation back to our baby daddy here?”
A sob sliced through their banter. “Dad!”
For an instant, Seth went rigid.
“Daddy!”
He sprang to his feet and sprinted to his daughter’s bedroom. His heart rammed his chest as his friends thundered after him. Grace’s door was open, her room dark. Why was it dark? He slapped the light on and blinked in the sudden glare.
Grace had shoved herself back against the headboard. She sat with her knees to her chest, her small fists holding the edge of the blanket to her chin. “Someone turned out the light.” Strands of brown hair clung to her damp cheeks, and mucus dripped from her nose.
Seth strode over and gathered her close. She sobbed and trembled against his chest as he rocked her.
“Bad dream?” Joe hovered inside the door while Noble and Gil peered over his shoulder.
Seth pointed to the outlet by the door. “Her ballerina night-light’s missing.” It had been there when he’d tucked her in. She’d never have let him leave the room otherwise.
Harris came in with a glass, water sloshing onto the carpet as he stepped around books and shoes and piles of clothing. Noble followed, head craning left and right as he searched the cluttered floor. “I don’t see it. Could Travis have taken it?”
Seth was wondering the same thing.
Right on cue, his son staggered into the room, rubbing his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Grace’s night-light.” Seth set the water aside and held out an arm. Travis shuffled over and Seth pulled him in close, loving the feel of his son’s sleep-warmed body. “Have you seen it?”
Travis shrugged, and Seth swallowed a frustrated oath. Dammit, he was tired of things disappearing. Which one of his kids was playing games? Grace wasn’t faking her fear. Had she removed the night-light, set it somewhere and then forgotten where she’d put it?
She’d stopped crying. Seth felt her jaw move against his heart as she yawned. “Hey.” He eased her away and kissed her on the forehead. “How about we leave the hall light on for tonight and get you a replacement night-light tomorrow? Will that work?”
She nodded sleepily. Seth leaned over and kissed Travis, as well. “Okay, Tiger. Back to bed.”
“I’ll take him.” Gil took Travis’s hand and steered the little boy toward the door. “Maybe on the way you could tell me where I can find myself a pair of those killer jammies. Is that the Hulk?”
“It’s Martian Manhunter,” Travis said in a voice dripping with disgust.
While Noble picked up a doll from the floor and positioned her in a nearby chair, Joe stepped out of the room to turn on the hall light. Seth settled his daughter back under the sheets and smoothed her hair from her face.
“What if I have another bad dream?” she mumbled, eyes already closed.
“I’ll come running.”
“All of you?”
Seth grinned. “If you want.”