Page 39 of Ruled Out

I look up at him and smile. “Was that deliberate?”

He chuckles and kisses the top of my head again. “Sure was. Leo might’ve had his chance last night, but tonight, it’s my turn.”

He pauses for a second, his eyes scanning my face. “Thank you for coming tonight. I know this is kind of weird for you.”

Jessie loops his little finger with mine, and we walk down the hallway and turn a corner, entering an open-plan living space with a kitchen set at the back. The dark blue kitchen cabinets are a stark contrast to the soft blue walls. The design of the house is an L-shape, and around the corner, I see a large dining table with a chandelier directly above it. The house is modern and sleek but really homey.

Jessie guides me over to a couch. A flatscreen TV sits on the far wall, and all around, there are houseplants. There must be at least twenty that I can see so far—some big, some smaller, and some hanging from the roof.

“Kate’s into plants,” Jessie explains as we sit next to each other, watching some random children’s program I’ve never seen before.

I nod. “Where’re June and Will?”

He thumbs over his shoulder. “Kate and Jensen are about to head out, so they’re changing them into pajamas before they go. The twins only need to stay up for an hour after they leave.”

I narrow my eyes at him playfully. “You couldn’t watch them for an hour without help?”

Returning my expression, he shakes his head. “Nope, definitely not.”

I go to open my mouth and reply, but I’m cut short by a female voice from behind.

“Okay, I think we’re all set. June is having some trouble going down at night and sometimes keeps her brother awake, but eventually, they both drift off.”

Other than for a very brief moment in Whistler, I’ve only seen the occasional photo of Kate and Jensen together in the press, but much like Jon and Felicity, Zach and Luna, it’s clear they keep their private lives out of the spotlight. I knew she was pretty, but as I watch her walk toward us, a baby in each arm, she could be shooting for the latest top-model awards.

She’s kept her focus on her children the entire time, but as soon as she looks up and sees me, she stops in her tracks. “Oh, hi.”

I lift my hand and offer a tentative wave. “Hi. You must be Kate.”

A little like Felicity did last night, she cocks her head to the side and smiles. “Yeah. And you’re Mia, right?”

“And I’m Jensen.”

In the flesh and standing up rather than sitting in a booth, the Scorpions goalie is kind of an intimidating figure. His dark hair and dark brown eyes match June’s and Will’s perfectly—a complete contrast to Kate’s light-blonde hair and blue eyes.

Jensen takes Will from Kate’s left arm and then lowers him to the floor, setting him on his feet while holding onto his hands above his head to give him balance. “These two troublemakers are well on the way to racing around our house.”

Will looks up at his dad and then slowly takes a step forward. On wobbly legs, he does the same again.

From Kate’s arms, June makes a frustrated noise and points at Will. “Oh, so you want to join your brother, huh?” Kate sets her down, too, and begins walking June toward us alongside Will.

“Look at you two go.” From beside me, Jessie smiles over his shoulder and then leaps to his feet, rounding the couch in record time. “Come give your uncle Jessie a squish.”

Immediately, Jensen lifts Will from his feet and passes him over, his arms outstretched to Jessie. His dribbly chin rubs on Jessie’s shirt, but that clearly doesn’t bother him as he holds Will with one arm and reaches out for June with the other.

“Bring it in, Juney Baby.”

Kate rolls her eyes as she passes Jessie her daughter. “How many times have I said Juney Baby is not her real name?”

Jessie shrugs and plants a kiss on top of her mass of dark hair, sending my heart fluttering. “Neither is JJ or Princess, but you two use it all the time.”

I chuckle, and Jensen and Kate look over at me.

Kate points at me in jest. “Oh, don’t you go encouraging him. This boy doesn’t know his limits.”

“Okay, so they just need warm milk before bed, their teeth brushing, and the latest story read to them. In theory”—Jensen drawls the final word—“they should go to sleep easily since they didn’t have a long nap today.”

“Yeah, and don’t I know it?” Kate brings the back of her hand over her mouth as she yawns. “We won’t be late, trust me.”

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