Page 11 of Until Now
“And this is my son, Bing.”
“Hi.”
There’s no conversation between the boys at first. I let it play out. I know my son, and he’s preoccupied at the moment. Bing’s eyes watch Maxen’s watch me. Only I can interpret the lift of the corner of his mouth. Little stinker. He has figured out who the mystery man is. The one I care how I look for. Once he’s satisfied the mystery has been solved, he turns his attention.
“Want to go in the pool?” Bing asks a surprised Hunter.
“Yeah. Okay.”
The dog bag and top hat are discarded, and the boys are off.
I take the seat offered and put my bags to the side. Wes’ attention is drawn to the pool, where his boys, James and Dean, are having a splash/shoving fight. It’s a little aggressive with the smaller kids in the water. July’s boys may be only six and seven, but they’re a handful.
“Boys! Stop that!”
His gruff tone sets the baby off. Her mouth stretches wide, followed by an ear-piercing shriek.
Without taking a beat, Wes kisses her head then hands Baby Becca to Maxen. He heads for his sons.
“Oh! A baby. Yeah, I can do this,” Maxen says mostly to himself.
It’s funny how he holds the wailing, wiggling nine-month-old child. It’s as if she’s been skunk sprayed. Out and up. July and I are about to laugh. But he’s one hundred percent real. This turn of events has thrown him.
“So I see you’reveryrelaxed around a baby,” I tease.
“Not funny,” he chuckles. “I have no idea what I’m doing here. Help!”
July lets us work it out. She is enjoying being our audience. I reach over and take Becca from his hands. She cuddles against my shoulder and begins to calm herself. Ah, the scent of a baby.
“Thank God,” he says. “She’s cute and all, but I’m out of my comfort zone here.”
“I’ve got her. It isn’t rocket science. You just make her a comfortable place in your arms.”
He stops fidgeting and holds my stare. That’s when the rest of the scene kind of dulls.
“I could do that.”
Silk and steel. His voice.
