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40. He Enjoyed Feeling Useful

He Enjoyed Feeling Useful

Toby

Marnie was the hit of Sunday lunch. She was the sun everyone orbited around, charming the pants off the guests, gossiping, and fluttering through the crowd like a complete natural. We’d grown up in the same social circle, but somehow, she’d always been more comfortable in the uppity crowd than me.

I dodged as many people as possible, stepping past the socialites clinking glasses, and planned my escape route back to the kitchen.

Marnie’s arm shot out to stop me.

“Keep the drinks coming,” she whispered. “You can’t believe how many pieces I’m selling!”

More drinks? Ugh . Couldn’t the actual server keep everyone hydrated? One floated somewhere, and my arm ached from carrying the heavy trays loaded with Cat’s never-ending hospitality.

“You’re hustling, huh? Go you!” I whispered back. “I’ll see what I can do.” I still grinned like a dope when I dropped the empty drink tray on the kitchen counter. “Another round safely delivered!”

I glanced around the kitchen. No more platters waited to be shuttled to the pergola, and a fresh batch of Cat’s famous punch wasn’t ready yet. A stack of citrus sat untouched by the chopping board.

“Anything else to do?” I asked.

Cat cuddled Noah on her lap, reading him a book. He babbled and squealed as he turned the page. She tore her gaze away from him to smile at me. “No, I think everyone should be happy now until lunch.” She tickled Noah’s tummy. “Isn’t your daddy a good helper?”

Someone snickered across the room.

My head swiveled. I glared at the culprits.

The Trouble Triplets. Gwen winced, a guilty look darting to her sandals.

Elias bit back a smile, and Liam inclined his chin with no remorse whatsoever.

That trio was thicker than thieves. They’d huddled together, barely sparing a word for anyone else at the party but never running out of things to say to each other.

There was way too much laughing over there for my liking.

Cat frowned. “It’s nice to have some help for once.” Her voice rose. There was no doubt they’d heard her. “My boys abandon me to toil in the kitchen like some forgotten servant of the stovetop gods without so much as a kiss on the cheek, thank you very much!”

“Mama,” Elias groaned.

Liam smirked. “Dr. Sullivan enjoys helping .”

My eyes narrowed. What exactly was he inferring? I wanted to flip the bird in his smug face. “I do, actually. It’s better to be useful than sit around on my…” My eyes darted to Noah. “Butt.”

Liam bent his head and muttered something to Elias. I’m pretty sure he insulted me in another foreign language, but the words whipped out so fast I barely registered them. Elias covered his mouth with a fist, but his shoulders shook. The little bastard was laughing.

Gwen sighed. “Guys.” She shot a glare at them, and they quickly straightened up. “Stop.”

Cat shook her head. “The two of you are acting no better than children! Toby’s a guest in this house. What did I say about languages?”

“You said no French or Spanish, Mama.” Liam batted his pale lashes, the picture of innocence. “I didn’t know Japanese wasn’t allowed—”

“ Just English.” She pointed an accusing finger at them. “And before you try to use your big brains to find another loophole, there will be no sign language or any of that language you invented—”

“Oh!” Gwen interrupted with claps and a huge grin. “You guys still speak Spinese?”

“Yaks,” Elias said.

What in the world…?

Liam nodded in…agreement? “Oats for breakfast.”

Gwen’s laugh was bright and easy. “Diamonds!”

I glowered at them. Screw them and their cool secret language .

Cat tugged at my sleeve and motioned for me to bend down. “Ignore them,” she whispered. “My boys pretend they’re big-shot investors, but they’re showing off to impress Gwen. She brings out their silly side.”

I pouted. “Yeah.” I wanted Gwen to be silly with me.

“She’s good for them.” Cat’s sunny smile made it impossible to be grumpy. “Your mama raised you to be a good boy, though. With manners. I can see that.” She reached up to pat my cheek. “She must be so proud of you.”

I flicked a look to Gwen. Her grimace matched my own. My mother had barely raised me—and she wasn’t proud. She’d called me a disgrace more than once. The vision of slamming the door in her face flashed into focus. Boom! I had no regrets about that night. Not one.

The doorbell rang.

Elias took a step toward the hallway, but I shot up, already heading for the door.

“I’ll get it!” I said.

“Of course you will,” Liam said dryly.

Swear to… “It’s probably my friend, Zach.” God, I hope it’s Zach.

Once Cat was distracted reading to Noah, I flipped Liam off for real. His laughter followed me to the front door.

I only managed to get in a hello to Zach before Josie marched into the house. She wore a pink ruffled swimsuit, enormous pink inflatable armbands, and goggles pulled down over her eyes. Morag’s leg was clutched in her fist, the poor doll’s head bumping along the floor.

Josie set her stance wide and looked left and right like a general surveying a battlefield. “Where da pool?”

Zach ducked through the door with Alfie on his hip. I helped him shed the bags slung over his shoulder, and he tossed a bunch of floaty pool toys to the floor.

“Sorry, I would’ve been here sooner, but we had a few wardrobe changes,” he explained. “JoJo heard there was a pool, so her ballerina outfit had to come off. Then, we couldn’t find the right swimsuit.”

“All good, man. I get it.” I ruffled Alfie’s dark flop of hair. “No Eden?”

He shook his head. “She flew up to the Gold Coast with the girls this morning. Wedding season’s in full swing.” He grinned. “But I’m sure she’ll find some time to live her best bikini life and sneak a few cocktails. So, where’s this pool…”

Cat looked like she’d died and gone to heaven when the little girl charged into her dining room.

She cooed at Josie’s outfit and gave Morag a reverent kiss on her bald head.

Reluctantly, she set Noah down in the play area with Alfie but laughed with delight when Josie grabbed her hand and dragged her to the pool.

Josie hopped on the spot, impatiently waiting for me to wrestle the gate open. “I’m better than a baby! I can swim! Daddy! Uncle Toady!” She belly-flopped into the water like she definitely could not swim without her floaties. “Watch me , Mama Cat!”

With Morag tucked safely under my arm, I leaned against the glass pool fence next to Zach. “I’m pretty stoked I’ve been christened with a name now.” I grinned.

His eyebrow lifted over his glasses. “Toady?”

“Um, ex-squeeze me. That’s Uncle Toady to you.”

We kept one eye on the babies in the play area and the other on Josie showing off her mermaid splashes in the pool. I would’ve latched myself to Zach all afternoon if I hadn’t spotted Gwen slip away from the group.

“Man, give me a sec?” I said.

It was time to follow my wife.

I found Gwen hidden in the living room. She’d kicked off her shoes and curled up on the couch, her head down and her arms hugged tight around her knees.

“Gwen.” I eased down beside her. “Everything okay?”

She nodded, but there was a sniffle. My heart knocked faster against my ribs. I couldn’t bear seeing her upset. The ball she’d crunched herself into was easy to scoot into my lap, and I wrapped protective arms around her.

“Did one of those knuckleheads say something?” I asked. “Want me to take care of ’em?”

She shook her head. “I… just…” She swiped at her nose. “Everyone’s being so…so…nice…and welcoming. I’m not used to it. It feels…” She waved her hand around as she scrambled to think of the right word. “It feels… good . I-I don’t want it to.”

“Gwen—”

“I don’t want to get used to this. What if…”

“What?” I prompted her when she didn’t finish.

She burrowed her face into my chest. “What if it all disappears?” She sniffled. “What if…” Her voice grew so quiet. “What if Liam leaves again?”

My gut clenched. Oh, my girl. She needed this lunch more than I’d realized. “And what if he doesn’t?” I asked. “What if this is how it’s supposed to be? Maybe the right people are making their way back into your life when you need them.”

“That’s not how the world works, Toby.”

“Says the pessimist.” I dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “If bad things can happen, good things can happen too, right?”

“Can they? The last few months have been some of the worst. Kayleigh…and…Ian…”

“You still think about that?”

“Almost every day. I want to stop feeling afraid, but…”

I pressed my face into her shoulder, hiding the burn of tears I couldn’t stop. My job was to be strong for her, but the fear cracking in her voice pummeled my chest worse than any punch Ian could’ve landed on me.

“We’ll get through it together, I promise,” I said. “You’re not on your own anymore. You’ve always had Marnie in your corner. Me. Now, you’ve added a couple more.”

“But you hate them. And they’ve been so rude to you today.”

I shrugged. “I’ve got a sister. I’m used to this kind of crap.

Maybe I should invite Tanya to the next lunch and see how your brother handles her.

Can you imagine?” I laughed into the crook of her neck.

“But seriously, Gwen, don’t worry about me.

I’ve got a thick skin. Cat thinks you’re good for that pair, and just quietly, I think they’re good for you, too.

” I sighed. “Even if I hate to admit it.”

“You’ll seriously put up with Liam?”

“For you, I’d put up with a lot more. Just throw everything you’ve got at me, doll. You’ll see.”

She turned, smiling, and to my utter shock, she lifted her head and pecked a kiss on my jaw. I jolted up straight. Sparks fired up every nerve in my body.

“T-thanks,” I croaked.

“You’re a good sort, Tobes.”

“I t-try, m-my lady.” Jeez. One tiny kiss, and I was no better than a bumbling, horny teenager. I shifted on the couch to get a little more… comfortable …and hugged my arms tighter around Gwen.

I’d missed moments like these. Just sitting.

Just being together. My chest swelled to feel how perfectly she molded into my body like we started from the same lump of clay once upon a time.

I didn’t want it to end, but keeping Gwen all to myself was wrong.

I untangled our bodies, set her down gently on the couch, and rose to my feet.

“Are you heading back?” she asked.

“Yep.” I held my hand out for her to grab. “So are you. No more worrying about what might happen unless it’s good stuff, okay?”

She gently laid her palm in mine. “Do you really think this could turn out good?”

“It already has, don’t you think?”

When Gwen stood up, I helped her check her makeup and tidy her hair, and then I patted her on the butt to scoot her back to the party.

I trailed a few steps behind, pausing under the archway of the living room.

My stomach knotted. Gwen was confident in some parts of her life—work, mostly—but I’d dropped the ball not to notice how fragile she was everywhere else. I needed to lift my game.

If I hadn’t lingered, wondering what to do next, I doubt I would’ve seen Liam leaning against the wall next to the stairs. My eyes narrowed. How long had that bastard been there? Had he listened to every word?

“Enjoy lurking around corners, do you?” I snapped at him.

His mouth opened—probably to roast me with some smart-ass burn—but he closed it again, turned, and headed up the stairs.

I could’ve returned to the party. I could’ve shot the breeze with Zach, hustled with Marnie, or even helped Cat in the kitchen. All reasonable options.

Instead, I climbed the back stairs two at a time.

It was time to have a little chat with Gwen’s brother, out of earshot, man to man .