Page 20 of Brick (Chosen Few #5)

B rick unpacked the groceries and listened to the splashes and giggles coming from the bathtub down the hall. Seeing Natalie tear across the parking lot with her heart in her eyes had melted him on the spot.

The more time he spent with her, the less angry he became. Witnessing her determination to find their son, and Bray’s excitement and relief upon laying eyes on her—it had dissolved whatever shit he could’ve held against her.

It fucking hurt that his son didn’t know who he was, but all he could do was move forward and show Bray that he could count on him.

Bray shrieked happily, and he fought a grin. A deep need urged him to join Natalie and Bray, but he couldn’t force his way into their moment. He’d take it slow no matter how difficult it was.

“Brick,” Natalie called.

His hand froze on a package of steaks. “Yeah?”

“Can you come here, please?” A light chuckle followed the question.

He placed the steaks on the counter and moved around the island to the main bathroom, off the hallway. Natalie was on her knees in front of the tub. Bray peeked over the edge, his curls wet and stuck to his forehead.

Brick leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms.

Bray looked up at him. “Watch dis!” He picked up a cup of water and dumped it on his head. The water ran over his face and hair, and he let out a deep belly laugh.

A chuckle rolled off Brick’s tongue, and pride exploded in his chest. He could watch his son for hours. Natalie let out a peal of laughter as Bray did it again, only this time he sputtered and dropped the cup.

Hell, who was he kidding? He could watch both of them for hours.

“He really likes the water, huh?”

She glanced over her shoulder and grinned. Her hair was tied back, exposing the smooth line of her jaw. Bray might be the spitting image of him, but he also shared a lot of similarities with his mother.

“He has your smile,” he said.

Her bottom lip wobbled. “Thank you. He looks a lot like you, though.” She flicked her gaze to their son. “Which is a good thing.”

She picked up a towel and wiped her hands. “Can you watch him for a sec? I need to change my shirt.” She tugged the wet material away from her waist. The action caused the neckline of her shirt to pull away from her chest, revealing her supple cleavage.

And damn if his core didn’t stir with need.

“Uh, sure.” He cleared his throat and moved farther into the bathroom. Embarrassment washed over him. “I’ve... I’ve never babysat before.”

She planted her hand on his shoulder. “You’re his dad—it’s not babysitting,” she said softly. “You’ll be surprised how quickly instinct takes over.” Sympathy flashed in her eyes then was replaced with something else.

“I hope you know how grateful I am. If it weren’t for you...” She shook her head.

He wiped a droplet of water from her forehead. “Don’t. There’s no need to even mention it.” He flicked his gaze to Bray. “Does he need his hair washed or anything?”

“Nope, he’s all done. It’s playtime now.” She stood. “I’ll just be a few minutes.” She slipped out of the bathroom.

Bray watched him curiously.

“Can you try again?” Brick asked.

Bray grinned, filled the cup with water, and doused his head. He let out another gregarious laugh then did it again, but he breathed too soon and inhaled a mouthful of water.

He dropped the cup and flailed his arms. “Momma!” he called, through his gasps.

Brick grabbed the towel and wiped Bray’s face dry. “It’s okay, buddy. Take a breath.”

The boy swiped his cheek with his hand, getting water in his eyes and nose again, but this time he didn’t panic.

“Do you want the towel again?” Brick asked.

Bray nodded.

Brick wiped him again. “There you go. Where’s your cup?”

“O’er there.”

Brick chuckled. In other words, “You get it.” He reached for the yellow cup and filled it with water. “Do you want to dump it?”

He shook his head.

Well, shit. Bray had been having so much fun. He didn’t want the kid to stop playing because he was scared. “Should I try?”

Bray gave him a huge toothy grin. “You try!”

“All right.” He leaned over the tub and dumped the water over his head. The warm liquid washed over his face. Bray’s laughter bounced off the bathroom wall. Brick swiped his face with his palm.

“Again!”

Well, hell.

“Me try.” Bray quickly reached for the cup, then filled it and raised it in the air.

Brick dipped his head. Water ran over his hair, down the back of his neck, and soaked his shirt. But Bray’s delight was contagious. Brick peeled his wet shirt off and dropped it on the bathroom floor.

“Again?” Bray asked, the cup already full and waiting.

He chuckled. “Go for it.” He let Bray soak him three more times before Natalie’s tinkling laugh rang in tune with Bray’s. He glanced over his shoulder to see her standing in the doorway.

“Looks like you’re both a fan of water,” she quipped. She’d changed into a black sweater, and the contrast between the dark material and her light hair and bright eyes jarred him.

He reached for the towel and passed the cup to Bray. The kid didn’t waste a second scooping more water and dumping it on himself once again. Satisfaction warmed his chest.

He’d known his son for only an hour, but maybe he’d just taught him a small life lesson about getting back up.

Natalie placed her hands on her hips and walked up to the tub. “You ready to come have a snack and watch a show?”

“Yeah.” Bray stood and reached for Natalie.

She wrapped the towel around him and swooped him out of the tub. “Let’s go get some pj’s on, shall we?”

Brick pulled the plug to drain the tub, then stood and placed the yellow cup on the edge to dry. “I thought we’d have steak for dinner. Will he eat that?”

Her gaze wandered over his bare chest then moved down to his belt buckle and back up. A pretty pink tinted her cheeks, and she bit her bottom lip. “Uh, sure.” She cleared her throat. “That sounds delicious.” The last word came out sultry.

Desire warmed his insides. He wanted to touch her.

To coast his thumb over that luscious bottom lip.

Her gaze held his for several beats, as if she couldn’t tear herself away.

The air sizzled between them, the electricity so palpable that if he touched the draining bath water, he’d probably give them all a shock.

“Snack,” Bray declared, squirming in Natalie’s arms.

She kissed the boy’s cheek. “Yes, let’s go get you some jammies and a snack.”

He watched her carry their son out of the bathroom and struggled to comprehend how fucking drastically his life had changed in a day.

***

Natalie held Bray on her lap while he dove into his sour-cream-covered baked potato. He’d been extra snuggly with her since his bath—well, since they rescued him—and she couldn’t get enough of his bouncy little self.

She smoothed back his curls and kissed his cheek for the dozenth time. “So you told me Rami’s story. What about the other guys?”

Brick smirked. “Well, Taschen’s wife, Seraphina, is expecting. It’s wild as hell to think of him as a father.”

“Oh my gosh. I feel so bad he came here to help me when his wife is pregnant.”

Brick shrugged. “I think Sephie understands our way of life. Ex-military guys need a rush of adrenaline.”

She smiled but suspected Taschen’s willingness to help came from a place deeper than that. Just like Brick, he and Zain were noble protectors. “What about Zain? Does he have kids?”

He shook his head as he cut off another chunk of steak. “No. He just got back from Afghanistan in April.”

She furrowed her brow. “Is that when he met Taschen’s sister? You said they’re soon-to-be brothers-in-law, right?”

“He actually met her in Afghanistan. Zain is Rami’s brother.

Rami and his best friend, Toth, are co-owners of Backcountry Protection Services.

Zain went missing a few years ago during a black ops mission.

” He wiped his mouth and rested his fork on his plate.

“Dana was working for Backcountry, and she managed to locate Zain and bring him back.”

“Holy crap.” She scooped some broccoli and potato onto her fork and placed it in her mouth. Butter and salt erupted on her tongue and she groaned. “This is so good, by the way.”

A bright, genuine smile reached his eyes. “Thanks.”

“Dana sounds a little intimidating.”

“She’s the sweetest. Maybe you can meet her.”

She took a bite of steak and chewed the deliciously tender meat.

They’d have to talk about how to make things work.

Brick needed to form more of a connection with his son, which meant one of them would have to move.

Relocation was the least she could do to show Brick her commitment to giving him a relationship with Bray, but she couldn’t help the jitter of nerves at the idea of starting all over in a new place.

She’d also have to find a way to provide.

She had no money, and no post-secondary education.

She hated Keetan beyond words, but she’d always be grateful for the time she’d spent at home with Bray. She just wished Keetan hadn’t been part of their lives at all. That Bray’s real father had been involved.

“You okay?”

She swallowed and nodded. “Yeah. I’d love to meet your friends.”

“Toth has a kid, too. Him and Savannah, his fiancée, have a boy about a year old. Actually, they’re getting married next month.”

Regret churned inside her. All she’d ever wanted was a stable home and father for Bray. She might get the latter but not the former. “That’s wonderful. What’d they name their son?”

“Roman. Hey, maybe Bray and him can be buds,” he said, winking at the little monkey wiggling on top of her.

“Buds!” Bray shrieked. He climbed to his feet and jumped on her legs.

“Hey you,” she said, catching his little waist and plopping him back down to sit on her. “You’re going to fall if you do that.”

Brick laughed, and his eyes shone. He wore an expression she couldn’t place.

Bray was definitely himself around Brick, which warmed her heart.

Maybe it was because Brick was a quiet presence, or because he’d rescued him from the kidnappers.

Whatever the reason, she was grateful—Bray was often shy around people.

She still had so many questions, none of which she was prepared to ask in front of Bray. She and Brick would surely talk about Keetan and the apartment where he’d been hiding Bray, but she didn’t want to say anything that could upset their son right now.

“What time is bedtime?” Brick asked.

She glanced at the clock on the stove: 7:22p.m. After Bray’s bath, she’d video-called Ellie so her sister could see that he was alive and well.

She’d promised to call her the next day to arrange a visit.

Then they’d all watched TV for a bit. The mindless kids’ show had settled her nerves and given Bray a chance to rest and hopefully feel comfortable in their temporary space.

“It’s past bedtime. We usually start our routine around 6:30p.m.”

His mouth quirked. “I think he’s wide awake.”

Bray picked up a handful of potato and smashed it into the table. Natalie absent-mindedly mopped up the mess, knowing it was like cleaning up with an open blender running. “He’ll crash hard. He always does.”

Brick’s gaze became thoughtful. Her chest constricted. There was so much he needed to learn. So much that came naturally to her because she’d been with Bray every waking second.

He cleared his throat and stood. “I’ll grab the dishes if you want to get him ready for bed.”

She got to her feet and placed Bray in her chair. “Why don’t I clean the kitchen? Give you guys some time together.”

Bray babbled and played with his food. Tilting her face up, she met Brick’s hard stare.

“You don’t have to do this,” he said softly. “I don’t know what I’m doing and I’m sure he’d rather have you.”

Sadness welled up in her throat, but she forced it down. “I get it’s overwhelming. But you’ve done amazing so far.” She took a step closer, wishing she could just hug him and take away the despairing, second-guessing look from his face.

“Do you have any idea how many times I cried over the last three years?” God, she hated how the question wobbled from her lips. How vulnerable she was.

Brick’s expression softened. “About me?”

“No. I mean, yes. Of course. But also about so much more than that.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “I knew I’d failed him by not letting him know you.

“But all those days and nights as a single mother, I was scared. Keetan was no help. The only person I had for support was Ellie, and she didn’t know any more about raising a child than I did.

” She placed her palm on his chest. “I still have moments like that. When he’s sick or hurts himself.

When he throws a temper tantrum and I question my parenting.

I still don’t know what I’m doing.” She shook her head.

“And as soon as we think we’ve got it figured out, he’ll hit a new phase and we’ll be stumped again. But bedtime? You can handle that.”

He glanced down at her hand, still on his pec. Daringly, she kept it in place. Not just because she reveled in the gentle thumping of his heart and the heat pulsing through his shirt, but also because she wanted him to feel every word she spoke.

“I like the sound of that. We.”

Warmth spread through her. “Good. Because he needs you.” She let her fingers fall away and picked up their plates.

“Ready for bedtime, champ?”

Bray let out a cackling laugh. “No bed!” He hopped down from the chair and ran from the room.

Brick grimaced playfully and hooked his eyebrow. “I think you’ve set me up,” he said to her, before chasing Bray down the hallway.

She giggled, and a sense of completion fell over her as she lowered the dirty plates into the sink.

Her heart was so full it could burst. But that was stupid.

They weren’t a happy little family. They had issues bigger than life.

Brick was a stand-up guy who wanted a relationship with Bray.

At the end of the day, though, that had nothing to do with her.

But god help her, she wanted something other than a co-parent. She wanted more for Bray.

And maybe for herself, too.