“Ellie took me and Liam to the zoo. And I got to watch the red pandas.”
She’d become obsessed with red pandas recently. I was pretty sure she liked that their fur was the same color as her hair.
“That sounds like fun. Did you get to feed any?”
Her jaw actually dropped. “I can feed them? I didn’t know that was allowed! Ellie, can I feed them next time?”
I glanced into the foyer to see Ellen lifting baby Liam out of the stroller. She was the most patient person I’d ever met. She didn’t even care that Scarlett called her Ellie instead of Ellen. She walked into the living room with Liam in her arms. And she shook her head at me, giving me a pointed glare. “Only Uncle Matt is allowed to feed them. Next time you go with him, he’ll let you.”
Oh shit. Ellen could dish it out too.
“Really?” Scarlett looked up at me with her big doe eyes.
“Sure.” I’d figure it out. Anything for her. I looked over at Penny. Anything for her too.
“You’re ridiculous,” Penny mouthed silently as she took Liam from Ellen.
Scarlett gave me a big hug and then turned to her mother. She stood up on the couch and looked down at her baby brother. “He was a good boy today. He didn’t cry and scare the animals like last time.”
“Is that so?” Penny tickled Scarlett’s side.
“Scarlett,” said Ellen. ”Let’s go get you a bath before your daddy comes home.”
“Okay. Uncle Matt, tell my Mommy when we can go to the zoo. I’m always free.” Scarlett jumped off the couch and started running toward the stairs.
She was so freaking cute.
Ellen took off after her.
I watched in silence as Penny stared down at her son. The son she almost lost. The miracle baby sitting in her lap. Liam started to whine. And it looked like Penny was about to cry again.
“Penny?”
She blinked fast and didn’t look up at me. “Yes?” Liam started to really cry now. “Shh, baby boy.”
“Are you okay?”
She laughed, but it sounded forced. “I’m fine.”
Fine. Women’s universal word for not okay, as far as I could tell. “You know you can talk to me.”
“Hm?” She finally looked back up at me. She shook her head like she’d been lost in a trance.
I pulled Liam out of her arms and cradled him in mine. Liam immediately quieted down in my arms. “I can tell when something is bothering you, Penny.”
She pulled her eyebrows together in an adorable frown. “I can tell when something is bothering you too.”
“A standoff, huh?” I looked down at Liam. He looked just like James. A head of dark hair and a rather serious face. But he had blue eyes like his mother. I used to want kids. And this was the closest I would ever get. This should have been my life.
“I always wanted kids,” I said, breaking the awkward silence. “Four of them. I don’t really know why.” But I did. Because my brother and I were practically raised with the Hunter brothers. The four of us against the world. The Untouchables. Before everything broke.
“You’re going to be a great dad,” Penny said. She didn’t look comforted by my words at all. Instead, she looked even more upset.
But I didn’t get a chance to ask her why. Because James walked in the front door. Penny plastered a fake smile on her face. I could tell. I’d been wearing one for half my life.
“Hi, James!” she said and stood up.
“Hey, baby.” He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the lips, pulling her against him.
Message received loud and clear. I turned away.
“Hey, Matt,” James said. “I thought our dinner was Saturday night…”
“It is.” I stood up. “I just stopped by to say hi.”
James gave me a weird look and pulled Penny closer.
I clenched my jaw. As much as I was tempted to, I wasn’t going to ruin his life. Not like he’d ruined mine.
“Since you’re already here, you’re more than welcome to stay for dinner,” James said. “I’m sure Ellen made enough.”
“I already ate,” I gestured toward the plate of leftovers. “And I actually have plans tonight.” I didn’t. But I didn’t want to sit here as the odd third wheel. Or like I was one of their kids.
Penny looked up at James. “Did you know that Matt volunteers as the head coach for the football team at your old school?”
“Yeah.”
“What? How did everyone know this but me?” She turned back