awkward when he returned the wave.
“Let’s go inside,” Isaac said. “They’ve eaten, napped, and had dirty nappies recently, so we should be safe for a
while.” He jostled Jasper playfully in his arms as we walked through to the sitting room.
“This place is amazing,” Charlie said, staring with wide eyes. “It’s huge.”
“Wait until you see the garden,” Jesse said. “It’s big enough for Isaac to run full out in his tiger form.
Charlie gaped at Jesse. “Really?”
“Yes. There’s a room to get changed in if you want to test it out afterwards.”
Charlie broke eye contact. “Maybe.”
Jesse frowned.
“I don’t shift very often. Austin tries to convince me to do it more often.”
“His arctic fox form is beautiful,” I said.
I sat on the sofa, bouncing Colby on my knee. He made happy, gurgling noises and stared into my eyes. Of
course that made me fall in love with my grandson all over again. I supported his neck with my hand, but it was
clear he’d got a lot better with his head control over the month and a half I’d been away.
“They’ll both be sitting up soon,” I said.
“Maybe in another month or so,” Jesse agreed.
It was hard to believe the twins were almost five months old.
“Then they’ll start crawling, and you’ll never be able to take your eyes off them.” I tickled Colby under his chin,
making him giggle.
“Don’t scare Jesse,” Isaac said.
Charlie sat beside me on the edge of the seat. I could tell he was nervous because he was jogging his leg up and
down. It wasn’t often that Charlie was nervous about anything.
“Can I get you anything?” Jesse asked. “Something to drink?”
“I brought cake,” Charlie said. “Well, flapjack, which isn’t cake at all.”
Jesse stared at him. “I didn’t know you baked.”
“Uh, yeah, quite a bit.”
“He coached me through making the cake for the twins’ party.”
“Oh, so Charlie’s the reason why you suddenly got interested in baking?” Jesse said.
Charlie smiled. He reached out tentatively as though he were going to tickle Colby’s foot, but stopped. “Flapjack.”
He picked up the box he’d put on the floor by his feet.
Jesse took it from him and headed to the kitchen.
“I’ll give him a hand,” I said. “You’ll be okay with Isaac and Jasper, won’t you?”
Charlie nodded.
“Is Charlie okay?” Jesse asked when I joined him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so…”
“Nervous?”
“I was going to say unconfident, but that doesn’t sound like a real word.”
“I think it is.”
Colby made a grab for my nose. I gently prised his hand off.
“Really? Huh.” Jesse started making soft drinks for us all. “It doesn’t sound like it should be a real word.”
I chuckled. “He’s worried about being around the babies. And I think he’s nervous about being here with you and
Isaac.”
“Why?”
“Because the last time you two were in the same room together, it was as friends, not as my mate.”
“He’s still my friend,” Jesse said. “But yeah, I can see how that might be strange.” He paused and stared out the
kitchen window for a moment. “I guess he’s my stepdad. That is kind of weird.”
I wasn’t sure Charlie saw himself that way.
“What can I do to help him relax?” Jesse asked. “I’m used to Charlie being larger than life and very much in
control. It’s odd seeing him more withdrawn.”
I sighed. “Honestly? I don’t know. Just be yourself? I’m sure he’ll relax soon enough.”
“Why’s he nervous about being around the twins?”
“Because of his epilepsy. And he’s never held a baby before.”
“He said.” Jesse turned and leant against the counter. “How did he cope with having to cancel two of his
concerts?”
“He took it hard. For all his bravado, he’s just like you. He wants to keep his fans happy.”
Jesse nodded in understanding.
Colby tried to take hold of my nose again.
“He’s obsessed today,” I said, laughing.
Colby changed tactic and clung to my chin.
“Maybe he’s telling us to stop talking,” Jesse mused. He opened the tub of flapjack and put some on a plate.
“These look great.”
Colby made eyes at the plate, drooling a little.
“They’re not for you, little guy,” Jesse said. “No solids for you for another month.”
We went back through to the sitting room, Jesse carrying everything on a tray. I would have offered to carry it for
him, but I wasn’t ready to part with Colby just yet.
“That’s the worst,” Charlie said as we entered the room.
“What’s that?” Jesse asked.
“We were talking about how terrible tour buses are,” Isaac said.
“They’re not so bad.”
“Yes, they are,” Charlie and Isaac said in unison, which
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