Brian Haner Jr
Brian Haner Jr.
Several open boxes of pizza covered the wooden picnic tables. "But I wanted soda," Kyle said.
"Thanks for the info, but we agreed on milk," Nicole told him mildly.
"You agreed. I wanted soda."
Nicole stared at the six year old. "Kyle, if you're going to be difficult, I want to take this discussion outside."
Brian watied, breath held, then his nephew nodded once. "Sorry, Nicole. Milk is fine."
"Good." She set a glass in front of him.
The mini drama was like a dozen others that had been played out today. Pizza Pete's was a lot of fun, but it also stressed the kids and the adults. Still, as Brian glanced around the table, he knew there wan't anywhere else he would rather be. He had his daughter in his arms, his family nearby, good company, halfway decent food. Life couldn't get much better than this.
At that time, Kyle knocked over his glass of milk.
Nicole started to stand up but Brian motioned her to stay seated. "My turn," he said. He shifted Sky to his left arm, then climbed out from the picnic table and headed for the counter. There he ordered another milk and grabbed a fistfull of napkins.
"Isn't she a beauty." A woman said.
Brian saw a petite blond smiling at Sky. She turned her attention to Brian. "Yours?"
"Yep."
He took themilk and pocketed his change. Unfortunately the woman didn't seem inclined to let him slip by. She stood firmly in his way.
"Does she look like your wife?" the woman asked.
"I'm not married."
"Oh."
There was a wealth of meaning in that single word. At one time in his life, Brian might have been willing to take the woman upon her offer. After all she was aroundhis age, pretty enough, and willing. For a while, that had been all he'd needed. But not anymore.
The soman sighed. "So you're a single dad. You're going a great job." She pointed to a collection of boys by a martial arts video game. "Two of those are mine. It's their dad's weekend, but the jerk flakes out on a regular basis."
"That's too bad." Brian inched past her. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my family."
He pointed toward the picnic table and she blanced in that direction. Her welcoming expression faced. "Oh. Is one of them yours?"
He assumed she was speaking about Alex and Nicole, not all the children. "Yes."
"I see. Fine." She spun on her heel and left. Brian made his way to the table and took his seat. He dropped the extra napkins onto the puddle of milk and handed Kyle a new carton.
As Kyle took it, he wrikled his nose. "Sorry, Uncle Brian. I'll be more careful."
"I'm sure you will be."
"I knew I was right," Nicole said as he settled next to her. "But I never thought to have it proven to me."
"What?" he asked, even though he knew exactly what she was talking about.
She pointed to the sleeping baby in his arms. "Sky is a chick magnent."
He frowned. "Do you really think I care about that?"
"I'm not sure. Now that you have a child, the next most obvious step is to get involved with a woman. A single mother is a good match." She looked across the table toward her friend. "Alex is a single mother."
Brian didn't understand. Was Nicole suggesting that he get involved with Alex? How could he? She was certainly very nice and he liked her aot, but last night Nicole had been the one that he'd been holding and the one that he'd wanted to make love with.
"I heard that," Alex said, grinning. "And while Brian might be on the market for a mate, I don't think I'm who he has in mind."
He glanced at the woman sitting across from him. alex game him a knowing look. So she knew he had a thing for Nicole. at one time the information might have bothered him, but not anymore.
"Speaking of which," Nicole said brightly. "I"m going to be giving Brian a baby shower. Actually the shower is for Sky, but you know what I mean."
"What a great idea," Alex told her, then winked at Brian.
He had to smile back. As change of subjects went, it wasn't very subtle on Nicole's part. So she was a little flusted, was she? Good. Let her stay that way.
Nicole and Alex continued to talk about the shower. Kyle and Tyler asked to be excused to go play with the gopher game again. It was loud and messy and for the first time in his life, Brian felt as if he'd found a place to belong.
"Thanks for the info, but we agreed on milk," Nicole told him mildly.
"You agreed. I wanted soda."
Nicole stared at the six year old. "Kyle, if you're going to be difficult, I want to take this discussion outside."
Brian watied, breath held, then his nephew nodded once. "Sorry, Nicole. Milk is fine."
"Good." She set a glass in front of him.
The mini drama was like a dozen others that had been played out today. Pizza Pete's was a lot of fun, but it also stressed the kids and the adults. Still, as Brian glanced around the table, he knew there wan't anywhere else he would rather be. He had his daughter in his arms, his family nearby, good company, halfway decent food. Life couldn't get much better than this.
At that time, Kyle knocked over his glass of milk.
Nicole started to stand up but Brian motioned her to stay seated. "My turn," he said. He shifted Sky to his left arm, then climbed out from the picnic table and headed for the counter. There he ordered another milk and grabbed a fistfull of napkins.
"Isn't she a beauty." A woman said.
Brian saw a petite blond smiling at Sky. She turned her attention to Brian. "Yours?"
"Yep."
He took themilk and pocketed his change. Unfortunately the woman didn't seem inclined to let him slip by. She stood firmly in his way.
"Does she look like your wife?" the woman asked.
"I'm not married."
"Oh."
There was a wealth of meaning in that single word. At one time in his life, Brian might have been willing to take the woman upon her offer. After all she was aroundhis age, pretty enough, and willing. For a while, that had been all he'd needed. But not anymore.
The soman sighed. "So you're a single dad. You're going a great job." She pointed to a collection of boys by a martial arts video game. "Two of those are mine. It's their dad's weekend, but the jerk flakes out on a regular basis."
"That's too bad." Brian inched past her. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my family."
He pointed toward the picnic table and she blanced in that direction. Her welcoming expression faced. "Oh. Is one of them yours?"
He assumed she was speaking about Alex and Nicole, not all the children. "Yes."
"I see. Fine." She spun on her heel and left. Brian made his way to the table and took his seat. He dropped the extra napkins onto the puddle of milk and handed Kyle a new carton.
As Kyle took it, he wrikled his nose. "Sorry, Uncle Brian. I'll be more careful."
"I'm sure you will be."
"I knew I was right," Nicole said as he settled next to her. "But I never thought to have it proven to me."
"What?" he asked, even though he knew exactly what she was talking about.
She pointed to the sleeping baby in his arms. "Sky is a chick magnent."
He frowned. "Do you really think I care about that?"
"I'm not sure. Now that you have a child, the next most obvious step is to get involved with a woman. A single mother is a good match." She looked across the table toward her friend. "Alex is a single mother."
Brian didn't understand. Was Nicole suggesting that he get involved with Alex? How could he? She was certainly very nice and he liked her aot, but last night Nicole had been the one that he'd been holding and the one that he'd wanted to make love with.
"I heard that," Alex said, grinning. "And while Brian might be on the market for a mate, I don't think I'm who he has in mind."
He glanced at the woman sitting across from him. alex game him a knowing look. So she knew he had a thing for Nicole. at one time the information might have bothered him, but not anymore.
"Speaking of which," Nicole said brightly. "I"m going to be giving Brian a baby shower. Actually the shower is for Sky, but you know what I mean."
"What a great idea," Alex told her, then winked at Brian.
He had to smile back. As change of subjects went, it wasn't very subtle on Nicole's part. So she was a little flusted, was she? Good. Let her stay that way.
Nicole and Alex continued to talk about the shower. Kyle and Tyler asked to be excused to go play with the gopher game again. It was loud and messy and for the first time in his life, Brian felt as if he'd found a place to belong.