"I've always carried you here." James brought a hand to his heart. "We want you to be a part of our family, as much or as little as you like."
"Yes, please," Tiffany added. "I'd love a chance to start over."
Fighting the urge not to tear up, he nodded. "I'd like that."
James stood. "Would you like to meet the rest of the crew?"
"Sure."
They led him into the kitchen where Liam sat with Melanie and a younger boy and girl. James stood behind the two, resting his hand on their shoulders. "This is Chloe and Caden. And..." He looked at Liam. "I'm sorry, but I don't know you."
Liam extended his hand. "I'm Liam. Slade's friend."
Melanie grinned at him. "I saw him waiting in the car and told him he could come in. I knew Mom wouldn’t mind if we broke out the brownies. Here, Slade, have one."
Slade moved closer, needing the familiarity and solidity Liam provided in the midst of his muddled emotions and all the new faces.
Standing in the too-warm kitchen, they talked about baseball, and Tiffany and James' jobs, and his half-siblings' hobbies. The love between his parents and the loving relationship they shared with their kids was self-evident. Envy and longing twisted together like thorns on a vine. Slade didn’t share history with any of them. The logical side of his brain knew he’d likely feel like an outsider for a while, but the emotional side wanted an immediate connection.
The surreal feeling he’d experienced with Melanie was back, and the enormity of the situation was almost too much to process. Overwhelmed and needing safe or neutral territory, he met Liam's gaze. "We should go."
The group walked them to the door and everyone made promises to keep in touch and get together again soon. Slade went through a round of hugs that felt both awkward and nice.
Too drained, he didn't even offer to drive. Simply slid into the passenger seat and dropped his head onto the headrest. While Liam laid a heavy foot onto the gas pedal, he stared out the window at the houses rolling by. Thoughts and emotions jumbled together, overlapping and conflicting until everything was a riot of confusion.
Liam didn't speak until they were in the elevator of their apartment building. "Dom and Adam are upstairs. They called when you were in with Tiffany and James. I figured you'd want them here."
Slade nodded. "Thanks."
His friends met them at the door. He accepted a beer from Adam and a hug from Dom. When they were settled into their usual places in the living room, Liam turned on the TV and searched until he landed on highlights from the evening's ballgames on the East Coast.
Dom nudged Slade's knee. "Well?"
"They're nice. I'm not sure what I feel or what's going to happen. I don't think we'll ever be as close as they are with their other kids. It's different, growing up with people compared to meeting them when you're a fully formed adult."
"The experiences you share going forward will help shape your relationship."
"I know." But it still wasn't the same. He took a long pull from the bottle. "I don't know that I'll ever look at them and think Dad and Mom, or call them that. It's too foreign a concept. Jeannette was my mom, and I don't even remember that much about her."
Beside him, Liam winced in sympathy and patted his arm.
Too many emotions rushed through him, lodging in his throat. He had to clear it before he could speak. "Growing up, the only thing I ever wanted was to be wanted. I never had that after Jeannette died."
Immediately, three heads swiveled in his direction. Liam's hand rested on Slade's left shoulder and Dom's landed on his right.
Liam spoke first. "Dude, I'm sorry. I hope we help make up for that a little. We always want you around."
Seated on the rug, Adam scooted closer. "You know we've got your back."
Dom's fingers dug in until Slade met his gaze. "Always. We're family."
Slade nodded. Swallowing a fresh lump in his throat, he smiled. "Thanks, guys."
He'd never felt loved. Not until he'd become friends with the trio surrounding him.
Dom had been the first person to ever say I love you to him. An I love you, man wrapped in smiles and back slaps and good feelings that had filled the empty space in his soul and soothed the ache of being alone.
Liam was his partner in crime. The other half of his brain. They just got each other. Same sense of humor, same taste in music, same ferocious loyalty to their friends and each other.
And Adam. The coolheaded reasoning, the one they could all count on to be logical.
The guys proved they had his back time and time again, always looking after him, always looking out for him, always wanting the best for him.
He'd been right in saying he'd created his own family. He just wasn't sure what to do about the one that had suddenly appeared, or how that puzzle piece would fit into the picture of his life.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CLAIRE
CLAIRE WALKED INTO the office, desperate for coffee. The cup she'd downed on the way to the stadium hadn't helped clear the cobwebs of sleep at all. For the first time, she wished the ball game were already over. Too little sleep had left her off-balance. And grumpy.
A tie game and six extra innings the night before had meant entertaining the crowd until nearly midnight, and then she and Liam had joined Slade and Savanna, and Dom and Adam and their wives Irisa and Gemma for a drink. Getting to know everyone better had been a blast, but she was paying for it now.
Her sore muscles protested every movement and a dull headache brewed behind her eyes. Hopefully, this afternoon's game wouldn't drag on past nine. She made a bee-line
