The older boy did look serious, but he had a nice smile and the younger had a much wider grin. His right eye had that same little crinkle mine did and it struck me. They were related to me. Hank was my father, these were my siblings. For the last decade, they'd been around, and I could have known them but...
Some days I really hated Maddy.
"This is Chloe, she's a darling, but Kelly says I'm biased. She's a daddy's girl though." He paused then looked at me. "But she's got a good sense of humor. I think she's going to like having an older sister. I'm afraid the cat is out of the bag on that one too."
"You told them about me?"
Hank made another face as he leaned back. "Well, not precisely, at least we didn't intend to, but Chloe's become a bit of an eavesdropper and she heard Kelly and I talking. She has no filter, she immediately told her brothers. Mostly because Alec wouldn't be the oldest anymore, so he couldn't be the boss of her."
The exasperation and fondness were equal in his voice.
"I'm sorry?" I offered but he chuckled and shook his head.
"Not at all. You aren't going to be a secret. I mean—if you want time to get to know me before you meet them and if you want to keep a distance, I'll respect that. But we're a loud bunch and...I'd really like to get to know you Frankie. I feel like I missed a lot and knowing my kids now, I know what I missed. I don't want to miss any more. But I also don't want to push anything on you that you're not ready for..."
He was perfect.
"Though maybe, I'm the one still reconciling the idea that my daughter has four boyfriends, would you be terribly opposed to not telling Chloe about that immediately?"
Jake snorted then Coop laughed and even Ian's shoulders were shaking. Archie's reaction was a great deal more guarded, but I wanted to like Hank.
More, I thought I did like him.
"Well, I don't really think it's the first thing I tell everyone but… these guys are my family. They've saved my life and they've been my best friends forever. If you're going to be my dad, then I need you to know they're important to me."
He smiled encouragingly. "I'd like that chance. I even..." he shifted a little in his seat and then stood to dig into his pockets and finally he pulled out a coin. "I brought you this." It was a penny and he placed it in my palm.
It was old. I frowned down at it. Old with a Native American head inscribed on it and... "1899?"
"Yeah, that was when my great-great grandfather came over from Poland. He came through Ellis Island, stayed with a family he knew in Brooklyn. This penny was the first one he made. He kept it. Never spent it. Gave it to his son when he finished school and then that son gave it to his oldest daughter and so on...my mom gave it to me when I graduated high school. Said that penny brings us luck because it shows a commitment to the hard work it takes to make a life for yourself."
Tears burned in my eyes and the penny wavered.
"I haven't gotten a chance to do much for you, but you come from a long line of hard workers. And you should know about them and me… when you're ready."
I blew out a breath and closed my hand over it. "What about Alec?"
"He'll be good, he doesn't know about the penny for one, and for another, it goes to the oldest child. That would be you. Don't worry, we can do other things for him when he's ready. That penny will be for your oldest child… You know when you have one. In ten or fifteen years."
There was a beat and one of the tears slipped out as I started to laugh and even Archie cracked a smile.
"We were going to finish watching the Fast and Furious movies, we've been having a marathon and we could order pizza," I offered. "If you'd like to stay."
"I'd love to stay," he said. "But only if you let me buy the pizzas."
"Um..." I started.
"How about you throw in for it," Jake suggested. "Frankie's a little too polite to tell you that the four of us tend to eat everything in sight."
Hank grinned. "Fair deal then."
"And I'd offer you a beer," Coop said. "But we're a little young to have it in our fridge."
"Or wine," I said drily.
"You know, I won't tell if you won't," Hank said. "But right now, I'd kill for a beer. If you point me toward the store, I can go pick us up some."
I put a hand over my mouth as he stood to follow Jake into the kitchen. They were both laughing. The penny weighed a thousand pounds in my palm, but emotion clogged at my throat. I glanced at Archie and he gave me a long look.
"He seems okay."
That was high praise.
"Yep," Coop said as he followed after them. "You want wine, Frankie?"
"Oh God, yes," I admitted, and Ian slid over to take the spot Jake had left.
Voice low, he said, "You really okay?"
"I don't know. It feels like Christmas and a birthday and.... The best surprise ever, and I'm terrified to look at it too closely."
It was his turn to press a kiss to my head as Archie squeezed my hand. "I like him," Ian said quietly. "But take your time. You don't have to decide anything tonight."
No, I didn't. I swiped at the tears from the corners of my eyes then looked down at the penny before glancing in the kitchen as Hank and Jake both laughed. They looked… relaxed with each other.
