“What should I bring? I don’t like sleeping away from home.”

Ben didn’t seem excited about this over night adventure at all, and Nick was disappointed. What boy wouldn’t want a day out on a boat just doing a whole lot of nothing?

“Just clothes, swim trunks, boxers, uh…toothbrush and stuff. We can buy what you forget.”

“Okay…” Ben grudgingly dug through a laundry basket of clothes and tossed two shirts Nick’s way. “Can you believe it? Mom did laundry.”

“You know, smart mouth…you could do it sometimes too.” Mom had appeared from Amy’s room, the baby saddled around her rotund waist. It occurred to Nick that this was the first time he’d actually seen this woman touch her. Ben always had her or she’d be toddling around on her own.

“Yeah, and that’d leave you to do what? Nothing…I’ll stick to the trash, thanks.”

“Take it out before you go, Mister.” Looking to Nick, feeling a strange combination of fear and relief that Ben would be gone for the night, she sighed. “When are you bringing him back tomorrow?”

“I really don’t have a schedule. When do you want him back?”

“Whatever…just…” Putting Amy on the floor and staring amazedly as the baby ran to Nick and wrapped her chubby arms around his legs, she plopped down on the couch. So tired. So lost. Feeling so out of control and having no energy to find it or get it back. “…just take care of him, huh?”

“Of course. How ‘bout I feed him dinner and we’ll come home after that?” Looking down at the baby, he did what he did every time he looked at one of the young girls in this house. He smiled. Big. And, he scooped her up. Always dirty, but somehow totally irresistible. “How’s Amy today?”

“You wouldn’t want the other 4 would you?” A smile. A little joke. It’d been so long and it kind of felt good.

“Uh…not tonight, no. But seriously…another time I’ll do that, okay?”

“I was kidding…”

“I’m not.” He looked down at the woman and wondered how someone got to this place in life. Where did she start? Was it always this way, or just a slow decent into depression, drugs, kids, bills and now, poverty and despair. He wanted to fix it. For the kids. For her. She really seemed like a nice enough lady. Just…lost.

And sometimes, he totally understood “lost”.

“Okay, I think I’m ready. But, I don’t have trunks.”

“We’ll buy some on the way. We have to stop by Miss Romero’s anyway.”

“What for?”

“Said she has something for you.” He shrugged at Ben’s silent question and kissed Amy before putting her back on the floor to toddle off back to her mother.

“Cool…let’s go.”

“Want us to bring dinner home for everyone?”

“Um…you don’t have to do that.”

“I know…do you want me to?”

Sighing in resignation and wondering what this man’s agenda was…because didn’t they all have one, she finally consented. “If you want, the kids would like that.”

Nick opened the door and shook a paternal finger at Ben. “Do NOT let me forget…your job for the weekend.”

“Yes, sir. Pick up dinner. Got it. Can we get out of here now?”

Waving to Patty and Amy, Nick playfully pushed Ben out, making him stumble on the porch. “I thought you didn’t want to do this. Make up your mind.”

Without a word, Ben simply pushed Nick back and had to laugh as he jokingly “fell” down the stairs tumbling onto the grass. “You’re an ass.”

“Like lookin’ in the mirror, isn’t it?” Raising a hand up for help, Nick grinned. “Now help this old ass up, kid. There’s a pretty lady waitin’ for us.”

“Hey guys, come on in.”

“Nick! Nick! Nick!” A small curly headed brunette bundle of energy came running into the room, bare feet smacking against the tile and wrapped her arms around Nick’s legs. He thought he could almost get used to this. Second midget mugging in one day.

“Hey, Rosalie…come here.” As he scooped up the toddler, he felt Ben’s disposition change. What was with this kid and his jealousy? “Say ‘hi’ to Ben, too…”

“Hi, Ben. Whatcha doin’ today?” She leaned down from Nick’s arms and got in Ben’s face.

He was having none of it. Saddling away from her, he shrugged and looked down at his shoes. “Nuttin’.”

Solana shut the door behind her visitors and gave Nick a questioning look. Shrugging, he put Rosalie down and slung an arm around Ben, escorting him further in the house. Ben had to be number one. There was no question about it.

“Come on back to the family room, guys. I’ve got something you might need this weekend. Rosalie, go get your gift too.”

Nick laughed as Solana pulled a very long, very skinny, very conspicuously wrapped “gift” from the back of her sofa. “Good hiding job, Lani.”

“Shut up…you ever try to wrap one of these suckers?”

“Uh, no…”

“Then hush up.”

Fortunately, Ben’s bad attitude kept him from paying much attention to the obviousness of her gift and he absentmindedly grabbed it and offered a half-hearted thank you before tearing into it. But when the paper was removed, he stopped cold. “You got me…Miss Romero…why did you do this?”

“Because every fisherman needs their own rod. No borrowed stuff for the real McCoy.”

“Ben! Here!” Rosalie ran in the room and pulled Ben on the couch before he could even think. “Open! Open!”

“Okay…did you pick this out?” Ben’s guard was slowly sliding away. Little rug rats were good at that. If Nick had learned anything in these few months, it was that much. No pretenses with kids. They wouldn’t allow it.

Nodding her head, she saddled up next to him and helped pull the paper off the odd shaped package. This one wasn’t as obvious in appearance.

“Oooh cool…a lure. Thanks, Rosalie!” He awkwardly pulled her in for a hug. He could care for Amy, be nice to Amy, but affection? Well, it wasn’t something he was comfortable with, but seeing Rosalie’s big brown eyes dancing and waiting for his response, a hug seemed fitting. Even an awkward one.

Nick and Solana stood to the side watching the scene before them, both speechless. Rosalie and Ben were proving that all anybody really needs…is to be appreciated. Wanted. Even…needed. Definitely loved. In any valid variety. Leaning down to her ear, Nick whispered, “Thanks. He’s not looking forward to this…these should help.”

Ignoring the chill that shot through her body when his breath touched her ear, she moved away slightly. No, no, no. No attraction. No time, no energy and definitely no way. “No problem. I’m glad you’re taking him…trusting him. When are you leaving?”

“Butt crack of dawn. Taking him to Gameworks tonight. Maybe swim later on.”

“Good…you’ll have fun.”

“Hopin’ so…you ready to head out Ben?”

“Yep…thanks, guys.” Smiling at Rosalie and softly bopping her on the nose he got up from the couch. “And thank you, Rosalie…fish will come runnin’ to this one, I’m sure.”

And she was off. Curls bouncing all over her head as she slid open the patio door to take off out back.

“Jeez…she just goes. You’re gonna have you help yourselves out. Sorry.”

“No problem. We’ll talk to you later.” Nick grabbed Ben’s fishing rod and snuck up behind Solana as she approached the patio, goosing her gently with it.

“Oh!” Turning around with an adorable mixture of a smiling glare, she tried to rid her face of the smile. “You creep…get out of my house.”

“Going, going…watch where you stick that thing, huh?”

“You’re asking for it, Señor Carter…OUT!”

Giggling like school boys, the two made their way to Nick’s truck. Climbing in after tossing the rod in back, Nick stopped and watched Ben…he was totally enraptured with the simple lure from Rosalie.

“That was kind of nice of them, huh?”

“Yeah…I’m not used to it.”

“Well, you know…karma’s a good thing. Keep doin’ good and good will keep comin’ at ya’.”

“I think I’m ready for that.”

“Me too, Ben. Me too.”