Chapter 6

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!” we sang as Damon blew the seven candles out on his cake and the kids dove into the sweets. It had been a great afternoon and parents were arriving to shuttle their own six- and seven-year-olds back home. I’d cleaned up the grill and Jack had cleared the yard of sports equipment and was sprawled on the deflating bouncy tent—just forcing the air out, so he said.

Drew—completely exhausted—was cuddled in Meddy’s lap and even as he pushed a piece of cake into his mouth you could see his eyes drifting closed. He’d done his best to keep up with his older brother and all his friends.

We waved goodbye to the last of the guests and Damon planted himself in front of the fireplace to play with his new radio-controlled car. It buzzed around and around the room, bumping into furniture, and frequently flipping over on a turn. Damon thought that was great and proceeded to figure out what would cause the most spectacular accident. Drew had become very attached to his Melody as it finally dawned on him that all the new toys were Damon’s.

I watched as Damon considered what toy to play with next.

Jack indicated he had to get home now and was going to drop the tent off at the rental company on his way. Drew ran to hang onto his leg and it looked like the little boy was about to implode. Surprisingly, it was Damon who rescued both the situation and his brother.

“Drew!” Damon shouted. “Let’s play Lincoln Logs. We’ll build a fort in the bedroom and then we won’t have to put them away.”

Apparently, the idea of playing with one of his brother’s new toys and not having to put it away appealed to Drew. Damon tucked his car under one arm and wrapped the other around his brother as he said “‘Night,” to his father and led the way to his bedroom.

“That boy has the savvy of ... mmm ... Kate,” Jack said.

“You set the example, not me,” Kate said matter-of-factly. We all looked at her. “What?”

“That’s very profound, Kate,” Jack said. “Can I drop you somewhere on my way home?”

“Um ... well...”

“Oh, Kate,” Lissa said. “I was hoping you’d help Melody and me clean up the kitchen while Tony reads to the boys. Do you mind?”

“No. That’d be fine. Thanks, Jack, but I guess I don’t need a ride.”

Jack glanced at Lissa and then at Melody and me.

“Okay. I’ll see you all later in the week. I understand I’m invited to a presentation Tuesday night?”

“Yes,” Melody said. “As an advisor.”

“Interesting,” Jack said. I saw him shake his head and chuckle as he left the house.

“Do you mind spending the night, Kate?” Lissa asked. “We’ll take you back if you’d prefer.”

“If you don’t mind me taking the guest room,” Kate said, “I’d appreciate it. And thank you. I like Jack, but I’m just a little nervous. It’s not about him, though.”

“Kate,” I said, “if anyone acts inappropriately toward you, I’ll personally take him—or her—down a notch or two.”

“Are you a possible date or a big brother?” Kate asked. “Just for the record.”

I stood there and spluttered, not knowing what the hell to say until Melody and Lissa started laughing. Then Kate lost it, and all I could do was shake my head and raise my hands in surrender.

“Still ... thank you, Tony,” Kate said. “That’s really sweet.”

The boys were in bed at last. In spite of how mature Damon acted sometimes, there had been a dispute over the roof of the fort in the bedroom and a few Lincoln Logs had been thrown. It had taken both Lissa and me to get them settled down and storied so they might possibly get to sleep. Kate and Melody had finished tidying up the kitchen and had taken out the trash by the time we felt it was safe to leave them.

It was one of those rare nights when Lissa opened a bottle of wine and poured all four of us a glass. It’s not like we never drink, but Melody and Kate and I are still under age and technically Lissa shouldn’t share a glass with us. But, special occasions ... I noticed Kate set hers aside almost untouched.

“Ahhh. Is it over?” Lissa asked as she sank into the sofa.

“Hey, that reminds me...” I said as I grabbed my sketchbook.

“Are you going to draw?” Melody asked.

“No. I just wanted to get Kate’s opinion of something.” I flipped the book open to a very free-form sketch I’d doodled one afternoon. “Do you have an idea of what to do for your exhibition paintings, Kate?”

“Not really. I was kind of down after Clarice criticized my charcoals. I haven’t drawn anything since.”

“What did that bitch say?” Lissa demanded. I held both hands up palms outward begging her to be patient.

“She said I wasn’t taking care of my drawings and they were all smudged and not salable,” Kate said. Yeah, that was pretty much the gist of it. But...

“What she was really saying—or reacting to, maybe—was that she thought your charcoals were great and should be framed immediately so they wouldn’t get damaged.”

“You have such a nice way of phrasing things,” Melody laughed. “We love you.”

“Yeah,” Kate said. “I guess that’s what she was saying.”

“Well, she’s negotiating some commissions for me. I bet she’d find some for you, too. But there’s one that I thought of that I can’t do. I was wondering if you’d be interested. It’s a little out-of-the-ordinary for you.” I showed her the doodle. “See, I was sitting there where Lissa is and Melody was in my lap—see? This is what I was trying to do—and then Lissa curled up beside us. I caught the reflection in the glass. But I don’t think I can actually draw it the way you’d see it. Would you ... well ... I was wondering if...”

“Go get in the position and let me see it,” Kate said.

“Um ... Lissa, can I sit there?”

“Ugh,” she said, pushing herself upright from where she’d sprawled.

I sat and called Melody over to sit in my lap.

“Remember the other night when we were all cuddled up here?” I asked. “Now, Lissa, face me and put an arm around Mel. Tuck up.”

In a moment we were all back in the very comfortable little pile we’d been in a few nights ago. Kate stood over by the fireplace and looked at us. Then she started walking around us, stopping to look from nearly every angle. We sat like that for nearly five minutes before she stopped circling. She sat next to Melody and me on my left and managed to snuggle into our arms.

“I can see it,” she said. “But it’s like I can see the things that you draw. It’s a beautiful composition, but it’s so broad that I don’t know if it is compatible with what I’d put in the exhibition. On the other hand, I’d love to try it, but let’s not tell Clarice about it. At least not yet.”

“What do you think, lovers? Could we sit for a portrait like this for Kate?”

“Hells yeah!” Melody said. “I was wondering how we were ever going to get a picture of the three of us.”

“Wonderful,” Lissa mumbled. She rolled a little and lay back in Melody’s lap looking up at the three of us. “Do we have the energy for a hot-tub? Or should we just go to bed?”

I felt Kate shift away a little and raised an eyebrow at Melody.

“Let’s just call it a night,” she said. “I’d just fall asleep and drown.”

“Yeah,” said Kate. “I think I’ll just crawl down the hall and go to sleep. This was a fun day.”

“You can...” I pressed a finger against Lissa’s lips as Kate extracted herself from our pile. We all unwound and stood up. I caught Kate’s hand before she left and pulled her to me for a kiss.

“Goodnight, Kitten,” I said. She smiled at me. Then turned to Melody. They kissed sweetly and Melody had a dreamy look on her face. Kate turned to Lissa. That kiss might have been just a little longer and a little more intimate than Melody’s and mine, but I wasn’t sure if that was Kate’s doing or Lissa’s.

“‘Night.” Kate wandered down the hall to the guest room.

“That girl just does something to me,” Lissa said.

“Me too,” I affirmed. “But she’s not ready to join us in bed. I know you were about to invite her.”

“Yeah.”

“But why not?” Melody asked. “She’s shared the big bed with me when you were in Chicago and Lissa was sick.”