“Thanks.” Will shook his head.
It took an hour to get Corey and Taran fed and out of his house. Once they were gone, he and Andy stood at the sink, doing the dishes.
“I wanted to talk about something Ms. Silverman mentioned,” Will hedged, handing Andy the pot to dry.
The boy’s narrow shoulders pulled back tight, and he froze, his gaze fixed on the stainless-steel pot in his hands.
Will nudged him with an elbow. “Nothing bad.”
Andy pressed his lips in a firm line, then asked, “Is this about being allowed to stay here again?”
Will shut off the water and turned to lean against the counter. He shook his hands dry before crossing them over his chest.
The boy scanned the kitchen, looking everywhere except at Will.
“You’re probably excited to spend Christmas with your sister. Maybe even at your house.” Will crossed his ankles and studied his black dress shoes. Until now, he’d been sure that Andy would jump at the idea of staying with Will, but the realization that Andy needed to feel wanted hit Will smack in the chest. He cleared his throat. “I was thinking about what a good system you and I have going on. Even and odd days. Swimming laps. Smoothies. Homework. And I’d be pretty lonely if I had to spend Christmas without you.”
“You…would?”
Will tipped his head up and nodded. “Yeah, I’ve gotten used to having you around. I was hoping you and Aly might stay with me while she’s home.”
Andy squinted and raised his chin. “Aly wants me to stay here?”
That was a loaded question, and Will had to word his answer carefully.
“Aly wants you to be happy. I’m hoping you’re happy here. Because there’s nothing I’d like more than to have you both stay with me. But she wants to be wherever you are.”
Andy swallowed hard.
“I understand if you want to spend Christmas at your house, but, Andy,” Will waited until the boy’s brown eyes met his own, “having you here has been like a present for me. Nothing about it is a burden.”
Andy blinked multiple times. “R-really?”
“Yeah, and for the record, you’re stuck with me, man. Even if you don’t live in my house, I’ll always be around when you need me.” Will grabbed Andy by the arm and pulled him into a hug before he gave his head a good rub with his knuckles.
“Hey.” Andy yanked away. “I know why Steve hates that now.”
Will chuckled. “What do you want to do while Aly’s in town?”
“We’ll stay here.” The kid’s mouth lifted slightly in a rare smile.
Will’s heart pinched hard at the sight. It would all work out. If Andy was happy, he was happy. What could go wrong?
CHAPTER9
She stoodin front of the gray craftsman, taking in the angled stone and the white columns on the large porch. It was hard to see the roof line in the dark, but even so, it wasn’t a typical beach house. Set on the bay instead of the gorgeous sandy Atlantic coast, the home, with its light gray shingles, looked more New England than Jersey coast, but it was gorgeous.
“You good, ma’am?” The driver’s question startled Aly back to the moment.
“Yes, sorry.” She grabbed both bags out of the trunk and added them to the pile on the curb. After a long day of travel, her nerves were shot, and worries about what the next few weeks would look like while she lived with her brother and Will whirled around her head. Not to mention the anxiety of talking to Andy about their mother’s house that weighed on her chest. “You’re good. Thanks again.” She slammed the black trunk lid and moved away as the driver pulled away.
She turned back to the house just as the front door opened and her brother walked out in front of Will. There was no way Andy had shrunk in the two months since she’d seen him, but he looked tiny standing in front of such a large man. Her stomach flipped slightly as Will jogged down the four steps. His black T-shirt pulled tight against the thick muscles of his shoulders. He was tall and broad, with a chiseled jaw covered in a light scruff—he was even better looking in person. Lily would lose it.
“You should have texted when you pulled up.” The deep baritone fit the ruggedly handsome man in front of her perfectly.
“Didn’t want you to have to come out in the cold.”
Will folded his corded arms across his chest and lifted his brow. But she turned away from the Roman warrior of a man.