His grin was wide and instant. “Nah, sweetheart. No one has been able to handle all this, but one day. I hold out hope.” He gave me a burning look, or maybe that was wishful thinking. He held my eyes a little longer, then swaggered out of the nursery, leaving me breathless and bewildered in equal measures.

Chapter Eleven

DEVAN

I was going to pass out from lack of blood to the brain, because when Nova emerged from the house in a robe, her shapely legs on display, half the blood in my body went straight to my dick. The rest followed after as she slipped out of her robe and stood there in nothing but a bikini. It wasn’t skimpy or anything—more of a 1950’s style, with the waistband sitting just below her navel—but Jesus, it hugged every single curve. The pale gold of her skin made me want to strip her down and lick every inch of her body.

I stood in front of the grill, hiding my dick from everyone and pretending to watch the steaks. Rigby had bounded up to her, holding his arms out for Huey, and she’d given him over easily with a laugh.

River came to stand beside me, his face shut down. “They look like a family, almost. The kind you see in holiday commercials.”

I snorted a mirthless laugh. “They do.”

“He likes her, you know.”

I didn’t take my eyes off them. “I know.”

“We should let him go for it. He’d make a good father for Huey. A good partner for Nova.”

This time, I turned to look at my oldest friend. He’d held me together for as long as I could remember; hell, we held each other together. I loved him more than anyone on the planet, even Alana. “They aren’t possessions for us to give away.”

He gave me a pissy look. “You know what I mean. Not stand in their way.” Yeah, I did know what he meant, but I also knew River better than any other person he’d ever known. He wanted Huey more than anything. Wanted to be the parent we never had. Wanted to give him everything that little River had never gotten, and not just material things. Love. Security.

“You’ll make a good father too, Riv. Don’t count yourself out just yet.” I cleared my throat. “As for the partner bit, that’s not really up to us. She might seem small and delicate, but I don’t think Nova’s going to care about anyone's opinion but her own.”

She did seem more comfortable with him, but that was the Rigby effect. He was just one of those people who lit up a room and made everyone feel like they mattered. How he’d ended up friends with us was still a mystery.