Page 45 of Stealing Home

Dom flipped her onto her back and set up a portable mobile, and by the time he finished folding her clothes, Lucia was starting to fall asleep.

“Nap time,” he said softly. He scooped her up and carefully climbed the stairs to her room. He stood beside the crib for a minute after laying her down. “Sweet dreams, Lucky.”

He checked the baby monitor as he stepped into the hallway, glancing at it long enough to make sure the live feed was working, then he slipped the phone into his pocket. If the last few weeks were any indication, he had about thirty minutes before Lucia woke up from this nap. Dom headed straight for the primary bathroom, peeling off his practice clothes as he walked. The shower came on with a hiss of hot water, and Dom stepped underneath the spray. Sweat, sunscreen, and dirt washed off him in rivulets, and he loaded up his washcloth with body wash, working up a lather across every inch of his skin. He couldn’t have dinner with Gavin smelling like the field.

Ten minutes later, he stepped out of the shower, toweling his hair dry as he wandered back into the bedroom. He stopped in front of the closet and stared at the contents. This should be the easy part. It was just dinner.

Fifteen minutes after that, Dom had changed his shirt four times.

The navy polo made him look like he was headed to an autograph signing. The gray Henley was somehow trying too hard. The black T-shirt made him look like he’d read a magazine article about how to look effortlessly dressed. He looked down at the faded forest-green T-shirt he’d settled on. It was comfortable. Totally normal for dinner with a friend. He frowned at his reflection. Was normal too casual?

He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’ve completely lost my mind.”

His phone chimed softly. For one ridiculous second, he thought it might be Gavin canceling, and his heart jumped before the baby monitor movement notification popped up.

Dom hurried to Lucia’s room and gave her a smile as he lifted her from the crib. By the time he’d cuddled, changed, fed, and cuddled her again, nearly an hour had passed. He placed her back in her crib and rubbed her stomach until her eyelids drooped again before he slipped quietly out of the room. He sighed and looked down at himself. The green shirt now had a damp spot where Lucia had drooled.

“Seriously?”

He grabbed a fresh T-shirt from his closet. This one was charcoal, and he refused to overthink it. It was good enough. He moved into the bathroom to brush his teeth, and he caught his reflection in the mirror. His hair was still damp and curling slightly at the ends. He ran both hands through it, making it worse before smoothing it back into place.

“There.” He stared at himself for a long moment. “You’ve faced ninety-eight-mile-an-hour fastballs, but somehow, this is what’s making you nervous. Get it together.”

Dinner he could do with his eyes closed, and he headed to the kitchen. Downstairs, the sauce had been simmering since before they’d left that morning, long enough to fill the entire first floor with garlic, tomatoes, basil, and wine. His Nonna would have approved. Probably. She also would have added more garlic. He pulled on an apron and tossed more fresh basil into the pot, then turned his attention to making pasta dough. When it was ready, he fed strip after strip of dough through the roller and the repetitive motion finally quieted his thoughts. Until the doorbell rang.

Dom glanced at the clock on the stove. Six-thirty. His eyebrows pulled together. Gavin was half an hour early. He wiped flour from his hands onto the towel hanging over his shoulder, then crossed through the living room, smiling despite himself. That smile dropped when he opened the door.

Evan stood on the porch holding a white bakery box. Next to him, CJ lifted a paper bag from a local brewery in greeting.

“Delivery,” CJ announced.

Dom stared. “Why?”

“Because it’s not like you to be unavailable,” Evan said. “We were worried. So we brought dessert.”

“And beer,” CJ added.

Dom looked between them. “You know I hate both of you sometimes.”

“No you don’t,” Evan said with a smile.

“No,” Dom admitted with a sigh. “I really don’t.”

CJ peered over his shoulder into the house. “Something smells incredible.”

“Thanks.”

“So,” Evan said. “Are we interrupting your very exciting evening of staying home with Lucky?”

Dom hesitated just long enough for Evan to notice. “No,” he lied.

Evan’s mouth twitched. “Good. Wouldn’t want to interrupt anything.”

Dom narrowed his eyes, but before he could think of a reason that they should absolutely leave, CJ brushed past him into the foyer.

“We won’t stay long.”

Dom closed his eyes. Of course they wouldn’t stay long, but he knew them well enough to know that they would definitely stay long enough. He sighed and followed a laughing Evan into his house. So much for a quiet night.