Page 58 of Stealing Home

“No.” Dom’s answer came immediately. “And apparently the problem is that I wasn’t super clear about that.”

Evan looked confused, and CJ nodded in agreement. Dom looked back at the sauce.

“I was sorry because I knew I couldn’t give him anything beyond that. I told him from the beginning I wasn’t dating. I made a promise to myself when Lucia came into my life, and nothing about that has changed.”

Except everything about it felt different now. That was the part he couldn’t seem to explain. Lucia still came first, and baseball still demanded almost every hour she didn’t. And he still didn’t know how to fit another person into his new life that, only three months in, already felt stretched to its seams.

None of that had changed because Gavin kissed him in his kitchen. But knowing all the reasons something should be impossible didn’t stop him from wanting it.

Evan leaned back against the island. “Did Gavin ask you to change your mind?”

“No.”

“Did he ask you for a relationship?”

“No.”

“Ask you for anything?”

Dom frowned at him. “CJ already did this part.”

“Smart guy,” Evan said.

CJ nodded. “Thank you.”

“Don’t encourage him.” Dom rolled his eyes.

Evan’s mouth quirked up on one side, but his expression remained thoughtful. “What did he say before he left?”

Dom hesitated. “He told me to go take care of Lucia.”

“Nothing else?”

“I apologized again.”

Evan grimaced, and Dom sighed and picked up the spoon again.

“Yeah,” he muttered. “We’ve established that wasn’t my finest moment.”

Evan chewed on his bottom lip while he considered the situation. “Did he say anything after that?”

Dom remembered Gavin standing in the kitchen with the dishtowel in his hands and the low tenor of his voice when he said, “I’m not.”

“He said he wasn’t sorry.” Something passed over Evan’s face. Dom didn’t want to examine it too closely. “He hasn’t texted me since.”

There. He’d finally said it aloud. CJ already knew, or had at least figured out enough of it. But this was his first time admitting it.

“He used to text me every day,” Dom continued, quiet now. “Sometimes about the house. Sometimes about Lucia. Sometimes about everything and nothing. And now…” He trailed off and shrugged. “Nothing at all.” Evan glanced at CJ, and Dom caught it. “Stop doing that.”

“Doing what?” Evan asked.

“That married telepathy shit.” Dom grimaced.

“We’re not married yet,” CJ pointed out.

“You know what I meant.”

Evan smiled faintly. “Gavin didn’t ask about you today.”