Page 95 of Stealing Home

Gavin watched as Dom studied his face, his fingers loosening, then tightening in his shirt. “I’m starting to figure that out,” he said quietly.

Then he kissed Gavin before Gavin could ask what that meant. They were still kissing when the monitor crackled and Lucia released one indignant cry before falling silent again. Dom drew back and looked toward the screen.

Gavin pressed his mouth to the corner of Dom’s jaw and patted the side of his leg. “Go check.”

“She’s asleep.” Dom glanced at him, then back at the monitor.

Gavin chuckled. “You’re still going to check.”

“You know me too well,” Dom sighed.

“Working on it.”

Dom gave him one more quick kiss before heading upstairs. Gavin reopened his laptop, smiling when he heard the nursery door creak overhead.

A week later, Evan and CJ met them for dinner after a Sunday afternoon game, to celebrate the three ballplayers being named to the All-Star Roster. The announcement had come less than an hour after the final out, and by the time Dom pulled into his driveway wearing a grin he couldn’t suppress, Gavin had already heard the news. He still made Dom tell him himself.

Now they were heading toward a table tucked into a quiet corner at Rosa’s Trattoria. There were red-checkered tablecloths beneath the plates and the warm scents of garlic, tomatoes, and fresh bread filled the room. Framed photographs covered the walls, some faded with age and others recent enough that Gavin recognized several current Barracudas players among the smiling faces. The Sunday dinner crowd filled nearly every table, conversations overlapping with the clink of silverware and the occasional burst of laughter.

Before they could sit down, the woman behind the counter had hurried over and intercepted them, wiping her hands on her apron.

“There they are,” she announced loudly enough to draw the attention of half the room. “My three All-Stars.”

A few nearby diners applauded. Dom ducked his head, but Gavin could still see the grin he’d been wearing since he got home.

“You didn’t have to tell the whole restaurant, Rosa,” Evan said with a laugh as she pulled him into a hug and kissed both his cheeks.

She held Evan at arm’s length and looked him over with unmistakable pride. “I knew it would happen. All three of you.”

“You also predicted we’d win the division by twenty games last year,” CJ reminded her as she drew him in for a hug.

Rosa turned to Dom and hugged him while frowning at CJ. “And you disappointed me. That wasn’t my fault.”

Dom laughed as Rosa released him and turned her attention to the stroller beside Dom. Gavin watched as Rosa crouched and eased back the edge of Lucia’s blanket, her entire expression softening. Lucia blinked up at her, solemn and drowsy.

“You remember me, don’t you, bella?” Rosa offered her one finger, smiling when Lucia wrapped her hand around it. “Of course you do. I’m your Nonna Rosa.”

Rosa straightened, still smiling, and finally turned toward Gavin. He had remained slightly behind Dom, content to watch the reunion. There was something comforting about seeing Dom here, surrounded by people who had known him long enough to claim his accomplishments as their own. Gavin understood immediately why they’d chosen Rosa’s for the celebration. This wasn’t only a restaurant they liked. It was another place they belonged.

Rosa looked him over with open curiosity. “And you must be Gavin.”

Dom looked at her sharply. “How do you know that?”

She gave him a patient look. “People talk to me.”

“Which people?” Dom asked, already looking at Evan and CJ, who looked completely unrepentant.

“That’s not important.” Rosa dismissed the question with a wave of her hand, then pulled Gavin into a hug before he could decide whether he was expected to offer one. “Welcome.”

Gavin carefully returned the embrace. “It’s nice to meet you.”

She stepped back but kept both hands on his arms. “You’re the contractor.”

“I am.”

“The one who fixed Dom’s house but also builds beautiful furniture.”

Gavin glanced at Dom. “Yes?”