Cunningham, Pat - Legacy [Sequel to Belonging] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read Online Free Page B

didn’t miss a trick. Colleen resolved to move her leg at the first opportune moment. “I’d love to meet him.”
    The significant looks exchange flared up again, first between Annie and Gus, then fired off at Jeremy. Gus dove in. “Better make sure you prep her, sonny. Wally’s best if taken in small doses.”
    Colleen went on smiling. “I’m tougher than I look. I’m sure I can handle him.”
    “I’ll bet you could,” Annie said with her own smile and significant subtext-laden look for Jeremy. “Wally likes folks who can go toe-to-toe with him. If you can handle a herd of rambunctious preschoolers day after day, I’m sure you can take on anything.”
    “Combat training,” Colleen agreed. “You got that right. Besides, I was raised in a commune. Real counterculture stuff. Alternative lifestyles don’t shake me.”
    The ball’s in your court,she thought at Jeremy.
    Backed into a corner, he responded with a shrug. “Okay. Maybe we can work something out. It’ll have to be after dark, though, because of his schedule. And brief. Wallace takes a bit of getting used to.”
    “Yeah,” Shayla chimed in. “He says ‘suck’ all the time. And ‘son of a bitch.’ What’s a bitch? Does her son go to school?”
    “Shayla!” Annie scolded. “What did we talk about? You don’t use words like that. Those are Wally words.” She half glared at Jeremy. “You need to have a serious talk with that man regarding appropriate behavior around little kids.”
    “I did. He said it’s an uncle’s duty to teach kids dirty words.”
    “No, that’s a mom’s job.” Annie patted Shayla’s hair. “Honey, when you’re old enough, your dad and I will teach you all the dirty words you need to know. That’s what we’re here for. For now, though, you need to stick to little girl words. We don’t want you upsetting your teachers again.”
    “Foop, no,” Gus said. “Are we done? Then let’s get these figging plates cleared off the fooping table.” He waggled his eyebrows, and Shayla giggled.
    “You’re a bad influence,” Annie said. “She’s better off with Wally. How about it, Jeremy? You and Wally want a kid? I’ll let you have her cheap.”
    Jeremy shook his head with a grin. “It wouldn’t work. He’d keep her up all night.”
    Something flashed through his eyes, almost too quick to catch. Colleen had observed him with Shayla enough to hold no doubts about his love for children. Did he want to adopt? Was his partner the holdup?
    Stays up nights, swears, not fond of children. Sounds like a prince.
    “How did you two meet?” she asked Jeremy.
    His look grew guarded. “I used to have a night job, too. Wallace came in a lot. He was my favorite customer, in fact. The first time I saw him, well…” He blushed. He actually blushed. God, he was so adorable. “You know.”
    Sadly, she did know. She realized, with a sharp little pang, she’d known the moment she looked into his irresistible storm-cloud eyes. This could be the man she’d been looking for, this beautiful, sweet scarecrow in love with another man.
    She forced her voice to lightness. “Is he hot?”
    Jeremy laughed. “That’s exactly what he said when I told him about you.”
    Gus groaned. “Two of a kind. I knew it. God help us all.”
    Great. I’m a female version of a foul-mouthed gay night owl. “What kind of job did you do before? You know, the night work.”
    “Um…” Jeremy sent a beseeching look at Gus and Annie. No help there. “I was in customer service.”
    Before she could get him to elaborate, a snatch of music went off. It sounded like the opening to Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.” Jeremy drew his cell phone from his pocket and checked the display. “It’s Wallace,” he said. He didn’t look at Colleen. “Would you excuse me?”
    “Sure,” Annie said brightly. “Who wants dessert? I’ve got coffee cake.”
    Jeremy went into the other room, out of eavesdropping range. Gus and Shayla cleared the table, and