Love Life & Circumstance (15 page)

“Hello sweet girl.” He crooned. Hazy blue eyes blinked and stared up at him through the plastic. Everything in him melted all over again. He loved her, wholly and unconditionally. “Daddy had to go to work. He’ll be in to see you in a little while. The nurse says you’re doing great darlin’. I’m so proud of you. Daddy will be too.” Seth stroked a finger over Hope’s exposed belly making her squirm. “Ticklish are you?” He repeated the action and smiled when she wiggled again. Her gaze remained unblinking and solemn as if transfixed by his voice.

“I had a date with your daddy last night.” He chuckled. “And breakfast this morning. He’s learned early that I can’t cook worth a damn. The fire alarm didn’t scare him off so I think we’re safe. I’m falling for him, Hope darlin’. There’s just something about him that draws me to him. I can’t stop thinking about him.” Hope’s hand waved and then latched onto his thumb as if encouraging him to continue. “He scares me, baby girl. I think I’m already lost. I love those big arms wrapped around me. I’ve never felt so…protected. Just wait. You’ll see when he holds you for the first time. I felt like I had come home.”

“You should tell him that. I bet he’d love to hear it.” Seth’s head jerked up. Susan stood on the opposite side of the incubator wearing a wide smile and wiping at her eyes. “I’m sorry for eavesdropping. I was checking her vitals.” She held up the chart so Seth could see it. “We saw the kiss between you two yesterday. You are one lucky man. All that raw magnetism,” she slapped a hand over her mouth and shook her head. “Sorry. No filter. I don’t think I have to tell you that your boyfriend is major hot.”

“Susan!” An appalled gasp sailed across the room, drawing a laugh from Seth.

“It’s okay. I happen to agree.” He winked at Susan before dropping his gaze back to Hope. Elijah, his boyfriend? He really liked that thought.  After finishing the vitals, Susan moved away leaving Seth alone with little Hope. He pulled up a chair, sat next to her and began to tell her more about her mother.

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 “I think she’s asleep.” A large hand fell on Seth’s shoulder, causing him to jump. He looked up, and up again, to meet Elijah’s brilliant blue eyes.  He lowered the book into his lap and glanced at his watch.

“Yeah, she has been for the last hour.  I just thought that the sound of my voice might,” he shrugged one shoulder. “Soothe her in some way.” Embarrassed all of a sudden, he shoved to his feet and laid the book aside. His entire world lit up when Elijah slid a strong arm around his waist and tugged him in close to that massive chest. Warm, firm lips descended to capture his own in a brief but passionate kiss.

“I missed you.” Three little words in that deep baritone, and Seth’s body trembled with the force of his want for the man’s touch.
Hospital, Seth. No grab ass in the hospital.

“Missed you, too.”

“What are you reading?” Elijah took the chair Seth had vacated and ran a hand over his tangled hair. The other hand remained possessively on Seth’s hip.

“Harry Potter. One of the nurses had a copy in her locker,” Seth answered as he reached out to straighten the snarled strands. His fingers slid through the thick blond waves, his fingertips skimming over Elijah’s scalp. When the man’s eyes closed and his chest rose and fell with a deep inhalation, Seth sank his fingers deeper into the mass and massaged his way through the next pass. “You look tired.”

Elijah’s eyes cracked open, and he looked up. “It was a long afternoon. Bubba and I sorted through all of the open jobs, assigned them to the crews and then made bids on several more. The guys have enough work to last them through Christmas, and if we get the new bids, well into the New Year.”

“That’s great.” He paused. Something in those eyes and that face wasn’t right. When Elijah’s gaze dropped, Seth worried his bottom lip with his teeth. “Is everything okay?” The hand at his waist tightened, urging him closer.

“It will be, Seth. In time. Come here and let me hold you.” With Elijah’s hand guiding him, Seth straddled the man’s thighs and sat astride his lap. Even seated, Elijah dwarfed his own tall frame.  His hands slid up over bulging biceps to rest on broad shoulders. He glanced up to see Elijah’s gaze locked onto his mouth.  Swaying toward the man, he licked his lips in anticipation of another kiss.

“Ahem, I ummm, I’m sorry to interrupt, but ahhh…” Heat raced up Seth’s neck when Susan’s voice came over his left shoulder.  He tried to rise, but Elijah held him firmly in place.

“No problem. Is there something we can help you with?” Clearly unconcerned with the woman’s opinion, Elijah continued to stroke one hand up and down Seth’s thigh.

“Actually, I was going to ask if you wanted to hold your baby.” Seth’s head whipped around, his gaze collided with hers.

“Yes.” They answered in unison. She beamed at them both.

“Stay right there, your combined body heat will be good for her.” The nurse moved to the incubator and lifted the top. The monitors squawked and beeped loudly for a few minutes and then she turned, Hope swaddled and snug against her chest. “Who first?”

“Elijah.” Seth found his voice and spoke up. Hope was Eli’s daughter; he should hold her first. Tears stung his eyes as he watched the other man. Absolute awe shone from Elijah’s handsome face. He sat mesmerized as the nurse approached. His hold on Seth loosened. When the nurse laid Hope in Elijah’s arms, tears sparkled in the man’s eyes.  A lump formed in Seth’s throat. This man was going to be the most amazing father.

“Support her head and keep her close to your body so she feels safe.” Elijah nodded without looking up. After carefully arranging the wires, Susan stepped back and left them alone. Leaning forward, Seth trailed a thumb down her cheek.

“She’s beautiful.” Awe colored Elijah’s voice. Blue eyes blinked open and Hope stared up at her father. “Hey, princess. Daddy’s got ya, and Uncle Seth is here, too.” Seth leaned in closer until their bent heads bumped.

“Hey baby girl. I told ya Daddy was coming to see ya after he got finished with work.” A soft purring sounded from Hope, drawing a smile from Seth.  The heavy weight of Elijah’s arm settled back around Seth’s waist and then tightened. He glanced up surprised at what sounded like a sob. Tears streamed down Elijah’s gorgeous face but didn’t detract from the savage love etched on his features. “Oh Eli, come here.”

Careful not to squash the baby, Seth wrapped an arm around Elijah’s shoulders in a hard hug. Eli buried his damp face against Seth’s throat as emotion overwhelmed him. Seth stroked up and down his spine murmuring nonsense words until the trembling in the large body stopped.  He kept his gaze trained on the sweet baby’s face as his own tears burned his eyes. When the steel band across his hips loosened, Seth leaned back and lifted a hand to tilt Elijah’s face up. Their gazes collided. In that moment, Seth lost his heart completely to the other man. The words hovered on his tongue, but he bit them back. Elijah would think he was crazy.

For that matter, he was amazed at himself. He’d never believed in instantaneous love, or a soul mate. He worked and lived in a cynical world where relationships were hard work and developed over time, if they developed at all.  Too many times in his legal career, he’d seen divorces so nasty and embittered he wondered if he could ever trust another enough to marry. His answer stared him in the face. With this man, for this man, he would risk everything.

“Are you okay?” He whispered. Elijah nodded, and his gaze fell again on Hope who lay sleeping against his chest.  Seth wondered if Eli could hear his heart pounding in his chest. Good thing Eli was okay because Seth was just a bit stunned. He was in love. With Elijah. And it had only been four days since they’d met.

“This is real. She’s real.” Elijah’s word brought him back to the nursery. “I’m going to be a father.”

“Not going to be, Eli. You are.” Again, Seth trailed a finger down the baby’s downy soft cheek mainly to keep his hands off of Elijah. “She’s lucky to have you.”

“I was scared. She’s so tiny. Every night I pray she gains weight and that nothing happens. Premature babies are so fragile.” He glanced up and smiled. “Letting her out of the incubator is a huge milestone. It just all hit me when she was here in my arms. She’s not going to die like they did.” Pain laced Elijah’s words. Seth knew he referred to his parents, and his heart lurched in his chest. They hadn’t talked about Beth or Pastor Deacon. Not in detail. His sister had killed Elijah’s father. Would they be able to overcome that to have a relationship? Elijah didn’t blame him, he’d made that clear. Yet, as time passed, that could change.

They sat silent for several minutes, both of them intent on the small bundle cradled in Elijah’s arms. Seth forced the morose thoughts away, concentrating instead on the man and baby, and the love saturating the air around them. The flash of a camera startled all three of them. A tiny wail erupted from Hope, and the heart monitor went on the blitz.

“I’m so sorry. The three of you looked so perfect; I had to take a picture.” Susan apologized in a rush and hurried to quiet the monitors.

“It’s okay honey, but I would like a copy of that picture,” Elijah said as he bounced his arm a bit and rocked back and forth until the mewling cries stopped.

“We both would,” Seth added.

~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~

The sliding doors of the hospital whisked shut behind them as Seth and Elijah left several hours later. They’d taken turns holding Hope and reluctantly gave her up when the nurses started to change shifts.

“Wanna grab some takeout and head back to my place?” Elijah snagged his hand and pulled him to a stop as he veered toward his truck. Seth turned and smiled.

“Well, I can always try cooking again.” The look of mock horror on Eli’s face made him laugh. “Take out’s fine with me, if you’re sure you’re up for company.” The blue of Elijah’s eyes deepened.

“With you, Seth, I’m up for anything.”

Seth’s body flamed at the double entendre. “I’ll have to remember that when we’re not in the middle of a parking lot.”

“And, the location matters why?” A wicked grin split Elijah’s lips into a wide grin.

“Don’t tease me Eli, or I’ll be spread over the hood of your car. Again. I can’t seem to say no to you.”

“Then don’t. My car’s in the lower deck. More privacy.” Challenge rang in those words, and it took every bit of Seth’s will not to head for the stairs leading below.

“Behave Deacon. These people expect certain things from a pastor’s son, and exhibitionist sex isn’t one of them.”

“I don’t give a fuck what they expect. If I want you, I’ll have you. If you’re willing, that is.”

A trembling settled in Seth’s bones. He grabbed his courage with both hands and opened his mouth. “Didn’t I just tell you I can’t say no to you?” Elijah closed the distance between them, forcing Seth to look up. Large hands cupped his face.

“You are pure temptation, Seth Jacobs. Where the hell have you been all my life?” The kiss curled Seth’s toes and drove every thought from his mind. He moaned and pressed hard against the solid muscle of Elijah’s chest. He broke their kiss and gasped.

“Hood, backseat, hell the fucking concrete floor, wherever you want me, I’m yours.” Teeth sank lightly into the curve of his neck and shoulder followed by a soothing kiss.

“If Hope wasn’t upstairs, I’d take an option on all three.” Elijah smacked Seth hard on the ass. “I know you need to go let Rocky out. Meet me at my house in about an hour? I have a couple of errands to run, and then I can pick up some food on the way home.”

“Sounds good,” Seth agreed and rose on tiptoe to press another kiss to those tempting lips. “See you soon.”

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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

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A week and a half later and two weeks to the day fate had tragically brought Elijah and Seth into each other’s lives, Elijah worked with the sun beating against the bare skin of his back. Carefully, he laid the last of the wooden boards to finish Seth’s brand new porch.  Over the last week, a sense of purpose had filled Elijah’s soul. Not only was Hope’s health improving in leaps and bounds, but she’d gained such a substantial amount of weight that the pediatrician had given the thumbs up to the removal of the incubator.  It meant he and Seth got to hold their little princess as often as they wanted, which was a lot.

Hope was still being fed intravenously, but Elijah knew his little girl was a fighter. He firmly believed it wouldn’t be long before the tube was removed, and he and Seth could feed her themselves. God, just the thought of how far she’d come made him so God damned proud. She was amazing, and Elijah still found that he had to pinch himself to make sure she was real.

With huge, blue piercing eyes and a shock of the most amazing curly red hair, Hope was a miracle of perfection. And so darn cute. Elijah was sure Hope knew when he or Seth walked into her room. Her eyes opened and followed them. And sure enough, as soon as either of them held her, those sweet little fingers of hers would latch on tight and refuse to let go until she drifted back off to sleep. Elijah had never known love could be like this; he felt consumed by the intensity of it and couldn’t wait to get to that hospital room each day just to see the progress she’d made.

Elijah beamed with pride as he stood on the new porch and stretched out his back. He’d never felt so lucky, or in love. Over the last week, he’d hardly been apart from Seth. Only their commitment to their jobs separated them during the day, but with each of them working flexible hours, it wasn’t long before they met back up. The most amazing part of the last week was how easy it had been to get into the habit of sleeping next to the other man. Every night since they’d had their first real chance to hold Hope, Seth and Elijah had slept together, wrapped in each other’s arms, more than happy and blissfully content.

Elijah wanted to keep it that way. He’d formed a connection to Seth that wasn’t based on responsibility to Hope, or his commitment to her. This was something else, something different that made Elijah’s heart ache when they were apart and race when they were together. And, when Seth looked at him, nothing compared to the feeling that ran through Elijah and stole away the very air in his chest. Seth had become an important part of his life. Elijah knew it was fast, but hell, he’d lost his father and gained a daughter all in the space of two days. Why should he doubt that Seth was meant to be, wasn’t fate supposed to act in threes?