Matters of the Heart

Chapter Eight- A little truth or dare.

~Tinley's point of view~

The last two months have been amazing. I have loved every moment of being home with Zoey. It's weird, but we do act as a family. Vance and Eloise are just part of that family. I absolutely LOVE having her here. I love the banter between Patrick Blaine and her. That shit is funny as fuck. The pranks they pull on each other are even funnier. Vance and I just sit back and watch.

We still haven't progressed any, but he basically moved in. He comes over after work every night and ends up staying the night. No one says anything. It's comfortable for all of us. We have fun now because we don't have to stress about doing it all before two pm. We just have to wait for five when everyone gets home. We use the outside a lot. The men use the grill and pizza oven a lot; I don't complain. I love cooking but so do they.

Zoey is now five months old. Now that her hair is coming in, she looks even more like Patrick Blaine. She still had her big blue eyes, and her hair is dark. She has him wrapped around her finger. He tries to spoil her, but I refuse to let him. I grew up with money, and I am not a stingy or selfish person, and she won't be either. After I explained that to him, he understood and tries really hard, but he fails.

Nick asked if he and Tandy could keep her this weekend. They have asked a lot lately. Patrick Blaine and I both know that it's because it's getting close for them, and they want to be prepared. I don't blame them. It would have been great to have it with Zoey. I caught on quickly. I had no choice, but it was all worth it. It brought her and Patrick Blaine into my life. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I finish packing her things and put her in her seat. When I left the racetrack, I gave both bassinettes from there to them. They were almost brand new. They use them for her when she is there, but they will also use them for their babies when they come. I get her bag and take her to Tandy. I warned them she is cutting a tooth. They said they could handle it. It isn't like they aren't next door. I step out of the door and walk right into Patrick Blaine.

Patrick Blaine: "If you wanted to touch me, all you had to do was ask."

Tinley: "Remind me of that when I don't almost drop our daughter."

He brings his hand to my face, then leans and kisses my forehead.

Patrick Blaine: "I wouldn't have let you drop her. I'd be willing to give her a sibling, though."

He walks off. He has been saying shit like that for a while now. His flirting has progressed too. He makes me nervous. I was terrified he was going to use anything I say or do against me. I talked to Nick. He said he couldn't tell me why, but he knows for sure that is not the reason why. So, I just let him do it, but I try hard not to react. Sometimes it's hard when he's got his hand on my thigh or whispering shit in my ear.

I drop Zoey off and head home. I am in the kitchen getting the food ready for the grill. The guys may cook it, but I am the one who seasons it. If not, it would taste like shit. We have experienced that before and ended up ordering out. I don't want that to happen tonight. I want good food and to relax. I feel a body against mine, and I know it's Patrick Blaine because I am looking at Vance through the window in the kitchen. He is all relaxed on the couch out there. Patrick Blaine bends to my ear; I can feel his breath on my ear.

Patrick Blaine: "I want to be balls deep in you, Tinley. You drive me insane."

He walks away, and I have lost all concentration. I shake myself out of it and go back to getting the meat ready. That man is going to be the death of me. 

~Eloise's point of view~

I walk in the kitchen just in time to hear Patrick Blaine say that he wants to be balls deep in Tinley. I've seen and heard shit for a while. I know that somehow his hate for her turned into love. Deep love too. He deals with it; the man has willpower.