Jen heard her nephew before she saw Emily. Wasn’t her sister a bit early? From her seat near the front of the theater, she waved them to her. And then she saw Doug behind them.

Darn it! Had they met already? What crummy luck. She stepped closer to greet them and swung her nephew into her arms. “Making TD’s, Bobby?”

The child grinned wide enough that his six front teeth were revealed to all.

“Daddy’s in hop-i-tal with Mommy.”

“You have a sister, Bobby. Isn’t that wonderful?”

Doug chimed in next. “And you’re the big brother. That little baby is lucky to have you.”

Emily rolled her eyes toward Doug and gave Jen an inquiring glance.

Sighing, Jen shrugged.

“The car’s outside,” said Emily. “That was Mike’s idea, and Luis will take me to BU’s rehearsal hall. Sorry if I showed up early. I’m a bit nervous. Here’s Bobby’s tote bag with extra clothes and sandwiches. What time shall I tell Luis to pick you up?”

“I can’t stay any longer, now that our big boy is here. I’ll tell the conductor I’m leaving, but at least my solo is as good as I can get it….” Thinking out loud, she began putting words to action.

“Slow down a sec,” said Doug. “I’ll look after him if you don’t want to leave yet.”

“I’m okay with him.” Jen turned toward her sister. “Tell Luis I’ll find my own way home. Not to worry.”

“I guess your place, since it’s closer, or the house? Lisa will want to know.”

Geez. “Thanks, Em.” Now Doug would know where she lived. “I’ll call her.

Now, just go.” Emily gave Bobby a kiss and left.

Jennifer faced Doug, her chin raised. “I feel like you’re crowding me, Doug. You said you returned to Boston for your career. I hope that’s true. I hope you’re using your imagination strictly for creating your plays and not for anything else.

Thanks for the offer, but I don’t need you to babysit Bobby, and I don’t want to go backwards. After five years…Let’s just leave it alone.”

His steady gaze traveled from her eyes to her nose, mouth and back. It went through her. “I can’t do that,” he said softly. “I’ve never forgotten you.”

Her heart beat in syncopated rhythm like a wild tarantella. “Too late…”

“I’m not arguing now,” he replied. “Go back on stage, finish the rehearsal. You know I love kids. Maybe Bobby and I will sing along.”

“I can sing. ‘Row, row, row the boat…’” The boy wasted no time.

It was Doug’s laugh that grabbed her bruised heart. His personable, warm laughter, his easy way with her nephew. He glanced at her and winked. “Another ham in the family.”

This was the Doug she remembered. Sweet. Funny. It would be so easy to pick up where they’d left off. So easy to pretend the last five years hadn’t happened.

Too easy. In less than twenty-four hours, he’d managed to reawaken something in her. A yearning, perhaps, that she’d refused to recognize. A yearning she’d allowed no one else to satisfy.

Too bad she didn’t trust him to stick around. For a beginning playwright, New York was the place to be. Too bad also, that she needed her family as much as they needed her. Her brothers and sisters leaned on each other. They were tight, and she wasn’t leaving them. She sighed deeply. Nothing was simple.

##

They left the theater together, and Doug apologized for needing to take off. “The house-hunt is on. So you live nearby, huh? The Downtown, area? Maybe I’ll look there.”

“If you can afford it. You should probably get a roommate or find a neighborhood further away. In fact, you can even go back to New York!”

“Are you kidding? After I juggled a million balls to arrange this year at BU and the theater? Besides, I can’t make the single habit too easy for you.”

“The-the—what?”

“I’m reaching for the gold ring, Jen. Remember this?”

His mouth covered hers, his kiss a surprise that felt so familiar, yet so new.

Different. Her pulse raced, and she leaned in, enjoying the familiar sensation of his lips on hers, the familiar fragrance of his after-shave lotion before pulling back, flustered. “No, no. I-I can’t go through this again.”

“Neither can I, Jen.” His voice sounded hoarse. “So, I’m taking a chance here, a chance on a different ending.” He kissed her again, this time a quick good-bye, and left.

His words lingered in her mind—his words and her memories—as she made her way with Bobby toward Boston Common. Doug took risks all the time. He was a talented writer—she’d known that years ago—but how many writers, even brilliant ones, really earned a living? Anyone who believed that love paid the bills was a fool. Now where had that thought come from? She’d never been curious about the financial side of him. She’d only noticed the talent side.

What was he really doing back in Beantown? That kiss…tears started to run down her face. “Damn, damn, damn…and just when I had it all figured out.”

She and Bobby watched the swan boats, played catch, and ran after the football.

She called Lisa for a medical update on her and her new daughter and was relieved at her sister’s calm words. The afternoon turned to early evening by the time Jen returned Bobby to his dad—a dad they found sound asleep on the living room couch.

“Shh…” warned Jen with a finger on her lips. “Just give a gentle hug. Let him sleep.”

“Dad-dy!!”

Mike rolled over, grabbed his son, and bestowed dozens of kisses on the boy’s neck and belly. Giggles ensued before the man stood, child in his arms, and looked at Jennifer.

“Thanks for taking him, Jenny. After two bad experiences, I don’t think Lisa will ever agree to another nanny. My folks are driving in tomorrow, but you have been a lifesaver. Don’t know what we’d do without you.”

Jen shrugged. “No worries, Mike. I’m not going anywhere. Families take care of each other, don’t they? Just like you and Lisa took care of us.” The past seemed to haunt her today, and unexpectedly, her lips began to tremble. Pressing them hard together, she tried to divert Mike. “Uh — tell me all about the baby.”

He grabbed the bait, and for the next five minutes, she heard all about the perfect, but miniature Brianna Grace Brennan. “I swear, she’s no bigger than a football.”

“I’ll run to the hospital for a quick visit and then head home,” she said. “You okay with Bobby?”

“Of course. Right, son?”

They high-fived each other. “I played ball with a big man today. Auntie Jen was singing, and I played.”

Mike’s quizzical gaze found her, and Jen sighed. “Okay. Emily would have mentioned it anyway.” She looked him in the eye. “Doug Collins moved back—

he’s teaching at BU and putting on a play at the Commonwealth— and the first thing he did was track me down, and I don’t know how I feel about it because I’m afraid…I’m afraid….” She felt tears well and pushed them away. “I’m afraid to get involved again, and that’s all I know for now. I’m an idiot for even talking to him.”

She stepped toward the hallway. Mike’s voice followed her. “I used to like the guy. But not at your expense. Want me to pay him a visit?”