Take Me Beyond Your Heart (sequel) boyxboy

*18*

*Asher*

I didn't exactly like the sight of Pine Creek looking so dead. It wasn't that it lost its beauty, but it was deserted. Things had really changed since I'd been here.

"How about by that tree?" Nolan pointed. "It has a clear view of the lake."

"Perfect." Personally, I didn't care where we sat. What I needed was a clear view of my son and Nolan, not the lake.

I carried the basket and blanket while he offered to carry a groggy Zion. When we reached the spot, I laid out the picnic blanket and set the basket down.
We sat down and Zion whined sleepily.

"It's okay," Nolan soothed, patting his back. "We're gonna have a picnic. Know what
that is?"

"Mhm." Zion nodded with eyes half closed. I smiled and held him.

"Sorry, buddy. Daddy doesn't work tomorrow so you can sleep in as long as you want, okay?"

"Okay," he mumbled, fighting to wake up. "Ooh, daddy! Grass!" he exclaimed, almost shooting out of my arms like a rocket. Yep, he was awake.

Nolan laughed and opened the basket, laying out some of the food.

"Oh, oh! A picnic!" Zion discovered as he stared at the food being pulled out.

Nolan smiled at him and offered him a grape. Zion opened his mouth and let Nolan feed him. I chuckled.

"He's so adorable," Nolan gushed.
"Daddy, I'm so adowable," Zion tried to repeat. I laughed.

"So, where's the house you found for my brother?" Nolan asked me after a while of munching on the delicacies he prepared.

"Oh, it's about ten minutes away from here, actually. He wants to be close to your house, I guess. Kalani... I don't know. She does like it, but I think she much
preferred the other house. The one before this one."

"How far is the one she preferred?"

"Like half an hour away."

He nodded and looked down at his chicken wrap. "She's like a sister to me. She's going to be my sister, anyway. Why doesn't she like me? I thought..."

"Nolan, she doesn't dislike you. Maybe she said what she said because she wants your brother all to herself. She feels like she comes first, and that's it. Not to defend her, but some women behave that way - and not even just women. Men, too. When
you love someone, of course you want them all to yourself."

He sighed. "I'm trying to stay out their way. I'm gonna talk to him, and tell him to just move in with her." He sucked in a breath and looked over at Zion who was stuffing his face with the s'mores squares.

"Baby, you gotta get some fruit, too," I told him. He was sticking another s'more in his mouth when he paused and looked up at me with huge eyes.

"Uh oh," he said. I ruffled his hair as he chewed on the s'more.

"So, I know you're a real estate agent and everything... have you considered other professions?"

"Um... yeah, I wanted to go into like... science." I shook my head. "Not good at it, at all. I love it, but I can't do it."

Nolan laughed. "You should become a model."

I gave him a weird look and he laughed some more.

"I'm serious here!" he claimed.

"You don't look serious," I teased.
"You're making me laugh! No, really, you have the face."

"I've been told."