The Blush Factor by Deborah Bladon

Chapter Seventeen

Matthew

I knockon the door to the apartment that my brother and his family live in.

Instantly, I can make out the sound of fast running steps on the other side of the door.

It’s a foot race.

It’s always a race when my twin nieces hear someone on the approach.

The door swings open.

I spot Dora first with her mismatched clothes. Today it’s a pair of red pants and a bright purple and green striped sweater. On her feet are two different socks – one blue, the other a polka dot pattern of red and orange.

“Uncle Matty,” she screams my name as she launches herself at me. “You’re here!”

It takes me less than a second to drop to my knees as Georgie, her sister, comes in for a hug.

I embrace them both tightly, as I always do.

I’ve been an integral part of their lives since day one. Their birth mother didn’t stick around long enough to realize what remarkable people her children are.

That fact has never been lost on me. I consider myself damn lucky that I’ve had a front row seat to the first seven years of their lives. I hope to have the same with my nephew, who is set to arrive next month.

“Hey, Matt,” my sister-in-law, Bianca, calls from behind the girls. “You’re staying for dinner, right?”

That’s the plan I worked out with my brother earlier. I’ll take a seat at the dinner table in exchange for some story time with my two favorite girls.

That will give my brother and his wife a chance to go to their favorite place in this city. Bow Bridge. I have inside information that Roman is going to propose to his wife again tonight.

It’s a running joke in the family, but it tickles Bianca pink to accept her loving husband’s proposals a few times a month.

“You know it,” I answer back.

“Hurray!” Dora bounces away from me. “Let’s go draw on the wall.”

I’m responsible for that. A few months ago, I started a mural on their bedroom wall that has taken on a life of its own. Roman grumbled about it initially, but he’s taken a marker to the wall more than once.

It’s a treasure that will long outlast the years the girls will spend in that room.

One day, they’ll grow up, take off to live their own lives, and will leave my brother and his wife alone with their memories.

“I’m game,” I announce as I follow Georgie’s lead. I stop to kiss my sister-in-law on the forehead. “If you need help in the kitchen, I’m there. You say the word.”

She pats my shoulder. “Go have fun.”

I do just that.

* * *

“Matt,”Bianca whispers at me as the girls play a game of Go Fish on the coffee table.

Dinner was served an hour ago and was delicious, as always. I helped out, taking over for Bianca when the weight of the day drove her to take a seat at the kitchen island.

Dora and Georgie also helped by barking orders at me as if I was running a fast food place.

“I want fries with that, Uncle Matty,” Dora yelled.

“You’ll get kale,” I bounced back at her with a wink.

“I want catching up on mine, please,” Georgie whispered, and although her parents are trying to correct her mispronunciations, I gave her a knowing nod and told her that it was coming right up. Then I smothered her pork chop in the organic ketchup I found in the fridge.

I turn to face my sister-in-law with wide eyes. “What? Are you in labor?”

It’s a half-joke, half-hope filled question. I’m dying to meet my nephew. With any luck, the kid will be named after me, but I’m not counting on it. I’ve heard the names Roman and Bianca are bouncing around, and Matthew hasn’t made the cut.

“No.” She lets out a sigh. “I’m not.”

“It’ll happen when he’s ready.” I reach over to pat her hand before stealing a glance at my brother. “Don’t you have something you want to do, Rome?”

I doubt like hell he needs a reminder that he’s dropping to one knee yet again to ask this beautiful woman to be his bride, but I offer it anyway.

“Soon.”

My single guy senses are tingling, so I know this is the ideal time for me to join my nieces to show them how a grown-ass man dominates the game of Go Fish. My sister-in-law is about to pounce on me with the name of another woman she thinks would round out this foursome.

Bianca wants a wedding ring on my finger as badly as she wants the chocolate I keep hidden in my freezer.

“Don’t get up,” she warns me before I make a move.

“Dammit,” I whisper. “The answer is no. I’m not interested.”

“I haven’t said anything about her.”

“Her?” I repeat back Bianca’s words as I gaze at her. “So I’m right. It is another set up.”

“Think of it as a mutual meeting of two medical minds.”

I’ve already got one of those in the works. I’m having dinner with the future Dr. Upton tomorrow night.

“Not interested,” I say concisely.

“She’s blonde,” Bianca adds.

“Since when does hair color matter?” Rome laughs. “Matt doesn’t have a preference.”

He’s right about that.

Although I’m partial to pink hair right now, or rather a certain woman with pink hair.

“I’m sure she’s great, Bianca.” I raise a hand to stop her from adding more details about a woman I have no interest in. “But I’m not looking to spend any time with her.”

She studies me carefully. “You met someone.”

What the fuck?

I’ve seen her tune in to Roman’s unspoken thoughts but never mine. We may be twins, but our connection doesn’t pass through him to his wife.

“You did?” Rome jumps on the freight train that is Bianca’s overzealous assumption.

“I meet a lot of people every day,” I swerve around their oncoming dual assault. “I’m tired of putting myself out there.”

For some reason, I can’t quite understand, that stops them both in their tracks.

The look of surprise on Bianca’s face morphs into sadness. “I get it. You’ve been burned so many times that you need to heal your heart.”

Yeah, no.

I need to stop thinking about Faith Upton before I dick around with another woman because I don’t fake fuck. When I’m with a woman, I focus on her and her alone. I don’t conjure up images of other women because a woman deserves a man’s full attention if she’s sharing her body with him.

“Uncle Matty, come and play with us,” Dora calls at me.

“I’m on my way.” I push back to stand. “You two need to head out, don’t you?”

“We do.” Roman stands and rounds the table to help his very pregnant wife out of her chair. “Come with me, my beautiful B. I have a surprise just for you.”