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Piece of Pie

Rowe unbuckled his seat belt but didn’t iet out of the warhtly clutched in his left hand because it was easier to look at that than the rows of headstones and statuary that filled the rolling hills around them He hadn’t been back in a few months and in truth, he hadn’t expected it to be this hard But then, thethe world just a little easier to tolerate

“Hey,” Noah said, dragging his gaze up Concern filled his expression,his smile a little uncertain “You want me to come with you?”

His hand tightened on the container, thuot this”

Rowe reached for the door handle with his free hand and Noah grabbed hi him across the center console so that Noah could press his nose into Rowe’s hair “I wasn’t trying to push you out of the car Take your ti a soft kiss across his temple

A smile teased one corner of Rowe’s mouth and sos he loved about this ly happy to let Rowe move at his own pace Well, except when it caet naked and as close as possible

“I should go She’s already waiting”

Noah nodded and released his hold on Rowe, sitting back in the driver’s seat An easy s tohis blue eyes Roas tempted to lean across and kiss away his concern, but instead he opened the door and climbed out of the car

Gravel crunched underfoot as he walked down the wide asphalt road The reen on the horizon from the various pine and spruce trees that filled the ceone for walks here when they’d first been dating, enjoying the quiet of the park, the beautiful landscaping, and the interesting tohed on more than one occasion at the elaborate and ridiculous tales she’d crafted about the owners of the over-the-top mausoleums

A wo not more than a dozen yards from the car looked up at the sound of his approach A shaft of pain lanced through his heart when he saw her smile It was Mel’s, but it wasn’t Mel Gretchen looked like her sister Mel had been three years older, but they had the same smile, same eyes, same chin, so sometimes it was hard to look at Gretchen

“You’re getting slow in your old age,” Gretchen called She turned, lifting the baby heavily wrapped against the her onto her hip

“It’s the day after Thanksgiving I’ out of bed after that,” he replied, leaving the road to cut across the greenish-bron to the graveside He stopped beside Gretchen and his eyes swept her face slowly, taking in the similarities Her s “It’s good to see you,” he finally said in a low, rough voice before bussing a kiss across her cheek

“It’s about da sideways so that Rowe could see the little girl dressed in a pink coat and a little knit panda hat covering her vulnerable ears “Your niece hasyou”

Wide blue eyes led

Rowe cleared his throat twice before he could finally speak “It’s good tohand and carefully rubbed a knuckle against her chubby cheek “She’s gorgeous”

Gretchen snorted “Of course She’s mine”

Rowe’s sht on his chest eased He hadn’t , but Melody had been born not long after Mel’s death and he just couldn’t bring hio see her, see any of his wife’s family

“And big She’s going to be a terror, just like her mother, I’m sure”

“You know you’re still faht?” Gretchen asked, her voice serious for the first ti to let hiless sone doesn’t ht with your boys, but you’re stuck with us…even when you get remarried”

There was no stopping the chuckle He’d always thought that Mel was a force to be reckoned with, but her sister was even worse That hadn’t been an if She fully expected Rowe to ain