Chapter Six

Syd was starting wonder if another baby was in her future. Hunter Benjamin Lincoln-Alister had captured her heart with his sweet baby scent and sounds. Zach wouldn't mind if she took his baby brother home and never bought him back. It wouldn't be so bad if Hunter was Syd`s kid and he visited. Zach had even bought this up to his dads, saying "I don`t wanna be a big brother no more."

Drew smiled. Rick held back a laugh.

"That`s not how it works, bud." Drew told him gently.

The two men were trying to see things from the three-year-old`s point of view. Life had to be rough at the moment with everyone fussing over Hunter. His dads having Hunter in their arms a lot and cooing over him couldn`t exactly sit well with someone used to being the youngest. Zach choosing to ignore Hunter rather then be rough with him, even if he did want to give him away was easier to handle.

"Any idea how we`re gonna handle this?"

Almost everyone was asleep. Drew was sitting in the rocker holding their baby son who was wearing just his diaper, a blanket around him against his bare chest. This was not only a great way to bond (they had done it with all their children) the last two nights it was only way Hunter would fall asleep. It was Drew`s turn since he had worked the past two nights and he was only too happy to take it.

"Nada," Rick yawned. "I think you`re gonna have to ask that hospital therapist unless you know anyone with both a toddler and a baby you forgot to tell me about."

"Nope. You?"

"If I did, I forget them by now. I guess Zach will be excited to hear we are going to take him to that monster truck rally next weekend."

"Yeah. Maybe havin` us all to himself for an evening will help him. But I have a feeling this is going to get worse before it gets better."

Drew nodded. "Unfortunately."

It wasn't a baby from the bassinet that awoke Rick at 2:07 a.m. it was a cold nose and a whine and cold nose against his face.

Ranger. The bedroom door had been let open a creak and the dog was able to find his way in. They had trained the dog well enough not to bark or scratch at a closed door.

Did he want to go outside? Nope. He wanted to get on the bed.

"How'd you get in here? I told you you're too big for that," Rick mumbled.

Ranger answered with the softest bark and jumped up onto the foot of the bed, curling up and falling asleep.

This is your fault, Rick thought about his husband.

When they first got Ranger Drew let the puppy sleep on their bed just like that because otherwise he cried all night and that kept the kids awake. Rick had replied Drew was a softie and couldn`t even stand to hear a puppy cry. When he could Ranger still jumped into Drew's arms from the floor when he came home from work. When Topher saw that he joked the couple had four children, not three.

The three, Drew, Ranger and Hunter had a lively conversation when Hunter woke up for a bottle. Drew wondered how the dog got there. Ranger was silent on the topic.

"I suspect your dad will tell me about this in the morning," Drew told the dog.