"I think that means we still don't understand cricket." Brody shrugged as the game? match? ended.
"What gives you that idea? The fact that we still don't know how they score?" Shane flopped back against the couch cushions.
Starr laughed as she looked up from her magazine. "You can take the boy out of Pennsylvania, but you can't take the Phillies out of the boy."
"Why would you want to?" Shane picked up the camera from the end table. "I guess I should work on my homework. Hey, Hope, do you want to help me?"
"What kind of school are you going to that Hope can tutor you?" Brody smirked.
"I thought you were planning on getting her to help you at BE. It's for my art class. I'm supposed to interpret 'Youth'. I thought Hope would be a good example."
"What we do?" Hope tugged at the bottom of Shane's shirt.
"Can I take some pictures of you?"
Hope nodded.
"Can you go sit on the window seat?"
Starr watched as Shane kept her daughter entertained while posing her and adjusting the light and his camera. He was really good with her. Starr knew that Rex and Gigi wanted to have a baby to raise together. Shane would be a great big brother. Speaking of brothers, Starr was still shocked and embarrassed by how Jack had treated Shane back in Llanview. Shane seemed to have really gained confidence in London though. Brody had told her that he was spending a lot of time with one girl. London seemed to be good for everyone in the house. She understood now why the Buchanans always seemed to retreat here when they needed a break.
Hope walked over to Brody, "Horsey?"
"We can do that." Brody smiled and helped Hope get settled on his back.
Smiling, Starr watched the two play. Hope had been too little, or Cole too strung out to ever play like that.
Shane continued to snap pictures. While he continued to make adjustments, Hope evidently realized she was the star. She kept saying, "Watch me!" The little girl obviously had both guys wrapped around her little fingers.
"Take Sam's picture!" was her next command in a tone that would have made Dorian proud.
Brody picked up the toy. Shane quickly snapped a picture of Brody holding the stuffed seal in front of his t-shirt that had "SEAL" written across the front.
Brody brought the seal over to Hope and began to tickle her cheek with it.
Hope giggled and started to tickle back.
Starr realized that she didn't want to be watching the group. She'd rather be playing with them. Starr moved over to the pair. "Here comes the tickle monster!"
She reached for Hope. Hope laughed. Starr moved in again but ended up tickling Brody's ribs.
"Oh, it's going to be like that?" Brody attempted to scowl. He reached over for Starr. It started an all out tickle war.
Shane laughed to himself as he tried to take some pictures. Finally, the three ended up collapsing in a heap. "Okay, now one last one of all three of you."
The group moved back to the sofa. Brody put his arm on the back of the couch as Starr arranged Hope to sit across their laps. Shane took another photo, smiling to himself. They didn't realize how much of a family they looked like sitting together.
Kelly came in at that moment, raising her eyebrows at Shane for a second. "Starr, I was wondering what you planned on doing tomorrow."
"I don't know. I feel like I need to find something productive rather than taking advantage of your hospitality."
"You know that doesn't matter."
"I'm freeloading on your husband."
"You're family. Families take care of each other. I, also, came to tell you that Cook says that dinner is ready."
Later that night, Shane downloaded the photos. He laughed as he saw the pictures. They might be in denial, but clearly Brody and Starr were interested in each other. Almost all the pictures, you could see their eyes glancing back and forth at the other. He texted his mother and Kelly to come to his room. He knew they would enjoy seeing these, especially the last one.
"Really, you needed to send a text to get us here?" Gigi complained as she entered the room.
"You beckoned?" Kelly asked sarcastically right behind Gigi.
"Did you want me to yell, 'Want to spy on Star and Brody with the pictures I took today'?"
"Hate when the kid is right," Kelly joked. "Where are the pictures?"
"They are right here." Shane made a few clicks on his computer.
"They look so adorable!" Kelly bounced on her toes.
"How can they not realize that it's mutual?" Gigi bit her lip and glanced sideways at Kelly.
"Judging by what I walked in on, in Ireland? I think they know they are attracted to each other." Kelly grinned slyly. "I just don't know if they realize that it goes deeper for both."
"Okay, could someone tell me what exactly happened between Starr and Brody in Ireland? I keep hearing references to it, but it would be nice to know the truth." Shane was torn between protecting his buddy from his mother and now-aunt or helping give him a shove towards what he needed.
Gigi was torn between telling him and hoping that her baby wasn't too experienced in man/woman relationships. "Well,…" Gigi started, undecided how to finish.
"You are aware that when Starr was my age she was pregnant with Hope?" Shane got frustrated sometimes that his Mom still saw him as her little baby. After all, he was nearly as old as she was when she got pregnant with him, though he didn't like to remind her of that.
"And I'd better not hear that you are going to be a father anytime soon!" Gigi couldn't help but say.
Kelly was not looking forward to Ace being a teenager. She decided it was best again to jump into the middle with an edited version, "Basically, I walked in on them kissing, and it wasn't just a quick peck."
"Interesting. Brody, actually, asked me what I thought of Starr. I think he wanted to fix me up with her. However, I'd like to wait until after high school to date someone with a kid." Shane could see that something was happening between the two, but he couldn't understand why Brody thought Starr was too young for him.
"Remember that, please." Gigi hoped Shane wouldn't repeat the mistakes that she and Rex had made.
"I think he cares about her, but he's been burned," Kelly guessed.
"How do we help them realize how good they are together?" Gigi asked.
The three met each other's gazes and grinned.
Grammar/Word musings: A couple things amused me as I wrote this so I thought I would share.
Word doesn't recognize "texted" as a verb, but I'm pretty sure for the purposes of this time and story, it is.
I accidentally typed "husbands'" rather than "husband's house" first. I realized that would mean it was wrong because the house would be owned by multiple husbands. Then I remembered that Kelly was married to both Joey and Kevin. So actually either would work, though I doubt it would be said like that.