Love Is Always Write Volume 4

get it all done. No time to get the cake, so he would have to pick up the order tomorrow. He'd put it in the freezer where it would be a reverse wedding cake, a constant reminder of Phillip and his assholiness.
    Stefan wrestled with a lump of baby and the snuggly, got her in place, and went back to work. And of course, multi-tasker Stefan could obsess over Phillip as he chopped.
    Maybe it was his fault Phillip left. Maybe Stefan could have toned down some of the baby craziness. He could have maybe stopped trying to force Phillip to take an interest in baby clothes. Or he could have made this celebration a little less of an event.
    They could have gotten a few pizzas, invited a couple of friends. But why not go fancy now and then?
    Stefan loved a good party. He loved having a baby. And damn, he didn't mind adjusting his life to fit a partner. He'd let Phillip move the damned billiards table into the family room along with the massive media center.
    Stefan had made compromises. He did nearly all the cooking and cleaning after the baby arrived. At the time, it felt like he'd been negotiating with a parent: I promise to clean up after the puppy if we get one. That should have been a hint. Emily had been his baby, not truly theirs. Except that Phillip had said more than once that he wanted a baby and a family.
    So maybe it wasn't the party or Stefan's enthusiasm for their new family that made Phillip pack his bags and go. He simply didn't love Stefan.
    What a bastard.
    The fact that pure rage poured through Stefan had to be a good sign, right? Wasn't he supposed to feel brokenhearted? Instead, he wanted to kick Phillip in the balls and tell him he was a coward and an idiot. "You and I are a great package," Stefan told the sleeping baby. "Especially since you'll learn to sleep through the night any time now, right? We made a deal on that one."
    He took several long breaths and focused on the here-and-now. The house was gorgeous. The afternoon sunlight filled the kitchen as he finished the sauce, made the salad dressing and the topping for the last finger food. The plates and cutlery were arranged on the well-ironed linen cloth in the dining room.
    He hadn't gotten wine or beer for Phillip's sake. If Phillip was heading back to that island, chances were he'd be soused within twenty-four hours. Three years of sobriety down the tubes. Poor guy. For the first time, Stefan felt a moment's pity for his partner—ex-partner. But he liked being angry better and reverted to growling about Phillip.
    The doorbell rang.
    Mellady stood on the mat, early again. She'd had Emily two weeks early. Spiky haired and skinny now, she jigged up and down on the balls of her feet as she waited.
    A man stood behind her. She hadn't had a boyfriend when she had given birth.
    She hadn't kept in touch, but she'd wanted to know what was going on with the baby so Stefan had sent an invite. This would be the first time she'd see the baby since the birth.
    Stefan hesitated before opening the door. Maybe inviting her had been a really bad idea—even before Phillip had fled the scene.
    She smiled at the man behind her and Stefan thought she looked happy. Nice to know she'd gotten on with her life. She looked good, even with her patched jeans and purposefully ripped poet shirt. And wow, she lucked out on the man department.
    Stefan opened the door. She bounced in, kissed him on the cheek and gave Emily a tiny pat on the back. After a long pause, the boyfriend followed. He was well-dressed and at least ten years older than Mellady, about Stefan's age. He scowled at Stefan, then stared pointedly at his chest where Emily slept. Uh-oh. A homophobe boyfriend.
    Worse, he looked vaguely familiar with the dark hair, slight indentation in the chin and the green eyes. Stefan's gut clenched as he figured out who he resembled. Was this Emily's father? Mellady said the father wasn't in the picture.
    Stefan tamped down the panic and gave Mellady a sideways hug while sending up a prayer: Please, no. Don't let this be the father here to make a stink. Stefan wondered if he could call the lawyer before saying hello to this new guest .
    GREG
    Having a mother like China, Greg knew crazy, but Mellady had recently proved she could break the standard of ridiculous previously set by their mother.
    He'd been in the US for a week but flew west the day after he'd gotten the email from their oldest sister Jeenie. He'd gone to Mellady's apartment immediately, and she'd confirmed