This was why he tended to stick to his favorite, most trusted places.

Still, not wanting to be a dick, he autographed two napkins and dropped them off at the table. It seemed to satisfy them.

“Erin just texted me. She and Ben probably haven’t even gotten to dessert yet and she’s jonesing for Alexander.” Todd laughed. “Ben’s just as bad.”

“Tell them to get lunch to go and come to the house for a play date.” Brody packed their stuff up and Adrian grabbed the rest, including Rennie, who hadn’t stopped talking for longer than a breath.

“Uncle Adrian?” She stopped him once they’d arrived back at Brody’s place. He bent to look her eye to eye.

“What is it, sunshine?”

She grinned and then her smile faded into uncertainty. “Do you love Alexander and Martine more than me because I’m adopted?”

He hugged her, picking her up and moving to sit with her on the big rocker out on the porch. “Irene, my darlin’, I love you because you’re you. How could I love you less for that? I love Alexander and Marti for who they are. Not more, not less. You’re all my nieces and nephew. And your dad is Brody, got me? Doesn’t matter whose biological stuff made you into the fabulous girl you are. Being a dad is about the day-to-day stuff, not DNA. Do you love me any less than you would if I was related to you by blood?”

He ached for her just then. She always seemed so confident and easygoing, but it had to be hard for any kid to get a baby brother or sister in any circumstances.

She shook her head. “ ’Course not! You play Monopoly with me and you remember my favorite stuff. I know it’s dumb to be worried. But sometimes my stomach won’t listen.”

He hugged her tight. “It’s okay, you know. To feel worried or scared. That’s only natural. But I want you to know you can always talk to me. Call me if I’m not here, e-mail me, text me, whatever. I love you something fierce. As do your mom and dad and Aunt Erin and Todd and Ben, Aunt Ella and Uncle Cope too. And don’t forget about Alexander. I bet Marti’s first word will be Rennie, just like Alexander’s was.”

Her face brightened. “Really? I don’t want to bug you or nothing.”

“I know you have lots of people to talk to already, but of course. I’m your uncle, it comes with the territory. It’s not bugging me at all. I like talking to you. I just wish I could help. I know it’s hard right now. Is there something I can do to make this better?”

She paused, thinking, and then shook her head. “You already did.”

Brody came out the front door looking for them and caught sight of the two of them there on the rocker. “Everything okay?” He reached out to touch Rennie—an automatic, sweet caress of her head. It was so clear his brother loved Irene totally. And when she leaned into Brody’s hand, it was clear she loved him totally right back.

“Hey, Dad. I was just talking to Uncle Adrian about stuff.” She kissed Adrian’s cheek and hugged him tight. “I’m better now. I promise,” she whispered.

Over the top of Rennie’s head, Brody looked at Adrian, worried. Adrian gave him what he hoped was reassurance, indicating things were all right.

Turning his attention back to his niece, he gave her a look up and down. “How much practicing have you done this week?” He’d started to give her guitar lessons and like her mother, she was an easy, quick study.

She hopped up. “One hour a day, just like you said. Momma makes sure I do it. You are gonna be so impressed!”

Seeing the return of his happy, ebullient niece, Adrian felt better. “I’ll be in to see what you’ve learned this week. If you kick it like you claim, cupcakes on me.”

Her eyes widened and she hopped to it, running past them and into the house.

“What’s going on?”

Being caught between Rennie’s privacy and Brody’s concern wasn’t a fun thing. But he’d been there enough between Brody and Erin to know it was important to talk to Brody. Plus, he knew Rennie would only benefit from the extra attention and reinforcement.

“She wanted to know if I loved Alexander and Marti more than her because she’s adopted.” He put his hand out to stay his brother a moment. “She knows it’s not true. But knowing something in your head isn’t always connected to how you feel about it.”

“Elise and I worry. We keep an eye out for it because of course Marti gets so much more attention than Rennie does. How can she think I don’t love her just as much as I do her sister? She’s my daughter. Period. Do you think I show any preference?”

Adrian might get a little jealous of just how together his older brother was and always had been, but he never ceased to respect him and his heart. When Brody Brown loved you, he loved you to the bone and that was that.

“She knows you do. She does. And she’s excited and happy and full of love for you and her sister and this family. That is who Rennie is all the way to her toes. But she’s ten and she’s growing up and with the good has to be some being scared and a little jealousy and even a sliver of anger.

“But she knows with all her heart that you love her just the same as if she’d come to you another way. It’s not the how she came to you, but that she did. She knows she’s your daughter.”

“Elise says it’s a good thing she’s so close to you. Mind you, I agree.”

Adrian laughed. “As big a cliché as it sounds, it’s really the other way around. I’m lucky to have her. I love your kid. Both of them. I love that she can come to me and trust the parts of herself she doesn’t think are as pretty.” He was proud of it. “I guess you raised me right.”