Free The M.D.'s Surprise Family by Marie Ferrarella Page B

tucked into bed.
    She laughed and shook her head. For a while, bedtime had been an issue between them, but then she’d decided to raise him the way her parents had raised her, by giving Blue his own head in the matter.
    â€œNot yet,” she assured Peter. “He doesn’t really seem to need much sleep and he likes to stay up with me, so most nights, I let him fall asleep on his own and then just carry him off to bed.”
    That sounded more in keeping with the lifestyle he attributed to someone like her. The thought vaguely amused him because he’d never really known anyone quite like Raven and her bohemian way of life. His own life had been strictly regimented. Growing up without a mother, the only parenting skills he’d known were his father’s. Larry Sullivan was a former Marine turned dock worker whose entire life ran on discipline and punctuality. Other things, such as love, never entered into themix. He felt his mother died because it was the only way she could get away from his father.
    Peter caught himself watching how Raven’s hips swayed gently as she walked across a blue-and-white marble foyer.
    â€œI’m home,” she called. Her voice seemed to echo up the wide spiral staircase.
    A middle-aged woman with thin ribbons of gray running through her jet-black hair came from the rear of the house. Her face was round and perfect for the warm, genial expression she wore.
    â€œHe’s in the media room, Raven.”
    â€œThank you, Connie.” About to dash off, Raven halted in midstride, remembering that these two did not know one another. She gestured from one to the other. “Oh, Consuela, Peter. Peter, Consuela.”
    The woman inclined her head. It was obvious that the dark eyes were taking complete and strict measure of him, despite the friendly smile on her face. Consuela nodded acknowledgment, then continued on her way to the kitchen.
    â€œConnie looks out for Blue when I’m not around and kind of keeps up on things for me. She’s been with us forever,” Raven told him as she led the way to the back of the house. And then, because it was important to Connie, even though she was no longer within earshot, she added, “She used to play backup for a band.”
    â€œOf course she did,” he muttered. At this point,Peter was beginning to feel that he would believe almost anything Raven told him. Coming here to this house was not unlike stepping through the looking glass. Instead of rabbits hurrying by with pocket watches in their hands, there were aging rockers.
    But the evening was young. The rabbit might still turn up.
    Raven opened a door just off the family room and gave him his first peek into the media room. It looked exactly like a miniature movie theater, complete with tiered theater seats arranged in rows of four. Twenty seats in all faced the largest screen he’d seen outside of a movie house.
    Maybe inside of a few, too.
    Raven read his expression. She inclined her head toward his, whispering in his ear so as not to interfere with the on-screen dialogue. “Dad wanted to make it three times this size, but Mom liked things cozy.”
    Cozy was definitely not the first word that would have popped into his head. Unless it had to do with the person at his side.
    â€œRight,” Peter responded after a beat, pulling himself back from the wave of heat traveling through him thanks to her proximity and the effect her warm breath drifting along his skin had on him. Being around her was making a jumble of his thought process.
    His antenna going up, the lone figure in the firstrow turned around and saw them. The beatific smile instantly spread along his small lips. Without a second thought, Blue abandoned the movie he was watching. He rushed back to where they stood.
    â€œDr. Pete, you’re here.”
    The boy was way too informal for him, Peter thought. But at least Blue attached the title of “Dr.” to his greeting, which