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Tommy and Victor had both been rookies, while Dean had been one of the older guys on the team twelve years earlier.

“Hasn’t Rook played for the Rays a few years now?” Belle asked.

He and Victor nodded.

She tilted her head. “So why are you still calling him Rook?”

Rook was short for Rookie, a nickname Preston had bestowed on the younger player during his first year with the team.

“Hell if I know,” Victor said, “but I don’t see that nickname going away.”

Dean chuckled. “Back before your time, Vic, we had a rookie that we’d nicknamed New Guy. I played with him for six years and that name stuck hard. To this day, I’m still not sure what the hell his first name was.”

They all laughed.

Every so often, Dean would glance toward Vivian. Sometimes she’d already be looking at him. Neither of them let those looks linger long enough for anyone else to notice.

Or so he hoped.

As the fire slowly started to wane, Pip yawned widely.

“I think someone is running out of steam,” Belle observed.

“No, I’m not,” Pip insisted, though not very convincingly. Especially when she yawned again and rubbed her eyes. Pip looked at her mother. “Can I sleep here?”

Dean had been around enough to know that Pip had her own bedroom at Victor’s house. Hell, Vivian hadn’t lived with her brother since college, and her old bedroom was still here, Victor refusing to use the room for anything else.

“It’s a school night, Pip,” Vivian said, clearly ready to refuse the request.

“Pleeeeease,” Pip drawled.

Vivian looked toward Belle, who shrugged good-naturedly.

“I’m taking her to school tomorrow anyway, since you start work early,” Belle pointed out. “And she’s got plenty of clothes here.”

“Are you sure?” Vivian asked her nanny.

“Absolutely,” Belle assured her.

“Well, okay. But just for tonight, and you’re not staying up late.” Vivian looked at the time on her phone. “In fact, it’s time for bed now. Why don’t you run in to brush your teeth and put your pajamas on? I’ll be inside in a few minutes to read you a story.”

“Can Uncle Vic read to me? He does funny voices.”

“Of course, I can,” Victor added, not giving Vivian a chance to refuse. “Come on, Pipsqueak. I’ll help you get ready.”

Belle rose, as well. “I’ll come too. I miss reading bedtime stories with you, Pip.”

Up until August, Belle had been Pip’s full-time, live-in nanny, however, that had changed once she’d fallen for Victor. Nowadays, her position was more of a part-time gig, since Pip was in school and Belle had moved in with Victor.

“We’ll only be a little while,” Belle said to Vivian and Dean.

“Actually,” Dean said, standing. “I might call it a night too.”

“Me too,” Vivian agreed.

“We’ll say good night here, then. Mind putting the fire out while we put the little one to bed?” Victor asked Dean.

Dean nodded. “No problem.”