As soon as Dani left, Kasper took a shower. He didn't bother to shave, a little facial hair helped to keep his face warm in the cooler temperatures. Winter was on its way. He felt it when he and the boys played outside.

Why did Dani feel the need to spend the night? There was no chance of her warming his bed. Just the thought was inappropriate; they were colleagues. Adversaries. Not partners. Kasper groaned, she would probably make him work all night.

Dressed in clean jeans, he sat on the sofa with his laptop. Emails filled his inbox, so he waded through the messages. Yawning, he felt as tired as Jonny, but without the thumb and shit in his pants.

"Kasper." He woke with a stiff neck and Dani's hand on his arm. When he looked at it, she quickly pulled it back. It was warm, but she was the one who had been outside. "I heard them."

Them? Oh, them. He looked around. "How long did I sleep?"

"It's three-thirty."

"I needed it. I'll get them. Let's hope they're just wet."

His helper didn't follow as he climbed the stairs. The boys sat in their cribs talking their language. They smiled when they saw him.

Both stood. Jamie said, "Uppa"

Jonny copied. "Ugh ugh."

He looked into Jonathan's hazel eyes. "Up. Up."

"Ughpa."

"Good job." He lifted him first and then his brother. "Lay down." He waved two fresh diapers. "It's an assembly line."

His tone, not his words, made them giggle, but they were too busy running in circles to listen. He caught one then the other. "Stay." His voice sounded like they were dogs.

Jamie complied while Jonny ran in circles. "Ughpa, ughpa, ughpa, uppa."

He smiled. What would Baxter think if Jonny said some more words when he returned? Would Kasper ever outgrow competition? It didn't have to happen in front of a camera. The office was proving to be interesting the more he pushed Dani's buttons.

Dani asked him to review the occupancy data while the boys played. His eyes kept moving from the screen to the movement inside the gated area. When Jamie hit Jonny, he jumped up. Kasper didn't like his stern voice, but the twins laughed at him. They knew he came over to play, except he was in charge. Baxter had told them no plenty of times. He could never sound as serious as his brother. Growing up, he made Kasper cry.

When he emerged from the pen, he looked at Dani. "If you want me to study that, you need to keep them from killing each other." Without waiting for a response, he picked up his laptop and walked up to the dining room.

The occupancy rate was an indicator of what percentage the Kane Properties buildings were leased at that snapshot in time. While the change in model to mixed use, including residential units, had helped, they still had a problem. One conclusion was they owned too many buildings. Because the commercial real estate market was in a downturn, the best solution was not to sell buildings. Also, fewer buildings meant less revenue.

As he delved further, he found a few underperforming high maintenance buildings which they could unload at a loss. He made a list to discuss with Baxter.

Some buildings were close to occupancy, and he tried to think of ways to attract new tenants. The one thing they couldn't do was convert the space; it would upset their existing clients. What other uses were there? If only people worked in offices instead of working from home.

Crying caused him to push his laptop aside and take the stairs down two at a time. Honestly, how did people work with kids at home?

When Jonny saw him, he lunged out of Dani's arms. Thankfully, Kasper's reflexes were good, and he caught him. The small body clung to him sobbing.

"What happened?"

"He fell off his little truck thing and bumped his forehead."

Again. Kasper kissed his head and coaxed him to loosen his grip. He had a pink spot, but it wasn't raised. He kissed the injury again. Slowly his crying turned to gasps. Kasper's chest hurt. He had never felt as needed as then. Obviously, the boys needed him to feed and change them, but Jonny needed comfort from him. He wasn't naïve, but he knew Ivy and Baxter would supersede him in that order.

"How about some goldfish and juice?"

Jamie said, "Me." Kasper put Jonny down and Jamie hugged his brother.

Once they were busy eating the little orange crackers, Kasper turned to Dani. She looked at him like his fans. "What?" Fans didn't know him, only the image he portrayed.

"You were really good. Sweet."

"I just held him. My brother will kill me if either gets hurt. Bruises, they get all the time." Jonny had two new ones on day one.

"I watched them and they never stopped."

Kasper smiled at Dani's wide eyes. "They're perpetual motion."

"And exhausting."

He nodded. "I'll look at the report later. It's hard to work with kids around."

Dani looked at the boys. "How does Baxter do it?"

"How does anyone?" Kasper wondered.

"Some use daycare."

"I would want an office."

"I enjoy going to the office. Getting coffee. Returning home after completing my day."

Kasper shrugged. "Many people love working from home."

"It doesn't help our bottom line."

"No." He murmured distractedly. An idea formed. More than an idea, a plan that could save jobs and give him a real purpose besides messing things up.

The afternoon turned into dinner time, and pooping, bath, and bed. After he changed two more stinky diapers, he texted his brother. You owe me 10K for diaper changes. A thou each.

His brother responded with laughing emojis and a message. Eleanor will watch them tomorrow evening to give you a break.

His response was a thumbs up. I'm not working during my time off.

He considered asking Dani to dinner, but quickly texted Doyle about visiting her.

When he looked up from his phone to see Dani watching him. He flashed her a bright white smile. "We have tomorrow evening off. I'm going to see Doyle."

"Who will be here?"

"Eleanor, Ivy's friend."

"Eleanor, in legal? She babysits?"

"That's what Baxter said."

Dani shrugged. "Maybe I'll visit Tate."

Kasper shrugged. He had seen his oldest sister when he stopped on his walk. The boys ran in the Sinclair foyer causing Elena to laugh and Charles to frown. "I saw her today. Jimmy and I caught the rascals before they broke into the parlor."

"I can't believe they let them in."

"Why? Mattie will run around in a year."

"She won't be wild."

Kasper laughed. "My nephews aren't wild, they're sweet. Thanks for your help. Bath time is easier with two."

"Just as long as you were the one getting wet."

He winked. "It was a wet tee shirt contest, but you didn't look." She blushed, because he caught her gawking. He stopped before asking if it made her wet. Were they working? She could sue him for harrassment.

"I've seen you on TV."

"It's better in person although I doubt I'll workout until this job is over."

She bit her lip. "I could watch them."

He studied her face. Dani wasn't comfortable alone with the boys. "They might shit."

"Then I'll call you." She laughed.

"A lot of help you are. Can we put the laptops away and chill?" She lifted her eyes to the ceiling and nodded. "We should have a toast. One day down, four to go."

"Four more days of this," she groaned. Kasper secretly agreed. "I could never have kids."

"Never ever?"

Dani shook her head. "I'm not maternal."

He laughed. "You could change your mind. What if your husband wants kids? Look at Jimmy."

"I don't want a husband."

Kasper felt discomfort in his chest. "Even if you fall in love?"

"I don't believe in love."

Maybe the cross was broken. Hadn't his father said the cross made both parties fall in love. He remembered the family dinner when Jimmy and Tate showed up together. Philip had said it, but it didn't work that way for Kasper. Dani didn't even like him. He studied her lips. Would she push him away if he kissed her?

He had broken the cross, because he couldn't be in love with her if she didn't like him. He liked family, and she wanted her career. Maybe that was why his father never married his true love, they must have wanted different things.

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