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swipe at Malik, but he danced out of the way. Alejandro shrugged, then turned his attention to Tomas.
    Tomas spoke before Alejandro could. “I know all about this bet, and there is nothing going on between me and the kid.”
    “Bernie isn’t a kid, no matter how much you try to use that to keep him at a distance.” Alejandro’s rich brown eyes, so much like Tomas’s, were patient.
    “I don’t do that. Calling him a kid is a term of affection. And I have no reason to keep him at a distance. Nothing is going on.” Tomas frowned.
    The men looked at each other, then back at Tomas. Alejandro had that smile on his face, the one that made him such a great doctor. It was his “I’m here with you, and will be here no matter what happens” smile. Tomas sighed and rubbed his fingers down the bridge of his nose.
    “Okay. You don’t have to worry. I’ll be careful and not get hurt.”
    “Hell, we’re not worried about you getting hurt. We want to ensure that if you do go there with Bernie, you don’t hurt him. ”
    Tomas lowered his hand, looking at Alejandro in shock. He glanced at the other men, and they all nodded. Tomas couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
    “You all are warning me away from Bernie?” he asked in disbelief.
    “No. We’re warning you that if you do make a move, you better be sure about it,” Hector stated.
    “Really? ‘Make a move.’ Are you a teenager? Just say it. If you plan on fucking around with Bernie, literally and figuratively,” Malik said.
    “Christ, Malik. Can’t you say it better than that?” Miguel asked.
    Malik flipped him the bird. “You all are pussyfooting around it. Just be real.”
    They started to bicker. Tomas shook his head, stifling a laugh. His own family was more concerned about Bernie than him. A warm feeling filled him. He couldn’t even be mad. It showed they all already saw Bernie as family. He was already one of their own.
    “Shut up. You all are losing sight of what this is about. Tomas and Bernie.” Alejandro gestured to Tomas, and then the next room.
    Tomas put his arms on the island. “Look. There is nothing between me and Bernie. There never will be.” He was firm.
    “You really believe that, don’t you?” Alejandro studied him, and then he started to laugh.
    The other men in the room joined him. Tomas scowled, not understanding what was so funny. Alejandro sobered and shook his head. The others slowly stopped laughing.
    “He really has no idea,” Hector pointed out.
    “It’s his stubbornness. Once he makes up his mind, it takes a sledgehammer to the head to change it,” Malik added.
    “But once he does, he’s going to be all in,” Alejandro said.
    “As long as it’s not today. I can’t take Ramirez gloating if he wins another bet,” Miguel stated.
    “Can one of you start making sense?” Tomas growled.
    Alejandro looked at him, a soft smile on his face as he replied, “You have the same look Hector and Miguel had when they found Simon and Robert.”
    “You all need glasses.” Tomas snorted.
    The other men chuckled. Tomas flipped them off. Miguel shoved his shoulder, and Hector poked him in the side. Tomas swiped at them.
    “What the heck is going on here?” Robert demanded, entering the kitchen.
    “They’re probably warning Tomas to treat Bernie right. Well, that and waking his stubborn ass up that Bernie is not a kid,” Simon answered.
    Tomas glanced at the two men as they stood close to the door. Robert frowned at Simon.
    “How could you possibly know that?”
    Simon shrugged. “Once you’ve been in this crazy family long enough, you’ll get to know how these Neanderthals think.”
    “Maybe, but since Miguel and I have already had this conversation, and Miguel agreed not to get involved with whatever is going on between Bernie and Tomas, that can’t possibly be what’s going on. Right, Miguel ?” Robert looked pointedly at Miguel.
    “Ahh… querido , would I do that?” Miguel asked as he stood and walked over