My heart swells, and I run to her, hugging her like I haven’t seen her in weeks, even though it was literally last night when we had a hot cocoa bar at Knox and Addie’s house.
“I missed you,” she says when we step back. Her curly hair bounces with every move she makes.
“I missed you! Did you have fun making cookies today?”
Bobbing her head, Brynn practically dances with excitement. “It was so much fun. But I got in trouble for eating too much dough. Daddy told me to stop, and I didn’t. It was justsogood.”
We both giggle. Of course, it’s good. It’s cookie dough.
“Want to come frost with me? Daddy just mixed up some pink frosting.”
Automatically, I look to Beau for permission.
“Go ahead.” He nudges me toward her and winks, and my knees go slightly weak. It is so unfair how hot he is. On the inside and out. Sometimes when I see women at the gym staring at him, I want toaccidentallydrop a ten-pound weight on their toes. The only reason I don’t is that, for whatever reason, my husband only has eyes for me and hasn’t even blinked in the direction of another woman since we met. He’s the best.
Brynn turns around to lead me to the counter, and as she walks, I notice the bottom of her diaper peeking out from under her dress. It looks fluffy, with cute designs printed on it. As she walks, the plastic rustles slightly, and my cheeks heat. Does she get embarrassed knowing people can hear her moving around? The thought of it makes me feel more squirmy than anything.
When we get to the counter, Maddox is there, waiting for Brynn so he can lift her onto her stool. He smiles at me. “Hey, Emma.”
I grin at him and sit next to Brynn while Beau and Maddox get us a bunch of bare cookies to frost. Once they have us set up, I reach for one of the small piping bags and start outlining a cookie that’s shaped like a tree. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Maddox walk up behind Brynn. I glance over at him just as he lifts the hem of her dress and hooks a finger into the back of her diaper, tugging it back slightly so he can check it. I quicklylook away, and as soon as I do, I regret it because I lock eyes with Beau.
My husband stares at me for a long moment. I can’t read his expression, but then he winks at me and laughs at something Ash just said. Then Maddox asks him if he wants a beer, and the two of them go over to the fridge.
Keeping my eyes on my cookie, I force myself to ask, “Do you like wearing a diaper all the time? Do you ever get embarrassed?”
Brynn’s hands still, and she slowly turns her head to look at me. “I knew it,” she whispers. “I knew you were a baby like me.”
I gasp quietly and open my mouth to argue with her and tell her that’s not true.
The only problem with that is I’m not really sure whether it’s the truth or not.
Beau
Maddox hands me a beer,then grabs one for himself, and the two of us tap bottles before we take our first sip.
“You mentioned the lodge would be fully stocked for all the Littles?” I ask my brother.
Nodding, he watches his wife like a hawk while she makes a mess of frosting all over the counter. “Yeah. There are several rooms with cribs and changing tables in them. Everything is already there.”
I study my beautiful wife as she giggles at something Brynn said, and I can’t help but wonder if I’ve been letting her down. I should have noticed her signals sooner. Seen the way shewatches Brynn, Ellie, Nora, and Lucy play and act. How long has Emma been curious about diapers? It was a subject we talked about when we first got together, and I told her I was open to it and if she ever wanted that to tell me, but I’d imagine that might be a hard thing to tell someone. Even your own spouse.
“I want to take one of the rooms with a crib and changing table,” I tell Maddox.
My brother turns his head to stare at me and then slowly nods. “Yeah?”
It’s the perfect time to try it. A solid week together with no work or regular day-to-day responsibilities to distract us. This is going to be a big change for us and our dynamic, and I want Emma to have time to adjust to it before we come home.
“Yeah. I’m going to order some stuff, too,” I add.
Maddox grins and lovingly slaps my shoulder. “Good for you. This is going to be a great vacation.”
Indeed, it is.
Just a little Christmas vacation.
2
MADDOX AND BRYNN
