“He looked hungry,” he said. Jesus, the kid was eyeing everything they put down and reaching for it as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks. “I’m not going to let him starve. I should have asked how much he was used to eating though.”
“I’m not sure she would have told you.” Maverick let out a roaring fart to rival any frat boy who’d gone through a monstrous can of beans on a dare, then followed it up with a second that not only sounded wet, but made a splat sound.Chance actually shivered and then involuntarily gagged. “You should see your face. Your first nasty diaper.”
“I can watch you do it,” he said, shrinking back from the two of them.
“Nope. Got to learn by doing, not watching,” she said, letting Maverick stay in that position. It seemed to work with him squatting on her lap. “Maybe that is the problem. Let’s see what he does and whether he’s finished. Then we can try to put him down for a nap. Nettie said he goes down with a pacifier. We can give him that and put him in the other room.”
“I don’t want him using that at his age. He’s too old for a pacifier.”
“Chance, too many changes at once aren’t good. Get over yourself. Whatever calms him is what you’re going to do. Do you hear me?”
Her voice was firm and full of the clarity he needed. “Yeah. I know. I want to bathe him too.”
“Before bed we can. He’s not that dirty.”
They knew because the minute they got to his apartment, Jocelyn changed his son into a new outfit she’d bought him, then found out his shoe size and ordered him a pair.
Chance would have done it if she hadn’t because the clothing Maverick was wearing was all but falling apart. They obviously weren’t given to his son new and the sneakers they found in a bag were in worse condition.
He might not have had much when he was a kid, but he was positive he was in a much better situation than his son had been in.
“After this diaper he’s going to be,” he said. That sounded like seepage and he was glad the child was on his girlfriend’s lap.
At least Maverick’s sobs had quieted down, his son looking as if he was almost asleep after that strenuous effort.
“I think he’s done,” she said. “Or I hope so because it’s getting hard to breathe in here.”
He stood up and went to the diapers sitting on the counter. “How long before we can get him out of these things and on a toilet? You bought a little seat for him.”
“Chance,” she said. “That’s far down on the list right now.”
He sighed. “I know. I’m out of my element here and am not used to feeling this way.”
It’d be different if he hadn’t just had a two-year-old dropped in his lap and had been there from the first day.
Jocelyn stood and he reached for his son. They could change the diaper together because he was sure this was going to be a two-person job.
She got the changing pad he’d left on the counter next to the diapers, then spread it on the couch. Thank God because the thought of what was in his son’s pants ending up on his couch was enough for him to burn it after.
“This isn’t like a doll,” she said.
He watched as she pulled his son’s jeans all the way off. “Why did you do that?”
“If it were just pee, then you could leave them on, but this is going to be such a mess, I want everything out of the way.”
“He’s sitting still for it,” he said. Or he hoped Maverick didn’t start moving.
“He’s exhausted. He wore himself out crying first. I feel horrible because it was probably a bellyache.”
“I’m not trying to be a dick, but maybe it’s a good thing and he’ll crash into a nap.”
“Good point. Are you ready for this?” She turned to look at him, her hands on the tape holding the diaper in place. “Consider this a learning date of sorts. I’m teaching you about babies.”
He forced out a laugh. He hoped that wasn’t a shot at him for not having time to give her now.
But her smile said that she was enjoying their time together regardless of what they did.
“As ready as I’m going to be.” He’d smelled burnt flesh before and it had nothing on what was filled in his son’s diaper.
