I had a meeting with a potential client via Ardnoch Estate that morning and had just fed Millie when the doorbell rang. I hurried toward it, Millie’s belligerent cries and baby words hit my back, words I interpreted as a complaint for leaving her side. I threw open the door to Eilidh. “You know you can just come in without knocking,” I told her, fixing my tie as she followed me into the living space.
“Good morning to you too,” she teased.
Millie caught sight of Eilidh and broke into the most adorable smile I’d ever seen. She raised her arms toward Eils from her high chair, making happy baby sounds. I lifted her out to hand her over.
“Good morning, Millie Billie!” Eilidh beamed but before she could take her, Millie made a gurgling noise before she puked all over my shirt and neck. She then promptly burst into tears.
“It’s all right, wee yin.” I kissed her temple before Eilidh took her from me.
“Oh, Millie Billie.” Eilidh cuddled her close. “Are you not feeling well?”
“She just ate. I shouldn’t have picked her up like that.” I scowled at the little dress I’d put her in this morning and the vomit now all over it. “She needs cleaned and changed.”
“As do you.” Eilidh pressed a palm to Millie’s forehead. “She doesn’t feel warm, so that’s good. Maybe she just had too much to eat. I’ll keep an eye on her this morning.” She started toward the stairs. “You switch your shirt out. I’ll clean Millie up.”
“Thanks. It could be her teething. She’s not had a lot of sleep.”
“Aye, that might be it. Poor wee baby, ay, Millie Billie. Shall we have a long, lovely nap today?”
I tried not to ogle Eilidh’s arse as I followed her up but she wore a pair of cut-off denim shorts and a loose, slightly cropped tank top. As she chatted animatedly to Millie, taking the stairs quickly, I could see straight up Eilidh’s top. Her back was tan and smooth, her hips sloping gently toward her arse.
Groaning inwardly, I looked at my feet as Eilidh turned toward the bathroom and I walked in the opposite direction toward the primary suite.
I’d just shrugged out of my shirt when Eilidh burst into my room with Millie. “Do you have baby shampoo? It somehow got in—oh!” She stumbled to a halt. Her eyes drifted over my naked torso. “Oh. Sorry.” Something like pain tightened her features before she whirled herself and Millie around, giving me their backs. Her words were strained. “I need Millie’s shampoo.”
Ignoring whatever it was I heard in her voice (or I might just do something we’d both regret), I reached for a clean shirt in my built-in closet. “In the third cupboard above the sink.”
“Thanks.” She practically ran from the room.
With a sigh, I buttoned up the shirt and pulled on a new tie. Doing the tie up, I strolled into the bathroom to find Millienaked in a shallow bath. She was slapping her arms in the water, her wee girl giggles filling the air like popping bubbles filled with joy.
Please let her be mine.
I looked at Eilidh to distract myself from the thought. She was bent over the tub, washing Millie gently. The tank top now rode up her slim back. Swallowing hard, I returned my attention to Millie.
“I decided to give her a bath. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. I need to go. Are you good?” We already had a bit of a routine down. I still didn’t understand why Eilidh was helping us, but if it somehow brought us back together as friends, I wouldn’t question it.
“Aye.” Eilidh shot me a quick smile. “We’ll call if we need you.”
Nodding, I stepped into the room to bend down to kiss Millie’s head and Eilidh leaned away so I didn’t touch her. Frowning, I kissed Millie. “Bye, wee yin. See you soon.”
“Bah ga bye!” Millie slapped the water, giggling up at me.
I’d just straightened, but I froze. “Did she … did she saybye?”
Eilidh’s laughter warmed me right through. “I think it only sounded like that.”
I cupped the back of Millie’s damp head. “Did you just say bye? Bye, Millie.”
“Goh ka!” She giggled, splashing water at me.
“Bye-bye, Millie.”
She made a little hiccupping sound and reached for one of her bath toys.
Eilidh chuckled. “A fluke. But she’s around the age babies start saying one or two words.”
