Beside me, Colt has his arms looped around his twin’s neck while Bram rolls his eyes and tries to hide a smile as they sway together. Dane has Gray in his arms, moving her around the room in a complicated-looking waltz he must somehow still remember from the brief stint of time our mama forced us into ballroom dancing lessons when we were teens so we could be “proper gentlemen”.
Then there’s Eli, leaning against the makeshift altar where I just claimed my bride, watching over the dancing with an unreadable expression on his face. Ford is nowhere to be found, and anger stabs at my chest. I know he was against this marriage, but I did expect him to be at leastsomewhatinvolved in the celebrations.
Something to discuss with him once I have my Little one settled.
The music changes, shifting to something more modern and upbeat, and I carry Lanie over to one of the couches, settling with her on my lap. “How are you feeling, baby?”
“Tired. Cold.”
“Here.” Gray appears seemingly out of nowhere to drape a blanket over my Little girl’s naked form. “I’ll run upstairs, see ifI have any pajamas that might fit her. Or one of Daddy’s t-shirts, perhaps.”
It’s only then that it hits me how wholly unprepared I am for a Little girl of my own. While the nursery has been set up for some time and we have plenty of milk and diapers on hand, it seemed pointless to order clothes without knowing the sizes we’d need, or what our Little ones might enjoy. How am I supposed to keep her warm and safe without proper clothes?
Some of the panic I’m feeling must show on my face, because Gray claps a hand on my shoulder and lets out a low laugh. “Relax,Daddy. We got this. Until the snow clears, she can borrow clothes as needed. In the meantime, we can get her measurements and send a message to Maxwell to have some clothes shipped once the roads are clear again. For now, you just focus on your babygirl and Auntie Gray will handle the rest.”
With that, she heads for the stairs and gratitude warms my chest.
I may be wholly unprepared for the finer points of being a Daddy, but what I'm not is alone. I’ll have Gray and my brothers here, every step of the way.
I’ll have my family.
CHAPTER 11
AXEL
Soft snoring reaches my ears as I wait for Gray to return with some clothes, and I can’t help but chuckle. Poor little thing is worn out, understandably so. Todayhasbeen rather eventful, so I let her sleep while I watch my family continue their celebrations.
Someone has broken out the whiskey, and my brothers are toasting each other with amber-filled glasses as their laughter fills the air. It’s a welcome sight after so many months—years, really—of constant back and forth between our lumber yards and the island. They’ve more than earned the chance to let loose a bit, and as long as they don’t get too rowdy with my babygirl, I’m happy to let them enjoy themselves.
Gray returns with one of my t-shirts and a thick pair of socks I already know will be too big for my Little girl, but they should keep her plenty warm.
“She’s asleep,” I whisper, shifting the motionless form in my arms so Gray can wriggle the oversized shirt over her head.
“Poor thing.” Gray’s soft murmur echoes my earlier thoughts as she maneuvers Lanie’s arms into the shirt. “I can only imagine how exhausted she must be. After dinner you should take her on up to bed.”
“I will.” As much as I hate to wake her again, she will need to eat something. God only knows the last time she actually had something to eat or drink other than the hot chocolate from earlier.
Again I’m hit with that heavy feeling that Ford was right. I don’t know the first damn thing about caring for a Little girl, despite all the time I’ve spent with my nieces on the island.
“Stop overthinking it.” Amusement winds around Gray’s words and that same amusement fills her eyes when I look up at her. “You’re going to be fine. I mean, you’re absolutely going to fuck it up, and we’ll be here to kick your ass for you when that happens. But you’re going to be a great Daddy.”
If nothing else, I know I can cling to her promise to kick my ass when I fuck up and oddly enough that settles me enough to simply enjoy the weight of my babygirl in my arms. “Yeah. Yeah, I am.”
Crouching in front of me, Gray rolls the socks up Lanie’s legs. As expected, they’re far too big and they go well over her knees. Between that and my shirt that’s several sizes too large, she looks exactly like a Little girl playing dress-up in Daddy’s clothes.
It’s fucking adorable.
“Aw, hell.” Sitting back on her heels, Gray blinks and for a moment I could swear she has tears in her eyes. But then she blinks again and her eyes are clear, so maybe I imagined it. My little sister isn’t exactly given to fits of emotion. “She’s the cutest damn thing, Ax.”
Pride fills my chest. “Isn’t she?”
The music cuts off, drawing loud cries of protest from our brothers. Looking over, I find Ford standing in the doorway to the dining room, a wide grin on his face.
“Dinner is served.”
What the hell is he up to?
Cradling Lanie against my chest, I push to my feet and follow my siblings to the dining room. Where I have to stop and blink at the sight that greets me.
