“You’re a cutie. No rats here. What was he talking about, huh? Not you, right?” I asked and held out one finger. He sniffed my hand all over and danced his little feet around while his tail wagged. When he seemed satisfied I wasn’t going to murder him with my pointer, I used that one finger to pat the dog’s little head. “I bet Declan tried to pick you up. Was that scary? I’d maybe nip and grump, too. You’re so little.” The dog wagged its tail faster and let me pat the silky fur between its ears. “You’re not bad. Who’s a good boy?”
“What are you doing to my baby? He doesnotlike strangers,” a loud voice said behind us, and I flinched.
The dog began to growl and bark as a tall woman came rushing around me and picked him up. She also had Jake’s eyes, but unlike his, hers were snapping with anger. She tossed her head and her long curly hair went over her shoulders. I stood in a rush and backed away until I was stopped by my hip banging against the counter.
“He was fine. I was petting him.”
Nonna shook a finger at the woman. “Ainsley, that dog. Your fur baby. More trouble than a human baby. There are too many feet for him. Let’s find him a safe room to play in. You should have left him at home.”
The girl wrinkled her nose and kissed the growling dog’s head. “Alone? He stress-pees if I do that!”
Nonna laughed as she dragged off Ainsley the same way she had me earlier. “Logan, you eat some finger foods,” she called back, as if I hadn’t been doing that all the time she’d introduced me to people.
“So, hello. You’re a sight for thirsty single moms.” I startled around to my right and a woman stood there. She wasn’t very tall, and she had on a skull-dotted dress that was fitted at her waist and flared, but her breasts were practically spilling out of the top. I tried really hard not to stare, but they wereright there. “Jesus, hold the baby for a second. No one told me this would be all tit work, or I wouldn’t have been so excited for the little eating machine to get out of my belly.” She glanced down at her chest and shook her head as she held up a tiny swaddled bundle I assumed was a real live baby. It moved a little and a hand waved out of the blankets. “You seem like you can take direction.”
I froze as she got closer, and then I quickly set my plate down on the counter when she didn’t seem like she was about to relent in the face of terror or inexperience. “Uh, I don’t, um, okay. This is happening.” I took the baby as she passed him over, and paralyzing horror had me standing stock-still as the little bundle snuffled. She adjusted my arms so I had him snuggled closer to my body, and he nudged his cute, round pudgy baby face against my flat chest with a frown that made my gut sink. “I’m not qualified to—”
“I gotta pee and you didn’t look busy.” She brushed at her blonde curls and patted my shoulder. “Just don’t drop him. I hear that’s real bad.” She smiled and rushed off, I assumed toward a bathroom. I glanced around terrified, but no one seemed like they were ready to save me. Everyone in the kitchen was very preoccupied with the food.
“What just happened?” I asked my new baby friend. He huffed and sighed and nuzzled my chest again, I assumed looking for the nice pillow he’d just lost.
Near the cheese-and-meat tray, a tall, good-looking man in a suit with short dark hair, who looked vaguely familiar, began to laugh. His gray eyes sparkled in amusement. “That’s why we love Elsie. Her grace and tact.”
Another man, who was also in a suit and appeared to be with Mr. Chuckles, came over. He was cute and shorter, with brown hair full of ringlets. “I’m Joel’s godfather! Jaxson. Nice to meet you.” He blasted me with a sharp smile that lit up his face.
Mr. Chuckles was Deputy Mayor Vane Elwood. The realization hit me as I studied him a second longer. I’d seen him on TV when I was stuck in the motel room with nothing to do. He curled his arm around Jaxson’s waist, stroking his thumb over his hip.
“Um, does that mean you want to take him? Little Joel?” I asked hopefully, sort of shifting in Jaxson’s direction.
“God no. You’re doing great.” He winced and stepped back as he tapped the baby’s little foot with one finger like I had been petting the dog. “He is cute, though. I’ll just rile him up. He cries every time I hold him.”
“Is there a daddy to pass this little angel to?” I glanced around hopefully.
“Let’s not bring that up right now.” Jaxson shook his head quickly and spun around as if checking for someone. “We might not mention that slimeball ever again, actually.”
Declan was easy to spot as he walked through the archway into the room, since he was taller than almost everyone else. He zeroed in on me, moving around people until he was at my side. “The baby! Can I hold him?” He wiggled his fingers in my direction, and Jaxson gave him a somber glance.
“Please! You’re a hero.”
Declan winked at me as he came closer and removed the baby from my arms. His hands brushed my biceps and chest, and he was within a whisper of pressing his lips to my cheek. Heat spread up my neck and swirled in a lazy river through my stomach. I wanted Declan, but this wasn’t about sex as much as the fact he didn’t mind getting close to me. He eased the baby into his arms and cooed down at the little guy.
“Oh my gosh!” Jake came around to stand beside Declan and tickled the baby’s fingers. His tiny brows furrowed, and he stared blankly at them with strange deep blue eyes that were beautiful and almost didn’t seem real.
Seconds later Elsie showed up, out of breath, and swiped her hair out of her face. “Yeah, that’s my nipple goblin. He is kinda cute.”
Jaxson slapped a hand to his cheek and snickered like he knew he shouldn’t but couldn’t help himself.
The deputy mayor leaned forward and whispered something to Jaxson.
“No, we can’t go.”
“All it takes is a baby to scare you, Vane?” Elsie narrowed her eyes on him, and the man tugged at his tie, backpedaling a step. “I get it. Me too. But some of us don’t have a choice except to be responsible. We can’t all run off with washouts from the Olympic gymnastics team and get married in Vegas instead of taking care of our responsibilities at home. I mean, you try being pregnant for nine months and then see how many blow jobs you want to give.” She grinned and took the baby from Declan, holding him out to Jaxson next.
“That was oddly specific,” I mumbled, and Vane snorted, though he gave the man I was beginning to think might be his boyfriend a very sharp glance.
Elsie waited until Jaxson reluctantly held out his arms. “There. Bond.”
The baby began to fuss the second he hit Jaxson’s arms, and his face crumpled along with little Joel’s. Elsie laughed, and I wasn’t sure if it was at him or the situation.
