“Good evening, Agent,” Zephyr said. “How was your first day?”
Shan took a seat next to Ragvald. “Interesting.”
“Exhausting,” Leonie corrected. She held out her arms. “I don’t know what’s gotten into those kids. I need cuddles.Lotsof cuddles.”
“Here you go.” Zephyr passed her the baby. “Though she’s a little cranky at being up past her bedtime.”
“Daddy will take you home soon, sweet girl.” Leonie nuzzled the top of the baby’s head, breathing in her soft, milky scent. “Oh, yeah. That’s the stuff. I don’t know how you get anything done, Zephyr. I’d be standing around huffing her all day.”
Zephyr laughed wryly. “I admit my productivity has taken a hit. Combining work and parenthood is rather more challenging than I anticipated.”
“At least you can take your kid to work,” Buck said. “Can’t see Blaise fighting wildfires with a baby in tow.”
“If you think it’s hard now, Zephyr, just wait until Ashley starts crawling,” Honey put in. “Believe me, babies grow up way too fast. Next summer, you aren’t going to be able to just strap her to your chest and go about your day.”
“The on-site childcare facility will be up and running by then,” Conleth said, massaging Paige’s ankles. “It could have been operational this year ifsomeonehadn’t objected to my perfectly reasonable plan.”
“I have no problem with the concept,” Zephyr said mildly. “I think a camp creche is an excellent idea. I’m just not sure we need a full-time baby masseuseandan indoor heated toddler splash pool.”
“You should have seen his original plan,” Paige murmured.
Leonie let the familiar bickering wash over her. She patted Ashley’s back, murmuring soothing nonsense until the baby finally settled against her shoulder. Leonie snuggled her warm, trusting weight, heart filling with a mix of tenderness and longing.
Maybe one day…
She shook off the wistful thought. Glancing up, she found Shan watching her across the firepit, utterly still. Ragvald said something to him, but he didn’t respond. His face was even more expressionless than usual, but she was sure that ifshe could have seen his eyes, they would have been filled with yearning.
“Would you like to hold her?” she asked.
Shan started, wrenching his gaze away from the baby as if he’d been caught watching tentacle porn. “I should not.”
“Nonsense.” She went over to him. “Ashley loves meeting new people, doesn’t she, Zephyr?”
“She certainly does,” Zephyr agreed, as his daughter giggled and held out her arms to Shan. “I think she likes you, Agent. Please, go ahead.”
“Before she starts shrieking,” Buck muttered. “That kid doesnotlike being denied.”
“She just knows what she wants.” Leonie thrust the increasingly wriggly Ashley at Shan. “Come on, Shan. I don’t need special powers to tell you’re just dying for a snuggle. Don’t try to deny it.”
“Leonie.” His voice was low and urgent, pitched for her ears alone. “My hands?—”
“There’s nothing wrong with your hands.” Shifting the baby to one arm, she grasped Shan’s gloved wrist. “Here, I’ll show you how to hold her.”
Shan’s biceps stood out like boulders, but he didn’t pull away. She manipulated him like a Ken doll, moving his arms into position.
“There,” she said, settling the baby into the crook of his elbow. Just in case he tried to hand her straight back, she retreated, taking a seat next to Moira. “See? You’re a natural.”
This was a slight exaggeration. If Shan resembled anything natural, it was an outcropping of granite. He sat in rigid terror, cradling the baby as if she were a water balloon filled with nitroglycerin.
Ashley, however, seemed enraptured by the special agent—or possibly just his mirrored sunglasses. She let out a delighted squeal, waving at her own reflection.
Shan stared down at the baby. She burbled and reached out, wobbling as she tried to grab his sunglasses. Shan let her flail at his chin, his own big hands supporting her with infinite care. The usually tight line of his jaw relaxed, softening.
“You’re staring,” Moira murmured under the crackle of the fire.
“I think I just ovulated,” Leonie muttered back, lips barely moving. Shifters had acute hearing, but right now, she suspected someone could have blasted an air horn next to Shan’s head without him noticing. “Don’t tell me you aren’t affected too.”
Moira laughed under her breath. “Sorry. Not my type.” She looked thoughtfully at the oblivious agent. “Though I do see the appeal.”
