“Not in quite a while.”He tried to remember the last time he’d fucked one of the mamas, and couldn’t.He hadn’t been a saint.Hell, the baby playing in Tania’s lap spoke to that.And he had screwed more than a few women in his time, some of them since he’d been with Tania.
She watched him with narrowed eyes, but didn’t say anything.They sat watching each other and Carter, and Smokey couldn’t help but wonder what he should say.
“What now?”she said after several minutes.
“Now I get you those sweats and the Tylenol Freud recommended, and we go down to get some food.If you’re through with the list of what you want from the house, I’ll send the prospects out to get it.”That’s when it hit him.“Shit.”
“What?”she asked, freezing as she started to lift Carter off the bed.
“We left your keys in your truck.How will the prospects get in?”
“Oh, that’s no problem.The front door isn’t keyed.It’s got an electronic lock on it.I’ll just give them the code.”
“That will work.”He nodded once, went to the dresser, pulled his softest pair of sweats, and dropped them on the bed.“Here, I’ll step out and let you get dressed.I’ll wait for you in the hall.Want me to take Carter?”Smokey held out his hands.
Tania looked back and forth between the two of them for a moment, then handed him over.Carter swung his arms and babbled, as if he was just as happy to be carried by Smokey as his mother, though Smokey knew that couldn’t be true.He’d known the kid for less than three hours.Still, Carter would get to know him, he was determined to be in his son’s life, even if things didn’t work between him and Tania.
But Smokey was determined to show her how much he cared by taking care of her and Carter.That would convince her that he was the one she was meant to be with.He’d made the mistake of letting her go once.He wouldn’t be doing that again.
Chapter Six
Tania pulled the sweatsSmokey had left for her on, then ducked into the restroom for a moment, marveling for a second at being able to pee alone.Carter was only eight months old but she’d been so afraid to leave him alone when he was a newborn that she’d even taken his bouncy seat into the bathroom while she’d showered.
She’d learned quickly not to ask Rod for help.He’d seemed happy and excited when she’d told him she was pregnant, and he’d shown them off, both before and after Carter had been born, to his friends and coworkers, but he’d never helped.He’d never fed her son, never changed him, and rarely held him or even acknowledged him if there wasn’t someone to see it.
She glanced around, looking for something she could wear in the way of shoes.Pulling her boots on was more work than she wanted to do, especially with sweats and with Smokey waiting on her.She spotted a pair of flip flops near the door and stepped into them.They were bigger than she normally wore but she’d grown up wearing Daddy’s when he wasn’t looking, so it wouldn’t be a big deal.As long as Smokey didn’t throw a fit.She didn’t think so.If he was willing to give her his shirt and sweats, why would he care if she wore his flip-flops?
Not seeing any reason to delay, she opened the door and stepped out, keeping her eyes on the floor.She didn’t want to trip in the oversized shoes, so she would watch where she was going until she got used to them.
“There’s Mommy.I told you she’d be out soon.Now, let’s go downstairs and make sure Mommy eats something.”Smokey talked to Carter, but reached down and took her hand.He didn’t pull her along behind him but walked with her, at least until they reached the stairs.They weren’t wide enough for them to remain side by side.“Go ahead.We’ll be right behind you.”He released her hand and motioned for her to step in front of him.”
Tania watched her feet as she started down the stairs but by the time she got half way down, she felt she had a good feel for the oversized shoes and scanned the room.There were fifteen or twenty men.She also spotted two women.One was Taylynn, but the other she didn’t recognize.She continued to the bottom of the stairs then stepped to the side to wait for Smokey and the baby.
When he reached the bottom, he hooked an arm around her waist and led her to a table near one wall.He pulled out a chair for Tania then waved at Rene and took the seat next to her.It took him a moment to situate Carter, but soon he sat at the table with his woman beside him and their son in his arms.He couldn’t think of anywhere he’d rather be.
Well, in her bed would be nice but this wasn’t the time or place for that.He would get there, he had no doubt.The chubby little cherub in his arms was evidence of that.
