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“She’s just making sure you heard her.”

“Mm-hmm.”

I checked the time then gave him a sweet smile.

His eyes narrowed immediately. “What?”

He knew me too well.

“It’s your turn.”

“My turn for what?”

I nodded toward our daughter. “Your shift, hubby. You’re officially on daddy duty.”

Caspian laughed. “Lakelyn, you just handed her to me five minutes ago.”

“And now I’m handing her to you for the rest of the night… or until I’m ready to take back over.”

“Oh. So is this punishment for me being late?”

“Absolutely,” I teased.

“That’s fucked up.”

I giggled. “No, what’s fucked up is me being awake with your daughter all day while you float around here giving parenting advice with a perfectly good excuse for why I can’t hand her to you until sunset.”

Caspian stared at me for a second, then laughed so loudly the baby stirred. His hand immediately settled against her back, and he lowered his voice while she squirmed against his chest.

Watching him soothe her softened something in me. I reached over and brushed my fingers along his jaw.

“But I wouldn’t have it any other way,” I admitted. “I’m tired, everything hurts, and I’ve probably cried over three things today that didn’t require tears. But I get to hand our daughter to you at the end of the day. After everything we missed with Kaidence, I don’t take that for granted.”

His smile faded into something gentler. “Neither do I, baby.”

I leaned toward him, and his free hand slid around the back of my neck as he kissed me. It was soft and unhurried, sweet enough to make me forget for a moment that I had dried milk on my shirt and couldn’t remember the last time I’d finished a meal while it was still hot.

When I pulled away, he brushed his thumb across my cheek.

“Go rest. You ain’t gotta do everything by yourself anymore.”

“I know.”

I stretched carefully. “I’m gonna shower, and then I’m getting into that big-ass bed you insisted we needed now that you’re back.”

“We do need that big-ass bed. Some of them positions require room, and I’ma tall-ass nigga, baby.”

“And see, that’s how she got here.” I pointed toward our daughter, shaking my head at his grin. “You always wanna try some new shit in the bedroom. I be trying to have a good time, and you’re trying to see if my knees can touch my ears.”

He chuckled, completely unashamed. “They touched, didn’t they? You ain’t complain until you had to unfold.”

I playfully hit his arm. “Hush!”

Caspian settled Cassiane more comfortably against his chest. “Go on, beautiful. I got my baby. She’s always a good girl for Daddy.”

“She’s only been in this world for a week. And I wouldn’t say that too loudly. That little girl likes humbling people.”

“You think I can’t handle my daughter?”