After pulling up on Davis’s drive, I switched off the engine and hopped out. I pushed the front door open, knowing it would be unlocked. Not only was itthatsort of neighborhood where the neighbors would stop by with baked goods, but it was a really safe town. I didn’t call out as I checked the time on my watch, trying to figure out if Libby would already be in the bath or not. A gurgle followed by a small laugh drifted to me from the kitchen/dining room. I smiled at the sound. Libby was a fucking angel—well, until she was armed with a spoon and her mushed-up food.
“Libby, come on, baby girl, open wide for Daddy.” A clank and curse followed. “You did not just do that.”
A grin stretched my mouth as I headed toward the sound. “What’s for dinner?” I stepped into the space and found Libby looking thoroughly happy with herself as she banged a spoon on her high chair, orange baby food flying everywhere. Her big brown eyes landed on me and she gurgled in delight. Damn straight, she loved her some Uncle Tanner. Understandable. My eyes then landed on Davis and loud laughter burst from my mouth. There was orange goo on the top of his head, smeared across his cheek, and a glob hanging from his nose.
“Perfect timing,” Davis grumbled. He stood, placed a kiss on his daughter’s head, and headed toward me. Before I knew it, I was armed with a spoon and a bowl of Libby’s ammunition, and watching Davis hightail it out of the room. “Off to grab a shower. Good luck!” he shouted over his shoulder.
“Right.” With my brows lifted in amusement, I scrunched my nose at Libby and poked out my tongue. She giggled, banging her spoon some more. “You getting at your daddy again, huh, sweetheart? Just you wait till you’re a bit older. I’ll give you so many ideas about how you can really wind him up.” Settling down in front of her, I continued to pull faces. She opened her mouth with glee, so I took the opportunity and shoveled in a mouthful of food. Yeah, I was definitely her favorite. She slapped her gummy mouth happily and made little noises of contentment before opening for another.
Okay, I was pretty good at this uncle shit after all.
* * *
I crackedopen two beers and settled down in the chair, waiting for Davis to return from putting Libby to bed. After feeding her and having some playtime while I gave Davis some time out, I’d offered to put her to bed, but I’d known Davis would take over. He’d admitted to me already it was one of his favorite times of the day with her.
At the time I’d laughed and asked if it was because she would be asleep and he’d have the night to unwind. He’d actually looked offended, and it hadn’t taken long in the one month I’d stayed under his roof to see the attraction of bedtime snuggles with Libby. There was something surprisingly calming about her soft coos and gentle yawns that followed her fun bath time.
I heard the creak of the staircase as Davis made his way down. Taking a pull of my beer, I looked at the open door and gave him a chin lift when he entered. “All good?”
With a smile, Davis nodded. “Yeah, out like a light.”
I bobbed my head. “She seems to be settled again. That’s good.” For a week now, Libby had attended a childcare place a few blocks away so Davis could return to work. He’d stayed at home looking after her since the day she was born, and while the two of us had made the process of finding a childcare facility or nanny a nightmare since we’d run it like a military operation, six months at home being a stay-at-home dad had finally taken its toll. Davis loved Libby something fierce… we both did, but Davis had been going stir-crazy not working.
Finally, after a week of settling into a new routine, it seemed both Libby and Davis had chilled the fuck out. Christ, I’d been the calm, levelheaded one over the past week as I’d caught Davis twice scoping out the childcare place during the day when he should have been working. I’d even caught him looking at the website to purchase one of those nanny cam things. I’d had to talk him down and be all responsible and shit. And that was a fucking feat in itself. I wasn’t really known for keeping my temper in check.
He picked up his beer with a thanks, took a gulp, and asked, “How’s work?”
“Good. Same old stuff. Though I’m off to price a job tomorrow. Looks promising and a big job. It would be nice to secure something that took longer than a few days or a week, you know?”
He nodded as he sat opposite me on the sofa. “Yeah.” He rubbed a hand over his face and yawned. “I get it.”
Davis owned a coffee shop in town. He was actually a trained chef and had worked at a couple of high-starred restaurants in the city. His world had spun and changed so much though when a one-night stand had turned into a pregnancy, the result being Libby.
Mags, Libby’s mom, was something of a free spirit and had been born and raised in Kirkby. It was how Davis had ended up here. He’d bought a small café that now did great coffee, and he’d turned his years of cooking into the job of pastry chef. He’d given the town plenty to gossip about as well as celebrate. He was a fucking good baker. It meant that the café was always busy, locals and tourists desperate for decent coffee and kickass cakes and pastries.
The gossip came in the form of Mags up and leaving the day after she’d given birth to Libby. While the town had been left speculating and filled with horror, Davis hadn’t. I’d known he and Mags had discussed her leaving when she’d been pregnant, and Davis had happily agreed that he’d raise Libby. After their one night together, they’d never actually been together again, nor were they ever a couple. The whole thing was freakin’ weird, but then, to each their own.
To be honest, I was kind of relieved. Mags was a bit of a space cadet, and I hadn’t been convinced she and Davis would have balanced the shared-parenting gig well. Hell, I definitely never imagined him dating her. While Davis had dated a few times over the years, and had once had a steady girlfriend, he tended to be with guys more often than not. I could definitely relate to the need for a hard body rather than squishy breasts, but Davis was a lover of all forms and packages. It was clear, though, a few weeks into being a new single dad that Davis was struggling, and yeah, the rest was history.
“Is the job in town?”
“Yeah,” I answered. “Just the other side of town.” I was looking forward to checking it out. Over the years my trade had grown from that of carpenter, to builder, plasterer, and even plumber on occasion. It meant I’d been able to pick up work quite quickly trading under my own name, but I was over fitting wardrobes and new doors, plastering a wall or two. I was eager for a project I could sink my teeth into. “I’ll head by after securing the new garage door over on East Street.” I drained my beer and looked at the time. “You need anything before I get going?”
“Nope. I’m good, thanks.” Davis stood and walked me out, giving me a squeeze on my shoulder. “Have a good night.”
I laughed. “Yep. Me, a beer, some oil, and my hand. Living the dream, man.” I stepped out and headed to my truck.
He snorted. “That makes two of us. You seriously need to get laid so I can live vicariously through you, Tanner. Damn, dude, you’re letting me down.”
I snorted right back as I pulled open the door. “Yeah sure. I’ll get right to that. Just point out the local gay bar and I’m all over it.”
His laughter chased me into the car. I returned his wave and backed out of the drive, wishing I wasn’t thinking about getting laid. Maybe it was time for a weekend away. Desperate times and an overused hand called for long-ass journeys into the city.
Chapter Three
CARTER
Work had been much calmer,with no emergencies and a shorter day. My job was pretty awesome. Not only because I was a veterinarian—what wasn’t there to love about that?—but while I worked full-time at the practice, the hours were quite forgiving. A couple of longer shifts, plus being on call, meant I had three days a week of finishing by two.
