My chest squeezesa bit. It’s hard sometimesto look at her. She is so beautiful and sweet andloving, and she deserves to have a mother and a father. It hurts knowing she won’t ever have that.Especiallywhen I see how much she adores Josephine and Cami. Cara too. When we’ve been at Dane’s,Cara spends every second with her. Although sometimes, I think it’s so she can avoid the rest of us.
“We have to be out of here in ten,” Angel tells me as he watches Josephine with Lyra.
“Got the bug, man?” I nod toward Lyra jokingly.He only shrugs without denying what I’ve said. My mouth falls open. “Seriously?” I askwith surprise.
“What?” he laughs. “I’ve wanted babies with her since I was old enough to know how to make them.”
“You just got married. Don’t you want to enjoy that first? Babies are a lot of work.”
He laughs again. “You forget who lived here whenLyra was born?”
I didn’t forget. All my friends stepped up when she was born, but Angel lived here with us for a while when he didn’t have to.He even took turns with feedings and changings. Itwasn’t what he came out here to do, but it didn’t stop him from doing it.
Lyra looks up from Josephine, finally catching sight of Angel. “Anel, Anel,” she squeals. Angel winces at her mispronunciation of his namewhile I cover a laugh because it may be awkward,but it’s funny as hell.
Josephine doesn’t do quite as good of a job at covering her amusement. She catches sight of Angel’s glare and covers her giggling mouth with her hand. “Ang-el,” he pronounces slowly for her, picking her up. “Remember?’
“Dat’s what I says. Anel.” She looks at him with a stern seriousness that no one can hold back their laughter, except Angel, of course, who looks like he wants to stab us all.
“We’ve got to come up with something else for her to call me until she can say my name right,” he grumbles.
“I says it wite,” she says again, grabbing his face. “A-nel.”
“Yep,” he smiles through tightly closed lips, recognizing her no argument face. “That’s my name.”
He kisses her forehead before setting her back on the floor.She wastes no time returning to Josephine,who is sitting on the sofa with my mother.
“You ready for this?” Angel asks me with his usual seriousness.
“Yep. What’s not to be ready for?” I shrug ambivalently.
“You forget this is me you’re talking to,” he chuckles quietly. “I mean, are you ready to be around Cara twenty-four/seven with big brother watching your every move.”
“No, but it is what it is,” I tell him honestly. “Not like anything would happen anyway.I’ve had this stupid crush for years.Proximity won’t change anything.”God,that sounds stupid. I’m twenty-six years old with a damn crush.
He laughs loudly this time. “If you say so. You know what they say about close quarters, though.”
I give him a wry look. “Close quarters with a two-year-old. Yeah. Pretty sure we’ll be fine.The most action I’ll be seeing is with my hand.”
“I didnotneed that visual, man,” he looks at me disgusted, and it’s my turn to laugh.
“Come on, princess. Time to go.”
“Go,” she looks up at me with sleep once again showing in those big eyes.
“Yeah, remember. We are going on a trip.”
“Otay. Wets go,” she walks over to me, still sucking on her fingers. I know I should break the habit, but I haven’t figured out how. And I love watching her sleep so innocently with that comfort. She came into this world with those fingers in her mouth. I just don’t have the heart to take it from her just yet.
She raises her arms for me to pick her up.Lazy, spoiled little thing.I do, of course, then she starts jerking her body. “Tome on, Daddy. We gots to go.”
I laugh at her precociousness with a kiss onher cheek. I feel like I’m drowning in this most of the time, but I wouldn’t change any of it.
An hour later, we’re at the airport with everyone else.The other guys, Liam, Josephine, Camilla, and – Cara. I swallow hard when she walks in, looking as beautiful as ever.
I’ve avoidedthe hell out of Dane’s place for the last several weeks. I’ve only seen her once since her offer, at Dane’s birthday party.That was a blast. Watching her all night with her friend/boyfriend or whatever he is and Maddox and Ryder.
I watch as she stays close to Dane and Camias they make their way to us. Her shoulders are practically to her ears as anxiety drips from her. A very different scene from Dane’s party the other night at Lucky’s, where she seemed a little more like the old Cara.
