“Kinley, I panicked,” he says softly. “What would I have done if you hadn’t shown up?”
“Evan, you have to remember Lexi takes her cues from you. She can tell if you’re stressed or worked up about something. You have to stay calm for her. This is not going to be the last time this type of thing happens.”
He lies back on the bed and throws his arm over his eyes. I give him time to process what I just said and tend to Lexi. “All right, Miss Lexi, now that you’re all clean, let’s get you dressed.” I lay her on the bed and unwrap the towel from her body. I make quick work of getting the diaper on her to avoid another accident. Next is her onesie, and finally, the little purple sleeper.
“Look at me, Daddy,” I say, holding her up in my arms.
Evan sits up and takes her in. “Good as new,” I say with a smile. “Now, you two head downstairs while I clean up the mess in the bathroom. If it’s okay with you, I’m going to go ahead and put her tub in the spare bathroom and make sure all of her bath stuff is moved in there as well. I don’t know why I didn’t already have that done.”
“I can do that,” Evan says.
“Nope, I got it. You two go relax,” I say as I hand Lexi over to him.
Evan holds her close. I watch as he breathes her in. When he realizes he’s busted, he just winks at me and walks out of the bedroom.
Chapter 25
Evan
I’m sitting on the couch holding my little girl and she’s happy, clean and content. “I’m sorry I freaked out on you. Daddy’s new to all this and it’s going to take me some time.” She just watches me like I’m the most fascinating thing she’s ever seen.
The feeling’s mutual.
“Come in,” I yell when there’s a knock on the door.
“Uncle Aaron’s here,” Aaron says as he comes into the room. “What’s going on, man?”
“Oh, you know, this little cutie just had a massive explosion in her diaper. I freaked the hell out. Luckily, Kinley came in and saved the day.”
“Ouch! Where is my little sister?” he asks, looking toward the kitchen.
“She’s upstairs. She said she was going to clean up the bathroom. I offered, but she gave me strict instructions to come down here and relax. Apparently, the baby can tell when I’m stressed and that’s why I couldn’t get her to calm down,” I explain.
“Sounds like a logical reason. Listen, don’t beat yourself up about it. You’re learning as you go. You’re going to nail this daddy gig.” He grins.
“Now you sound like Kinley.”
“Who sounds like me?”
I look up to see her enter the room and my mouth goes dry. Kinley is standing at the bottom of the steps, wearing what looks like one of my t-shirts and nothing else.
“What are you wearing?” Aaron questions her.
“Oh, my clothes were soaked from Lex’s bath. I hope you don’t mind, Evan. I grabbed one of your shirts out of your closet.”
Mind? Hell no, I don’t mind. She looks hot as hell in my shirt. “Evan?” she says my name again and I realize I’m still staring at her.
“Yeah, no of course. That’s fine.” My voice cracks. Shit, nothing like giving myself away.
“Aaron, I’m glad you’re here. I’m going to go upstairs and lay down for a few hours, so Evan can get a good night’s sleep,” she says.
Wait? What? “McKinley, you don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don’t have to do that. I want to do that. This way you will be rested tomorrow and can get little miss in her daily routine. I don’t have anything in the studio for the next few days, so this is the perfect time. You need the help, Evan. Say, ‘Thank you, Kinley.’” She smiles.
She had to go and throw my smile out there, didn’t she? Damn girl, I swear she’s trying to get me killed. “Thank you, Kinley.”
“You’re welcome. Now I’ll be upstairs taking a nap if you need me.” Just like that, she’s back up the stairs in my shirt. That’s when it hits me that my room is the only room with a bed. She’s going to be sleeping in my bed, in my shirt. Holy shit, she is trying to kill me.
“You know how she is when she sets her mind to something. You might as well give in,” Aaron says.
“Yeah,” is pretty much all I can say at this point. McKinley is upstairs in my bed. I need to stop thinking about it, need to change the subject. “So, did you see the new wheels out front?”
“Hell yeah. I meant to tell you I liked your choice. The black looks sick.”
“Yeah, it’s got coolers in the backseat in the floorboard. Thought with this little one that feature might come in handy someday.”
Aaron laughs. “I’m sure it will. So, you going to hog my niece all night or can I hold her?” he asks.
“Where were you a half hour ago?”
“That’s my uncle psychic abilities showing through. I know when she’s clean, fed, and a happy girl.” He says that last part in a high voice as he talks to Lexi. She’s wide-awake as she watches him.
“Your mom made a big-ass pan of lasagna, you hungry?”
“Always,” he says, keeping his attention on Lexi.
I stand to go make us both a plate. I wish Kinley would’ve eaten before she went to sleep. “You good?”
“We got this, Daddy,” Aaron says in a girly voice, moving Lexi’s arm, telling me to go away.
I fight the urge to run upstairs and see if Kinley has fallen asleep yet. I can’t go to her while Aaron is here. I know for a fact I don’t have the kind of willpower needed to not steal another kiss or a simple touch, not when she’s curled up in my bed, her long brown hair spread out on my pillow. Nope, definitely not going upstairs.
Aaron eats his plate of lasagna with one hand, refusing to put Lexi down. She’s still wide-awake. “I think this is the longest she’s been awake at one time.”
“You know why, don’t you?”
“Enlighten me, old wise one.”
Aaron tsks like I should know the answer. “She refuses to miss out on any Uncle Aaron time, duh,” he says.
I don’t bother to argue with him, because to be honest, I have no clue. He could be right. Could be that my little girl already knows her Uncle Aaron is going to be a big part of her life. Kinley said babies are perceptive.
“I think it’s time to give her back,” Aaron says, scrunching up his nose.
“Again? How can you have anything left, kid?” I ask my daughter as I take her from Aaron.
“I got to get up early anyway. Looks like you are on your own until Kinley wakes up. She’s a bear when you wake her up, so I would not advise it if I were you.” He laughs his way out the door.
After getting Lexi changed, I make her a bottle. She went longer this time between feedings. By the time she’s finished, she’s sound asleep. I carry her up to her room and ease her into her bed. Reaching over, I turn on the baby monitor. Leaving the door open so I can hear her, I head to my room. Kinley is curled in a ball, my t-shirt riding high on her thighs. Careful to not make any noise, I set the baby monitor down on the opposite side of the bed and turn it on high. No way do I want to miss hearing Lexi wake up. I’m a little nervous with her being in the other room, but she’s just right across the hall. I refuse to let her sleep with me after all the horror stories I’ve read. Slipping out of my jeans, I place my cell phone on the nightstand and pull my shirt over my head. Without a second of hesitation, I slide into bed, pulling the covers up and over both of us. I lay there, stiff as a rail, staring at the ceiling. I’m tired beyond words, but can’t seem to let sleep claim me when I’m lying here next to Kinley.