“I can walk you back to the house,” he offered, still embarrassed, and pushed away from the table.
She pointed to a Louis Vuitton duffle bag over by the patio door.
“I thought we’d stay the night. If you want?” Delilah said.
“You did? You will?” he replied.
“It was Noah’s idea.”
“Was it your idea?” he asked his son.
Noah looked up at his mother.
Noah looked at his father.
“Me?” Noah said.
Together they all shared a laugh. Maverick approached and lowered to Noah’s level. “I’d like it if you hang out with me. Do you want to come to the kitchen with me? Make music with the pots?” Maverick asked.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” Delilah said.
Noah nodded, and Delilah put him down. He didn’t come to Maverick; he went inside the kitchen and started to bang the pots. Maverick was a bit disappointed that the kid wouldn’t let him touch him, but he understood.
Chapter Twelve
THE BITTERSWEET NECTAR of Forgiveness
“You ready for this?”
Noah put his little hands up to his mouth to hide his grin. Maverick smiled and picked up his son to put him down feet first in the tub. Noah stomped on the blue and purple bubbles his mother had managed to make for him. The water was only waist deep when Noah sat in it.
“Is he always happy to have a bath?” Maverick asked.
“He is if I prepare the bath this way. A bubble bath is a must. Next to pots under the kitchen cabinet, of course,” Delilah said. She leaned on the inside of the door frame with her arms folded in front of her. The bath was her surprise. The reason they spent the night included his first bath time with Noah. He dipped the rag inside the water and then slathered it up, feeling lucky to have her be so thoughtful.
“Make sure to wash under his neck and under his arms. Make sure to get between his butt cheeks. Those are trouble spots for him.”
“What about ears and face?” Maverick asked. “Should I leave that for later?”
“Very funny,” she chuckled. “I’m not being controlling. I’m just helping you.”
“It was a joke Delilah,” Maverick smiled.
“Oh, okay. Well, save his face for last. He’ll fight you when you try to get to his nose. Best to let him have some fun first,” Delilah said and sat on the closed toilet seat lid.
Noah played with the bath toys that Delilah had included. When Maverick stood his son to wash his back, and backside Noah immediately began to stump his little feet to splash the water and bubbles. He clapped and grinned at Maverick’s scramble to keep him from slipping in the water. It was as if the past few hours hadn’t transpired. Maverick was his best friend again.
“Guess you two have made up,” Delilah observed.
“I’m sorry. For all of it. The drinking, my temper at dinner. This is what I want. This right here, that’s all,” Maverick said. “He’s going to be a special kid. I can see it.”
“Me too,” Delilah nodded. “Look at everything that happened so that he could exist.”
“Do you want more kids?” Maverick glanced over at her.
“I’m not sure. At first, I thought Noah was my miracle baby. Now I know Charles lied. It’s hard to say. I love being his mother. I don’t want to do it all over again, alone.”
Maverick stared at her a moment, tempted to tell her she would never be alone as long as he was permitted to remain in her life. However, Noah tried to escape his grip and nearly slipped in the tub. He caught him in time and realized it was time to end the bath.
“Keep your eyes on him, not me,” Delilah teased. Maverick nodded in agreement. The serious business of cleaning his son was his main priority. He even scrubbed his feet. And when he washed his hair, Delilah gave him a small pitcher to pour warm water through it. It was time to clean his face. Delilah joined him at the side of the tub to help. Noah was not a fan of their mission; he flipped around like a fish.
All in all, they got through it with many laughs. Carrying Noah out of the water to the bed, he laid him down and finished drying him. Delilah had several bottles of baby care. Lotions for him and ointment for baby eczema spots that were on him. He was impressed by her system. Maverick had to take off his watch and hand it over to Noah so he could handle business.
“It’s strange that Yasar Fikrit would choose you,” Delilah mentioned.
“All of it is strange,” Maverick agreed.
“Right, but wouldn’t it make sense to have chosen a black donor? I mean, look at Noah. Charles and I feared something was different about him when he was about three months. If Charles had intended to use his oldest brother sample for the implant, he had to know something went wrong.”
Maverick paused. He stared at his son and then glanced at Delilah. Her deep skin tone and ethnic beauty were only featured highlights in Noah; the kid definitely had his connection to his fathers. Even down to his blondish-brown hair. “You’re right. I have another question.”
“Okay?” she replied.
“Who do you think sent the text?”
“My text? With the video? Jaxon Price. He had to have access to it. Price knows we know he did something. And Queen has the federal authorities involved.”
Maverick bit down on his bottom lip. Armand Al Jabaar wanted him to stay close to her, to gain leverage over her, and make her preoccupied with him and Noah and not her friends’ disappearance. The video would definitely serve that purpose. Now she had the means to fight back against the scandalous lies being spread against her in this town. But why was he chosen as the donor? Was that intentional? What was he missing in this entire circle?
Noah tried to flip and crawl away. Maverick dragged him back down the bed and put on his pull-up while Delilah watched over them. Maverick put on his pajamas after that with little resistance.
“Now what?” he asked.
“Well, I need to put him to sleep. The only way to do so is if I lay down with him in the dark.”
“Oh, seriously? Okay. Maybe I can put him to sleep?” Maverick asked.
“I have a proposition that may be the best test of fatherhood,” she teased.
“Tell me.” He picked up Noah and held him high above his head until Noah giggled with laughter.
“Tomorrow, I’m going to the Women’s League Brunch. The one that Karen mentioned,” she said.
“Why?” he frowned. “I thought you said those people were really mean to you?”
She smiled and nodded. “I’ve been accused of hateful things, my reputation destroyed, my practice now under scrutiny from the legal community, the law and the whole world is after me. That video exonerates me. I intend to teach Mother Abigail a very needed lesson.”
Maverick smirked. “Good for you.”
“Thank you,” Delilah courtesies.
“That was probably the intention of that video being shared. Someone wants you to win,” Maverick said.
Delilah’s brow wrinkled. “Could be. Or someone wants to own me the way they owned Charles. Either way, I’m not for sale.”
Maverick gave her Noah. Her son went into her arms, and she kissed him. Delilah hugged him like a mother in love would.