“I know, sweetie. I’m fine. Zach and I are seeing each other. I’m fine and I’m happy.”
Bailey hugged her back. “Okay. I just want you to be careful, that’s all. Zach is a good guy, but he leads a dangerous life.”
As if she didn’t know that.
“So does Alexei, honey.”
“Well, yes. And that scares the shit out of me. If you don’t have to go through that, then don’t.”
Too late.
“There’s more to both of them than danger.”
“I know.”
Kayla sighed. “Do you want to text Alexei and tell him to let Zach go home?”
She hoped Zach and Alexei weren’t having a deep heart to heart about her situation, but there was no way of knowing that. She could only pray that Alexei would see her side of things if so.
Bailey’s cheeks were a touch pink as she took her phone from her pocket. She typed out a message and hit send. “Done.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you want to talk about anything?” Bailey asked.
Kayla’s heart thumped. “Such as?”
“You and Zach. I’ve seen you looking at each other lately. Though not at the same time. It’s almost like something’s been going on, but you aren’t speaking to each other about it. I guess that changed tonight and you started talking again.”
Embarrassment heated her cheeks. Of course Bailey had noticed. Her sister was sharp.
“Nothing to talk about, Bale. Zach and I are dating, and that’s all I want to say right now.”
Bailey blinked. Kayla could see her take in that information and process it. “Okay.”
Kayla went to grab her wine glass and Zach’s empty water bottle. “Sure you don’t want some wine?”
“Maybe a tiny bit.”
Kayla refilled her glass and got one for Bailey. There was a knock on the outside door.
“Better let Alexei in,” Kayla said.
Bailey opened the door. Alexei strolled in, looking big and bad and handsome as hell. Kayla had been interested in him once upon a time, back when she’d been waitressing at Buddy’s Bar & Grill and telling everyone her name was Harley. She gave herself a mental eye roll. Why had she done those things?
Alexei smiled. Kayla smiled back. She loved Alexei like a brother. Her one-time attraction to him had been based on how nice he was to her, not on any real chemistry. Thinking about it now, she was almost embarrassed by her youthful hero worship. Worse, she would always be somewhat mortified that she’d accused him of being Ana’s father when there was no way he could have been. He didn’t hold it against her, and for that she was thankful.
“Did you and Zach have a nice talk?” she asked.
“Yeah, fine. Why?”
Bailey took a sip of wine. “She’s onto us, babe.”
Alexei sighed. “What gave it away?”
“Uh, the fact Bale showed up without you and wanted to know if Zach had been here. Oh, and his car was still idling outside. I looked out the window. I hope you were nice, big brother.”
He grinned. “Of course I was nice. Neo’s my bud.”
“So long as he doesn’t think about getting busy with your almost sis-in-law?”
“I didn’t put it that way.”
Kayla eyed them both. “I love the two of you. You know that. But I get to decide what’s best for me, not y’all. And right now that’s Zach. Okay?”
“Copy that,” Alexei said.
“Got it,” Bailey added.
“Alexei, you want a beer?”
“Sure.”
Kayla took one from the fridge and handed it to him. “Now tell me what you said to Zach so I know how much apologizing I have to do.”
Alexei lifted the bottle and swallowed. Then he shrugged. “Not much. I told him he’d better not get involved with you if all he wanted was a good time, that you’d been through enough shit, and you have a baby to take care of. If he’s not interested in her too, then he needs to hit the road.”
Kayla nearly choked on a swallow of wine. “Wow. That’s kinda a mouthful, Alexei. It’s hardly not much.”
Alexei shrugged again. “I’ve known Neo for a long time, which means I’ve seen a lot of the women he’s dated.” He frowned, considering. “Okay, maybe date is an inaccurate term. Slept with is more accurate. Probably.”
Bailey went over and looped her arm through his. “Okay, pumpkin. I think that’s enough. She gets it.”
Pumpkin? Lord. Kayla shook off a sudden desire to giggle. Alexei was big and bad and hardly a man you’d call pumpkin. Unless you were her sister. Maybe she needed to lay off the wine for the rest of the night. She set the glass down and tried not to dwell on the number of women Zach had slept with.
“Now look here, I already told Bailey and I’m telling you too. I’m a grown woman. I have a baby who is my number one priority. No man is getting between me and Ana ever again. Zach knows that. He also knows that I can and will make my own decisions, and he knows what my priorities are. He knows what he’s getting into. We both do.”
Bailey and Alexei exchanged another one of their secretive glances. “Okay,” Bailey said. “You’ve made your point.”
“Yeah, I got it too. He says he’s serious about you and I respect that. But understand, Kayla,” Alexei continued, “if Neo ever does anything to hurt you, I will be obligated to rip his nuts off and feed them to him. He knows it, too.”
“Good to know,” Kayla said. “But that’s not going to happen.”
They finished their drinks, and then Kayla went over to their guest room to check on Ana. She was sound asleep as Kayla bent over the crib, her little bow mouth and long eyelashes so pretty in repose. She had pink cheeks and creamy skin, and her dark hair was growing longer. Soon, Ana would be walking and talking, and Kayla’s heart pinched tight at the thought she’d missed even the tiniest bit of Ana’s life when she’d left her with Bailey and Alexei shortly after her birth.
“Do you want to leave her here? Or take her back to your place?” Bailey had followed her into the room.
Kayla smiled down at her baby even though Ana wasn’t awake. “I want to take her, but I don’t want to wake her up either. Maybe just give me the monitor and I’ll come get her if she fusses.”
Bailey had put Ana down in the portable crib that she and Alexei kept for just such a purpose. Kayla thought about how she was going to have to break it to her sister that she was moving out, and felt a pang of regret.
It’s necessary.
Bailey handed over the monitor. “She’s growing so fast,” Bailey said with a sigh.
“Tell me about it.” Kayla straightened. “Thanks, Bale. For everything. You’re the best sister a girl could have.”
Bailey leaned against her and they put their heads together. “Thank you, Kay-Kay. That’s sweet of you to say.”
“I mean it. I want you to be happy, and I don’t want you worrying about me.”
“I’ll always worry about you. It’s what I do.”
Kayla squeezed her sister’s arm. “I know. But you don’t have to. We aren’t scared kids anymore and I got this.”