Chapter 58
“Are you sure you want to go out now?” Jaxon asks me, picking Blakely up after changing her diaper. He blows on her stomach gently, her legs kicking and little fingers grabbing for his hair. Turning to face me, he winces when she gets a firm hold of a few strands, but he lets her tug until her heart’s content.
I’m standing in the doorway of her nursery, leaning against the frame. “Yeah. Edith is going with me. Just put her in one of those full body things so her arms and legs are all covered up, like that bag thing.”
Griffin snorts from the ground where he’s messing with the rocking chair in the corner. Edith said it felt like it was catching each time she rocked, so he’s trying to fix it up for her. “It’s called a sleep sack.”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I keep an eye on Blakely as she wiggles and Jaxon does his best to coo at her and slip her into the bag thing I wanted. “No, it’s not.”
“Yes, it is you ass—”
“You have got to stop cussing around her! Break the habit now, otherwise her first word is going to be something we’ll have to apologize to Edith for,” Jaxon says with a smile in his voice. He’s kept his tone gentle as she stares at him while he’s moving her around.
“Fine. Blakely-Blake, darlin’ little love, I’m so sorry for cursin’ around your precious little ears. I’ll do my best to mince my words. Your daddy is just sometimes ridiculously stubborn and won’t admit when he doesn’t know somethin’.”
Scrubbing my face in annoyance, I decide to keep the peace for once. “Fine. I’ll believe you. Now, lemme have her.” I literally hold my hands out and make grabby hands for our little girl who’s already got me totally wrapped around her tiny, adorable little fingers.
Keeping his motions slow and controlled, Jaxon lifts her and cups her bottom to hold her against him as he brings her to me.
Both Griffin and I have fallen silent as she makes tiny gurgling noises, all of us softening with every sound. I brush a downy soft strand of hair from her forehead as Jaxon sways slightly with her.
“Did I tell you guys she smiled at me yesterday?”
I whip my head toward Griffin, my mouth dropping open. “Did she really?”
His entire face is lit up with love for her, never once caring that biologically, she’s not his. Both he and Jaxon dove headfirst into fatherhood right along with me, and honestly, it’s been pretty amazing even if we do butt heads from time to time.
Jaxon kisses her head and finally hands her over. Grinning at Griffin, he teases, “Are you sure it wasn’t gas? I thought that didn’t happen until three months?”
“That’s what I thought, so I searched it up. Babies can start smilin’ as early as six weeks, and she’s obviously way more advanced than any infant I’ve ever met.”
“It’s true.” I can’t help but agree with him. If he said she smiled, then I’ll take it and try to get one for me as well. “What are you two gonna do while we’re outside?”
Blakely rubs her face against my chest, but I don’t think she’s hungry since Edith just fed her less than twenty minutes ago. That is something I never thought I would find so goddamn beautiful. I could watch the two of them like that for hours given the chance.
“Gonna head into town and grab some sh—stuff we need at the store. There’s a list on the counter in the kitchen if you want to add anythin’.”
Jaxon nods his head in approval when Griffin corrects his language. I don’t care so much. Not like she’ll understand right now, but we’ve got four people making decisions now. If Jaxon is bothered by it, it’s a small sacrifice to make to keep all of us happy.
“We’ll see you when you get back,” I say before I turn and take my time walking down the steps with my girl, then snag Edith’s hand wordlessly to drag her outside.
Pulling me to a stop at the door, she turns me to check on Blakely. “Oh good, you guys put her in her sleep sack. I was worried maybe the hay or fur would irritate her skin.”
“Is it really called a sleep sack?” I ask, feeling kind of irritated that Griffin was right.
She blinks up at me in confusion. “Yes? I’m pretty sure. Why?”
Grumbling, I just shake my head and mutter, “Doesn’t matter. You feeling okay for a walk?”
“I feel fantastic.” Edith is beaming and I’m glad her adjustment to the move into the house and all of us being here as well seems to have gone over well.
I’m certain that she and Jaxon have made up, and I’m tempted to ask, but the way she was grinning when they came home the other day told me he finally got his forgiveness in the best of ways.
“Why are you smiling like that, Mr. Cooper?” she asks, poking me in the side.
Barking out a laugh, I quickly let go of Edith’s hand to pat Blakely’s back when she fusses, startled by the noise. “Sorry, baby girl,” I whisper. Winking at Edith as she follows closely at my side, I tell her, “Just thinkin’ that Jaxon and you seem to have worked through your troubles. Am I right?”
She hums and blushes. “Mhmm. You know that means we’re all stuck together now, right? Think you can handle that?”
I let out a loud, exaggerated sigh. “I suppose I can tolerate them. Grab the door, would you?” We stop in front of Austin’s barn, and she hurries ahead to pull it open since I’ve got my arms full.
Austin already had his head over the stall wall to nip at Raleigh, then lifts his head to watch us with interest as we head toward him. The moment he sees Blakely, he snorts out a breath, shifting from side to side, interested but not quite knowing why.
Edith drags a hand over Raleigh’s nose in greeting before we make it to Austin. “I’m gonna need you to keep calm for me, buddy. Then I’ll bring her over so you can meet.” I’ve found myself talking more and more to him as well as those fucking cats, picking up on the habit from Edith and her long conversations with all of them.
I’m going to accept he understood because Austin lowers his head slowly, then tentatively stretches his neck toward our bundle, his nostrils working hard as he scents her.
Edith moves to his side and runs a hand up his neck, praising him for how sweet he’s being. “This is your little sister. You know when she starts riding, it’s you and Noir she’ll be learning on. So, just remember, she’s precious and breakable while she’s little like this.”
Austin pushes his nose against Blakely’s rump, which has her doing her best to turn her head. I adjust my hold so she’s laying in my arm, now facing my horse.
Both Edith and I chuckle when her eyes comically widen, taking in the massive face peering down at her. With Edith’s hand on his neck, he doesn’t try to nuzzle her again, but a heavy breath snorts out of him, fanning Blakely’s hair from the current.
She does that shuddered intake of breath, then purses her lips and blows a few bubbles from her lips.
Austin jerks his head back, curious now, then tries to step forward to get closer. I shift Blakely away so he can’t get too close, then run a hand over his nose. “You’ll get to see her plenty. This was just a lil’ meet and greet for now.”
Backing away, he spins in his stall, then comes back with that damn ball, gripping the rope between his teeth and drops it over the wall.
“Oh my Lord, how sweet is this? Aw, Austin. She can’t play just yet, but soon. It’ll feel like only a moment before she’ll be running around with you.”
I swallow hard at Edith’s words, realizing she’s right. Blakely is already two months old, and it feels like I’ve only blinked. Holding her a bit tighter, I bob my head toward the door. “Want to go see the cats? Maybe we’ll get lucky and you know who won’t be around. I’ll end the little…” I trail off, not wanting to swear.
Whispering her goodbyes to Austin, she kisses his nose, then holds her arms out for Blakely when she starts to whimper against me.
“I bet she’s ready for a nap, but I do want to go see them. I wish you’d let them in the house.”
It’s been the only cause for argument since moving here. “Girl, they can’t come in the house. They’ve been outside their entire lives. The barn is warm, dry, and comfortable for them. They are literal barn cats.”
“Kittens,” she argues, then sighs. “And I know. I just like to snuggle them.”
Smirking at her, I transfer a fussing Blakely into her arms, then lead us to the other barn with those nightmares, my hand low on her back.
As soon as we’re next door, Edith moves over to a hay bale and sits down, the cats already meowing and circling at her feet. Of fucking course, Billy is the first one to hop up next to her and I’m ready to throw him off if he even looks like he’s about to cause any sort of injury to my baby.
Placing my hand in front of his face to take the brunt, he bumps it, then rubs against my palm as if he’s marking his territory and dips his head lower to get a good sniff of her head.
“Are you kiddin’ me, Billy? Now is when you’re fine with me? Now, when—”
He blinks at me as if I’m stupid and rubs his body against Edith, then sits next to her. Bonnie and Buck check Blakely out as well, but they both leave her be. They’re curious but none of them get in her face.
I pick up Bonnie and place her on my shoulder, then sit next to Edith, bracing an arm behind her so she can lean against me.
Blakely is fast on her way to passing out against her momma, so Edith lays her head against my chest, humming in contentment. I’ve noticed more and more lately that when I get these little moments with her, she always turns her ear against my chest to listen to my heartbeat.
“You doin’ the thing again?”
She nods her head, closing her eyes with a smile.
“Heartfelt love.”
“I love when you’re sweet like this,” she murmurs. “I love listening to how you love me. I love you too.”
Pressing my lips to her head softly, I lay my cheek against her hair. “Course you do, girl.”
With a snort, she stays silent, and we just sit with our little girl sleeping. I’m not sure how long we stay, but a commotion starts up outside and I realize Edith has zoned out against me as well. She’s not asleep since she still has a firm hold on our baby, but when a loud bang sounds outside, she sits up to adjust Blakely to a more comfortable position.
“What’s going on?”
“Don’t know. Let me help you two up.” We’re outside moments later and I swear to God, I’m going to fucking blow a gasket when I see what Jaxon and Griffin are doing.
“Darlin’!” Griffin calls to her, jogging over with a shit-eating grin on his face. “Mason, would you hold Blakely for a minute? We gotta show Edith somethin’.”
I can feel my face turning red, but Edith sets Blakely in my arms, then squeals as she runs toward the trailer where Jaxon is urging a motherfucking donkey out the back and onto the grass.
They’ve set me up, those assholes. They knew I wasn’t going to be on board with this, so they worked against me and made me take the baby just so I wouldn’t lose my temper.
Gritting my teeth, I follow behind quickly. “Where did that thing come from? Are you guys kidding me right now?”
“Mason! He’s just so precious! Where did you guys find him?” She’s fucking cooing over him like he’s now the center of her world and I find myself actually jealous of a goddamn donkey!
“Isn’t he just precious?” Griffin teases, leaning in to whisper the words. “But seriously, he really needed to come here.”
Jaxon presses a kiss to her shoulder before handing over the lead. With his hands in his pockets, he struts, fucking struts over to join Griffin and me with a gleam in his eye.
“Before you get your panties all twisted, let us explain. We were at the store and overheard a couple complaining about a donkey who keeps getting loose near their home. Then they mentioned being worried about its health and upkeep. It was really concerning when they mentioned he seemed to be losing weight every time they saw him.”
I glance over at the donkey again and actually notice the dip of his stomach now and clear ribs protruding from his side. Studying him, it’s clear he hasn’t been well cared for.
Griffin picks up the story. “So, Jaxon and I had this idea that maybe we ought to swing by, just to check him out to make sure that couple wasn’t overreactin’. We found out where they lived and took a drive. Mason, he’s a mess. Jax immediately went to the door and put in an offer to buy him. They even sold us the trailer, so here we are.”
Working my jaw, I want to argue, but if I’m being honest, I may have done the same thing. “Lemme go check him over.” The transfer of Blakely is gentle since she’s dead to the world, and Griffin is more than happy to take her.
He turns her into his chest and whispers things she should dream about while I leave them to check out the donkey.
Christ, this place is becoming a fuckin’ zoo.
Peering at the side of Edith’s face, it’s obvious she’s in love with him already. I turn my head slightly to mouth, “Fuck you,” to the guys, then give them my back when they both smother their grins.
Sighing, I bump her side with my hip. “What’s his name?”
“Dino,” she breathes out. It takes everything in me not to roll my eyes. This bit of a woman I love has the world’s worsttaste in names. Although, she crushed it with Blakely, especially considering my girl is going to grow up a goddamn Cooper.
“You sure about this, girl? I can care for him, but we’ll have to bring in the vet and do our homework on them. I’ve never dealt with a donkey before.”
She seems affronted, and Jaxon starts laughing. I shoot him a glare to shut him up.
“I’m perfectly capable of caring for him, too. You don’t have to do it. I’ll cover all of his expenses as soon as I’m able to get—”
With a frustrated sound from the back of my throat, I yank her into my chest and guide her head to my chest. “This is our home. There won’t be any fuckin’ divvying up assets around here. You got it? I need you to get that shit right out of your head.”
Pinching my side in punishment, she thankfully doesn’t pull away. Instead, she tips her head back and rests her chin on my chest as she watches me. “Thank you for keeping him. Everyone deserves a bit of love.”
A lump builds in the back of my throat as it all clicks for me. I flick my eyes to Jaxon first, then Griffin, then down to Blakely. Gathering Edith into my arms, I hug her tightly.
Edith Hughes is a lover of the lonely.
“Jax, can you get Dino put in a stall on the other side of Austin? Fin, I think that little girl needs a quick visit with her namesake. I’m sure Ruth is just itchin’ to have an afternoon with the girl.”
A flash of heat and want dances across her face. The other two have no problems picking up what I’m thinking. Sweeping Edith into my arms, I call over my shoulder, “We’re gonna go hop in the shower. See ya in a bit!”