Chapter 19
When Bella accidentally slapped the baby food, Claire opened another jar to ensure Bella was well-fed.
Wade nodded to the kitchen doorway. “Maybe we should move to the living room so I can engage with your dad while he eats too?”
They didn’t have an official dining table since Dad had a tray on his recliner. Dad, too, seemed to light up in Wade’s presence, even switching off his cherished TV show.
“You should’ve seen me at the senior center’s chess game,” he bragged, his food forgotten. “I wiped the floor with every single one of them. Even Mickey, and yet he’s been practicing for weeks.”
“What was Mickey thinking to imagine he had a chance of beating you?” Wade grinned as he fed Bella. “Anyone who messes with you in chess has another thing coming.”
His easy fit into their evening unsettled Claire. It wasn’t just his words—it was the way he made her dad laugh, the way he folded into their space as if he belonged, the way he’d always been part of their history. It was too easy to imagine this wasn’t temporary.
She hovered nearby, in case Wade tired of feeding Bella. How come she couldn’t make Dad light up like that lately? Wade was leaving tomorrow, tonight actually, and Claire had no idea how to reinsert his easy charm into their lives.
“You’re still married to my daughter, right?” Dad’s voice cut through her thoughts.
“Yes, sir.” Wade winked at Claire. “Work’s been busy, but I’m here now.”
It sounded convincing enough, but the look Wade had given her lingered. He’s here for Bella.
As if hearing her thoughts, he focused on Bella, who yanked the spoon from him and gleefully smacked it on the feeding tray before smearing it through her hair, now streaked with orange mush.
“Are you feeding yourself, Bella?” he teased in a high-pitched tone, earning another round of giggles. She flung the spoon toward the jar, knocked it over on the tray, and clapped her hands in the mush, reveling in the mess.
When Wade leaned closer, Bella reached out with her sticky hands and smeared carrot globs across his cheek.
He froze before laughing and wiping his cheek with the back of his hand. He winced as his tongue swiped his lower lip. “I just tasted baby carrots.”
Claire’s stomach bubbled, laughter reigniting the throb at her temples. “She’s going to need a bath eventually.” She left for the kitchen to grab wipes, but when she returned, Wade had already unbuckled Bella and scooped her from the high chair.
“I’ll take care of her.” He held Bella secure against his chest.
Dad chuckled, his fork raking through the potato salad.
“Do you need the bathroom first, Dad?”
“I’m good.” He waved his fork. “You two go ahead.”
Claire looked back at Wade, who stood there waiting, Bella tugging at his shirt collar with sticky fingers. The charming image had Claire’s heart constricting. He had a way of thawing her walls—and that terrified her.
As she led him down the hall, she hoped the bathroom wasn’t as messy as the day Lauren visited. Meanwhile, she enjoyed listening to his low laugh as Bella babbled her nonsense.
Whew. Claire breathed out. The room was clean this time—well, sorta.
A bag of her dad’s unused disposable briefs lay in the center of the room.
She cringed and toed them to the corner.
She then moved the toothpaste and Dad’s toothbrush and put it in the blue toothbrush holder. “I didn’t expect company.”
“No need to apologize.” He sounded as if the mess didn’t bother him.
She straightened, flipped a loop of hair from her face, and gestured toward the essentials.
“The green dial adjusts the water temperature—it should be perfect, but double-check it just in case.” She pointed to the sailboat toy bin where Bella’s bath toys were neatly stacked, a habit Claire adopted after Lauren’s last inspection.
“You’ll need the pink towel with the princess hood. It’s hanging behind the door.”
“I’ve bathed my nieces and nephews before, you know.” Wade knelt by the tub and flashed the boyish grin that always made Claire lose balance.
“Uh-huh.” She crossed her arms and braced against the doorway. “Sure you have.”
His eyes sparkled. “I hear the sarcasm. You think I’m incapable?”
“Your words.” She bit back a laugh. “Not mine.”
She meant to linger only a moment, but his strong arms, flexing as he washed Bella and wiped every crease with precision, snagged her attention.
His low voice babbled nonsense, drawing giggles from Bella—bright, infectious laughter that made her wiggle too much.
Then, with a splash, she tipped backward into the water.
“Oh no!” His panicked voice cut through the playful atmosphere. He scooped Bella from the water, her small body coughing and sputtering.
Claire grabbed the towel from the door, but before she could reach them, Bella gasped—and burst into laughter.
Wade’s face remained pale, his eyes wide.
Claire hesitated, then hung the towel back on its hook. “She’s okay.”
“She almost drowned,” he muttered, cradling Bella against his shoulder.
She squirmed and craned to peer at the bathtub, clearly ready for round two.
“She wouldn’t have drowned with us here.”
He handed Bella back to Claire, his grip lingering as if letting go would somehow invite disaster.
“You can put her back in.” Perhaps ending on a good note would ease his fear. “Let’s just add some bubbles and let her have her fun.”
With the bubbles added, she reclaimed her post by the doorframe, letting him work through it. His jaw tightened, and he lowered Bella into the bathtub. Why was he so shaken?
Bella splashed water over his shirt and the floor. His laugh came shaky, but each time Bella giggled, he loosened up, steadying her when she leaned too far back.
His brow furrowed as he lathered tear-free shampoo into her hair, his movements careful, but not clueless.
Claire shifted her weight. The headache pressing behind her eyes offered a sharp reminder of how much medication she’d already taken today. Could she take more? Maybe.
But she couldn’t focus on discomfort when his deep voice rumbled in the bathroom. He sang nursery rhymes and brought bath animal toys to life with growls and squeaks that sent Bella into laughing fits. Refreshing—that was the word. It was refreshing to see him like this.
With each giggle, Bella splashed harder, water flying everywhere. His hair was damp now, stray pieces sticking to his forehead, and his shirt clung to him like he’d run through a sprinkler.
“You’re soaked.” Claire stifled a laugh.
“Bella thinks it’s hilarious.” He flashed his temperature-elevating grin.
By the time he’d cleaned Bella and snuggled her in a towel, he looked like he’d been through a mini hurricane.
“Can you hold Bella?” he asked. When Claire complied, he stripped off his shirt and tossed it in the tub. “I’ll come back and clean this up.”
Her jaw dropped, and she barely registered when he moved to take Bella back.
“Are you okay, Cupcake?”
That knowing smirk. Was the furnace turned to a hundred suddenly? It was hot. He’d caught her gawking.
Claire led the way to her bedroom and handed him Bella’s footie pajamas. “She’s all yours.”
“She belongs to both of us, and you’re staying here to walk me through.”
I can do this. Her heart racing, she kept her focus on Bella.
He laid her on the blanket on the floor, the towel still wrapped around her. She cooed and wiggled, rolling onto her side as he reached for a diaper. He studied it, flipped it over, then put it on backward.
Claire snorted, covering her mouth with her hand.
“You’re just going to enjoy the show, aren’t you?” He lifted his gaze to hers.
Her eyes betrayed her, raking over his rippled muscles and hairy chest. Yes, she was enjoying the show. She’d enjoyed those muscles several summers ago when they used to swim with Albert, but now, as an adult? Yes, he was… well. She mentally counted backward, keeping her gaze on his face.
“I should probably grab the camera.”
“Very funny.” Wade rolled his eyes, but his lips twitched. He took off the diaper and repositioned it while keeping Bella from rolling over.
“Was I supposed to put on lotion first?”
“Juice.” Huh? Claire slapped her hand on her forehead. The fever must have kicked up.
“You mean lotion?” He laughed and slid the bottle from the supply basket, perhaps enjoying her flusterment as much as she was enjoying his show.
In the end, he insisted she help him dress Bella. Claire managed not to look at him as she applied cream to the minimal diaper rash on Bella’s bottom while he hovered nearby, his scent intoxicating.
“What did the doctor say about this?”
“It’s common.” It wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been before she’d started using the cream.
She gestured toward the well-worn copy of What to Expect the First Year on the dresser among her jewelry supplies.
“That baby book over there? It has an entire section on this. You might want to start reading up.”
He chuckled, tickling Bella’s tummy and grinning when she squealed out laughter. “I should.” The tenderness in his expression tugged at something deep in Claire’s chest.
Bella was dressed and ready for bed. Claire’s bed dipped when he settled there, the baby towel draped over his lap and shoulder.
Cradling Bella, he read a bedtime story.
Claire cocked a hip against the doorframe.
Bella, wide-eyed and unusually still, hung on his every word—a focus Claire never managed to capture during story time.
Did he remind Bella of Albert? Wade’s skin was lighter than Albert’s. Maybe Bella had bonded with Wade, during the times he’d stopped by, sang made-up ditties, and made fun of Albert learning nursery rhymes. Still, something about the way she nestled against Wade made Claire’s throat tighten.
When he carried Bella to her Pack ’n Play, he paused and held her longer than necessary.
“Thanks for helping with the bath,” Claire whispered to match the quiet of the room.