Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Sloane
I’m barely backed out of the driveway when my phone rings. I smile when I see Corie’s name flash on the dashboard. “Hello, my bestie,” I greet after hitting the Answer button.
“Morning. Are you on your way to Baker’s?”
“I am. Shouldn’t you be at work already?”
“Yeah. I had some morning sickness, so I told them I was going to be a little late.”
“You okay?”
“Of course. This little one was just letting me know he or she was in there.” I don’t have to see her smile to know it’s there. I can hear the happiness in her voice.
“I’m so happy for you, Core.”
“Thank you. You know your forever guy is out there, right?” she asks.
“I’m sure he is, but it’s finding him that’s the issue.” I laugh. My dating history has given us lots to laugh about over the years.
“Are you ready for today?”
“Are you kidding me? One kid compared to twenty-plus, this will be a piece of cake.” It’s true. Wrangling twenty-plus five-year-olds is exhausting. One two-year-old will seem like a simple walk in the park, so to speak.
“Cam is such a sweetie,” she says with affection.
“He is. It’s a hell of a lot better than waiting tables and having drunk assholes grope me all night for measly tips. I mean, he’s paying me well, so even if Camden were a holy terror, I’d suck it up.”
“But he’s not, and this is going to be great.”
“I agree. Baker is actually helping me as much as I’m helping him, so it’s a win-win.”
“Well, good luck, not that you’ll need it. I’m a little jealous you get to spend so much time with Cam. Call me tonight and let me know how it goes, and you might as well text the ladies group chat, because you know they’re going to be asking, too.”
I chuckle. “Sounds good. Have a good day.”
“You, too.” The call ends just as I pull into their neighborhood.
Foster is the only one who doesn’t live here, and something tells me he’s not opposed to it; he’s just waiting for something or someone.
Maybe he wants to find his forever love before he makes a move.
Either way, I know the guys have been working on him, telling him he needs to buy a house in the neighborhood.
It’s only a matter of time before they wear him down.
Turning into the driveway, I grab my phone, keys, and purse, and climb out of the car.
My foot is barely on the first step when the front door opens.
Baker is standing there in a pair of gray sweats, his hair mussed, and he’s not wearing a shirt.
Camden is sitting on his hip, grinning, with a baby pancake in his hands.
“Swoan!” he cheers.
“Hey, Cam.” I smile at him while I force my eyes away from his father’s bare chest. I’ve seen Baker shirtless countless times.
Today, it’s hitting different. Is it the mussed hair?
The gray sweats, which are like porn for me, or maybe it’s the adorable little boy in his arms. My eyes take him in again, and I decide it's all the above.
“Daddy Sin.” I smile at him, trying my hardest to keep my eyes locked on his hazel ones. He really does have beautiful eyes.
“Morning, Sloane,” Baker says, his voice gruff.
Damn, Daddy Sin is sexy first thing in the morning.
“Swoan!” Camden says again, reaching for me.
“Bud, you’re all sticky.” Baker laughs as Camden reaches for me.
“This isn’t my first rodeo. Come here, cutie.” I step close, dropping my phone and keys into my purse, letting it fall to the porch, and take Camden from his daddy’s arms. “What do you have there?”
“Pamcake.” He holds it up so that I can see.
“Yum.”
Camden takes a big bite. “Yum,” he says, mocking me.
“You’re too cute,” I say, tickling his side.
He squirms and laughs, and it brightens my day.
This is the right choice. I don’t know why life led me here to this moment, but I know it’s the right move.
This little man deserves all the love and affection I can shower him with, and I plan to do exactly that while I’m here.
“Come on in,” Baker says, rubbing the back of his neck. He steps to the side and pushes open the door, allowing me to walk through. I keep my eyes on his son, because the man is too damn distracting right now, and I know myself. I won’t be able to hold back from ogling him.
Focus, Sloane.
“Bite?” Camden offers me his pancake.
I pretend to take an exaggerated bite. “Delicious!” I say excitedly, and he giggles, before turning to his dad.
“Bite.”
Baker’s eyes soften as he leans in and takes a small nibble of his son's breakfast. His scent, something woodsy, washes over me, and I shift my stance, taking a step back to get a reprieve. “Thanks, bud.” Baker smiles at his son.
He’s being a good dad while I stand here thinking about how delicious he smells. I need to get my head on straight. “What’s on the agenda for the day?” I ask Baker, walking to the opposite side of the island, to put some space between us.
“This little guy is going to need a bath, and then I thought we could go to the park. I could show you our route and all his favorite things there.”
“Oh, the park. Are we going to go down the slide?” I ask Camden.
“Swide!” he says, bouncing in his seat.
“Hmmm, well, I think you need to finish that pancake, and is this yours?” I reach for the sippy cup of milk and hand it to him. He gets a hold of it and takes a long pull from his milk.
“Ahh,” he says, once he’s done, and I can’t hold in my laughter. This kid is cute as hell.
“That good, huh?” I ask him. He bobs his little head, taking another dramatic bite of his pancake.
“Eat up, bud. Daddy needs to shower, and you need a bath.”
“Go on and shower. I got this little guy,” I tell Baker. The sooner he gets rid of the gray sweats, the better.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. Go do your thing. Take a long, hot shower,” I say, clearing my throat, because I choked out the last part. I do not need to be thinking about that man all wet and soapy in the shower. Nope. Not going there.
“Thanks, Sloane. Cam, be good for Sloane,” he tells his son. “There are towels in the bathroom closet, and it’s his bathroom, so there are toys all over, and all his bath stuff,” Baker rambles.
“I’ll figure it out,” I assure him. He nods and turns, walking out of the room.
“You'd better get your belly full so we can go to the park,” I tell Camden.
“Swide!”
“That’s right. We’ll go down the slide, but this belly needs to be full.” I gently poke his belly, and he giggles.
So much better than waiting tables.
I place Camden in his high chair and start cleaning up the kitchen while he eats. We’re done at the same time, and I grin down at him. “Let’s go wash the sticky off you, kiddo.” I unstrap him from the chair and carry him upstairs to his room.
When Baker was giving me a tour on Saturday night, he told me that he has two rooms. His primary bedroom is downstairs, but he’s also claimed one of the guest rooms at the end of the hall, just to be closer to Camden, especially on nights when he’s sick.
Watching that man love and care for his son is truly a sight to behold, but getting this behind-the-scenes view is even better.
I can’t fathom how Natasha is okay with missing this.
I bounce Camden on my hip with each step we take up the stairs.
He giggles and holds on to my shirt. Once we reach the landing, I take us the short distance to what Baker refers to as Camden’s bathroom, and my quick glimpse yesterday didn’t show me all the toys, bubbles, and childproofing in this room.
“Your daddy loves you so much,” I tell Camden.
“Now, let’s get you a bath.” I start the water to let it warm before stripping him out of his clothes.
I leave the diaper on him until we’re ready to get into the tub.
I’ve babysat enough kids in my day to understand that a toddler who isn't potty-trained and isn't wearing a diaper is never a good idea.
Testing the water, I wrangle Camden, dispose of his diaper, and lift him into the tub.
He instantly splashes and squeals with delight.
He doesn’t complain when I wash his hair, just zooms his little toy boat around the tub and lets me do my thing.
In no time, I’m draining the water and wrapping a towel around his little body.
His little lip quivers from the chill of the air conditioning.
“I’m sorry, bud. Let’s get you dressed to warm you up.” He wiggles in the towel when I lift him into my arms. I toss him over my shoulder, knowing damn well I could be getting pissed on right now, but that’s why I brought extra clothes.
In his room, I set him on his feet and see that Baker’s laid out a diaper and clothes for him. I make quick work of getting him dried off and dressed, including a fresh diaper, then run the towel over his hair.
“You have your daddy’s dark hair, don’t ya?” I ask him.
“Daddy.” He nods. He reaches out and touches my hair.
My hair is what most call dirty blonde. It’s basically a mix of blonde and brown. Camden’s hair is dark like his daddy's, and I have no doubt this little boy is going to be a heartbreaker with the ladies when he’s older.
Stretching out my arm, I snag the comb from the dresser and comb his hair. “You’re so handsome,” I tell him. I don’t know if he understands, but he launches himself at me, wrapping his little arms around my neck and melting my heart into a puddle right here on the carpet of his bedroom floor.
“Thank you for the hug,” I tell him, enfolding my arms around him. He’s not in a hurry to let go, so I hold on to him until he is, letting him soak up all the love and affection he needs.
“Daddy!” He pulls away and stumbles a little as his little legs carry him to the door.
Looking up, I see Baker standing in the doorway, his legs crossed at his ankles and his hands shoved into the pockets of his shorts.
His hair is still wet from his shower, but he’s fully clothed, and those damn gray sweats are nowhere in sight.