5. Makari #3
He moved through all the features on the tablet, explaining how to set the alarm and monitor the sensors. He also helped me download and set up the app on my phone. Surprisingly, Omiri fell back and let the two of us work through that alone. I half-expected him to demand access.
“There’s also a panic button on the app and with this.” He dug a tiny black key fob from his pocket, which he handed over. “Top button is the panic button, the bottom one arms the security system remotely.”
“A panic button seems excessive.”
He nodded. “People think that until they need it. There are a lot of cases where people pull up on you in the driveway. You’re just getting home, not really paying attention or…”
“Focused on the baby,” Omiri cut in and the guy nodded.
“Exactly. You press that button and your alarm goes off. Most of the time they take off. It’s not a hundred percent but it helps.”
I brushed my fingers over it and nodded. “Makes sense. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Here’s my card. If you have any issues, I’m your sales rep. Contact me directly and…”
“She doesn’t need that.” Omiri took it from his hand and I grilled the hell out of him.
“And when this thing acts up what am I supposed to do?”
“Call me. I walked through this entire thing with them. I know how it works and if I can’t figure it out, I’ll call.”
The poor guy didn’t know what to do so he backed away and addressed Omiri. “You have the elite system with twenty-four hour monitoring, so if there’s ever any issues, we notify the cops for you and also send out one of our units. That’s pretty much everything, so I’m going to head out.”
He glanced at me with an awkward smile before Omiri followed him out. When he came back and closed the door behind him, I frowned hard. “Did you leave something?”
“No, I’m chilling for a minute. There’s one more person on the way.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“No.” He dropped onto the sofa, making it very obvious the difference in what I had before versus what was cradling his large body now.
“I’m living in a gotdamn twilight zone. What else could you possibly have scheduled.”
“Baby proofing. They just texted and said they’ll be here in twenty.”
“I don’t need that. She’s four months old. She can’t even crawl yet.”
Avi was scooting and rolling over, which made me think she would be crawling very soon, but I was exhausted by the day and him.
“With the amount of money I had to pay to get them here today, I’m not canceling.”
I stared at this man who had taken over my life in a matter of hours. He was everywhere. Security system, furniture, the way he damn smelled, and how sexy he looked stretched out on my new sofa I didn’t ask for but was kinda feeling.
“Are you trying to make me hate you?”
“I don’t need to try to make you feel shit you’re clearly already feeling.”
“You’re completely disrupting our life. You didn’t ask me a damn thing. You just did all this.” My eyes bounced around the room before they landed on him again. His expression was hard and I already knew where his mind went.
I kept her from him…
He had the right…
“If you want to be mad at me, fine, be mad, but you can’t just take over everything without including me.”
“That isn’t what this is about.”
“That’s damn sure what it feels like. All day you’ve been making decisions for us like I don’t fucking exist, like you’re trying to prove some kind of point.”
His eyes narrowed and dropped to Avi who was grabbing at my shirt. “Maybe I am returning the favor because you damn sure made decisions for me, didn’t you?”
“You know what, I give up. Do whatever the hell you want. I deserve that. I kept a kid from you that you didn’t want.
Hell, I’m still not sure you want her. You’re pushing so hard to be here but not once have you even asked to hold her.
Every time you look at her you’re frowning like she’s an inconvenience or a problem in your life.
There is no award for father of the year, but if there was, you damn sure wouldn’t win it by throwing your money and weight around to prove you have pull that I don’t.
Try interacting with your daughter, Omiri.
That might actually win you some favor with me. ”
I turned to storm out the room and he moved off the sofa quick as hell and blocked my path. The way he glared at me had me taking a step back.
“Don’t speak on shit that you don’t know.
All this is about keeping her safe. Hell, even keeping your annoying ass safe, because like it or not, you’re her mother and that’s important.
I can’t do this without you…” He paused and narrowed his eyes.
“For now. You told me to make her a priority. That’s what the fuck I’m doing.
I want her safe. I’m damn sure not gonna apologize for that. ”
His tone was harsh but the look in his eyes had me staring more closely. The cockiness and arrogance was there but he also seemed vulnerable and sincere.
“She’s been safe with me for the past four months.”
“I’m not saying she wasn’t but shit is different now. You don’t have to play every role in her life, so let me do what the fuck I do.”
The intensity of his voice made a rush of awareness crawl down my spine with a reminder of that same attraction and pull I felt toward him the night we met. My body responded to his assertiveness even when my mind knew better than to travel down that road again.
I left things where they were, walked over to Avi’s swing, and lifted her into my arms. “I need to get her changed and give her a bottle. I’m assuming you can handle the baby proofing.”
I needed distance before I said something stupid.
“Yeah, I got it.”
“Good, just please make sure they stay out of my personal shit.”
I turned and left the room but could feel his eyes on me. Regardless of how annoyed I was that he had been here disrupting my life all day, a small part of me didn’t mind having him around.
Which was definitely going to be a problem…
I fed Avi, got her changed and down for her last nap of the day then went back into the living room where I found Omiri stretched out on the sofa looking completely at home and in his element.
He had one arm draped across the back and his leg stretched across the seat with the other planted on the floor.
He had his phone to his ear, and as soon as I was in the room, he was tracking my every move while he spoke to whoever had his attention.
“I’mma pull up when I’m done here. She said she would only be another half hour at most. Yeah, I promise I got you.”
I rolled my eyes when a woman in jeans and a teal T-shirt with Safe Steps stretched across the front entered the living room, smiling at me. She had a clipboard in hand which she tucked against her chest and extended the other one to me.
“Ms. Phoenix?”
I nodded and accepted and we shook. “Makari is fine.”
“Hi, I’m Carmen. I’m assuming you’re aware that Mr. Hayes scheduled an assessment for your little one today.”
“I’m aware.” I cut my eyes in his direction and his were already on me so I quickly looked back at Carmen.
“Avi just turned four months; so this is premature.”
Carmen smiled softly. “They grow so fast you’d be surprised how quickly they can get into things and become a danger to themselves just because of their little curious minds. It may seem premature but better safe than sorry.”
I couldn’t disagree but the problem was this wasn’t my idea and that annoyed me.
I wouldn’t, however, take my frustrations out on this woman.
The problem was the man who was now growling at whoever pissed him off.
I would have to guess he was on a different call based on the shift in his tone.
The conversation was more heated whereas the one prior was more lax and casual.
“I agree, today has just been…” I cut my eyes at Omiri and sighed. “Stressful.”
She followed my line of sight and smiled wider. “First time dad?”
I narrowed my eyes at her and she seemed oblivious so I had to ask. If she knew Omiri, she would have known he didn’t have kids and that would make Avi his first. Or hell, he could have told her our situation. “You don’t know who he is?”
She frowned slightly. “No, should I?”
I studied her for a minute longer. “Omiri Hayes.”
She still seemed clueless and I relaxed. “He’s the quarterback for the Sharks.”
“Oh, well, that makes sense considering how much he paid for the appointment. He never mentioned who he was when he called. Only that if I could fit him in, he would pay whatever. I’m also not a sports girlie so there’s no way I would recognize any of the Sharks players, or hell, any of the pro athletes.
Well I do know Jabari because I baby proofed their house and that man is fine, fine.
Kinnidi is sweet too and don’t play about that fine man either.
” She grinned and I almost laughed. I knew exactly how fine Jabari Hicks was.
“Well if you’re into ball players, try for his best friend. Meyer just got divorced so he’s free game, because you’re right, Kinnidi don’t play about that man.”
She waved me off. “I don’t do celebrities. They’re pretty to look at but come with way more baggage than I can handle. I like my little simple life.”
I grunted and she flashed me a smile. “But you know about that, don’t you?”
“I’m learning.” I cut my eyes his way. “And please don’t mention any of this, I mean being here or us…”
She shook her head. “You don’t have to worry about that.
The amount of paperwork I had to sign to accept this job made my head spin.
I wasn’t sure why, but then again, people are funny about their kids and the privacy of their kids.
It makes more sense now, why he requested me and not any of my staff. ”
“You own it?”
“I do. Been doing this for six years, and regardless of what I signed, I would never share my clients’ personal details.” She walked to the corner and dug through a backpack on the floor, bringing a tablet to me when she had it in hand.