Chapter 3
“Motorcycles don’t come with baby seats.”
Zane
I place the baby in the carrier.
“Okay, baby. We’re going to my brothers. They’ll know what to do.”
I have five brothers – Eli, Rhett, Jaxon, Miles, and Kai – who have always been there for me. Ever since the day my dad left us when I was eleven, I’ve relied on them to help me solve my problems. And if ever there was a problem I needed help solving, this is it.
I march toward the garage but come to a screeching halt in front of my motorcycle. I can’t exactly put a baby seat on the back of my bike.
“Shit.”
I debate calling one of my brothers to pick me up, but this isn’t news I want to share more than once. Ride share it is.
“Hey, Trent,” I greet the doorman of Rumrunner ten minutes later.
Rumrunner is a speakeasy complete with a hidden door down an alley you wouldn’t otherwise notice.
Tourists have to solve a riddle to enter, but locals don’t.
It’s also where Kai’s girlfriend, Harper, works and where my brothers have gathered tonight to watch Harper’s grand gesture to Kai.
Daisy couldn’t have picked a worse night to drop a baby on my doorstep.
“Are you carrying a baby?”
Does he think I’m carrying a doll in the baby seat?
“Is it your baby?”
I growl. Adele isn’t an ‘it’.
He holds up his hands. “Whatever. Go on inside. Take your baby into a bar. Great parenting.”
I freeze. I don’t want to be a parent. But maybe bringing Adele here was a bad idea. Maybe I should call my brothers and ask them to come outside.
“Zane!” Miles waves at me. “What are you waiting for? A personal invitation?”
Too late to escape now.
Harper and Kai are kissing on the stage while some Taylor Swift song plays in the background as I enter. I guess the grand gesture is over and they’ve moved on to the loving portion of the evening. Good for them.
I don’t want a relationship, but I’m happy for my baby brother. He’s been mooning over Harper for months. I’m glad they worked things out.
I make my way toward my brothers. Rhett has his arms wrapped around his fiancée, Dakota, as they sway to the music while Jaxon and his wife, Blossom, whisper to each other.
“Where are Eli and Paisley?” I ask Miles since he’s the only brother not involved with a partner.
“They’re staying home with Stephanie.”
Eli’s girlfriend, Paisley, recently had a baby girl. I’m not surprised they stayed home. My oldest brother turned into an overprotective brute the second Paisley announced she was pregnant.
“Why are you late?” Miles points to the baby seat. “And what prank are we pulling?”
Adele lets out a wail and his eyes widen. “You brought a real baby as a prank? This is going to be epic.”
I scowl. “Adele isn’t a prank.”
Although, I can understand why he’d think she is. I’ve been pulling pranks on my brothers since I figured out how to lock the inside of a closet door.
His brow wrinkles. “Are you babysitting? Dude.” He shakes his head. “I didn’t realize the lengths you’d go to for a woman.”
Honestly, I don’t have to do much to get a woman. Crook my finger, show them my dimples. Not much else needed.
Adele lets out another wail. I jiggle the baby seat but she continues to cry. Great.
I unbuckle her and lift her into my arms. I sway her from side to side, but she doesn’t calm down.
“What is happening?” Rhett asks.
“Is there a baby in Zane’s arms or am I hallucinating?” Dakota asks.
“If you’re hallucinating, then so am I,” Blossom says.
“Why are you holding a baby?” Jaxon asks.
Kai and Harper hurry toward us. “Whose baby is this?” Harper asks. “Do I need to contact the police to report a lost baby?”
I open my mouth to answer but I lose my train of thought when the bartender stomps toward me. Sloane has always been off limits to me. She’s older and is friends with my brothers and their friends.
All of which equals messy. And I don’t do messy. Or commitment. Or relationships.
But her being off limits doesn’t stop my pulse from increasing when her breasts bounce as she makes her way through the crowd. Her dark brown eyes narrow on me, and her light brown hair with streaks of blonde in it flies behind her. She reminds me of a revenging angel.
Except I have no interest in stripping down an angel. But what I wouldn’t give for one night with Sloane. Off limits, I remind myself.
“What are you doing to this poor baby?” she asks before snatching Adele out of my arms.
“What’s wrong, sweetie pie?” She coos to the baby. “Do you need to be changed?” She lifts her up and sniffs her diaper. “Nope. No need to be changed. You must be hungry.”
Sloane switches her attention to me. “When did she eat last?”
“I don’t know.”
She blinks. “You don’t know? How can you not know?”
I stuff my hands in my pockets and shrug. I’m not explaining to this woman, I yearn to spend a night twisted up in the sheets with, how Adele was dropped on my doorstep thirty minutes ago.
She rolls her eyes. “Typical.” She snags the baby seat before whirling around and marching away.
I start after her but Miles stops me. “What is going on?”
“Not here.”
“Come on.” Harper motions me toward the back hallway. “We can discuss this in my office.”
I trudge behind my brothers as we make our way through the crowd to her office. When we arrive, Sloane is on the sofa feeding Adele.
“Where did you get a bottle to feed her?” I ask.
“It was in the bag in the baby seat.”
“What in the hell is going on?” Rhett asks before shutting the door behind him.
“I…” My gaze lands on Sloane, and I trail off. I’m not embarrassed of being a player, but I don’t want her to know about the baby.
She waves at me to proceed. “I’m going to hear all about it via the smuggler’s grapevine anyway.”
She’s not wrong. The islanders are dead serious about gossiping. Keeping a secret on the island is next to impossible.
I swallow. So much for resolving this situation before everyone on the island finds out. “A woman showed up on my doorstep, claimed Adele is my baby, and left.”
Miles whistles. “Dude.”
“Some random woman?” Jaxon asks. “You didn’t know her?”
My face warms. “She said her name is Daisy, but I didn’t recognize her.”
“Figures,” Sloane mutters.
Another reason why I will never touch Sloane. Her opinion of me isn’t great.
“Are you certain she’s your baby?” Jaxon asks.
“She has the Raider blue eyes.”
“You should have a paternity test done to be certain,” Blossom says.
I’m hoping to resolve this situation before a paternity test is needed. I keep the thought to myself and make some non-committal noise. It must work since my family drops the subject.
“What are you going to do?” Dakota asks.
“Find Daisy and give her back her baby.”
“Do you know who Daisy is? Do you have her last name? Where she lives?” Rhett throws questions out at me.
“No.”
He whips out his phone. “I’ll get Eli on the case.”
I’ve never been more thankful that my oldest brother is a billionaire. Over the past year since he’s been back home, I’ve learned how much money can help solve ‘difficult’ situations.
“What are you going to do in the meantime?” Dakota asks. “You’re not going to drop her into the foster system, are you?”
She was raised in the foster system. In fact, they have two foster children they’ve adopted. As much as I wish I could call a social worker to handle Adele, I won’t. I don’t shirk my duties. I’m not my father.
“Do you want us to take Adele? We have everything we need for a baby since we have Mira.”
I should say yes. It’s the easy and logical response after all. But when I look at Adele, I can’t fathom letting someone else care for her. It’s irrational. I don’t even know if she’s mine.
“Nah.”
Dakota studies me for a moment before nodding. “We’ll bring you over some supplies to get you through the night.”
“Thanks.”
“In the meantime,” Sloane stands, “it’s time for daddy to burp the baby.”
Daddy? I’m no daddy, whether or not I’m the biological father to this baby.
I hold up my hands and retreat a step. “But you’re doing such a good job.”
“Don’t be a scaredy-cat.”
She shoves the baby into my arms and I’m forced to catch her. “What do I do?” I ask as I hold Adele at arm’s length.
“Put her over your shoulder and pat her back.”
“Do you want me to do it?” Dakota reaches for the baby, but before she can take her, Adele burps and a stream of white liquid emits from her mouth.
I stare at the front of my shirt, which is now covered in spit-up. “Is this normal?”
Sloane giggles in response. “Welcome to parenthood.”
My stomach curdles. Parenthood? I am not father material.