Chapter Seventeen
EMERSON SETTLED brENNAN into the baby bath, stealing a glance at Baz as he set a towel on the table. It had been three days since their first kiss, and even though they’d shared a hundred since then, every time they were together, she wanted more.
She held out her hand. “Squirt me, Wicked.”
“Why, Lockhart, how very forward of you.” He cocked a grin. “You sure you want it in your hand? I can think of several other places it might be better received.”
“Get your mind out of the gutter, and give me some baby wash.”
He squirted some into her hand. “You’re the one who asked me to squirt you wicked.”
“There was a comma in there and a capital W.”
“Not to this non-editorial ear.”
She smiled and shook her head as she bathed Brennan. “Does that feel good, baby?”
“What I wouldn’t do to fit in a sink right now.”
“Would you stop ?”
“Just sayin’.” He lifted Brennan up so she could wash his back.
“Careful, he’s slippery.”
“He’s no slipperier than a wet cat.”
“Oh yeah? Have you had a lot of cats?”
“Is thirty-four a lot?” He laid Brennan in the bath again and tickled his belly.
“Oh my gosh. What are you, a cat hoarder?”
“Hey, don’t judge me. I was only eleven when I built cat condos in the woods behind my parents’ house for all the stray cats in the neighborhood.”
“ Aw , Baz. That’s one of the cutest things I’ve ever heard, and I’m not surprised, with that big heart of yours.”
“The Pussy Palace isn’t cute .” He looked at Brennan. “Can you believe her, buddy? You’re cute; the condos are cool.”
“ Cool. Sorry.” She pictured Baz as a boy, surrounded by stray cats gazing adoringly at him as he hammered away. “Did the cats appreciate your hard work?”
“Hell yeah. I took good care of them. I fed them and made sure they had fresh water every day.” He wiped a drip of water away from Brennan’s eyes. “And when a vet came to speak to our class at school about the importance of spaying and neutering pets, I cut lawns and did chores and odd jobs around the neighborhood to raise money to have them fixed.”
She stopped bathing Brennan and looked at him. “You really have always been that guy who helps others, haven’t you? Is that why you became a vet?”
“That’s a big part of it. One of the cats was really sick and needed to be put down. I stayed with him when they did it. It was heart-wrenching, but based on the cat’s scars, he’d lived a rough life, and holding him as he left our world, letting him feel loved as he closed his eyes for the last time, felt good. That’s what really did it for me.”
“That takes a special person. I couldn’t do it.”
“It’s not easy, but I’m glad I’m able to be there for the animals and their families.” His voice was thick with emotion. “Anyway, the cat condos are still there, and I’m sure stray cats are partying it up.” He brushed a hand over Brennan’s body. “Ready to wash little man’s hair?”
“Yeah.”
Baz put his hand on Brennan’s forehead, blocking the water from going into his eyes. He’d helped her bathe him a few times, and they’d fallen into an easy bath-time routine. “I’ve got you, buddy.”
She washed and rinsed Brennan’s hair. “What a big boy you are.”
Baz leaned into her side. “Thanks, but you don’t have to stroke my ego.”
“You know you love it,” she said, playing along. “What hairstyles are we going to rock today?”
Brennan’s hair still refused to lie flat when it was dry, but they had fun with it when it was wet. She flattened Brennan’s hair, and Baz made one sprig stand straight up in the back. They both said, “Alfalfa,” and cracked up. “Let’s try Guy Fieri,” Baz said, making all of Brennan’s hair stand up.
“Your turn.” She wet her hands and ran them through Baz’s hair, making it stand up in the front and getting his face wet in the process, both of them laughing. She pulled out her phone, and Baz put his face next to Brennan’s as she took a picture.
“Next time we’ll have Mama hold you and we’ll make her look funky.” He lifted Brennan out of the tub, and a stream of urine hit his chest. “Whoa, dude!” He swung Brennan away from him just as Emerson said, “ Oh no ,” and the urine hit her in the face. She shrieked, “My mowf !” and spit into the empty side of the sink.
“ Mama down , Mama down ,” Baz said as she rinsed out her mouth, both of them cracking up. He wrapped Brennan in a towel and hugged him, still laughing. “Don’t worry, Little B. I’ll teach you all the things you need to know, like not to pee on the woman who feeds you.”
Emerson was gargling as he moved closer to her and said, “Give Mama a kiss.”
She wiped her mouth, and when she looked up, they were right there . Baz’s strong arms were wrapped around her baby boy, those captivating blue eyes reeling her in. Water dripped down his jaw, and she fought the urge to trace the path of it with her fingertips.
Who was she kidding? She wanted to trace it with her lips.
“Ready for your kiss, Mama?”
Am I ever , was on the tip of her tongue, but that wasn’t what he was asking. “I’m always ready for a kiss from my special boy.”
As Baz lowered Brennan’s tiny lips to her cheek, he said, “Lucky boy,” sending her heart right back into the danger zone and unleashing her pent-up desires.
She couldn’t resist saying, “How about you get lucky, too?” and grabbing his shirt, pulling his lips to hers. There was probably something wrong with losing herself in their kisses while he was holding her little boy. But if this was wrong, she never wanted to be right again.