8. Declan Foster
8
DECLAN FOSTER
Despite my carefully laid plans, things did not go how I said they would. Franks and I ran and fetched Parker’s car. I might have also taken the opportunity to speak to the apartment complex management to discover that two entire buildings had been utterly destroyed—one of which contained Parker’s apartment. I didn’t need to walk closer to discover that he’d lost everything. My heart ached for him, but this only hardened my resolve to see Parker on his feet again.
No, Parker wasn’t my boyfriend or spouse. We weren’t technically anything more than fuck-buddies at best. And yet, something inside me still rose and growled “Mine” when I thought of him. Especially at the sight of the blackened and hollowed-out remains of the apartment where I’d met him so many times.
Mine had been threatened.
Mine was hurting.
And I needed to fix this.
So, of course, work disrupted my plans to have dinner with Parker and discuss his future. Specifically, an overseas branch of Courtland Enterprises. While I dealt with that weekend meltdown, I asked Franks and Chef Donovan to see that Parker and Joy were fed and settled for the night.
After dealing with three hours of chaos in Asia, Franks reported that both guests had eaten. An additional food delivery order was on its way, ensuring that Joy had what she needed for the next few days. Chef Donovan also mentioned his disappointment that Mr. Cain had refused to provide a list of foods he liked and didn’t like because he hadn’t wanted to “mess up Mr. Foster’s routine.” Afterward, they’d retreated to the guest room and gone back to sleep. Not that I could blame either of them for needing more rest after their eventful day.
But this morning, I wanted to start things off on the right foot.
I was descending the stairs to go into the dining room for breakfast when a bleary-eyed Parker exited his bedroom—wearing the sleep pants and T-shirt Franks had gotten to him—with Joy in his arms. Surprise shot through me. Parker had never struck me as an early-morning person, but it soon hit me that Parker was likely awake because of the smiling child in his arms.
Parker stopped at the sight of me watching him. He blinked, and his gaze darted away as if he were embarrassed. “Oh. Hey.”
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“Please, don’t thank me anymore,” I murmured and continued down the stairs, leading him to the dining room. “I’m sorry I couldn’t join you for dinner last night. Problems in Seoul.”
“Was it that thing we spent all last week crunching the numbers for?”
“Yes.”
I looked over my shoulder to see Parker wince before giving a little chuckle. “Can’t say I miss that life. ”
“If you were still on the company payroll, I would have called you in to assist me.”
“Ha! Not a chance. Now I’m really glad my contract is up.” I saw that old spark of life light his eyes, but it disappeared as we entered the dining room, where Franks was waiting for us with two place settings and a large array of food. Next to one chair was a brand-new high chair with a bib featuring a grinning apple.
“Whoa…I…do you do this every morning for breakfast?”
“No,” I said firmly, while leveling a hard look at Franks.
My assistant swallowed hard, and a faint flush colored his ears. “Forgive us. Chef Donovan was worried that he didn’t know what Mr. Cain would like for breakfast, so he wanted to provide a variety of options to learn his preferences. For Miss Cain, the jars of food have arrived if you would like me to bring them instead of a bottle for her breakfast.”
“Okay. Thanks. Um…I was thinking of doing half a bottle and some carrots and beef this morning.”
Franks nodded and hurried away to the kitchen while Parker got Joy settled in her high chair. I wanted to remark on the strange selection for the baby’s breakfast, but I kept that to myself since I didn’t know a damn thing about babies.
“I didn’t know she was eating solid food,” I stated instead, then wanted to slap myself in the face. Of course, I didn’t know what she ate. I didn’t know a damn thing about this child.
Yet, despite my asinine comment, Parker flashed me a broad smile over his shoulder as he secured Joy’s bib around her neck. “Right? Though solid food is a misnomer. This stuff has been pureed so thoroughly that it’s barely a step above water in terms of consistency. There’s a cereal she can eat first, but I haven’t tried it yet. She likes her carrots and green beans so far. I can’t wait for her to try some fruit, but I read people advise against doing the fruits too soon. Babies love the sweetness, and it becomes harder to get them to eat anything else. Not that I can blame her. I—” Parker stopped and cringed, shoving one hand through his hair as he sat. “Sorry. I get carried away. You aren’t interested in this.”
Actually, I was. I didn’t know a damn thing about babies, and learning this information was interesting.
“How do you know how much to feed her?”
Parker’s smile returned to his lips, along with the light in his eye. “I found most of the information on parenting websites and Reddit. Joy is also happy to tell me when she’s full by spitting food out or flat-out refusing to eat.”
“Those are good indicators.”
I held Parker’s gaze for a moment, watching as his smile softened and he huffed out a laugh. “I bet you never expected this.”
“What?”
“Me sitting at your breakfast table with a baby, talking about pureed carrots.”
That was true. “No, I didn’t, but I’m sure you could say the same thing.”
“Definitely.”
Franks swept into the dining room with a tray that held a bottle for Joy and a selection of small bowls that held her carrots and beef in puree form with a tiny spoon covered in a soft rubber.
“Is there anything I can get for you?” Franks inquired as he set the bowls in front of Parker.
“Uh…no…I’m good.”
“He needs a latte,” I cut in as I poured my coffee from the silver coffeepot, then added a spoonful of sugar and a splash of cream.
“What?” Parker gasped.
“Of course, sir. Would you like your latte made any special way?”
Parker’s eyes were locked on me. “Wait, how did you know? ”
“I was in the elevator when you were telling Linda Hughes that you couldn’t start your day without a happy burst of caffeine from your latte.”
Parker swung around to stare at Franks. “You can make me a latte? Here? Like at a coffee shop?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Franks pull himself up even straighter and puff out his chest a bit. “Of course we can, sir. What would you like?”
“Double-shot espresso-mocha latte with skim milk and a hint of cinnamon.” The request flowed off Parker’s tongue so fast, I barely understood him. Thankfully, Franks got it all and hurried off to the kitchen to relay the order to Donovan.
“I’ve got to get out of here,” Parker muttered under his breath as he turned his attention to Joy.
I’d reached out to spear one of Donovan’s fluffy pancakes with my fork, but stopped. “Why?”
“Because I can’t risk getting used to this. Having a latte at home every morning? Someone to help prepare Joy’s meals? I’ve been here for less than a day, and I already feel spoiled.”
“Think of it as a break while you get your life in order again.”
Parker nodded as he picked up a bowl and stirred it a little. I watched for a minute as he fed Joy some of the orange concoction before switching over to the brown mixture. Here and there, Joy clumsily lifted her bottle to her mouth to take a drink. The entire time, Parker chatted happily with her. It wasn’t quite baby talk but a gentler tone than he normally used as he talked about her food and all the things they were going to do today, which was roll on the floor, play with toys, and nap.
The only problem was that feeding Joy meant Parker couldn’t fill his own plate with food. I’d filled my plate with pancakes, fruit, and sausage.
I got to my feet and grabbed the small crystal bowl next to his plate and filled it with freshly sliced fruit. With his plate in hand, I inquired, “Waffles or pancakes?”
“Waffles,” Parker replied without even looking up.
“Sausage or bacon?”
“Bacon.”
“Hash browns or Potatoes O’Brian?”
“Hash browns.”
We continued that way until his plate was full and Franks had returned with Parker’s latte. My assistant blinked, but wisely didn’t say a word as he placed Parker’s drink on the table.
“Mr. Cain, would you like me to help with feeding Miss Cain? It would allow you to eat while your food is still warm,” Franks offered.
“Nah. That’s okay. She crushed her carrots and beef this morning. The bottle should keep her busy while I eat. If you could get me a damp cloth to wash off her face and hands.”
Frank nodded and was off again while Parker turned to his own plate and swore.
“Eat. Don’t curse at the food,” I murmured between bites of pancake.
Parker made a noise that might have been a giggle and dug in. A moan rumbled up his throat that was too similar to what I heard when we were alone. I stopped with my coffee halfway to my mouth and stared at him. His head was tipped back, and his eyes closed as he chewed.
“Heaven. These waffles are heaven.” He took a sip of his latte and groaned.
“Try to contain yourself. You’re going to traumatize your daughter,” I said while returning my eyes to my plate.
“How do you eat like this every day and not weigh three hundred pounds? This food is amazing.”
“I have some self-control.”
Parker snorted and I wasn’t able to lift my gaze, because I knew I would blush. Parker Cain was the only person I’d ever met who could consistently destroy all my self-control, and he took pride in it.
“What are your plans for today?” It was better to change the subject.
There was a long pause, and I looked up to see Parker smirking at me. He knew exactly what I was doing, but he cleared his throat and answered my question.
“I need to make several phone calls today to the apartment management and my insurance company.”
“I’m sorry. When I picked up your car last night, I stopped in at the complex. Your apartment…”
“Yeah, I know,” Parker mumbled. “I texted with a neighbor who used to live across the hall from me. She said the entire building was toast. Rumor is that someone was cooking on the second floor and started a grease fire. It spread out of control from there.”
“Is there anything I can do to help you today?”
“Actually…” Parker drawled as he demolished the last of his waffle and hash browns, then turned his attention to the fruit. “Would you mind watching Joy for about an hour? Just long enough for me to make those phone calls. It would be easier for me to get all the information without the risk of being distracted.”
My gaze snapped to the baby, who was currently lounging in her high chair as she lazily drank from her bottle. Her bright-blue eyes drooped, and she looked as if she were about to drift off to sleep.
Watch the baby.
I’d never taken care of a baby.
But it was only for an hour, and Parker would be in the house if there was a problem. Not to mention, Franks would be within shouting range if there was a true disaster. She isn’t mobile yet , I thought. She can’t get into too much trouble .
“If you don’t have time…” Parker began when I took too much time to answer.
“No. I can do it. I can watch Joy. It will be easy.” I tried to sound confident while cold sweat doused my entire body. I was in over my head, and Parker was still in the room. What did I know about babies? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
However, I wanted to be there to help Parker, and maybe I wanted to prove to myself that I was at least better than my own father with kids.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes. I’ll watch Joy in the guest bedroom, and you can make your phone calls in my office. Franks can show you where that is.”
Parker stared at me for a second as if he were trying to read my mind to see the panic I was hiding from him. A smile spread across his lips, and I released the breath I was holding. “Okay. Sounds good. And to help you out, I’ll change her diaper before I hand her to you.”
Oh, thank whatever gods there may be . I hadn’t even considered her diaper. There was no way in hell I would have gotten that right. It would have been a traumatic experience for both of us.
Our plan in place, Parker and I finished our breakfast just as Joy was becoming restless in her chair. Parker cleaned her up and carried her off to the bedroom for a fresh diaper while I went to my office to make sure I hadn’t left out any miscellaneous papers that might be in Parker’s way during his phone calls. I set out a new legal pad and two pens in case he needed to make some notes.
When I arrived at the bedroom, Joy was squealing with laughter as Parker blew raspberries on her belly. She lay on her back in the middle of the bed with pillows surrounding her sides. A few plush animal dolls were also on the bed. I stood there watching them for a second as she grabbed his longish hair that fell across her face. There was such lightness and joy in her, making it easy to understand why Molly had chosen such a name for her. For this moment, she seemed to chase away all the shadows that had clung to Parker for the past couple of weeks.
Parker straightened and grinned at me, pulling her T-shirt over her stomach. “Don’t worry. Raspberries aren’t required for watching her. But she should be fine on the bed with her toys to keep her occupied while I make my calls.”
“Can she crawl?” I asked as I edged deeper into the room so that I was standing beside him at the foot of the bed.
“No, not crawling yet, but she can roll. She’s getting good at that. She has also figured out this scoot maneuver on her stomach. The pillows should keep her on the bed, but you might have to move her to the center again.”
“If I need to pick her up…” I hesitated, holding my hands palms up in front of me as if I were cradling her in my arms. “Do I need to…support her head and neck?” I’d seen that on TV or at least heard it in movies , I thought.
“Not really. A little support might not be bad as you pick her up, but she can hold her head up on her own. It’s less of a cradle and more of a drape on your shoulder.” Parker moved to reposition my arms. “She rests her butt on my forearm and her head on my shoulder. I will also put my other hand on her back. She loves being rubbed there. It’s very soothing.”
I might have had to bite my tongue to keep from pointing out that it was also one of Parker’s favorite things.
“With any luck, you shouldn’t need to pick her up too much. Just talk to her and play with her toys with her. I’ll try not to be gone the entire hour.” Parker gave me a pat on the arm, and then he was gone.
I was alone with the baby.
She must have noticed it as well, because she stopped playing with her fuzzy pink bear and stared up at me with these blue eyes that looked almost too big for her small face.
With a hard swallow, I stepped up to the edge of the bed and reached out a hand to touch a foot that she had raised in the air. “Hello.” I winced. That was too deep. “Do you remember me?” I asked, attempting to soften my tone. “We met a week ago in the office. I’m the one responsible for your bouncy seat.”
Lovely. I’m trying to convince her to like me because I bought her things.
I picked up the gray elephant that was beside her and pinched the tail so I could shake it above her head. Her gaze jumped from me to the elephant, and a soft noise escaped her that sounded happy. It wasn’t a cry, at least. This was good.
Unfortunately, jiggling the elephant to hold her attention wasn’t a long-term solution. It was barely a short-term one. Within a couple of minutes, she was shifting and rocking until she got onto her stomach. I watched as she got her chubby arms under her and pushed up to look around. My heart squeezed as I realized she was probably searching for her father.
Little noises slipped from her as she moved her feet on the bed, as if struggling for purchase to push herself forward. These didn’t sound like the same happy noises.
I frowned as I leaned forward and rolled her over so that I could see her face. The smile was gone, and we were moving into glare territory. Not good. I wiggled the elephant and the bear. Neither held her attention. We needed something else.
“How about we walk?” Biting on the inside of my cheek, I carefully picked her up and shifted her tiny frame to my left arm so that she could rest against my shoulder. She didn’t feel like I’d expected at all. Her cheeks and arms were so pudgy and soft-looking, I’d thought she’d feel very doughy and squishy, but as soon as I got her in my hands, I was hit with the enormity of how fragile she was. Her body was a loose amalgam of thin bones held together in a sack of warm, tender flesh. Everything about her felt as if those bones might snap if I held her too firmly. Part of me wanted to immediately put her back down again. She was too delicate to be held. But I couldn’t. She was missing her father and needed reassurance that she hadn’t been abandoned.
I gathered her close and pressed my right hand to her back to steady her. The soft, disgruntled noises stopped and her wide eyes swept over her surroundings. My heart raced, and I ordered my hands not to shake. How did people hold babies all the time? This wasn’t safe. Not safe at all. She needed a helmet and bubble wrap. Miles and miles of bubble wrap covering every limb and her torso. It was the only way to keep her little bones and organs safe.
“Ah!” Joy shouted and thrust out her hand in front of us, one finger and thumb extended. I wasn’t quite sure what she was looking at, but now that she was higher and could see her surroundings, she seemed to want to explore. It was on the tip of my tongue to point out that it wasn’t safe. What if she fell? Any number of things could happen to hurt her.
“Ah!” she repeated when I didn’t move, demanding fearlessly that we get going. I stared at her, marveling at her wide blue eyes and dark pink mouth glistening with saliva. Now that I had her settled in my arms, adjusting for the lightness of her weight, I no longer felt like we were standing on the edge of a precipice. She was safe and could explore because I was there to protect those fragile bones and tender organs. And she knew that. Or sensed it. She was safe because I was there.
“Let’s see…what can we do? Oh. How about a tour? Did you see the bathroom yet?” I held her close as I took slow, careful steps into the bathroom. I flipped on the light and moved through the room, trying not to think about how I’d held her father in my arms last night.
“What do you think? Too bland? I like white because it’s clean and simple. I don’t know anything about decorating.” A frown formed on my lips as I tried to look at the space through an outsider’s eyes. “Could have hired a decorator, but it would have meant strangers in my house. Your father is a fan of colors. I never got to see his artwork, but I glimpsed it through the doorway when I visited his apartment.” An answering ache rose in my chest at that missed opportunity. All those paintings were gone now.
I shoved aside the swell of sadness. Parker would make more art, and if I was lucky, I would have the chance to see it at last.
“Your dad probably doesn’t care much for my house because of the lack of color. I would add color, but I don’t know art like he does. Like how certain colors look best together?”
I watched Joy’s reflection in the mirror. She was gazing about the room, but she seemed bored. Not that I blamed her. I was boring. Parker wouldn’t have any interest in me if it weren’t for our sexual chemistry.
With a sigh, I walked into the bedroom and crossed to the window, where I pushed open the heavy curtains and glanced out at the overcast, late-summer day. It was ridiculously hot. Clouds hung low in the sky, holding in the moisture to make it uncomfortably muggy.
As if feeling the same frustration, Joy dropped her head on my shoulder and released an equally heavy sigh while curling her little fist in my shirt.
“You’re right. This is boring.” I turned away from the window and stared at the bedroom with its bed, dresser, lamp, nightstands, and a pair of comfortable chairs. It was a nice enough room, but there was nothing in here to keep her entertained. “We need to get you some proper stimulation. This is a critical time in your development. Your brain is growing, and you’re taking in as much information as you can to understand your new world. It’s our job as your caretakers to make sure that you’re given the proper information and stimulation so you can grow to be your very best self. ”
“Ba!” Joy blurted out, and I took that to mean she was in complete agreement.
“I know how we can fix this while your father is busy dealing with the insurance company.” I dug my right hand into my back pocket and pulled out my smartphone. With a couple of swipes, I called my personal shopper.
“Declan! I wasn’t expecting to hear from you today,” a cheery voice filled the room through the speaker. “Is Sebastian making you attend another one of his parties?”
“Not this time.” That was usually the reason I called Patricia Lark out of the blue. She’d been my personal shopper for five years now, always making sure that my wardrobe was up-to-date and appropriate for all my needs. She’d also handle some of the decorating of the house when I didn’t have the time to bother with it. “I have an emergency, and I need to you handle things as quickly as possible.”
“Well, I am working on something for another client right now.”
“Put them on hold. I need your full attention today. You know I’ll pay your emergency markup.”
She giggled, and I couldn’t stop from rolling my eyes. “You always know the right words to say. What can I do for you?”
“A friend and his daughter suffered a fire at their apartment complex. They have lost everything.”
“Oh, no! How old is his daughter?”
“Six months.”
“No!” she cried and even Joy looked at me with wide eyes, as if she couldn’t believe how high-pitched Patricia’s voice could become. “Are they okay?”
“They weren’t home at the time of the fire. They are staying with me, and I have nothing for babies. I need Joy to be outfitted—bed, clothes, toys, one of those indoor swings, and a chair she can bounce. It has a bar of toys that goes across the front that makes noise and flashes lights.”
“Got it. Do you know what size she wears? ”
Joy and I stared at each other for a second, my mind going blank. Was she not a standard-sized baby at six months?
“Is she there with you? Check the back of her shirt or pants. There should be a tag or a label with a size on it,” Patricia directed.
I moved to the dresser and set my phone down so I could check her shirt. “Six months,” I replied when I picked up the phone.
“Got it. How quickly were you looking to get these things?”
“Now.”
A low chuckle rippled through the room. “Of course. I’ll get some couriers lined up to deliver things as I get them purchased. For the bigger items, I’ll schedule to have someone on hand to put them together. We’ll have that little princess outfitted before sunset.”
“She likes elephants,” I blurted out, not entirely sure it if was true. However, there was an elephant on one of her bags and she also had a stuffed elephant.
“Jungle theme. I’ve got some cute ideas already.”
“Wait. You need to get Parker clothes and things as well.”
Patricia hummed softly. “Parker? Is this Daddy?”
“Yes, this is Joy’s father. He needs clothes, shoes…everything.”
“Sizes, darling. I need sizes.”
Growling, I carried Joy around the room as I searched for the clothes Parker had worn the previous day. I sifted through the pile on the floor, reading off the sizes to Patricia as I found them.
“What colors does he look best in?”
I opened my mouth but caught myself at the last second from blurting out that he looked good in everything. “He’s very tan and has dark brown hair with streaks of blond and pale-gray eyes,” I described. “He’s an artist and wears vibrant colors, but nothing too wild. Not boring like me. ”
“Understood. Are you wanting a full wardrobe or enough to get him through the week?”
I wanted to say that she should get him a full wardrobe, but I had a feeling Parker would reject it. He couldn’t reject things for Joy. Not when she needed clothes and toys right now. “Maybe what he might need for the next few months. A bit of summer. Some fall. And then maybe things he can layer on for winter. Three suits to start.”
There was a long pause, and I realized what I’d told her. No, not a full wardrobe, but to please buy him clothes for three of the four seasons. Whatever. It didn’t matter. Parker was a single father and wouldn’t have time to go shopping for himself. At least not right away. This was saving him time and frustration.
“Now, suits are hard without having a complete set of measurements. I can get a couple of things off the rack. I’ll contact your tailor and send him to the house to take proper measurements. After that, it would be a week or so for him to whip up something.”
“That’s fine. See if you can schedule Aldo to come to the house on Friday. That will give me a chance to discuss it with Parker.” I didn’t know what Parker’s work plans were, but if he was aiming for another corporate position, suits were necessary.
“Got it. Anything else?”
“No. I will rely on your judgment as to what you believe Parker and Joy will need to be comfortable. I imagine they will stay with me for at least a week, if not longer, as they get their personal affairs in order.”
“Not a problem. We’ll make sure that princess and her father are taken care of by tonight.” Patricia ended the call, and I heaved a deep breath of relief.
I turned my attention to Joy and lifted one eyebrow. “What do you think? ”
The baby thrust her fist in the air and shook it as she made a series of noises.
“Yes, Parker is going to be very upset with me. That’s why you need to help me convince him this is a good idea.”
Joy squealed and flashed me a big toothless grin. She liked this plan. If only I could count on her to give her father the same heart-melting smile, I’d be in the clear.