Chapter 1 #2
Everything about the place was miniature. Small rooms, small furniture, and a kitchen that was no more than a single row of cabinets over a sink and stove, with a narrow pantry and apartment-sized refrigerator. Good thing he was used to living lean.
The chairs at the two-seater corner table didn’t look sturdy enough to support a man of his size.
Pixie either didn’t notice his scrutiny or assumed he’d love the place as much as she claimed to. And honestly, it didn’t matter. He needed a safe, clean space for the baby. Nothing more.
She was his priority. Her comfort and security mattered more than anything else.
“There’s a stack washer/dryer in the utility closet.” She looked around as if seeing the tiny house again for the first time. “I know it’s a tight space, but when I lived here, it just meant less to keep up with. Babies, as I’m sure you know, require the lion’s share of your attention.”
Brogan leaned back on the counter, set the empty bottle in the sink, and put Shayna to his shoulder so he could burp her.
While he gently rubbed her back in a circular motion, he agreed with her assessment.
“Logic doesn’t apply, right? You’d think a tiny person with a smaller appetite, wearing only itty-bitty clothes and sleeping most of the time, would require less care, but somehow it’s the opposite.
” His little angel belched, squirmed a moment, and then got comfortable in the crook of his neck.
Christ, he loved her, more than he’d known was possible.
“Around-the-clock care,” Pixie said softly.
“Not that I’m complaining.” Never. Having the baby’s care entrusted to him was the greatest gift he’d ever received in his entire life. “It’s fascinating, though.”
When Pixie grinned, he didn’t just see it, he felt it, clear down to his soul. Not even to himself did he want to sound corny, but she was like sunshine breaking through darkness. The magic of laughter after hearing so many broken cries.
She didn’t know it, but she was an open door when every other exit was blocked.
He hoped she’d be okay with his plans. Everything he’d read about her made it seem possible.
“You might want to get her out of those wet clothes before she falls asleep again. You don’t want to deal with diaper rash.”
Of course, Pixie didn’t know that she’d just stepped on a topic about as explosive as a land mine. He breathed a little harder, remembering things better left forgotten. He had Shayna now and he was determined she’d never suffer another ill.
Getting his mouth to smile wasn’t easy, but he forced it, adding a lighthearted truth. “This girl sleeps like a champ. I’ve changed her, and once even bathed her, while she dozed through it.”
“It’s amazing how trusting babies can be.”
It was especially incredible that this baby, after what she’d been through, could trust him—but she did. His voice emerged as a rasp. “When they’re feeling secure. When they have reason to trust.”
She tipped her head, studying him curiously. “As all babies should.”
Glad that she shared that sentiment, he nodded. “Hundred percent.”
“Do you have a crib for her in your car?”
“A Moses basket, though I’ll probably need to get her a crib soon. She’s started rolling over, and once she starts, she wants to keep going.”
With a quiet laugh, Pixie asked, “Clean baby blankets? Another bottle ready?”
It amused him to see her shift into mom-mode.
He could take exception to her question, which suggested he couldn’t handle things, but obviously she loved kids and knew what she was doing.
“Got all that,” he said. “Though I’ll prepare a few more bottles tonight.
” Worries caught up to him and he admitted in a low voice, “Sometimes she’ll almost sleep through the night, like five hours or so, and it scares me.
I almost preferred it when she was up every couple of hours.
” It gave him the chance to hold her, to know she was okay.
To tell her over and over that he’d never let her down, would never leave her alone, that he’d protect her always.
Reaching out, Pixie brushed the back of one finger over Shayna’s silky hair. “No other kids?”
He shook his head. “I wasn’t here for her until she was nearly two months old.” Remembering felt like having a part of his guts removed—without anesthesia. “I’m military and I was away …” Dying. Or at least that was what he’d wanted at the time.
To be left alone to quietly die. To join his brothers. To escape the gnawing guilt of surviving—when they hadn’t.
Then he’d gotten the news about a half sister he barely knew, the niece he’d never met, and God, how it had invigorated him with purpose. He had a reason to go on. One hell of a reason.
“Cort was military, too,” she shared. “A Marine recon sniper. He’s considered a hometown hero around here.”
“Once a Marine, always a Marine,” Brogan replied. He felt the same way. The military was now in his blood, the better part of him, the survival instinct that kept him going—and thank God it had, since Shayna needed him now. “As a SEAL, I had the honor of working with a few of those guys.”
“You’re a SEAL?” Awe sounded in her voice.
Damn it, why had he said that? He never talked about his service. She’d taken him by surprise, just tossing out Cort’s rank like that. She and Cort must be close for him to have shared it with her. Instead of answering her question, Brogan changed the subject. “What do you need me to sign?”
Pixie immediately got the hint. She took a seat at the table and turned the paper toward him. “Cort said you already sent the down payment and the prorated rent for the first month, so all I need is your ID, and then if you’ll sign here, I’ll give you the basic rundown and leave you with the keys.”
Brogan knew he’d chased her off, but he’d tackle that issue another time. Right now, he needed to unload the car and get Shayna settled.
He held the baby close and withdrew his driver’s license from his wallet.
Pixie was quick to confirm his ID. After he’d signed the paper and she’d put it in her purse, she sent a worried glance toward the baby. “Do you need help bringing a few things inside?”
“I’ve got it, thanks.”
“You’re sure? I wouldn’t mind …”
She had her face turned up to his while she nervously twirled two fingers in her long pale hair.
Damn, he wanted to spill his guts, to tell her the important role she could play in Shayna’s life.
Now was definitely not the time, though, not if he wanted full success.
“I appreciate the offer, Pixie. Really, thank you. Right now, I think I just want to get my bearings.”
Still, she hesitated.
He smiled. “I promise, we’ll be fine for tonight. How about tomorrow you stop by and give me that rundown, maybe tell me a little about the town and where to find what?”
Nodding, she said, “Sure. Will noon work?” Without waiting for his agreement, she said, “Emergency numbers are on the fridge. I’m going to add my number real quick, just in case something comes up.
” Using the pen she’d given him to sign the four-month agreement, she jotted a number at the bottom of a long list that included police, fire department, hospital, and food delivery.
As she hurriedly turned away to head for the door, she said, “Remote is with the TV. Outside lights are automatic, dusk to dawn. Hot water doesn’t last too long, which is something I found out the hard way, so you might want to shower before doing any laundry.
Oh, and Cort likes to make sure the basics are already in the kitchen cupboards, and some necessities are in the fridge.
If you need anything else before noon tomorrow, just let me know. ”
After saying all that, she practically clamped her mouth shut and rushed off as if being chased.
In case he’d somehow made her uncomfortable, he trailed more slowly behind her. The last thing he wanted from her was wariness.
“See you tomorrow,” he said as she all but jogged to her van.
With a careless wave, she got in the vehicle and left.
Brogan stood there with the baby in his arms and watched as her taillights went down the road, then turned into another driveway. She was nearby, yet there was some property between them. A nice arrangement.
Presumptuous as it might be, he already imagined Pixie in their future, his and Shayna’s. She had a good heart; that much was clear. She wouldn’t deny them.
The only problem might be Cort. Pixie was obviously close to the man. Because Cort had a military background, he was bound to be protective. That meant he wouldn’t like Brogan’s plans.
The baby stirred, rubbing her button nose against his shirt, stretching a bit, then settling in again. He decided he’d deal with the issue of Cort when it became necessary. He wouldn’t let anything stand in his way.
“Now,” Brogan said, his palm moving up and down the baby’s narrow back. “It’s time for you, Sugar—and our fresh start.” He brushed his mouth over her downy crown, inhaled her sweet, comforting scent, and headed back inside.
It was time to get started.
Pixie kept remembering how bizarrely she’d acted last night. Chatty when she usually wasn’t. Bossy about his baby, as if he hadn’t already proven his competence. She’d been ridiculous.
A call from Cort saved her from further self-castigation. She set Andy in his playpen and answered the phone by saying, “Aren’t you supposed to be off having fun?”
“We are,” he countered. “Marlow told me to say hello.”
“Hello to you both.”
“I just wanted to check whether the renter showed up.”
“Yes, he’s all checked in. Did you know he has a baby?”
After the briefest pause, Cort said, “I wasn’t aware, but it’s not a problem.”
Bull. Cort researched everyone who stayed at the lake house. More so, now that she and Marlow lived nearby. “Did you know he’s a Navy SEAL?”
“Yes, it was in the background info he gave in his rental application. But how do you know?”
“He told me.”
Another pause. “How exactly did that come up?”