Chapter 13 #2
“I don’t feel pressured. Although, it is kind of funny that my brothers are having grandchildren while I’m considering the possibility of another child.”
“Our baby will keep you young at heart.” After a pause, she said, “Did we just get engaged?”
“Not quite yet, but when we do, you won’t have to ask.”
They spent most of the next day with Andrew’s family and waved them off on the four o’clock boat on Sunday afternoon.
“That was fun,” Kevin said as they walked back to Chelsea’s place to shower and change before heading to their babysitting gig with Laura and Owen’s kids.
“It was nice to see them. And I’m glad you finally got to meet them. Andrew liked you.”
“You think so?”
“I know he did. He told me so. He said he was skeptical of the fact that you’re older than me at first, but after spending time with us, he can see how happy I am, and that’s all that matters to him.”
“I’m glad he approves.”
When they were showered and dressed, they walked the short distance to the Sand & Surf Hotel, where Laura and Owen lived and worked. His grandparents had given them the hotel as a wedding gift last year, after the two of them had completely renovated the old hotel.
“I love this place,” Chelsea said when they stepped into the lobby where Owen’s mom, Sarah, was working at the front desk.
“Hi there,” Sarah said. “Laura told me you were coming to babysit the hooligans. You can go on up to the third floor. Charlie and I will be around tonight if you need help.”
“I’m sure we can handle it,” Kevin said as a twinge of unease crept in. “How hard can it be?”
Sarah laughed. “You’re about to find out.”
“I’m scared,” Chelsea said.
With his hand on her back, Kevin guided her toward the stairs. “Too late to turn back now.”
On the third floor, they were greeted by the pervasive sound of crying babies.
Chelsea stopped walking. “Umm.”
Kevin nudged her along. “We got this, babe. No worries.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re an experienced baby wrangler. I have limited experience.”
“Just think—after this, you’ll be an expert.”
Her grimace made him laugh as he knocked on the door to Laura and Owen’s apartment.
Owen came to the door, a wild look in his eyes and a massive stain in the middle of his pressed light blue dress shirt.
“Looks like you took a direct hit,” Kevin said.
“You don’t know the half of it.” Owen stepped aside. “Enter at your own risk.”
Kevin gave Chelsea another nudge to get her into the apartment, which looked like it’d been hit by a bomb made of toys and baby paraphernalia.
“Sorry about the mess,” Owen said. “It’s been a day and a half around here. Joey has been colicky, Holden has an ear infection, and Jon has diaper rash. Good times all around. Laura was going to call you to say this might not be the best night for you to watch them.”
Disappointment radiated from Owen. This was a man who clearly needed some time alone with his wife, and Kevin was determined to make that happen. “No worries,” Kevin said, rolling up his sleeves. “We can handle this, right, Chels?”
She gave him a deer-in-the-headlights look. “Umm…”
“The good news is Holden is down for the count, so we’re back to a man-to-man defense,” Owen said. “It’s when they outnumber us that we get into trouble.”
Laura emerged from the bedroom with a baby in each arm, both of them crying.
Owen took one of them from her and began patting the baby’s back with practiced expertise.
“I meant to call you to reschedule,” Laura said. Her blonde hair hung in shiny waves around her shoulders, and she wore a black dress that showed off a trim figure, despite having had three children in two years. She’d bounced right back from having the twins six months ago.
“If you guys still want to go, we don’t mind watching them,” Kevin said, wondering if he would regret his own generosity. But he felt for his niece and her husband, who’d obviously had a rough day.
Laura glanced at Owen. “What do you want to do?” She spoke loudly to be heard over the roar of crying babies.
“It’s up to you. Will you be able to relax if we leave them in this state?”
“It’s time for their bottles, so maybe that will settle them.”
“We’ll give them their bottles,” Kevin said, taking one of the babies from Owen while Chelsea took the other from Laura. “You guys get out of here, and if we need you, we’ll call.”
“Let me change my shirt,” Owen said, making for the bedroom, as if afraid Kevin might change his mind.
“You’re sure about this, Uncle Kev?” Laura asked as she heated bottles in the apartment’s galley kitchen while Kevin and Chelsea sat on the sofa with the babies, who were screaming even harder now that they’d been turned over to strangers.
“I’m sure, sweetheart. Take a break.”
“Right at this moment, I love you more than anyone in this world.”
Kevin laughed. “I remember what it’s like to have little ones. It’s intense.”
“That’s a good word to describe it.” She handed him a bottle and gave the other to Chelsea. “They’re both bathed, their diapers changed, and they’re ready for bed. Miss Joanna almost always falls asleep having her bottle, so the goal is to transfer her into the crib if you can.”
Chelsea nodded as she took the baby, knitted her brows in concentration and offered the bottle to Joanna while Kevin fed Jonathan.
The sudden silence made his ears ring after the loud crying.
Owen came out of the bedroom wearing a different shirt that hadn’t been ironed, but he didn’t seem to care. “Let’s go while we can,” he said, taking Laura’s hand to tug her toward the door. “Call if you need us.”
“Go have a nice time,” Kevin said, transfixed by the sight of the little lips sucking on the nipple. “We’ll be okay.”
Owen tugged her through the door and closed it behind them.
“Holy crap,” Chelsea whispered. “How do they do it?”
“Just think,” Kevin said, in a teasing tone, “there’s another one, too.”