by Emma Nichols
“Off!” I growled.
He blinked a couple of times, realized he was on me and flopped onto his back while muttering apologies. “Sorry. I was dreaming.”
“Well, she was one lucky woman. Sorry to turn it into a nightmare.” I sighed and rolled out of bed.
“You didn’t,” he murmured as he rolled over and wrapped his arms around the pillow. “I was dreaming about you.”
I froze. Part of me wanted to further explore this revelation, the rest of me was confident that he had no idea what he was even saying. Slowly, I tiptoed past the bed and when I made it to the hall living room, I raced down the hall to collect Molly. The poor thing was about beside herself until she saw me. I picked her up, brought her out to the kitchen and held her while I prepared a bottle. By the time Paxton exited the bedroom twenty minutes later, I had fed her and carried her back to the nursery. “Okay, precious. You get to meet Zara today. Let’s make a good impression. What do you think? A dress and booties?” I pulled out a cute lavender dress with the diaper cover and worked to get her changed, talking to her the whole time and never thinking a thing of it until Paxton appeared behind me.
“You two sounded like you were having so much fun, I felt left out,” he announced as he peeked over my shoulder. “Good morning, Molly. You look adorable.” He threw an arm around me companionably, and asked, “Wanna go out for breakfast? I haven’t recovered from yesterday. We shouldn’t cook or clean today. Let’s take it easy and just enjoy my little princess.”
I nodded. “I won’t argue with that. Although…we do need to get my bed moved here. And I need to move all my clothes. Stick my furniture in storage…” My voice trailed off as I thought about the day ahead of me. “Ugh. No relaxing for me.”
“Yes there will be. I’ll hire people. I’ll make some calls this morning. Worst case scenario, we have to wait a couple of days.” He shrugged.
“No.” I shook my head. “I need my bed.”
“Hey, is your couch more comfortable?” Paxton tugged at his chin.
I smirked. “Of course it is. You’d love it.”
“Let’s swing by your place after the hospital and start getting you moved,” he suggested as he reached out for Molly. “Avery is going to get showered,” he told her. “Daddy’s going to…” He looked at me. “What do daddies do?”
“In my experience?” I laughed. “Sit on the couch. Do nothing to help out.” I shrugged. “Sounds simple enough.”
He frowned. “What would a good dad do?”
My shoulders sank in relief. “A good dad would boil water so we could make formula for the day. A good dad would check her diaper bag to make sure there were enough diapers, wipes, a plastic Ziploc bag, and a spare outfit.” He nodded and I could tell he was trying to remember everything I said. “A good dad would lavish his baby with kisses, cuddles, and love.”
With a grin, Paxton murmured, “I think I have that part covered.”
I agreed, which was why I ran a hand down his arm without thinking, until I became acutely aware of the muscles under my fingertips and blushed. “Showering. See you soon.” And I literally turned on my heels and bolted to the other side of the condo and the bathroom.
By ten thirty, we’d actually managed to get organized and leave the house. We high fived in the elevator. “We did it,” he whispered excitedly.
We’d bought Molly a new car seat that also fit in the stroller we picked out, and I was happily wheeling her to his vehicle when an older couple stopped us. “I just wanted to tell you, we’ve been watching you. And y’all make such a cute family.”
I opened my mouth, ready to dispel any misconceptions, but Paxton wrapped an arm around my waist and grinned. “Thank you. I’m truly blessed.”
I was truly flabbergasted. I think I nodded numbly and stared at him while trying to figure out what the hell he was thinking. Once we hooked the car seat into the base in his SUV, I blurted out, “Why?”
He shrugged. “Why not? Let them think we’re a happy family. We’re happy, right?”
“Yes,” I mumbled.
“And we’re raising Molly like a family, right?” Paxton smiled at me.
I licked my lips. “Yes.”
“Then they weren’t wrong and there was nothing to correct. Now let’s go pick a gift for Zara,” he suggested.
“I already did.” I laughed. “When we were shopping at Buy Buy Baby, I grabbed this blanket Tegyn fell in love with. She told me she couldn’t justify buying it because she already had so many, but it was the pink version of the purple blanket we use with Molly all the time.” I lifted a gift bag stuffed with tissue paper up for him to examine.
“When did you do all this?” he asked, incredulous.
“Simple. I added it to our shopping trip. Did you not watch the cart?” I frowned.
Paxton shook his head. “Nah. I trust you. And now, I trust you even more.” He peeked in the bag. “Oh, a pink magic blanket!”
“Exactly,” I laughed. We’d started nicknaming the purple one Molly’s magic blanket because she calmed down the minute it touched her skin…like magic…every single time. I wandered around to the back of the vehicle to fold up the stroller and stick it in the back, but he gently took it from me and performed the task. “Thank you.” I sighed. Life was so easy with him. I kept waiting for it to all turn to crap, but so far it was everything I’d ever imagined it could be.
Then Paxton stuck the stroller in the vehicle, slammed the trunk, and pulled me into his arms. “You’re amazing. I don’t know why I never noticed it before.”
“You noticed. You just accepted it as part of my duties. Somehow that changed.” My brow furrowed. It was ether Molly, Marley, or a combination of the two, but I was definitely reaping the benefits.
“Well, thank you. For everything.” He leaned over and kissed me on the lips.
I’m pretty sure I stopped breathing. For a moment, I thought I’d died.
“You okay?” he asked as he hesitantly released me.
“Yeah.” I nodded, my eyes wide with shock. “I’m good.” Then I trotted to the passenger car door and hopped in.
We arrived at the hospital in record time. We parked and walked in together. We’d been given a room number so we didn’t stop at a desk. Paxton was carrying the present. I was pushing the stroller. We’d made it to the door when a nurse stopped us. “The baby can’t go in there,” she warned.
“Oh.” Paxton and I stared at each other for a split second before DeSean opened the door.
“You’re not the first,” he grumbled. The guys did the bro hug shake thing. Then DeSean glanced at me. “Why don’t you go visit Tegyn? She could use some girl time. And I’ll take Paxton and Molly for a walk.”
I took a deep breath and held out my hand. “Switch,” I joked as I handed off the stroller and he passed me the gift bag.
“Have fun,” he murmured as he gave me a kiss on the cheek.
I frowned, too afraid that if I pointed this out, he’d stop. And scared I’d get comfortable and discover none of this meant what I wanted it to mean. DeSean grinned at me as they walked away. I shook my head and pushed open the door.
Tegyn was sitting up holding her daughter. “So glad you’re here,” she whispered. “We have so much to talk about.”
“Like your birth story?” I asked as my smile began to fade.
She watched the guys walk away and pull the door closed behind them before she shook her head. “Nice try.”
“The weather?” I swallowed hard and glanced at her window.
“Nope. I think we should talk about you and Paxton.” Tegyn smirked. “And before you deny there’s anything to talk about, keep in mind that DeSean and I share everything.” She carefully adjusted her position in the bed. “So spill it.”
7
Paxton
* * *
“So what’s with you and Avery?” DeSean asked as soon as we were alone.
I frowned as I studied his face. “Nothing. Why?”
; “Right, buddy.” He shook his head and I could tell he was less than convinced.
“What makes you say it like that?” I eyed him carefully.
“You kissed her on the cheek.” He stopped in the middle of the hall and crossed his arms over his chest.
“So?” I huffed.
DeSean rolled his eyes. “So, Avery is a good girl. Don’t lead her on. Don’t take playing house too seriously if you’re only making her hope for a life she can’t have. Keep it professional if all you want is a business relationship because right now, I promise you got that girl good and confused.” He turned without waiting to hear another word from me and stalked to the elevator. “Come on. Let’s go get a terrible cup of coffee. Oh, and you can meet a couple more of my friends. You’ll have a lot in common with them.”
“Yeah?” I asked as the elevator doors opened and we shuffled in.
“Yeah. You’ll see.” He checked his phone. “Yup. One of them is waiting on us right now.”
The doors opened and I saw a man in a suit standing there holding flowers and a card. “DeSean, good to see you.” They shook hands.
“Leo, always a pleasure.” DeSean grinned. “I’d like you to meet my friend…”
When the man glanced at me, his eyes widened. “Paxton Gentry needs no introduction.” He held out a hand. “Keeping busy in the off season?”
I gestured to the stroller. “You could say that.”
“Whoa. Aw, a little girl.” Leo sighed. “I have a son. I’m in the middle of an ugly divorce which is costing me a small fortune.”
“Stop. You can afford it and you know it.” DeSean chuckled. “He’s a fancy corporate attorney. Before that, he was a trust fund baby. So, what I call a fortune, he calls pocket change.”
Leo chuckled. “Wait, I thought we were going up to see Tegyn…”
“Well, we’re going to stop by the cafeteria first,” DeSean announced. “Let her have a little girl time while the guys talk.”
“Ah. Your wife is with her?” Leo nodded like he understood.
I opened my mouth to correct his assumption, but at the moment it seemed less complicated if I just let it ride. So I did. We followed DeSean as he strode toward the cafeteria. “Wow, you must be really hungry,” I noted. “I’ve never seen you move so fast.” I chuckled.
He shook his head. “Buddy, I’m worn out. I don’t know how Tegyn is still awake. She barely napped after giving birth. The lactation consultants came in to work with her on breastfeeding.”
“Oh, is she going to do that?” I rubbed at my chest. The very idea hurt me.
Leo noticed and smirked. “We weren’t built for that, luckily.” His head tilted. “Apparently, my soon-to-be ex-wife wasn’t made for nurturing either. She told me it would mess up her nipples and stretch out her boobs.” He leaned in conspiratorially, “I’d already paid to get them fixed once, I’d have been happy to do it again.”
I didn’t know what to say. “That’s nice.” I added weakly.
A moment later, DeSean paused and we nearly ran into him. “Oh, my boy Tradd is just pulling in.” He typed out a text and sent it before we continued walking. “I told him to meet us here. He said he needed to talk to me. Advice.” DeSean looked over his shoulder at me. “Some people actually take my advice, Paxton.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m doing just fine. Some people don’t offer advice where it isn’t needed. My life is just…awesome.”
“Sure it is.” DeSean rolled his eyes.
We entered the cafeteria and while they worked they way through the lines and picked up drinks and food, I sat at a table and fed Molly. She had been so good, just sleeping and then quietly observing her surroundings. I worried over what her life had been like with Harlow. I suspected an endless string of babysitters. And I figured she saw her fair share of strange men. “Don’t worry. Daddy’s here now.” I grinned down at her while she sucked on the bottle. “And Avery is here. And you’ll have a friend once Zara catches up.”
“That girl will catch up fast,” DeSean commented as he sank down in the chair beside me. “She’ll be smart like her mama. And pretty like her daddy.” He chuckled.
Before I could knock him down a peg or two, Tradd Beckett showed up beside the table. At first I wondered how DeSean would know a rock star, but then I remembered security was his thing. He’d probably worked for him in the past and a relationship had blossomed from there, much like our history.
“Man, I came as quick as I could.” He ran a hand through his hair and he kept glancing around.
“What’s up? Have a seat.” DeSean frowned at him. “You’re normally so chill.”
“Yeah, well I just ran into my publicist. I mean, we haven’t talked since she quit on me and disappeared. Guess I can’t call her my publicist.” Tradd swallowed hard as he all but collapsed into the chair across from me. He eyed me for a minute. “Hey, you’re the football player, right? Paxton Gentry?” He grinned. “I love watching you out on the field.” He held out a hand to shake, and it took me a minute to prop the bottle against my chest so I could do so.
I shook my head. “Avery makes this look so easy.”
“Your wife?” Tradd asked after we shook.
I smirked. “No, my personal assistant turned nanny.” I glanced at Leo. “I’m not married.”
“Trust me. Better to keep it that way.” Leo grinned and took a sip of his coffee, then quickly grimaced. “Wow. This is truly terrible.”
“Hey.” DeSean narrowed his eyes at his lawyer friend. “Don’t down marriage. I happen to love my wife. Tegyn is the best thing that ever happened to me. Much like Avery for Paxton.” He gestured across the table. “And Lauryn for Tradd.”
Setting down his mug, Leo lifted his hands and held them palms out. “Hey, maybe marriage just isn’t for me.”
“Oh, it’s for you. You just ain’t found the one yet.” DeSean leaned in. “And I mean…yet. She’s out there. You’ll see.” Then he looked back at Tradd. “So how is Lauryn, anyway?”
“Pregnant. She’s very pregnant.” His face paled. “I haven’t seen her for about six months. She exited stage right after one of my concerts. You think it’s mine?”
DeSean leaned back in his seat and glanced at me. “I thought you were all just gonna be my boys,” he grumbled. “But as I look around the table, we’ve turned into some kind of dad club.” He chuckled and then took a sip of his drink. “Damn. The hot chocolate is lousy too.”
“If it weren’t for you, we’d even be a single dad club,” I joked.
He rolled his eyes. “Buddy, if I know anything, it’s that guys like us don’t stay single for long. Shoot, you’re halfway there, if you’d just open your damn eyes.” DeSean shook his head at me. “And you.” He groaned as he frowned at Tradd. “You had it all and blew it, or lost it, or something, but you best figure it out before you miss out. Hear me?”
Tradd nodded sadly. “I had an image…” He started to explain.
DeSean leaned in. “I don’t want to hear no bullshit about your damn image. Just fix it. This is a huge, happy day for me and Tegyn. And none of you sad sacks are gonna ruin it.”
“Hey, I’m not sad.” I corrected him.
“You’re my boy. I love you, man, but I look at you and the dumbass moves you’re making. You will be. Mark my words.” DeSean scowled at me. “And I don’t like to be right.”
“Lies,” Leo muttered over the rim of his mug. “Sorry. Continue, but I’ve seen it. You get good and smug.”
With a chuckle, DeSean nodded. “Sometimes. With you? All the time. You never listen. I told you not to, but you done went and married a gold digger anyway. Now you think you hate marriage, but really, you hate gold diggers. Get it right.”
Leaning against the table, Leo nodded sadly. “I hate gold diggers. And lawyers.”
“Aren’t you a lawyer?” I asked, completely confused.
Leo waved his hand. “I’m a corporate lawyer. That’s different. I’m talking divorce attorneys. Now those peo
ple are the soul-sucking scum of the earth.”
Beside me, DeSean rubbed his face and stopped when he saw me staring. “His ex hired a good one. Taking him to the cleaners.” He shook his head. “I need to get back to some happy. Let’s go see Tegyn and Zara.” He slapped the table and stood. I followed his gaze to Tradd, who seemed completely distraught. Then Leo who looked mostly pissed.
I grinned down at the sleeping baby in my arms. She let out a tiny burp. “Sweet Molly. Let’s go get Avery.” Even saying that out loud made my heart thump a little more robustly. And I had to wonder if DeSean was right. Could I have feelings for Avery?
8
Avery
* * *
“What’s up?” I asked when I met Paxton out in the hall. He had this strange look on his face. I’d said my goodbyes to Tegyn when the guys entered the room. My eyes had widened slightly. It’s not every day you run into a rock star in a hospital room.
“I see you met Tradd,” he sulked as we walked to the elevator after saying our goodbyes.
I shrugged. “Yup. It was…unexpected,” I admitted. “I don’t know why it surprises me. Even though somehow, I’m living with an NFL player. You’ve introduced me to a few of the guys. I just…I don’t know. Sometimes I wonder how I ended up with such an amazing life.”
Paxton stared at me from the corner of his eye. “You think you have an amazing life?” His brow furrowed.
I giggled. “Yeah. I know I do.” I could sense he needed an explanation. “I get to work for you. You take me all over. I’ve seen a ton of cities I never would’ve gone to otherwise. Some, I never wanted to in the first place.” I shook my head. “Wisconsin in December was a terrible idea.”
He grinned. “Come on. Seeing all those people wearing hunks of cheese on their heads was worth the price of admission,” he joked. “You’ve had to tolerate all my girlfriends,” he noted.
I shuddered. “That part wasn’t awesome. In fact, it was often a downright struggle,” I admitted. “Marley…is not so nice.”
