They ran off, sounding like a heard of elephants, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Not two seconds later, the sound of something crashing to the floor out in the room filled my ears.
I ignored it.
B was still in the same spot, still holding the bottle up to Nova’s mouth.
“Shouldn’t you burp her?” I asked, remembering the girls always telling us.
“I’m not taking this damn bottle from her. She’ll cry!”
I grimaced. “Good call.”
“Dude,” I said, looking in the fridge. “I need a beer.”
B made a sound of agreement, and I pulled out two sodas instead. We might want beer, but drinking in front of a baby was just wrong.
The dogs came rumbling back into the room, and Darcy dropped the toy at my feet. I threw it again, and they rushed off.
Nova emptied her bottle, and B sat it on the counter and gently put her up on his shoulder to pat her back.
Not two seconds later, Nova let out one hell of a belch.
“Nice!” I said proudly.
Braeden made a face.
“What?”
He turned, showing me his back. “I think she spit up on me.”
I laughed. “I think half her bottle is down your back.”
“Maybe I should have burped her,” he muttered.
I reached for her so he could pull off his shirt and drop it onto the floor. Nova cuddled into my chest, and my heart warmed. She was so tiny, but I loved her so much.
Rocking a little back and forth, I watched B wash his hands at the sink. Two seconds later, my chest was covered with the other half of her bottle.
“Ah, man.” I groaned.
Nova started fussing again.
“It’s okay, baby.” I promised her, pulling her body away from the spit up.
The dogs ran back into the room and sat down to stare at the baby.
“Come on now, Critter,” B said, taking her. “Don’t be upset. Daddy and Uncle Rome don’t mind a little throw up. It’s okay,” he murmured, hugging her close.
Her cries quieted, so Braeden carried her into the living room. Both dogs followed along behind him.
I pulled off my shirt and dropped it on the floor, then washed my hands and finished off my soda.
“Rome!” Braeden yelled from the other room, his voice urgent.
I rushed to see what was wrong.
“Dude, she exploded!”
“What?” I asked. He was leaning back on the couch, the baby against him. He was holding both arms out in the air like he didn’t know what to do.
“Oh, it’s bad,” he said and gagged.
Nova made a little sound, almost like she was happy.
I came forward, noticed the stuff oozing out from the edges of her diaper and onesie. It was smeared on B’s stomach.
“That’s nasty,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “I didn’t know babies could make that smell.”
“Me either.”
“Maybe we should call Ivy,” I suggested.
“Hells no!” he quipped. “I will not admit defeat.”
I nodded.
Braeden stood, holding her tight despite the fact she was covered in actual shit. I made a mental note to high-five him for that later.
“Lay out a blanket so I can change her,” he instructed.
I did, and he laid the baby out on it and grabbed a handful of baby wipes and cleaned off his chest and stomach.
I laughed under my breath, and he glanced up sharply. “Shit is no laughing matter, Rome!”
I laughed harder.
Nova began kicking her legs around.
“Whoa,” B said, moving to grasp her tiny feet. “Don’t be flinging it around, Critter.”
We both leaned over the baby, focused on getting her cleaned up. I passed him wipe after wipe and held open a bag to toss them into once used. Then we undressed her (‘cause you know, the shit and the spit up…), and B put a clean diaper on her.
He gazed around, glancing in the basket where Ivy kept diapers and wipes and shit.
“I need some clothes for her.”
I looked in the basket, too. There weren’t any.
“She has some in her room,” B said.
I started to push up. “I’ll go.”
He slapped a hand over my wrist. “Don’t leave me alone with her.”
I laughed. “It’s a baby.”
“And I love her, but she might explode again!”
He was right. She might.
There was a laundry basket on the couch, some folded clothing inside. I reached in and plucked out one of B’s T-shirts. It was a Knights one.
B snatched it out of my hand, and he wrapped it around the baby like it was a blanket. After he tucked the ends in, she was swaddled up good.
Nova looked up at Braeden, her blue eyes latching onto his face. He felt her gaze like the sun on a cold day, instantly drawn to her.
The edges of his lips turned up. “I think purple is your color, Critter,” he said fondly. When he lifted her, he pressed a kiss to her cheeks and then her head.
She smiled at him.
Braeden tossed his hand out, smacking me in the chest. “You see that!” he whispered excitedly.
“Sure do.”
“I knew I was her favorite.”
“You have shit on your jeans,” I said, dry.
He didn’t tear his eyes away from his daughter for long moments. “You can shit on me anytime you want, sweetheart.” When he finally looked up, he shucked the jeans right there in the middle of the room. Wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers, he yawned loudly.
Nova started fussing again, and both of us glanced up like a deer in headlights.
Thinking fast, B snatched her pacifier off the table and held it to her lips. She sucked it in and settled down instantly.
“Dude, babies make me tired,” he told me.
I agreed.
Braeden reclined back on the sofa. “How the hell does Ivy do this all day?”
“We leave them here all the time by themselves like this,” I murmured, equally in awe. It also made me feel kinda guilty.
“We should buy them some diamonds or some shit.”
Clearly, B was feeling the same guilt. I made a sound of agreement and sat down on the chair nearby, propping my feet up on the coffee table.
Darcy leapt up beside me, squishing his hairy, not-very-small ass in the space beside me, partially lying on top of me.
I was about to tell him to get down, but he licked me on the chin.
Prada lay in front of the couch near B, and Murphy curled up near my head on the pillow.
B and I started to talk football, but the conversation didn’t last very long because we both fell asleep.
# # #
Rimmel
“These last two hours have literally felt like eternity,” Ivy said as I pulled into the garage and hit the button for it to close behind us.
I smiled. “Now you know how I feel every time we go shopping.”
Ivy laughed. “Well, we got some good stuff. You’re going to be looking fierce for your next few appearances.”
“All thanks to you.” Seriously. If it weren’t for Ivy, I’d be a terrible mess in every picture ever taken of me and Romeo.
“Think they did okay?” Ivy asked as she hurried around the back of the Rover.
“Well, they didn’t call for help.” I snorted after the words left my mouth. “Like they would.”
“I missed her,” Ivy said, rushing toward the door and flinging it open.
Inside the mud room, she spun and looked at me, her eyes wide. “Why is it so quiet in here?”
Dropping all the bags right there on the floor, we hurried into the kitchen, where I gasped. It was a complete disaster. Ivy put her hands on her hips and made a sound of distress. She recovered much faster, dismissing it all and heading toward the living room.
I, on the other hand, stared in awe at the clothes on the floor (why were there clothes on the
kitchen floor?), empty soda cans, chip crumbs, an empty bottle, a couple dish towels, and the bottle warmer askew and still plugged into the outlet. I went forward to unplug it and noticed there was still water in the bottom of it.
Ivy made a distressed sound, and I forgot about it all and rushed to her side.
“Oh my God!” she whisper-yelled. “Just look at this place!”
I skidded to a stop, and the pair of us stood in awe, looking over the living room where both guys were passed out on the furniture, snoring. They hadn’t even heard us come in. The dogs either!
We could have been burglars!
Seeing us now, the two dogs began beating their tails. Prada got up and rushed to Ivy, who spared a moment to drop down and rub the dog behind her ears. Darcy gave a low whine in my direction but didn’t move from his sprawled position on Romeo’s chest.
I couldn’t help but smile at the way Romeo had his arm thrown around the dog.
It was totally charming.
I went over and scratched Darcy behind his ears as I glanced around at Ivy. She straightened and went toward Nova, staring down at her husband and daughter.
The picture they created actually caused a lump to form in my throat. A wistful feeling wrapped around my heart and squeezed at the idea of Romeo someday sleeping on the couch with our child curled into his chest.
“They’re everything,” Ivy whispered, her voice emotional.
“They really are.” I agreed.
Ivy pulled out her phone and snapped a couple pictures of father and daughter snoring away together, then turned her camera on Romeo and Darcy.
“You might have some competition, Rim,” Ivy cracked.
I giggled.
Her attention returned back to B and Nova, and it was almost like the sweetness-induced haze in which she saw them vanished.
“What in heavens name is my daughter wearing?” Ivy burst out.
Both guys jolted awake instantly.
“Wha—?” Romeo sprang up.
Braeden’s arm came around the baby, who was sleeping, cuddled into his chest. She was barely jolted when he sprang up, immediately ready to protect her.
When he saw it was us, he dropped back against the cushions with a sigh. “Hey, Blondie.”
“Braeden James Walker!” Ivy intoned, putting her hands on her hips. “What have you done to my daughter!”
His eyes widened, and he glanced down. “What’s wrong with her?”
“She’s naked!”
“She is not!” Braeden insisted. “What kind of father do you think I am? No daughter of mine will be showing her girly bits to all the world.”
I snorted.
Darcy jumped off the couch, and Romeo caught me around the waist and pulled me into his lap. “Hey, baby,” he whispered, nuzzling the side of my neck.
His skin of his bare chest was warm and solid. I pecked a quick kiss on his cheek before glancing back at a stormy Ivy.
“One of your shirts is not clothing, Braeden.” Ivy insisted, her words much firmer than the way she reached out for the baby. “Come here, sweetheart,” she crooned.
Ivy picked her up and cradled the baby in her arms, her eyes roaming over her like she was making sure she was still in one piece.
Her nose wrinkled. “She smells. Why does she smell?”
“Why are you in your underwear?” I asked Braeden.
“You didn’t tell me she could explode,” Braeden replied, pinning Ivy with a glare.
“Explode!” She gasped.
“Out of both ends.” Romeo agreed with Braeden.
“Is that why you’re half dressed, too?” I inquired.
“What in God’s name happened in here?” she asked, looking around, her stare (and mine) ultimately landing on a blanket with an open bag filled with dirty baby wipes and a diaper.
“Is that poop on the blanket?” I asked.
“I don’t know what you’ve been feeding my baby, Blondie, but you’re doing it wrong,” Braeden deadpanned.
Ivy gasped. “What did you just say to me?” In her arms, Nova began to squirm around. “It’s okay, baby. Mommy’s home.”
“We had an issue with the diaper,” Romeo explained, trying to help his brother out. “But don’t worry. We got her cleaned up.”
“And dressed her in a man’s T-shirt.” Ivy pointed out.
“It’s clean,” Braeden defended.
Romeo nodded.
“And where is your shirt?” Ivy asked, pinning Romeo with a fiercely blue stare.
“Spit up,” he said.
“I suppose you’re going to blame the lamp on the floor on the baby, too?” I asked, trying to hide my amusement.
“That was the dog,” Braeden said.
Nova started fussing, and Braeden jumped up, rushing to Ivy’s side. “She’s hungry,” Ivy told him.
“How do you know?” he demanded. “She just ate!”
“She eats a lot. She’s a baby.” Ivy pointed out. “And it sounds like half of it didn’t stay in her belly.”
“Did you burp her?” I asked Romeo.
“I told him to. He was scared to take the bottle from her.”
“She was hangry.” B defended.
Romeo nodded sagely. “She was.”
“You two are morons!” Ivy announced. Then she glanced down at the baby and smiled. “C’mon, sweetheart, let’s get you a bottle.”
“Don’t forget to heat it up!” Romeo called after her.
She told him to shut it.
Braeden snickered.
I glanced at my brother and lifted my brows. “I thought babies were easy.”
“Ah, hell, sis,” he muttered.
A few moments later, Ivy came back into the room and sank down beside B on the couch. Both of them stared down at the baby who was happily drinking up her bottle.
“See, baby,” Braeden quipped. “Nova loved hanging out with us.”
“We’re her favorites,” Romeo informed us.
“You’re my favorite, too,” I whispered into his ear. His palm curled around my hip and his lips met mine.
After a quiet moment, Ivy sighed. “I guess she did. You’re a good daddy, Braeden. And, Romeo, you’re a good uncle.”
I nodded, totally agreeing. But I couldn’t help but add, “Even if now she needs a bath, actual clothes, and this place will take the rest of the day to clean.”
Beneath me, Romeo’s chest rumbled with a low laugh.
“You’re gonna help us with that, right?” B asked.
Ivy and I laughed.
# # #
Hashtag Series Bonus Scene #4
Starring Romeo & Rimmel
by Cambria Hebert
This scene takes place present day—after the completion of the #Hashtag and GearShark series.
*Brand new scene—exclusive to #Hookup!
Romeo
The engine of the Hellcat purred. It was a sound I loved so much I kept the radio turned down when I drove her. Even though the Cat wasn’t as new as she used to be, she still ran like the first day I got her.
The credit for that went to Drew and Trent. Having two gearheads in my family sure kept my favorite car in tip-top shape.
Truth was I didn’t get to drive the Hellcat as much as I used to, even though she was still the best car in the garage. Now we needed cars with a hell of a lot more seats. It was worth the tradeoff, though. I wouldn’t give up the family Rim and I shared just to get more drive time with my car. The way I saw it, the limited drive time I got just made it that much more special.
And today was definitely special.
The car pulled into the lot, up toward the large building, and swung into a prime parking spot. It was the car; she was magic. I always got the best parking when I drove her.
I put her in park but left the engine running just a little longer, allowing the smooth vibrations of to fill my limbs. Pushing the sunglasses up on my head I turned toward Rim, who was riding shotgun.
She glanced at me and smiled. A lo
ng, thick braid fell over her shoulder, and her hand rubbed lovingly at her round belly.
God, she was stunning. Unequivocally. Even after all this time, my eyes still only saw her. To me, Rimmel was the definition of beauty; no one else would ever hold a candle to her.
Ever.
Reaching across the center of the car, I palmed her belly. “How’s number three?” I asked fondly.
She laughed. “Happy.” Her hand moved over mine, sandwiching it between hers and our third child.
“I don’t know how he could be anything but,” I murmured. “That’s some prime real estate he’s occupying.”
“He?” She lifted her eyebrow.
“Or she.” I corrected. “You know I don’t care.”
“I know.” She leaned forward and puckered her lips for a kiss.
Chuckling, I met her halfway, pressing against her supple mouth. The spark between us was well-known by know. It was always there and always my most anticipated feeling.
What was meant to be a quick kiss changed the second our lips met. With a low growl, I leaned forward, wrapping my free hand around the back of her neck and tugging her even closer. She sighed, and my mouth dove against her parted lips, sliding my tongue past the barrier.
I made out with my wife right there in the parking lot, without thought to anyone who might see. Let them look. Loving her wasn’t something I would ever hide.
The press didn’t bother us as much anymore, not the way they used to when we first got married and when Blue was born. Eventually, hotter news stories came around, celebrity drama and scandals. It was an epic relief not having to be scared every time my wife left the house. Not seeing our faces on the covers of magazines when we went to the store to buy diapers.
Granted, the press still loved us. Of course they would. I was like a fine wine. I only got better with age.
And my stats only got better. The Knights was the pride of the state, a team that barely lost and pulled out some plays that would sit on record books for a long time to come.
Not only that, but I had a hella-hot wife and I made some good-looking kids.
Easing back from our kiss, I relished the way Rim’s lips clung to mine just a little bit longer, as if ending the contact was something she hated.
Tugging on the end of her braid, I watched her with heated eyes as she sucked her lower lip into her mouth and then smiled up at me.
#HookUp (Hashtag Series Bonus Scenes) Page 5
