I pull out a sleeper and fresh diaper and grab the changing pad. Milo wakes up as I set him down, his blue eyes locking on mine. A smile spreads across my face as we quietly observe each other. His nose is definitely Chase’s, in addition to the eye color and angle of his chin. There’s certainly a resemblance, and that hits me right in the gut. I think somewhere, deep down, I thought maybe, just maybe, Laura was lying.
But I see it.
This baby is a Callahan.
I offer Milo a smile and start pulling apart the snaps between his legs to get to the diaper. The moment I do, a loud wail fills the room, the little baby clearly not happy about changing his pants.
“Shhh, shhhh, shhhhh,” I coo, my fingers working fast to remove the clothes he’s wearing and get to the dirty business at hand.
“What’s wrong?” Chase asks, practically flying down the stairs.
“Nothing,” I reassure him. Keeping my eyes on the baby, I simply add, “We’re working on a diaper change, and Mr. Milo isn’t too happy about the smell coming from his pants.”
“Oh. Shit. I thought something was wrong,” he says, coming over to join us at the couch.
“Everything is fine,” I reply, trying to soothe his frayed nerves. He needs a distraction. Maybe I’ll have him make a bottle. “Can you mix up a bottle? It’s real easy. The bottles already have water in them, so you just need to scoop out the formula. There’s a diagram on the side of the container that tells you how much to add for two ounces. Can you check that?” Chase nods frantically, retrieving what he needs and takes them into the kitchen.
“We’re almost finished, little man, and then we can have a midnight snack, okay?”
As I’m snapping closed the sleeper, Chase returns with the bottle. “I think I did it right.”
“I’m sure you did fine,” I tell him, picking up Milo and tucking him into the crook of my arm. “Let’s take it upstairs so we can put him down to sleep after his bottle.”
Chase leads the way up the stairs, back to his room. The comforter and sheets are a tangled mess atop the bed, and the room carries the faintest scent of sex. Funny, it seems like getting busy between the sheets was hours ago, yet in reality, was like fifteen minutes ago. My, how things change so quickly.
I crawl on top of the bed, Milo starting to let me know he’s getting tired of waiting for his food. Chase is there, propping the pillows against the headboard and making sure it’s as comfortable for me as can be. The moment my back is supported, I adjust the baby in my arms and give the bottle a little shake to make sure it’s good and dissolved. His cries are getting more frantic, and the moment the nipple touches his tiny lips, they latch on and he goes to town.
“Damn, he’s hungry,” Chase murmurs, settling in beside me. He rests his hand on my thigh before tentatively moving it over to touch Milo’s covered leg. “This doesn’t feel real.”
“Honestly, I don’t know what to think of this situation. I mean, what kind of mother just drops off her newborn on a stranger’s doorstep? Well, I guess her note explained it, but I guess I just don’t know what to make of it. If this were my baby, I wouldn’t leave him for a second,” I confess, gazing down at his cute little cheeks as he suckles at the bottle nipple.
Chase relaxes just a little more, lying on his side and leaning his head in his hand. The other hand continues to gently rub Milo’s leg in a calming manner. I’m not sure if it’s for the baby or for Chase. “You’re really good with him.”
“I’ve had a little practice with Sophia. You too, for that matter,” I remind.
His response is delayed, but when he finally speaks, he says, “Yeah, but this is different. I’ve never done all the little things, you know? Yeah, I’ve changed her and given her a bottle, but I never bathed her or had to figure out what was wrong when she was fussy. Harrison and Gwen were always there for that part. Well, and you.”
“I’ll help you,” I find myself saying without even considering the implication.
My heart is pounding as realization sets in. This is so much more than babysitting. This is parenting, or co-parenting. No, he isn’t my son, but I can’t just walk away. I can’t leave Chase to deal with this drama on his own. Babies are a lot of work, from everything I’ve been told, and two heads are better than one. Four hands better than two. Helping Chase deal with this huge turn of events seems right, even if the circumstances are a little unorthodox.
“I’m afraid I’m going to need a lot of help.”
Noticing that Milo’s little cheeks aren’t moving much anymore, I pull the bottle from his lips and set it aside. It’s almost empty, which means he ate almost two full ounces. “Well, how about a crash course in burping?” I ask, adjusting the baby to get ready to pass. “Sit up.”
He does immediately, grabbing for the burp cloth tossed over my shoulder. “Like this?” he asks when he gets it in place.
“Perfect. Now, I’m going to hand him to you. Cradle him against your chest, supporting his butt with one hand, his back with the other.”
Milo whimpers the moment I adjust his position and hand him off to Chase. He holds the baby close, putting his hands right where I told him to. Without being prompted, he starts to lightly tap the baby’s back. “Watch,” I instruct, showing him how to lightly tap from the bottom of his back, slowly moving upward. “My mom always said it helps push the air up and out.”
I can feel eyes on me, and when I look up, they connect with Chase’s. Even through the darkness of the room, I can still see his blue eyes and the gratitude in them. He’s clearly mere seconds away from freaking out, but when he looks at me that way, I feel like we can do anything, as long as we do it together.
That’s a huge revelation, considering a few days ago, I had us comfortably positioned in the friend zone.
“You’re a natural,” I whisper just as a soft belch spills from the baby’s mouth. I giggle, for some reason always responding that way when a baby burps. Probably because it’s so damn cute when they’re that little.
“I did it,” he says, excitement etched on his handsome face.
“Good job, Daddy,” I reply, my gut twisting into knots.
Chase sighs. “I’m not trying to be a dick, Gabby, but I just…I don’t know. I don’t know that I’m his father.”
I move to the side and get the blanket bed ready for Milo. Chase slowly lowers him into the bed, positioning him on his back. His mouth starts to suck, but then he instantly falls back to sleep, his little fists resting above his head.
Chase and I each lie down on our sides, facing the baby sleeping between us. I reach forward and lightly touch Milo’s hand, and I smile when I see Chase do the same. “We can get a paternity test, Chase. In fact, I definitely think you should. But there’s also no denying the shape of the nose and the angle of his chin. You have a lot of the same features. Plus, there’s the fact that she knew you were in St. Louis, right? I remember you went to spend the weekend with your brother, but even I don’t recall anything about a club.”
Or a woman for that matter, but I keep that part to myself.
Sighing, he nods. “You’re right. She knew I was there and when. The timeline is right. And, even though this’ll make me sound like an asshole, I don’t remember their names from that night. It could’ve been Laura or Patti or Stephanie or anything. I wasn’t there for them, you know? I was there to hang out with my brother. He was the one interested in a little fun on the side,” he says, glancing down at the sleeping baby.
“We’ll figure it out, Chase. Don’t worry.”
He snorts. “Right. Don’t worry. I have a newborn in my house, one who’s supposedly mine, and I have to figure out what to do next. I need to go shopping for supplies, I have to try to figure out how to reach his mom, and I have to work.”
“I’ll keep him with me in the office,” I offer, already arranging my schedule so that I can help with the baby. “Plus, Gwen’s not back to work yet. I’m sure she’d be willing to help too.”
A yawn slip
s from my mouth, causing a single corner of Chase’s mouth to turn upward. “We should get some sleep. We burned quite a few calories before this little one showed up.”
I grin. “We did,” I recall, wishing we could get to that second round already. Unfortunately, though, our night took a drastic turn, bypassing the worse and landing directly in the crazy.
“Good night, Gabs.”
“Night, Chase.”
He watches me as I watch him, neither of us making a move. “You know, I’d love to kiss you goodnight, but I’m terrified to move and wake him up,” he whispers, causing another giggle to spill from my lips.
“Me too,” I confess, laying my head down on my pillow.
I don’t close my eyes, not right away. Instead, I lie here and stare at the man across from me, watching my every move. This situation is definitely one giant mess of epic proportions. One minute, I’m coming all over Chase’s magical cock, and the next, a woman leaves his supposed baby on the doorstep. We basically jumped right past an episode of Oprah and landed firmly in the Jerry Springer Show, and I have no idea what to do besides take it day-by-day, minute-by-minute.
But there is one thing that’s certain. Baby Milo will be waking back up soon, and there’s no rolling over and going back to sleep. In a matter of minutes, Chase and I became parents, and as I close my eyes and drift off to sleep, I can’t help but think how surprisingly okay I am with that.
Two times.
That’s how many more times little Milo woke up before 6:00 a.m. It was the last one that’s the most memorable though. Explosive shit out the top of the diaper and all over the bed definitely creates a lasting impression. Chase tried not to gag as he pulled all the blankets off his bed and took them down to the washer. I tasked myself with the job of cleaning the very unhappy baby. It wasn’t until the mushy poop was cleaned from his bottom and back that he finally settled down. Well, until he realized he was hungry, that is.
Chase and I are both dragging ass as we work together to keep an eye on Milo and get ourselves ready. I feed him a bottle while Chase showers. When he’s ready to go, and the baby is sleeping again, I run through the world’s fastest shower and throw on my office attire. I keep it a little on the casual side today, donning black dress capris and a light green smock top. After a quick blow dry, I pull my hair up in a no-mess ponytail and go light on the makeup for the sake of time.
Sliding into a pair of comfortable black flats, I meet my roommate in the hallway. Milo is cradled in his arms, and my heart starts to do a little pitter-patter dance in my chest. The sleeve of his T-shirt molds tightly to his bicep, and his powerful legs look amazing in basketball shorts. He’s a walking wet dream, and throw in the fact that he’s holding a baby, my ovaries start weeping with joy.
“Hey,” I mutter, glancing down at the bundle.
“He just went back to sleep,” he confirms. “I thought it’d be all right if I brought him downstairs.”
Nodding, I’m quick to agree. “Of course. Let’s get him in his carrier and we’ll make sure the bag is packed. We have a fairly light day at the gym. We need to go talk to Harrison right away and make sure he’s okay with me keeping him at the office. Maybe over our lunch break, we can run to the store and buy baby stuff. We have a lot to get.”
“Like a crib and stuff,” he says, his face already starting to show signs of panic.
“Eventually. I think we can get a bassinet at first. He’s still little,” I reply, noticing that my finger is rubbing tiny circles against the baby’s cheek. I didn’t even realize that I had moved to touch him.
Chase nods. “Makes sense. But we’re definitely going to need more clothes. Especially if there’s many more of those blowouts like this morning,” he adds, shivering in disgust.
Smiling, I agree. “Definitely. We should anticipate a few more of those, yes. I’ll try to make a list of the things Gwen got at her shower. That should give us a good place to start.”
Slowly, we make sure we have the diaper bag packed up and the baby secured in the seat and head to Chase’s truck. “I can drive my car if you want. This way, we have two vehicles at the gym, in case something comes up.”
He adamantly shakes his head. “No way. I want you with me.” Chase reaches over with the hand that isn’t carrying the car seat and runs his palm along my cheek. The moment his skin touches mine, flashbacks of last night fill my mind. He’s the perfect combination of powerful, yet tender. When he touches me like this, I can’t help but wonder why in the hell I fought this connection for so long.
Trying not to smile, I help him buckle the seat in the truck, noting that we definitely need to get a base as soon as possible, before climbing in the cab. On our way to the gym, Chase pulls into the coffee shop and orders my favorite drink. He also grabs two large black coffees for him and Harrison, and three cinnamon rolls.
When I glance at him in mock horror, he replies, “I think this situation calls for extra carbs and trans fats, okay?”
As the bag is set in the seat between us, I respond, “Oh, you won’t get any complaints from me.”
He hands me the drink carrier as he says, “You’ll be complaining later when I make you work off that cinnamon roll.”
I know he’s meaning in the gym, but that doesn’t stop me from asking, “Do you mean later tonight? In your bed?”
Before he pulls away from the window, his eyes fly to mine, dark and hungry with desire. His shorts suddenly look a little snug in the front, which makes me silently preen with excitement. I did that to him, just by mentioning having me in his bed. “Oh, sweet Gabrielle, that’ll definitely be happening later tonight.”
We’re silent as we drive the remaining few blocks to the gym, me smiling and sipping on my latte. Harrison’s truck is already there, but I expected nothing less. He’s always there before me. The only person who isn’t there is the man sitting beside me. “I’m surprised Harrison hasn’t called looking for you,” I say, unbuckling my belt and climbing out.
“He sent a text earlier. I told him I was running late but would be in around eight.”
The man climbs from his truck and immediately goes for the baby in the back seat. He has his belt released and the carrier in his hand quickly, the full diaper bag thrown over his shoulder, which is sexy all in itself. Pulling my eyes away from the man and baby, I retrieve our rolls and coffees and follow him to the back door. I’m secretly happy that Chase pulled in back, choosing to sneak in the back way, instead of walking through the front door. I’m sure everyone and anyone would question why we’re arriving – together – and with a baby, and frankly, that’s not something I’m ready to get into yet.
There are just too many questions that even we can’t answer.
My office is quiet, but the door to Harrison’s office is open. Instead of stopping at my desk, as I usually would, I follow Chase as he enters his boss and best friend’s lair.
“I was starting to think you were—” Harrison starts, but cuts himself off when he sees the baby carrier.
“Yeah, as you can see, something came up.” Chase walks over and sets the seat on the chair, dropping the diaper bag on the floor.
My brother-in-law looks from me to Chase to the baby sleeping in front of him. You can practically see the questions bouncing around in his head. “Uhh, are we babysitting this morning?” he asks tentatively, making his way around the desk to glance at the infant.
“Apparently, I’m babysitting for a while.” Chase takes a deep breath, seeming to steel himself for the words he’s about to say. “Harrison, meet Milo. My son.”
Chapter 10
Chase
I hold my breath waiting for my best friend’s reaction. I just spoke five words that still have me unsettled, so I know he will be as well. Glancing down at the baby, I fight the urge to say he’s not mine. Gabby’s right, the resemblance is there, but surely, I would have known that I slept with someone that night. It’s only been Gabby for me for a long damn time. I remember the girls joining us,
and that I wasn’t interested, but you know beer goggles and all that.
“You want to rewind that back for me?” Harrison asks.
I run my hands through my hair. “Got a late-night visitor last night, almost midnight, doorbell rang. Opened to find this little guy with a diaper bag and a note. As soon as I stepped out on the porch, a car sped away, I didn’t get a make or model or anything, I was too shaken up from the fact that there was a baby on my front porch. The car was black. That’s about all I got.” I close my eyes and try like hell to remember something else, but it’s useless. The car sped away before I could process what was happening.
“And the note?” Harrison prompts.
“You remember when I took that trip to St. Louis to see Colton before he left?”
“Yeah, about a year or so ago?”
“Try about ten months.” I point down at Milo. “Letter claims we slept together, and she snuck out the next morning. All I remember is some girls joining us. I wasn’t interested, but there were shots, man. Lots of fu-freaking shots. Then, the next morning, I woke up alone.”
Harrison just stares at me, his mouth slightly ajar. Seconds pass that feel like minutes when he finally speaks. “Holy shit.”
“So, are you okay with me keeping him with me today? We’re going to go out at lunch and get… stuff,” Gabby says. She’s taking control of the situation and I could kiss her for it. She looks up at me. “We don’t know what’s going on, but until we do, we have a baby to take care of.”
“We?” Harrison asks.
I slide my arm around Gabby’s waist. “Just my luck, man. I finally convince her to give us a go, and the same night a baby boy from a supposed one-night stand shows up on my doorstep.”
Harrison laughs and shakes his head. “I’m glad the two of you finally figured it out. My wife will be thrilled. She’s been trying to get me to push you two together more for weeks. It’s been hard as hell holding her off.”
I grin. It’s good to know Gwen is in our corner, that is until she hears about Milo. I can only hope she’s as understanding as her sister. Speaking of Gabby. I was scared as hell last night that she was going to walk away. She surprised me though; she not only stayed, but she jumped in and helped me with him, which I’m thankful for. She’s given me no signs that she’s going to end this before we really even get a chance to get started.
Fair Lakes Series Box Set Page 38