Training, Daddy (Inner Harbor 2)

“You know she basically told me I had to stay away from you or lose any potential of procreation later on as an adult.” Jax smirks.

“She did not!”

“She did.”

“And yet she trusts us alone to babysit.” I muse.

“Well, we’re not horny teens waiting for their parents to leave the house.”

I swallow hard thinking about sneaking around with Jax. Is that what we’d been doing these past few weeks? “No. No, I guess not.”

“And yet, isn’t that what we’ve been doing.”

My eyes shot up to Jax’s face and he’s standing at the counter arms bulging and crossed against his chest.

“Uh…”

“Come on. We know Piper is nutty as they come, but that’s why we love her. She’s been orchestrating this the whole time and now its backfired in her face.”

My face heats and I think about our training sessions and now we’re here in the house together, alone. I trust Jax, but can I trust myself?

“Hey, Di, I mean it in the best way. I enjoy training you to kick ass.”

Maisy runs into the kitchen. “Butt! You said butt! That’s a dollar Mr. Jax.”

“Maisy!” I scold her but it’s really me I’m scolding. Jax has put out on the table what we’ve been dancing around this entire time and now we can’t avoid it.

“You’re right, little wonder. Here’s a dollar for the jar.” Jax slips a dollar bill from his wallet into Maisy’s greedy little hand who scampers off to leave us back to adult conversations and raging hormones.

I lean into the counter for support. “So what do you propose we do about this?” My heart races and my blood sings with curiosity that’s been playing at the edges of my desire for this man. For the first time, I’m considering jumping in head first without a life preserver to see where this goes. Last time I did that, I got married to the first boy who came around who left me high and dry. I’m taking a risk but I think I can do it.

“I was hoping…” before Jax can finish Danika wakes up whimpering and we’re on baby duty for the next few hours.

Time blurs as we change, feed, clean, change again, and snuggle two little demons into slumber. No wonder Milo and Piper needed a night out. Even with one, I didn’t remember it ever being like that nonstop and I did it alone.

“Jax, why don’t you and Maisy set up the movie?”

“Are you sure?” He says watching me as I rock Danika in my arms. I think she might be colicky and I rub her back. I can let Milo and Piper know when they get home. The baby is fine and the need the night out while I need to snuggle this little baby.

“Perfectly. I kind of miss this.”

He looks at me funny. “You do?”

I shrug, “Yeah. It’s not always like this and the snuggle years vanish all too quickly.”

He nods and we don’t get to finish our conversation because as soon as the twins are out, I return to the living room to find my daughter has crawled her way up Jax’s chest hugging him in her sleep. The movie credit

s scroll and I click the remote off watching them snore lightly.

It’s bittersweet.

Eight

Jax

“Hey sleepyhead.” A soft voice rouses me and I open my eyes slowly. A little warm body is wrapped around me, too tiny to be Diana. It’s Maisy and my chest burns with fiercely protective emotions I hadn’t expected.

“I guess we conked out, huh?” My voice is gruff and Diana picks up Maisy kissing her head.