Daddy Undercover (Crescent Cove 9)

“Are you serious? You sneezed in my underwear?”

“Well, they’re so shapeless that I figured they worked for the purpose.” I held out my arm. “Just smack me now and get it over with.”

She snatched the clean onesie out of my hand. “Nope, too easy. You better hide your boxers. You never know what I’ll do with them.” Still muttering, she carted the baby upstairs, who was leaning backward over her arm to keep me in view.

Good thing Gina didn’t do the same thing.

I didn’t hide my smile as I picked up her panties.

See, I could be stealthy. I’d just proved it. And my spoils were soft gray cotton with an all too interesting pair of puffy red lips right over the crotch.

This woman was going to kill me.

But since I didn’t want her to maim me first, I shed my jacket and walked over to the big plastic tub of ornaments thiefed mainly from my dad’s and bought on shopping trips with Gina. She’d hauled it out from the closet while I was procuring our tree. A not-so-subtle reminder that hey, that was only half the job.

So, I got to work making it look, well, festive. With enough garland and that stringy old-fashioned tinsel stuff along with the big glass ornaments passed down from my grandmother, it actually looked pretty damn good if I said so myself. I added a few of the reindeer and little gingerbread dudes we’d bought together at various Cove shops and then swallowed hard as I realized Samantha needed an ornament.

Baby’s First Christmas.

Daddy’s First Every-Damn-Thing.

Gina still hadn’t come downstairs when I finished with the tree. All except the requisite popcorn ball stringing, which we’d do together while Sadie stole—

Sadie.

I marched toward the deck and let out a laugh at the sight of my dog practically Velcro-ed to the glass sliding doors, waiting to be let in. She let out a yip as I opened the door, launching herself at me with all ninety pounds of her wet, wriggling body.

Wait, wet?

“Where have you been, girl?” I rubbed her head as she stared up at me with her soulful eyes. “Did you dig out under that fence again?”

Her rump wiggled as she put her paws on my chest, her newest trick to get out of trouble.

It worked, just as it always did.

“I’ve gotta get John and his crew out here to fix that fence. Maybe it’s time to rebuild the whole thing. What do you say about that? Then you won’t be sneaking off to the O’Malley’s to steal their crabapples or to hassle their chickens. Never mind taking a dip in the lake.” I frowned. “It’ll be freezing up soon, so enjoy that water while it lasts, missy.”

She laid her head on my chest and gazed at me apologetically. Her expression was one of total love and acquiescence.

Until she heard Gina clomping down the stairs and left me in the dust like an old forgotten bone.

“Whoa there, girl, watch it. Those claws are something fierce. How long has it been since Daddy got you groomed? Too long, probably. Men. Can’t kill ‘em but you can lock them in the basement.”

I tucked my hands in my back pockets as she went into the living room with her faithful canine companion at her side. I smiled as I heard her gasp over the Christmas music still playing.

“What do you know? He has some skill with his hands, after all.”

Oh, if she even knew.

But our friendship was the best thing in my life. I didn’t want to take a chance on messing it up. Even if the events of the past week were screwing with my head and causing me to reevaluate a lot of things.

Rather than joining them in the living room, I went to the stove and took down a couple of the old-fashioned shake it up popcorn tins. She finally came looking for me when she heard the telltale popping.

Sadie trailed after her with one of Gina’s sneakers in her mouth. I wasn’t sure if Gina hadn’t noticed yet or was picking her battles. Or maybe this week of having a baby had given her a new perspective.

It sure had with me.

“Is this bribery?”