Eddie plopped his backside onto the tile.
“Now come here.”
Without a complaint, Eddie got to his feet and walked over to Jackson. Lydia had to follow him, the leash still coiled in her hand.
“He can stay, right?” Autumn said, looking at Griff.
He shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. But not in the nursery, okay?”
“Of course.” Lydia caught Jackson’s eye. “He’ll be on his best behavior.”
“You’d better be on your best behavior, too,” Griff told his friend. “No getting dirty with Autumn’s sister while I’m out.”
Autumn gave Griff a pointed look. “Ignore him,” she told Jackson. “He’s just anxious about leaving Skyler.” Her expression softened when she mentioned her daughter. “Talking of the baby, I’ve made a list of everything you might need. It’s on the kitchen counter. She shouldn’t need feeding, but if she cries too much there’s a bottle in the refrigerator.”
“It’s breast milk,” Griff said, his eyes crinkling. “So don’t go tasting it to see if it’s warm enough.”
Jackson shrugged. “I drink milk from cow’s breasts. I can handle human ones.”
Autumn covered her mouth, but her laugh still escaped. The smile slipped from Griff’s face.
“Don’t be drinking my fiancée’s breast milk. That’s not a request.”
Jackson winked at Lydia, and she bit down a grin. “Don’t worry,” she promised. “Autumn’s boob milk is safe with us.”
“If we could all stop talking about my breasts, maybe we could get out of here.” Autumn lifted Skyler from Griff’s arms and passed her to Lydia. “Bedtime at eight. And we should be home by eleven. But make sure you call if there are any problems.”
“We will,” Lydia agreed. “I promise.”
“And maybe send me a photo or something. Just so I know she’s alive.”
To Lydia’s surprise, Jackson took Autumn’s hands in his own. “We’ll take care of her,” he said softly. “I promise. You’ll come home to her asleep and hopefully you’ll both get a good night’s rest, too.”
Autumn leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “You’re a good man, Jackson Lewis.”
His lips curled as he whispered against her skin. “But it’s our secret, right?”
She stepped back and smiled at him. “It’s not a secret. We all know it. Now have a good evening, you two lovebirds. And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Autumn kissed the top of Skyler’s head and grabbed her purse from the counter, reaching out for Griff’s hand. “And thank you both. We’re grateful for the break, aren’t we, honey? With all the planning for Skyler’s celebration, I feel exhausted as soon as I wake up.”
“Yeah, I guess we’re grateful.” Griff managed a smile. “I’ll see you later.” He glanced at Jackson then back at Lydia. “Good luck with the babysitting.”
“Go!” Lydia said, laughing. “Before we change our minds.”
16
“She’s asleep,” Lydia said an hour later. They’d divided the work between them, with Lydia reading a bedtime story to Skyler while Jackson warmed up the food he’d brought, then played with Eddie in the yard. The dog was curled up in a sweaty heap in the middle of the grass, snoring loudly. Throwing the ball for him about a hundred times had finally tired him out. Mission accomplished.
Jackson looked up from where he w
as standing on the deck, drinking her in with his gaze. She was wearing jeans today, with a white silky shell on top, her tanned arms glowing in the light of the setting sun.
“Come here,” he said, his voice low. She bit down a smile, her green eyes meeting his as she slowly sashayed to where he was standing.
He cupped her face with his warm palms. “You look beautiful tonight,” he told her, brushing her temple with his lips. “I’ve been thinking about you all day. I had to listen to thrash rock music to finally concentrate on my work.”
Her gentle laugh rippled through the evening air. “I was thinking about you, too. When I woke up this morning and I realized I was alone it was so disappointing.”
“Stay tonight,” he urged. “Come with me when Autumn and Griff are back.”