One Chance, Fancy (Bear Bottom Guardians MC 5)

“I stayed the night.” I paused, waiting for the backlash.

It wasn’t far in coming.

Brielle got a mutinous look on her face as she said, “Why the hell would you have stayed here when you live literally three houses down?”

“Because she was tired, and I didn’t want her to stay at her house when she still doesn’t have all her shit out, or anything to feed herself with.” Bayou paused. “Oh, and by the way, I’ve never made you coffee because you’re fully capable of doing it. I made it for Fancy because she’s my girl, and I want her to like me.”

I felt my mouth go dry, and the sweetest smile ever crosses over my face.

“That’s sweet,” I said, walking forward until I was pressed against him.

When I leaned up on my tippy toes to offer my mouth to his, he didn’t hesitate to give me what I wanted.

The kiss was sweet, and just a brush of the lips, but it was definitely enough to set that swarm of butterflies off again.

“I…”

“You’re her what?!” Brielle screeched.

A shuffling sounded from behind us, and I turned to see Isa making her way into the kitchen, dragging a blankie and a bear in her wake.

She looked sleep-mussed and so adorable that I couldn’t help myself from pulling out my phone and taking a picture.

Instead of paying attention to Brielle, who was still fuming, she walked right up to where I was standing against Bayou and pressed her face into the gap between our legs.

I felt my heart melt as I looked up at Bayou.

He was looking down at Isa, and he had a small, satisfied smile on his face.

When I dropped my hand down to Isa’s hair, trying to tame the unruly mess that was going on, she tilted her head back and said, “Pink!”

We’d literally gotten a whole three words out of her.

Stepping back and dropping down to my haunches beside Isa, I let her see my hair.

She touched it and smiled. “It’s more red than pink.”

Isa scrunched up her nose, and I took another picture of her.

“Are you hungry, Isa?”

That was said by Brielle.

Isa didn’t bother giving her any of her attention. Instead, she fisted her hand in her dad’s perfectly starched and ironed uniform pants and said, “Up.”

I looked at Bayou. “She doesn’t talk, does she?”

Bayou’s lips twitched. “So maybe I need to watch what I say.”

I snickered. “Probably.”

Bayou bent down and picked Isa up, then offered me his hand, which I accepted.

Brielle was busy making Isa toast since she hadn’t answered her.

When Brielle turned from the toaster with a piece of toast slathered in way too much butter, offering it to her, Isa turned her head away and laid her face against Bayou’s neck.

“Thank you,” Bayou said. “Just put it on the counter.”

Brielle did, then leaned back with her arms crossed over her chest. “So, I have today off. Do you want me to watch her?”

She sounded like she’d rather do anything but babysit, though she had offered anyway.

“No.” Bayou shook his head. “I’m taking her over to Pru’s. They seemed to get on well last night, and honestly, I don’t think she’ll stay with you.”

Brielle frowned. “What makes you say that?”

“Because every single time she’s had the chance, she’s turned away from you,” he answered bluntly. “Something happened to where she doesn’t do well around women. Trust me when I say that it’s nothing personal.”

Brielle was taking it personally, whether she should be or not. Hell, if I was in her shoes, I might be a little upset, too. Not because I wasn’t getting to watch her, but because of what was done to Isa to make her this wary in the first place.

“She likes her,” Brielle countered, sneering in my direction.

I walked to the fridge and pulled out a few of the cheese sticks that I’d seen from the night before and opened one. Walking over to Isa, I ran my hand down her back and said, “You want this?”

Isa turned her head and laid it back against her father’s shoulder. She stared at the cheese, unsure.

I took a bite of it, moaning at the taste of the sharp cheddar, and then offered it back to her.

She took it and shoved half of it in her mouth before tearing it.

I bit my lip at the show of aggression.

“Feisty,” I teased.

Patting her shoulder lightly, I took a sip of my coffee and nearly moaned. “Did you know today is National Coffee Day?”

The tension surrounding Brielle and Bayou seemed to lighten, at least on Bayou’s end.

He hadn’t liked the way she was acting and was letting his displeasure for her show on his face.

I frowned and turned toward the door. “Well, I’m going to go get changed. I have to be at work in a little bit, and I think I might go over to my sister’s and get some snuggles before I head home.”