My Ex's Baby (Crescent Cove 8)
No, I wouldn’t have to. Because I was not pregnant.
My back was even starting to ache. So there.
&
nbsp; Ivy just rolled her eyes as her brother’s heavy boots thumped up the hallway. “Do you ever knock?”
“We share this duplex, remember?”
“Not for much longer.”
“Yeah, yeah, when your house is finished being built, you’ll be gone. I know the spiel. Maybe I enjoy just being able to pop in on you from time to time.” He moved forward to tug on one of Rhiannon’s naked baby toes, making her giggle and hold out her hands to him.
He immediately took her into his arms without bobbling her head. I would’ve sworn my ovaries stood up and did a cheer.
Ivy heaved out a sigh, but she was smiling now. It was hard to watch August making gooey eyes at his niece and not curl your toes.
At least if you were me.
“Yes, but you have your own side, remember? I’m a married woman now, and I need privacy.”
“Not when Lucky Charms isn’t present and accounted for. Where is he anyway? Thought he was bringing his fancy a—” He glanced down at Rhiannon and cleared his throat. “Butt back from LA today.”
“He’ll be back tonight. Do you always have to give him such a hard time?”
“He isn’t here right now, so I’m not giving him anything. But yes.” August turned his head and gave me a smile dripping with sexual promise. “Hey, Kin.”
I fumbled for my amethyst cluster necklace. I had a feeling I’d be clutching my crystals a lot today. “Hi. Wasn’t sure you even saw me.”
Oh, lovely. Sounding needy was the last thing I needed to do right now.
His green eyes heated as he cupped Rhiannon’s head in his big hand. “I always see you.”
Pleasure bloomed inside me, but I squelched it as I noticed Ivy’s pinched brows as she studied us. “Look who’s trying to be charming. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”
No one laughed. Or even smiled. The quip landed as many of my attempts at jokes did.
Much like the banana that had just splatted on the newly mopped kitchen floor.
August frowned and tilted his head back, toting his niece with him to get a better look at the ceiling. “You have a leak? What the—it’s yellow.”
“It’s banana. The food processor exploded. I need to get a new one. You can’t have a romantic dinner without the dinner.”
“Haven’t you two had enough romance?” August swiped a finger through the mixture coating the plastic container on the food processor and licked it.
I didn’t whimper. I hoped.
“Hmm. Pretty good. Banana? You like those, princess?”
Rhiannon yanked her fist out of her mouth and started to cry.
“You’re eating her lunch, jerk. Here, sweetness. Let mama get you a bottle until we get this banana mess sorted.” Ivy grabbed a prepared one off the counter and handed it to her fussy daughter, who started sucking on the nipple like it was her job.
It basically was.
“I’ve got to run to the store. Do you have a few to watch her?” Ivy patted the pockets of her jeans as if she was trying to remember something. “I’d started a grocery list for the rest of the week, so if you can manage, I’ll stop by the Piggly too while I’m out. Shopping is so much easier when I don’t have to bring the baby in with me.”
“If your husband ever stayed home, he could watch his daughter.”