Page 8 of An Uphill Battle

“Laugh all you want, Drake, but I mean it. No inappropriate touching. No dirty talk. No innuendos, none ofit.”

“You play hardball,Bit.”

“Shake on it?” Azalea tilts her head and squinches up one eye, trying her hardest to look fierce and mean, when really, she looks about as mean as amouse.

“Sure thing.” I extend my hand and grip hers. “I mean, as long as a handshake isn’t consideredinappropriate.”

“UGH! You’re such an ass!” Her harsh tone is diluted by her laughter. “Did you hearthat?”

“Hear what?” I ask. She holds a finger over her lips in the universalShhsign, and we both fallsilent.

Three seconds later, I hear the sound of the baby monitor crackling, followed by Brody’s whimpering. Azalea starts to stand, but I pull her back down to the couch. “Stay, I’ve gothim.”

I dart up the stairs and into Brody’s room just as he starts to really wail. “Shh, Little Man, Uncle D’s gotcha.” He quiets immediately when I scoop him up from his crib and snuggle him close to my chest. “You need a diaper change, huh, dude? C’mon, let’s get youdry.”

Softly, I lay him down onto his changing table, where I swap out his soiled diaper for a clean one. “That’s better, huh, B? All fresh and clean so we can go see your aunty A.” I lightly bounce him, patting his bottom as he rubs his nose into my cheek. “She’s the prettiest girl I know. You’re lucky to have her as an aunt,kiddo.”

He lets out a soft little coo, and I know that’s his way of agreeing. “Yessir, she’s the most amazing woman Uncle D knows. She’s smart and thoughtful and maybe even a little crazy, but that’s what I love about her the most. She’s got this spark—this fire—and it makes mecrazyin the best way.” He coos again, and I continue. “One day, you’re gonna find a girl who makes you crazy, and when that day comes, you’ll do everything in your power to keep her, because that’s how you know she’s theone.”

With a fresh diaper and some life advice tucked away in his little brain, we head back down the stairs. When we round the corner into the living room, I notice Azalea is looking at me all kinds of weird. “You good?” I ask her as I lower Brody and myself down onto thecouch.

“Mmm, fine.” I cringe at her use of the dreaded F word.Fine.What a crock ofshit.

It’s then that I notice she’s clutching the baby monitor in herhands.

Aw,hell.

5

Azalea

Hearing Drake’swords over the monitor has my heart beating so hard I’m worried it may very well beat right out of my chest. All this talk aboutloveandkeepinghas me feelingfaint.

Combine that with the image of him walking into the room, cradling Brody in his arms? Yeah, my ovaries went into overdrive, pinging around inside me, screamingThis could beours!

I know he can tell I’m far from fine, but praise be, he doesn’t call me on it. No, instead, he reclines back into the corner of the couch and lays B-Man on his chest, looking every bit like all my fantasies come tolife.

Drake Collins is the perfect male specimen. He’s finer than fine, smart, hard-working, and funny as hell. But seeing him with a baby? Yeah, it’s pretty much gameover.

“For real, you okay, LittleBit?”

I release a long sigh before answering him. “Yeah, I am. I mean it. Can I hold Brodynow?”

“’Course you can. Here.” He wiggles a bit and moves them into an upright position so that I can move the baby from his arms to mine. Once Brody and I are settled on our end of the couch, much in the same position they were just in, Drake grabs my ankles and pulls my feet into hislap.

“What’re youdoin’?”

“Foot rub,” hedeadpans.

“Right, butwhy?”

“Damn, you’re difficult. I think the better question is, ‘Whynot?’”

I’m fully prepared to remind him of my inappropriate touching rule, but the words die on my lips the minute I feel his thumb press into the arch of my foot. “Ohh, that feels sogood.”

Drake merely grunts in response, and I allow my eyes to fall closed as he continues massaging my tiredfeet.

Sometime later—minutes, maybe hours—I blink my eyes open and realize that I must’ve fallen asleep. I jump up like I’ve been slung out of a slingshot when I realize Brody is gone. He’s no longer snuggled up on mychest.

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