Page 40 of This Baby Business
His experience the few times he’d had Grace around Cassie, Emily and Sarah was that they’d pass Grace around to get what they called their baby fix. Fortunately, Grace wasn’t fussing at the moment, because when she did, they tended to hand her back. She was always his problem then.
He lifted her out of her car seat and handed her to Cassie.
Levi pulled out the stroller, then attached the car seat to it and rolled it toward Cassie. “Here, take this, too.”
Cassie gave him a long look. “I see you brought the house again.”
He would never again be caught without enough diapers. That one time had been a disaster. “And this.” He set the diaper bag in the empty car seat.
“How are you, angel? What a good baby you are…” Cassie’s words echoed in the mid-October California sunshine as she pushed the stroller one-handed. She never sounded as sweet as when she had Grace in her arms.
He was going to take her up on that overnight soon. It was high time he had a real night off. He was still supposed to call Lily and arrange that date, but that wasn’t going to happen now. Everything had changed.
“Come out of there.”
At least his no-nonsense tone worked on Digger. He’d begun to respond to orders like a good enlisted man. Digger moved, his bulging eyes peeking from underneath the seat where he’d hidden. He crept out an inch at a time, like he feared he might soon face a firing squad.
“No one’s gonna hurt you, dude.”
Great. Now he was talking to a dog as if he could understand English. Which meant he must be slowly turning into his grandfather.
“Aw, Digger.” Zoey appeared at his elbow.
“Hey, Zoey.”
She looked cute today, dressed in cutoff overalls and pink-and-white waders with strawberries all over them. Her dark hair was pulled in a ponytail high on her head.
“So…I heard about your engagement.” She winked and gave him a thumbs-up. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“Right.” He picked Digger up, slapped a leash on him and handed him over to Zoey.
“You’re going to get a free bath, little one.” In two seconds, Zoey had led Digger away.
Levi made his way inside the hangar and to the Magnum offices to change. He found Stone and Matt hiding like a couple of scaredy-cats in Stone’s inner office. They were both already changed into board shorts and wore short-sleeved T-shirts with the Pilots and Paws and Mcallister Charters logos.
“What the hell? Why aren’t y’all out there helping?”
“It’s early.” Stone had his long legs stretched out on his desk as he fiddled with his phone. “We’re doing all the work once we get going.”
“Emily told him to get out of her way,” Matt said with a smirk.
“What’s your excuse?” Levi said to Matt.
“I was up late last night.” He leaned back in the office chair and closed his eyes.
Stone glared at him. “Do I need to hear this?”
“Because of Shackles, smart aleck.” Matt opened one eye. “He snores louder than I do. How wouldyoulike a dog that snores?”
“How would you like a dog that farts?” Stone said.
“Would either of you like a dog that pisses on your hand and is so tiny it comes up to your ankles?” Levi changed quickly into his board shorts.
“Let me get out my violin,” Stone said. “That dog is going to get you laid, not that you need any help.”
Matt nodded, head back, eyes closed. “Yup.”
“How’s that?” Levi asked.
