Page 48 of Axe Backwards
“You sure?” he asked, his tone low, as he loosely gathered my hair.
I nodded, though I was already regretting the offer.
At the warmth of his fingers lightly trailing along my neck, up around the shell of my ear, I shuddered.
It was more physical contact than I’d had in a long time.
“Did I hurt you??”
I turned gently, taking in his panicked face.
“Totally fine. Sorry. Just getting comfortable.” I shifted, took a sip from my water bottle and gave him a thumbs-up.
For a moment, he seemed frozen behind me, but I didn’t dare turn around again. Eventually, he ran a brush through my hair, gently tugging it to the ends. The sensation was foreign—I couldn’t remember the last time someone brushed my hair for me—but with each stroke, I relaxed a bit. It wasn’t all that different from going to Becca’s salon for a trim.
Or maybe it was. Becca was professional and fast, and Noah was slowly brushing each strand with care, gathering the hair, sectioning it, and gently braiding it.
“Can I try a few smaller braids?” he asked.
I nodded and inhaled sharply. I was doing my best to distract myself by stacking blocks for Tess to violently knock over, but it wasn’t helping.
His hands were clumsy, but he was so focused and gentle. The tenderness made my heart ache.
“You’re a really good dad.”
“Doesn’t feel that way.”
Tess crawled into my lap now, getting snuggly and staring at the TV, where Moira Rose was wearing a platinum blond wig and a fur hat.
Contentment bloomed in my chest. It was accompanied by a hint of unease, due to the hot guy braiding my hair and leaning in so closely I could feel his breath on the back of my neck. Unease or not, it felt like I was in the right place with the right people.
This type of tranquility had been rare in my life. I’d always felt like an outsider in my own family and then I’d been isolated in an unhappy marriage.
But with every passing moment, anxiety about today’s meeting crept back in.
I couldn’t lose focus. I’d come too far to have everything derailed by Denis Huxley.
“Okay. I think I’m done,” Noah said proudly.
I patted the back of my head with my free hand. My hair had been divided into three sections, each braided separately. They seemed normal enough. Walking around with three braids may be a bit unorthodox, but I didn’t care.
“Not bad,” I said, handing him a sleepy Tess and standing up to stretch.
It was only then I noticed the circles under his eyes and his disheveled hair. Caregiving, even for the most perfect baby ever, was a big job.
I reached for Tess and pulled her back into my arms.
“I’ll take the first shift.” Swaying, I rubbed circles on her tiny back. “Go sleep in my bed. You look wiped.”
He opened his mouth, but the noise that echoed through the small space came from behind me.
The eerie voice said, “I like warm hugs.”
I spun around.
“It’s Olaf,” Noah said, his tone was rough and full of exhaustion.
Tess lifted her little head from my shoulder and whimpered. “Laf.”
