Page 32 of Aussie
Aussie glanced around, and his laughter only got louder as he took in the full scene. Yes, it was gross, but it was fucking hilarious.
Baby Isadora had apparently unleashed chaos. There was poop on her, on the towel, somehow a little on Nails’ shirt, and even a few splatters on the wood floor.
Even though Max and Amira looked horrified, they were at least trying to help, holding a container of baby wipes and a roll of paper towels like it was an offering.
“I didn’t sign up for this,” Nails said, still looking helplessly at Isadora, who was oblivious to the chaos she’d caused. “I’m telling you, Aussie, this one’s a weapon of mass destruction.”
Aussie shook his head, still chuckling. “Alright, big guy, what exactly do you want me to do? You’re the one who called me for help.”
“Yeah, you’ve got nieces and nephews,” Nails said defensively. “I figured you knew what to do! She won’t stop shitting. Every time she toots, more shit comes out.”
Aussie stifled another laugh. “I may have nieces and nephews, but between deployments and trainings, I missed the baby stages. So, this isn’t exactly in my wheelhouse either.”
Nails muttered something under his breath and glanced back down at the grinning baby in his arms. “Do you think Duke and Hannah have dealt with this before?”
“I don’t know. Why didn’t you call Duke?” Aussie asked, still trying to keep a straight face.
Nails sighed. “Didn’t wanna bother them unless it was serious. And she’s obviously fine,” he added, looking down at Isadora’s cherubic, innocent face. “Well, besides the, uh, explosive situation.”
Aussie smirked, noticing just how much of a mess this really was. With Isadora, plus the other three kids, the thought of dinner and cleanup was looking like a losing battle.
“You know, we’re gonna need backup for this,” Aussie said, scanning the disaster zone again. He thought of Ava and how incredible she was with kids. “I think I’ve got the perfect person to help.”
Nails’ face lit up with hope. “You thinking of Ava? She’s a social worker—she’s gotta be great at this kid stuff, right?”
“Exactly,” Aussie agreed, already dialing Ava’s number.
???
Ava’s office smelled faintly of lavender and coffee, the remnants of the candle she kept under the warmer, and the endless cups of caffeine fueling her day.
Her desk was cluttered with files, post-it notes, and a bowl that held the remains of her chicken Caesar salad.
Across from her, Sarah was perched on the edge of her chair with her sandwich in hand. Her inquisitive blue eyes were zeroed in on Ava.
“So,” Sarah said, dragging out the word with a sly grin, “how was Thanksgiving with the SEALs? Did Aussie finally make a move, or are you still just eyeing each other like awkward teenagers at a school dance?”
Ava rolled her eyes, though a small smile tugged at her lips. “It was nice. His team and their families were all really welcoming.” She hesitated for a moment before adding, “And…he kissed me.”
Sarah nearly choked on her food. “What? He kissed you? Details, now!”
“It wasn’t anything huge,” Ava said quickly, though the warmth in her cheeks betrayed her. “It was after dinner. We were in the kitchen, and he just kissed me. It was sweet.”
Sarah set her sandwich down, abandoning all pretense of eating. “Okay, so? Are you going on a date with him or what?”
Ava hesitated again, biting her lip. “Well, does him coming to the house for dinner and then staying to help Christian and me decorate the tree count as a date?”
Sarah’s eyes widened, and her mouth hung open. “You cooked him dinner?”
Ava laughed. “Well, it was sort of a spur-of-the-moment thing.” She explained how Aussie had taken Christian to the shooting range, and when he dropped him off, she had invited him to stay for dinner.
Sarah was smiling. “Okay, that is a step in the right direction. But when are you two planning on going on an official date? Just the two of you?”
Ava played with the corner of a piece of paper. “I don’t know.”
Before Sarah could respond, the door to Ava’s office swung open, and Clint, their boss, walked in carrying an envelope and a stack of files. His tall, lanky frame and ever-serious expression made the room feel smaller.
“Hope I’m not interrupting,” Clint said, though he didn’t wait for an answer. He set the envelope and files down on her desk. “Ava, are you still attending the city’s annual fundraising gala this Friday?”
