Page 12 of Deception
She doesn’t have time for this. “What?”
“Babies feel the energy around them, and I’m a firm believer that that little girl knows her mom isn’t coming back. Not cognitively, but she knows. Keep that in mind when you try to comfort her.”
“She’s not old enough to walk yet—”
“When Colt and I were having problems, and I was upset, Calla was difficult to calm down. I swear, she knew I was upset and joined me. Sisterhood solidarity or something. She knewsomething wasn’t right in the house, and once I figured out how to calm myself, she calmed down, too.”
“That’s… Thanks, Lex.”
The drive to Gavin’s place takes longer than Hailey would have liked, but she finally arrives and runs down the hallway where she can hear the baby’s cries. Using her key, she walks in to find Gavin bouncing her gently in his arms.
“Please, baby, stop crying. What do you want? I’ll give you twenty bucks if you just stop crying,” Gavin pleads.
“Hold out on him, kid. You can get so much more,” Hailey says and reaches over to take Nancy from him.
“She doesn’t need your help with that,” he says.
Slowly rocking, she rubs the baby’s back. “Oh, it’s okay, little girl. Do you know your daddy’s freaking out? Yeah? He’s not really sure how this is going to work, either.”
She eventually settles down and hiccups as she nestles against Hailey’s chest. It makes her want to burst into tears. Not only is she adorable, she obviously feels safe in Hailey’s arms.
“How did you do that?” Gavin asks. “I’ve tried for an hour.”
“She can tell you’re freaking out, so she freaked out. She might also somehow know her mama’s not coming back, and I know how it feels to miss your mom.”
“I don’t know how to fix that,” he says and sits on a stool at the island. “I mean, who just abandons their child?”
The chubby baby in her arms snores softly, and Hailey knows there’s no logical answer for him. “You need to call Lily.”
“Why?”
“Get papers drawn up for the waitress to sign. If she’s going to give up all parental rights, make it legal. Once Nancy gets a routine down, it helps protect her from the waitress popping in and messing it all up.”
“What routine? I’m a Prospect, Hailey. In a motorcycle club. And I’m patching in soon.”
She presses her lips against the baby’s forehead, and she walks her into the nursery. Laying her in the crib, she knows this is exactly why she didn’t want to bond with Nancy. In a matter of moments, she’s completely in love with Gavin’s daughter.
Gavin follows her, but she turns on the baby monitor and leads him out of the room before shutting the door. “We’ll figure it out.”
“Hailey—”
“You have to do what’s right by your daughter. She deserves a strong parent when the other walked away. You have to take the initiative to make sure her mother doesn’t rock her entire world once she gets settled. Trust me, I’ve had my life turned upside down, and it sucks.”
He nods and lets out a long breath. “You’re really staying?”
“Where else would I be?”
“I know this can’t be easy on you, babe. It hasn’t been easy in general, but I don’t know how I can ask you to do this. It feels too damn big.”
Cupping his face, she kisses him tenderly. “I’m offering, Gavin. As long as you make sure things are settled on the legal front, I’m here. But I can’t get attached if there’s a chance for the waitress to pop back in and tear her away from us. If we’re going to do this, we need toreallydo this. Make it legal. Everything to protect her and us.”
“I’ll call her right now.”
He walks into the living room, and Hailey zones out. Did everything with Lex and Colt happen to show Hailey it’s possible to love someone who isn’t biologically related to her?
A knock at the door pulls her from her thoughts, and she walks over to answer it.Please don’t be an angry neighbor. She’s just a baby, for crying out loud.
A man wearing the same kutte as Gavin stands on the other side of the door. The only other Prospect Hailey knows is Kent Conway, and this isn’t him. She doesn’t know this man.
