Page 12 of Love Notes & Lifelines
I return my attention to Emmy. She’s scrambled across the seat and is hefting a large bag with pink flowers all over it.
“Thanks, Ems. You’re a great little helper. Now, can you scoot back so I can lie Ruby down to change her diaper?”
She nods and scoots back, then lowers her face to her baby sister’s and starts humming a tune I recognize, “Never Grow Up” by Taylor Swift.
“Does your mommy sing that to you?” I ask, and her little face floods with sadness, a tear slipping free.
“It’s a very special song,” I say, pulling out a few wipes and undoing Ruby’s diaper.
Heat at my back makes my spine tingle. Beck leans over me to see what I’m doing and gags again, so I elbow him to back up.
What a baby.
“Do you have a copy of that song with you?”
More tears fill Emmy’s eyes. “It’s at home.”
Beck is behind me again. “All your stuff is at home? Where? In Sailport Bay? We’ll just buy new stuff.” Then his body heat is replaced with cool air.
“I don’t think that’s the point, Mr. Hayes,” I say through clenched teeth. If I roll my eyes any harder, I’ll be glaring at himfrom the back of my head. Geez. All these girls need is a little compassion and love right now, can’t he see that?
I fasten a new diaper onto Ruby, pull up her cute little leggings covered in daisies, and tug her into my arms. My nose immediately goes to her hair. Baby smells are the best.
She also has the chubbiest cheeks. The kind that are meant for kisses, so I kiss them, and she giggles in return. Beck stands far off to the side with eyes so wide I’m sure they’ll fall out like a Saturday morning cartoon soon.
The fear, the sadness, the need for love shows in Emmy’s haunted expression. She needs affection too, so I offer it, feeling a connection with her that makes my throat itchy.
“Hey, Emmy, have you had a hug today?”
Taking charge is not my smartest option. I’ve spent months hiding behind people and odd jobs so no one would question me, but their needs trump my own.
“Mr. Sterling gave me a hug when I cwied.”
I drop to my knees in the dirty parking garage and open my left arm. She crashes into me as though she hasn’t been safe her entire life and my heart finds a little crevice just for her.
Beck stands ten feet away, his face going twelve shades of gray. I stay crouched down until Emmy pulls away.
“You give really good hugs,” I tell her. “I might need a lot of those. Would that be okay?”
She flings herself back into my arms and we stay huddled together until my legs cramp and I have to stand or lose the ability altogether.
Emmy instantly grabs my left hand. With Ruby tucked on my hip, I stare at Beck. This man puts all my teenage crushes to shame, yet he stands gawking at us. “Ah, if you can grab the bags, I’ll bring the girls up to your office.”
His swallow is visible from here, but he agrees and moves toward the car, giving us a wide berth.
“They don’t bite,” I say. “Well, Ruby might, but she’ll grow out of it.”
He blanches, then runs his tongue along his front teeth. Is he gauging how much damage human teeth can do? I almost feel bad for laughing, but not so much that I don’t do it. I can’t help it. This gazillionaire is scared of two sweet little girls.
“Come on, ladies. I’ll show you where Uncle Beck Daddy’s office is.”
His groan causes a tingling heat to spread through me as a memory attempts to surface. I give in to the awkward shiver overtaking my body, ridding myself of those pesky images, and guide Emmy to the elevator, holding it open for Beck.
He approaches us warily, and when he steps inside holding at least eight different duffel bags, the heaviness of what he’s dealing with falls over us.
I’m a jerk for laughing at him. I don’t have to know the details of what made him an Uncle Daddy to understand that whatever’s happened is devastating for all three of them. But I hope he has a good support system in place—at least one better than he has at work.
He doesn’t rely on anyone in the office, except maybe Elijah. We’re very similar that way.
