Page 17 of Spring Break With a Baby Daddy
“I think we should sleep in here. You on that side, me on this one. That way we’ll be on hand when he wakes. If one of us does the diaper and the other gets his bottle ready, we should be able to get him back to sleep quickly,” he explains.
Sleeping in bed with Easton, regardless of the baby in a drawer between us, might not be the best idea. Not with the way I’m incapable of not reacting to his presence. It’s been like this since I first laid eyes on him, dripping wet, pulling himself out of Vail’s indoor pool last Christmas.
But the thought of leaving him in here—alone—to deal with the baby doesn’t sit right either.
And not because he asked for my help.
Iwantto help.
I’ve never thought about kids of my own. I’m barely twenty-five, and there has never been a man to inspire thoughts of babies and happily ever afters. Add in parents who weren’t—aren’t—the best role models and parenthood has been the furthest thing from my mind.
Don’t get me wrong, my childhood wasn’t bad. It was average for the first half. I think. Everything changed when my teachers noticed how smart I am. After that my parents noticed me in a way they never had before.
Once it was determined I was a child prodigy, the only thing I did was school work—study. Not that I hated it. I have this need to learn about things. Doesn’t matter what it is, if it piques my interest I’m off, down a rabbit hole until I know everything there is to know about the subject that has snagged my attention.
“Vivian?”
“Hmm…” My gaze meets Easton’s.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“I know I asked, hell, I told you I’d beg on my knees, but if you don’t want to help me, I won’t hold it against you.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to help?”
“This isn’t what you agreed to when you said yes to going on a date.”
“No. But you didn’t plan for this either.”
“No, I didn’t.” His gaze leaves mine and finds the baby. “But this is what the plan is now.”
“I’m okay with that.” And surprisingly I am.
I haven’t had much to do with Hadley’s baby but I have enjoyed spending time with Bennett. He’s a cutie. “Bennett and this guy will be the best of friends when they get older.”
“Come sit down and eat something.” Worry hasn’t left his eyes. “Please.”
His concern makes me uncomfortable, has me wanting to look away, and I search for a subject to divert his attention.
“Can I set my gear up in your office or one of the other rooms?”
I need to get my fingers on a keyboard. Do what I can to find out who Lisa is. Find a way to make sure Easton and Lisa get what they want.
“I see your brain ticking.” Easton pushes off the bed and heads in my direction. “We can’t do anything tonight. Your things are at Vail’s anyway, but the second the storm lifts, I promise, I’ll drive over there and bring everything here and you can put it wherever you want.”
“We need to make sure this guy is all right.”
“We will. And if that means putting him back in his mother’s care, we’ll do it.”
“But you don’t want to do that.”
“No.” He reaches for my hand. “Strange as it seems, this, you and me and him, feels right. I can’t explain it. All I know is we’re meant to be together here. Now. Whether we stay together in the future or not doesn’t matter. Right now. This is all we really have. And I want it with you.”
“We barely know each other.”
“I think we know the important things. And what we don’t know, we can learn.” He shoots me a grin as he tugs on my hand. “I hear you’re good at that. Learning.”
