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I shrugged and got out, hauling all of our shit to the side of the building before going back and collecting the baby.
Harleigh took Astrid by the hand as Izzy filled her hands with their carry-ons.
The baby stayed asleep during the transfer, but the longer I stood there with her curled against my chest, the more I became convinced that it was too fucking cold to be standing outside with her.
“You got a blanket in there, sis?” I gestured to her bag.
She started to dig in her bag and came up empty-handed.
“I think I left it in the car.” She moaned, eyeing Astrid’s blanket.
Harleigh started to snicker. “You take that from her and she’s going to lose her shit right here and now.”
I silently agreed. It was cold as hell, a cold front having rolled through overnight. And, on top of that, where we were located was also underground. Meaning there was no sun to warm us up at all.
“I know.” Izzy bit her lip as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and started to furiously tap her finger on the screen.
“Tuck her in your jacket and zip it up,” Harleigh suggested, reaching for the zipper on my jacket.
When the jacket was open halfway, she helped tuck the baby’s legs into the jacket, then zipped it back up for me while I held her close.
I grinned when the baby only snuggled deeper.
Harleigh’s eyes took me and the baby in, her eyes softening.
“You look good holding a baby,” she whispered, biting her lip.
Something passed between us then, making my heart start to pound.
“You want kids?” I asked curiously.
“Yeah,” she answered. “I want two or three.”
My lips twitched. “That’s it?”
She shrugged. “Yep. For now…”
“Meaning you could change your mind after the time comes?” I wondered.
She nodded. “These kids are sweet and nice. But all the other ones I come into contact with are literally hell on wheels. I’m not sure that I could handle their brand of excitement in more than three kids.”
“Your own are always more likable than other people’s,” I teased. “Though, these two are quite well-behaved. I’m not sure if that’s just because I’m their uncle and I think that they’re well-behaved or because they’re actually well-behaved.”
“Probably a little bit of both,” Izzy said as she once again joined the conversation. “I hate Oscar’s kids, though. At least, all of them but the oldest. They act exactly like him and Mama. I saw them at the grocery store yesterday and they actually turned their lip up at me.”
I growled low in my throat. “That’s because Oscar is a little kiss-ass and trains his kids to act exactly like him.”
“I feel like I’m missing something,” Harleigh said, glancing between the two of us.
Astrid leaned against her legs, knocking her off balance, and it was only the wall at her back that kept Harleigh from landing on her ass.
I grinned at her as Astrid leaned closer to her, practically wrapping herself around Harleigh’s legs, blanket and all.
“You’re just the sweetest thing ever,” Harleigh cooed to Astrid. “Because I was just thinking my legs were going to fall straight off me.”
I highly doubted that, but it was something I could definitely look into heating up for her later...
“Oh, thank God,” Izzy said, drawing my attention from the contemplation of wrapping Harleigh’s legs around my hips to Rome, who was running down the sidewalk toward us.
Which worked out because the security guard behind the desk taking the luggage said, “Next!”
“Shit,” Rome said, shaking his head and flinging water off of his hair. “It’s cold as fuck and it started to rain when I hit the corner there.”
For being an ex-football player and out of football for years now, he was still in incredible shape. I had no doubt that he’d just run from the parking lot all the way here.
More power to him.
I was more of a lifter. Cardio sucked balls, and I only did it on Tuesdays and Thursdays because I absolutely had to. There was no running for the fun of it.
I helped move the luggage with my feet, grinning when Rome had to do all the heavy lifting.
“You could help, fucker,” Rome grumbled as he got all the luggage behind the line where the security guard had indicated.
I pointed at the baby that was still snuggled deep into my jacket. “Sorry. I have a baby.”
Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the gate that our plane would be departing from.
I was surprised to find Hoax and Pru, Bayou and Phoebe, as well as Linc and Conleigh.
I didn’t know the women all that well, but when Harleigh arrived holding Astrid, everyone was more than happy to see her.
Which made me happy.
I liked that she fit in amongst the women. I was still working on fitting in with the men.
One day it might happen, but I was still on the edge of the room looking in when it came to the group.
