Page 80 of Make it a Double

It could be the rental coordinator checking on my stay, or someone might have just taken a wrong turn and needed to turn around. I waited, listening for voices, but was met with the three loud knocks instead.

“You gonna answer the door, or am I gonna stand here with my thumb up my ass all day?”

What the hell was Duke doing here in the middle of the day? Didn’t he have a bar to run?

Walking to my front door, I unlocked the deadbolt and swung it open. I was greeted by the sight of Duke, Grady, and Lukas standing on the porch. Their arms were laden with bags of baby supplies, including a fucking car seat equipped with a baby doll.

“‘Bout damn time,” Duke said, brushing past me with an especially large bag. “Oh, and I brought reinforcements.” Lukas and Grady quickly followed after him, murmuring their hellos as they made their way to the kitchen.

My front door stood wide open as I tried to focus on what was happening only feet away. Duke and Grady pulled out stacks of diapers, wipes, and clothes, while Lukas grabbed empty bottles and set them on the table.

“Um, hi? What is happening?” I asked. Was this a fever dream? A hallucination? That was the only thing that came to mind as I watched Lukas bend down and unbuckle the doll from its carrier before setting it on the island with the rest of their presents.

Duke propped his hands on his hips and scowled. “You wanted daddy lessons. That’s what we’re here to give you.”

“Daddy lessons? That sounds kinky,” Lukas retorted, looking around the space. His eyes lit up the moment they landed on my fresh coffee. “Aw, you shouldn’t have!”

“I didn’t,” I deadpanned.

It didn’t stop him from reaching for the cup and taking a long, exaggerated sip. “This asshole dragged me out of bed at the asscrack of dawn to drive to Knoxville so we could get supplies for this little event. I’m dying here.”

Taking a deep breath, I closed the door and made my way over to them. “So, why is he here?” I asked, pointing toward Lukas. “No offense or anything.”

He grinned broadly. “You’re looking at the world’s best uncle nine years running and two times over. I can do this shit in my sleep.”

I glanced at Grady, who shrugged and nodded. “As surprising as it may be, he is pretty good. No hospital visits yet.”

“I take offense to that. It’s not surprising,” Lukas said, crossing his arms over his chest. “And it’s not that hard, either.”

To be honest, when I asked Duke for help, I thought he might just tell me what books to read or give me a rundown on the finer points, not give a full-scale demonstration. The fact that he was taking time out of his day had to be a good sign, right?

“How’d you know I’d be home?” I asked.

“I asked Sawyer where I could find you,” Duke replied. “But you might want to let her know I’m not here to kill you. I think she was a little worried.”

I pulled my phone out of my pocket. Sure enough, there were four unread texts from Sawyer.

Sawyer:

Remind me not to eat tacos until this demon is out of me. My heartburn is out of control today.

Sawyer:

SOS. Duke called looking for you.

Sawyer:

Are you still alive?

Sawyer:

Do I need to send out search and rescue?

My fingers flew across the screen.

Me:

All good here, sugar. No need to worry about me.