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Sure enough, a red Lego sat beneath it.
He grabbed the play piece and stood to give it to Axl, who beamed the second his chubby fingers closed around it.
“You screamed because you couldn’t get your toy?” Chloe asked with a heavy
sigh. “Though we shouldn’t have left you alone so long anyway.”
“No, we shouldn’t have.” Michael whipped out his phone and swiped through screens. “Ordering that baby monitor. Maybe we should spring for a camera too?”
“I think we’re good for now.” Still holding Axl, Chloe came closer and gave Michael an uncertain look. Then she reached up and grasped his neck, bringing him down to her mouth again. The kiss she gave him was decidedly more chaste than it would’ve been if they’d still been in the kitchen, but Michael had no complaints.
Axl screwed up his mouth as if he was deciding how he felt about what he’d seen. Then he stretched out his arms toward Michael. “Kiss.”
Michael’s stomach twisted as if he’d been pummeled by two tiny fists. He had been, for all intents and purposes.
Michael tucked his phone into his pocket, then lifted the baby out of Chloe’s arms and gave him a loud smacking kiss. Axl giggled and flung his arm at his mouth to wipe it away, but he was all smiles.
So was Chloe.
Switching Axl to his hip, Michael slung his arm around Chloe’s shoulders. “So you guys off to the store?” He buried his face in Axl’s red hair. The smells of baby powder and Michael’s minty soap clung to the kid and made him ridiculously happy.
Everything did.
“Yeah, we’re low on supplies. I wanted to get a pork loin for dinner, and someone needs diapers.” She poked a finger into Axl’s Mickey Mouse-covered belly.
Axl scrunched up his nose. “No.”
“Yes. You’ve got a ways to go until you’re potty trained, bucko.”
Axl glanced up at Michael. “No.”
He had to laugh. “At least his mind is made up.”
At the front door, he passed the baby to Chloe and decided to test his luck by drawing her in for another kiss, equally as chaste. Axl showed his approval by pushing his face in between for a kiss of his own.
Chloe grinned and picked up the baby bag she left beside the door. “So rehearsal today?”
“Yeah, all day probably. Show Friday night at Vista.”
“Cool. Maybe we’ll stop by for a little while.”
Unreasonable pride swelled Michael’s chest. A music studio wasn’t the typical workplace for a dad to show off to his kid—and fuck if that wasn’t weird to think, but nice—but it still counted. “Really?”
“Sure. If we won’t be in the way.”
“Are you kidding me? You’ll inspire me to new heights.” He kissed her once more then planted on Axl’s forehead. “Be good for your mama at the store, all right, Ax-Man?”
Axl smiled sweetly. “No.”
“Sounds about right.” Chloe huffed out a breath and threw the strap of the baby bag over her shoulder. “Good luck at rehearsal. See you later.”
Love you.
He nearly said the words. They were right there, but at the last second, he swallowed them. “Thanks. Have fun shopping.”
She rolled her eyes. “Funny man.”
He shut the door and pried his cell out of his pocket. Instead of completing the order still on his screen once he swiped the phone awake, he just stood there and grinned. Dopily, he was sure.
