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“What? I got something in my teeth?”
“Nah,” Keith said, shaking his head. “Just weird as fuck to see you sitting there next to a baby. And you’re not even hyperventilating. It’s like an alternate universe. Or maybe I’m dreaming.”
Mickie pinched his forearm.
“Ow! Fuck!” Keith scowled at his girlfriend as he rubbed his arm.
“Nope,” she said in a cheerful tone. “Not dreaming.”
Hannah’s soft chuckle had JP glancing her way to find her curious gaze on him. He cleared his throat. “I, uh, only recently, very recently got custody of her. Actually, I didn’t even know she existed until a few days ago. Her mom never told me.”
“Wow,” Hannah whispered. “That’s…that’s…” She shook her head as though unable to put the shock of it into words.
“A total mindfuck? Yeah, you’re telling me.”
She swallowed, and her face took on a wary look. “You must have a lot of…complicated feelings about her mother.”
He raised an eyebrow at her, and her cheeks turned pink.
“Gosh, sorry. That is so none of my business. Forget I said anything.” She rubbed her forehead. “I don’t know what’s going on with me. I’m not usually this blunt. Or nosy.” A slight wince and shrug only made her cuter.
People were going to be curious. He’d have to get used to it. And most, especially those who knew him and his family history, wouldn’t be as sweet as Hannah with their inquiries. “Nah, it’s okay. Complicated is a good way to put it.” So complicated, he had yet to sort those emotions out even though he’d thought of nothing but Kayla and her mother for days.
Kayla chose that moment to smack her tiny palms on the tray of her highchair as she let out a window-shattering shriek.
“Shit!” JP jumped and looked at her. What the hell did that wretched sound mean?
Was she hurt?
Did she need her diaper changed again?
Was she ill?
How the hell did anyone figure out what a baby wanted?
Hannah laughed. “I think someone is hungry. Aren’t you, sweetie?”
This time, Kayla smiled a big ole one-toothed grin as she whacked the tray again. “Mind if I give her some mashed potatoes? She should be able to handle them fine. I mean, uh, as long as she doesn’t have any allergies.”
He shook his head. “No allergies.” At least not according to the medical documents that had arrived with Kayla. He watched in awe as Hannah plopped a small blob of mashed potatoes directly on Kayla’s tray. Guess plates weren’t something a baby cared about. Kayla attacked the food as though starving, shoving her little fingers through it and then lifting them straight to her mouth.
From across the table, Jagger laughed. “What are you fucking starving the kid, JP?” He laughed again. “Shit! Look at her go. That is one hungry lady.”
“Now we know where those thighs come from,” Ronnie said as she snickered.
Seriously. Since he’d taken over caring for her earlier in the day, he’d only given her the bottles as Jagger had instructed. How the hell was he supposed to know she could eat real food too?
Goddamn, he had a long way to go.
“She’s a fucking mess,” Keith said, laughing. “Have fun cleaning that up.”
As though responding directly to him, Kayla squealed then rubbed a filthy hand all through her hair, making the entire table laugh.
After wiping Kayla’s hands with her napkin, Hannah frowned at the group. “You know,” she said, sounding like a teacher lecturing their class. “You all are gonna need to start watching your language soon. Won’t be long before she’s repeating every word out of your mouths.”
All around the table, Benson jaws dropped. His family wasn’t exactly known for their delicate tongues or modesty. Nor were they used to near-strangers putting them in their place. Not this group of rough-and-tumble brutes. Ronnie included.
His respect for Hannah grew.
Ronnie, in particular, seemed stricken by that news. She’d always been brazen and ballsy, having to keep up with five rough-and-tumble older brothers. She huffed out a sigh. “Well, fuck me.”
He couldn’t have said it better himself.
CHAPTER NINE
HANNAH WOKE MUCH the same way she’d fallen asleep the night before—with thoughts of Kayla on her mind. If she was honest, Kayla wasn’t the only one she’d been thinking of. JP had taken up much of her brain’s square footage as well.
Okay, fine, she’d been ruminating over JP even more than her niece, which was saying something because she’d been over the moon to see Kayla. And hold her, which she’d gotten to do after dinner. In fact, that little girl never touched the floor. Her aunts and uncles couldn’t get enough of her and spent the evening bickering over who got dibs on her next.
Who could blame them? Kayla was the sweetest, most wonderful baby in the world.
She wasn’t biased at all.
JP had defied all her expectations. After overhearing Ronnie and Mickie’s concerns about him, she’d prepared herself for the worst. A deadbeat dad who didn’t give a crap about his child. She’d expected a dirty, cranky kid and pissed-off man who’d rather be anywhere but with his child. What she’d found was an overwhelmed father who had no experience or idea what he was doing. But what first-time parent did? Mary Anne certainly hadn’t known what she was doing in the beginning. Neither had Hannah, and she’d been the one doing more of the work than Mary Anne at times. It’d been exhausting for all of them. Long, sleepless nights, worry, and plenty of messing up. Where she’d expected to be critical of JP, she found herself empathizing and rooting for him.
