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“I’m good. Thanks, sweetheart.”
Zane is now flat on his back, taking Ella for an airplane ride on his bent legs. She giggles whenever she flies toward Uncle Ryker, especially when he makes a show of acting like she’s crashing into him. She smiles at me when she sees me, her chubby hand reaching out in an attempt to wave. But she doesn’t cry for me. She’s such a Daddy’s girl.
“I’ll take a few twenties,” Ryker tells me.
He’s working on his humor. Go, Ryker. “You got it. The rest is mine though. Steal your own loot.”
Ryker snaps his fingers and swings his arm in a gosh-darn-it way. Hey, he’s trying. Even his temper has mellowed. We rarely see cruel-humored Ryker anymore. Although, I wouldn’t want to work for him in the business world. His nickname at Martel Investments isThe Shark.
I can’t help but smile as I head downstairs. My distracted man is busy having playtime with his daughter. I won’t disturb him again.
The decision to invite Ryker over for dinner was a tough one at first. Zane has always wanted a relationship with his brother. Naturally, he felt wary, after everything that went down between them. I was too. And I’m not going to lie, the first few dinners were phenomenally awkward. Zane always asked me to check his back after Ryker left, to make sure there wasn’t a knife sticking in it. He was joking, of course. But there was an element of truth to the fear. We both knew we couldn’t trust him. It had to be earned.
The more we tried to keep up good relations, the more the two relaxed in each other’s company. It had a twofold effect. It improved their sibling relationship and it improved their working relationship. Win-win.
The arrival of Ella sealed the deal. Ryker is now the doting uncle and the relationship between the two brothers is undergoing a metamorphosis. I don’t think they’ll ever be best buddies. But they’re both trying and that’s the best they can do after a lifetime of being poisoned by their mother/stepmother toward each other.
Ryker finally admitted to us that he’d been told all of his life that Zane wanted what he had, that he had to protect himself, to fight back. It was so ingrained into his subconscious, it took him a while to realize how untrue it was. He even apologized to Zane. The damage is slowly being undone. Their father would be pleased.
I take Artie out for a quick walk, but decide to linger in the warm sunshine for a bit. Zane and Ryker need their time with Ella, and I won’t hurry them.
When I return thirty or so minutes later, the house is quiet. I check on the spaghetti sauce and head upstairs again. I find Zane holding Ella, rocking her up and down in outstretched arms, one hand supporting her neck, the other her bum. It’s like he’s a human swing. He calls it his magic bounce. Since she was a newborn, he’s been able to get her to sleep in no time with this method. Nothing’s changed now, except she’s six months and weighs a lot more. He says it’s a better workout than weights. His bulging biceps don’t lie. Or ever stop staring at me.
Ryker’s standing next to him. They’re both watching her eyelids get heavier and heavier. They mimic silent cheers when the blink gets longer. I won’t use the word adorable to their faces, because men don’t want to be called adorable. But it is. It’s stinkin’ adorable. Just saying.
Ryker leaves the room, pounding his heart with his fist twice as he exits. I watch Zane slowly set Ella in her crib. She’s one lucky little girl. She gets rocked to sleep every single night by her daddy.
I’m even luckier. I get to be held all night in his arms.
When he turns and sees me watching him, he imitates my happy dance, which always makes me dissolve into laughter.
“For the record, that’s not how I look when I do my happy dance.”
“Oh, it’s dead on. I practiced in front of the mirror to get it right.”
We leave the room and Zane closes the door. He holds me tight for a few minutes. “Mmm, I missed you today.” He nuzzles my neck. “I’m so jealous. You get all day with Ella and she gets all day with you.”
“At least me and you get all night.”
“Good point.” He gently massages my back.
“It’s fun to be with her all day. I love my life. She’s a happy little thing.”
“Right?” He pats my belly. “I hope Ella Two will be just as happy.”
“No guarantees. Colic is a thing. And Ella could be a fella this time around.”
He laughs at my silly rhyme. “No worries. My magic bounce will beat colic every time.”
“You do have the magic touch, Mr. Martel.”
“Yeah?” he says, raising his eyebrows. “How would you like to enjoy that magic touch this evening?”
“I’m counting on it.”
He presses his lips to mine, and we get lost in each other for a moment or two. “I love you,” he whispers.
“I love you too.”
