AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Olivia was at his side and took over—putting the diaper in place with one attempt.
“I think I’m liking my chances with a judge,” she said smugly before picking the baby up and walking back to the chaise lounge. She laid him next to her and patted his tummy with one hand while continuing to eat with the other. It was impressive how effortless it was for her.
“I’m just out of practice,” he said defensively as he cleaned up the bed and his hands before following her to the sitting area and picking up his plate. “It’s like riding a bike; I’ll get the hang of it again.”
“If you say so.”
Maverick stabbed his pasta with more gusto than necessary. He was embarrassed that he’d messed that up—and in front of her. She’d made it look so easy at the hospital.
While Patricia had been the primary caregiver for Nick and Nash, he’d helped. Not like he should have, but it wasn’t because he was sitting on the couch drinking beer—he’d been deployed when each of the boys had come into the world.
Still, he’d changed diapers when he’d made it home, and tried to pitch in as much as Patricia would allow. She had her way of doing things and didn’t like him messing up her routine, so he tried to respect that.
Perhaps he’d used it as an excuse not to be as present as he should have been.
Not this time.
“Maybe you can teach me.”
That seemed to surprise her because she paused mid-bite, then set her fork down with her food still on it.
“Yeah. I can do that.”
Chapter Sixteen
Olivia
Maverick took the dishes downstairs and handed her the remote to the TV. She clicked the power on and waited. Up popped a Bruins game, and she smiled.
Would she have even met Pete if the bar hadn’t been full of hockey fans that night, and she’d had other seating choices? Maybe he wouldn’t have been there if the game hadn’t been on.
That night was the biggest butterfly effect moment of her life so far—hands down.
He returned twenty minutes later and immediately picked up a sleeping Sawyer and kissed his cheek as he carried him to the bassinet next to his bed.
“Do you think you can move that to my room?”
“Not without waking him up.”
She weighed what having the cradle in here meant. “It’s okay if he wakes up. It’s more important that he sleeps in my room. It’ll be easier for me to nurse him in the middle of the night if he’s with me.”
“What’ll be easier is if you sleep in here with me, so I can help you when he wakes up.”
She opened her mouth to object, but he cut her off. “I’m not going to try anything, Olivia. As sexy as I think you are, I recognize you’re in no position to have sex. My bed has plenty of room for the both of us. It’ll be fine.”
“Sexy, yeah, sure.”
He laid Sawyer down and stood up straight, pinning her with his stare.
“You have no idea how beautiful you are when you’re caring for our son.”
Oh, she had an idea. Watching this six-foot-three man be so delicate with their baby had been doing something to her, too.
She looked away, knowing she was blushing.
“I’ll even wear pajamas,” he said with a smirk.
Olivia couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “How gallant of you.”
