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Blake held out his arms toward me. “How, how, how.”
Between the screaming and hows, I’d tried to expand the vocabulary of these two, eventually deciding to let them be themselves. When Blake wanted to say another word, he’d do it.
“Are you going to let me say goodbye?”
Blake squirmed in her arms, and I stood, rounding the desk. Marlow pressed her lips together as if asking for divine strength.
Tiny hands gripped my shirt. Larger arms didn’t want to let him go.
In the end, Blake won. I hugged him to my chest. “We had a fun time, didn’t we?”
He gave me a toothy grin.
“Tell your mom we need to do it again.”
She stiffened, but I pretended not to notice or that her reaction didn’t sting. So what? I had no experience with children, but I wasn’t walking around touting I was some kind of kid whisperer.
I’d managed to do just fine with not one, but two, little ones. They’d played together for the hour I’d had them, pretty much keeping themselves occupied, but I wanted to celebrate the success. It felt monumental even though I knew I wasn’t the first to babysit a few kids without the place falling down around us.
“Want to go get something to eat?” I covered up my surprise at the words that had just tumbled out of my mouth by blowing a raspberry on Blake’s cheek.
“Thought you werebusy.”
I cocked my head. “I am.” But I was sad to see the little guy go.
“Fine.”
I nearly dropped Blake. Did I hear her correctly?
“You’re giving me whiplash, Wicked.” I motioned toward the other diaper bag. “Help me get little miss ready to go.”
Marlow didn’t move.
I pointed at the playpen. “I’ll handle the munchkins and you can take that.”
I shivered at the glare she shot me as she went to fold it up.
My phone trilled.
“What’s up, man? You looking for your little girl?”
“Is she okay?” Andrew asked, half-joking, half-serious.
“Dude, I changed a diaper.”
“Want a medal?” Marlow muttered.
“Yeah, I do,” I retorted.
“Who are you talking to? And where are you?”
“Your angel of a sister. She trespassed into my office and accused me of kidnapping.” I flashed her a saccharine smile.
She shoved the folded playpen into my stomach.
“Oh shit.”
“My sentiments exactly.”
