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Knox let out a half laugh. “Fair enough. Maybe it’s karma. Doesn’t really matter what it is. I need to make a game plan.”
“Any ideas what he should do?” Ava asked.
“Get Seth out here. He might know something. I sure as hell don’t,” Cash said. He leaned over to glance at the baby again, looking as if she was a dangerous predator who might pounce at any second.
I pressed my lips together against a grin. These guys were ridiculous with babies.
I set the water down in front of Knox, then held out the coffee toward Ava. “Refill?”
“Please. Maybe spiked with some Bailey’s.” She muttered the last part, telling me she wasn’t quite serious.
As I filled her cup, there was a tiny sneeze from the carrier. Knox stiffened and swore quietly.
“I’ll go tell Seth what’s going on,” Cash said, jumping up as if he was afraid he’d get stuck with baby duty.
I took the coffee back to the warmer, determined to mind my business but also tuned in to whether the baby fussed. My heart went out to her. Who, seriously, could desert that beautiful, innocent child? Her little sleeping face was irresistible. I wanted to squeeze those chubby cheeks and touch the tip of her perfect nose and watch her tiny mouth break into a baby laugh.
I checked in with my lunch table in a different section from Cash’s group. They were ready for their bill, so I got that to them quickly, noticing that Seth and Cash had both joined Ava and Knox and the baby. Seth stood along the windowed wall that faced the lake, leaving the chair next to the infant empty. There was hushed discussion going on, none of it lighthearted.
When I began restocking the sugar packets at the empty tables, I heard the first baby squawk of discontentment from the Henrys’ table. I glanced that way and saw four adults in varying states of panic. As I went to the next table to add a few packets to the sweetener container, Ava stood, went tentatively around Knox, and squatted in front of the carrier. I couldn’t see more from here, but what she didn’t do was take the baby out of the carrier.
I tried hard to stay on task, but a few cries later, I couldn’t ignore them.
“Can I pick her up? See if I can soothe her?” I asked.
“Yes,” Ava said instantly, popping up to make way for me.
“Please,” Knox said, leaning toward the baby, his expression concerned and fearful.
“We thought maybe she’d just settle back down and go to sleep,” Ava said as she returned to her place at the four-topper.
These people really didn’t know anything about babies. They’d learn soon enough, as their sister-in-law Chloe was expecting in a few months.
“She probably needs to be fed or changed.” I pulled the pink blanket away, unfastened the straps, and freed her arms.
“We don’t have any supplies,” Ava explained.
I pulled the baby into my arms. She paused her fussing and peered at me for a moment with wide, blue eyes.
“It’s okay, sweet girl. We’ll figure out what you need.” To the adults, I asked, “Do you know her name?”
“It’s Juniper,” Knox said. He was watching us closely, either to make sure he was safe from the scary baby or to learn how to handle her. I wasn’t sure which.
“You seem to have experience with babies,” Ava said.
As I stood, I pulled Juniper into my chest and hugged her. She quieted and grabbed my shirt with her fist. I pressed a kiss to her fuzzy head and said, “I practically raised my three younger siblings from birth.”
Knox exhaled in what sounded like relief. “Can you tell us what we need to get through the next few hours?”
“Sure. I’d be happy to,” I said.
“Thank God,” Cash said. “Someone who knows babies. I need to get back to the kitchen. You can sit here, Quincy.” He rose, leaned over to kiss Ava’s temple, frowned at Knox, then hurried away.
I went around the table, tracing gentle circles on Juniper’s back. Though she wasn’t crying exactly, she was fussing as if she was about to start.
“Tell you what, Quincy,” Seth said. “I’ll handle your tables so you can help Knox.”
“There’s only the one left,” I said. “Table twelve. I just dropped off their check.”
