Wrapped Up in You (Heartbreaker Bay, #8)(19)

He knocked, but he could hear a baby wailing away at high decibels inside, so he doubted anyone could hear him. But just as he lifted his hand to knock again, the door whipped open and his sister, Remy, stood there with a baby in her arms, red face and crying.

The baby, not his sister, though Remy looked like she was on her way to doing the same. “Oh, hello. Has hell frozen over?” she asked.

He grimaced. Yeah, he was really good at pissing off all the females in his life. “Sorry it took me so long.”

“Harper’s three months old.”

“I know,” he said softly. “I’m sorry. I let work rule my life and I suck.” No way was he going to tell her he’d nearly ended up six feet under, especially when she looked so close to losing it. “I missed you. Can I come in?”

“I’m trying to decide,” she said, her brown eyes looking suspiciously shiny, her voice hitching.

Shit. He knew what that meant. An impending storm. He slowly stepped into her, forcing her to back up a step. Shutting the door behind him and hitting the bolt, he turned and pulled Remy and the baby into him for a hug.

Remy clung for a long beat and he knew they were going to be okay. He kissed Remy on the top of her head and then nodded to the still squalling bundle. “May I?”

His sister handed the baby over, and at the exchange, the little thing hiccupped and took a shuddery breath, holding off on the sobs for a beat as she took in her new carrier. Huge drenched eyes stared up at Kel, her skin blotchy and mottled from her temper tantrum. “Hey, Harper,” he said softly, staring into her sweet little face.

A face that started to scrunch up again, because clearly the kid knew the score. He wasn’t packing warm, soft curves. Or her next meal. “You’re not going to cry on me, are you?” he asked. “Because you’re way too special to be so worked up. In fact, I promise you right here and now, if anyone ever makes you cry, they’ll answer to me.”

The baby blinked, her face still half scrunched up like she couldn’t decide whether to cry some more or to lay low.

“I get it,” he whispered. “You don’t know me. But I’m your errant uncle Kel, the one who was on a case when you decided to show up four weeks early. I’m sorry I couldn’t get here until now, but I’ve gotta say, you are worth the wait.” His chest tightened up just looking at her. “You’re beautiful.”

The baby cooed at him and then projectile vomited all over him. Stunned, he lifted his face to Remy’s.

Who no longer looked like she was going to cry. In fact, she burst out laughing. “Welcome back.”

Thirty minutes later, he was showered and sitting shirtless in Remy’s kitchen while she washed his shirt. Remy’s husband, Ethan, called to say he’d picked up dinner on his way home from work.

He showed up with tacos from Ivy’s truck.

Kel stared at The Taco Truck bag as his sister squealed in delight and started pulling out the food with one hand, a sleeping Harper in her other arm, the baby looking sweet and innocent and not at all like the she-devil she was. “Oh my God,” Remy moaned, leaning over the bag to give her husband a big fat thank-you kiss. “Kel, you’ve got no idea how good these tacos are. I make Ethan go miles out of his way at least once a week to bring them home. The cook’s amazing.”

Kel let out a low, ironic laugh. Seemed he wasn’t the only member of his family Ivy had made a big impression on. “I’ve eaten there. And you’re right, she’s amazing.”

And elusive.

And sassy, funny, smart, and a taker of absolutely zero bullshit.

Some of his favorite things.

Ethan snagged his wife and cuddled her into him. “How are my two babes doing today?”

“Great,” Remy said. “One of us had a whole bunch of colic and gas earlier.”

“Is it the one of you I sleep with?”

Remy lightly smacked Ethan’s chest. “No! But then she threw up all over Kel—like seriously threw up, it was a horror flick. After that, she felt much better.”

Ethan grinned at Kel. “Welcome home, man. And thanks for taking one for the team. Usually she does it to me.”

“Someone could’ve warned me.”

“I wouldn’t have had to if you’d come sooner,” Remy said. “You’d already know to duck.”

“How long are you going to be mad at me for not coming sooner?” Kel asked. Only Caleb knew what had happened at work, minus the part about him being injured. He hadn’t wanted to freak anyone out, and anyway, he was fine now.

Mostly.

“Are you going to see Mom when you’re here?” Remy volleyed back.

Kel took another taco.

“Uh-huh,” Remy said. “Then I’m going to stay mad until you’re no longer a dumbass.”

Ethan winced. “Remy—”

“Don’t even try to take his side,” she warned her husband. “I can only handle one stupidly stubborn male ego at a time.”

“It’s not about ego,” Kel said.

“Fine. It’s about your inability to come to terms with the fact that family forgives family. You move on from the past and accept what is.”

Kel shook his head. She didn’t understand. And how could she? He’d been ten years old when he’d walked in on their mom and a man in his parents’ bed.