Chaser (Dive Bar #3)(61)

“That one’s cut. I think she’s got another coming through.” Jean wiped Ada’s chin with a rag. With teething, the dribble had gone into overdrive.

“What’s the rush, baby girl?”

Jean just looked at her baby and smiled. She’d gone to some effort for her folks. Hair in a bun, makeup, and the sweater dress and tights combo she’d worn to the Christmas party. God, she looked good enough to eat. But then, she always did.

“You look gorgeous,” I said. “Got some friends with you tonight, I see.”

“Yes. I, ah…”

“Your folks?”

She nodded. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure they’d come. But they said they wanted to meet her and here they are.”

“Mm.”

“They’re staying at the resort on the lake.”

“That gives you all some space.”

Ada chose that moment to remove the teething ring long enough to babble something. I helped her put it back in her mouth.

“Wise words, little girl,” I said. “In fact, I was just about to say the same thing.”

A hint of a grin appeared around the sides of the ring.

“For him, you smile. I’ve had nothing but tears and tantrums for days.” Jean quietly laughed. “If her first word is ‘Eric’ I’m going to kill you. Just a warning.”

“Fair enough,” I said.

While I tried not to notice, Jean’s mom most definitely had a look on her face like she expected me to drop the baby at any moment. Sheesh. Her body language was all rigid and her eyes were popping out of her head. Like I hadn’t racked up hours of baby holding by now. Where the hell had she been when Jean needed help?

All right, so it might take me a while to drop my resentment toward the woman and her husband. Just staying out of their way while they visited sounded like a wise plan.

“How’s the visit going?” I asked in a nice, calm, and pleasant tone. “When did they arrive?”

Jean smoothed back her hair, one hand on her hip. “Yesterday. I think it’s going okay. There’s still a lot of tension. They love Miss Ada, however.”

“How could they not?”

“I swear, if Mom takes any more photos her cell’s memory will explode.”

“Hey,” said Nell, barging in. “So your folks came. Hand her over, Eric.”

I frowned, but did as told. Happily, Ada immediately burst into tears at being parted from me. If that didn’t deserve a victory lap of the bar then I didn’t know what did. Nell clicked her tongue and started cooing supposedly comforting nonsense at the outraged infant. None of it worked.

“Yes, they actually came,” said Jean, rubbing Ada’s back as she lay slumped over Nell’s shoulder.

The baby’s cries petered out and Nell said, “There we go.”

Note: Ada only stopped crying because I stood behind Nell making funny faces. The baby and I were tight. Not bothering to point this out showed great restraint and maturity on my part.

“How are you doing?” asked Nell. “You were so nervous about their arrival.”

Jean had told Nell about the impending visit, but not me. Weird. Though I guess we had been busy lately covering our bases and dealing with teething.

“They’re being really great about her.” Jean’s tense smile returned, her pretty face lined. “Even apologized again about the inheritance and everything.”

“How do you feel about that?” I asked.

Nell turned, shooting me a strange look.

I just ignored it.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” said Jean. “So much happened, I think it’s going to take some time to get over it all. But they are her grandparents. Speaking of which, I better get back…”

Nell handed over the precious cargo, fingers lingering against Ada’s chubby little cheek. “Bye-bye, Ada.”

“I’ll introduce you to my parents later,” promised Jean.

“Great.” Nell waved, wandering back into the kitchen.

“We’re not too busy, you want me to look after her while you eat?” I asked.

“We should be okay, thanks.”

No mention of introducing me to her folks, but whatever. Like in the last thirty years of my life I’d ever wanted to meet a girl’s parents. God, what a joke. I’d faked death at least once just to avoid it. Long story.

“Want me to stop by after work?” I asked.

“Mom and Dad are heading back to their room after dinner, so … I’ll see how we’re doing?” Her smile relaxed into something far more beautiful and it was all for me. “But that would be nice, Eric.”

It had turned into a habit of ours now. If everyone was sleeping peacefully, or attempting to, Jean left a towel hanging over the doorknob so I’d know not to knock. Andre had laughed his ass off at our oh-so-discreet signal. Just because some unenlightened people used a towel on the door to signify screwing was taking place didn’t mean it couldn’t be used for sleeping babies as well. The man had a seriously small and dirty mind. Though, to be fair, there was at least a somewhat filthy subtext to the towel signal.

“I’ll see you later,” she said.

“Right.”

And I wanted to kiss her on the forehead, give her shoulder a squeeze. Touch her in same small way out in public where everyone could see. So they’d know we were something to each other. But I didn’t. Jean headed back to the table and her waiting parents while I went back to work. After work, however, well, that just might be a different matter entirely.