Shameless(65)

He wanders out of the room and comes back with the baby, who looks adorably rumpled. She actually slept in this morning, which is a miracle of all miracles. Then his voice lightens. “Izzy Pizzy needs her binkie, right, cutie pie?”

She giggles. “Izzy Pizzy!”

He kisses her chubby cheek and glances over at me.

I’m pretty sure little hearts are popping out of my eyes right now. Here is this hot man, tattoos decorating his rugged arms, muscles tugging at the fabric, asking me about the baby’s binkie while he holds her close to his chest. Hello, ovary explosion.

God, I have it bad for him.

“What?” he asks, noticing me staring.

“You’re getting good at this baby stuff.”

He leans over to kiss me. “Only because this awesome girl I know taught me everything there is to know about babies.”

Inwardly, I sigh, feeling like a sappy teenager. If I were a cartoon character right now, little birds would be singing over my shoulder.

Even though everything inside of me warns that I should proceed with caution, I can’t put any conviction behind the idea. I like Brady too much to keep my emotions in reserve.

In fact, the other L-word comes to mind.





42





Katherine





We spend the next several days prepping for the farmers’ event we're hosting this weekend. I package lotions and soaps and body scrubs while Brady finishes the animal pen for our petting zoo. On the night before the event, by the time we're done and the baby is tucked in bed, we're too tired to function.

Brady’s in great shape and can usually handle the physical labor around here, but since he started working nights in Austin, he’s totally wiped out. I feel bad that I didn’t cancel the event. He’s running himself ragged. In fact, we’ve been too tired to do more than wrap ourselves around each other at night and fall asleep, but I’ve loved every moment together. Even if we’re just sleeping.

Once again, my head is in his lap as we watch SportsCenter. He runs his hand through my hair, and it’s so soothing, I’m pretty sure I’m about to pass out.

I love how he touches me. I want to tell him this. I want to tell him so many things, but I don’t. If you were mine, I’d take such good care of you, Brady. I would tell you how your touch lights me on fire. How your scent makes me wild. How your sarcastic mouth makes my heart hum.

“I mean this in all seriousness,” he says, sounding exhausted. “How the hell did Cal get Melissa pregnant again? When did they have time to have sex?”

I laugh, opening my mouth to answer, but think better of it and shake my head.

“No, really,” he continues. “Between the animals, and pruning every bush and shrub this side of Austin, and the baby waking at the worst times, I don’t see how it was even possible. I don’t think I could get my dick up now if I tried.”

I smile at his honesty. “Is that a challenge?”

“Okay, well, maybe he’d come out to play for you. I guess what I mean is sustainable f*cking.”

I nearly choke on my spit. “Sustainable f*cking?”

“Yeah, the day-to-day sex I’m assuming a happily married couple enjoys. Sustainable f*cking.”

“You mean you don’t buy the concept that sex flies out the window when you’re married?”

“Clearly it didn’t with Cal and Melissa.”

I’m pretty sure Brady would high-five his brother for the amount of sex he had if he only knew. Finally, I let it out. “I may have, ya know, run interference.”

He leans over me to make eye contact, and I try to hold in my embarrassed grin. “And that means what exactly?”

I stare up at him and laugh. “I told Mel I’d get up with the baby at night. To make, uh, things easier for them.”

His brows lift higher. “You watched Izzy so they could…”

“Have sexy times.”

He snorts. “Seriously?”

My face must be ten shades of red right now. “Yes, seriously.”

“You weren’t kidding when you said you and Melissa were close.”

“It’s not like we sat around and talked about sex. Not really.” He stares at me like he doesn’t believe a word I’m saying. I blow out a breath. “Fine. We talked about sex, but in general terms because it’s not like I wanted details about her and Cal. Eww. Besides, I knew everything was good in the hood.”

“Good in the hood?” His lips lift up in a smirk.

“Yes, they got along muy bien.” My eyes widen meaningfully.

“But you guys didn’t talk about it?”

“We didn’t have to. Because when they went to pound town, the neighbors a mile away knew exactly how well they got along.”

Brady shakes his head, looking a little grossed out and… dare I say proud of his bro? I sit up, still laughing.

“I’m totally mortified that I’m telling you these things, but think of it this way. I was usually already up because of the dirty noises coming from their room. With my bedroom right next to theirs, it was dang near impossible to sleep through it. So I’d go to Izzy’s room, turn up the sound machine and catnap on the couch in there. If the baby woke up, she and I would snuggle. So therein lies the mystery of how Mel got pregnant again. I admit I aided and abetted.”