bathroom holding her in his arms with one hand on her back, and his fingers supporting the back of her head. He moved to one of the chairs, sat down and settled back. Holding Kiera securely under her arms with her feet resting on his thighs, he inhaled her baby sweet scent, his thoughts chaotic. He never imagined himself holding a baby, but now it was fact, and it felt right.
Kiera stared at him with her little brow puckered and big gray eyes pensive, as if she was considering whether she would accept the new face. They eyed each other like adversaries, and her steadfast scrutiny disturbed him. He looked at Ewyn. "I don't think she likes me."
"Oh, Dev…" Ewyn came over and stood next to the chair. "She's going to love you as much as I do."
"Yeah…maybe," he mumbled.
Ewyn leaned down and placed a quick kiss on Devin's mouth then moved away. Kiera suddenly stamped her little feet, bounced and wiggled, while waving her fists. Startled, Devin's gaze returned to her face to find her staring at him, eyes sparkling, and her wide toothless grin causing her chubby cheeks to dimple. She gurgled and slobbered all over Devin's hands.
"Oh."
"Yeah, it's like that." Ewyn handed Devin a wet wipe. "You've been officially accepted."
Devin stared mesmerized. His mind coming to terms with what his heart had already taken for granted. A surge of affection thought only reserved for Ewyn--baby-girl had won his heart.
Ewyn took Kiera from Devin, went to the dressing table and laid her down. He checked her diaper, then scrunched up his nose, and rolled his eyes. "Whew…Kieki, stinky," he teased.
Devin chuckled while scrutinizing Ewyn's actions as he removed the offensive smell and folded the soiled diaper into a neat package. With a fluid continuity of motion, Ewyn's foot tapped the pedal on the diaper pail, the lid flipped open, and he made a three-point diaper toss worthy of applause. Ewyn seemed to have honed every aspect of parenting skills to a fine science.
Grabbing a moist towellette, Ewyn gently cleansed Kiera's bottom, smeared it with a dab of cream, and deftly wrapped her little behind in a clean diaper. He wiped his hands with a fresh wipe then cleared away the used items. Afterward, he dressed Kiera in the cutest powder blue and white, one-piece knitted shorts set with snaps along the bottom. To complete her outfit, he eased her tiny feet into pale blue socks and a pair of soft white leather, t-strap sandals, and tied a clean bib around her neck.
"I guess I should learn how to do all of those things, too."
Surprised, Ewyn stared, mouth gaping. "You'd want to?"
"Why not? I'm going to be a significant player in her life when I'm home. I imagine I'll be taking care of her as much as you."
Speechless, Ewyn continued to gawk. Devin was such a contradiction. Hardcore killer, sensitive compassionate lover, and now, a willing father substitute. Dragging his attention back to the wriggling body on the dressing table, he added a matching powder blue knitted sweater and hat to her ensemble. He lifted Kiera from the table, walked over to Devin, kissed the firm mouth and whispered, "I love you, Dev."
"Back at you, baby."
Ewyn grabbed a crocheted blanket from a shelf, slung a diaper bag over his shoulder, and headed out the bedroom door. "Mick and Tag are meeting us at the house."
"Okay." Devin stood and followed. "Give me Patterson's number. I want a meeting."
"Way ahead of you. I called him while you were in the shower. Will Monday after work be all right? He'll meet us here."
Devin grunted. "Let me help you with Kieki's things." He took the diaper bag. "Go get settled in the Escalade." He bent and retrieved the baby seat and the playpen leaning against the wall in the foyer. "I'll get her car seat out of the Mustang."
"Uh-uh. I bought a second seat for the SUV. It's in the storage space in the garage."
"Hmm, smart move. Would you prefer to have the Escalade since you'll be hauling Kieki around most of the time?"
"That would
Kiera stared at him with her little brow puckered and big gray eyes pensive, as if she was considering whether she would accept the new face. They eyed each other like adversaries, and her steadfast scrutiny disturbed him. He looked at Ewyn. "I don't think she likes me."
"Oh, Dev…" Ewyn came over and stood next to the chair. "She's going to love you as much as I do."
"Yeah…maybe," he mumbled.
Ewyn leaned down and placed a quick kiss on Devin's mouth then moved away. Kiera suddenly stamped her little feet, bounced and wiggled, while waving her fists. Startled, Devin's gaze returned to her face to find her staring at him, eyes sparkling, and her wide toothless grin causing her chubby cheeks to dimple. She gurgled and slobbered all over Devin's hands.
"Oh."
"Yeah, it's like that." Ewyn handed Devin a wet wipe. "You've been officially accepted."
Devin stared mesmerized. His mind coming to terms with what his heart had already taken for granted. A surge of affection thought only reserved for Ewyn--baby-girl had won his heart.
Ewyn took Kiera from Devin, went to the dressing table and laid her down. He checked her diaper, then scrunched up his nose, and rolled his eyes. "Whew…Kieki, stinky," he teased.
Devin chuckled while scrutinizing Ewyn's actions as he removed the offensive smell and folded the soiled diaper into a neat package. With a fluid continuity of motion, Ewyn's foot tapped the pedal on the diaper pail, the lid flipped open, and he made a three-point diaper toss worthy of applause. Ewyn seemed to have honed every aspect of parenting skills to a fine science.
Grabbing a moist towellette, Ewyn gently cleansed Kiera's bottom, smeared it with a dab of cream, and deftly wrapped her little behind in a clean diaper. He wiped his hands with a fresh wipe then cleared away the used items. Afterward, he dressed Kiera in the cutest powder blue and white, one-piece knitted shorts set with snaps along the bottom. To complete her outfit, he eased her tiny feet into pale blue socks and a pair of soft white leather, t-strap sandals, and tied a clean bib around her neck.
"I guess I should learn how to do all of those things, too."
Surprised, Ewyn stared, mouth gaping. "You'd want to?"
"Why not? I'm going to be a significant player in her life when I'm home. I imagine I'll be taking care of her as much as you."
Speechless, Ewyn continued to gawk. Devin was such a contradiction. Hardcore killer, sensitive compassionate lover, and now, a willing father substitute. Dragging his attention back to the wriggling body on the dressing table, he added a matching powder blue knitted sweater and hat to her ensemble. He lifted Kiera from the table, walked over to Devin, kissed the firm mouth and whispered, "I love you, Dev."
"Back at you, baby."
Ewyn grabbed a crocheted blanket from a shelf, slung a diaper bag over his shoulder, and headed out the bedroom door. "Mick and Tag are meeting us at the house."
"Okay." Devin stood and followed. "Give me Patterson's number. I want a meeting."
"Way ahead of you. I called him while you were in the shower. Will Monday after work be all right? He'll meet us here."
Devin grunted. "Let me help you with Kieki's things." He took the diaper bag. "Go get settled in the Escalade." He bent and retrieved the baby seat and the playpen leaning against the wall in the foyer. "I'll get her car seat out of the Mustang."
"Uh-uh. I bought a second seat for the SUV. It's in the storage space in the garage."
"Hmm, smart move. Would you prefer to have the Escalade since you'll be hauling Kieki around most of the time?"
"That would
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