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Chapter Three

“I’ve missed you so damn much,” Nick said. I hadn’t even seen him come off the plane. One minute I was standing by Marcus and the next moment I was being twirled in the air by two very capable arms. His lips pressed hungrily against mine. By the time he pulled away, I was breathless. I was already convinced I was breathing less oxygen due to my exhaustion; he had just sucked the last reserve I had.

“Marcus, man…thank you so much,” Nick said. He turned towards Marcus and they did this weird handshake that left me wondering how long it had taken them to get it down.

Even though Marcus had only been with me a couple days, he was already showing the effects of living with Brooklyn. Even he had bags under his eyes.

“You have no clue how much you owe me, Carter,” he said. Most people would have been scared shitless; he was over six feet of bulk. Nick just laughed.

“What’s up? You don’t look so good, man.”

“Your daughter. She’s not human. I’ve never seen a baby cry so much. We’ve been all over the world with fans tipping over your bus and I was still never so stressed out as I am now.”

Nick looked back over at me.

“Okay, you guys are freaking me out.”

“Good,” Marcus said. “Consider yourself warned.”

We made our way to baggage claim and then climbed into my Pathfinder. Marcus had been gracious enough to drive me. In truth, I think he just wanted to escape the towering inferno of Brooke, but I had actually gotten a twenty minute nap. I felt like I had won the lottery. Marcus slid back behind the wheel; Nick and I slid into the back seat. His hand snaked around my waist.

“You’ve lost almost all the baby weight, Livvy,” he said, his voice laced with male appreciation.

“That’s what you get when you can’t eat and your boobs are an all-you-can eat 24-hour smorgasbord,” I said, stifling a yawn.

“Well, when we get home I’m sending you and your mom to her house. I’ll watch Brooke,” Nick said. I looked at him like he was crazy.

“Nick you just got off of a 22-hour flight from Japan,” I explained. He shrugged.

“I slept on the flight. They were showing rotten movies.”

“Maybe I should go with them,” Marcus spoke up from the driver’s seat. “You know, just in case her ex found out where her mom lived.”

Nick looked at him. “You can go sleep too, Marcus.”

Marcus’ shoulders slumped. “Oh, thank you Jesus.”

When we pulled up to the house Marcus and I slid out of the car like zombies. I couldn’t tell if it was just my ears deceiving me or if I really heard it, but I swore I could hear Brooklyn crying from outside the house. Nick seemed oblivious; he grabbed his bags and led the way inside.

“I got your back,” Marcus whispered in my ear. I looked up at him; I knew the man wanted to wait until the last possible moment to have to enter the funhouse.

Nick set his bags down in the foyer. The moment I walked in, I could hear Brooklyn crying upstairs. Nick took the stairs two at a time; I lumbered behind. I walked into the nursery just as mom was handing Brooklyn over. She was staring at Nick like he was a saint.

“Mom, you look terrible,” Nick said, shaking his head. He stared down at Brooklyn. She was wearing a pink and white sundress; mom had put a stretchy pink bow around her head.

“Are you the little thing causing all this trouble?” he said with a laugh. He kissed her forehead.

“She’s gotten so big,” he said. I watched him lower himself into the rocking chair. He looked up at us.

“I told Liv that you two should go back to your condo. Get some rest.”

Normally my mom would wave him off and tell him he was crazy. I knew things had gotten really bad. She looked at me; her car keys appeared in her hand within seconds.

“Ready to go?”

I glanced back over at Nick. Brooke was wailing in his ear and he was completely calm. Of course he had only been home ten minutes. Give him another few hours…

“Yeah, I’m ready,” I said. I walked over and kissed Brooke’s forehead. I turned to Nick.

“Get some sleep, baby,” he whispered. I kissed him softly. His head leaned forward so that his lips were right next to my ear.

“You’re going to need it.”

Somehow I knew what he was talking about. I also knew that after a day of endless crying even the master of sex would take a quiet room and a soft mattress over physical exertion and grinding bodies. I smiled.

“Thank you, Nick. Call me if you need me back over here.”

“I just fed her,” my mom offered.

“I pumped some milk. It’s in the fridge,” I added.

Nick waved us off.

“We’ll be fine!” he called as mom and I almost fell over each other down the stairs. Marcus wasn’t far behind.

All three of us burst out of the house like we had escaped a Stephen King movie.

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Six glorious hours later I woke up in my mom’s condo feeling like I was actually human again. I took a warm shower and lavished in the realization that I didn’t have to rush. I pulled stuff out of my hair I didn’t even realize had been caked in.

I tossed on a sleeveless dress of my mom’s. Nick was right; I had lost weight. I stared into the mirror. Well, I had lost weight most places. I still felt like I was giving Pam Anderson a run for her money in the boob department.

I glanced out to the pull-out couch; Marcus was snoring loudly. My mom was asleep in her bed. All I could think of was getting home to Nick and Brooklyn. It was amazing what a little sleep could do for you.

The keys to the Pathfinder were on the table by the door. I thought about waking Marcus, but I just didn’t have the heart. Being careful not to make too much noise, I picked up my keys and slid out the door.

When I pulled up to the house, I sat in the car and stared at the house. It hadn’t burned down. In fact it looked cheerful as ever. I secured the car and walked up to the door. Knowing that he probably wouldn’t hear the doorbell, I put my house key in the lock and pushed the door open.

I knew right away something was wrong. The entire house was quiet. A million crazy things ran through my mind. Maybe Nick had decided to take her for a walk or maybe he had found a way to make the sound booth in his recording studio sound proof.

I put my purse and keys on the foyer table and walked in.

“Hello?” I called softly. There was no answer.

I peeked into the kitchen; it was empty. I turned towards the living room. My eyes widened in surprise.

Nick was sprawled out on the living room couch. By the way he was breathing I could tell he was sleeping. But that wasn’t the surprising part.

Brooklyn lay across his chest, her cheek pressed into his chest. Her whole body was lifted up and down with each breath Nick took. Her lips were parted slightly, her hands were balled up, but the rest of her was in a state of pure relaxation.

And, more importantly, she was quiet.

I sank down beside the couch watching the two of them as if they were the 9th wonder of the world. I was afraid to move about the house. If the wrong floor board creaked or I closed a door a little too hard I knew I was going to upset the perfect alignment of the planets that Nick had somehow figured out.

I don’t know how long I sat beside the couch. In my astonishment I think I honestly fell back asleep. One minute I was watching them, the next minute my eyes fluttered open to see Nick calmly watching me. Brooklyn was still sleeping on his chest.

“Hey, I didn’t hear you come back,” he whispered.

“How did you do it?” I whispered back.

“Do what?”

“She’s sleeping.”

Nick laughed. My eyes flew to Brooklyn; if anything she seemed to snuggle even closer.

“We just decided to chill on the couch. I filled her in on the tour.”

“While she cried?”

“She stopped after awhile.”

Nick’s hand slid across the couch cushion to cover mine.

“I’ve missed my girls. Did you get some sleep?”

I nodded. I glanced behind my shoulder; I wasn’t sure of the time, but it was completely dark outside.

“It felt amazing,” I whispered. I saw a familiar sparkle come into Nick’s eye.

“I know something else that would feel amazing.”

We glanced down at Brooklyn.

“Let’s feed her and change her and put her down for the night.”

I laughed. “Put her down for the night?” I said incredulously. “You just got lucky.”

Nick slowly picked Brooklyn up and sat up. After running his fingers over her chubby cheeks her eyes fluttered open. She blinked rapidly. I braced myself for the wail; it didn’t come.

“You hungry, pumpkin?” he said, practically cooing at her. Her fingers stretched up towards his face.

Nick stood up; I followed suit. We headed up to the nursery and I sank into the chair. I held out my arms. Nick slowly transferred her into my arms. Brooklyn whimpered, but the wails didn’t start up. Not wanting to chance my luck, I began to feed her. Nick got out a diaper, wipes, and powder.

“I still don’t understand,” I said, shaking my head. “We tried lying down with her in bed; we tried walking her around; we tried the bouncy seat. Nothing worked.”

“I don’t know. She cried for about an hour and then…it just stopped.”

After I burped her, I handed her back to Nick. He put her down on the changing table and went to work.

The cries I was used to started up the minute he took off her diaper.

“I think you’re the first girl that’s done that when I’ve de-pantied them,” Nick teased. He blew a raspberry on her belly. She gave a long shuddery sob, then looked up at him as if he was the most interesting thing in the world.

“That’s better,” he said. He wiped her down and affixed her in a new diaper. Feeling just slightly more useful than a dairy cow, I handed him some soft footie pajamas.

“Let’s see,” he said. He picked up her foot and wiggled each of her toes. “One foot in.” He did the same thing to the other. “Then the other.”

She hiccupped; he laughed.

“What was that tipsy girl?”

She gurgled. He proceeded to slide her arms into the sleeves and zip her up. His face went close to hers.

“Time to sleep, baby girl” he whispered, puckering up his lips. Her fingers went into his mouth. He made pretend chomping noises, then took her hand and covered her face in kisses. I saw her eyes droop.

At that moment I was pretty sure I was engaged to a god…a god of babies.

He cradled her in his arms and lowered her into her crib. I saw him crank the mobile. We both leaned over the rail and looked down at her.

She actually fell asleep.

Nick’s arm snaked around me. I looked over at him.

“Did I tell you I’m glad you’re home?” I whispered. Nick’s lips brushed mine again.

“Me too. How about I put you to bed now?”

In all honesty, he had me turned on the moment I walked into a quiet house. It was amazing what silence could do for a person’s libido. As we walked hand in hand to the bedroom, Nick glanced back down the staircase.

“Where’s Marcus?” he whispered. I laughed softly.

“He’s snoring on mom’s pull out couch.”

Nick stopped outside our bedroom, bent down, and scooped me up in his arms. My arms went around his neck.

“Good. I’m all the security you need right now.”

He carried me to the bed and set me down as gentle as he had put Brooke in the crib. I rolled over on my stomach, opened the nightstand and pulled out a condom. I thrust it up at him; he looked surprised.

“No offense; but after three weeks of endless crying, I’m buffing up security.”

I tossed it in the air; he caught it with a grin. I saw his fingers work on the button of his jeans. When the jeans fell to the ground he crawled over me, his hands sliding up the bottom of my dress.

“Whatever you say. I aim to please.”

His fingers found my panties; his lips found my neck. I arched towards him.

“Now, let’s see if you cry when I de-panty you.” he murmured. My skin tingled.

Three months had passed since we had last made love. I knew I wouldn’t cry. Moan, yes. But definitely not cry.

I had been worried that giving birth might screw up our dynamic, but as Nick entered me, all my worries went out the window. It was better than I remembered.

And it was good to have him home.