- Text Size +
Chapter Five

"My credit card hurts."

"Your credit card doesn't hurt when you buy a shots for the entire club, does it? Besides, this is an investment."

I was lucky that this had been one of our rare off days. Bri was lucky that I loved him enough not to drop the huge ass box we were carrying on his foot. Bri took a step backward onto the bus step, juggling his end of the box. "C'mon, I can't do this alone," he complained.

"Sorry," I sighed. I hoisted the end of my box up more and we made our way up into the bus.

"If you need some of James' baby things, I can call my mom and have her send one of the boxes in our attic," Leigh called out.

"We have all of Baylee's things too," Leighanne piped up. The girls were on our heels, their arms loaded down with bags.

"Monkee, he's so heavy. Feel him!"

"I already felt him three times, babe. His ass is like lead. That's why there's no need for a DNA test. Pooh butt's dad could only be King Pooh Butt."

My teeth slammed together as Bri and I stumbled in and dropped the box. "Shut up, J."

"Sha foo lo!"

I eyed the kid--er, Bentley warily. He hadn't fallen asleep yet. It didn't seem normal. I was pretty sure Baylee and James had slept a lot when they were that little. I watched the girls drop bags of baby stuff down on the couch.

"I'll help you set up the crib," Bri offered.

"I'll go get D. He set James' crib up. He'll help," Leigh said. She stopped to give the drooly boy a kiss on his cheek before heading down the stairs.

What was WITH women and babies? Sheesh.

Bri and Leighanne had come with my to pick up supplies. About twenty minutes in, I was ready to scream. I didn't know what half the shit I bought was even for. Leighanne just kept tossing.

Meanwhile, Leigh and D had offered to watch Bentley. If it wasn't for having the saintly Littrells in the car, I probably would have kept driving until I hit the ocean. Then I probably would have swam the ocean.

I was a desperate man.

"Give me a knife," Brian instructed.

"We're going to take him to our bus. I want to get some pictures," Ro cooed. Leighanne looked up, a maternal worry on her face, but I waved at the door.

"Thanks. I'll pick it, uh, him, up later," I said. With her free hand, Ro grabbed the front of J's shirt. He gave me the finger as he was tugged off the bus. Once they were gone, Leighanne sat on my couch and started unloading bags. That was when the weirdness of it all sank in. Leighanne never came into my bus. She talked about it like it was contamined. She--

"Nick? Knife?"

I lost my train of thought. Bri's fingers wiggled in the air. I took two giant steps over to a drawer and opened it. I stood there and fidgeted.

"Where's Baylee?"

"With my sister and his cousin on our bus. Bri, look at these socks!"

Bri's head snapped up like a puppy and mushy-eyed his wife. "Aww, such wittle feetsies."

I picked up a knife and pretended to stab myself before turning around. I handed it to Bri who quickly sliced open the crib box.

"Don't you think I should call the police?" I asked. "I mean," I paused. I didn't want Brian to de-nut me again. He had never yelled at me like he had earlier. I didn't want a repeat. "I mean, there are a LOT of blonde kids in this world. Yes, he looks," I paused again, my tongue feeling growing cottony. "he looks like me, but I'm not uncommon looking."

I held my breath. Bri pulled out a side of the crib and ran his hand over the smooth wood. "No, you're right. You should put in a police report..."

"But until the mystery is solved, you need to do the right thing and keep him."

**********


I hovered in the doorway to Nick's bedroom on the bus as Leighanne made up the little crib set. It had tiny hippos and zebras and giraffes on it, a litte African safari. It was so cute. My arms tingled to take Bentley back again, but Nick was having a rare moment of actually holding his kid, and, even though Bentley hung from Nick's arm like a sack of potatoes, I didn't want to relieve Nick.

Nick hoisted Bentley up in his arms. "So... what, I stick it-him in there and he goes to sleep?" Nick asked.

Leighanne smiled.

Baylee had used his crib for probably about an hour in total. Honestly, we didn't have a clue what babies did in the crib. One of the two of us had constantly been doting over him. Even at night, more often than not, Leighanne had been in the rocking chair in the nursery, rocking him and singing lullabies quietly.

She looked up at me and I could see tears in her eyes.

I tried to muster a smile for her. I had to be the strong one, didn't I?

"Is it natural that he hasn't slept yet?" Nick demanded.

Leighanne laughed, swiping her hand over her eyes and catching the tears before turning to look at Nick. "Be thankful for it, Nick," she said, "It means he's going to sleep tonight."

Nick stared down at Bentley's head. "You mean they don't always sleep at night?"

Leighanne and I looked away as panic crossed his face. Leighanne stood up and rolled up the plastic bags the bedding had come in. "There we go," she said, smiling at the completed crib. Nick stared at it.

"It looks so..."

"Cute?" Leighanne supplied.

Nick nodded, but I know that wasn't the adjective he had been thinking of.

Leighanne went over to him and started blowing raspberries on Bentley's cheeks, telling him goodnight. Nick's eyes connected to mine. "Bri," he said, "You're staying, right man?"

"I..."

Leighanne turned and looked at me, her eyes full of baby lust.

"I can't," I said quickly.

Nick scowled.

"Goodnight Nick," Leighanne said. She stood up and passed by me, her hand grabbing mine and slipping through it as she walked out. "See you in a couple minutes, Bri."

When she left the bus, Nick gave me puppy eyes. "Don't leave me."

"I'm sorry Nick," I said, "I just --"

"I don't care if she's gonna screw your brains out," he whined, "Please, isn't my sanity worth more than sex?"

My cheeks felt hot. "I--"

"Please?"

"Nick, you gotta do this," I said. "Just try. If it doesn't work out, you can call us and we'll come right over. Just remember, when all else fails, hold him... Hold him close to you, rock him, talk gently, sing quietly and --"

"Sing what?"

"Anything."

"I can't sing anything to a baby," Nick argued.

"Nick, anything."

"She lick me like a lollipop," he started.

"Anything but that," I interrupted.

Nick raised an eyebrow. "I like big butts and I cannot lie..."

"Or that."

"See, I can't sing anything."

"Nick --"

"Fine. Abandon me. Leave me here, all alone..." Nick dramatically swooned, almost dropped Bentley and we both reflexively tried to catch him. Nick moved quicker, swooping down and catching him expertly. A worried look cross his face as he looked at Bentley's bright blue eyes. Bentley sucked on his fist, staring up at Nick. Nick's eyes calmed, the panic draining the way the bathroom sink does. He looked at me. "Go get laid," he muttered.

"Good night, Nick."