Page 93 of Rent Free

“I’ll have chocolate milk as well,” Atlas said.

“I’ll have coffee,” I said. “And a water, please.”

I didn’t necessarily need caffeine to function, but I did enjoy the odd cup or two when it was available.

“Make sure you bring her a gallon of creamer,” Atlas murmured. “She can’t have dark coffee.”

The waitress gave a thumbs up and left, leaving me with the two Carter boys sitting across from me.

Forest was busy playing with sugar packets. The elder Carter was staring at me with a weird look in his eye.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” he shrugged. “I’m just glad you’re here.”

My cheeks pinked at his words, and to hide my embarrassment—and my elation—I said, “With you and your brothers having eye issues, I was thinking you should get Forest checked. Unless the eye issues didn’t show up until you were older?”

“Oh,” he frowned. “I actually have really bad eyesight, worse than everyone else’s.” He looked over at his son. “I had coke bottle glasses until I got laser corrective surgery when I was younger. Even still, I need glasses because some of my issues were along the nerves in my eyes.”

“Then I would highly suggest the appointment.” I paused. “Probably you should also establish a pediatrician as well. That way you can get him in and find out what, exactly, he’s up to date on.”

He pulled out his phone and started making notes in his notes app.

Seconds later he was on Google and searching up pediatricians in the area.

“I have a suggestion,” I said when he got hundreds of results and started to look overwhelmed. “Your siblings take their children to a pediatrician in town that frequents Pie Hard. Her name is Cindy something. I’d text Hollis, Shayne or Ellodie.”

He switched from Google to his texts and texted all three.

“What else?” he asked, switching back to the notes app.

I thought about it and came up empty.

“I hate to tell you this, but even though I appear competent, I’m not too experienced. I was the fun aunt and spent time with my nieces and nephews on short, fun outings. Or watched them at home. I was never really around when they were all sick, or for all the parent stuff. I worked too much,” I admitted.

His lips curled at one side into the sexiest smirk I’d ever seen. “Guess we’ll learn this together.”

A slew of texts came while the waitress was delivering our drinks and we were placing orders. All of the sisters-in-law telling Atlas—and apparently me since I was apparently in the group text—what we needed to do, who we needed to do it with, and why we needed to do it.

While we waited for our food, I made an appointment with the eye doctor, and Atlas made one with a pediatrician.

Both for that afternoon.

Four hours later, we were at the pediatrician, Forest was wearing the cutest pair of glasses on his face, and the doctor was shaking her head.

“Sorry,” she winced. “But yeah, there is no evidence from the state that she’s been taking Forest to the pediatrician. Unless she’s taking him out of state…”

Then she hadn’t been giving the kid basic medical care since he was born.

Forest left with a clean bill of health, and three suckers that he shared with us.

We hit up Target, Walmart, and Costco.

By the time we got back home, Forest was asleep in his car seat, the back of the truck was so full of shit that it would take no less than half an hour to get it all inside and unloaded, and I had a happiness in my heart that I’d never felt before.

It was… perfect.

The only thing I will force in my life is my jeans over my ass. Not friends, and certainly not relationships.

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