Page 19 of Crossing Lines

I snorted. “Jesus. Derek, bring me my bag, kid. Please?”

“Sure thing, Stel.” I took a deep breath and stood, leaning my head back. I felt better. I’m not sure if that was a good or bad thing. Maybe this wasn’t morning sickness. Maybe it was just a rush of nerves and the baby’s way of saying to calm the fuck down. I took my bag when Derek put it in my hand.

“Thanks.” Without another word, I stepped into the bathroom. I needed to get myself together.

I washed off my face with a wet paper towel, brushed my teeth, and just stared at my reflection in the mirror for a few minutes. My head and heart were both torn right now. Violence would land me in jail, and I couldn’t do that to my baby.

Not yet, maybe when they were a teen. Gotta embarrass them somehow.

Sighing, I grabbed my bag, brushed my hair from my face, and made my way out of the bathroom. Something inside of me was churning, and I wasn’t sure exactly what it was. Watching Shelby and Derek with the infant earlier tugged at my gut. I’d been so worried he’d been hurt. Thankfully, he seemed to be okay. There was just something there. He’d be at the center, safe, taken care of and loved.

“Stel, you want some ginger ale?” Anna asked me when I came back to the main room of the station. I slumped down in the chair at Tweedledee’s desk and nodded. My feet went up on the desk, and I was glad I had on shorts today, otherwise these jokers would be seeing my ass. Not that I cared, but Daddy frowned on that kind of shit.

“Sure.” I shifted to get comfy. “Can I hold him?” I asked Jacks, aka Tweedledee. I wiggled my good fingers at him.

“I believe you have more than earned that right.”

I smiled and let Jacks help me get the baby in place, and then I gave him a once-over.

“Shelby, you sure he’s okay?” I asked when she walked back in.

I couldn’t take my eyes off of the precious little one in my arms. I loved when the littles were at this stage. Cute and smelling like a baby. Then they’d ruin it by getting bigger and turning into monsters.

His skin was so soft, and the smell of baby powder and lotion made me relax. I’d never admit it, but I loved babies. Even when they were poopy. I just gave everyone a hard time. Judging from the looks I was getting right now…they may have figured out my secret.

“Yes, he seems to be healthy. I’ll weigh him and get proper measurements once I’m over at the center. He’s a sweet little fella. I need to find out from that woman when he last ate and had a diaper change.” She looked at Charlie as she said this. He nodded and moved toward the back of the building.

I buried my nose in his neck and just snuggled him as he laid against my chest. Derek brought over a small blanket and laid it across him. I wiggled down in the chair a little more as he started to fuss. “Shhh, you’re okay, little man.” I closed my eyes as I whispered, softly reassuring him. I wasn’t sure what happened next. My body apparently thought it was all right for me to fall asleep there, my feet still propped up on Jacks’ desk.

The baby wiggling and fussing brought me back. I swatted at the hands trying to take him from me.

“Stel, relax, heifer.” Dani Lynn’s voice made my eyes open. Well, that and the funky ass smell coming from...ugh. The baby. My eyes started to water.

“Jesus, what did that skank feed him?”

Laughter filled the room, and I glared at them all. My back and neck cracked as I sat up and stretched.

“I’m going to clean him up and head to the center.”

“I’ll go with you.” I stood, slowly, because now that I wasn’t stretched out, I was a tad bit dizzy. I sat back down, a little too quickly for everyone’s liking apparently.

“Whoa, Stel. You alright?” Jacks squatted beside me.

I nodded. “I’m okay. Just a little tired.” I looked around. “Where are my bubbas? Daddy?”

He chuckled. “They went on to work. We didn’t want to wake you or the baby, so they said they’d check on you later.”

I frowned. How had I slept through that? “Trace?” I rubbed my eyes.

“Still in with Gabe.”

I nodded and looked up at the clock. Good Lord, I’d been asleep on that chair for like two hours.

“How could y’all let me sleep in the middle of the office like that?” I wrinkled up my nose.

Jacks and Charlie chuckled.

“Well, we’ve all learned a valuable lesson over the past few years.”

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