Page 5 of The Vampire's Mate

“Okay, well, it was nice to see you and lovely meeting Evie. When’s your flight home?”

Raleigh laughed, the piercings in his cheeks swallowed by his dimples. “Missed you too, Ryder.”

Thankfully, even he wasn’t about to risk Angel’s wrath if Evie woke up early from her nap, so we drove most of the way home in silence. He took a note out of his daughter’s book and leaned his head against the window to sleep.

Angel, however, stayed wide awake, his eyes on his daughter the whole ride. With every little hiccup or gurgle she made, I started. By the third or fourth, Angel snickered. “She’s fine,” he assured me. “Trust me, the entirety of the Northeast would know if she’s upset.”

“I missed this phase, remember?”

“How is she?”

I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips. “Hannah’s doing great. She loves school. Loves the independence even more. She’s been spending more time at Kian’s place, though. Her roommate turned out to be a bit of a slob.”

Evie gurgled again, and Angel distracted her with a rattle attached to the handle of her seat. “Does she get along with James?”

“A little too well. I think they might gang up on me soon.”

“Count me in on that,” Raleigh mumbled groggily. “They’ll need muscle.”

Oh, if he only knew…

All I could do was laugh and roll my eyes. As infuriating as he could be, I was happy to have my best friend back.

It was nearing noon by the time we arrived at the house and despite the hour, I was expecting the three of them to head straight to bed. Instead, Raleigh fell to his knees with Carlos, who was happy to have the attention. While he rubbed the dog’s muzzle, my eyes fell to the carrier that Angel set on the sofa. He lowered the handle, unclipped the buckle, and lifted the little pink bundle out.

“Ready to hold her?” Angel asked. Tucked into his arms, her tiny head nuzzled into his neck while he supported her under her legs.

I nodded, but kept my arms crossed to hide how much my hands shook. “Should I sit down first?”

“You might want to,” Raleigh said from the floor, where he’d engrossed himself in playing with Carlos. “She’s a heavy little sucker.”

Raleigh’s fingers slipped, and Carlos won.

Shaking my head, I turned back to Angel and held my arms out. “What if I drop her?”

“You won’t.”

“Besides, she’s a Jenkins!” Raleigh offered. “We’re tough.”

“Says the one who just lost tug of war to the dog.”

Angel saved me from whatever retaliation Raleigh would have exacted by handing over Evie. She stirred, aware that I wasn’t one of her dads. I must’ve been cleared as a threat, though, because she settled quickly. Her big, bright blue eyes blinked open and stared up at me. My heart melted.

“Hi, princess,” I cooed without thinking.

I’d never been one for babies, not that we ever had a lot of them around the bars I always worked. Evie was different. Holding her in my arms and smiling down at her, I imagined this was what it would’ve felt like to hold Hannah.

I held that little girl all day. Through the tantrums, the feedings, and even the constant teasing from Raleigh. Oh, I didn’t miss that gleam in his eye when he thought I wasn’t looking. The two of them were exhausted, practically falling asleep while sitting up. With their arms free, they curled up on the two-seater together. Evie had fallen asleep again when I felt that familiar chill that told me my vampire was home.

Sure enough, I looked up as the front door opened. James had time to notice the sleeping baby in my arms before Carlos struck, so he barely managed to cover his mouth and stifle his yelp.

“Aw,” Raleigh snickered to me, “is your big, bad boyfriend scared of a little puppy dog?”

Angel giggled, arresting James’s attention. “And here I was thinking the big one would be the threat.”

“Oh, please,” I said, accepting the peck on the lips James offered me. “Raleigh couldn’t hurt a fly.”

Raleigh stood, barely taller than James himself. He gave James averyobvious once-over, and I rolled my eyes. Then his shoulders slumped. “I’m too tired to keep up the tough guy act right now.”

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