Page 36 of Bae

“Little traitor,” he muttered.

“We’re outnumbered,” Trent told Drew.

“We can take ‘em,” Drew intoned.

From her highchair, Nova squealed and fed all the food on her tray to the three dogs who sat patiently at her feet.

“This place is a zoo,” Ivy muttered.

I laughed and went over to a nearby junk drawer, pulled out some Scotch tape, and carried it over to Drew. “Here, don’t use half the roll. It should come off okay later.”

I stepped over to Ivy, who looked flustered and gorgeous all at the same time. Her blond hair was straight this morning, her makeup glowing and natural, and she was wearing a T-shirt-style dress made in dark-blue lace. On her feet were a pair of dark-brown suede, knee-high boots with no heel.

“Have you had any time to breathe this morning?” I asked.

“In between issuing orders!” Drew cracked.

“Andrew Wayne!” Ivy snapped.

Trent guffawed.

“Not funny, frat boy,” Drew growled at him.

“Get some coffee. Relax a few,” I told her, giving her a gentle push toward the coffeemaker.

Nova had cleared her tray of food, and the dogs were looking mighty satisfied.

“Did any of that make it into your belly before you shared it all with the puppies?” I asked her.

She smiled and held up her arms.

I lifted the baby out of her seat and cuddled her close for a long moment. She laid her head against my shoulder, and I rubbed a hand over the soft strands of her thick, dark hair.

My stomach dipped, but I ignored it. “Let’s give Mommy a break,” I told her when she pulled back and looked at me.

As usual, she reached for my glasses. I evaded the move by taking her hand and pressing a kiss to it. She smelled like Cheerios.

Nova looked a lot like Braeden, with lots of dark hair and the same shape face. Her eyes were all Ivy, though, round and blue. She was a happy baby, always ready with a smile, and she liked to climb in your lap when you read.

At my feet, Prada stood staring up, waiting to see where I would go with her favorite friend. Because Prada was still pretty young when Nova was born, the pair sort of grew up together. I was surprised at how tolerant the Chihuahua was of the baby, especially when Nova would tug on her ears and tail.

“Done,” Trent announced as he and Drew stepped down from the chairs. We all turned to look at the colorful, giant Happy Birthday banner stretching across the room.

“Looks good, guys. Thank you,” Ivy said.

“Anything for my favorite girl,” Drew said, poking Nova in the belly lightly.

She laughed very enthusiastically and looked at him expectantly. Drew obliged and tickled her again.

She was still laughing when Drew turned to Ivy. “Can we go change now, before Mom gets here?”

She waved them off. “Yes. Thanks for helping me in here. I appreciate it.”

Both guys saluted her, then went to the door.

“Don’t come back here in sweats!” Ivy yelled after them.

I grimaced. I wasn’t in sweats, but I wasn’t wearing a dress, either. “Should I change?” I asked.

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