Page 4 of My Demon Manny

Once Calux had driven away, I closed the door just as Gunner started crying. I wondered if this was another sign. Did Gunner like Calux? Because if he did, that would make my decision so much easier.

Shaking my head at myself, I placed Gunner in his crib, then pressed a kiss on his forehead.

"I'll be right back with your milk, good sir." I tapped his nose before going to the kitchen.

Grabbing a clean bottle, I heated up some of the formula milk, then filled the bottle. After six months of doing this, I was an expert at just how long to heat it to get the perfect temperature.

Gunner was still crying when I came back into the living room, and he seemed cranky enough that he wasn't even trying to sit up, so I quickly picked him up, settling on the armchair and adjusting him so his head leaned against the crook of my elbow.

Placing the bottle's nipple between his lips, I smiled when he started chugging down the milk, his little hands clamping onto the bottle. He liked holding his own bottle, but I kept a hand on it since his grip wasn't quite steady just yet.

"What do you think, Gunner? Is Calux gonna be your new nanny?" I asked, and he met my eyes, mouth still working on the bottle.

"Yeah? I thought he seemed like a nice person. His papers looked good too, and he answered all the questions exactly as I'd hoped. So what if this would be his first job? Everyone starts somewhere, right?"

I'd be here to supervise for the first couple of weeks, and so we could set up a proper goodbye routine so Gunner wouldn't get anxious once I had to go back to work. If he messed up, he'd be out. If worse came to worst, I'd take some more days off until I could find the right fit for my baby. Being the head of digital marketing of the company you started with your best friends had its perks, after all.

As soon as Gunner was full, he pushed the bottle aside, and I chuckled at his antics as I placed the almost empty bottle on the table. I needed to wash these bottles before I ran out of them, but for that to happen I needed this little guy to take a nap, which didn't look possible at the moment.

"You're all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, aren't you?"

He giggled softly, reaching up and then making a face when he couldn't quite tangle his fingers into my beard like before.

Gunner might be the only reason I hadn't shaved all of it off yet. I'd ended up letting it grow in the first few months after he came into the world, and then I'd discovered his fascination withit. How could I shave it off when he had so much fun petting it? To save myself from some brutal pain, I'd trimmed it enough that he couldn't bury his fingers in the strands, but left enough of it for him to pet and scratch.

"Do you wanna play on the floor with your toys for a bit?" I asked, standing up and walking to the area of the room I'd turned into a makeshift play area for Gunner. He had his own nursery with more toys than he'd probably ever play with, but I preferred having him close when I worked. I'd surrounded the large playmat with a foam pillow fence so he wouldn't get into trouble, and it seemed to be enough to keep him on the playmat. For now.

Placing him on the floor, I handed him one of his favorite color toys, a brightly colored starfish with bells that jingled when he shook it. I'd trained myself to let that sound fly over my head, because otherwise it would drive me crazy.

Once Gunner was all settled, I took all the bottles and my own dishes—along with the baby monitor—to the kitchen and started washing up. My thoughts strayed to Calux, and what it would be like to have his help around the place.

If he was here, he'd be doing this while I played with Gunner, or vice versa.

I'd been doing it alone for the past six months, though my friends had dropped in around the weekends to lend a hand, and I didn't know how exactly I'd feel sharing the responsibilities with someone, even if the other person was someone I'd hired and not a partner.

Calux seemed like a good choice, all things considered. He looked gentle, with his small stature and unruly blond hair. His blue eyes had brightened when they fell on Gunner, and Gunner had seemed utterly fascinated by the kid's—though his papers said he was twenty-five, he barely looked eighteen—t-shirt, which had a brightly colored cartoon unicorn on it. I was sure he'd worn it especially for Gunner.

Once I was done cleaning, I returned to Gunner, who was staring up at the ceiling, lost in his own little world as he shook around a different—yet just as noisy—toy. He was also just a bit stinky.

"Hmmm, looks like it's time for a diaper change, huh, little one?"

Picking Gunner up, I carried him to his nursery and placed him on the changing table, tapping his nose as I walked around it to get the powder and wet wipes.

As I changed his diaper, I made a mental note to reply to the agency and tell them I wanted to hire Calux. This was one task I wouldn't mind passing off to him in the least.

"You, my little baby, are a stink monster," I told Gunner, which just made him break into giggles.

Smiling at his happy face, I decided I didn't mind ittoomuch.

Three

Calux

I got the job.

I got the job!

I was going to take care of little Gunner—and I thought his dad might benefit from some gentle caretaking too.

---