Page 38 of The Buck Stops Hare

Cliff glanced over, his face morphing into a grimace. “Uh…yeah. Butt treats, lil buddy.”

Rayne resumed yammering to Eve, and I tuned the conversation out in favor of stroking Cliff’s dark locks, taking pleasure in their softness.

Cliff made a noise of shock as Rayne slipped by and pushed Vida into his arms. “Support her head, don’t kiss her, and if she starts stinking, tell me.”

I didn’t move to take Vida from him immediately, or at all. His bewildered expression morphed into fear and slight curiosity as he adjusted his grip, cradling her in his thick arms. There, she looked so small, much more so than in Rayne’s thinner arms. Swallowed against his chest, she nestled happily, nosing about hopefully for a nipple for a few seconds before the search exhausted her. With a single huff of defeat, she drifted off, face morphing into that soft, full-featured cherubic state. The face I knew I’d do anything for.

Drawing my gaze away from Vida sleeping against my mate’s chest, I stared long and hard at his own face that had softened into gentle wonder. He rubbed a thumb over the smattering of dark curls over her head and smiled. With a soft whisper, he spoke to her, lips curling into a gentle smile. “Hey there. I’m you’re Uncle Cliff.”

She didn’t respond to his whisper, but I got the feeling she wasn’t supposed to. His words were more for himself than her.

He slipped a finger into her palm, letting the tiny digits curl around his larger one, holding on as if he was the only thing keeping her from floating away. “How the hell are you so cute?”

“I think it’s an evolutionary thing to make you want to care for them.” I reached a hand over to stroke her soft scalp. Her face turned and mouth opened, following the warmth of my hand.

Rayne, eyes cutting over, paced off with the phone and returned less than a minute later with a bottle, thrusting it intoCliff’s hands. “Here, dudeboob juice,” he mouthed at Cliff where Eve couldn’t hear.

Cliff eyed the bottle as he fumbled it in his free hand and hesitantly offered the nipple of it to her.

“Want a hand?” I nudged him to lift his elbow and he nodded, adjusting her head up, tucking her in. “Now trace her lip with it, draw a smiley face—there we go.”

Vida opened her mouth and shook her head, gawping at the air until Cliff slid the bottle in and she latched, sucking with huffing breaths as she tied in, barely moving when Rayne circled back with a rag to keep Vida from spilling on him or spitting up. She was usually a neat eater, but babies were unpredictable.

“Whoa. She’s really tying in on this. Taste good?” He laughed and Storm chimed in, making a so-so gesture with his hand.

“Eh. I imagine it tastes better to her.” Storm laughed, and Cliff only pursed his lips for a second with displeasure and left the commentary to himself.

By the time I realized it, Rayne had hung up the phone and flopped onto Storm’s lap, leaning back with a groan. “I don’t know what to make of this.”

“We suspected you were demi, so one of your parents at least had to be a latent.” Storm patted Rayne’s back and Cliff kept his attention on Vida, delighting as she drained the bottle with little snuffles.

“Yeah, but like…Mom could have said something. Hell, nobody in our house made being gay feel all that welcome, Storm. Dad was seriously judgy.” Rayne huffed. “‘Be more manly, Rayne. Play some sports, Rayne. Be more like Cliff, Rayne. People are going to think you’re gay, Rayne.’ I have news for you! I was gay!”

“Still are,” Storm added helpfully.

“Damn straight—gay. Whatever.” Rayne waved his hand dismissively.

“I don’t think the sports or manliness had anything to do with the gay, dude.” Cliff glanced up from feeding Vida and snorted.

“Yeah, but like, you always had girlfriends in high school.” Rayne snorted.

“Yeah…I wasn’t dating any of them. I just— They kinda followed me around a bit and I didn’t dissuade them but like…I tried, just never could get interested.” Cliff distracted himself with Vida as she nursed the dredges of the bottle into the nipple with alarming speed. He tugged it and she fought with impressive suction and a noise of protest. “Wow…”

Storm eyed Vida. “As thirsty for life as her namesake. I do wonder if you’re related to Vidalia.”

“I also wonder if they shared blood, but we all can agree their blood calls to the land here.” I squeezed over Cliff’s arm, testing his boundaries. He accepted my touch more readily, cheeks tinged with flush, but no words rebutting my advances.

“I believe a great-grandparent. He’s three generations off if I’m right about how his blood feels.” Storm patted Rayne on the back with a solid percussive sound.

“There’s those DNA tests,” Cliff offered, surprising me that he was keeping up with the conversation and not lost in babyland. At any rate, his hormones were flush and rising, omega instincts taking over.

“I think shifters have their own for certain reasons,” I said, earning a look of surprise from both Cliff and Rayne.

“Put that on the agenda, th—would I still have DNA since I—” Rayne’s tones went low, voice cracking.

“Died?” I added.

Storm shot me a dirty look, and Cliff stiffened. “You actually died? That wasn’t a figure of speech?”

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