Page 12 of No Regrets

Taking a step toward her, Kaden reached out, and the small child willingly leaned toward them. She wanted him to hold her, and he couldn’t have been more thrilled.

He lifted her small body into his arms. “Hey, Shiloh.”

She grinned, laying her head against his shoulder. She smelled fresh of baby powder, the sweet scent of youth. He couldn’t help the invisible fist squeezing his heart. Eighteen months of guilt washed over him, as he wrapped the child in both his arms. How he walked away from her so long ago, he’d never know. She felt right. She felt perfect. She felt like home.

“While you two reacquaint, I’m going to take a shower and change.” Brianna rubbed her daughter’s back. “I’ll be back in a minute, sweetie.”

Once she disappeared, the child’s smile was gone, big wet tears forming in her eyes. “It’s okay. Mommy will be back in a minute.”

“She’s a momma’s girl.” Regina commented. “Once Brianna’s out of sight, she wails until she comes back.”

As if on cue, Shiloh’s whimper sounded. Kaden didn’t know what to do. One minute the child was smiling at him, and the next she cried. Her small whimper turned to a wail, and he panicked.

“You’re going to have to take her upstairs.” Regina commented. “If Brianna asks, I’m going to the Bridge house.”

Just like that she left Kaden and the small wailing child alone in the townhouse. What had he gotten himself into?

Okay. Bree was only upstairs. He’d take the child up, let her see her momma, and then she’d be fine, right? Shiloh’s chubby cheeks turned red with her cries, while her breath came in gasps. So much for liking him. The child seemed as if she hated him at this particular moment.

He climbed the steps, hoping Bree would give him some pointers. Now, he realized why he didn’t want kids. They cried. They pooped. They got into more trouble than humanly possible before the age of two. He had no business raising kids.

He found what he assumed to be the bathroom and rapped on the wooden door. As if psychic, Brianna opened the door. The shower was still running, and her magnificent body only covered in pink terry cloth. She smiled before grabbing the wailing child and soothing her until the silence engulfed them again.

“Your mom went to the Bridge house.”

“Figures.” She stepped back into the steamed room, and shut the shower off. “At least I washed my hair. Normally I can’t even do that.”

She walked past him, the child now sucking her thumb as she rested against her mother’s wet shoulder, and went down the hall into another room. Once he came to the door, he realized it was her room.

“Sorry about the mess. When I come in from work, I usually just strip and fall into bed. My clothes normally stay where they lay until laundry day.” She sat the baby on the bed, pulling her pillows to the side.

“I think she hates me.” Kaden said, leaning against the door frame.

“She’s my girl. She acts this way with everyone, so don’t get discouraged.” Brianna began brushing through her wet hair with quick rapid strokes. “She did go to you, didn’t she? That means something.”

“I’m the stranger who’s invaded her home.” The child stared at him, her lashes still holding small teardrops.

“She’ll get used to you.” Brianna, grabbed a large shirt from her closet and pulled it over her towel-covered body. Before he had time to even comprehend what she was doing, or to be a gentleman and turn his back, she pulled the towel out. The damn thing fell only to mid-thigh, barely covering her behind. “We didn’t discuss it, but when are you bringing your stuff here?”

How did he tell her that she lived in a dump? “Uh, actually, I was thinking of buying a house.” She turned to face him, her nipples dark beneath the stark white fabric. “Uh, with four people living together, I just figured we’d need more space. That is, if you want.”

“I can’t afford a house payment.”

“I can.” He stepped away from the door, deciding to take a seat next to the baby on the bed. She was actually really cute when she wasn’t cry. Funny he thought since she looked like him. “You don’t have to worry about finances, Bree. I’ll take care of everything.”

“Kaden, no offense, but I don’t want your money. I don’t want anything from you.” She grabbed a pair of shorts and pulled them on while remaining modest the entire time. “And if you buy a house, that’ll get tied up with the divorce settlements and be one big hassle.”

“No it won’t.” While he talked to Bree, the child crawled toward him, pulling on his arm to lift herself off the bed. Without thinking, he pulled her into his arms, situating her on his lap. “I buy it. We live there. No big deal.”

She narrowed her eyes then stared at her daughter in amusement. “Whatever. Mom won’t like the idea, though.”

Regina would just have to get over it. “Do you want to go house hunting, or is it something you want me to handle?”

“If it’s going to be anytime soon, it’ll have to be your doings. I don’t have any more days off for two weeks straight.”

He knew it was because she asked for the extra shifts. She needed the money, but soon she wouldn’t have to worry. He couldn’t say so, but she’d see in her own time. She wanted more time to spend with their daughter, and he was going to give it to her.

“That’s fine with me. Uh, I’m keeping my place in Raleigh. I still have work there, and probably won’t be able to travel back and forth every night.” Especially when he had big cases to deal with.

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