Page 34 of No Regrets

“Someone bit her?”

“Three times. She’s still whimpering in my arms right now.”

“Did you ask them about it?”

“She was crying when I went to pick her up, and I asked them then, and the assistant said she wanted a toy another child had. The director wouldn’t comment, and when I came home and found them, I tried calling them back, but no one answered.”

“Shit. Uh, is she okay? If the skin’s broken, you need to clean the wound out with soap and water—which isn’t going to be fun, but it’s better than alcohol.”

Brianna groaned. “One bled onto her shirt. It’s the one I accidentally brushed and made her cry. All three are bruised though.”

“All right. I’m going to be in a three-hour meeting so I don’t know when I’ll be able to talk to you again, but if you need me dial my cell. I’ll call you when I get out, okay?”

“Okay. I love you.” She clicked off, not even bothering to wait for him to reply. She knew he wouldn’t anyway.

She took Shiloh to her bathroom, filling the Jacuzzi tub up and adding her favorite bubble bath. She stripped her of her remaining diaper, sat her in the warm water, and grabbed some of her bath toys for her to play with.

Brianna bathed her first, taking special care with the bite marks, and then sat on one of the Jacuzzi’s steps watching her play. She splashed bubbles making cute baby noises when she splattered them all over the tub. Brianna grinned, rubbing Shiloh’s untamed curls. She would stay in the bathtub for hours, if Brianna would let her. She was born for the water, and Kaden already vowed to take her out on the fishing boat when she got a little older.

Brianna thought about where they’d be when Shiloh turned five. Kaden never promised to stay with her after the year they had pledged together was up, but he also didn’t say he’d leave her high and dry either. She wanted him to stay with her, honestly. Not for Shiloh’s sake, so much now, but because she loved him. She loved the stubborn, hardheaded sexy man who called her on every bluff and who held her when she was scared. She hated thinking about him leaving and hated it even more that all her family would be there saying the dreaded “I told you so”.

Kaden always said he’d never get married, never have kids, yet he’d done both with her. She wasn’t stupid enough to believe if they didn’t have a kid first, that they would have ended up married. He probably wouldn’t have even looked at her twice as a lover or girlfriend. No, she was his best friend, his confidant and the only one he trusted with even the deepest of dark secrets. She smiled thinking about how much trouble he’d have been in if she told on him so many years ago.

When the water turned cold, Brianna grabbed the fluffy pink towel and wrapped her protesting daughter in it. She kissed her cheek, making her giggle as she began drying her off. The phone rang, and she drained the water, wrapped Shiloh in her arms, and headed to the bedroom to answer it.

“Hello?” She sat Shiloh on the bed and smiled when she crawled away from her, naked, to the other side of the king-size bed.

“Brianna, this is Blair. Greg called me about the childcare facility incident. Is Shiloh all right?” Blair’s tone was nothing but a concerned grandparent checking up on her grandchild.

“Yes. She has three bite marks that have developed into purple bruises. Two on her arms and one on her leg. She seems fine though. I just got through giving her a bath, and she’s happy and giggling. I don’t think she liked that place too much, not that I could blame her. The women acted all secretive and snooty.”

“Well, I’m so sorry, Brianna. I’ll call the director first thing in the morning and give her a piece of my mind.” Bree suppressed a chuckled.

After a little small talk, they hung up and Brianna went to the closet looking for something to change into herself. She settled with a pink terry cloth jogging outfit and white spaghetti strap tank top. Anything was better than her stiff uniform.

“Come on, munchkin. Daddy won’t like you sitting your naked behind on his pillow.” She held out her arms and Shiloh looked up at her, emerald green eyes bright and wide.

“Da-dy.”

Brianna stared at her. “What did you say?”

“Da-dy,” she repeated pointing.

Brianna’s eyes went to the picture on the dresser of Kaden and her at their high school graduation. Tears filled her eyes as Shiloh repeated it over and over.

“Yes. That’s daddy.” She picked the baby up, kissing her cheek as she pointed and repeated her newfound word. “Do you miss daddy?”

“Da-dy.”

Brianna carried Shiloh to her room, finding a pair of soft pajamas for her to sleep in. She fixed her diaper and pulled on her clothing all the while Shiloh repeated “da-dy” over and over, throwing her hands up each time.

“Yes. Yes. You want to call Daddy and tell him?” Brianna looked at the clock. It’d only been an hour since she called him the first time, and he said his meeting was to last three. She debated, staring at her child as she clapped her hands.

“We’ll tell him tonight when he comes home. In the meantime, let’s get that popsicle we never ate and watch a movie.”

Two hours later, Brianna tucked her daughter into her crib, and flipped out the lights. After watching Finding Nemo for the millionth time, she clicked it off once Shiloh fell asleep in her arms. She didn’t stop repeating her new word, and smiled every time she said it.

Brianna’s stomach growled, reminding her of the two meals she skipped today. She never ate food in the morning, and she was too busy to take a lunch. But she needed dinner. She pulled open the refrigerator and cringed at her choices. She also needed to go to the grocery store.

---