Page 36 of Second Shot

Iknock.

“It’s unlocked,” comes the deep, muffledreply.

I open the door, wheeling the stroller into the large foyer that currently looks like Babies-R-Us exploded in it. Opened and unopened boxes are piled halfway to theceiling.

“Kane?”

“In here,” he callsout.

I follow his voice to the living room, where he’s kneeling, shirtless over a series of large plastic pieces that I’m assuming will be a toddler-sized playset, with a mini-slide and climbing wall builtin.

“What is allthis?”

He gives me a crooked smile that cuts deep dimples into one cheek. And there go the butterfliesagain.

“I wanted to be prepared for when you-” He rubs the back of his neck. “Whenhesleeps here. So, I went online and purchased a fewthings.”

I glance at the boxes scattered everywhere. “Did you order the wholecatalogue?”

He grins and puts down the screwdriver in his hand, then stands and walks towards me. My heart flutters as he approaches, but like he promised, he doesn’t touch me. Instead, he bends down over the stroller to look atNoah.

“He just fell asleep. Don’t wake him unless you want to be the one getting up with him in the middle of thenight.”

“Already told you I did.” He straightens, then shoves his hands in his pockets. “He’s still not sleeping through thenight?”

He says it like he actually knows something about babies, which irritatesme.

“Most nights he’ll sleep eight hours. But if he doesn’t have his full afternoon nap, then he’ll fall asleep again after dinner, whichmeans-”

“He’ll wake up in the middle of the night. Got it.” Hewinks.

I roll my eyes at him, then nod at the plastic playset he’d been working on. “You do know that it’ll be at least a couple of years before he can use most of this stuff? And where are you going to put it? You don’t have ayard.”

“I’ve got someone coming to pick up the pool table tomorrow. I’m going to turn the game room into aplayroom.”

“You love that pooltable.”

He shrugs, making the muscles in his chest and shoulders bunch. “Kid’s got to have a place toplay.”

I frown. “You don’t have to do allthis.”

He holds my gaze, and I swear I can see the wheels spinning behind hiseyes.

“What?” I ask, hoping there aren’t any more surprises lurking around thecorner.

“Is he okay there for asecond?”

I glance down at Noah, andnod.

“Good. I want to show yousomething.”

Stomach flip flopping, I follow him down the hall, wishing he’d put a damn shirton.

“If you’re taking me to your bedroom, I told you, it’s totally nothappening.”

He stops, giving me a mischievous grin that says he doesn’t believe me for one second, but when he opens the door we’re standing in front of, my mouth dropsopen.

The entire room has been converted into a nursery. Crib. Change table. Stuffed animals. Even a damn diapergenie.

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