Page 70 of Treat

“Oh, it’s hit,” Tommy interjected, lifting the baby’s newly cleaned butt to slide a clean diaper under it. “The girlies are all twirly on Instagram.”

Jude sighed. “Shit.”

“It’s mostly just chatter about how sexy and dreamy you are,” Tommy went on, deftly fastening the new diaper and tucking the baby’s legs back into her footie pajamas. “And they’re obsessed with your thighs.”

Confused, Jude looked down at his legs. “My thighs?”

“They’re using the hashtag ‘thick thighs save lives’.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I don’t get it either. My thighs are way thicker than yours.” Tommy snapped the baby into the pajamas, then scooped her up. “Here, take her for a second.”

Jude shoved his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know how to hold a baby.”

“Bend your elbow and stick it out like you’re gonna do the chicken dance, and turn your palm up.”

“Like this?”

“Yep. Now, just don’t drop her,” Tommy said and plopped the baby onto Jude’s bent arm.

Surprised at how slight she felt, Jude stared at Izzy’s round, pink face. She blinked back at him owlishly, her eyes wide and her little mouth pursed.

“What’d your agent say?”

“That we needed to talk,” Jude said absently and lifted his free hand to skim a finger down the baby’s cheek. It was soft as down. “We’re having lunch tomorrow.”

Tommy started shoving the dirty wipes into the Diaper Genie. “You think he’s going to tell you to dump Brynn?”

“I know he is. He’ll tell me to fire her, too.”

Tommy reached for the bottle of hand sanitizer next to the stack of clean diapers. “What are you going to tell him?”

“To mind his own damn business.”

Tommy grinned. “Atta boy.”

Jude shifted carefully, trying not to jostle the baby. “Do me a favor? Keep this to yourself until I figure out how to handle it.”

Tommy’s eyebrows shot up. “You want to keep it a secret?”

“Not a secret,” Jude insisted. Izzy let out a squeak, and he instinctively began to sway. “Just not…out there.”

“I got news for you, son—it’s already out there. I’m not the only one who watched the game today, and social media has a life of its own.”

Jude winced. “I know. Dammit.”

“You worried about the optics?”

“A little, sure. But mostly that Brynn will get spooked and decide I’m not worth the hassle.”

“I told you you were in love with her,” Tommy said smugly.

“Bite me,” Jude said, but there was no heat behind it.

“Now you just need to learn to use your mustache during sex,” Tommy went on with an evil glint in his eye and pulled out his phone. “Let’s see what the internet has to say.”

“I hate you,” Jude said, but he was smiling. “Thanks, Jakes.”

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