Page 1 of Shootout Daddies
CHAPTER ONE
Ivy
The milk is almost warm.
I test the bottle against my wrist, glance at the second one nestled in a bowl of water, and mentally count backward from ten. One bottle per baby. Six ounces each. Don’t overheat, don’t underfeed.
Welcome to my glamorous Miami vacation.
Sage eyes me from her bouncer like a tiny queen. Her sister, Skye, kicks her legs on the cushion beside her, babbling in a language I don’t speak but fully understand.Hungry. Now. Faster, peasant.
They’re six months old and already have me wrapped around two sticky fingers.
And they’re not even mine.
These perfect, drooly cherubs belong to my best friend, Brooke—who shuffles past me in sleep shorts and a tank, hair piled into a lopsided bun, moving like a zombie toward the coffee machine. She looks exhausted. Beautiful.
“You good?” I ask, adjusting the bottle angle so Skye doesn’t scream bloody murder.
“Ask me again after caffeine,” she says, voice gravelly with sleep.
To be clear, I’m not their nanny. I’m not even really needed. Brooke and her ridiculouslydevoted trio of husbands—Cam, Tanner, and Ace—have parenting handled. But I offered to stay for the summer after quitting my job in New York.
It was supposed to be a reset. Sun. Sand. Baby cuddles. And a break from billable hours and bullshit men.
Besides, I love these girls. I love being here. Even if I’m still figuring out what comes next.
Cam appears from the hallway, barefoot, shirtless, and smug as hell. He wraps his arms around Brooke’s waist, nuzzles into her neck, and whispers something that makes her giggle. Actuallygiggle.
I roll my eyes and clear my throat loud enough to remind them they’re not alone.
Cam just flashes me a lazy grin, no shame in sight. His hair’s a tousled mess, his abs obnoxiously defined, and the baby he lifts into his arms—Sage—instantly melts into him like she’s never known peace anywhere else.
“Morning, Ivy,” he says with a nod.
“Morning,” I reply, trying not to sigh at the domestic perfection happening right in front of me. It’s obscene, really. How attractive these people are. How in sync. How… married times three.
Cam sways with Sage, effortlessly settling her. He’s Brooke’s first love. Tanner, his flirty surfer brother, is her second. And then there’s Ace, the ex-coach turned bonus husband. They are all raising Brooke’s son, Jackson, from her previous marriage. Together, they’ve created this dreamy little family.
It’s weirdly beautiful. Also, slightly depressing.
“Where are the others?” Cam asks, switching arms like a pro.
Brooke groans and waves one lazy hand toward the window. “Coffee first, then conversation.”
I laugh. “Ace is with Jackson. They took Buddy for their morning walk. And Tanner’s surfing.”
Cam nods as he lifts Skye into the crook of his other arm. His biceps flex under the weight of twin baby girls and somehow, he’s still smiling. “I was thinking we could all grab breakfast somewhere after.”
Brooke sips her coffee and lets out a dramatic sigh. “Depends on how the babies nap. Lisa’s sending over the new game prototype this afternoon and I need Ace to test it before the launch. How’d the meeting go?” she adds, tilting her head toward Cam.
“They’re hiring a new lawyer,” he says, bouncing Skye absentmindedly.
“Oh?” I ask, swapping the now-warm bottle into my other hand.
Cam shifts his weight, still soothing both girls like it’s second nature. “Yeah. Jeremy—remember him? Jeremy Henry?”
I nod.
