Page 73 of Worth the Wait

Leigh squeezed his hand. “Let’s get her out of that seat, settled and happy, then we’ll talk.”

“Sounds good.”

“And, at the risk of overstepping boundaries within the first five minutes, you should probably get out of the habit of saying bad words.”

He laughed while crouching to unbuckle Sachi from the seat’s harness. “She’s two weeks old. The odds of her throwing out a curse word anytime soon are pretty low.”

“She’ll be cooing and forming sounds before you know it.” Warmth filled Leigh’s expression as she watched him lift Sachi into his arms. “She’s already learning from you. She knows your voice, trusts it implicitly. You’re the heart of her world, Sam. She soaks up your every word, action, and emotion. Plus, it’s more difficult than you think to eliminate those words if they’re part of your normal vocabulary.”

He looked down at the sweet, tiny face of his daughter. Her dark-brown eyes blinked up at him as her lips puckered around the pacifier he slid into her mouth. What was she thinking? Did babies actually think about anything at this age? Despite powering through half a dozen issues of his sister’s castoff parenting magazines, he was still basically clueless.

“Shit,” he said, then added another “Shit” for sayingshitthe first time. “You’re right. I need a replacement word. Any suggestions?”

She shook her head. “You’ll think of something that works for you.”

“You sound pretty sure of that. Like you always do.”

Her eyebrows drew together, her mouth turning downward in a slight frown. “Am I a know-it-all, is that how I come across?”

“No, not like a know-it-all.” A long moment passed without another word between them. Just Leigh, staring at him. While frowning. Clearly, his answer hadn’t cut it. “I’m too drained to make intelligent or insightful statements right now.”

“I’m sorry.” A soft, pink blush tinted her cheeks. “I’m being ridiculously and selfishly oversensitive. Forget I said anything. You’re here so I can help you get a much-needed break, let’s focus on that.” Moving toward him, she raised her arms. “May I hold her?”

Every wiped-out inch of him wanted to cheer, pass her the baby and fall into a deep sleep for the next eight hours. He could probably do it right here, on the hall floor, he was that damn tired. He was also determined not to waste this opportunity. Except everything he’d planned on saying evaporated when he placed Sachi into Leigh’s arms.

“Oh, Sam. What a perfect little angel. Hello, beautiful,” she said, stroking Sachi’s face.

He should say something. Thank her, at minimum. Couldn’t get a word past the lump in his throat though.

“Are her supplies all in the diaper bag? Do I need to put anything in the fridge?”

He needed to answer. Do something other than stand here, gaping and dumbstruck at the sight of Leigh swaying while holding his daughter.

The curve of her smile grew. “Never mind, I’ll get it all sorted out. You should head straight upstairs for some sleep. You’re even more exhausted than I thought.”

“I guess I am,” he said, taking the out. “I made up some bottles, enough to get through until tomorrow. Not that I’m going to sleep for that long.” He winked. “Bottles are in the bag and should go in the fridge. Diapers, wipes, and clothes are in the bag too. The playpen is in the backseat of the car. I’ll go get it, in case you want to lay her down for a nap.”

“Don’t worry about that, I have a bassinet that I saved from when Lennox was a baby. I can use that if Sachi goes to sleep. Leave your keys on the hook though, if you want. Then I won’t have to disturb you if she hates the bassinet and I need the playpen after all.”

“Sounds good.” All of it. Being here with her. Leaving his keys on the hook as if they belonged there. Taking a nap. Leigh caring for his daughter. Caring for him. “Before I go fall into a sleep-deprived, new-parent coma, there’s something I need to say.”

“Okay.”

“If all I take away from this weekend is a couple decent stretches of sleep, I’m grateful. If all you’re interested in is friendship, I’ll take it. I won’t push for anything more than you want. But my feelings for you haven’t changed. I still want to be with you, if you’re open to the possibility of dating a single dad.”

“I am.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “But only if you’re the single dad.”

Hearing the words he’d hoped for and seeing her beautiful smile couldn’t prevent the yawn that demanded release. “Sorry.”

“Here’s an idea—let’s both stop apologizing and move forward instead.”

“Great idea. I’m in.”

“Me too. Now give this little dolly a kiss and go pass out in my bed,” she said, angling to give him better access to Sachi.

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