Page 71 of Perfect Bragg

Riley scowls. “I amend my statement. I don’t want to know.”

Moon sighs. “Too bad.” She motions to me. “You’re looking very domesticated.”

I glare at her. “Don’t.”

She blinks her eyes. “Don’t what? Buy you a Bragg woman t-shirt?”

“Exactly.”

She smirks. “Too bad. I already ordered it.”

“How often do I have to explain it to everyone? This is fake!”

“Doesn’t appear fake to me,” Sage says from behind me.

My eyes widen. Crap.Are the gossip gals standing behind me?I mouth to Moon. She bobs her head. She couldn’t have warned me?

Elder throws an arm over my shoulder and whirls me around. Yep. There they are. Feather, Petal, Sage, Cayenne, and Clove. All together.

“Project Baby is my favorite,” Petal declares as she kneels down in front of Robin’s stroller.

“She says that about all the projects,” Cayenne grumbles.

Petal frees Robin from her stroller to pick her up. “How can this little girl not be your favorite?” She rubs her nose against Robin’s.

“Don’t let Ashlyn hear you say Robin’s your favorite baby,” Moon mutters from behind me.

Moon is full of it. She’d love for her best friend to hear. Ashlyn would have an epic fit if she heard anyone say any baby other than her own is the favorite, and Moon would be standing on the sidelines selling popcorn and beer for the show.

“Stop hogging her. I want to hold her,” Feather reaches for Robin who decides she is done being tossed around like a hot potato.

Before I have a chance to move, Elder rushes forward and snatches the baby from Petal.

“Hey now, baby girl. There’s no reason to cry,” he murmurs as he rocks her back and forth. “You want me to sing you a song?”

Robin stares up at him as he begins to singBig Girls Don’t Cry.He doesn’t know most of the words but Robin doesn’t care. She’s enamored with him.

“Holy crap. Elder’s the baby whisperer,” Riley says.

Moon nods in agreement. “I’m totally ordering Harmony a Bragg woman t-shirt.”

I barely hear them. I can’t look away from Elder with my baby. The two of them are perfect together.

My heart seizes and my pulse spikes.Perfect together?They can’t be perfect together. I don’t deserve them.

I want to snatch Robin away before fleeing far, far away from here but I plant my feet and hold my ground. I can’t go anywhere if I want legal custody of Robin. I need to stick this out and finish the court custody case.

I just hope my heart survives.

Chapter 23

Can I borrow the hood in case I need to kidnap someone? ~ Text from Elder to Brody

Elder

“Idon’t understand why I couldn’t stay home with Robin,” Harmony grumbles as we climb the steps to city hall for the Winter Falls monthly business meeting.

“I’ve got the baby.” I open the door and nod for her to enter in front of me. “You go have fun with your friends.”

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