Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 61900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Damn.
Okay, fine.
“Bring the bottle up when it’s finished, I’ll go,” I exhale, walking up the stairs to Star’s bedroom.
I open the door and walk in, flicking on the dull lamp.
“Oh, baby girl, it’s okay,” I say, reaching in and taking her into my arms. I kiss her warm cheeks and bounce her a little as she wails for her bottle.
She’s not going to handle being changed right now, she’s too upset.
Where the hell is Delilah?
I snuggle her close, soothing her as I wait for Hugh. He arrives a moment later with the bottle and hands it to me.
“No,” I say. “You need to do this. What if I’m not around? Delilah might not have shown you, but I’m going to. Sit down.”
He stares at me, a little horrified, but takes a seat. I walk over, placing the wailing Star in his arms. He looks terrified as he looks up at me, his eyes wide. “She’s a wreck.”
“She’s hungry. Hold her close, check the bottle isn’t too hot, and give it to her.”
“How do I know if it’s too hot?”
I turn his wrist over and shake the bottle, splattering milk on it. He jerks his arm away. “What the hell?”
“That’s how you tell. Did it burn?”
“No,” he mutters.
“Then it’s fine. Give it to her.”
“She’s wiggling too much.”
“For crying out loud, you’re a biker. Toughen up and give her the damn bottle.”
He mutters something and then pops the bottle into Star’s mouth. She immediately stops crying and starts frantically sucking. Hugh relaxes his hold on her just a bit, and then his eyes roam her face as her little chubby hand reaches out and hooks onto his finger. My heart aches, because damn, she has the most powerful and protective dad of them all and he doesn’t even know yet just how much he’s going to come to mean to her.
I swallow the lump in my throat and watch as he looks up at me. Hugh really is the most incredible looking man, so perfectly put together and yet so strong and masculine. He’s gorgeous. Delilah would be lucky to make this work and have him forever. Her daughter will always be protected and that’s something not all of us have.
When Star finishes her bottle and has calmed down, her eyes becoming sleepy, I take it from Hugh and instruct him to carefully put her on the changing table. He does so and I go over how to change her without stirring her too much. His big hands fumble as he tries to do it but, eventually, he gets there. We then re-wrap Star and place her in the crib, where she falls back into her deep sleep.
I turn to Hugh just as the door opens and Delilah comes stumbling in. She’s drunk, if you couldn’t tell by the sway as she stands, you’d know by the smell that fills the room. Alcohol. Yuck. She looks at the two of us, and then slurs, “What are you two doing?”
“We are feeding your daughter because you weren’t home,” I tell her, my voice snippy as I try to encourage them out of the room so she doesn’t wake Star.
“I want to see her,” Delilah protests as we both walk her out.
“She’s asleep,” Hugh growls. “No fuckin’ way.”
He closes the door behind him and Delilah pouts, pressing her back against the wall. Even then, she sways. “Why are you so mean to me? Don’t you remember how much fun we had that night, Hugh? We could have it again if you’d just let me in.”
“You’re drunk. Go to bed.”
Well, this is uncomfortable.
Delilah pushes off the wall and throws her arms around Hugh’s neck, trying to kiss him in a way that’s so awkward to watch I am forced to look away. It’s making me cringe.
“Enough, Delilah,” Hugh orders. “Go the fuck to bed.”
“Why don’t you want me?” she whines, wrapping her arms around his waist while pressing her lips to his bare chest and kissing.
“Because you’re fuckin’ drunk. Stop.”
“I’m going to go,” I say, raising a hand to get his attention. “This is hard to watch. It’s like I’ve walked into some sort of freaky sex club.”
The look Hugh gives me is enough to kill.
I give him a smile. “Good luck with that.”
Then, I get the hell out of there.
Hugh has a hell of a task on his hands.
Glad it’s him and not me.
Poor guy.
“YOU HAVE TO SIT HER up,” I roll my eyes, showing Hugh again how to sit Star on his lap to burp her after a bottle.
“She’s all floppy,” he growls. “Why is she so floppy?”
“She’s a god damned baby, Hugh. Use your hand to support her chin and the other hand to pat her back, like this.”
I put Star into position and, eventually, Hugh gets it. At least he’s trying. He might not have wanted this, but everything I tell him to do, he does. And although frustrated, he’s still here. It must mean something to him if he’s chosen to live in this house with Delilah and Star. He could have abandoned them, but he didn’t. He wants to make a go of it and that’s something.