I shoved my hair back with my free hand. “Yeah. I don’t know. I didn’t have the chance to know. I just got her, and I don’t know squat about babies.”
Mason snorted. “We barely know about girls, period.”
“Speak for yourself.”
“Obviously, you do.” He nodded at Sami.
“Shut up.” I exhaled. “I panicked and called Gina.”
“Because she has ovaries?”
Frustrated, I paced with Sami when she started making questionable noises. “No, because she’s my best friend, and she actually used to do the whole babysitting thing.”
And I knew she wouldn’t turn me down.
Even if the look on her face when she opened my cabin door that night still haunted me.
Mason’s face definitely had an air of dubiousness. “Look, man. I’m glad she was there for you. Even if this situation is…” At a loss, he shrugged. “Nothing surprises me since I got back to the Cove. I’m not sure when the baby boom started going on, but it is crazy. I’m in shock that men sleep with anyone in this town.”
“Yeah, well, I wasn’t with Trina in town. To be honest, I make sure I am out of town when I need a bit of stress relief.”
But I hadn’t with Gina. We hadn’t even bothered with condoms when I had no clue about her birth control situation. Which said plenty, I supposed.
“Is that what the kids are calling it?”
“Asshole.”
Mason covered Sami’s ears. “How could you?”
Sami giggled and grabbed Mason’s finger. There was a bit of wonder in my brother’s eyes as he smiled at her.
This little girl had some sort of magic inside her. I’d seen it happen to everyone that came into her sphere. Gina was the first and the most important, but at Thanksgiving and even with the quickie photo shoot, no one was safe when Sami had you in her sights. All my friends had been charmed by her. My dad was already too. She certainly had me wrapped, and I was surprisingly okay with it.
Especially with Gina settling in like she was made for all of it. Made for me. In every possible way, including sexually. She seemed to have an appetite just like mine.
Thank fuck.
I was an ass. It had taken this to shake me out of my stupidity.
“You are the most beautiful little girl, aren’t you? Shocking since this idiot is your pops.” Mason drew the backs of his knuckles along her cheek.
“Pops? I’m not a grandad.”
“Says you.”
“Speaking of Pops, how did Dad react when you finally got to talk to him?”
“Surprisingly, he was okay. We had a good conversation even if he won’t ever truly understand how it happened.”
“Well, me either. You never slip up.”
I honestly didn’t want to think about the whys at this point. I’d always been careful, at least before Gina and she didn’t count for a number of reasons. A baby should be brought into the world with a lot of thought and planning. No one should have to end up like me and Mase. I barely remembered our mom, so I couldn’t imagine there was much for my brother to hold onto.
And while our father came up with excuses for our mother leaving, I didn’t. I wouldn’t. Responsibilities were important. Children weren’t like clothing you grew out of. They were forever. Sami would never think I didn’t want her.
Ever.
Even if I didn’t know about her for the first year—incubation included.
“So, you going to hold her?”
Mason crossed his arms. “You look like you’re doing fine.”
I straightened her back against my chest. “Nope. Say hello to your Uncle Mason, Sami.” I nudged her into my brother’s arms.
Mason instinctively held her out away from him. Everything inside me wanted to snatch her back, but I needed to know he could handle her. This town would definitely help raise this little girl. The only reason I was at all adept at this fatherhood thing was because of Gina.
I couldn’t keep burdening her. As much as I wanted her to be my everything, and this little girl definitely saw her that way too, I knew I had to ask for some help sometimes. Especially with the Cove counting on me just as much as this new addition to my family.
Sami giggled and reached out for him. Gingerly, Mase gathered her against his chest, his long fingers instinctively cupping the back of her head. Her neck was getting stronger each day, but she still wobbled quite a bit.
Sadie immediately went over to sit by Mason’s foot, her gaze arrowed onto her charge.