school, or if we’d be able to make the food stamps stretch.” I shook my head and glanced between Savannah and Shell. “I’m never letting anyone in this family worry about where dinner is coming from ever again. Ever. I mean it.” I would die before I let Mom or Shell stress over shit I could fix as easily as writing a check.
“And you know how much I love you for that, but seriously, we’re doing okay.” Her gaze swung to Savannah. “Maybe you can help him ease up a bit on the worries. He even paid off the house after we’d agreed to take over the mortgage payments when we moved in to take care of Mom.”
“Uh, good morning?” Savannah’s eyes widened, glancing between us like we were a tennis match.
“Mom wouldn’t let me buy her a new one!” So much for doing a big red-bow surprise like I’d wanted, but I’d done what I could.
“Because this one works just fine,” Mom said, gently pushing past Savannah in the doorway. “I’m making bacon and eggs. Who’s hungry? Don’t bother answering, Hendrix, I know you are. Savannah? You could use a little bacon. Shelly? You’ll need the calories for Hunter there.” She took everything out of the refrigerator without anyone answering. It wouldn’t have mattered what we said anyway. Mom’s love language was food. “Is Greg up?” She patted the silver streak in her hair back into place and slipped on an apron.
“He’s still sleeping. He was up all night with us,” Shell replied.
Savannah took the seat next to me and smiled at Hunter.
“You should be, too. Sleep when the baby sleeps, honey. Like right now. He seems pretty content with Hendrix. I’ll make your breakfast first, and then you can nap,” Mom started up the bacon.
Shell studied her sleeping son. “Or maybe I could shower and then eat?”
“Go for it,” I urged her. “We’ve got him.”
Shell’s eyebrows knit while she decided, but she finally nodded and slipped out of the kitchen with a promise to be back as quickly as humanly possible.
“Can I help you, Mrs. Malone?” Savannah asked, shifting nervously in her seat. “What?” she whispered at me.
“You’re just cute.” It was almost funny. I’d never so much as seen this woman flinch, and she lived under enough pressure to crush a mountain, yet my boisterous family had her antsy.
“Oh, no thank you, dear.” Mom looked over her shoulder at us with a delighted smile. “I’m just thrilled that Hendrix finally brought a girl home. You’re the first, you know.”
“Am I?” Savannah grinned, locking eyes with me. Her expression softened as she glanced at Hunter, visibly melting with a soft sigh.
“You are,” I said softly. Now that was a look I could get used to. There was a hundred-percent adoration in her gaze.
“So tell me what you do for a living, Savannah.” Mom hauled the step stool out of the pantry.
“Hold on, Mom. I’ll get whatever you need to reach. And no interrogating Savannah.” There was a very real danger of them both getting attached, and well, we’d agreed that there would be no attaching. “Can you take him?” I asked the gorgeous redhead next to me.
She nodded, but tugged her lip between her teeth. “I’ve never held a baby.”
“Well, I’m happy to assist with your first time.” A corner of my mouth lifted in a smirk.
She scoffed, but her cheeks flushed. “Hand him over.”
I lifted Hunter from my chest and put him in the same position on hers. “Here, just lean back a little and—yep, like that. Just remember to support his head if he squirms.”
Hunter settled against her chest with minimal fuss, falling back to sleep.
“He smells good.” Savannah smiled, and my heart skipped, then thundered. She was so incredibly beautiful.
“Just give him an hour and he won’t,” I promised.
“How do you do it so easily?” she asked as I stood.
“Cousins. So. Many. Cousins.” I brushed a kiss over her forehead and went to help Mom.
“You look happy,” Mom said quietly so only I could hear her.
“I am happy,” I answered, handing her the frying pan she’d been reaching for.
“She have anything to do with it?” Mom nodded toward Savannah, a knowing smile on her face.
“Uh…” I rubbed the back of my neck and debated the merits of lying to my mother. It was cruel to get her hopes up that I’d settle down, but she was right. “Yeah. Maybe.” That was a half-assed, bullshit answer, but it was all I had.