Series Starter Firsts in Series Collection - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,164

top of the steps.

“In the master bathroom,” he replies.

I slowly push open his bedroom door and Lexi’s cries are coming at me in surround sound. “Kinley,” Evan yells for me.

“Yeah, I’m here. What’s wrong?” I ask, pushing open the bathroom door. What I find has me biting my tongue, trying not to laugh. Evan has a naked Lexi, holding her high over the bathroom sink, and she’s covered in, well, shit. “Oh, my God, what happened?” I manage to ask. The look on his face is just too damn funny.

“What does it look like happened? My little angel made all this,” he says, nodding to her. “I’m in over my head here, Kinley,” he admits.

“Where is her bathtub?”

“Uh, I don’t know. In her room, I guess,” he breathes out. I rush out of the room and into Lexi’s in search of her bathtub. Sure enough, I find it in the bottom of her closet. I grab the caddy, which has all the baby wash, and snag one of her washcloths and towels before I dash back to Evan’s room.

“Give me just a second,” I say to Evan as I race back into the bathroom. I set the baby tub inside the big tub and turn the water on, throwing in the little rubber ducky that tells you if the water is too hot. Once the temperature is good, I stand and reach for the messy baby. “Let me have her.”

Evan hands her over, and I place her into her baby tub. The screams get even louder. “Looks like Miss Lexi doesn’t like bath time. It’s okay, sweet girl,” I coo to her.

“Is she hurt?” Evan asks. I don’t take my eyes off of Lexi, but I can hear the strain in his voice.

“No, she’s not hurt. She’s just not happy. She’s got shit up her back and, apparently, she’s not a fan of bath time. This is all new to her too. We just have to give her some time. She can sense you’re tense, Evan,” I tell him.

“Hell yeah, I am. I had no idea what to do. If you hadn’t come back when you did, I don’t know….” He trails off.

“Let me get her cleaned up. Why don’t you go get me a fresh diaper and some clean clothes?”

Evan doesn’t say anything else, but I hear the door close, so I know he’s gone. “All right, little miss, you need to calm down. We just need to get you clean, and then we’ll get you all snuggled back up.” I begin to sing “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town. It’s the song that was playing on the radio when I got here and the first thing that popped into my head. Regardless of the words, it soothes her, and her wailing cries turn to a soft whimper. I keep singing, and by the time I have her all cleaned up, she’s quiet as a mouse, except for some leftover hiccups from getting herself so worked up.

Picking her up, I lay her against my chest as I slip the hooded towel over her head. I’m soaked, but she’s clean, so that’s all that matters. I wrap the towel around her and stand. Opening the bathroom door, I find Evan sitting on his bed, a pile of clothes and a diaper beside him.

“Kinley, I panicked,” he says softly. “What would I have done if you hadn’t shown up?”

“Evan, you have to remember Lexi takes her cues from you. She can tell if you’re stressed or worked up about something. You have to stay calm for her. This is not going to be the last time this type of thing happens.”

He lies back on the bed and throws his arm over his eyes. I give him time to process what I just said and tend to Lexi. “All right, Miss Lexi, now that you’re all clean, let’s get you dressed.” I lay her on the bed and unwrap the towel from her body. I make quick work of getting the diaper on her to avoid another accident. Next is her onesie, and finally, the little purple sleeper.

“Look at me, Daddy,” I say, holding her up in my arms.

Evan sits up and takes her in. “Good as new,” I say with a smile. “Now, you two head downstairs while I clean up the mess in the bathroom. If it’s okay with you, I’m going to go ahead and put her tub in the spare bathroom and make sure all of her bath