Page 23 of Stay Wild Darlin’

Stop it, Dalton. Not the direction I needed my head going.

Papa Banks crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow at me. “You’re looking at him,” he drawled. “I’m Pawpaw, seeing as how you’re practically my kid. That means Cora’s about as close to a granddaughter as I got.”

That sudden knot in my chest wasn’t gratitude; it was the hollow reminder of what I’d never had, kindness.

“Oh,” was all I managed, glancing down at Cora. “Pawpaw and Poppy are being weird in here, kid. Let’s go get coffee.”

I scooped her up out of the bouncer, and she clung to my shirt with tiny fists, babbling happily.

“Hey, little girl,” I said, pressing a quick kiss to her head. She cooed in response, kicking her chubby legs. Her onesie was way too snug. “Damn, you’re growin’ too fast, aren’t you? Guess I need to get you some new clothes.”

Said onesie was one of the ones from when Brooke had dropped her on my doorstep, and between juggling work, sleepless nights, and every other chaos life threw at me, I hadn’t had time to do a proper run for baby stuff and didn’t realize how quickly they grew.

Papa Banks wandered into the kitchen and clapped me on the shoulder. “See you on the plane,” he said, then paused, giving Cora and me a once-over. He lowered his voice, eyes cutting in the direction where Poppy was still fussing with the bed in the other room. “She’s a good one, Dalton. Don’t fuck it up. And—whatever you do—don’t fuck her.”

“What?” I blurted out, cheeks burning as I tightened my grip on Cora. I almost threw my free arm up in protest but caught myself. “I am not—she’s not even my type.”

Liar, a voice in my head snarked.

Papa Banks let out a gravelly chuckle, gave me a knowing look, then hoisted his bag over his shoulder and headed out the front door.

Left alone, I glanced down at Cora, who’d been watching the exchange like it was top-tier entertainment. “What the fuck am I gonna do, huh?” I asked, blowing out a breath as I reached for the coffee pot. Someone—probably Poppy—had set it to brew already, and I mumbled a quiet thanks to nobody in particular when I realized it was still warm.

Balancing Cora on one hip, I poured myself a cup, exhaustion and confusion swirling in my head. If this morning was any indication, Poppy was slipping into our routine a little too smoothly. Already feeding Cora, making herself at home, and making sure I got some much-needed sleep . . . She’d only been here for one night and had my life more under control than I ever managed on my own.

Don’t fuck it up, and don’t fuck her, Papa Banks had warned.

Yeah. I wouldn’t be doing that. I wasn’t going to be the fuckup everyone thought I was.

I took a sip of coffee. “You’re lucky you’re cute,” I told Cora, who promptly yawned in my face. “Yeah, yeah,” I muttered, closing my eyes. “This’ll all be fine.”

What could possibly go wrong?

Someone coughed behind me, snapping me from my thoughts. I turned to find Poppy leaning against the doorframe, watching me with an unreadable expression. For a second, it was like I was seeing her for the first time: her brown hair thrown up in the kind of messy bun that somehow looked effortlessly perfect, random pieces falling around her face. She wore a pair of black yoga pants, stretched tight against curves that probably shouldn’t make me stare as long as I did, and a black workout top that showcased toned arms and shoulders. Her lips looked full and a little swollen, and her amber eyes gleamed.

She was fucking gorgeous. And my kid’s nanny. The nanny I was definitely not attracted to.

Sure . . .

“We should probably go over a few ground rules before you head out this afternoon,” Poppy said. “Also, I’ll need a car seat, because I can’t be stuck here.”

I nodded. “Yeah. I’ll transfer the one from my car to yours.”

She smiled, then held out her arms. “I can hold her while you make yourself some breakfast.”

“Oh,” I said, glancing down at Cora, who was already fighting sleep. “Yeah, that’d be helpful.”

Poppy gently scooped Cora up, then made her way to the couch. She grabbed a blanket, wrapped the baby snugly, and started rocking her. Meanwhile, I busied myself in the kitchen, pulling out eggs, bacon, and bread to toast.

By the time I finished cooking, Poppy and Cora looked pretty comfortable on the couch. I set my plate down on the small table—the only table I owned—and pulled out the single chair that lived there. Yeah, this whole furniture situation was definitely something I was gonna have to deal with. That, and all the gray. The place did look drab.

“So, first things first,” she began quietly, glancing my way. “Payday?”

I chuckled and took a bite of bacon. “I can pay you on the first and fifteenth?”

“Works for me.”

“I’m usually gone on weekends for work,” I went on. “Also train in the mornings. But when I’m here, I can take the overnight shifts so you can, I dunno . . . go out?”