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I raised my brows and didn’t say anything. As much as she got to me, I did my best not to take her bait. I knew the lack of affection between us bothered my dad—a lot. He rarely said anything about it, probably because Cynthia and I could be civil when others were around. She mostly saved her barbs for when we were alone, and even then, they were carefully veiled.
“I just worry about you, Quincy. You were so set on having a family with Mitchell, and then that turned into disappointment…”
I flinched. See how she did that? All concern and empathy for me…except somehow she managed to make me feel dumb for ever loving Mitchell, foolish for thinking we were going to have a future.
“I’m over Mitchell,” I told her, and I hated how I became defensive. I let out a frustrated scoff. “I need to go. It’s late.”
“Your dad was enjoying himself with his colleagues, and I just couldn’t force myself to remind him what time it was.”
She rustled through her purse. We’d done this enough times, like probably into the thousands, that I knew she was getting cash out to pay me. While it was usually less than what I’d make sitting for another family, I appreciated the money, particularly since, until I’d dropped out of college and come back home, they hadn’t paid me at all. Ever since Hannah, my oldest half-sibling, was born, helping with childcare had been expected of me. My contribution to the family, they called it. Mostly I was okay with that, but now that I needed to support myself, the money was much needed.
She held out some bills, and I stuck them in my pocket without counting them.
“Thank you,” I said. “Good night, Cynthia.” I went toward the garage, knowing my dad was still out there so it would be open.
“Night, honey,” she sang out the door after me, loving as could be since my dad might be within earshot.
I couldn’t say whether she even knew she did that. I suspected she bought her own bullshit.
“See you, Dad,” I said as I passed him.
“Night, Quincy. Thanks for staying with the kids.”
“Of course. Congrats again.”
I headed to my car, forcing my stepmom out of my mind. She wasn’t worth my mental energy. Instead I turned my thoughts to Knox and Juniper.
If all was well, they were probably both asleep now. The baby had likely had her last bottle around eight and usually slept a good six hours. Though I’d been a night owl for years, I was getting used to going to bed around nine so I could get some good sleep in before she woke me up for a bottle. Tonight was one of my nights off, so Knox would take the overnight shift, but I planned to peek in on her.
When I pulled into Knox’s driveway a couple of minutes later though, the lights in the main part of the house were blazing. Concern bloomed in my gut. I pulled up behind Knox’s SUV, killed the engine, and hurried to the front door. It was locked, and Knox had uncharacteristically not turned the porch light on. That only ratcheted up my nervousness.
Once I got the door open, I could see the kitchen and living area were lit by the fixture over the sink. Knox’s bedroom door, to the left, was open, and another dim light came from there. The hall to Juniper’s room, my room, and the office was dark.
As I stepped into the kitchen and set my bag on the island as quietly possible, I listened for a hint of where Knox might be, but there wasn’t any noise. The house was…peaceful. Not like something was amiss. It didn’t make sense unless he was in the baby’s room. Maybe she’d woken up early.
Leaving the sink light on to illuminate my way, I started toward the hallway, then startled when I noticed someone lying on the sectional. The back of one side faced the front door, so I hadn’t been able to see him when I entered.
Once I walked around the end, I could see Knox, stretched out across one side. He didn’t stir, so I dared to go closer because…
Oh, sweet mother of God, my heart went absolutely warm and liquid in my chest.
Knox faced the back of the sectional. The cushions were tossed on the floor, and in between him and the back was Juniper, sound asleep, her face tilted toward him.
I couldn’t take my eyes from the two of them, especially not in light of the news that she was his daughter.
Several seconds ticked by with me completely entranced by the sight of this handsome man and his tiny baby girl. Without breathing, I took one more step and saw the backs of his fingers rested against her chubby, pajama-covered belly. I could swear my heart did an actual swoon.
Eventually I realized how long I’d been gawking and how awkward it would be to have Knox wake up and find me staring at him, so I backed away, tiptoed into the kitchen, shut off the light, and hurried to my room by the light of my cell phone. I closed the door soundlessly and then stood there, resting my forehead against the wood, trying to recover from the storm of emotion that had evoked.
I instinctively knew I would’ve been much better off to have never witnessed Knox in such an endearing situation.
Minor crush plus hot guy cuddling his adorable baby daughter? I wasn’t great at math, but I could say without doubt, that added up to a big, fat danger zone.
CHAPTER12
KNOX
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Holden asked Sunday as he pulled up along the curb in an older Nashville residential neighborhood. My father’s neighborhood.
