“Poor guy.” She moves her laptop to the couch beside her then stands to greet us. “Those teeth are meanies, huh, buddy?” she asks Milo.
“I guess I’ll call Chase and see if he can watch him for me while I do my classes tonight. Mom and Dad are out of town, and Gwen offered, but he’s clingy and doesn’t feel good. She’s pregnant, and she has Sophia, and Harrison to deal with.”
Hollis laughs. “I’ll keep him.”
“No. We already deprived you of sleep. I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t. I volunteered. Besides, when he sleeps, I’ll work. I got some work in while you were gone too.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. Hand me the cuteness.” She holds out her hands, waiting for me to hand my son to her.
I hand him over, and she turns her back to me, carrying him to the couch and lays him down, stripping him out of his snowsuit. “There, now you don’t look like a marshmallow man.” She lifts him into her arms and kisses his cheek. “What are we going to do today?” she asks as if he’s going to reply. Just like I do.
“You sure about this, Hollis?”
“Absolutely. We’re going to hang out, play, nap, eat, and make a mess of the house.” She smiles over at me, and I find myself smiling back.
“I don’t have to go in until two.”
“Go take a nap. You didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“I can’t do that. You go work until I have to leave.”
She reaches down and closes her laptop. “Stop trying to steal my thunder, Colton Callahan. Today, I get to be the hero. Go.” She shoos me away with a swing of her arm. “We’ve got this, Daddy.”
Sliding my hand behind her neck, I pull her into a kiss. My hand slides around her waist, as I deepen the kiss, needing more of her when a tiny hand lands on my cheek, and a cry comes from my son. I chuckle and pull away, and he stops crying. “Looks like I’m not the only Callahan man falling for your charms,” I say, bopping my son on the nose with my index finger.
Hollis throws her head back and laughs. “Go call Gwen. Let her know that you won’t be bringing Milo today and get some rest.” She shakes her head as if she can’t believe my words. She doesn’t see herself like we see her. I’m going to change that. She needs to believe how incredible she is.
“Thank you.” I lean in for another kiss before heading to my room. It’s going to be hard to sleep knowing they’re out there, but it could be another long night of Milo not sleeping, so I need to take this opportunity while I can. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I strip down and climb under the covers before dialing Gwen.
“Good morning,” she greets. I can hear Sophia babbling in the background.
“Hey, Gwen. Milo’s teething and running a fever, and just overly fussy, so I’m not going to bring him today. He’s been pretty clingy.”
“So, what you’re telling me is my sister talked you into letting her keep him?” she asks, amused.
“No. Actually, Hollis is going to keep him for me. I don’t have to be at the gym until
two, and I have two classes, one at three and one at five.” I don’t know why I told her my schedule. She knows it. Hell, she has a copy of it since she is my babysitter.
“Hollis, huh?”
“Yep,” I say, popping the P.
“Nice. Well, if something changes and you need me, you know where to find me.”
“I do. Thanks, Gwen.”
“You’re welcome. Tell Hollis and Milo I said hi.” I can hear the smile in her voice.
“You got it,” I agree and end the call. I’m not going to hide the fact that Hollis is in my life as more than just a tenant. She’s important to me, important to Milo. She’s not a dirty little secret. No, she’s more like a prized trophy you want proudly on display. Not because of her looks, although she is beautiful, but because of the person she is. She’s kind, loving, and fun to be around. I’m honored to have her in our lives for those reasons alone.
Knowing that Milo is in good hands, I place my phone on the nightstand and close my eyes.
A few hours later, I wake feeling a lot less exhausted. Glancing at the clock, I see it’s just after noon. I need to get up and get moving. Grabbing some clothes, I hit the shower, which does wonders to wake me up. Once I’m showered and dressed, I go in search of my son and my girl. She doesn’t know it yet, but that’s a title I hope she keeps.
I find Hollis sitting at the kitchen table with her laptop. The house smells like she’s cooking something amazing. Peeking in the living room, I see Milo asleep in his Pack ’n Play. My eyes dart back to Hollis, who doesn’t see me standing here. No, her eyes are glued to the screen of her phone, and she looks… worried.