Lily had one hell of a set of lungs on her and as the hours ticked by it became pretty obvious, even from his own apartment, she wasn’t in the mood to sleep. There were moments of silence and then the squalling would start up again—probably when Beth decided it was safe to lay her down again.
He wanted her to be comfortable coming to him for help, but as the hours ticked by, it became clear she wasn’t going to. She rarely did. No matter what he did or how often he reminded her, she couldn’t seem to get it through her damn head she wasn’t alone.
Damn stubborn woman.
When Lily’s shrieks got louder, no doubt from Beth’s pacing nearing the door, he gave up thinking about what he should do and knocked.
The door opened and it took every ounce of his self-control not to take a step back. She’d looked better while actually giving birth to the kid than she did right then. Her hair was insane and her face was puffy from lack of sleep. Her eyes were wet and red and she kept sniffling, as though she was in a constant state of near tears. The look in her eyes brought to mind a trapped, rabid animal.
And Mike had been right. She was still the most beautiful woman in the world and he didn’t want to be anywhere but here.
“I know she’s being loud,” she said in a wavering voice. “I’m sorry if we woke you up.”
When he reached out and took Lily from her, Beth practically sagged in relief. “Why didn’t you call me, Beth?”
“I didn’t want to bother you. She just…I’ve done everything. She’s fed, changed, she doesn’t have a rash. No pins sticking in her. No…anything. She just doesn’t want to go to sleep.”
“Then you walk across the hall, hand her to me and tell me it’s my turn.” He repositioned Lily and rubbed her back in gentle circles.
His little princess let out a belch worthy of the blue-ribbon winner of a baked beans eating contest, then nuzzled against him and closed her eyes.
And Beth totally came undone. Sobbing, she collapsed in a chair and dropped her head into her hands. “I burped her. I burped her and burped her and burped her. I can’t even do that right. I’m the worst mother ever.”
Definitely not the time to laugh at her. “Beth, come on. Babies do that. When the boys were babies, Lisa would burp the hell out of them and then as soon as Ma took them, they’d let out these hellacious belches.”
She shook her head without looking up. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
“I’m serious. When Lisa cried and said she was the worst mother ever, Ma told her it was something about people are all different shapes, so we push on the baby’s belly and diaphragm or whatever differently. Who knows. Anyway, you need to go to bed.”
“Yes.” She plucked a few tissues out of the box balanced on the arm of the chair and mopped at her face. “I’ll go put her down and then go to bed.”
“Not a chance. This peanut’s going to be starving before you know it and the last thing you need is to get up again in two hours. Go to bed. I’ve got her.” He was going to suggest she take a shower before she crawled between the sheets, but he was afraid she’d fall asleep standing up, fall, hit her head and drown. “Go. To. Bed.”
He knew how deep her exhaustion went when she didn’t even argue or claim she was okay and could handle it herself. She just kissed the top of Lily’s head, tears running down her cheeks, and staggered off in the direction of her bed.
Leaving Kevin with a warm ball of sleeping baby and a dilemma. He didn’t have any formula at his place because it was just as easy to grab bottles from Beth’s. But if he put Lily down to pack her a bag and she woke up screaming again, Mama Bear wouldn’t get to hibernate in peace.
In the end he stretched out on the couch with Lily cradled in his arms. After nudging a couple of the throw pillows under his arm so he’d be less likely to flop around and drop her, he closed his eyes.
For the first time in quite a while, he felt totally content. Under the same roof as Beth, with his daughter in his arms, Kevin willed himself to fall asleep quickly. He’d need all the rest he could get to keep up with his tiny hellion.
And for the talk he and Beth were going to have in the morning.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The sun streaming through her window woke Beth and she sat up straight, her heart thudding in her chest.
It was morning. And not the brutal, still-dark-but-technically-morning hours her daughter liked to keep, but actual morning. Eight o’clock, as a matter of fact.
Why hadn’t Lily cried?
With trembling hands, she shoved back the covers and slid out of bed. And then she remembered Kevin. Remembered the bone-deep exhaustion and the crying—hers and Lily’s. The relief so intense tears had streamed down her cheeks as she handed the baby over and crawled into bed. He must have stayed so she could sleep through the night for the first time since Lily was born.