“The girls are the only important thing I have.” Beth rocked her body side to side to keep her little one happy. “Anything else we get is a bonus.”

The light sound of footsteps came down the stairs.

“Mama?” a little girl called, maybe five or so. Her voice wobbled just like her mom’s had. “What’s going on?”

Beth put on a brave face. The kind kids saw right through but pretended they didn’t for the adult’s sake. “Good news, Anna-banana. Remember Aunt Pam? We’re going to visit her.”

Anna did a little happy dance. “Today?”

“Today.”

“Is Martin coming?”

“Nope. Just us girls.”

“Yesssss.”

“Take one of these boxes and go pack up some stuff. Anything you want. It’ll be a long vacation.”

“You want help, kid?” Scythe asked.

With the kind of honesty that only came from kids and drunks, Anna peered up at him. “Your face is different.”

“Anna,” Beth hissed, forgetting about the chaos around her for a moment.

Count on kids to be a good distraction.

Scythe waved away Beth’s concern while never taking his eyes off Anna. “Yup, it’s different.”

“How’d you get all those owies?”

“Didn’t eat my vegetables,” he shot back instantly.

It was a joke but also…

Not.

“I always eat my veggies,” Anna said. “Unless it’s Brussels sprouts. They smell like Zoe’s dirty diapies.”

“Fair enough.”

She gave him another look then a firm nod. “You can help me pack.”

“’Preciate it, kid.” Scythe carried two boxes upstairs.

“Send your sister down,” Beth called after Anna, moving to the bookshelf to grab things while holding the baby.

“Lemme help,” I offered.

“Thanks.”

I meant I’d help pack the shelf, but instead, she thrust a toddler into my arms.

Sticky. Drooly. Fidgety as hell.

But damn cute.

I’m gonna have one of these.

I just need to get Mac on the same page by the time her water breaks.

We eyed each other like we were sizing the other up. I hadn’t dropped her, and she hadn’t screeched in my face, so it was a win.

Guessing it was her diaper Anna had mentioned, I said, “Hey, Zoe.”

At her name, she smiled big, her chubby cheeks squishing. “Hiiiiiiii.”

And then she gave a little squealing giggle.

Christ.

People talked about baby fever, but it was always women experiencing it.

Not in my case. Between the ultrasound earlier in the week and holding Zoe, I had a full-blown case of baby fever. If Mac wasn’t already pregnant, I’d be climbing into bed with her later to make it happen.

Instead, I’d do it for the practice.

“Even babies aren’t immune to your charm, Hollywood,” Haze said as he walked past to help Beth.

“No one is,” I shot back.

With no baby experience, I had no clue what age Zoe was other than generic toddler. “How old—”