Page 130

Arousal filled eyes gazed back at him. Grinning, John said flirtatiously, “That was the last kiss you get.”

Because with them, it always started with a kiss. It was only a matter of time until she wanted more.

Alyssa was going to do it. She was going to leave Brooke with John. An hour or so after their conversation on her couch, Alyssa called Natalie and told her she had the day off. Her nerves were already shot and it wasn’t even ten in the morning yet.

A chuckle echoed down the hallway. Alyssa smiled as she applied her mascara. Brooke’s baby laugh was the most adorable thing to her. She could just picture drool dripping down her chin as her body bounced from laughing. Brooke was her heart. That laugh is what got her through each day.

Walking out to the living room, John was sitting shirtless with his feet propped on the coffee table in only basketball shorts. He didn’t even notice her as she watched from the entry way. He held Brooke’s hands as he balanced her on the crease of his thighs, her little legs holding her up. Gently, he eased her back onto his knees and blew raspberries onto her belly. Laughing, Brooke’s pasty white legs kicked out as she giggled from being tickled. Bringing her in close, John let go of her hands and hugged her before he blew another set of raspberries into her neck. A bundle of emotions took over and she was left reeling them in. Her daughter was laughing and smiling. To cry was silly, but the joy she felt watching them together was overwhelming.

Alyssa sighed. She didn’t know what to do. She was only twenty and with no mother to turn to. Every day was trial and error for her. She just prayed she was doing it right.

“Is that my baby girl I hear laughing?” Alyssa said, walking into the room. At the sound of her voice, Brooke turned and reached for her. Smiling at John, she asked, “Can I?”

“Who am I to say no? She wants you. I know the feeling pretty well.”

Alyssa blushed, the heat creeping into her cheeks. “Laying it on thick already?” She lifted Brooke and planted a kiss on her forehead.

“Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”

“Right …” She could feel John’s eyes on her but she wouldn’t look at him. She couldn’t. She saw too much of his heart just in his steady gaze alone and wasn’t ready for it.

“John, want to come into the kitchen with me and I’ll show you a few things before I leave?”

“Lead the way.”

Pulling out a plastic sack of breast milk, she placed it on the counter. “This is what I call liquid gold. You do not microwave it—ever. You carefully pour the milk into a bottle, twist the nipple back on and then heat it in a pot of hot water, not boiling, got it? Warm it for a few minutes and check it before—“

“Alyssa, I know to check a bottle on my wrist before I give it to her.” He gave her a droll stare.

“Fine … But do not ever put this in the microwave. It removes all the nutrients. Dr. Spock said so.”

“Liquid gold? And Dr. Spock … from the Simpsons? Alyssa, you got your baby knowledge from watching the Simpsons?” John jokingly threw his hands in the air. “What am I going to do with you?”

Alyssa lightheartedly backhanded his arm a few times. “Be serious!”

“Okay. Okay. Okay. I will! Just stop hitting me,” he laughed.

“Yes. Breast milk is like liquid gold. It’s hard stuff to pump out and get your hands on. And Dr. Spock is a baby book I read and keep on hand. You should too if you plan to stick around like you swear you are. He’s a genius and knows it all.”

“So boob juice is liquid gold. Got it.” he joked, staring at her chest.

She snapped her fingers. “Eyes up here, Johnny. Yes … boob juice, if that’s what you want to call it.”

Wiggling his eyebrows, John said, “I bet I could pump a lot out of boob juice from you.”

“Oh my God. You are so gross!” She laughed. “Please, for the love of all that is Holy, do not spill it. How about I just fill the bottles for you before I leave?”

Holding Brooke tightly to her hip, she began massaging the milk sac to remove all the thick nutrients and vitamins that were stuck to the side. Brooke noticed the bottle and began smacking her chest grunting for it.

“See this right here? All this thick creamy looking stuff? It’s really important. Sometimes if it gets stuck I’ll heat it under running water to melt it off the sides then pour it into a bottle.”

It was second nature to her to hold her baby and make a bottle at the same time, but when she became fussy it was a little hard on her. John reached for her, and before she could even process what she was doing, she let John take Brooke so she could finish making the bottles.

Alyssa quickly filled six bottles and then placed them back in the fridge. “There you go. Oh—and if she doesn’t finish it, just dump it out after an hour. Okay?”

“You just said it was liquid gold, now you want me to dump it out? Are you purposely confusing me?”

Alyssa chuckled, her eyes lighting up. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to. The milk isn’t any good after an hour so that’s why you need to dump it out, but if I know my baby, there won’t be a drop left. I need to get going, but I’m going to nurse her one last time. My breasts are like rocks now and I need to get the milk out.”