Page 25 of Brokered Betrayals

“Here? What if a nurse comes in to check on us?”

“We won’t be naked, and Kitty said they’d mostly leave us alone unless we called for them. We have plenty of diaper supplies and baby formula. Kitty posted Darla’s feeding schedule for us, so there’s no reason for them to come in.”

“Bring that blanket,” Sawyer said as he headed toward the closest bed. His feet grew heavier with each step he took. Just maybe he could shut his eyes and catch a quick nap.

They settled into the bed with Royce spooning behind him. Sawyer lay facing the bassinet, where he could stare at their little angel until he dropped off to sleep. Royce had no issues noddingoff. He was out as soon as his head hit the pillow. Ninety-nine percent of Sawyer wanted to doze off too, but that one percent kept his lids open and his mind focused on the one thing that hadn’t gone according to their carefully laid plans.

Where the hell was Ivy, and why wasn’t she returning their messages?

Sawyer tore his worried gaze away from their daughter and looked at Royce with pleading eyes. “I don’t think she likes me. Maybe you should try to feed her.”

“Doesn’t like you?” Royce scoffed. “Darla slept against your chest for a solid hour. Our daughter is completely smitten with you, just like everyone else who meets you.” Sawyer raised a cynical eyebrow. “I’m serious. You heard what Kitty said about newborns. They don’t all slide from their mother’s womb and knock back the milk like little pros. Some babies take more coaxing.”

Sawyer looked at their sleeping daughter and back to Royce again. “I hear you. I really do, but do you mind trying to feed her?”

“Of course not.” Royce slid his arm under Darla for the transfer. “Hi there, Pumpkin. I missed you.” He ran the bottle’snipple over her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth to latch on.

“See,” Sawyer whispered. “She likes you better.”

Darla attempted to drink for a few seconds but then pulled away and cried like she was in pain. Just like she’d done during her first feeding and again with Sawyer.

“Do you think something is wrong?” Sawyer asked. “She appears to be hungry.”

Royce furrowed his brow as he soothed her. “I’m not sure. Is she hungry or pissed we’re waking her up?”

“Should we call a nurse?” Sawyer asked.

Royce checked the time on the clock. “The grandparents are due to arrive any minute now. I think we should continue coaxing her to drink like Kitty showed us until after they leave.”

“Okay.”

Sawyer sat down beside him and gently brushed his fingers over Darla’s forehead. Her skin smoothed out, and she stopped crying. “Maybe she likes me a little.”

Royce kissed his cheek. “She loves you a lot.”

They worked in tandem, soothing and coaxing Darla to drink until a knock sounded at the door. Royce held up the small, single-use bottle of formula to check her progress. “We managed an ounce in thirty minutes.”

Sawyer stood up and recorded the stats on the chart before answering the door. Eddie and Evangeline stood on the other side, grinning like lunatics. “Hey. Come in and meet your granddaughter.”

The hospital allowed just two visitors in the room at a time. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Evangeline would be one of the first to visit Darla, and Royce was curious how Eddie had finagled the second spot. “Is Barron tied up somewhere?”

Evangeline rolled her eyes on her way to the sink to wash her hands. Afterward, she paused long enough to kiss Sawyer’scheek before easing down beside Royce on the sofa and leaning in to get the first peek of her sleeping granddaughter. “Oh, my heart. She’s so beautiful,” she whispered. “Hello, angel.”

Eddie gave Sawyer a bear hug and walked to the sink to wash up too. “Barron was a perfect gentleman who volunteered his spot since we all knew Evangeline would get first dibs.”

“I know that’s right,” she said.

Eddie squatted down in front of Royce and smiled when he laid eyes on Darla. “What a beauty.”

Darla opened her eyes and blinked up at Eddie.

Evangeline giggled. “She’s batting those long, dark eyelashes at her grandpa already.”

Chuckling, Eddie ran the back of his finger over her downy cheek and smiled at the little girl, who seemed completely enthralled by him. “Are you going to be my best girl?”

“As if anyone can resist the Locke charm,” Evangeline said with a snort. “Eddie, shall we do rock, paper, scissors to see which one of us gets to hold her first?”

Eddie tore his gaze away from Darla to smirk at Evangeline. “The honor is all yours.”