Page 38 of Brokered Betrayals
“You’re a fu…flipping delight.”
“Nice catch,” Sawyer said.
“No, you are.”
Kitty walked into the room with paperwork in her hands. “I have your discharge papers.”
“Yes!” Royce fist-pumped the air. “No offense. You’ve all been lovely.”
“No, I get it,” Kitty said. “You’re looking forward to being comfortable in your own home.” She looked around the room. “Wow, you’re all packed up and ready to go. We just need to transfer Miss Darla Grace into her car seat so I can make sure she’s strapped in properly. Then one of you will ride down in the wheelchair with her on your lap, while the other drives the car around to the porte cochère. I’ll make sure her car seat snaps into the base correctly and turn you loose.”
“I’ll take the wheelchair, and you get the car,” Sawyer said. “He’s a big fan of the wheelchair scene inDays of Thunder.I can’t imagine him challenging someone to a race with Darla on his lap, but let’s not risk it.”
Kitty laughed. “That’s one of my grandpa’s favorite movies, and I love that scene.”
Sawyer looked at Royce and mouthed, “Grandpa,” at him.
Royce barely resisted the urge to flip him off. He collected the paperwork from Kitty instead and looped Darla’s diaper bag over his shoulder. This was his life now, carting around stuff to wipe butts and feed a little person, and he couldn’t be happier. Royce practically levitated down the corridors and out to their SUV. Sawyer, Darla, and Kitty waited just inside the hospital until he pulled up under the canopy. Royce parked and walked around to the rear passenger side, where they’d installed the car seat base. He couldn’t help but smile at the memory of Sawyerwhipping out a small level to make sure they’d evenly secured it on both sides. He took full credit for that maneuver. Sawyer was pure Locke in name and attitude.
“Do you want me to snap in her carrier?” Royce asked Kitty.
“Not yet. I need to check the base’s installation first.”
Royce stepped out of the way as she performed her safety inspection.
“Snug as a bug,” Kitty declared once she finished. “Excellent job.”
Royce resisted the urge to preen, but just barely. He took the carrier from Sawyer and locked it into the base with a snap. He stepped aside again so Kitty could check the fit. She peeled back the light blanket Sawyer had draped over the car seat to keep Darla warm.
“You’re good to go, guys,” Kitty said. “It was lovely working with you both.”
They thanked Kitty and climbed into the SUV—Royce behind the wheel and Sawyer in the back seat next to Darla. Royce cued theBaby Mozartsoundtrack and eased away from the curb. One of the favorite baby gadgets he’d purchased was a car seat monitoring system for both vehicles. He mounted the camera at the rear of the vehicle and the display console on the dashboard. It would come in handy when they had to take Darla places by themselves, but he especially loved the feature during their first ride home. Royce glanced at the monitor every time he stopped at an intersection and fell deeper in love with both his husband and daughter. If only he could stop time and savor this moment longer. Then someone honked obnoxiously behind him when he’d remained stopped for an entire two seconds after a traffic light turned green.
“Jackass,” Royce muttered under his breath.
“We heard that,” Sawyer teased. “Pretty sure Darla’s little bow mouth started to form the word already.”
Royce chuckled and drove a few miles under the speed limit just to annoy the jerk behind him. They made it home without incident, though he’d irritated plenty of people by obeying the speed limits and traffic laws.
“We’re home,” Sawyer told Darla. “Bones and Dolly will be so excited to meet you.”
“Doubt it,” Royce replied. “Bones shares his dads with the dog he rescued, but I’m not sure what he’ll think about a baby.”
“Guess we’re about to find out,” Sawyer said as they pulled into the garage.
Royce cut the engine and pushed the button to close the door. “You get the baby, and I’ll bring in the bags.”
“We’ll both take our baby inside, and we’ll worry about the bags later.”
Royce grabbed the diaper bag from the front seat and followed Sawyer around the vehicle so they could get Darla. She was sound asleep in her car seat and didn’t react when they carried her inside the house. Royce sure did because something smelled delicious. He stopped in the kitchen, tilted his head back, and sniffed the air. “I smell beef and rich gravy.”
“You could just open the lids on the pots and see what she made,” Sawyer said.
“Where’s the challenge in that?” Royce took another sniff. “I smell potatoes and carrots.”
“No one smells carrots,” Sawyer replied.
“I do.”