Page 61 of Brokered Betrayals

“You want to do that now?”

Royce nodded. “I can’t wait to see how she reacts.”

They both looked at the bouncy chair to find their daughter wide-awake.

Sawyer jumped up from the couch. “I’ll grab the tub and bath caddy. You get Darla and meet me in the kitchen.”

Royce grinned at their daughter as he unbuckled her from the chair. He held her against his chest, kissed the top of her head, and headed into the kitchen. They would turn the island into a baby spa until she was old enough to sit upright in the bathtub chair. Sawyer arrived a few minutes later, pushing the three-tiered bath cart that held everything they needed to pamper their Lil Pumpkin.

“One of us has to document this big moment with pictures and videos,” Sawyer said. “We’ll cover up her little bits with washcloths and focus on her face.”

“I’ll be the photographer, and you be the mean guy who puts her in water.”

Sawyer smiled at him. “Or the hero who starts her out on a lifelong journey of quality self-care.” He fussed with the water, trying to achieve the perfect temperature. He put the floating duck in the portable bath and judged the numbers, adding a little cold or a little hot until he had it just right. “Hand me our darling.”

Royce had stripped her down to her diaper and wrapped her in a towel to keep her warm while they waited. Sawyer placed her on the changing pad to remove her diaper and clean her with a wipe before easing her into the water.

She gasped a little, scrunched up her face, and opened her mouth like she might cry, until he submerged her butt all the way into the tub. The water barely came up to her belly button, but she let out a little sigh of contentment.

“Are you catching these expressions?” Sawyer asked.

“Every single one.”

Sawyer gently wet her hair and worked shampoo into her curls. Then he switched to a round silicone thing to massage her scalp. “My Lil Pumpkin loves having her hair washed,” he cooed. “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”

Darla looked up at him and smiled.

Sawyer stilled and swung his wide-eyed gaze at Royce. “Did you see that?”

“Sure did.”

“Did you capture it?”

“Yeah, and I’m still rolling.”

“I got her first smile,” Sawyer said as he shimmied.

“I mean, I’m standing right here too.”

Sawyer turned his attention back to Darla. “It was all for me, wasn’t it, baby girl?” And the little heart snatcher smiled again. Sawyer fist-pumped the air and shimmied some more, making Royce eternally grateful he hadn’t stopped filming yet. Sawyer glanced at him again, this time with tears in his eyes. “She loves me so much.”

Royce clicked the red circle to cut the video. He leaned in and kissed Sawyer before smiling down at Darla. “Of course she loves you. She loves me too, right, angel?” Her mouth moved, but she didn’t smile. “I’ll win you over yet.”

“Can you hand me the baby wash? I want to use the purple bottle. It’s supposed to help her sleep.”

Royce walked to the other side of the island, tripped over the cat, and cursed a blue streak before remembering his audience.

“She smiled again!” Sawyer exclaimed.

Royce stared down at Darla, who suddenly looked serious. “You think it’s funny when Papa does stupid things? Or was it his salty language?”

“I think both,” Sawyer said.

They carefully washed her before the water cooled, then wrapped her in one of those towels with the cute head pocket. This one made her look like a tiny frog, and Royce snapped several pictures. Once she was dry, they put a diaper on her and a pair of super-soft pajamas with little bunnies all over them. The big event had made her sleepy, and she conked out against Sawyer’s chest. She looked so tiny, and Sawyer seemed so peaceful. Royce snapped several more photos before an idea occurred to him.

“I want to start a new kitchen tradition,” Royce announced as he thumbed through his music app. He found Adele’s cover of “Make You Feel My Love” and pushed Play. He opened his arms, and Sawyer smiled as he stepped into his embrace. They danced slowly, forehead to forehead, while their Lil Pumpkin slept peacefully between them. This moment with their daughter was so damn perfect, he wished he could hold on to it forever.

“The two of you are all I’ll ever need,” Royce told them.