Page 42 of Lock

Another snore sounds close to my ear.

Turning, I shake with silent laughter.Riley.Mouth open, my baby is fast asleep, her body diagonal between Shelby and me.

Raising my right hand, I tickle her chubby cheek. She doesn’t stir.

My left arm is dead, trapped under both their heads. The sight makes my heart soar.

I want every weekend to be like this. Just the three of us—at least until there are four.

Wiggling my fingers, I fight the need to move, the sensation of pins and needles stabbing at the limb.

My finger snags in Shelby’s hair.Shit!

“Sorry, baby,” I offer when she stirs awake.

Shelby rolls toward me. “Hi,” she whispers groggily.

“Hi.” I smile.

The smile that she gives me is shy and sweet.

“I was thinking, you could spend the day with us, maybe spend the night again. See how this whole nanny thing would work out.” I try to keep the hope out of my voice. This whole plan of moving her in and marrying her will go a lot quicker and smoother if she agrees to it.

Uncertainty washes over her face. “Okay.” Shelby nods.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She nods.

I eye the lip caught between her teeth. “Come here.” I crook a finger.

Shyly, she shakes her head.

“Shelby.”

Careful not to jostle Riley, I meet Shelby halfway, our lips meeting with the barest of touch.

“I’m not working today. How about I make waffles and we head to the park?”

Before she can answer, Riley shuffles between us. “Waffles. Park,” she repeats, her words slurred with sleep.

Shelby drops back down on my arm as if she just got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

Curling my fingers, I grip her loose strands. One good tug and I’m rewarded with a blush. One I know that no one else has ever seen.

“Noted.” I smirk, giving a second tug.

I watch as her eyes darken, then flit away.

“The guy I’m kind of seeing . . .” Her words float off, filled with guilt.

“Is complicated,” I echo her previous words.

Shelby nods, causing the strands of hair caught in my fist to pull.

“I can deal with that,” I reassure.

When her head leans fully on my hand beneath her, I scratch at her scalp.