Page 3 of My Demon Manny (Demon Debacles #2)

Calux

I got the job.

I got the job!

I was going to take care of little Gunner—and I thought his dad might benefit from some gentle caretaking too.

I'd gotten the email yesterday, and I'd started packing immediately. I didn't need much—I could magic up anything I forgot—besides the essentials and a few pairs of clothing, and I managed to pack everything in a large duffel bag.

The job didn't start until Monday, and today was Saturday. How was I going to wait for two more days?

The whole "starting on Monday" thing didn't make much sense to me. It wasn't like the baby would just not need caring on the weekends, right?

I didn't need weekends off, either. I didn't have many friends—none of them were human, except for Matilda, I supposed—and none of them were going to drop in to hang out over the weekend.

I'd almost texted Archer—whose number I'd been given by the agency in case I had further questions—to ask if he needed me early, but I hadn't wanted to come on too strong.

I'd always liked taking care of people, even back in the demon realm, which I thought was faulty designing since my original mission had been to torture evil souls.

Either way, I'd felt happiest when I was helping one of my friends, so when the King of Otherworld said he wanted to send us demons to the human realm to protect the humans, I'd been all for it.

Unfortunately, the dark souls we were after were quite smart, and they'd decided to hide out, probably to wait until the heat died down. If they thought we'd forget about them, though, they were highly mistaken.

But back to more fun things: Gunner and Archer. I couldn't wait to start taking care of them, and I spent Saturday and Sunday reading everything I could find on parenting and taking care of little ones.

TV shows and Matilda helped with the more social aspect of things—though Matilda told me the shows were heavily dramatized and not always accurate—and she even gave me her phone number in case I ever needed to ask a question. Apparently, she'd raised or helped raise quite a few kids, and had a ton of experience I could tap into.

When Monday morning rolled around, I was ready bright and early. After a quick breakfast of pancakes and tea, I cleaned up, grabbed my duffel bag and left my apartment. I'd 'paid' rent for the next few months, and Matilda had promised she'd keep an eye on the place. Not that I had anything worth stealing in there, but I wasn't gonna tell her that.

Driving up to the gate, I entered the code and made my way in, stopping in front of Archer's place. He came out as soon as I arrived, and gave me the code to the garage so I could park inside.

By the time I'd parked and retrieved my bag, he'd opened the door that led straight into the house from the garage, and I followed after him. He had the baby monitor in his hands, and I could hear Gunner babbling on the other end.

"I'll take you to your room first so you can settle in, and then you can come meet Gunner officially," Archer said, glancing back at me, and I nodded quickly.

His hair was brushed today, and his clothes stain-free, and I guessed that was how his day usually started. Today, I was going to make sure he stayed as put-together as possible. I wanted to make his life easier, because judging by the bags under his eyes, he could do with some help.

The room Archer gave me was spacious, with a queen bed, off-white walls, and a large mahogany dresser pressed against one wall. A window opened out into the backyard, and a door led to the bathroom.

Archer left me to 'get settled in,' and I quickly unpacked everything, filling my clothes into the huge dresser and then magicking up a few more sets when they looked lonely.

Stuffing the empty duffel bag in the last drawer, I placed my toiletries bag in the bathroom, taking a moment to admire the large shower-head—it was so high up I wondered if I might fit under that in my demon form too—and the big, claw-footed tub that took up the most space.

Shaking my head at the opulence, I left the room and walked back to the living room, where I could hear Archer murmuring to the baby.

He glanced up as I stepped into the room, and I smiled, picking up the scattered toys in my way and depositing them in what looked like Gunner's play area as I approached him.

Glancing down at the little bundle in his arms, I smiled at the baby, reaching out to wiggle my fingers in front of him. "Hello, there, Gunner. I'm Calux, but you can call me Lux. You too," I added, turning to Archer, and taking a step back when I realized how close we were. Don't be inappropriate, Lux. Remember personal space !

"Okay," Archer said with a smile, and then returned Gunner to his crib. "Come on, I'll show you where everything is while he's quiet and agreeable."

Nodding, I followed after Archer, getting a Gunner-themed tour of the living room, the kitchen, and finally, the nursery.

"That's my bedroom," Archer said, pointing at the door across the hall from the nursery. My room was the one beside the nursery. "You know, just in case you need me for something."

I nodded, then let my eyes roam around the nursery. It looked like Archer had bought a whole toy store for Gunner. Some of these toys were way above his age group too. I smiled when I noticed the Barbie dolls and kitchen set mixed in with the Legos and little cars. I liked that he was giving Gunner the option to choose what he wanted to play with instead of deciding for him based on some arbitrary gender rules. I could already tell Archer was a great dad, and I hoped I'd be able to live up to his expectations.

Archer

I hated phrases like 'He's a natural at it' because they disregarded all the time and effort the person put into honing whatever skill they were being appreciated for, and yet that was the phrase that occurred to me as I watched Lux walk around the room with Gunner's head on his shoulder. He was rubbing Gunner's back, comforting him after something had gotten him all riled up, and Gunner looked completely comfortable in his hold.

I'd actually been a little surprised at how easily Gunner had taken to him, but Lux hadn't really made it difficult for Gunner to like him. He was attentive, and seemed to have an almost sixth sense about what Gunner needed.

Lux also might have some magical powers, because between feeding, changing, and comforting Gunner, he'd found time to clean up the living room and make some lunch for us adults. I almost felt bad for myself since I could never do all of that, but then I reminded myself that Lux wouldn't be able to create a marketing campaign on a deadline either. This was a job for Lux, and he'd studied and trained for it, so of course he was good at it.

"What made you decide you wanted to be a child carer?" I asked when we were sitting in the living room, me on the armchair and him on the couch as we stole a few precious minutes to eat the sandwiches he'd made, Gunner asleep in his crib with a belly full of milk.

Lux smiled, then shrugged. "I've always liked taking care of people. I debated between babies and the elderly, but I guess I like the idea of helping shape young minds more. I suppose that makes me sound a little conceited, huh?"

"About as much as anyone who wants to be a parent," I said with a smile, making him chuckle.

The one thing I'd noticed about Lux was that he was always smiling. I wasn't an unhappy person by any means, but I couldn't manage the level of cheer he seemed to carry with him everywhere. It was good for Gunner, and maybe for me too.

"May I ask about Gunner's mother? I don't need details—they're none of my beeswax—but I need to know if she's in the picture, or if I have to be careful about her."

I was surprised by his reasoning, but I supposed not every custody decision was as easily settled as ours. "No, it's okay. She's a law student, and she isn't involved in Gunner's life. I have full custody."

"Okay," Lux said, taking another bite of the sandwich.

I'd been surprised by how delicious they were, unable to believe he'd made them with the contents of my refrigerator. He'd assured me he had, and then grinned happily when I told him they were delicious.

After lunch, Lux shooed me away to take a nap, despite my protests that I was perfectly well-rested. The reflection I saw every morning in the mirror called me a liar, but I ignored it.

The thing was, I wasn't sure if I was okay leaving Lux alone with Gunner just yet.

"Here." Lux held out the baby monitor. It was a fancy one with an audio and video feed, and showed a perfect view of the whole living room, with a button that allowed me to focus on the part where there was any movement. "You can keep watch on me from your bed, okay? Just get some rest."

Sighing, I took the monitor from him, then trudged into my room. Placing the monitor on my desk, I lay down, watching as Lux held Gunner in his arms, smiling down at him before kneeling and placing him in his little play area on the floor.

Lux handed Gunner a toy which the kid quickly threw away, waving his arms happily when Lux brought it back.

As I watched them play fetch, my eyes grew heavy, and before I knew it, I was asleep.

When I woke up, panic filled me for a short moment before I remembered that Gunner wasn't alone, which prompted me to reach for the baby monitor.

Lux sat on the armchair with Gunner cradled to his chest, his eyes half-closed, and his lips moving softly. Was he singing to the baby? I turned the volume up and realized that he was. I also noticed the time in the corner, discovering I'd been asleep for close to three hours.

I did a quick playback of the feed for the past three hours and spotted nothing wrong or suspicious. Lux had even brought over a fresh diaper and the other necessary stuff and changed Gunner in the living room instead of going to the nursery. (I had a different camera and monitor set for the nursery, but I hadn't switched that one on, and the monitor was probably in the living room.)

Feeling like Lux had passed an unmentioned test, I stood up, stretched my arms above my head, and made my way to the living room, monitor in hand.

Lux's eyes snapped open when I came into the living room, and he smiled when he spotted me. "Hey. Sleep well?" His voice was low, and I felt like if he started singing to me, I might fall right back to sleep.

Nodding, I placed the monitor on top of a cabinet close by, then crossed the room to them.

"Is he asleep?" I whispered, and Lux shook his head.

"I was just telling him a story," he said with a grin, then held him out to me.

I quickly cradled my arms, and Lux's arm brushed against mine as he placed Gunner in my hold, his eyes going wide.

"What is it?" I asked, but he merely shook his head and made his escape, mentioning something about needing to wash the bottles.

I glanced down at Gunner and raised a quizzical brow at him, making him giggle.

As Gunner patted my chest and realized there were no buttons to pull—Lux had made me change into a t-shirt, telling me I'd have no shirts left by the time I started work if I kept letting Gunner pull out the buttons—I wondered what Lux's reaction had been all about. Maybe he'd remembered something?

Shaking my head, I decided it was none of my business, not unless it concerned Gunner. If it did, I was sure Lux would mention it to me.