Page 9 of Only for the Season

“Here. Take her.”

I hold up my hands. “I don’t know how to hold a baby.”

“It’s easy. Make sure her neck and head are cradled. Treat her like she’s the most precious thing on earth.”

Most precious thing on earth? This is not a responsibility I can handle.

“Nope. You can hold her and fight with your wife about what an idiot you are at the same time.”

“Thank you, Jeremy.” Paisley beams at me. “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

“Seriously?” Eli asks. “You’re taking her side?”

“I’m not taking sides at all.” I keep my hands in the air as I back away. I can rescue my computer later. It’s not as if I was actually getting any coding done anyway. “But I know better than to tell a woman things are too much for her.”

Eli growls. “It’s my job to protect Paisley.”

“Your job? I’m a job now?”

“Fine. My privilege. It’s my privilege to protect Paisley. Happy now?” He waits for her to nod before continuing. “What kind of protector would I be if I allowed her to run herself ragged this soon after birth? We have fourteen guests coming. It’s too much.”

“Hold up. Fourteen guests?” I was expecting a small, intimate Thanksgiving. I have no desire to answer the numerous questions people always have about me once they realize who I am.

“My mom and step-dad. My brother Rhett with his fiancée and their two children. My brother Jaxon and his wife Blossom. My brother Kai and his girlfriend Harper, and her dad. My brother Zane and his baby, Adele. And Miles.”

The tension in my chest loosens. It’s Eli’s family. They won’t grill me with a thousand questions since they’re used to having a billionaire around.

“I can cook for fourteen guests without a problem,” Paisley declares.

Eli shoves baby Stephanie into my arms before stalking to Paisley.

My heart goes into overdrive while my chest tightens. I’ve never held a baby before. I don’t want to drop her. If anything happens to Stephanie, Eli would kill me. Rightfully so.

“A little help here,” I holler as the baby squirms in my arms.

Paisley frowns at Eli before making her way to me and retrieving the baby. “What are you thinking, Eli? He’s obviously terrified of babies.”

Eli shrugs. “He needs to get used to the idea.”

“Get used to…” Paisley trails off to study me. “Is love in the air?”

I back away. “No. Love is not the air. Most definitely not.”

“Why not?”

“You’re a unicorn,” I tell her. “There aren’t any other women in the world who can see past the money to the man.”

She fiddles with her glasses as she studies me. “Hmm…”

The scheming look in her eye is beginning to terrify me. “I need to…”

The doorbell rings. I smile. Perfect excuse.

“I’ll get the door while the two of you discuss why Eli thinks you can’t cook for fourteen people.”

“I can cook for four thousand people if I want,” Paisley says.

I chuckle as I make my way to the door. I open it and frown at the person waiting on the porch. “What are you doing here?”