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“He and Xander are my best friends. He was in the room when Abby was born.” Sebastian shrugged. “He’s had to listen to a lot of crying.”

“I’m sure.” Colton’s fingers skated over the table, just making random patterns. “And I’m trying hard not to snap back because of it.”

“I appreciate it. Xander’s coming to pick Abby up and keep her ’til lunchtime.”

“Unca Xan!”

Colton chuckled. “He adores me so much too.”

“Well, yeah.” He had to grin. “Uncle Xan is your bestie, huh, girlfriend.”

“Wuvs.”

“It’s good to have friends,” Colton told her very seriously.

As if Colton saying the words had conjured them up, the door opened and the ghost-hunting crew blew in.

Abby tilted her head, blinking at the crew. “Daddy, who dat?”

“Some of Mister Colton’s friends. They’re staying at the hotel.”

“That’s Iago, there, with the blue in his hair, Mason with the rainbow-colored shirt, and Law is the one with the hair the same color as yours.” Colton pointed them out as they pushed and shoved to the counter.

She hid in his arms, and Sebastian rocked her, humming under his breath. “Easy. Easy, sweet girl.”

Colton chuckled, but there was only gentleness in it. “They’re not mean, honey. They’re just guys who can be as bad as brothers sometimes. Guys! Tone it down. You are out in public.”

The one he’d called Iago looked over, and his eyes widened. “Sorry, Boss! We didn’t know there were kids in at this time in the morning.”

“Well, there are, and you’re scaring Miss Abby.”

“Oh.” Iago came over and squatted down a few feet away from Sebastian and Abby. “I’m sorry, Miss Abby. Do you like pretty rocks? I found one on my walk this morning, and you can have it if you want.”

Sebastian wanted to snap at Iago to stop being nice to his kid, but how psycho was that? Someone who was going to be around for days, at least, was being kind. What was wrong with him that he didn’t want that?

“What do you say, Abby? Do you want to see it?”

She nodded, curls bouncing, her thumb creeping into her mouth.

He didn’t stop her, because she didn’t actually suck it. She stuck it between her lips, but then just sat there before she pulled it back out. Sebastian wiped her hand with a napkin while Iago pulled a pretty chunk of pink and white quartz out of his pocket.

“See, it has pink like your shoes.”

She studied it, then glanced up at him. “I have it?”

“If you want, baby girl.”

“Tank ’ou.” She held out her hand.

Iago placed it gently on her palm. “You’re welcome. Okay,” he said, heaving to his feet. “I’ll go get coffee and keep those two in line, huh?” He winked, and Abby actually giggled.

God help him.

“Daddy! I has rock!”

“You do! You can put in it your room with your other rocks.” He smiled at her, because she was so damn happy.

Colton stared at her with this quizzical little smile on his face, as if he wasn’t sure how to feel or what to do. Sebastian guessed he couldn’t blame him. If he really hadn’t known about Abby, then this was all new to him.

She stared back. “Wanna see?”

She held the rock out for Colton to see.

Colton studied it with all due seriousness. “It’s very pretty. You like pink, huh?”

“Uh-huh. You gonna talk to the ghosties in our house?”

Colton looked at him, eyebrows raised in question.

“He is. He’s going to try to find out why they’re all riled up, baby girl.”

“Oh. Oh, they mad .”

“They are, huh. Do they make you scared?” He could tell that Colton had talked to a lot of people, kids included, about ghosts. There was no doubt in his voice now.

She nodded, her eyes wide. “The mean man. Him bites!”

“That’s not very nice, is it?” Colton leaned down, lowering his voice. “Well, I’ll talk to him.”

“Say be nice to Daddy and Abby?”

God, his baby girl was adorable. Adorable .

“Yep. Maybe find out why he’s so mad. That helps, right? When you know what makes you so upset?”

He was not going to melt at this. Not.

She nodded. “When I want to go outside, and it is yucky! So mad!”

“See? So I’ll try my best to help. But for now, you keep that rock close. Pink quartz is very good for protection.”

“’Kay.” She showed Sebastian the rock. “For tec-on. Kiss it.”

He smooched the rock. “Yes, ma’am.”

Colton made a little snuffling sound that he thought was a suppressed laugh. Thank God it looked like Iago had washed the rock…

“Uncle Xan! I has rock!”

“Go team rock!” Xander gave him a curious little look, and he shrugged. He didn’t know. “I’m getting a smoothie. Be right back.”

“Uncle Xan is going to watch Abby while we do your interview.”

“Okay, cool.” Colton smiled a little, his lips curving so nicely. “We can do it in the same dining room as last night. We’ve kind of taken it over.”

“That’s fine.”

“We go to park?”

“I think so, sweetie. Uncle Xan has you until lunchtime.” And he was going to then head up to Xavi’s and hide.

“We’ll totally go to the park!” Xander came back, sipping his smoothie. “You know it, girl.”

“Unca Xan!” She held up her arms.

“My baby girl!” Xan swooped at her, lifting her high.

She laughed, her curls bouncing, her eyes lit up.

“She’s beautiful.”

He nodded to Colton. “She is.”

She was beautiful and smart, funny and loving. She was perfect. And she definitely had both of them in her, which being around Colton was reminding him. It made his heart hurt.

He just needed Colton to do his thing and leave. His soul couldn’t handle it.

“Okay, Miss Thang. Let’s go let Daddy talk to the ghost man. Kisses.”

“Kisses!” She bent down when Xander lowered her, kissing his cheek. Then she leaned toward Colton, lips pursed. He offered his cheek, and she bussed it before Xander grabbed her wee backpack and headed off.

Colton looked stunned.

“Come on, big guy,” Sebastian said, resigned to his fate for now. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Sure.” Colton stood, holding out the hand not gripping the cane.

He took it, the touch making him tingle.

Yeah, he was not going to live through this.

Not even a little.