Page 59 of Broken Prince
Benny looks up at Delaney’s smiling face, his crying seeming to lessen to a whimper. “Shh. It’s okay.” She holds him close to her, settling him against her shoulder and alternating between patting and rubbing his back.
A moment later, Benny lets out this big burp.
“There we go.” Laney laughs. “He just has a gassy belly.” I watch in awe as she moves over to the open car door and lays him down in the back seat. She rubs his belly, then grabs his legs, doing a bicycle motion. Then she pulls his legs down and up, causing Benny to let out a big fart that has her bursting out laughing. “Wow, little man,” she teases him. “You sure do have a lot of power in you for someone so small.”
Benny giggles, his eyes still wet from crying.
I continue to stand there and watch, something shifting in my damn heart like it always does when I see them together.
She was able to calm him when I couldn’t. She knew what to do when I didn’t. It makes me feel like a failure, but I’m also grateful.
I should know these things, I’m his dad. I didn’t even know he had gas.
“You’re so screwed,” Justin says from behind me. I look over and frown when I see he’s shirtless.
“What the hell, man?”
He looks down, then back up to me. “I couldn’t get the puke out. I tossed the whole damn shirt.” He shivers and gags. “The smell.”
“Alright. I think we’re all good,” Laney says, picking up Benny and turning to look at the two of us. She cocks a brow. “Ah, why are you shirtless?” she asks Justin.
“You like what you see?” he teases in a playful tone, and I glare at him.
Laney snorts. “Dream on, buddy.”
“Oh, trust me, you're number one in my dreams, baby.” He winks.
“You just met me today.” She laughs. “When did you have time to dream about me?”
“World Science,” he replies seriously.
Laney shakes her head. “And this is why you're repeating classes.” She sighs. Her smile drops as she looks at me. “Are you okay?”
I clear my throat. “Yeah, I’m fine.” I go over to her, ready to take Benny.
“Hey,” she says in a soft voice, giving me a small smile. “It’s okay. He’s okay.”
“I know he is,” I mutter. “It was just gas.” I’m coming off a little more clipped than I should be. I’m just in a shitty mood because I couldn’t make my son feel better. I panicked when I should have done what was needed.
She gives me a look. “We’re not doing this, Logan. You're not going to be an asshole to me. Just thank me, accept that you're human, and sometimes it’s okay to ask for help.”
Guilt hits me. “I’m sorry.” I rub my hands over my face. “I’m just tired and stressed. I wasn’t supposed to have Benny this weekend, and I have practice all week, then there's the first game this weekend. Dad is working, so is your mom. I need someone to watch Benny, but I hate to ask my brothers because they’ve already done so much this summer, and he’s not their responsibility–”
“I’ll watch him,” she offers, cutting me off.
My brows jump. “What?”
“He’s in daycare during the day, right?” she asks, and I nod. “All my classes are during the day, so I have free time after school. And I don’t have any plans this weekend, seeing as how the only people I know are you, your brothers, and Winter.”
“Hey, what about me?” Justin asks from behind me.
Laney rolls her eyes. “And your bestie over there.”
Fucking hell. Why does she have to be so nice? It’s making it harder to not want her.
“Say yes, Logan.” She cocks a brow. “You're not asking too much of me. I want to help.”
“Okay,” I concede, letting out a breath. “But the thing is, our game is away this weekend, and I don’t know how I feel about leaving him that long.” I know I’m away from him a week at a time, but when he’s with me, in my care, I don’t like being away from him for longer than a few hours. I don’t know why, and I can’t explain it.