uld I go have a look in your room?”
She looked from Isaac to him, as though searching for any hint of disgust or condemnation. What she found obviously reassured her because her shoulders relaxed. Then another clap of thunder hit, and she buried her face into Isaac’s neck.
“Easy, baby doll. Let Archer get you what you need. What is it? A stuffy?”
“My bumblebee and my snuggly. In my bed.”
Archer stood immediately, moving to her bedroom before she could change her mind. He stepped in and wasn’t surprised to find there was stuff strewn everywhere. Did the woman ever put clothes in her drawers or closet?
He walked over to the bed, which was a mess of sheets. He’d make it for her later. Right now, she needed comforting. He looked over her bed. Seemed she had a thing for dachshunds. There was a huge body pillow on one side of the bed. Did she sleep with that surrounding her? For comfort? He lifted the bedcovers and found a bit of material that appeared to have been cut from a man’s shirt and a bumblebee
He picked them both up, along with a fluffy blanket that lay along the bottom of her bed. She seemed to like fluffy things. He carried them back to the living room, where Isaac still held her on his lap, talking to her in a quiet, reassuring voice.
Archer crouched in front of them and held out her toy and snuggly. She reached out and took them, holding them close.
“What do you say to Archer?” Isaac asked her quietly.
Archer shot him a sharp look. His voice was quiet but held a definite firmness. Now might not be the time to go all Daddy Dom on her. But she didn’t take offense; instead she shocked him by turning to him, her thumb already in her mouth as she rubbed her snuggly against her nose.
“Thank you, Archie.” Her voice had a childlike note and he had to grin at her use of his nickname. He didn’t mind. She could pretty much call him whatever she liked, and he’d take it.
Right. And you don’t have feelings for her?
“Thumb out of your mouth when you speak, please,” Isaac told her.
Archer shot him another look. Isaac just gave him a calm stare in reply. All right, so his brother knew what he was doing. Archer was used to play at the club, to negotiated scenes, where limits and safe words were carefully discussed first.
But this wasn’t a scene. This was a baby girl who needed comfort. She needed to feel safe and secure and that’s what Isaac was giving her.
She removed her thumb. “Thank you, Archie.”
“You’re welcome, poppet.” He didn’t know where that nickname came from. Instead of examining his need to pull her onto his lap, he pressed the blanket around her. “How about I make hot chocolate? I saw some in the pantry earlier.”
“I think hot chocolate is just what Doc ordered,” Isaac said with a grin. “See what I did there?”
Archer groaned. But Caley just buried into his chest. She hugged her toy tight, sucking on her thumb.
“Is it good for her to be sucking her thumb?” he asked worriedly.
Isaac shrugged. “Likely not in the long-run but it’s all right for now. Baby doll, do you have a sippy cup for the hot chocolate?”
He didn’t think she would answer, her face was pressed firmly against Isaac’s neck. She didn’t seem to have any problem with touching his brother.
“Caley?” Isaac made his voice firmer.
She nodded. “Above the fridge in a box.”
Archer gave Isaac a nod. He grabbed the Swiss Miss he’d seen earlier and decided he might as well make them all drinks. Another clap of thunder had Caley crying out and he turned to check on her, even though he knew Isaac had her.
Poor love. He wondered if something had happened to make her so fearful of thunder? Or was it just that she didn’t like loud noises?
He reached up above the fridge and found a box sitting on top. It was dusty, as though it hadn’t been pulled out in a long time. Opening it up, he stared down at the contents.
There was a large, white sippy cup with a soft, yellow lid and a handle on one side and a bumblebee on the front. There was also a baby’s bottle with an extra-large nipple in the box.
Underneath the bottle was a bib. He pulled it out to study it. More bumblebees on the front. It was soft and tied at the back. It was also oversized, perfect for an adult baby girl. Under the bib was a child’s plate. It had separate compartments so different foods didn’t touch one another. There was also cutlery with more bumble bees on them.
Seemed to be a theme going on.