“Okay. So now for a crib. What are we thinking?” Brandt turned to him like Shane might have an opinion that mattered when it came to where babies slept. But simply being consulted, that was nice, the warm feeling of not being all alone. And he was so used to being the responsible one, the one in charge, that it was nice to get to share some of that.
Shane scanned the prices of various options, eventually pointing to a box with a picture of a white crib with wide slats. “This one is cheaper than some but safe and with a better mattress than the cot. If you get it, you might have enough to also get a swing or something for the great room.”
“Sold.” Brandt’s decisive nod was strangely sexy, the way he knew what he wanted and went for it.
“My goodness aren’t you the most adorable thing.” The store clerk had finally taken notice of them, coming over to stand next to him, and it took Shane a moment to realize that she meant the baby in his arms, not him. “How old is the little princess?”
“Two months.” Shane adjusted the blanket so the woman could take a peek.
“What else can I help you find?” She had frizzy hair and kind eyes, but also seemed like the sort of shrewd business owner who sensed a big sale.
“We’ll take the crib. Next on the list is a harness thing—sling.” Brandt gave her the same smile he’d given the med tech with the same predictable result of the woman tripping over herself to help Brandt select a baby carrier.
“Pink, pink, or pinker?” Brandt paged through a colorful display of pouches and slings, turning his grin back on Shane. “It needs to fit you too.”
“Whatever she won’t fall out of.” Shane looked away before that grin could work its magic on his insides again. “I grew up with Shelby’s hand-me-downs, especially when funds were tight. You’re not going to scare me away with some florals.”
“Aww. You guys are so cute.” The clerk, who was still hovering too close for Shane’s taste, did a fake swoon with one hand on her chest. “How long have you been together?”
“About two days,” Brandt said absently, eyes still on the rack of slings.
A sputtering noise escaped Shane’s throat. “We’re not together.”
Brandt looked up at that, not nearly as put out as Shane would have thought. “Sorry. Misunderstood. Yeah, we’re not a couple. He’s the uncle.”
“Still sweet.” The woman continued to smile at them, perhaps even more so, as like with the med tech, she couldn’t seem to resist flirting with Brandt. “Let’s find you what else you need.”
They left with an eye-popping bill, a crib, a swing, enough outfits for a whole season of a Hollywood TV drama, and even a few toys and board books. The clerk had talked Brandt into those with a cheerful “Babies grow fast!”
Shane had opened his mouth to say that they might not be around to see that if Shelby changed her mind, but then he thought better of it. And he didn’t know what do with the weird prickle the reminder had triggered. Almost like dread, which was ridiculous. He should want Shelby to return. Or for the paternity test to show Brandt was the dad and for him to settle on some permanent childcare arrangement. Shane should want the responsibility off his shoulders. But instead he was...wistful.
Babies did grow. She already seemed a little bigger. And as exhausting as this all was, he also felt that press of time pushing forward. Snippets of lyrics about change and time danced in his head, things he’d want to write down later.
“That should do it.” Brandt wasn’t burdened by his melancholy, laughing as they loaded the last of the stuff in his Jeep. And damn, was he ever attractive in the midday sunlight, light sheen of sweat from hauling everything to the car. His hazel eyes were almost gold in this light. Messy hair. That grin.
Forget the baby. Brandt was the most adorable thing. And every single time he laughed like that, Shane’s urge to be stupid only intensified.
Chapter Six
“Hell.” Brandt cursed low under his breath as the collection of slats collapsed yet again. And of course, that was right when Shane came back in the room, perfect timing to witness the crib getting the better of him.
“Still stumped?” Shane crouched down next to him.
“I’ll have you know that I’ve rebuilt a chainsaw on the fly. More than once.” He shuffled the instructions for the crib, like that might make this easier.
The baby was asleep in her cot in the spare room, which gave them this narrow window of time to set her new room up. Shane had pushed the twin bed against the wall and moved the dresser, while Brandt had—in theory—tackled the crib. Divide and conquer, he’d said, overly optimistic about his own abilities to juggle all these parts. Usually it wouldn’t be an issue. Today though, everything kept distracting him.