“That’s because she is no longer a part of Arabella’s life. So, I’m kind of stepping in and being here to help Ace and take care of Bella.” Ashley’s look turned smug and she looked like she wanted to laugh.
“So, Mr. Wild is single then?” Ashley asked. She sounded way too hopeful and God, she wanted to burst the pretty, young woman’s bubble, but she had no way of doing so. Ace was a free agent and for all she knew, he was unattached.
“No clue,” Trinity breathed. “You’d have to ask him. I’d love to get Arabella home if you don’t mind.”
“Oh sure,” Ashley said. She went back to the nursery to grab Arabella, handing the bundled up baby in her car seat to Trinity.
“Her pediatrician said that she just had her vaccines, so they are thinking that her fever spiked from them. Does she still have to be twenty-four hours fever free before she returns?” Trinity asked.
“Unfortunately, yes. But it’s good to know that she’s not coming down with something. It seems that once one kid gets something, they all do,” Ashley said. “Have a good night.” Ashley waved at her, effectively dismissing her.
“You too,” Trinity said, turning to leave. She needed to get Bella home and give her some medication and a bath. Then, she’d figure out how to get in touch with Ace to let him know that Arabella wasn’t feeling well. She believed that she knew Ace well enough to know that he’d want to be told about his daughter’s fever.
* * *
It took nearly six hours of walking the floors and rocking Arabella, but she finally got her to sleep. The problem was, every time Trinity tried to lay her down, her niece would start fussing again. The only thing she had going for her was that Bella’s fever broke and she was able to eat. She still wasn’t able to get in touch with Ace and she worried that something had happened to him, which was silly given that she barely knew the guy. She tried to tell herself that she was worried for her niece, and what would happen to her if Ace didn’t show back up, but honestly, she was worried about him and hoped that wherever he was, he was safe.
Trinity finally gave up trying to put Bella into her crib and laid down with her in Ace’s bed. She tried to lay on the sofa with the baby but she worried that she was going to fall asleep and drop Bella on the floor. So, she found the closest bed and laid down, exhausted from her day, and taking care of a sick infant.
“Hey,” she heard a man’s voice called and the hand that shook her, trying to wake her from the lovely dream she was having, pissed her off.
“Stop,” she moaned. “Leave me alone. I need sleep.” The man chuckled and she felt as if a weight was being lifted from her chest. “Bella,” she said, realizing that she had been holding her niece. Trinity fully woke and sat up in the bed to find Ace standing on the side, holding his daughter.
“Sorry, but you looked uncomfortable,” he said.
“What time is it?” Trinity asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
“A little after one in the morning. Sorry I’m so late but everything that could go wrong today at the casino, did,” Ace whispered.
“I’ve been trying to call you all afternoon. Bella’s daycare called me at work and had me pick her up early. She had a fever,” Trinity said.
“Shit,” he grumbled, kissing the baby’s forehead. “She feels fine now.”
“That’s because I called her pediatrician and picked up some fever reducer on my way to pick Bella up. She can’t go to daycare tomorrow. The rule is that she has to be fever-free for twenty-four hours.”
“Right,” Ace said. “I remember reading something about that rule when I signed her up. Did the doctor say what could have caused the fever? Does she have any other symptoms?” he asked, kissing Bella’s forehead again. It was almost strange seeing the big, tattooed biker kissing and cuddling his daughter. No—not strange. More like hot as hell, but she wasn’t going to tell him that.
“Her doctor said that the fever is probably from her vaccines you took her for a couple of days ago. And the fever is her only symptom, and that seems to have broken. I bathed her and I think that helped too, but she wouldn’t let me put her down. Every time I did, she fussed and we both needed some sleep, after the fight she gave me. She’s one tough customer,” Trinity teased.
“Yeah—I’d like to blame your sister’s gene pool for that but I have a feeling that my daughter’s stubborn streak comes directly from me. Thank you so much for taking such good care of my daughter, Trinity,” he whispered.
“Not a problem,” she said. “I don’t mean to sound like a nag, and this probably isn’t any of my business, but why didn’t you answer your phone?” she asked. Yeah—she sounded like a total nag. Ace reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out his cell, showing her the busted screen.
“I had a little mishap,” he said. “Let me put Arabella down and I’ll explain,” he offered. Trinity watched as he walked across the hallway to Bella’s room and she could hear him cooing and talking to his daughter in soothing tones that made her heart melt a little.
“I think she’ll be out for a while.” Ace sat down on the bed next to her and she skootched over, giving him some room. He slipped out of his jacket and shoes, stretching out on the bed next to her. A soft moan escaped his lips and she looked his big body over, feeling a little overheated. “This feels so fucking good,” he moaned. “I had a shit day.”
“So you said. Want to tell me about it?” she asked.
“Not really,” he grumbled. “Let’s just say that my phone broke during a very low point in my day, and things went downhill from there. I had to help security break up a fight and well, my phone took the brunt of the punishment from a guy's fist that was meant for my face.”
“Well, I’m sorry about your phone but I’m happy to see that your face was spared,” she said. Ace looked over at her and smiled and damn it if her girl parts didn’t notice how sexy he was laying next to her, his sleeves rolled up, showing off his tattoos, and the day’s stubble coating his perfect chin.
“I’m just sorry that I missed your calls. I should have been here for Arabella. What if you couldn’t pick her up? She would have been stuck at daycare, suffering through a fever by herself. God—I’m fucking up this whole parenting thing,” he mumbled, rubbing his hand down his face.
“It was just one day, and it all worked out,” Trinity soothed. She yawned and rolled to her side, facing Ace. “You can’t be everything to everyone,” she said. “I’m here to help when I can and today, we all just got lucky. Everything worked out and your daughter is safely sleeping in her crib.”
“I appreciate you saying that Trinity. I really do, but I’m afraid that I’m going to need more help than you dropping by once in a while. I’m thinking about hiring a nanny—a live-in nanny who can be here for Arabella when I can’t be,” Ace admitted.