“We're coming in, babe” says Bear.
“Uh yeah, sure.” I step aside. It wasn't a question. “What are you doing here?”
“We told you we'd be keeping an eye on you.” Snark peels his hoodie off and tosses it on the couch. The motion pulls up the T-shirt he has on underneath, exposing washboard abs, marred only by a couple of scars to one side. It's a sight that has me wetting my lips before his shirt drops back down.
“I can’t believe you two had to disguise yourselves as normal people,” I say with a tiny laugh.
“You and me both,” rumbles Bear and peels his own hoodie. I'm surprised it doesn't make an audible pop when it goes over his head. Then he takes something out of the hoodie's pocket and holds it up to me, looking oddly nervous. “I got this for Isabella.”
It's a teddy bear. Wearing a tiny denim vest.
“We were going to put a Screaming Eagles patch on the back, but we didn't want anyone asking questions,” says Snark with a clever grin.
I blink as I take it, not sure I can believe what I'm seeing. The bear looks back up at me with big brown eyes that don't give me any answers, so I look back up at Bear. Is he blushing? What planet am I on?
“What? It’s fucking stuffed animal. I'm new to this fatherhood shit but I helped raise my siblings, and they liked stuff like that. I've never been the one to actually get it, and I don't know what Isabella likes, but…” He shrugs.
“It's perfect,” I say, in a hurry before he gets discouraged. My chest is tight, but I don't know exactly what I'm feeling. Is this what it's supposed to be like when you're not doing this alone? It's just a freaking teddy bear, but it's from them. From Izzy's father—fathers… I still don't know how this works. I hold the bear back out to him. “Here. Why don't you give it to her? It's from you, after all.”
Izzy's scooted herself out from under the mobile while we talked and she's rolled over, working her way up to her hands and knees. She wants to move, and she's getting so close to crawling. She's mastered the art of pressing herself forward with her face dragging on the floor, but neither of us are too thrilled about it. I do us a favor and pick her up to put her in my lap.
She looks up at the guys and smiles. Unlike my neighbors, she’s completely unfazed by their size and appearance. I’m a little surprised, considering she’s mostly just had me and Beatrice for company.
“See! She likes me,” Snark says with a twisted grin.
Bear elbows him. “Don't flatter yourself. I bet she smiles at everyone.”
Snark laughs. “And it's a fucking gorgeous smile.” There's a hint of wonder in his voice.
“I need to have a talk with you guys about language around the baby.” It's bad enough with Beatrice's occasional f-bombs. “I don't want her first word to rhyme with duck if you know what I mean.”
“Baby, you were knocked up by a bunch of fucking bikers.” Bear chuckles, like my request is adorable. How is it possible for a pair of eyes to be so perfectly hazel? “With us around, Isabella isn't going to grow up into a dainty little flower. We're not going to sit in the background while you run the fucking show. One day, we'll all be living together and we'll be there to take care of you. Both of you. But we live a rough life. She'll hear fuck a lot.”
“You sound so sure”
“Of course. We claimed you.” The absolute certainty in his statement warms me all the way down. I should watch myself. That primal nature is a big part of why these guys dragged me off to their bedroom so easily in the first place.
God, there are so many reasons why shacking up with a bunch of bikers would be so much trouble, most of it starting and ending with my family, and Family. But I'm so sick of struggling on my own. The idea of having not just one, but four guys around to help me—it's like a dream come true, right?
With a little bounce on my knee and a kiss on the top of Izzy's head, I say to her, “This is Bear and Snark. They're your daddies, baby girl. How weird is that? And they've got something for you.”
She giggles at the bounces, but then her eyes go wide when Bear holds out the bear. She reaches out eagerly, and the moment he lets go, she drags it close and squeezes it against her face with a pleased babble.
Bear smiles widely. “I guess she likes it.”
“It's a soft, snuggly bear. What's not to like?”
“She’s just like her momma.” His smile turns into a smirk when I flush bright red.