I cleared my throat. “You will absolutely not be teaching her anything about boys because as far as my daughter is concerned, there is no such thing as anything male-species related.”
Josie waved me off like I was talking the language of crazy, but I was more serious than she could guess.
Colt shouldered up beside me, giving Lily a smile when she glanced back. “We still on for next Friday?”
“We’re still on,” I replied, reminding myself to brush the chip off of my shoulder when it came to Colt. It had gotten easier since the accident, and according to Rowen, I’d made some serious progress in the civilized department when it came to Colt, but it was still a work in progress. However, she said sometimes I almost bordered on warmth.
I still wasn’t hot on the idea of Lily and him together, but I was willing to accept the fact that he was a decent guy who was one of the top three people responsible for my family being here today, healthy and happy. If it hadn’t been for Colt and Lily showing up and what Rowen had recounted to me of Colt’s calm-under-fire attitude in the midst of an emergency situation . . . well, our story might not have ended as happily as it had.
In one large way, I owed Colt Mason a debt I’d never be able to repay, so when he asked me to go fishing or invited the three of us out to dinner with him and Lily, I usually said yes. Colt wanted to be a part of the family, I knew that, and if Lily one day wanted that too, then I would support her and welcome him to the family with open arms.
As Colt took Lily’s hand and steered her over to the food table, I called, “Hey, Colt?” I waited for him to glance back. “No more worms, okay? We’ll do it the old-fashioned way.”
He’d come a long in the de-Californication department, but the past few times he’d shown up for fishing, he’d come with a couple of Styrofoam containers of worms. How I was raised, a person didn’t disgrace a fish by catching it with live bait.
“The old-fashioned way?” Colt’s forehead wrinkled. Beside him, Lily rolled her eyes, and he said, “You mean, like, catching them with our hands or something?”
I had to work really hard to suppress that smile. “I mean fly-fishing.”
Colt rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve never been fly-fishing. I’m guessing I’ll need a special rod and stuff for it, right?”
“I’ll teach you. And I’ve got an extra pole you can use.”
Lily smiled at me.
Colt’s forehead ironed out as he nodded. “Yeah, sure, that sounds great. See you Friday then.”
I watched them make their way to the food table, but neither seemed to be hungry. At least not for the food.
“My, aren’t you turning into a giant softie.” Rowen came up beside me, Elodie back in her arms. I supposed that despite all of the doting aunts and godmothers and Grandma and everyone in between, no one beat Mom.
“Look who’s talking,” I replied, eyeing Rowen and Elodie, both in close-to-matching white linen dresses, both riding the line between grinning and giggling. “I seem to remember the girl I first met having a special affection for ripped fishnets and a hardened sneer.”
“Didn’t stop you from falling in love with me, did it?” That challenging glimmer flashed through her eyes. That hadn’t changed. I doubted it ever would. At least I hoped it wouldn’t.
“Nothing could have stopped me from falling in love with you.” I dropped my head so our eyes were level, then I pressed my mouth against hers.
Elodie thought she’d contribute to the whole thing by snagging my bottom lip and giving it a tug.
“Ouch,” I said, laughing when she gave it another tug.
“Welcome to fatherhood, babe.” Rowen tried to pry Elodie’s hand, one finger at a time, from my lip. The kid had an iron grip though. “And you’re still sure you’ll be able to manage this while I’m recovering? You’ll be the main one doing her baths, and changing her diapers, and lifting her in the middle of the night, and playing when she decides three in the morning is the ideal time for peekaboo. I won’t be able to do much those first few weeks after . . .”
I slipped my fingers under her chin and tipped it up. “I’m positive. And I’ll love every second of it.”
“Let’s see if you’re singing the same tune when Elodie’s had her second bout of explosive diarrhea and you’re changing her into her third set of pajamas for the night.”
“I’ll still be singing that tune,” I said, though my words were a bit slurred due to Elodie’s unwillingness to release my lower lip.
“Are you worried?” Rowen slid closer, hooking her fingers through my belt.
“A little,” I said, “but I know your particular heart surgery is incredibly safe compared to other kinds of heart surgeries and that having it will mean we’ll have you in our lives longer.”
Her face softened, as if my words were calming whatever fears she might have about her heart surgery next month.
“And I know that after everything you went through and still managed to deliver our little girl, without any kind of pain relief, while worrying about what was happening to me a few rooms away, you’ve got to have one of the strongest hearts ever created.”
She planted another kiss on me, so Elodie’s fist got half and my upper lip got the other half. “You’re right. So right. My heart is a god among mere mortals. A queen among peons. A rock star among the masses. There’s nothing to worry about. Everything will be okay.”