Jane nodded in agreement before she walked away, leaving Braxton alone and allowing him to give all his attention to the sweet bundle in his arms. He became entranced by the movement of Emmy’s little lips as they sucked on the bottle, quickly draining the formula.
“Okay, time to burp.” He’d finally mastered the process. At first, he had been terrified he’d hit her too hard so he barely tapped her back. But as time went on, he’d learned that a good healthy pat did the trick. “Come on, baby girl, give me that burp. Let it rip, loud and proud.” His large hand covered her back. Pat, pat, pat.
“Burrrp.”
“Ah, that wasn’t a good one. Give me another one. But let’s make this one count, caterpillar. What do you say?”
Jane laughed in the background as Braxton continued to lightly slap Emmy’s back while placing tiny kisses on her head.
“You’re going to be an amazing dad, Mr. Michaels. I love how you interact with her. She’s one lucky girl. Most dads just stand there, too afraid help with anything because they have no idea what to do with a baby. With moms, it’s instinct, and they always rise to the occasion.”
“Burrrrrrrrp”
“That’s my girl,” he exclaimed as the long-drawn-out sound of Emmy releasing the gas from her belly filled the room.
“Good one,” Jane cheered from where she stood, entering information into a computer.
“Just like her dad.” Braxton couldn’t help but laugh as he envisioned him and his little girl having contests at who would belch the loudest. Oh, shit. That is so not ladylike. Damn, I’m going to be a horrible father.
Braxton moved across the room, making his way toward the window. When he reached the glass, he stood in front of Paisley. He studied her for a moment. She was lost in thought. He had seen that look before. It was the same one she would have on her face when they were kids and she was daydreaming.
He gave her a minute to notice him standing there, when she hadn’t, he tapped on the window startling her, and causing her coffee to splash all over the glass.
Chapter 16
Paisley gazed past him as he strolled toward her. Once again, she was lost in another time and place. He placed the steaming cups down, and tugged at the chair causing the legs to make a scraping sound.
“Earth to Paisley”
Her blue-grey eyes met his. “What?”
“You’re daydreaming again, butterfly.”
Her eyes widened, he’d caught her lost in thought about something embarrassing.
“So, what do you think?”
Paisley's eyebrows moved tighter together, forming several wrinkles between them. “What do I think about what?”
Braxton shook his head at the irony that he’d always been known as the daydreamer. Yet today, Paisley, who was usually the focused one, didn’t seem to be following anything.
“Emmy’s name.” Warmth spread through Braxton’s body as he spoke. “You never said what you thought when I told you earlier.”
Paisley's chest rose and fell, and the wrinkles between her brows smoothed out as her lips stretched into a smile. “I think it’s perfect, Brax. She looks like an Emmy.”
The coffee shop door opened and Paxton strolled in. The swagger in his walk told Braxton that he was proud of something and he was about to rub it in his face.
Paxton hadn’t even taken a seat before he began to brag. “While you’ve been playing dad, I sealed the deal with Marilyn Green.”
Braxton’s eyes widened. “How did you do that? I’ve been trying to get her to sign with us for months.”
In all honesty, he was impressed that his friend had been able to get the job done. He’d wined and dined her several times, but she would never commit to signing with their firm.
“Let’s just say I’ve got something she wants and you don’t.” Paxton blew on the tips of his fingers before rubbing them over his chest.
Braxton scowled at him. “What exactly do you have that I don’t?” He was afraid to hear the answer because he was confident he already knew exactly where this was going.
“She wants my johnson.” Paxton laughed whole-heartedly. “You, my friend, were taken, and I no longer am. She asked me to bring the paperwork to her penthouse when I am done drafting it up, and said she’d make me dinner while we reviewed it.”
Paisley mimed putting her finger in her mouth and throwing up. It made Braxton laugh until Paxton started laughing as well and he knew he needed to nip this in the bud right now. “Paxton, I’m serious, man. How many times do I have to tell you—no mixing business with pleasure? You cannot sleep with our clients.”
Paxton appeared offended when he replied with irritation. “Oh, relax, Braxton. I’m not stupid.”
Paisley pffted under her breath, and both Paxton and Braxton turned to look at her.
“What?” she asked. “He’s a pig—always has been and always will be. Don’t you remember the Jennifer and Jessica disaster on your sixteenth birthday?”
“All too well.” He smiled at Paisley and then turned to face his other best friend. “I’ve worked too hard to get Marilyn to even think about working with us. She has tons of contacts here and could be an asset for recruiting them, do not mess with her. Treat her like you do any of your male clients. She’s off-limits.”
They both stared at Paxton. He looked as if he’d just sucked on a bucket of limes. “Bro, I get it. I was just joking, you sure know how to take the fun out of everything.”
“I’m not taking the fun out of anything.” Braxton crossed his arms over his chest. “Does the name Megan ring any bells with you? Or have you forgotten the woman who currently lives with you?”
Paxton leaned forward to rest his forearms on his knees. Braxton waited patiently for his answer.
Paxton hung his head in defeat, bouncing it several times before taking in a huge breath and sitting back up. His regret was evident from his eyes.
