Shattered (Hostage Rescue Team #11)(4)
Clay shrugged. “Good news is, she’s empty for at least a day now.” He aimed a proud grin at his daughter, who peered up at him with bright blue eyes identical to his own. “Zoe’s on her way, she just had to stop and grab something else for the appetizer.”
Matt waved his grill tongs at them. “You guys grab a drink and relax. Food’ll be ready in two shakes.”
“Sounds good to me,” Nathan said, squeezing her hand.
She, Nathan and Clay took the wooden steps down to where the rest of the team and their ladies were either sitting on lawn chairs and chaises or standing around talking. “Hey,” she said to everyone, glad to be part of such an amazing group of people. And even gladder for the distraction of her impending conversation with her husband.
A chorus of voices called back in greeting. Nathan let go of her hand to fish out his phone and take a picture of Clay and Libby gazing intently at each other. He examined his handiwork, a smug expression on his ruggedly handsome face. He was just so damn sexy, could still give her butterflies with a single look or touch. “This shot is just too awesome. Seeing you with her never gets old, man. Big, badass Bauer with a baby on his hip and carting around a diaper bag.”
“Yeah? Well how about big, badass Bauer goes and gets himself a cold one while you hold the baby,” Clay said, thrusting Libby at him.
Nathan’s smile slipped and a hint of alarm crept into his hazel eyes, his hand frozen around the phone he was in the process of shoving back into his front jeans pocket. “Uh, well—”
“Here.” Clay shoved Libby at him, didn’t even try to hold back a grin as Nathan held her at arm’s length with a look of pure panic on his face while he and Libby stared in astonishment at one another. “Be back in a few.” He dropped the diaper bag on the grass next to Nathan’s feet.
Taya couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, for crying out loud, Nathan. You look like he just handed you a live grenade or something.” It was pretty funny. He was great with kids, but babies apparently made him nervous. Well, it was time he got over it. “Give that precious angel to me.” She held out her arms toward Libby, a big smile on her face. She loved babies, and they all spent enough time together that Libby knew her. It was impossible not to love the little sweetheart.
Instead of handing her over, Nathan cradled Libby closer. “No, it’s okay. I’m good.” Lowering himself onto a lawn chaise, he turned Libby around and sat her on his lap, her back resting against his wide, powerful chest. “I like your outfit, Libby.”
Her little black onesie had a frog skeleton on the front and the words My Dad Can Kick Your Dad’s Ass beneath it. Libby craned her head back to gaze up at Nathan, stared at him for a second, then grinned.
Taya swore her uterus swooned, the sight before her turning her entire body to mush. God, I want to tell him. It was tying her in knots. “Well since you two look so cozy, I’ll go get us some drinks.”
She headed back up onto the deck and grabbed an ice-cold bottle of Nathan’s favorite beer from the cooler at Matt’s feet just as his wife, Briar, sauntered out of the kitchen with a platter of sliced watermelon in her hands. Her face brightened when she saw Taya. “Hey, you came!”
The reaction touched Taya deeply. Briar was a true loner, which made a lot of sense considering her former role as a sniper—and from what Taya had heard she’d been every bit as deadly as her Marine Scout/Sniper husband. She had become more comfortable with gatherings like this over the past year or so, but seemed especially at ease with Taya.
Taya smiled at her, curbing the impulse to give her a hug. Hugs sometimes still made Briar a bit uncomfortable. “Hi. Can I help with anything?”
“No, Matt and I’ve got it under control.” Briar’s sharp, dark gaze did a sweep of the yard and stopped on Nathan and Libby. Her eyes widened. “Wow, will you look at that.” She cocked her head a little as she watched them. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think he kind of likes it.”
“He does. It’s so sweet I can hardly take it,” Taya said, a tangle of emotions balling up in her chest. “I think he was just afraid of accidentally breaking her when she was first born, because he seems fine with holding her now.”
Snagging a beer from the cooler, Clay shrugged and twisted off the cap. “Good, because I didn’t give him a choice. You guys need a hand here?” he asked Briar and Matt.
“No, we’re good. Go relax,” Matt told him, catching his wife around the waist and hauling her in for a quick kiss. He got a playful, narrow-eyed look from Briar in return for the public display of affection that just made him grin.
After delivering Nathan’s beer and with Libby safe in his capable hands, Taya and Clay went around to say hi to the others. Adam Blackwell and his wife Summer were off to one side, two-month-old baby Sam on his daddy’s lap as they talked with Ethan Cruz and Marisol. From the way Soli was watching baby Sam with such undisguised yearning, Taya didn’t think it would be too long until those two got hitched and started a family of their own.
And she completely understood that same yearning.
Sawyer Vance sauntered down from the deck wearing his trademark black Stetson. “Where’s your better half?” Clay asked him.
“Carm’s been at a medical tradeshow all week. Her plane should be landing in another hour or two. She’s catching a shuttle home with her boss.” He smiled at Taya. “Heard you just got back from a road trip yourself.”