A/N: Oooo, I sure didn't feel the love from all of you after yesterday's upload! Never fear, I am a sucker for romance, and that's kinda hard to have with one person, eh? Anyway, here's the next chapter; one more to go. Dedication goes to...aly51x because she's been following this story so closely! Thank you!
“Dad! Delaney is crying again!”
“I hear her! She’s gonna have to cry a little longer!”
Under his breath Shane muttered “Shit!”
He tried to hurry up the pancakes he was making for dinner, but it took time to cook what was the equivalent of breakfast for lumberjacks. First, heat up the pitcher of syrup, then nuke the bacon, and finally pour juice and milk for everyone. Of course he’d drafted Darcy and Dana for KP duty, but they disagreed about everything domestic until Shane felt more like a referee than a dad.
The author plopped the last pancake on the waiting platter and covered the whole pile, then hurriedly wiped his hands on the kitchen towel and took the stairs two at a time to reach his baby girl’s room, from where sounds like a foghorn emanated. Smiling slightly, Shane acknowledged that their youngest possessed a great set of lungs. Immediately upon entering the nursery, Shane realized why the infant cried: the room stunk to high heaven.
“Ah, man, sweetie! Give Daddy a break!”
Shane stepped to the crib where the week-old newborn lay on her back, squalling with little hands in fists, eyes tightly shut. Reaching out with his forefinger Shane gently touched her cheek; directly the baby quit her hollering, opening hazy eyes to center on his face.
“Hi, Short Stuff,” Shane whispered, marveling at how much joy and love this little tyke, whom he and the children had named Delaney Shana McNeal, engendered. No matter how forlorn and heartbroken he felt on the inside, once he saw this miracle he and Emily had created out of love for each other his heart eased.
Although her frequent crapping seriously killed the warm and fuzzy emotions! Readying himself for the dirty diaper reveal, Shane nevertheless gagged when he did the necessary clean-up, just as he did every time for the last week.
Once the offensive object was tossed into the diaper pail Shane wrestled Delaney’s little feet back into the pink, footed onesy, cooing lamely throughout the maneuver. He then hefted her onto his shoulder and made the way down to the kitchen, summoning the other kids in a subdued tone so as not to startle the newborn. Everyone trooped in and found their places.
Glaring at the bouncer on the kitchen island, the one Jason Whittaker had given to them, Shane nonetheless placed the infant into it and fastened her securely. The apparatus was a godsend, damn him to hell anyway! Shane used that bouncer seat everywhere in the house, keeping his hands free to work, yet Delaney remained a part of all the action.
“Pancakes for dinner?” squeaked Denise, eyes wide with glee, reaching immediately for the bacon her older sisters had placed on the table while Shane divvied up the pancakes evenly and poured the juice for the little ones. Collapsing into his own chair, appetite fleeing with his encroaching weariness, Shane watched everyone else dig in.
“Mmm, this is your best dinner yet, Dad!” Danielle, the most adaptable of all his children, ate with gusto.
Dana ventured, “Mom usually gives us strawberries on top.”
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Seven and Counting?
RomanceMulti-millionaire author Shane McNeal and his wife of two years, Emily, must face the consequences of their actions in this sequel to Six and Counting. But when tragedy strikes, will the family remain intact or be torn apart? .
