Colton managed to get the diaper between Keelan's legs and fastened. The pull-up actually stretched quite far.
"Oh my goodness!" they heard a female's voice gasp. They turned to see one of the pretty female cashiers standing at the end of the aisle. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, I don't judge lifestyles, I ... oh dear!" she rambled. Blushing, she hurried away. The men looked at each other and realized what the scene she witnessed might look like to someone else.
"Oh Gods! She thinks we're into fetish play and Keelan is our baby," Darian whispered, horrified.
Keelan collapsed to his knees. "That was my mate," he groaned.
Colton dropped to the floor beside Keelan. "I'm so sorry, I'll go explain."
Keelan shook his head. "I'll do it." He stood and looked down before removing the pull-up. "They're quite comfortable, I'd go with the one that has princesses on it for Penny." He dropped the pull-up and sprinted to the front of the store.
Colton wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole. He had just humiliated his fellow unit brother in front of his mate! Aiden, Colton and Darian glanced at each other. Colton was about to follow Keelan when he heard a wheezing sound. They all turned to find Gavriel on the floor, his arms wrapped around his stomach, his entire body was trembling and shaking.
"Has he been poisoned?" Aiden demanded. He dropped to his knees and turned his second in command over to his side. The vampire that they now knew to be the Dark Prince was laughing so hard he had tears running down his face. His eyes were bulging slightly and he couldn't seem to breathe. Aiden whacked him on the back a few times. Gavriel simply rolled onto his side and began to laugh out loud.
"Oh Gods! Never in all my years!" Gavriel laughed uproariously.
Aiden sat back on his heels and looked up at Colton. Colton looked at Darian. Then Darian's mouth twitched. That was all it took. Colton wiped his eyes. "Can you imagine what we must have looked like?" he asked. His question brought a round of fresh laughter.
Gavriel reached for Aiden and made cooing sounds. "Change me, daddy, I am wet," he joked.
"Perverts!"
The men froze and looked down the aisle. Ethel the judgmental, older woman they had encountered on their previous trip to the Duck In, scowled at them, before shuffling to the front of the store, calling for Bart. It was another couple of minutes before any of them could breathe again.
Colton looked up at the fluorescent lights grinning. Before Rheia and Penny, before any of the mates, they had never laughed like this. They heard the sounds of footsteps before Bart appeared over them frowning.
"Ok boys, get on up. I say this because, obviously, you have a baby in the house now. Drugs, like that wacky tobacco, don't do a body good. Ya'll need to stay away from it," he warned.
The men fought to hide their smiles as they stood and brushed each other off.
"I can assure you, we do not indulge in that disgusting vice," Aiden said, walking alongside Bart.
Colton grabbed the opened box, then grabbed a second one for good measure. While Aiden convinced Bart they weren't drug addicts, Colton went to the register where Keelan stood with a pretty brunette. She blushed when he approached.
"I'm sorry for thinking y'all were up to no good." She smiled at him shyly.
"And I'm sorry for embarrassing you. We're normally not quite so exuberant. I was very lucky that Keelan was willing to help me. I've never shopped for my daughter before," Colton said, trying to place the blame for the entire episode on his shoulders.
The brunette raised an eyebrow. "He didn't exactly look willing," she chided.
Colton looked at her nametag. Anne. "No, he didn't, did he Anne? But he's an amazing sport and didn't get mad at me at all for humiliating him. I couldn't ask for a better friend." Colton nodded to Keelan who nodded back.
Anne rang up his boxes. "How old is your daughter?"
Colton smiled. "She's four. Her mother thinks that the recent excitement we had caused tonight's little accident, so we're getting these to be on the safe side."
Anne nodded and told him the total. "Backsliding happens a lot with toddlers, especially after a stressful event. My little cousin almost got hit by a car; he wet the bed for a solid month after that."
He handed Anne his money and turned to Keelan. They both knew his poor baby girl had had nothing but stress in the past twenty-four hours.
Keelan cleared his throat. "Anne is a nurse. She just graduated at the top of her class."
"Congratulations," Colton said.
She blushed again. "Thank you, here's your change." She handed him his change and his receipt.
"Maybe we'll see you around," Colton said.
"I'd like that," Keelan chimed in, making her blush again.
Keelan was still waving when they walked out of the store. When everyone had climbed into the SUV and the doors closed, the men sighed as one.
"Is it just me, or do these store runs seem to be getting more and more complicated?" Darian asked.
Aiden reached back and handed him a bag. "I couldn't agree more."
Colton eyed the bag. "What's this?"
Aiden started the car. "Penny's donuts. Bart seemed especially concerned when I told him I was getting them for your daughter because she had excelled in our training drills, he kept looking from my gun to your box of pull-ups. I wonder what he was thinking?"