Читать книгу She's My Baby - Adrianne Byrd, Pamela Yaye - Страница 13

The first workday after Christmas, Atlanta Spice returned to its usual buzz of hectic calm where photographers were late, freelance writers were behind schedule, and the company’s CEO was still recovering from a mental breakdown.

“She’s adorable,” Ciara cooed, waving the stuffed frog in front of a giggling Emma. “How could you not love a face like this?” She leaned over and planted a kiss against the baby’s chubby cheeks.

“She’s only adorable in front of company, but not when she’s peeing on my couch.” Leila looked up from her desk. “Which cost me a pretty penny to have cleaned. Not to mention the cost of turning one of the guest rooms into a nursery.”

“You already hired someone to do that?”

“Had to. I’m not going to keep changing Ms. Thang on my expensive furniture. I’m paying a decorator double time to have the room done by the end of the day.”

Ciara continued to coo over the child. “Have you had any luck locating Sam?”

“None.” Leila removed her reading glasses and leaned back in her oversize office chair. “It’s like she disappeared off the face of the earth. Which might be a wise move on her part because if I ever get my hands on her—”

“A woman who can just walk away from her child has to be in a lot of pain,” Ciara sympathized. “That’s the only explanation I can come up with.”

Leila didn’t respond, but sat up and returned her attention to the stacks of paper on her desk.

“Of course, you look like hell.”

“I haven’t slept for more than two hours since Christmas Eve,” Leila complained, staring at her niece. “I don’t know how anybody does it. I feel like a walking zombie.”

“When is Roslyn returning from her vacation?”

“Five days.”

“Are you going to make it?”

“I’m a survivor.” Leila straightened in her chair. “I’ve had to get through a lot worse.”

“You’re going to hire a nanny, aren’t you?”

“Damn right.” Leila glanced at her watch. “I have an important meeting tonight and I have no intentions of dragging a screaming baby into a five-star restaurant. Hearst Communications has the distribution that can take this magazine to the next level. I simply can’t miss or reschedule this meeting.”

“What about that gorgeous hunk across the street from you?” Ciara smiled.

Leila regretted telling Ciara that part of the story. “Gorgeous doesn’t do him justice.” Dropping her elbows down on her desk, she sighed and indulged in a moment to reflect on the best butt she’d seen on a man.

“You know, it’s not every day a woman runs into a baby whisperer.”

She snapped out of her trance. “Okay. Now you’re just making this stuff up.”

“C’mon. You know what I mean. A man who can change diapers, fix bottles and rock a baby to sleep…?” She sobered. “Are you sure he’s not married?”

“I didn’t see a ring.” Leila shrugged as she gave the question considerable thought. “I don’t think so.”

“Did he show up on your gaydar?”

“Not even a bleep.”

“Well.” Ciara clapped her hands. “I say we jump his bones.”

“We?” Leila laughed.

“I’m a pregnant married woman. I have to live vicariously through someone. It might as well be you.”

“What? Elmo isn’t getting it for you?”

“Lay off my husband’s name,” Ciara warned. “I think it’s cute.”

Emma cooed and giggled at the playpen’s rotating mobile.

The women glanced over at the child and smiled.

“Are you sure you want to pawn her off on some stranger?”

“Look, I have a company to run.” Leila perked. “Unless you and Elmo—”

“I would if I could, but Elmo’s parents are flying in tonight.” Ciara patted her belly. “We told them the news on Christmas morning and now they insist on coming in for a visit. But I think you’re missing a wonderful opportunity to peek inside what motherhood is like.”

“My view of motherhood has not changed. It’s not for me.”

“Still. You know you have to be very careful whom you leave a child with. In fact, it’s not unheard of to run a criminal and credit check, and then you might want to set up cameras throughout the house so you can keep an eye out on what’s going on.”

Leila hadn’t considered all of that; but now, since Ciara had brought it up, one could never be too careful.

Once Ciara returned to her desk, Leila spent the next twenty minutes feeding, burping and obsessing with whether she made the right decision to hire a nanny. It suddenly seemed risky.

“Ms. Owens, your one o’clock appointment is here to see you,” Ciara reported over the speakerphone.

“Send her in.”

The moment the door opened, Emma started crying. No wonder, given the middle-aged Englishwoman’s frosty nature.

“You have an impressive résumé, Ms. Howard.” Leila smiled and tried Garrick’s patting-and-bouncing trick.

“Children are my life,” Ms. Howard said without smiling. “All they need is a strict set of rules and a firm hand.”

Leila shifted and wondered at her meaning.

“Holding the child like that is just spoiling her.” The woman’s thin lips pursed as she shook her head. “It’s not good to reward bad behavior.”

“Excuse me?” Leila shouted above Emma’s wails.

The elderly woman stood from her chair and reached for the baby. “May I see her?”

Emma clutched Leila’s blouse and screamed louder. Did her niece sense something strange about the woman?

You know you have to be very careful whom you leave a child with.

“Uh, no.” Leila turned away from the experienced nanny. “I think that’s enough with the questions for the day.” She yelled above the wails and flashed a tight smile. “I’ll be in contact.”

Ms. Howard drew her hands back and stared down the end of her nose. “Very well.” She gathered her things. “I hope to hear from you.”

As soon as the door closed behind the Englishwoman, Emma stopped crying.

Leila frowned at her sniffling, wide-eyed niece and wondered what the devil had just happened. “You know, I’m starting to think you’re like your mother—high-maintenance.”

Emma batted her long lashes, flashed her dimpled cheeks and released a high giggle.

“Whatever.”