Читать книгу A Secret Colton Baby - Karen Whiddon - Страница 11
ОглавлениеThe drive into town felt as if it took longer than usual. He figured he’d pick up the diapers and formula after he had a word with Dr. Rand.
Dead River looked like a ghost town. Probably because it was Sunday, and most folks were either at church or home with their families. Main Street, usually pretty busy about this time of day while the stores were open, had tons of empty parking spots and only a few people on the sidewalks. But when he turned the corner onto Third and spotted the clinic’s overflowing parking lot, he couldn’t believe it. Usually, the clinic was closed on Sundays, except for emergencies.
Gemma hadn’t been exaggerating. He ended up parking in the street.
As he approached the glass front door of the one-story, white cinder block building, he nearly stopped short as he saw the mass of people milling around in the waiting area. Surely not all of these people had come down with the virus.
Pushing inside, he stopped, checking everything out. No one looked feverish, or was coughing, sneezing or exhibiting any other flu-like symptoms. As far as he could tell, none of these people actually appeared sick.
His suspicion was confirmed when Cathleen Walker, who worked the intake desk, grabbed his arm. As usual, her clothes looked a bit rumpled, as though she hadn’t had time to press them. “Theo, are you okay?”
He nodded. “What’s up with them?”
“They want a shot.” She grimaced, slipping one foot out of the high heels she continually wore to work and stretching it, before sliding it back into her shoe. “Not a flu shot either—most everybody has already had that. I don’t know why, but someone heard we had received an inoculation against whatever killed Mimi Rand and got the others sick.”
“And you don’t even know what it was, do you?”
“No. But none of these people will leave.” She heaved a frustrated sigh. “More and more keep showing up. I’ve told them, Dr. Moore has told them and even Dr. Granger.”
“What about Dr. Rand?”
Her expression changed, softening. “He’s in the back, writing up a report on the latest people to fall ill. The poor man is grief-stricken over losing Mimi. He acts like it’s his fault he couldn’t save her.”
“I need to talk to him.” Again he glanced at the packed waiting room. “People,” he said, raising his voice. “If you’re sick, please raise your hand.”
Not one hand went up. Exactly as he’d suspected. “Everyone else, go on home. You don’t want to risk being exposed to whatever this virus is.” He glanced around, picking out individuals among the crowd and meeting their eyes. “Do you understand what I’m saying? If you’re healthy, not only are you using resources that could better be directed toward helping those that are sick, but just being here puts you in very serious danger of becoming infected.”
At his words people began exchanging glances, some chastised, others suspicious, a few even hostile. One or two hurried toward the door, and then a couple more followed. Pretty soon, it became apparent the place was going to rapidly empty out.
“Oh, thank you.” Cathleen sagged against her desk, clearly relieved. “Dr. Granger has been saying if too many more get sick, we’re going to have to set up an isolation area and keep the virus victims separated from everyone else.”
Which made sense, since the clinic was the main place for medical care in Dead River.
“Come on,” Cathleen said, giving him a tired smile and finger-combing her slightly mussed blond hair. “I’ll take you back to see Dr. Rand.”
He followed behind, her high heels clicking on the linoleum. They went past the reception area to where the older patient-records were stored in manila folders. For years, Gemma had claimed Dead River Clinic wanted to go entirely electronic. Apparently they had not yet completed the task of doing so.
“Here we are.” Once again all professional, Cathleen stopped and pointed toward one of the offices. A brown and gold nameplate on the door stated it belonged to Dr. Lucas Rand.
“Thanks.” He lightly squeezed her shoulder, making her blush, which sort of surprised him since they’d known each other from the fifth grade.
Moving forward, he peered into the small office. Dr. Rand spoke into a handheld dictation device. His usually perfect dark hair looked as if he’d been dragging his fingers repeatedly through it.
Theo knocked lightly on the door.
The doctor looked up, his dark eyes full of pain. He clicked off his machine and stood, holding out his hand. “Theo.”
Theo shook his hand, trying to figure out the best way to word what he had to say. Finally, he decided the hell with it. He’d talk to Dr. Rand man-to-man.
“About Mimi,” he began.
“I can’t believe she’s dead.”
“Me, either.” Theo dug his hands down into his pockets and resisted the urge to shift from foot to foot. “I’m guessing you know she had a baby?”
The other man nodded. “Of course. When she first got pregnant, I wrote her script for prenatal vitamins.” He choked up, averting his face and swallowing hard as he tried to get himself under control. “I can’t believe she’s gone.”
“I’m sorry.”
Dr. Rand sighed. “I tried my best to save her. I couldn’t. I let her down. And now her newborn child is motherless.”
“About that.” Theo tried to figure out the best way to say it, and then decided to just blurt it out. “Is the baby—Amelia—yours?”
Dr. Rand stared at him, his expression a mix of surprise and horror. “Good Lord, no. Mimi and I haven’t been together like that in at least a year.” He blinked and peered at Theo the same way a scientist might inspect a particularly interesting petri dish full of bacteria. “Um, Theo? I don’t know what you’re getting at, but it’s my understanding that Amelia is your daughter.” He flushed and looked away. “At least that’s what Mimi told me. And she had no reason to lie.”
Mine. For a split second, it seemed to Theo everything tilted sideways. The room suddenly felt too warm. Treading carefully, as it was common knowledge that Dr. Rand had still cared for his ex-wife, Theo cleared his throat.
“Look, Dr. Rand—”
“Call me Lucas.”
Theo nodded. “Okay. Lucas. This is awkward, but Mimi never contacted me about being pregnant. I would have helped her.”
“I took care of that. I’ve been paying spousal support anyway, so I just added to it. I don’t think she ever intended you to find out, at first. Clearly, she changed her mind.”
“That doesn’t make sense.” Frowning, Theo couldn’t make sense of any of this. “Besides, she and I were only together a couple of times. I sincerely doubt that I could be Amelia’s father.”
Some dark emotion flashed across Lucas’s face, before he looked down. When he raised his head to meet Theo’s gaze, he expression was calm. “One time is all it takes. You know that.”
Theo found himself at a loss for words.
“Look, Theo.” Lucas gripped his shoulder. “I’ve always thought you were a good guy. And little Amelia is a Colton. You should be raising her. Obviously, since Mimi came to you when she realized she was ill, that was her last wish for her baby girl. Amelia needs to be with her family. I work all the time, here at the clinic. I have nothing to offer her, while you...you have a rich heritage, a large family and plenty of support.”
Put that way, Theo knew Lucas was right. But how could Theo be a father? He had no idea how. His own father had been an abusive drunk, who’d only shown up when he needed something and stayed just long enough to break his young children’s hearts.
His father’s mother—Grandma Dottie—had raised all three of them, and Flint, Theo and Gemma worshipped the ground she walked on. Maybe she could help, Theo thought. Or at the very least, explain to him how a good father should act.
Still rattled, he nodded and turned to go. Lucas tightened his grip on Theo’s shoulder, stopping him.
“Theo, I swear I will find the medicine to treat this thing,” Lucas vowed. “Or a cure, if it comes to that. In the meantime, have Gemma check you out. I want you to bring Amelia by immediately if she starts showing any flu-like symptoms. Same with you or anyone in your house. We need to treat early, before symptoms become life-threatening.”
The other man’s choice of words worried Theo. “You talk like this is some new kind of disease.”
“It might be.” Lucas appeared to be choosing what he said carefully. “I’m doing everything I can to figure it out.”
“You’re a good man, Dr. Lucas Rand.” Theo moved away. “I’ll go have a word with Gemma now.”
“She’s in the back with the sick children.” Lucas frowned. “I don’t want you going back there. It’s not safe.”
“Then why is my sister there?” Theo asked sharply.
“She’s taking the proper precautions—she has on a mask and gloves. Let me page her and see if she has time to come out.”
Theo waited while Lucas did that. After a moment, Lucas’s cell phone rang. He answered, spoke a few words and hung up.
“She said she’ll call you later, once her shift is over.” A sudden weariness appeared to settle over the doctor. “Thanks for stopping by, Theo. You know the way out, right? I need to get back to work.”
Summarily dismissed, Theo took his leave. When he reached the front desk, he saw the waiting room had once again begun to fill up.
This time, he simply made his way to the door. He had a lot to think about, but most important, he needed to pick up formula and diapers.
Once that was done, he headed home.
On the drive there, he called his grandmother Dottie. If he remembered her schedule right, she should be home from church by now. Though she was seventy-five years old, she played canasta with several other widowed women once a week. She’d never remarried, but she kept busy. She ate lunch out with her church friends on Wednesday, and then went to Bible study that night. Church on Sunday, a reading group on another day—he couldn’t keep up with her schedule.
The phone rang six times before she picked up. “You’re there,” he said, relieved. “I thought I missed you and was about to disconnect the call. How are you, Gram?”
“Not too good,” she answered, surprising him. “I think I might be coming down with something.”
He felt a flash of alarm. “Promise me you’ll go to the clinic and get it checked out.”
“It’ll probably pass.” She didn’t sound too worried. “If not, I’ll have Gemma check me out. If she thinks I need to see a doctor, I will.”
Relieved, he asked her if she was sitting down.
She laughed, or attempted to. Instead she made a sound that turned into a hacking cough.
Instantly alarmed, Theo felt his stomach twist as he remembered what Gemma had told him earlier. He told Gram she needed to go to the clinic immediately and get checked out.
“Don’t be silly,” she replied, after she regained her voice. Even over the phone, Theo could tell she wasn’t well. “It’s just a cold,” she continued. “Nothing to stress about.”
“Gram, please. I’ve got enough on my plate. Don’t add having to worry about you to my list.” He knew making it be about him was the only way she’d consider doing something for herself. That was his gram Dottie. Always doing for others.
“What do you have on your plate?” she asked, instantly concerned. Of course. He chastised himself. She’d immediately pick up on that.
“A woman named Mimi Rand showed up on my doorstep yesterday morning with an infant. She claimed the baby girl is mine. And then she collapsed.” He swallowed hard, almost afraid to tell her the rest. “She was rushed to Dead River Clinic, but she passed away last night. She had a virus. That’s why I’m so worried about you. It starts out a lot like the flu. Fever, chills, body aches. A cough, sore throat, maybe even vomiting or diarrhea. Do you have any of those?”
“No.”
“I still want you to get checked out. I love you too much to lose you.”
“Fine.” She sounded grumpy, though touched, too. She knew Theo as well as he knew her. “I’ll try to go tomorrow. If I start feeling worse, I’ll call Gemma and ask her to stop by and check on me.”
“Perfect.”
“Now, Theo, tell me the truth. I know—knew—Mimi Rand. She was well dressed and well mannered and acted as if she was used to the finer things in life. Probably because she was Dr. Rand’s ex-wife. I can’t imagine...” She took a deep breath. “Dead?”
“Yes. And Gemma says no one knows what it is exactly that killed her.”
Silence while she digested this. Then she cleared her throat and spoke. “Theo, tell me the truth. Is this baby really yours?” She sounded deeply disappointed, which still had the power to crush him.
“I don’t know.” He told her the truth. “But after talking to Dr. Rand today, it’s appearing likely.”
“Well, then.” Disappointment gave way to her normal, brisk, take-charge attitude. “I’ll do whatever I can to help. I wouldn’t mind having a young’un to cuddle again. Once I get over this cold, I’ll come by and meet...what is her name?”
“Amelia. She’s really tiny.”
“Amelia. I like it.” She coughed again. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
He hung up, smiling although her cough still worried him. But she was a tough old lady and he figured she knew if she was seriously sick or not.
* * *
Ellie had always avoided cocky men who were full of themselves. A lot of cowboys were like that. But from what she’d seen of Theo Colton in the short time she’d been here at the ranch, while he had swagger, and the same rough-and-tumble sex appeal, he wasn’t conceited or arrogant. There was a fine line between self-assurance and smug self-importance, and she thought Theo was merely confident and comfortable in his own body. She believed this despite the stories she’d heard the one night she ventured into town to have a drink at the Dead River Bar.
But this morning, hearing how he’d spoken of this precious little innocent baby—his baby—at that moment, she’d wondered if she’d been wrong about him after all.
Once he’d left to go to town, she realized he must be terrified. He’d been a big-time rodeo cowboy, a bareback bronc riding champion. She’d spent enough time around horses in her hometown of Boulder to know rodeo cowboys were footloose and fancy-free. They had to be, since they made their living driving from town to town, rodeo to rodeo.
She also knew women of all kinds flocked to them, the way groupies hung on to musicians. All kinds of women. Mimi Rand was proof of that, may she rest in peace.
Now Theo was dealing with the fallout. For him, just knowing that his injuries had cost him all that, everything he’d ever known, must have been bad enough. Now this—finding out he was a father. By a woman who, from what he’d said, he’d barely known.
Gazing at Amelia while she slept in the car seat she’d been brought here in that converted to a portable bassinette, Ellie thought she’d never seen a more darling baby. Wisps of curly dark hair framed her chubby-cheeked face. As she’d done several times over the past hour, Ellie lightly touched the infant’s forehead, checking to make sure there were no signs of fever.
So far, so good. No sign of whatever mysterious illness had plagued her mother.
For some reason Ellie thought of her parents. She knew what they’d do in this situation. As lifelong evangelistic missionaries on the African continent, they’d elevated the act of prayer to a fine art. She only wished they’d devoted as much effort to being parents and making them all a family. She hadn’t seen them in years, and even in her younger days, she’d stayed with a neighbor while they were off saving the world. They were too busy, too full of what they considered their life’s work, to spend time raising a daughter.
Ellie had often wondered why they’d even had her. Most likely, she’d been an accident. Ah well, dwelling on the past never changed anything. And she no longer prayed, because she’d spent her entire childhood praying her parents would want her. When her prayers had gone unanswered through the years, she’d sworn never to pray again.
Even though they’d had a late breakfast, soon it would be lunchtime on the ranch. As the only cook, Ellie knew she had to come up with something to feed the hardworking, hungry ranch hands. Luckily, she’d started on a big pot of chili the day before, and all she had to do was place the large cooking pot on the stove and break out a couple of bags of Fritos and shredded cheddar cheese.
Relieved that she could do this and still take care of Amelia, she knew the evening meal might be more of a challenge. She needed to do prep work now. A couple of days ago, she’d moved four whole chickens to the fridge from the freezer. She could roast those and make a pot of pinto beans and a huge bowl of rice. Simple but efficient.
She gave the chili another stir with the wooden spoon and returned to gaze at the sleeping baby. Footsteps in the hallway made her turn, wondering if the crew had broken for lunch early.
Not the ranch hands. Instead Theo, gazing first at her and then the baby. Ellie’s heart did a little stuttering dance as she stared at him. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, muscular arms. And that face, craggy and masculine, with that cute little bump on his nose where it had been broken. He was handsome and sexy, and so far out of her league it wasn’t funny. Even knowing this, she couldn’t keep from drinking him in with her eyes, even as she tried—and pretty much failed—to appear nonchalant.
“How’s she doing?” he asked, his gaze on Amelia.
“Fine.” She found a sudden need to turn away and stir the chili. “I’ve been watching her and there’s no sign of a fever. I’m guessing she’s not hungry yet since she’s been asleep since you left. Did you bring the formula and diapers?”
“I did. They’re on the counter.” The edge of huskiness in his voice made her look at him. He was still staring at the baby, something very much like tenderness flashing in his amazing green eyes.
Chest tight, she turned back to the simmering pot. “Lunch is almost ready. The ranch hands should be here any moment.”
“I told you that you didn’t have to cook since you’re taking care of the baby.”
“Then who would?” Her tone came out sharper than she’d intended. “If I don’t, the hands won’t have anything to eat.”
“Thank you.” He came to stand next to her, making every nerve in her body quiver. “I’m sorry. I thought I’d made it back in time to get the noon meal ready.”
She didn’t comment. It was eleven-thirty and the men ate at straight-up twelve.
When he touched her arm, she gave a little jump. Inhaling sharply, she took a step back from him, hoping if she put a little distance between them, she could regain her equilibrium. When she’d first applied for the job, she was so desperate for work, she’d barely noticed his rugged good looks. After all, she’d been nearly broke with nowhere to live but her car.
Now, almost a full week later, every time Theo came anywhere near her, she went weak in the knees and her entire body tingled.
Cleary, she needed to get over this.
“I’ve talked to my grandmother.” He frowned. “I wanted to ask her to help with the baby, but she sounds like she’s coming down with a cold.”
“That’s not good.” Ellie kept her voice steady, a bit startled at the odd rush of possessiveness she felt at the thought of someone else taking care of Amelia. “Maybe it would be better to see if you can find someone else to cook, at least until your grandmother gets better. I don’t mind.”
He gave her a long look, his green eyes keenly observant. “We’ll see. In the meantime, I’ll help you with dinner,” he said. “How about that?”
“Let’s get through lunch first,” she said. “If you don’t mind, I’ll get Amelia changed and fed. There are corn chips on the table, shredded cheese in the fridge and all they need to do is ladle the chili into their bowls.”
He nodded. “I can handle that.”
“Thank you.” Moving briskly, she washed her hands and then grabbed one of the cans of formula and read the instructions, just to make sure.
Once everything was mixed up in one of the bottles, she warmed it slightly in the microwave and shook it to make sure the heat distributed evenly. She squeezed a drop on her wrist, something she thought she’d seen on TV. “Perfect.”
More relieved than she’d care to admit, even to herself, she crossed over to where Amelia still slept. One quick glance at Theo, and the knot was back in the pit of her stomach. “I’ll just take her upstairs and feed and change her.”
“Sounds good.” Theo glanced at the clock. “The less exposure she has to others, the better, at least until we get her checked out. I’m going to see if Gemma can come by tonight after work, though I might have her stop by Gram Dottie’s first.”
The worry and affection in his voice when he spoke of his grandmother warmed her. “Just let me know,” she said. “I think I hear the guys.”
He gave her a panicked look, nearly making her laugh. Instead she picked up Amelia’s carrier, tucking the warm baby bottle on one side. She looped the bag with the diapers over her arm and hurried upstairs just as the back door opened and the hungry ranch hands began filing in.
Amelia woke with a startled little sound when they were halfway up the stairs. After one quick gasp, she scrunched up her little face and let out an ear-piercing wail. By the time Ellie had reached the landing, Amelia had begun to cry in earnest.
Making soothing sounds, Ellie hurried to her room. Once there, she dropped the diapers on the bed and hurried to get Amelia out of the carrier. No amount of rocking or murmuring endearments would soothe her. But the instant Ellie pressed the baby bottle against her lips, Amelia latched on, drinking so fast she hiccupped.
“What a beautiful baby you are,” Ellie murmured, her heart full. “I’m so sorry your mama won’t get to see you grow up.”
Cradling Amelia while she finished her bottle, Ellie wondered at this newfound surge of maternal emotion. She hadn’t spent a lot of time around babies, and it amazed her how tiny this one seemed.
Once Amelia finished her bottle, Ellie burped her, again copying something she’d seen on television. Amelia let out a satisfied belch.
Ellie kicked off her shoes and climbed onto her bed, holding Amelia close. She propped up a pillow and leaned back, resting while she gently rocked her charge.
A few seconds later, Amelia had gone back to sleep. Smiling, Ellie watched her. Once, before her stalker, she’d settled into a sort of Bohemian existence working at a bookstore in Boulder. She’d had friends, she’d been happy, though she’d often felt like she was floating along through life. Her stalker had changed that, and the constant panic had forced her to go on the run. Now she’d landed here. She wasn’t sure why, especially since she’d always wanted to travel, but she hadn’t felt this content in a long time.
* * *
By the time the lunch hour was over, Theo had a newfound respect for the job of ranch cook. Since coming back home, he hadn’t had to do much, Mrs. Saul had worked in the kitchen for over twenty years. When the plump white-haired lady had come to him and announced she wanted to retire, the entire ranch was caught off guard. She’d promised to stay until he’d found someone to replace her, and so she had. The transition from Mrs. Saul to Ellie Parker had gone seamlessly.
One tiny baby and everything had been thrown off balance. That was okay, he told himself. Once Gram Dottie took over nanny duty, everything here would be right back on track. He’d just have to pitch in until then. At least he had plans. Big ones, actually. He just had to find the right stock to get his breeding program underway.
Most people didn’t realize that the majority of broncos in the rodeos were bred specifically for that role. The best buckers had good confirmation and breeding. Theo figured if he couldn’t ride ’em, he’d breed ’em.
Until then, he’d help out in whatever way he could, including cooking. The men had been surprised to see him in the kitchen, but they’d been hungry and dug into the chili. Theo had fixed himself a bowl, too, and taken a seat at the table in the other room to eat with them. All the talk was on the upcoming Tulsa State Fair and Rodeo in Oklahoma.
Pretending it didn’t bother him talking about something that had been his favorite activity in the world was something he had gotten better at. Theo laughed and joked, argued about who he thought was the best bull rider, hoping and praying they didn’t ask him about the bronc riders, whether saddle bronc or bareback. Bareback had been his sport, and even thinking about what he would be missing usually filled him with a brooding kind of anger.
Maybe they had heard this, or perhaps his hired cowboys had a lot of common sense, because bronc riding never came up.
Most of them had seconds, complimenting Theo on the chili. He smiled and told them to thank Ellie. No one asked about the baby, no doubt remembering the way the conversation had gone that morning.
Finally, one by one, they pushed back their chairs and headed out to get back to work. Relieved, Theo gathered up the dirty dishes, rinsed them off and put them in the dishwasher. He made sure the burner was off and left the pot on the stove to cool.
He made a quick call to a local alarm monitoring service and left a message on their answering machine asking for an appointment the next day to have motion detectors and whatever else came with a home alarm installed.
Someone called him back in two minutes, confirming the appointment for Monday afternoon. He imagined they didn’t get much business. Here in Dead River, the country folks rarely even bothered to lock their doors.
Theo had been the same. In the past. No longer. He planned to make sure the house was locked up tight each night before he went to bed. An alarm would be additional insurance. Whoever had broken in, whether he’d been after the baby or Ellie, wouldn’t be able to get in so easily next time.
As he tried to decide whether or not to take Ellie her lunch upstairs, his cell phone rang. The caller ID showed Gemma.
“Hey,” he answered. “I thought you weren’t going to call until after you got off work.”
“I wasn’t,” Gemma answered, sounding stressed and more upset than he’d ever heard her. “But Gram Dottie just came in.”
“Good. I told her to get her tail in there if she didn’t start feeling better.”
“Oh, Theo.” To his shock, he could tell his sister was on the verge of tears. “She walked in the front door, and then she collapsed. We’ve moved her back to the isolation area. The doctors think Gram Dottie has the same thing Mimi Rand had.”
