Читать книгу The Cowboy's Unexpected Baby - Stephanie Dees - Страница 14

A few minutes later, Garrett kicked open the front door of the office and dragged in the box with the porta-crib. Under his other arm was a box of diapers. “Got ’em.”

“Wow. You bought a crib.”

“Yeah, I didn’t have time to do research this morning. I just bought everything. Too much?”

“I’ve been out of the country for a while. I think I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have choices and everything available right when you need it.” Her voice was soft, her eyes on the baby.

Garrett snuck a glance at her. Short dark brown hair prone to wave, long black eyelashes, pretty hazel eyes that looked just a bit wary. He flipped through the information in his mind that Wynn had shared with him about Abby. Licensed clinical social worker. Disaster relief overseas. Old friends. Wait—she got shot. That’s right. She was working in a Syrian refugee camp and somehow got shot.

He gave her a rueful smile. “I’m not usually so impulsive. Or maybe I am, I don’t know. Either way, I just remembered you got shot. I’m sorry. That must’ve been horrible.”

Abby made an attempt at a smile. “Yeah, it was pretty bad. I know all the things to do for people who experience traumatic events, but education only goes so far when you’re the one with the trauma.”

“I was pretty young when my parents were killed in a car accident, but I still remember what it was like to have that safety net pulled out from under me. If you ever want to talk, I’m a good listener.”

She nodded but didn’t say anything, just looked away.

Okay, then. Way to go, champ. Batting a thousand. “So what’s next? Maybe I should set up the porta-crib?”

Abby wrinkled her nose. “Actually, I think now might be a good time for Diaper Changing 101.”

Gingerly, he leaned forward and sniffed. “Oh, yeah. So what do I do first?”

“I laid out the changing pad and the wipes on the conference table.” Abby walked over to the table and, with her hand supporting Charlotte’s neck, laid the baby gently onto the mat. “Make sure you hold her head up if you’re not cradling her against you.”

“Support the neck. Got it.” Oh, surely he hadn’t been letting Charlotte’s head flop around all morning?

Abby stepped to the side and said, “The first thing you do is take off enough clothes so you can change her.”

“I think this is a see-one-do-one learning experience. I’ll just watch you this time.” Garrett mentally crossed his fingers.

“Sure, but you have to take her home with you tonight whether you know how to change a diaper or not.”

“You’re not nice.”

A laugh sputtered out. “Tactfully put. But I get it, it’s cool. You’ll probably be fine on your own.”

“Wait…that came out wrong. You’re obviously very nice.” He shot a grin at Abby and stepped up to the edge of the table. Beads of sweat formed across his forehead as he looked down at the baby, who stared at him with her fist in her mouth. Charlotte’s legs were no bigger than his thumb.

“You just have to go for it. She won’t break, I promise you.”

He could do this, no problem. He’d raised newborn goats and they’d survived. How different could it be? He tucked his fingers under the elastic band at Charlotte’s waist, and after a few minutes of wrangling, he managed to get the baby partially undressed. “Now what?”

“Slide the fresh diaper underneath but keep the dirty one under her until…” Abby’s voice trailed off as he pulled the soiled diaper out and got the clean one dirty.

“Oh. Oh, no.”

She didn’t say anything, just handed him another clean diaper. This time, he slid the clean one under and took the wipe she held out.

“Take two. No worries, Charlotte. We got this.” He held her feet up, took a swipe and gagged.

Beside him, Abby tried—and failed—to hide the fact that she was laughing at him.

“Hey, feel free to get in here and—” He made another pass at the mess. “Oh, this is awful. She’s so wiggly. Stop laughing, Abby.”

She held out another wipe. “Here, but be quick about it, or…”

He sighed, and without a word held out his hand for another diaper.

The giggle from Abby started him chuckling and before he knew it, he was laughing, but he got the diaper around the baby and fastened the tabs. When he looked up, he caught a glimpse of Abby’s smile and it stopped him in his tracks, made him want to dig deeper and find out what really made her tick.

As if his life wasn’t complicated enough.

So that was a big fat no. He was full up on lost causes. He’d tried to help Brooklyn—all that time spent as her law guardian and for what? He was caring for an abandoned baby—her baby—and she was nowhere to be found.

He was on lost cause number umpteen thousand forty-two. He didn’t have time for any more. Even one with pretty hazel eyes and a sharp sense of humor.

Brushing his fingers across the peach fuzz on Charlotte’s head, he picked her up. And the diaper he’d struggled to put on her slid halfway down her legs. “Umm…help?”

“Easy fix.” Abby laid the baby back down on the mat and deftly released and refastened the tabs before slipping the leggings back on bird-thin baby legs. “You did great. You just have to make the diaper tighter than you think.”

Garrett shook his head. “Not as easy as it looks. How’d you learn to do that?”

“I put myself through college being a nanny.” She lifted Charlotte and handed her back to Garrett. “Good to go. You’ll be a pro in no time.”

He cradled Charlotte in his arms and looked down at her little face. She was precious, with that dusting of strawberry-blond hair on her head and long blond eyelashes. And that whole ugly diaper business faded from his mind.

His heart squeezed.

Was he really going to be able to do this?

Abby picked up the diaper-changing paraphernalia and tucked it into the diaper bag, trying to ignore the warm feeling in her chest as she watched Garrett’s face soften. “So how does one end up being surprise guardian to an infant?”

He glanced up. “She was left on my doorstep this morning.”

“What?” Abby gaped at him. It sounded like something from the plot of a TV movie. “Do you know who left her there?”

He swayed back and forth as Charlotte’s eyelids fluttered closed. “Her mom is a former client. I was her law guardian when she was in foster care.”

“Maybe this is an obvious question, but how’d she know where you live? I’d guess that’s not something you share with your clients on a regular basis.”

“No. My brothers and I own a ranch and we have some horses and goats and cows. Last spring, we invited a bunch of foster families out for a picnic. Brooklyn was one of those.” He shrugged. “It seemed like such a small thing at the time.”

“It’s a nice thing. I wouldn’t second-guess it now.” She put her hand on his arm and his dark brown eyes darted up to meet hers. She swallowed hard. “So, um…she just left the baby on your porch?”

“She also left signed papers giving me custody—technically a delegation of parental authority—but I have no idea if that will stand up to scrutiny. To make matters more complicated, I’m a mandatory reporter. I can’t just pretend that a baby didn’t appear on my front porch. I have to report this to family services.”

His eyes were steady behind the lenses of his dark-rimmed glasses and Abby realized that momentary flash of attraction hadn’t gone away. Instead, she found herself drawn to find out more about him. His laugh lines told her he was a man who smiled often, his gentleness with the baby revealing a kind heart.

Oh, girl, get a grip on that wild imagination. She had no space in her life right now for any kind of entanglement, romantic or otherwise, even if she did that kind of thing. Which she didn’t. She had to focus on rebuilding her life. Or building a new life?

Whatever—she had to focus. “Do you know how to reach the mother?”

“I tried calling her. Or at least the last number I had for her, but I didn’t get an answer.”

“Tough situation.” Abby paused a moment, not sure if she should even ask the next question. “Do you…want to be her legal guardian?”

He looked down into Charlotte’s guileless face, raised one shoulder and let it drop with another sigh. “I don’t know what I want. I want to make this better—for everyone.”

Abby nodded slowly. “I’m familiar with that feeling. If I can help, let me know.”

“Thanks.” With Charlotte firmly asleep, he laid her gently into her car seat and eased himself free. “Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour.”

The office space was open, industrial almost, with three small offices and the receptionist’s desk on one side of the room. The walls of the offices were glass panels which, now that she considered it, was a thoughtful choice. Enough privacy for confidentiality but enough visibility for everyone’s safety. Something she could appreciate these days.

“Before Wynn joined the practice, the whole space was open. It was just a few chairs and a desk.”

By the front door, there was a cozy seating area. Behind that a conference table and, in the very back of the room, a small kitchenette. The overall effect was warmth from the exposed brick and reclaimed wood, but with enough polish that it would give clients a sense they were in good hands. “It’s really a remarkable space. I can see that you both had a hand in designing it.”

“Thanks. I like it.”

A quick look at the baby reassured Abby that Charlotte was still sleeping, so she followed him across the room for a closer look at the individual offices. Elvis lifted his head to track her movement.

“This one is Wynn’s, if you couldn’t tell from the desk. Her husband Latham made it.”

Like Wynn herself, the small office managed to convey chic and approachable at the same time. The desk was a smooth concrete surface over reclaimed wood supports. It was bare except for a closed laptop and a small bird’s nest with four hand-carved eggs. “I love it. It looks just like her.”

Garrett’s office was next to Wynn’s. In contrast to Wynn’s pristine office, his space was…lived in.

“I like a creative organization system, as you can see.” Garrett grinned.

A long wood counter stretched the length of the wall behind his desk. His filing system seemed to be a series of labeled boxes stacked three deep. She snorted a laugh as she noted the huge black cat stretching in the corner, underneath a signed poster of Michael Jordan dunking a basketball.

“Barney Fife came with the place. No idea how old he is, but I’m guessing at least fifteen.”

She smiled. “I didn’t know you had an office cat.”

“Will your dog be okay having a cat around?”

“Elvis likes cats. Worst-case scenario, he just ignores Barney. Best case, they’ll be BFFs.”

The cat turned one sleepy yellow eye toward her before going back to his nap.

From the door, Garrett said, “He’s very demanding.”

She laughed again. “I can see that.”

“So this one is yours. The desk came out of the historic school. I rescued it before they tore the place down. It’s probably at least a hundred years old.”

“I like it. It has personality.” The two leather chairs were generic but in good shape. She made a mental note to buy a plant and some art for the walls. Maybe a throw rug. Here she had time to make the place—the job—her own. It was a shift in thinking, but a much-needed one. “Oh, there’s a dog bed.”

“Wynn wanted to make sure that Elvis would feel comfortable here, too. She’s really excited about this project. I am too, to be honest. If we can identify ways to help people before they need a lawyer, maybe we can really make a difference in people’s lives.”

“I agree. I can’t wait to get started.” Their tour ended back at the conference table. She started picking up the stuff Garrett had bought for the baby earlier this morning. She found two packages of bottles, a can of formula, three different kinds of pacifiers, some baby socks and, even though he wouldn’t need it for some time, a baby-proofing kit.

Abby was still staring at the assortment of stuff when a woman carrying a diaper bag and a large translucent plastic tub came in through the front door. Garrett sprang into action and met her at the door, taking the big storage tub out of her hands.

“Thanks, Garrett.” The woman’s blond hair was piled on top of her head and, despite circles under her eyes, she sent Abby a bright smile. “You must be Abby. I’m Wynn’s sister, Jules. It’s great to finally meet you.”

“Nice to meet my landlord in person.” Abby smiled. “I dropped my stuff off at the cottage this morning and came straight into town to meet Wynn. I didn’t even have a chance to look around.”

“And I got an SOS call from Wynn about Garrett’s surprise baby, so I packed up a few things just to get him through.” As she spoke, Jules walked to the table and looked into the baby carrier. “Oh, she’s precious, Garrett.”

Garrett seemed to have things under control now, so Abby picked up her purse. She used a hand motion to call Elvis, who was by her side in an instant. “I guess I need to get going.”

He looked up in alarm. “You’re leaving? But I haven’t learned how to make a bottle yet.”

“I think I’ve got you covered there.” Jules unzipped the large diaper bag. “There are some benefits to having a pediatrician for a brother and one of them is free samples. I stopped by his office across the street and filled this bag with little bottles of ready-made formula. They should last a few days, at least.”

“Oh, wow, Jules, thank you. I hadn’t even thought about the pediatrician. I guess I need to make an appointment for Charlotte.”

“You have a lot to learn, but you’ll figure it out. We all do, eventually.” Jules glanced at the smartwatch on her wrist. “I’ve got to run, too—I’m due to meet with the restaurant staff—but if you need anything, let me know. Abby, I hope we can get to know each other better while you’re here, especially since we’re neighbors now.”

“Thanks so much, Jules.”

With a grin shot back over her shoulder and a quick wave, her new neighbor hustled out the door and down the sidewalk. And as the door swung shut, Abby heard the first whimper from baby Charlotte.

“I think that’s my cue.”

“Wait.” Panic laced Garrett’s voice. “Can you get her while I fix the bottle?”

The bottle was easy to prepare thanks to Jules’s thoughtful delivery. A quick shake and he was ready to go. He was holding his hands out to take Charlotte to feed her when the phone rang.

“Do you mind giving her the bottle? I’ll grab the phone.”

Abby hesitated, but took the bottle from his hand and sat down in a chair she toed out from the table. A few seconds later, Charlotte was eating like a champ, her dark blue eyes focused on Abby’s face.

After all that Abby had been through, all that she had seen, she would’ve sworn that her heart was a piece of granite in her chest. She had to be able to stay calm to help the children she counseled, no matter the circumstances.

She’d closed herself off, willed the feelings to go away. And she’d been successful at it until she’d been hit by a bullet. All those walls she’d spent years shoring up had come crashing down, leaving her grieving and exposed. Hyperaware.

Hypersensitive.

Looking into baby Charlotte’s tiny, trusting eyes made her want to make promises. But that was one thing she just couldn’t do. She’d made a promise to a child once and she would never get over the guilt of not being able to keep it.

Elvis laid his big head on her knee, his deep brown eyes looking into hers as if he knew what she was feeling. He probably did. She was the counselor, but Elvis? He was the magic maker. Even traumatized children relaxed when stroking his silky golden retriever fur. She smiled at him, despite the pain she still grappled with. “I’m okay, don’t worry.”

Her dog grumbled, turned a few circles and settled, laying his head on her feet. Elvis worked as hard as she did. In fact, it was his willingness to push through his exhaustion and keep working that had convinced Abby she needed to take a break. They both needed a rest.

So Abby had written a resignation letter—which her boss had refused to accept, instead sliding it into a desk drawer. She’d then promised she would accept it at the end of six months if Abby was still absolutely certain she wanted to quit. Abby had gone from one natural disaster to another for years, never knowing where she would be from one month to the next. So why did six months seem like such a long time to wait for closure?

Looking back at the baby, Abby realized that Charlotte’s eyes had closed again, the bottle slipping out of her mouth. Setting it on the table beside her, she lifted Charlotte to her shoulder. This baby was so new that her legs didn’t even unfold when Abby picked her up. But as Abby patted her back, she let out a soft burp and melted into Abby’s shoulder.

Abby sighed, too. It felt good to be able to solve Charlotte’s immediate problem with a bottle and a burp. So she took advantage of the sweet baby-holding feeling and let it sink in—the muted hum of the HVAC overhead, Elvis’s soft snores and the comforting weight of the baby on her chest.

Her eyes popped open as the sound of the phone hanging up interrupted her almost nap. Garrett grinned as he caught sight of her in the chair with the baby. His long legs ate up the distance across the room.

Leaning forward, he peeked over her shoulder at the sleeping baby. Elvis lifted his head, suspicious of this man getting so close to her, his eyes unerringly following Garrett’s movements.

“Do you want to hold her?”

Garrett’s smile vanished, replaced by a wary look that she instantly knew wasn’t a feeling that Garrett Cole was very comfortable with.

“Come on, no turning back now.”

She switched Charlotte to a cradling position and stood, placing the tiny bundle in Garrett’s arms. His expression gentled as he watched Charlotte sleep, and Abby’s heart gave a painful thump. She stepped back, away from him. “No.”

“Pardon?” He looked up, his eyes crinkling as his smile returned.

“Nothing.” She let out a shaky laugh and picked up her bag. “I’ve got to go.”

These couple of hours with Garrett had been fun. He was smart and compassionate and… She was here to heal. To get a family preservation program off the ground.

Not to try to date her best friend’s partner—no matter how adorably befuddled he was.