The Cowboy's Unexpected Baby. Stephanie Dees
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Название: The Cowboy's Unexpected Baby
Автор: Stephanie Dees
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Короткие любовные романы
Серия: Mills & Boon Love Inspired
isbn: 9780008906269
isbn:
“You’re in court this morning? I was hoping you could watch Charlotte. I have court, too. I’d ask for a continuance, but it’s a permanency hearing.”
Wynn shrugged into her suit jacket and picked up her briefcase. “I’m sorry, Garrett. I’m cutting it close as it is.”
She wrapped her free arm around Abby and cinched her in for a sideways hug. “I’m so glad you’re here for a while. It’s been too long. I wish I didn’t have to go.”
“Go do your job. We have time to catch up before I start work next week.”
As Wynn blew out the door, an uncomfortable silence stretched. Abby shot Garrett an awkward smile.
“I’m usually a little more together than this.” Garrett smiled sheepishly, rubbing the stubble on his chin. “I usually shave.”
He was obviously in over his head and since she could understand that, Abby gave him an empathetic smile. “It sounds like you’ve had quite a morning. Most of the time Elvis and I work in places where there’s no running water, so there’s a decent chance I wouldn’t have noticed anyway.”
He looked around the office. “Bess?”
“At the dentist.”
His head dropped. He muttered, “Family emergency justifies a continuance and this is most definitely a family emergency.”
Was he talking to her?
A second later, he dug his cell phone out of his pocket and snapped off a text. He didn’t look up again until he’d shoved the phone back into place in his pocket. His eyes widened when he saw her, like he’d forgotten she was there.
He rubbed his forehead. “Sorry. This morning really threw me. I have no idea what I’m doing.”
Abby told herself this wasn’t her problem. She told herself not to get involved. She even told herself to think about that long nap she’d promised herself this afternoon. “I could stay. I guess?”
His eyes snapped to hers. “Are you sure?”
The hope in his brown eyes made her glad she’d made the impulsive offer. “Sure. I like babies.”
“Do you know how to change a diaper?” His grin was lightning fast as he turned to unbuckle the baby from the car seat. “Oh, no, I left the diapers in the car.”
Abby let out a stunned laugh as he handed her the baby and sprinted out the door. She touched the baby’s dimpled chin with one tentative finger. “Hey, little girl.”
The baby blinked up at her, a fleeting smile crossing the small face. Just like that, Abby was charmed.
She glanced down at her golden retriever, who waited patiently beside her. His blond eyebrows seemed a little skeptical, even as his tail thumped on the floor. “Oh, come on, she’s cute, but we’re just helping out for a little while.” His expression didn’t change. “I mean it. We’re not getting sucked into anything, I promise.”
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.
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