The Cowboy's Unexpected Baby. Stephanie Dees

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      “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 СКАЧАТЬ