A Baby in the Bunkhouse. Cathy Thacker Gillen

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СКАЧАТЬ wanted to apologize if I offended you.”

      Her smile was soft, contented. Due entirely, he was sure, to the snuggling baby in her arms.

      A baby that, previous viewings had confirmed, was every bit as beautiful and feminine, soft and sweet, as she was. A baby, perversely, he longed to hold. Which again was weird since he had decided two years ago that having a family was just not in the cards for him.

      Jacey studied him across the expanse of the bedroom. Bathed in the softness of the lamplight, her hair loose and flowing around her shoulders, she looked incredibly maternal.

      She lifted a hand, as cheerful and easygoing as she had been the first night they’d met. “It’s okay,” she told him with that kind, understanding smile he found so appealing. “You’re entitled to your opinion. And I’m entitled to my hormones.” Her lips curved ruefully as she admitted with a blush, “I think I’m a little moody. My doc said it will pass as soon as my body adjusts to not being pregnant.”

      She’d made a lovely pregnant woman, Rafferty thought.

      The kind who loved motherhood with every fiber of her being. The kind of woman who should be married and have a dozen kids. Not doing it on her own, with a sperm donor who—to hear her tell it anyway—didn’t give a damn.

      But again, it was none of his business.

      “Hang on a minute.” She eased the baby from beneath the blanket. He had a glimpse of the bottom curve of her breast, and then her knit T fell down over her ribs, obscuring all that creamy skin from view.

      Immune to the lusty nature of his thoughts, Jacey came toward him, the drowsy Caitlin in her arms. Before he could realize what she was about to do, she had transferred the sleeping baby to his arms, so the infant’s face was pressed against his shoulder. “Would you burp her while I wash up?” Jacey asked, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

      Too stunned to resist, Rafferty cradled the incredibly small and lightweight newborn to his chest.

      Resisting the urge to bury his face in the downy-soft dark brown hair feathering the top of the infant’s head, he called out as Jacey disappeared into the adjacent bath. “I don’t know how to…do that…”

      It was embarrassing to admit, but he’d never even held a newborn baby before, if one discounted the actual birth three days before. The few kids he’d had the occasion to hold had always been a lot older.

      Jacey opened the door a crack and stuck her head out. “Just pat her on the back and walk around a bit.”

      He heard the sound of water running.

      “And be sure you support the back of her neck and head with your hand. She can’t hold it up by herself.”

      Obviously, Rafferty thought.

      Trying not to like this too much—he saw now how people got used to it—there was something satisfying about holding a life so delicate and new, so warm and cuddly, in your arms. It made you realize how precious life was. Rafferty frowned as the small eyes closed. “Uh…I think she’s going to sleep.”

      “Keep patting her on the back. She should burp in a minute.”

      Through the opening in the door, he could see Jacey moving about at the sink, hear the soft sound of soap being rubbed between her hands, on her breasts…? Turning away abruptly, he continued to pace around.

      The water was shut off.

      “You about done in there?” he said.

      “Just need to put some cream on.”

      Deciding he didn’t even want to know what that meant, Rafferty pushed the image of any lotion being applied out of his head and kept walking, back turned away from the bathroom door.

      His persistence was rewarded. Caitlin let out a loud burp, more suitable for a carousing college student than a tiny baby.

      Laughing, Jacey came out to join them. “Let me just put her down and then I’ll be right back,” she said.

      Her hands brushed his chest as she eased the baby from his arms. Rafferty caught a hint of lavender and baby powder, and then Jacey was gone. He was left standing there, his arms empty, feeling oddly bereft.

      IT WAS DISCONCERTING having this big, sexy rancher in her bedroom when she was nursing, but Jacey figured she’d better get used to it since she—and Caitlin—were the only females on Lost Mountain Ranch.

      “The bassinet and the rocking chair and footstool are really nice by the way.”

      Rafferty studied her as if that was hard to believe.

      Jacey wondered what he found unacceptable about the nursery items—the fact that they were antiques, or that they were a little on the frilly side, with lacy white overlay linens on the bassinet and pastel needlepoint cushions on the chair and cushion. “The bassinet is even on wheels, with a locking mechanism on the bottom, so I can move it around as I need to.” She paused as the next idea hit. “You’re not upset that I’m using Evans family heirlooms, are you?”

      He gave her the kind of enigmatic look that held her at arm’s length once again. “Why would I care about that?” he asked finally.

      Wondering if she would ever understand Rafferty Evans and what drove him, she expressed her gratitude. “In any case, it was sweet of your dad to get it out of storage and wash the linens in baby detergent and have it all set up for me.”

      Rafferty nodded. “He can be very helpful.”

      As well as annoying in some ways, Jacey guessed. Deciding she and Rafferty may as well be straight with each other, as long as they were going to be residing under the same roof, she continued, “Although…just so you know…I told your father it probably wasn’t a good idea to have me here.”

      He went very still. His expression was as maddeningly inscrutable as his posture. “So you’re leaving the job?”

      Jacey couldn’t say why, but it hurt her feelings that Rafferty was not as pleased as everyone else to have her on the ranch. Not that he didn’t have reason to be irritated with her. She had caused him some trouble. Brought him out in a driving rain. Got her car stuck in a muddy ditch. Gone into labor and forced him—by process of elimination—to deliver a baby on ranch property.

      She had also fixed breakfast for the men. And was about to prepare hot meals for them three times a day, through the holidays, as a ranch employee. She would have thought he’d be relieved not to have to worry about feeding the cowboys.

      Instead, he kept looking at her as if he’d seen a ghost. And not a particularly nice one at that.

      “Would you prefer it if I didn’t take the job and left the ranch?” she asked, determined to remain unintimidated by his brusqueness.

      He waved her inquiry away with an impatient hand. “It doesn’t really matter.”

      “It matters to me,” Jacey countered stubbornly.

      Rafferty frowned, his gaze probing her. “Why?” he asked, indifferently.

      “Because! СКАЧАТЬ