Baby In Her Arms. Judy Christenberry

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      “How old is she?”

      Maggie hated to ask the man for more information, but she had no choice. Not that she expected him to know. “How old?”

      To her surprise he said, “Eight months. She was born last October.”

      She repeated the information to Kate.

      “Whole milk is fine. She can probably eat a little mashed potatoes, too, if they’re not heavily seasoned. Now, tell me what’s going on.”

      Maggie explained about Josh McKinley.

      “Hey, maybe your sister could take her in tonight, just until I can arrange things,” the man suggested.

      Maggie suddenly realized he was standing right next to her, his shoulders brushing hers. “I doubt—”

      “Ask her.”

      “Kate, he wants to know if you can take Ginny tonight.”

      “He what?” Kate squawked. “No, no, I can’t. Nate has come down with the chicken pox from a child in his play group. I don’t think it would be good to—”

      “Oh, no. You’re right.”

      “Look, I’ll pay—” Josh urged.

      “Her baby has the chicken pox,” Maggie explained.

      Before the man could respond, Ginny whimpered again.

      Kate spoke before Maggie could. “You’d better get off the phone and feed her. And don’t forget to change her diaper. She’s probably wet.”

      Maggie hung up the phone. “Do you have any dry diapers? When did you last change her?”

      “Change her?” Dawning realization stole over the man’s handsome features. An unpleasant realization. “You mean—” He gestured to the baby’s bottom.

      “Of course that’s what I mean. You haven’t changed her, have you?” she asked as her own realization occurred. “How long have you had her?”

      “A couple of hours. I couldn’t figure out what to do.”

      “Do you have diapers?”

      “You’ll have to look,” he insisted, clutching the baby against him with two hands, as if he feared she’d run away.

      Maggie opened the bag and found five unused disposable diapers. “Good. I’ll show you where you can change her while I fix some potatoes and her bottle.”

      “Potatoes?”

      “My sister said she could eat them. This way.”

      “Wait a minute!” he gasped as he followed her. “I can’—I mean, I’ve never—You do it!”

      “It’s not difficult, Mr. McKinley. And she is your daughter.” She wasn’t about to admit that she wasn’t very experienced in that area herself.

      Gesturing to the sofa in her office, she turned and left the room, feeling guilty. She hoped poor Ginny didn’t suffer from her father’s lack of experience.

      In the kitchen she heated up some mashed potatoes Kate had prepared before she’d left for the day. Wanda washed the bottle in silence, a sure sign that she was upset, and slapped it down on the counter beside the milk she was warming.

      “There! It’s clean. But I think you should throw the guy out on his ear. His story sounds pretty hokey to me.”

      “We really haven’t even heard his story, Wanda, and the baby’s so sweet.”

      “Hmmmp!” Wanda snorted and pushed through the swinging doors.

      “She’s changed,” Josh said, stepping into the kitchen.

      Maggie stared at the mangled diaper, its sticky tabs at strange angles. But at least the diaper wasn’t falling off. “Good job.” She could afford to be generous.

      His sheepish look surprised her. “I had to throw away two others. Those sticky things got stuck on—on other things.”

      “Then your next stop had better be somewhere you can buy diapers. The two you have left won’t last very long.” She knew that much, at least. Kate was always complaining about the number of diapers Nathan used.

      He looked panicky again, but as he drew closer to Maggie, Ginny gurgled and held out her hands, plainly asking Maggie to take her.

      Maggie’s heart flipped over and she grabbed the warm little body. “Oh, you sweetheart. Are you hungry?”

      She held the baby in one arm and picked up the bowl of potatoes. “Fill the bottle with warm milk and bring it to me,” she ordered, as if she cared for Ginny every day of the week, and sailed through the swinging doors.

      

      Josh stared at Maggie’s cute little backside as she swung away from him. Then he shook his head. He shouldn’t even be noticing such a thing. He had a baby to care for.

      Ginny. He had Ginny to care for:

      And Ginny wanted Maggie.

      He couldn’t blame her, but he also couldn’t deny the pang of jealousy that filled him.

      Dismissing such silliness, he took the milk from the stove and filled the bottle, screwing on the nipple, and followed Maggie.

      “Have you eaten?” Maggie asked as he slid into the booth across from her.

      “Me?” It took time for him to remember. “Uh, no. I went to see about...about Ginny and—no.”

      “Wanda, bring Josh a menu,” Maggie ordered, never lifting her gaze from Ginny.

      Josh knew why. His child, little Ginny, suddenly seemed to have eight hands, waving and reaching, trying to catch hold of the spoon Maggie wielded.

      Then he was distracted by the menu Wanda handed him. It took him no time to place his order; and the food was brought to him amazingly fast.

      After shoveling food down with as many manners as he could summon, he leaned back against the seat and realized Maggie was holding his child, watching him in silence.

      Ginny wasn’t watching anyone. Snuggled against Maggie’s neck, she slept peacefully.

      Josh wasn’t slow. He immediately realized what he needed. He asked Maggie the only possible question.

      “Will you come home with me?”

      Chapter Two

      Quiet, shy Maggie O’Connor stared in disbelief at the handsome man opposite her.

      His cheeks burned red and he hurriedly added, “I mean, for Ginny. Come home with me to help out with Ginny.”

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