A Baby For The Doctor. Stephanie Dees

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СКАЧАТЬ Sweetness feeling this morning?”

      “Cranky. I left her with Mrs. Matthews, eating breakfast. She loves those tiny pancakes Mrs. M. makes.”

      “Hiring her was the best decision ever.” Jordan gave her sister a sideways glance. Claire had nearly burned the house down twice and all of them had eaten more than their share of NoodleO’s. “Not that you weren’t a good cook.”

      “I wasn’t.” Claire poured herself half a cup of coffee. “But Mrs. Matthews is and she needed something big to do after her husband, Vince, passed last year.”

      A whimper came from the couch. Jordan leaned over the back and pulled the soft fleece blanket over his narrow shoulders. Levi squinched his eyes shut and burrowed farther into the cushions.

      “What did Ash say about him?”

      Jordan topped off her coffee and stirred it. “Ash didn’t really get a chance to check him out last night. Levi seems to have an objection to superhot male doctors.”

      Claire snorted her coffee. “I bet Mama J doesn’t have an objection.”

      Jordan scowled at the nickname—and the observation. “Mama J thinks Dr. Sheehan should stick to his high-society girls.”

      “I think maybe there’s more to Ash than meets the eye.”

      “If you say so.” Jordan wasn’t trying to be rude, but Ash was tagged in social media with a different girl every week, most of the time dressed in evening wear, attending some function or another. His day-to-day couldn’t be further removed from her simple life here on the farm. She walked, mug in hand, to the window.

      “Jordan...”

      When she turned around, Claire’s eyes were filled with tears. “I know I asked you to pick Levi up. I even thought he and Sweetness could maybe share a room. But my margin is razor-thin right now and now I know...he needs more care than I can give him.”

      Jordan’s heart hammered in her chest. She’d kind of had a feeling this would happen. Somewhere in the back of her mind, where she tucked things she didn’t want to think about, she’d had an inkling that when she said yes to Levi, she wasn’t just saying yes for the weekend.

      That didn’t mean the idea of keeping him didn’t scare her down to her toenails.

      Claire met her at the window. “I know you work so hard with the horses and taking care of your practice. You have so much on your plate. I talked to Reesa and she said they would try to find another family next week.”

      “No.” The vehemence with which she replied surprised even Jordan. She gentled her tone. “No. I said yes to Levi. Not you. I didn’t know what I was stepping into, but we never do.”

      Claire nodded, her eyes still brimming. “No, we never do. It’s worth it.”

      “If Mom hadn’t thought so, we wouldn’t be where we are now.” A wry smile curved Jordan’s lips. “So remind me of that in a week when I’d sell my left kidney for a night of sleep.”

      “I will, but you have some time to think about it and make sure that’s what you want to do. Now I need to get back before Mrs. Matthews realizes she traded her retirement for indentured labor.” Claire grabbed Jordan around the neck and squeezed, tight. “I love you. I hope you don’t regret moving here.”

      “Never. I like a challenge.”

      Claire laughed and handed her the empty mug. “I’ll be back for more later.”

      Jordan watched her sister swing off the porch onto the well-worn path to the main house. Claire was in her element at Red Hill Farm. She may be struggling a little being a mom while dealing with first trimester sickness, but their brood of kids was thriving here.

      As Jordan walked the few steps into the living area, she realized Levi wasn’t asleep anymore. His dark brown eyes were wide-open and staring at her. His thumb was in his mouth, the pale blue lovey she’d brought to the hospital clenched in his fist, his other hand in Gus’s black fur.

      He blinked, his lashes taking a long, slow dip.

      “Hey, buddy, you hungry? Want something to eat?” Even though she knew he probably wouldn’t know it, she made the sign for eat tips of fingers to mouth. Gus’s tail thumped. “Not you, you dorky dog.”

      Levi didn’t move, just looked at her. At least he didn’t seem scared. “How about some milk?”

      Again, she made the sign along with the word. He didn’t respond. She’d tried a sippy cup last night and he’d refused it. It was possible, considering the neglect, that he’d only had a bottle. Luckily, she had one left from an overnight with one of their former foster babies. She poured milk into the bottle and, after a little thought, added a packet of formula because Levi could definitely use the calories.

      Warming it just enough for the powder to mix, she shook it and showed it to him. His eyes brightened for the first time. She eased onto the sofa and sat beside him. He reached for the bottle, but instead of just handing it to him, she picked him up and put him on her lap, letting him rest against her chest.

      He stiffened, but didn’t pull away from her like he had last night. She put the bottle in his mouth and he wrapped his fingers around hers and took a few sips. He pulled it back, looking at it like he wasn’t sure what he was tasting.

      “It’s okay, buddy. Good stuff.” She let him slide into the crook of her arm so that she could see his face. His eyes were open and, as he drank, he reached with one small hand to explore the hair that had fallen out of her ponytail to frame her face. The touch was so light, she barely felt it.

      His hand dropped to his side and she felt him give a big sigh. Eyes drifting closed, he relaxed against her.

      The privilege of being the person who got to hold this baby and offer him safety was not lost on her. He was beautiful, those long, dark lashes an inky smudge on his cheek. As the bottle slid out of his mouth, a milky peace settled on his face.

      What a strange feeling it was to have someone else’s child in her arms, completely dependent on her. She didn’t want to risk him waking up, so slowly she moved one leg and then the other onto the couch and laid her head back, letting the sleepless night catch up with her.

      * * *

      Ash knocked on the door of Jordan’s cottage. The place had been falling down when his brother, Joe, moved in, but he’d repaired it. Now with Jordan’s touch, there were dark purple and gold pansies spilling out of pots on the whitewashed front steps. The front door was painted a bright coral and the ceiling of the porch a contrasting pale blue.

      He would never have imagined that the colors would work but they did, and the eclectic place seemed to suit Jordan. He tapped lightly on the door. No answer. Glancing at his watch, he confirmed that it was nearly noon.

      Maybe she was at the barn?

      He knocked again, a little more loudly, and heard shuffling on the other side of the door. A few seconds later the door flew inward.

      Jordan, the baby on her hip, squinted into the noonday sunlight. She rubbed the heel of her hand in one eye. “Wow. Bright.”

      “I’m СКАЧАТЬ