Will paced the kitchen, still patting as if his eardrums depended on it. Over the din, he called, Amy? My holding him isnt doing the trick. It was a stupid thing to point out, considering that she could hear the baby. Folks in the neighboring town of Turtle could probably hear the baby. Still, desperation reduced him to stating the obvious.
Long moments passed with no response.
Desperation escalated to panic. This much crying couldnt be good for the kid. Amy? Pause. Amy? His heart raced. Was she okay? There was no telling what drugs Donovan had been feeding her, or what physical effects she might be suffering.
He headed toward the restroom, but the door stood ajar. She wasnt in there. Outside, then? Did she need help unloading Tommys stuff from the car?
Will opened the front door, then stood paralyzed, unable to process what he was seeing. Or, more accurately, not seeingnamely, Amys car.
Dread churned in his stomach. Oh no, no, no, no. Where her car had been parked, there now sat a small box next to a folded heap of plastic and mesh. Some kind of portable crib, if he wasnt mistaken, with a note taped to it on bright yellow stationery.
Dear Will,
This is the hardest thing Ive ever asked anyone, but youre the only real-life hero Ive ever met. I know Tommy will be safe with you. I have to get clean for him. I have an aunt whos been through rehab, and she got me a place in the clinic near her. During the weeks Im gone, I need someone to watch Tommy. My mom might seem like the obvious choice, but she barely knew what to do with her daughter. She was relieved when I started dating Donovan, so he could take care of me. Ill be back soon and will be forever in your debt. Please, please keep him safe for me and tell him every day that his mommy loves him.
Amy
Shock jolted through Will, and a word escaped his lips that he had no business saying in front of a baby. He was reeling too violently to censor himself. When Amy had told him she needed his assistance, hed unthinkingly vowed, Anything.
But he sure as hell hadnt expected this.
Chapter Four
Holding Tommy tight against him with one arm, Will used his free hand to drag the crib into the house. The entire time, his head throbbed, and his stomach buckled like he had the worst hangover in history. Tommys angry cries only added to the pounding in his skull.
Look, kid, Im begging for mercy here. You winmy brothers were never able to get me to say uncle when we were growing up. His brothers. Should Will call one of them? After all, Cole had plenty of experience with young children, and it had been Jace who suggested Will reach out to Amy in the first place.
But Cole had left for Houston with his fiancée yesterday. And Jace, who made some of his best bartending tips on Saturdays, was probably working. Which left Gayle Trent. He fumbled his cell phone out of his pocket while trying to find some sort of rocking motion that would pacify Tommy. He had to turn the volume all the way up to hear his mothers phone ring, but, unfortunately, there was no answer. He hung up before leaving a message. The situation seemed a bit too complicated to sum up after the beep.
All right, we can do this, he told the baby. But youre going to have to work with me, Tommy. Didnt babies mostly eat and sleep? Since the kid had already napped, it stood to reason he was hungry. Will just had to strap him back into the car seat long enough to figure out what to feed him. Probably not lasagna.
Milk? Formula? Baby food? Lets get you buckled safely into your chair so I can see what your mama left us. No doubt the massive duffel bag was packed with supplies. But when he attempted to put Tommy back in his seat, the baby arched his back and went rigid, protesting so loudly that his face turned purple.
Hey, none of that, now, Will coaxed. I have a next-door neighbor who specifically asked me to keep it down over here. You wouldnt want to get your uncle Will in trouble, would you? Thinking of Megan filled him with a sudden reckless hope. She managed three daughters all by herself. Surely shed know what to do about one crying baby?
Youre forgetting, she hates you.
True. But maybe her maternal instinct would kick in when she saw Tommy, and shed help anyway.
* * *
MAMA?
Megan glanced up just in time to catch the cordless phone. Daisy didnt always wait to make sure recipients had a grip on whatever she was handing them before letting go.
Gammy! Daisy said as she toddled out of the kitchen, blissfully unaware of how much Megan did not want to speak with her mother.
Since Daisy had so helpfully answered the phone, it was too late to pretend not to be home. Megan hadnt even heard it ring over the mechanical whirr of the food processor. Shed been shredding broccoli into pieces too small for the girls to pick out of tonights macaroni and cheese. Whether the broccoli smithereens were big enough to actually add any nutritional value was debatable, but sometimes the best you could hope for in motherhood was a moral victory.
Frankly, daughterhood was no picnic, either. Hello? she said, pasting a smile on her face in an attempt to sound cheery and welcoming.
I cant believe you let a three-year-old answer the phone.
Im sure Daisy thought she was being helpful. I was busy getting dinner ready.
Too busy to speak to your mother?
Yes. The word hovered on her tongue, but Megan knew shed never say it. The lasting drama of Beth Anns hurt feelings wouldnt be worth the short-term satisfaction. What do you need, Mom?
The chance to apologize, for starters. I never should have discouraged you from divorcing Spencer. That man is a no-good cheat.
Megan blinked, stunned by her mothers sudden about-face. After Spencers first affair, Beth Ann had defended her son-in-law, saying hed acted rashly in his panic over impending fatherhood and had only succumbed to temptation because Megan was on bed rest and unavailable for marital relations. Wanting to believe his infidelity was a onetime mistake, Megan had agreed to stay with him on the condition that they see a therapist. But less than a year later, shed caught him in another affair and left him. Her mother had argued vehemently, claiming Megan was insane to try to raise triplets by herself and that she would regret her decision.
Not as much as I would have regretted setting the example for my girls that its okay for a husband to be unfaithful.
And now, two years later, her mother was randomly offering her support? I accept your apology, she said cautiously.
When I urged you to stay with him, I was only thinking of your well-being. I know how hard it is to raise a child alone. Her own husband, a soldier, had been overseas for much of their marriage. Then, while Megan was in high school, hed died of a heart attack in his sleep. But your situation is different than mine. I was almost fifty when Jeremy left me widowed. Youre young enough to remarry.
Ah. So that was why Beth Ann was suddenly okay with the divorceshe thought Megan should start searching for Spencers replacement. No, thank you. Im glad youve made your peace with the divorce. She ignored the other half of what her mom said. Maybe we can talk later in the week? If I dont concentrate on the girls dinner, I may end up burning something.
If you were married, your husband could keep an eye on the stove long enough for you to chat with me.
Yeah, there was great incentive to look for a manmore phone calls like this one. Mom, I A discordant gonging sounded through the house, its warble reminding her that she needed to get her doorbell fixed. Theres someone at the door.
Uh-huh. Beth Anns skepticism was palpable. Well, Ill just call back at a more convenient time.
By the time Megan set down the phone, Daisy was standing on her tiptoes at the baby gate, trying to get a glimpse of who might be outside, and Lily had dashed into the kitchen to cling to her mother. Meanwhile, Irisvery focused for a preschoolerremained on the kitchen floor and continued to color a picture.
Megan distracted anxious Lily with a sippy cup, then stepped over the gate to answer the door, fully expecting someone who would try to sell her lawn care or aluminum siding. Salesmen had a knack for always interrupting right at dinnertime. Still, whoever this person was, he had helped free her from a conversation with her mother, so she was prepared to be friendly as she sent him away. She opened the door, keeping the screen door shut between them, and her mouth dropped open at the sight of Will Trent, holding a ginormous bag and one seriously unhappy baby.
The red-faced infant bore little resemblance to the sleeping cherub shed seen that afternoon, but she recognized the knit hat with the cute koala. Amys son. In certain circumstances, an attractive man holding a baby would be adorable. But since the baby was loudly broadcasting his displeasure and the man in question was Will Trent...
Can we come in? he asked.
Preferably not. Wheres Amy?
Visiting an aunt. Tommy will be staying with me for a while. His expression and stiff body language told her how much he resented the circumstances even before he muttered, She didnt give me much choice in the matter.
Despite her earlier suspicions, Megan hadnt wanted to believe he was the babys father. He was older and more worldly than that vulnerable young woman. Men were scum. Not all of them. She forcibly reminded herself of Jarrett Ross, whod been so sweet with her daughters at the fall festival, and Sheriff Cole Trent, a man of integrity who clearly adored his fiancée. Unfortunately, Wills resemblance to his brother seemed to be strictly physical.
I could use a hand. Please, Megan. It wasnt his pleading tone that got to her, but the babys pitiful sobs. Tommy was running out of steam, his cries now more bewildered than furious. He seemed perplexed as to why his mother had left him with Will. Biological bond or not, there had to be better babysitters in Cupids Bow. Of course, after what Amy had said about expenses, maybe she couldnt afford to hire one.
With a sigh, Megan opened the screen door. Last night it was the car alarm during bedtime. Tonight youve caught us right at dinner. Maybe tomorrow you can park the fire truck outside the house with sirens blaring at bath time.
He gave her a sheepish grin. Is that your way of saying that life next door to me is never boring?
Refusing to be sucked in by his humor and aw-shucks charm, she reached for the baby. When was the last time you fed him?
Technically, never.
Her eyebrows shot skyward. Youve never helped Amy feed him?
Until today, Ive barely even held him. He said it without a trace of shame, reminding her of Spencer. For all that her ex claimed to love his daughters, he preferred absentee fathering, only seeing them on rare occasions like his upcoming holiday visit. Hed scheduled his own children for an early Christmas so that he could spend Christmas Day with his current girlfriend.
But Im a fast learner, Will added. Im sure Ill get the hang of this in no time.
Right, because parenting is such a piece of cake. She snuggled the baby against her shoulder, feeling sorry for him. You deserve better.
Well, obviously not. I
Do you know when the last time he ate was? she asked, reframing her original question.
At least an hour or so? His hesitant tone made it sound like a guess. I wanted to put him in the car seat and look in his bag for formula, but the way he was thrashing around...
From behind her, Daisy asked, Who baby?
Megan wasnt sure if her daughter was inquiring who the baby was or who he belonged to. She pointed to Will, aware that it had been a long time since the girls had seen a man in the house. This is Mr. Will, our neighbor, and this is Baby...?
Tommy, Will supplied.
Daisy crinkled up her nose. Tommys noisy. She turned to pick up her own baby doll from the floor behind her and showed it to Will. I have quiet baby.
Youre obviously better at this child-care gig than I am. Will set the duffel bag down in the foyer and unzipped it. Maybe you can teach me a thing or two.
Lesson number one, Megan said, feed the hungry baby. Spotting a canister of formula and an empty bottle, she swatted Wills hand out of her way. But she couldnt make dinner for Tommy and feed her girls at the same time. How are you with macaroni and cheese? Someone needs to get back to the stove, preferably before something catches fire.
He grinned. The good news is, in case of disaster, the fire department is already here.
Save the megawatt smile for someone whos not immune and go check on the food. Daisy, can you show Mr. Will our kitchen? She followed right behind them, making sure Lily didnt panic at the sight of a stranger in the house. The last triplet to be born, Lily had been more timid than her sisters from day one; she also spoke less, struggling with many of her consonant sounds.
Theres baked chicken in the oven, Megan said. Mitts are hanging on the wall behind the sink. And you need to stir the broccoli bits into the cheese
Broccoli? In macaroni and cheese? His expression was appalled, mirroring the grimace on Daisys small face. Remind me never to have dinner here.
Dont worry. I wasnt planning to issue any invitations.
* * *
JACE WOULD BE so disappointed in me. Where was the fabled Trent Charm? Will should be falling all over himself thanking his neighbor, not criticizing her cooking decisions. It was none of his business if she wanted to screw up perfectly good mac and cheese with broccoli, but Will wasnt at his best right now.
Obviously, he hadnt adjusted to the shock of Amy leaving the baby with him, but it was more than that. He was flummoxed by Megans continued hostility. Save the megawatt smile for someone whos not immune. No woman had ever snapped at him for smiling. It would be easy to assume the brunette was tart and hostile by naturebut she was working with Kate and Cole on the wedding and they both liked her. Amy had called her friendly.
He was curious enough that he almost asked about her immunity toward him, but he wouldnt risk antagonizing her while she was giving him much-needed assistance with the baby. Instead, he turned his focus from Megans weird personality quirks to the kitchen surrounding him. Her counters were covered with far more supplies and appliances than his; he got by with a coffeemaker and microwave. And the room was a riot of color, from the plastic place mats on the table to the yellow curtains framing the kitchen window to the crayoned drawings displayed on the refrigerator with magnets. In fact, one of Daisys sisters was at his feet, coloring another sheet of paper, reminding him of his niece Alyssa, who was never without art supplies.