Nice picture, he said to the girl. There were several people-shaped blobs, one covered in red slashes. It reminded Will vaguely of a Mafia movie hed once seen, but since this was December... Santa Claus?
The girl nodded happily.
Watching this exchange, Daisy suddenly declared, I draw a picture, too! She plopped on the floor and grabbed a crayon. Her sister shrieked in protest. Meanwhile, the other triplet watched from under the kitchen table, wide-eyed, as she sucked her thumb. As Megan restored peace and sent the girls to wash their hands, he hurried to the stove, hoping that cheesy pasta would soothe tempers.
Will couldnt help noticing that even though Tommy still hadnt been fed, Megan had done an enviable job soothing him. He likes you. A lot more than he likes me.
Babies sense tension. She scooped formula into a bottle. When you showed up on my doorstep, you were practically rigid with panic. The more relaxed and calm you are, the more he will be.
The uptight brunette was telling him to be more laid-back? Maybe you should take some of your own advice.
Whats that supposed to mean?
What are you doing, dumb-ass? Charm had gone completely out the door. Well, to tell the truth, youre a little...prickly.
Just because I dont fawn over a pair of broad shoulders and blue eyes In her arms, Tommy let out a cry. Sorry, sweetie. Here you go. Her tone switched to soft and crooning. Tommy lunged for the bottle and was making hearty slurping noises within seconds.
Keeping her voice low, Megan asked, I dont suppose you know how many ounces he normally takes?
No clue.
How much does he weigh?
Doubting that heavier than a sack of potatoes was the answer she wanted, Will shrugged.
She sighed. How old is he?
He leaned down to get the baked chicken while doing some mental calculations. Five months, give or take.
Youre unbelievable. Her glare was hotter than the inside of the oven. Were you even there when he was born?
Of course not. That would Wait! You dont think hes mine?
Megan blinked. It seemed logical, since Amy left him with you. And given your her face went bright red social habits.
Unreal. If it had been up to him, hed be married right nowperhaps with an actual baby of his own on the waybut this near stranger had him painted as some sort of depraved sex addict. Lady, you dont know the first thing about me. Unlike Donovan Anders, Will didnt seduce nineteen-year-olds.
I She was interrupted by her daughters rushing back into the room.
Hands clean, Daisy declared, the entire front of her long-sleeved shirt soaked with water.
Megan pinched the bridge of her nose. This is really not my night.
Will felt a wave of commiseration. If it helps, I know exactly how you feel.
It doesnt. She met his gaze, giving him the first real smile hed ever seen from her. But thank you.
Chapter Five
Although Megan would normally admonish Daisy to eat more and talk less, tonight she was grateful for her daughters chatty presence. Even Iris, excited about their outing to the towns Christmas tree lighting tomorrow, contributed to the dinner conversation, helping mask what wouldve been an awkward silence between Megan and Will. I misjudged him. She needed to apologize for her rash assumption, but it seemed like bad parenting to discuss his sex life in front of the girls.
Shed invited Will to stay for dinner, partly as atonement and partly because she was reluctant to disturb the baby whod fallen asleep against her shoulder. Holding him so long was an enjoyable novelty, his breath coming in soft puffs against her neck. When her own girls were babies, Megan had felt like a one-woman assembly line. Just as she got one of the triplets to doze off, another would need a diaper or bottle.
Will stood, picking up his plate as well as Iriss empty one. He nodded toward Tommy before carrying the dishes to the sink. The last thing I want to do is wake him and set him off again, but if I let him sleep now, what are the odds hell sleep for me tonight? He paused, his expression alarmed. Do five-or six-month-olds even sleep through the night?
They can. At least, Megan thought so. The first year had been a blur. Her daughters had kept her so busy shed barely had time to be heartbroken over the divorce. In retrospect, she could find blessings in the chaos. But its hard to gauge how hell react to being in a strange place. Did the notebook say anything about his sleep schedule? Midway through giving Tommy his bottle, Megan had asked Will to look in the duffel bag for a burp cloth. Hed found a tiny spiral notebook with information like the pediatricians phone number and feeding instructions.
Not that I saw, but I need to read through it more closely. He returned to the table, pausing by Daisy and raising his eyebrows in Megans direction.
Megan sighed. Are you going to eat any more food?
Daisy shook her head, her dark curls swishing. Full.
I shouldnt have given you that chocolate this afternoon.
Amy mentioned you were giving out chocolate, Will said, reaching for Daisys dishes.
It was originally intended for you. Megan squirmed in her chair, fighting the urge to duck her gaze like a guilty child. As a peace offering for how short-tempered I was last night.
The corner of his mouth lifted in a rueful grin. I wasnt exactly on my best behavior, either. What do you say, neighbor? Fresh start?
Id like that. Especially since he was helping to clean her kitchen. That was more than fair compensation for her giving the baby a bottle and getting to snuggle him all through dinner. But since Lily would freak out if the tall, broad-shouldered man got too close, it was time for Megan to pitch in clearing the table. All done? she asked her daughter.
Lily nodded. Shed barely taken a bite, too busy watching their guest with a mixture of fascination and anxiety. Megan would put the kids leftovers in the fridge for lunch tomorrow. Cradling the baby against her with one hand, she took Lilys plate and crossed the kitchen. Looking into the adjacent living room, at pint-size furniture and toys strewn across the carpet, she tried to think of anything the girls had outgrown that she could lend Will for the next couple of...days? Weeks? He hadnt said when Amy was coming back, or why she had chosen him as Tommys caregiver in the meantime, and Megan hadnt pressed for details in front of her daughters.
Since you girls are all done eating, how about we put in that DVD we checked out from the library? That would give her a few minutes to talk to Will without an audience. She found herself reluctantly curious about him. The last few months had given her an up close view of his social life, and shed thought she understood him pretty well. But based on his patience with her daughters, his willingness to pitch in with dinner and the huge favor he was doing for Amy, maybe Megan had judged him too harshly. Not all men are Spencer.
True, but shed been naive about her ex-husband, giving him the benefit of the doubt far more often than he deserved. It was a mistake she wouldnt allow herself to repeat.
True, but shed been naive about her ex-husband, giving him the benefit of the doubt far more often than he deserved. It was a mistake she wouldnt allow herself to repeat.
She went around the corner to get the DVD started. When she returned to the kitchen, Will was wiping down counters. Thanks, she said, but you dont have to do that.
Yeah, I do. I want to make sure I stay in your good graces for the next time I have a Tommy emergency. He eyed the sleeping baby in her arms. No matter how peaceful he looks now, Im sure well face plenty of challenges between now and when his mama gets back.
How long will Amy be gone?
Im not sure.
She recalled the young womans tear-streaked face. Is she all right?
He was slower to answer this time, the words softer. Im not sure.
Youre worried about her. She studied his face, noting the concern in his dark blue eyes and feeling guilty for her assumptions about his selfish, carefree bachelor lifestyle.
Yeah. She... No offense, but I probably shouldnt be discussing the details of her personal life. Not that I know many of them. She and I arent nearly as close as you imagined.
Close enough that she trusts you with her child. When he stiffened, she clarified, I meant that as a compliment. I really am sorry I leaped to conclusions.
I guess, since she left the baby with me, I can understand why youd think something so far-fetched. It never occurred to me anyone would make that mistake. Most everybody in town knows about her relationship with Donovan. His voice was almost a snarl when he said the other mans name. I keep forgetting youre new.
Shed moved to Cupids Bow in January, practically a year ago. In a small town where most of the locals had lived here since birth, she still felt like an outsider. Raising three girls alone didnt leave a lot of time for a thriving social life.
What made you pick Cupids Bow? he asked. I mean, I love this town, but its a bit off the beaten path.
I needed a change after the divorce. I wanted to be someplace... Where she didnt feel ashamed of her failed marriage and where she wasnt forced to wonder every time she spoke with a female acquaintance, Did Spencer sleep with you, too? She shook her head. Before the girls were born, I worked at a botanical garden. Ive always loved plants and flowers. I didnt know Dagmar well before moving here, but she was my dads cousin. When she decided she wanted to cut back on her hours at the florist shop, she offered me a job. So here I am.
Just in time to do the arrangements for Cole and Kates wedding. You know shes from Houston, right? Between the two of you and Sierra Bailey moving here, this is the closest thing to a population boom Cupids Bow has had since the 1800s.
She laughed at the idea of a three-woman boom, and Tommy twisted in her arms, his eyelids fluttering. Oops, she whispered.
Dont worry about waking him. I should get him back to my place anyway.
Where do you plan for him to sleep tonight? In the car seat? In bed with you? There was no reason for her cheeks to heat at the mere mention of Wills bed. But now that her attitude toward him had softened, it was a lot harder to ignore how attractive he was. Get a grip. A hot fireman cleaning your kitchen is no reason to go weak in the knees. Wait, actually, a hot fireman willing to clean was a pretty solid female fantasy. And here Will was, fantasy made flesh.
In a timely reminder that real life was not fantasy, a rude odor began wafting toward her from the general vicinity of the babys rear end.
Amy left some kind of playpen, Will said, seemingly oblivious to the fact that her eyes were starting to water. I just have to figure out how to assemble it. Then little man can crash in my room with me. I want to be close in case he needs menot that Ill necessarily know how to help him. Ive never even changed a diaper.
She thrust Tommy toward him. Youre in luck.
Wills nose wrinkled. That does not smell like luck.
* * *
WILL COULDNT REMEMBER the last day hed had that was so full of surprises. The noxious diaper was an unpleasant surprise; he really could have used a firemans mask and self-contained oxygen. But Megan finally grinning at him, after months of guarded glances and sharp tones, almost made up for it. As he knelt over the baby, her eyes danced with amusement.
Good thing Im a badass with no insecurities, he deadpanned, or all your laughing at me could be highly damaging to the ego.
Working together, theyd cleaned Tommy up, but Will had insisted he needed the practice of putting on the new diaper alone. That was proving more difficult than expected. At least the girls had fled the room, protesting the smell. He could just imagine Daisy showing him her properly diapered baby doll and shaking her head at his incompetence.
Now that Tommy was fed and rested, he appeared to think it was playtime. He kept rolling onto his hands and knees, as if to crawl away. Wills challenge was to keep the baby pinned in place without inadvertently hurting him. I never realized how big my hands are. They looked massive against Tommys small limbs.
It cant be that much of a surprise. Youre hu... When she trailed off, he glanced over his shoulder and caught her studying him. I mean, youre even taller than your brothers.
True. Hed towered over his mother by the time he was in middle school. Did Megan like tall men?
He blinked at the errant thought. I dont care what kind of man she finds attractive. Until tonight, theyd barely exchanged a civil word. He sure as hell wouldnt be asking her out.
Okay. He sat back on his heels. I think thatll hold. Youre free to flip over on your tummy all you want, little man. Tommy did exactly that, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees. He rocked back and forth, not exactly moving forward but gaining impressive momentum. Will watched with concern. You dont think he can actually crawl, do you?
Real mobility probably required some kind of baby-proofing. Megans living room had safety covers in the outlets and gates in the doorways. When shed unlocked a series of gates for the girls earlier, he was reminded of the weekends he helped on his friend Brodys ranch, herding cows through pens into the chute. But hed refrained from comparing Megans daughters to cattle out loud.
She was watching the babys movements. Doesnt look like hes crawling yet, but it wont be long. And I warn you, once it happens, they move faster than youd expect.
Fantastic. Amy, youd better get back to Cupids Bow soon. More terrifying than anything elseeven toxic diaperswas the open-endedness of the situation. Hed been sincere about wanting to help Amy, but he couldnt keep a baby indefinitely.
What were his other options? He couldnt stomach the thought of handing over the infant to Donovan or, after reading Amys letter, her mother. And calling social services would feel like a total betrayal. So, for now, hed be patient and take his unexpected guardianship one day at a time.
He lifted Tommy in front of his face. Weve imposed on Ms. Rivers long enough. Think we can manage by ourselves for the rest of the night?
The baby gurgled happily, blowing a spit bubble.
Ill take that as hearty agreement.
Here. Megan reached over to a small table and pulled a crayon out of a basket, then scribbled something across a piece of paper. In case you have any emergencies tonight.