by Natalie Ann
“How do I know that?” he snapped back.
I put my hands on my hips and glared at him. “You were the only man Carol has been with in two years. It was three weeks after she last saw you that she found out about her pregnancy and then a week later, her heart condition.”
“Why didn’t she reach out to me?”
I sighed. “I think she tried once but changed her mind. Carol knew she probably wouldn’t live through it and wanted that time for herself and her baby.”
“She knew she wouldn’t live, and yet she had the kid anyway? That was fucking stupid.”
I pursed my lips as I glared at him. “How dare you say that. Carol gave you a precious gift, Mr. Vaughn! Not to mention she gave her own life so that she could give that to you. Obviously, she was wrong about it, and you didn’t deserve it!” Lightning cracked overhead, and the thunder instantly filled the room making me jump slightly.
“I didn’t ask for it,” he growled back in tune with the thunder.
“Yeah, well, then you should have been more careful, Mr. Vaughn.” I stepped around him and set the paper inside the stroller. “Everything that you should need is under there.”
He grabbed my arm. “Wait, I’m serious. I can’t take care of a baby.”
He looked close to panic, and I was pretty sure that was a new feeling for him. I doubted this man was afraid of much, but he looked scared shitless that I was going to walk out the door and leave him with Devon. “Yeah, well, neither can I.”
“I don’t even know for sure that he’s mine.”
“Take a paternity test then,” I hissed back and wiped my hands over my face. I knew I looked like hell after two weeks of taking care of a newborn, dealing with my grief and everything else in my life, and I just didn’t care.
“Are you seriously just going to drop him in my arms and walk away?”
I turned to face him and collect my umbrella from the back of the stroller. “Mr. Vaughn, I’m sorry for doing this. I really am, but Devon is your son. I honestly cannot take care of him; I wish I could. If I were in a better time in my life, maybe I could have, but if you don’t want him, you can always put him up for adoption.” The words were like a knife in my chest. I could not imagine someone else raising my best friend’s child, but then again, I didn’t know Trevor Vaughn either, and I was going to leave Devon with him.
He stared at me like I was nuts, and I shook my head. “All I know is that Carol wanted me to get him to you. I’m sorry about that. There is a note from her in the baby’s bag. Maybe it will explain more to you about why she did what she did.” I stepped forward, touching Devon’s soft cheek with my fingers before I placed a kiss on his forehead.
I stepped back, staring into the confused beautiful blue eyes of the man in front of me. “I have to go. Good luck, Mr. Vaughn.” I let my gaze drop to Devon and wanted to snatch him back from the strong arms holding him but knew this was the best. “Take care of him, please.”
I turned quickly and burst from the room, rushing to the door as my eyes filled with tears. I had grown to love the little guy so much, and as I swiped the tears away from my cheeks, I prayed that Trevor Vaughn would take good care of him.
Chapter 3 – Trevor
I stared at the door, and then the baby in my arms began to wiggle. His face scrunched up, and he started to wail. “Oh, hell, no!” I growled and ran toward the door.
Alice and Alex were standing at the front desk, and both of them turned to me.
“What’s going on?” Alex asked.
I rushed to his side. “Take this.” I pushed the baby into his arms and then rushed out the door after Davina. She must be crazy to think I could take care of a kid.
The elevator was going down, so I hit the stairs and practically jumped from landing to landing. When I arrived on the first floor, I looked at the elevator to see the doors were already closing again, and I spun around, catching sight of Davina’s small figure walking out the lobby door as she fiddled with her umbrella. I bolted after her.
“Davina!” I yelled as I reached the other side. Her head was hidden under the black waterproof material, and she was walking faster than I had expected her little legs could carry her. “Davina!” I called again as the rain began to saturate me.
She must have heard her name the second time because she twirled around. I slid to a stop in front of her, just out of reach of the poking umbrella tips. “You can’t just drop a kid off at my office and walk away. What the hell am I supposed to do with him?”
“Raise him,” she hissed my way as she swiped at tears on her face. “He’s your son!”
“I don’t know how to raise a kid. I travel to dangerous places, live in a one-bedroom apartment. I don’t know the first thing about raising a child.”
“Yeah, well, I am sure there are plenty of books you can buy that will help you, or support groups or something.” She tossed a hand wildly in the air and spun away from me, rain racing off the umbrella and onto my face. I grabbed her arm and stopped her as I wiped the water away.
“Are you serious? You think I should learn how to take care of a baby through a support group or books? What kind of a woman are you?”
Her whiskey-colored eyes widened. “How dare you say that! The kind of woman I am has nothing to do with your obligations, Mr. Vaughn. I fulfilled my obligation! I promised Carol that I would bring Devon to you. I did that.”
“But what am I supposed to do now?”
“I don’t know! Do you think I knew what to do with a baby when I had to bring him home?” She shook her head. “I had no clue. I’ve never been a maternal person, and I don’t have any kids of my own, so I had to figure out how to take care of him all by myself. Maybe your current piece of ass can help you.”
I jerked back. “That was uncalled for.”
She closed her eyes, rubbing her hand over her face. She lifted her eyes to mine, and they looked sad and utterly exhausted. “I’m sorry. You’re right, that wasn’t very nice. I haven’t slept much the last two weeks that I’ve been taking care of him, and I work full time and take classes. It has been overwhelming for me.”
I stared down at her as rain dripped from my face, and a flash of lightning crashed nearby. The thunderous noise that followed made my spine stiffen as her face paled. Suddenly I wanted to pull her into my arms and comfort her, but that was wrong on so many different levels. “I’m sure it has been,” I said softly. I glanced around the busy street. “I guess I should thank you for doing that.”
“Doing what?” she asked as she tipped her head to the side, and an errant lock of kinky hair fell away from her smooth complexion.
“Taking care of him, finding me.”
“It’s what Carol wanted.”
I nodded, not sure what else to say. “I’m sorry that I snapped at you, but I’m seriously at a loss right now, Davina. I have no idea what to do with a baby. I have no siblings, so I don’t have any nieces or nephews; none of my friends have small kids.”
She sighed. “I know it’s going to be hard for you, Mr. Vaughn, but Devon needs to be with his father. If you really can’t take care of him, there is a number for a good adoption agency on the list that I left in the stroller.”
Yeah, maybe that is what I would have to do, but I didn’t say that to her.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Vaughn, but I have to go. I have to get to work.”
She turned and started to walk away again. “Davina!”
She paused and glanced back, a brow raised.
“Does he have a seat for the car? I mean, how did you get him here?”
“Sorry, he does have a seat, but I don’t have it with me. I took the bus. My phone number is on the bottom of that paper I told you about. Call me when you figure things out, and I can meet with you to collect all the things that Carol has for him.”
Without another word, she hustled away into the crowd of colorful faceless umbrellas, and I frowned. I turned slowly and went back inside numbly. Inside the elevator, I stared
down at my soaked clothes; Jesus, what a fucking day. Inside the office, Alex was holding the baby in his arms, a bottle in his hands as Alice looked on.
“You want to tell us what’s going on now?” he asked as he eyed my sopping wet clothing.
I stared at the little person he was holding, then lifted my gaze to Alex. “Looks like I have a kid.”
Alice chuckled. “Yeah, we figured that part out.”
“What I’m wondering,” Alex began, “is how you had a kid with her and didn’t remember her.”
“She’s not the mother,” I stated.
“Where is the baby’s mother?” Alice asked with a frown after tossing me a roll of paper towels she had stored behind her desk. “Was she too afraid to face you?”
“No, she died in childbirth,” I replied, wiping at my face.
Alice gasped, and Alex shook his head, looking sadly down at the baby. “And now you, little man, are stuck with the likes of him.”
“That’s not funny, Alex. I have no clue how to be a father.”
Alex chuckled. “Welcome to adulthood, Trev.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means no one knows how to be a father until they become one.” He laughed. “You’ll figure it out.”
“Are you serious? I can’t take care of a kid. I have a busy life, and I travel. What am I supposed to do with him then? Pack him in my rucksack?”
Alex shrugged. “You’ll figure it out. Lexi and I can help you until you get things ironed out.”
I stared at him and then sighed. “Can you give me a minute to dry off?”
“I have an extra shirt in my locker,” he said, and I went back to the bathroom we had in the back and grabbed the t-shirt out of his small storage cubby that we called lockers. I didn’t have other pants to change into so this was going to have to do.
I went back to the conference room, where I found some odd-looking pad lying on the table along with a package of baby wipes.
Alex was standing near the window. “Looks like the storm is finally passing. Alice and I changed him and found a bottle.” I nodded absently as I retrieved the piece of paper that she’d left for me. My gaze skimmed the page and went right to the phone number for the adoption agency. “What’s his name by the way?”
“What?” I turned to him and then recalled what he had just asked. “Devon. His name is Devon.”
“Devon what?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“When was he born?”
“You’re kidding? You think I should know these things?”
Alex laughed. “Yeah, a kid’s birthday is kind of important.”
I sighed as I sank into a chair. “I have no clue, Alex. What the hell am I going to do? I seriously cannot take care of a baby.”
Alex set the empty bottle down and put the baby upon his shoulder, patting his back as he moved his body slightly back and forth in a rocking motion. “It might seem overwhelming right now, Trev, but I promise it will get easier. You’ll figure it out, and I already told you that Lexi and I could help.”
“You want to take the baby home with you?” I asked, only half joking.
Alex grinned. “Lexi would probably love it if she weren’t so tired already, although I promise that we will help you. Does she have other things for the baby, or is this it?”
“She said that Carol had stuff for him, but I have to make arrangements to meet with her to get it.”
“Did she at least bring a car seat?”
I shook my head. “No, she said it’s at Carol’s.”
“Well, shit,” Alex muttered and walked toward me. “Stand up and take him.”
“Why?” I asked suddenly, afraid that he would bolt out the door as Davina had.
“Relax, buddy. I’m going to call Lexi and see if she can stop by the store and grab a car seat for you. Legally, you need to have one to get him home.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” I stood and stared at the small infant in his arms. “Jesus, he’s so tiny.”
“He is small, and I’m going to guess that he’s only a couple weeks old.” He held him out to me. “Keep him on your shoulder and pat his back so that he burps.”
“What if I pat him too hard?”
Alex grinned. “He’s tougher than he looks, but don’t go slap-happy, just firm taps on his back, rub it a little like I was doing and move around.”
“You sure you don’t want to take him home to practice with? You could give him back to me in a few years.”
“Yeah, no,” Alex said with a laugh.
I took the baby and put him on my shoulder like Alex had and began to pat his back. He wiggled in my arms, rubbing his head on my shoulder, and against my collarbone. I lifted him a little higher, and he nuzzled into my neck. Man, he was a warm little thing, and so damn soft.
Alex got on his cellphone and called Lexi. I could tell that she was asking a lot of questions, but he told her he’d explain when she arrived later today.
After he hung up, he turned to me. “You’re lucky she was off this afternoon. She’s heading to the store now to get the stuff.”
“Stuff? What else do I need besides a car seat?”
“Well, how about someplace for the baby to sleep?”
“Can’t I just put him in my bed with me? Maybe prop some pillows around him so that he doesn’t roll off?”
“No,” Alex stated firmly. “You absolutely cannot do that. Letting the baby sleep with you or on your bed is not a good idea. You could roll over on him, or he could get caught against a pillow and suffocate.”
I winced. Yeah, I wasn’t attached to the little guy, but I sure didn’t want to hurt him.
The kid let out a loud belch that surprised both Alex and me, and then Alex grinned my way. “He’s just like his old man.”
“Hey, watch that.”
He shrugged and took a seat. “Is he asleep now?”
I pulled my head back, trying to see his face, and he looked like he was asleep. “I think so.”
“Why don’t you lay him down in his stroller?”
“How do I do that?” I stared at the stroller and then Alex.
He chuckled. “You are clueless, aren’t you? Just lay him down on his back but hold his neck while you do because he’s not strong enough to do that yet, and then cover him with the blanket that is in there.”
I moved slowly, trying not to jostle him too much and trying to figure out the best way to handle him so that his head didn’t flop around. He began to tense in my hands and stretched his back like a cat while he pulled his legs up.
“What is he doing?”
“He’s just stretching. It’s okay; lay him down.”
I got him down and covered him with the small blanket in the stroller, stepping back slowly and staring at him the entire time. He was so small, so fragile-looking. He had a light dusting of dark hair on top of his head, and his face was round, his nose slightly turned up at the end.
I’m pretty sure his nose came from Carol. I remember she had a cute little nose like a ski slope. I frowned as I thought about Carol. How could she decide to keep her pregnancy when she knew that it would probably kill her? How could anyone do that?
As I stared at the child sleeping, I had to wonder if her decision was worth it.
Chapter 4 – Davina
I almost fell asleep on the bus on the way home. I was that tired, and the only thing I wanted to do was curl up in bed and cry myself to sleep. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen. Luckily, it had stopped raining, and after getting off the bus, I had to walk three blocks to the mechanic’s shop where they had been working on my car all day. It would have been so much easier to drop Devon off and take some of his stuff to Trevor if I’d had the car, but the alternator went out, and I didn’t have a choice but to take the bus.
Now my car was done, and I drove it the three miles home and rushed up the stairs to my apartment on the second floor. I booted up my desktop computer and my laptop, mad
e myself a pot of coffee, and tried to focus on what was in front of me.
Thirty minutes later, I couldn’t hold my head up, and I finally decided that I needed a short nap. I’d close my eyes for thirty minutes, an hour tops, and then get back to work. I crawled onto my bed and collapsed, my gaze landing on the bassinet that Devon had been sleeping in, and tears crowded my eyes. One slipped from between my lids and ran down the length of my nose as I drifted off.
***
The tinkling sound of my cellphone notifications drifted through my subconscious, and I began to rouse. I rolled to my back, groaning slightly as I moved. I blinked, and then blinked again. Was it dark in here, or was I still sleeping?
I glanced around, seeing the shadows of my furniture, and my gaze drifted to my bedside table. I shot straight up. “Oh, shit! That can’t be right!” I fumbled around on the bed, looking for my cellphone in the darkness and finally found it. I lifted the screen, and my jaw dropped. It was after midnight.
“Oh, my god!” I jumped out of bed and raced into the living room, tripping over something in the darkness and almost falling on my face. I had been so exhausted that I’d fallen asleep for eight straight hours.
I rubbed my eyes as I woke my computer up. I had a project that was supposed to be completed by nine this next morning, and I still had hours of work to do on it. As the computers ran through start-up programs, I went into my kitchen and poured out the old pot of coffee and made a fresh one.
Then I grabbed the bag of licorice that I loved to gnaw on while I was thinking and clipped my messy hair out of my face. Back at my desk, I browsed my email, wincing when I saw not one, but three emails from my boss.
I quickly replied to Scott that the program would be ready by morning and sent it to him as I began to log in to my work program. My cellphone rang a few moments later, and I absently put it to my ear, expecting Scott’s rough and grumble voice. “Davina?”
The softer, huskier voice tickled my eardrums and made me sit up a little straighter, and then I heard a baby screaming in the background. My eyes popped wide as my body instantly went on alert. “Is Devon okay?”
