by Cate Beauman
“I’m coming,” he called out.
“She’s right here.” Reagan couldn’t help but smile as she picked up the baby, studying Shane’s tired eyes and hair standing up in short spikes. “Go back to sleep. I’ll give Faith her bottle.”
“That’s okay.” He yawned hugely. “You got the last one.”
They’d both handled the last shift, taking turns walking a fussy baby around the room for more than two hours after midnight. She glanced at the clock with a grimace. Six forty-five. “I’d call us even. I have to get up and get ready.”
Groaning, Shane lay back, bare chested and fabulous. “Take the day off. No one’s coming anyway.” He rolled to his stomach.
“That’s the wrong attitude.” Although it was tempting to feed and change Faith and go back to bed, she wasn’t getting paid to sleep. “Plus I need to check on Jenny.” She smiled at Faith, sliding her palm over the baby’s soft head while the pretty girl blinked up at her. “Should we go see how your mommy’s doing today?”
“She’s fine,” Shane mumbled into his pillow. “She doesn’t look pale anymore. And she’s certainly strong enough to help herself to the food in the fridge and plunk her butt on the couch and watch TV all the damn time.”
“Thank you, doctor. I’ll be sure to take your thoughts on my patient into consideration.” She smiled sarcastically, batting her lashes.
He opened one eye, looking at her. “I know you’ve got it under control.”
But she wondered if she did. Jenny was well enough to spend long stretches of time out of bed, and her wounds were healing well, but she had yet to make an effort where her daughter was concerned. “I don’t know what to do about Jenny and Faith,” she admitted.
“Bring Jenny the baby and come lay back down. She won’t take care of Faith if she doesn’t have to.”
“But that’s the problem.” She snuggled Faith closer, her heart aching for the sweet-eyed newborn. “We shouldn’t have to force the issue. She should want to take care of her baby.”
Shane sat up again. “She had a traumatic delivery. Bonding can be difficult for some mothers, especially young mothers after an experience like hers.”
Reagan raised her brow.
“What?” He shrugged. “I’ve been doing some reading.”
She looked back at the baby, ignoring the powerful stirrings of attraction for the adorable man sitting among wrinkled sheets. “Did you happen to come up with any pointers on how we can move things in the right direction? I’ve tried everything I know.”
He rubbed at the three days of scruff along his jaw. “We can give her a discharge date.”
She scowled. “I’m not kicking Jenny out until I’ve spoken to her mother.”
He scoffed. “Good luck with that.”
Her frown deepened. “What does that mean?”
“Doesn’t it strike you as strange that Mrs. Hendley hasn’t come to see her daughter and new grandchild even once? They’ve been here for what, fourteen days?”
She sighed. “It is pretty surprising. I thought we would’ve seen her by now, but I guess she’s upset with Jenny for her choice in Faith’s father.”
“And where the hell’s he at anyway?”
She shrugged shaking her head. “You’re asking questions I can’t answer. Jenny isn’t exactly an open book.”
He yawned again. “I’m just glad we finally got that order of formula and diapers. It’s clear Jenny’s mother and Faith’s father have no intention of giving her a hand.” He scooted closer, smiling down at the baby looking up at him. “Hi, beautiful.” He kissed Faith’s forehead and stroked her cheek. “It’s a damn shame everyone in her life seems to have their priorities screwed up.”
Reagan made a sound in her throat, watching the way Faith wrapped her little hand around Shane’s finger as the baby continued to hold his gaze. Faith didn’t appear to be her family’s main concern, but she was certainly hers and Shane’s. Faith was thriving and forming bonds, but not with the people she should have been. “I’m planning to hike up to the Hendleys this morning and figure out what’s going on.”
“It sounds like we’re going on a walk, huh, Faithy.”
Reagan shook her head. “No. I think you should stay here with Jenny and Faith.”
He took Faith from her arms, resting the baby against his chest. “Not gonna happen.”
“Shane—”
“It might be good for granny to get a look at her and see that she doesn’t have horns and a tail.” He rubbed his big hand down her tiny back.
She nibbled her lip, considering. “I guess that’s not a bad idea.”
“Stick with me kid.” He winked.
She smiled, rolling her eyes. “I’ll make Faith a bottle; although, she doesn’t seem all that hungry.”
“She just wanted company. Were you lonely, baby girl?” He kissed the top of her head.
Reagan looked away as a rush of butterflies invaded her stomach. There were few things sexier than a gorgeous man with a soft spot for babies. “I’ll make her a bottle anyway, then I’m going to shower and check on Jenny.”
“Sounds like a plan. I think this little lady here could use a bath herself. Maybe we should wake Jenny and have her give me a hand.”
“We don’t want to push.”
“We need to push some.” He set Faith down and pulled on a shirt. “I’ll be damned if Jenny’s going to sleep in while you and I play mommy and daddy.”
“Okay.” She nodded and left the room, peeking into Jenny’s room, still dark with the blinds closed and curtains drawn. Hopefully today would go well and they could convince grandma to help her daughter with the overwhelming challenges of young motherhood.
She made her way to the kitchen and prepared the bottle, noting the small pile of Faith’s supplies soaking in the sink, and started back down the hall, slowing outside Shane’s door as his voice carried from his room, strong and smooth in song. He sounded great as he sang Old McDonald. She peaked in as he rested Faith on his thighs, singing about the cow going moo, as her tiny fists moved about. She walked in as he finished.
He looked up. “I think the cow’s her favorite.”
“You’re very good with children.”
He shrugged. “I like them. They’re cute.”
“You’ll make a good father someday.” She smiled at the baby.
“You’re no slouch in the kid department either.”
“Thanks.” She sat on the edge of the bed, taking Faith’s hand in hers, kissing little fingers.
“How many do you want?”
“How many what do I want?”
“Babies.”
She jerked her shoulders as her heart crumbled, knowing she would never make children of her own. “I haven’t given it much thought.”
“Weird question, I guess.” He took the bottle from her when Faith started rooting around.
“No, not really.”
“‘Somedays’ don’t seem to matter much, because I think it’s pretty safe to say we both have our hands full right now.”
She smiled. “Yes, we certainly do.” But she treasured the chaos of a new baby, fully aware that this would be her only chance to experience what so many took for granted. She stood. “I’m going to go shower.”
“We’ll have some breakfast, then wake up Jenny. Today she’s going to give her daughter a bath.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
~~~~
Shane adjusted Faith in his arms and settled himself back against his pillows, watching Reagan pull clothes from her drawers across the hall. He studied the woman who was constantly on his mind, trying and failing to figure her out. They’d lived together for more than three weeks and had basically been parents for the last two. More often than not, they woke in the same bed, yet she still refused to let him in, other than the quick moment in the kitchen the night Faith was born.
Doc was passionate about her causes and incredibly kind, but for someone so easygoing and willing to help others, there wer
e too many quick flashes of sadness in her eyes. Behind her pretty smiles and brilliant brain there were wounds, and those small hints of vulnerability were all the more intriguing because she thought no one could see.
Reagan walked into her bathroom, and he looked down, grinning at Faith making sounds in her throat as she gulped down her formula. “Knock it back, champ.” He slid his thumb along Faith’s tiny knuckles, reminding himself he was getting too attached to the new ladies in his life. Reagan was a constant fascination, and Faith was quickly worming her way into his heart. But in little more than two months he would be leaving them both and heading back to LA.
He brushed his finger along her soft skin, tucking the sweet baby closer, well aware that poor little Faith would more than likely be living in the hills by then. He was craving a full night of sleep and a decent workout—both things he’d done without since their guests arrived—but he wasn’t looking forward to watching Faith go, knowing her life would offer her little more than a rundown house and few opportunities.
Her eyes drooped and her mouth went slack.
“Burp check,” he murmured, settling her against the cloth he draped on his shoulder, rubbing gently at her back as the shower shut off. “Let’s go wake up your mom.”
He wanted to get to Jenny before Reagan did. Reagan didn’t want to push the teenager too hard, but he was ready to try a little tough love. Jenny had helped herself to their food and TV. She was also willing to sit back and let strangers take care of her baby. Today Jenny was going to start pitching in.
Standing, he walked to the darkened room diagonal to his, giving a quick knock on the doorframe. Not bothering to wait for a response, he entered and opened the curtains. “Time to get up. Faith needs a bath.” He turned, looking at the empty bed. “Jenny?” He made his way to the kitchen, certain she was stuffing her face, but she wasn’t there. “Jenny?” He peeked his head out the front door, glancing at the empty porch swing, then started back down the hall, knocking on Reagan’s bathroom door.
She opened the door a crack, wrapped in a towel, her hair dripping as steam smelling like her shampoo escaped. “What is it?”
“Have you seen Jenny?”
She frowned. “I thought she was in bed.”
“Nope.”
Reagan opened the door wider and hurried down the hall. “Jenny?”
He followed behind, watching drops of water trail down her spectacular thighs and calves. “I think she’s gone.”
“She can’t be,” she tossed over her shoulder as she climbed the steps to the loft.
He raised his brows, waiting for her to accept that Jenny had run off. “I definitely think she is.”
She leaned over the above railing looking down at him. “She’s gone.”
“Yeah.”
She came back downstairs. “Hopefully she went home to smooth things out with her mother.”
He pressed his lips in a thin line, considering the idea for mere seconds. “Mmm, I’m thinking probably not.”
Sighing, she closed her eyes. “Great.”
“Ready for that hike?”
“Yes, I guess so. Give me a minute to change.”
Chapter Eight
“What’s the plan if she’s not there?” Shane asked, wearing navy cargo hiking shorts and a sleeveless white Under Armour top, as he held Faith in the swaddle carrier Reagan had fashioned out of a thin blanket.
“I’m not sure.” But she’d been asking herself the same question over the last half hour as they made their way up the path to Jenny’s family home.
“Are they even prepared to take care of this baby?”
She skirted around the rocks and stepped over the tree branches jutting from the ground as Shane did the same by her side. “I don’t know.”
“The house wasn’t very clean.”
“I remember.”
“They didn’t have any diapers or a crib.”
“I remember that too.” Her partner in crime had been inundating her with nonstop questions and comments since they left the cabin.
“Where do kids go to school around here, anyway? And what about college? I doubt they’re saving for her education if they don’t even have diapers.”
Sighing, she tossed him a glance. “Shane—”
“There’s nothing here.”
“Shane,” she snapped, stopping and huffing out a breath as she stared at him wearing his navy blue cap backwards with his shades in place. The scruff along his strong jaw accentuated his mouthwatering looks. Faith’s sweet little feet dangling from the blanket wrapped around his powerful chest only added to the adorable picture he made. Her heart turned to a puddle of mush, empathizing with the man who had clearly fallen in love with the baby snuggled against him. “I’m sorry I raised my voice, but I don’t know what we’ll find when we get there or how we’re going to handle this entire situation. It’s certainly a mess.”
“All I’m saying is I think the fact that Granny doesn’t give a damn and Jenny ran off should say something.”
“It says plenty. Technically Mrs. Hendley’s neglecting Jenny, and Jenny abandoned her baby, but we won’t get anywhere if I start by bringing that up.”
“This whole thing’s bullshit.”
“Yes it is.” She pulled the water bottle from the backpack she carried, handing it over to Shane in the still-pleasant morning temperatures. “We won’t leave Faith there unless we both feel one hundred percent comfortable that she’s in good hands.”
“Then we should turn around right now.”
She tipped her sunglasses down, hoping he could see that this wasn’t easy for her either. “We can’t keep her.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Of course I do, but it’s hard to hand her over when we know what kind of life she’s bound to have. We can give her so much more.”
She pushed her glasses back in place, giving Shane a sympathetic smile, knowing exactly how he felt. “I’ve seen more than a few kiddos pass through the ER that I wanted to take home with me, but we’re not Faith’s parents.”
“I don’t even want kids for a few more years, but this whole situation’s a damn shame.”
She took back the water bottle. “It certainly is. Come on.” Unable to resist, she wrapped her arm around his waist. “Let’s go see what we can do to make it right.” But she worried the closer they got to the house. Within minutes, they made it to the clearing and her heart sank. Jenny’s family home was in even worse shape in the bold sunlight. Trash and old tires littered the yard, ripped screens covered almost every window, and several planks on the old porch sagged where the roof had caved in. “Ready?”
“Not really.”
“I’ll go first.” She smoothed down her simple white t-shirt and khaki hiking shorts, walked up the crumbling steps, and knocked.
A young, toothless woman with her blond hair twisted back in a braid opened the door. “Yes?”
“Good morning. I’m Reagan Rosner, the new physician at the Black Bear Gap Clinic.”
“I ain’t got time for this.” She started to close the door.
Reagan pressed a hand to the flimsy wood. “I was wondering if Jenny’s mother might be here.”
“I’m Jenny’s mother.”
Reagan tried not to gape at the woman, who couldn’t be anymore than a year or two older than she was herself. “Oh.”
“I ain’t got time for Feds.” She darted glances toward the woods. “I don’t want no trouble.”
Reagan tossed a look over her shoulder, trying to figure out what Mrs. Hendley was looking at. “I’m not here to cause problems, Mrs. Hendley. I’m hoping Jenny might’ve come home this morning.”
“She ain’t been here since you gone and hauled her off to your clinic.”
“Yes. She’s been staying with me for the last several days. She had a complicated delivery.”
“I ain’t surprised. That’s what happens when you be frettin’ with the devil.”
“Mrs. Hen
dley, Jenny’s gone and Faith is right here.” She gestured toward Shane, with Faith still snuggled in the carrier.
Jenny’s mother turned her head away from the child. “I ain’t havin’ nothin’ to do with that baby. I told Jenny as much when she said Terry gone and planted her with his seed. Them Staddlers are pure evil. Jenny gone and got herself in trouble, now she’s gonna raise that devil child on her own.”
Swallowing, Reagan dug deep, trying hard to find her compassion. “Mrs. Hendley, I can assure you Faith is a very sweet, beautiful baby.”
“If that be the case I’m sure she’ll be welcome over yonder with them Staddlers.”
This was going far worse than she’d expected. “What about Jenny?”
“She can go on to church and make herself right with the Lord. Then she can come back.”
“With Faith?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Mrs. Hendley, if Jenny isn’t willing or able to care for Faith, I’ll have no choice but to call social services. As a mandated reporter I’ll be forced to involve the State, which would be unfortunate. Technically Jenny’s abandoning her child, which can have legal consequences.”
Mrs. Hendley glanced from Reagan to Shane. “She don’t look abandoned to me. Looks to me like she’s got herself a proper mommy and daddy right here. Fancy ones at that.”
“We’re not Faith’s parents. Jenny and Terry are.”
“Take her to that no good heathen then.”
“What about Jenny?
“Jenny made her bed, now she’ll be lyin’ in it.”
She peeked into the home, spotting Shirley sitting at the kitchen table. “I hate to pry, but how does your husband feel about this entire situation?”
“He don’t have much to say, bein’ he’s locked up and all. The addictive ways of those no-good pills got the better of him. He won’t be back ‘til next year, earliest. Now good day to you.”
Reagan stopped her from closing the door again. “Mrs. Hendley, if you change your mind you’re welcome to visit your granddaughter down at the cabin anytime you want.”
Jenny’s mother’s eyes darted to the forest again. “It’s a wise soul who heeds a warnin’ and knows when to stay away.”
