Maggie tipped the tub over, dumping the soapy water into the sink. "If she feels warm, it's probably from the bath." She flipped the tub upside down over the sink to dry and turned to Ace, wiping her hands across the seat of her pants. "Would you like to give her a bottle, before I put her to bed?"
Ace opened his mouth to say no, but closed it and nodded his head instead. "Why not? You could probably use the break."
Hiding a smile, Maggie headed for the door. "It'll take me a minute to warm it up," she called over her shoulder. "Make yourself comfortable."
Ace glanced around. Not seeing any place in the bathroom to sit other than the commode seat, he walked back into the nursery and sat down on the rocker. "What do you think?" he asked the baby. "Is this comfortable enough for you?"
Laura squealed, flapping her arms wildly. Ace panicked, fearing he'd done something wrong.
"Now don't turn on the waterworks," he said nervously. "If you don't like this chair, I'll find us someplace else to sit."
She stilled and stared up at him, as if hanging on his every word. He gave his chin a jerk. "Well, you're going to like it even better once we get snuggled in." Careful not to startle her, he shifted her to a more comfortable position, then eased back, settling his spine against the rocker's bowed slats. "Now," he said, releasing the breath he'd been holding. "That's even better, isn't it?"
Yawning, she brought a fist to her eye and rubbed.
"Are you sleepy?" he asked. "Want me to tell Maggie to speed that bottle up?"
"No need," Maggie told him, as she entered the room. "I've got it right here." Smiling, she handed it to Ace, then sank down at his feet, watching as he offered it to Laura.
"She won't last long," she whispered, noticing that Laura's eyelids were already growing heavy. "She's had a pretty exciting day."
Ace nodded, fascinated by the tiny fingers that curled around his over the bottle. He lifted one of his fingers and carried three of hers up with it. Shaking his head, he lowered it back to the bottle. "She's so damn tiny."
Maggie laughed softly. "Most babies are."
"I suppose, though she seems exceptionally small."
"Dainty," Maggie corrected.
"More like fragile," he said, frowning down at Laura.
Chuckling, Maggie reached to blot a drop of drool from the corner of the infant's mouth. "Don't let her size fool you. She's tougher than she looks."
Ace snorted. "You're going to have a hard time convincing me of that." He lifted his finger again, drawing Laura's entire hand up with it. "Just look at the size of that, will you? I've seen dolls with bigger hands."
"She'll grow," Maggie assured him. "She's already almost doubled her weight."
"Doubled!" he repeated, then winced, when Laura released the nipple and let out a cry. "Sorry," he murmured, as he guided the bottle back to her mouth. When she'd settled and began sucking again, he looked over at Maggie. "Doubled?" he said again, but more quietly this time.
Maggie nodded. "She weighed a little over five pounds at birth, and today she weighed in at nine pounds."
Ace blew out a breath. "Man. I had no idea she weighed less than five pounds at birth. That's small."
"Dainty," she reminded him.
"Fragile," he insisted.
With a shrug, she conceded the point. "All right, have it your way. But, like I said, she's tougher than you think."
"Look," he whispered. "She's already asleep."
Maggie rose to her knees and eased the bottle from the baby's mouth. "You can put her to bed now."
He looked up at her. "Me?"
She pushed to her feet and gave him a droll look. "It isn't as if you haven't done it before," she reminded him.
He looked down at the baby. "I did, didn't I?"
Careful not to wake her, he rose and crossed to the crib. He patted her back a moment, listening for her burp, then leaned over to lay her down. As he slipped his hand from beneath her, a hint of a smile curved the sides of the baby's mouth.
"Look," Ace whispered. "She's smiling."
Maggie draped an arm over his shoulders, as she peered down at the baby with him. "She's talking to the angels," she said softly.
He glanced over at her, his brow creased in puzzlement. "What?"
She shrugged. "It's something I heard somewhere. Supposedly, when a baby smiles while she's sleeping, it means she's talking to the angels."
Bracing his arms along the rail, Ace stared down at the baby. "Whether it's true or not, it's kind of a neat thought." He reached down to tuck the blanket more securely around her. "Do you think she's warm enough?"
Chuckling, Maggie hugged him against her side. "Will you quit worrying? She's going to be just fine."
* * *
Eight
« ^ »
At some point over the last two weeks, Maggie's plan to keep Laura's integration into the Tanner household as unobtrusive and subtle as possible had fallen by the wayside. Now a person couldn't take a step without dodging some type of infant gear. Another visit to town had produced a new playpen that had taken up permanent residence in the den. Baskets filled with an assortment of stuffed toys, teething rings and rattles were scattered all over the house, making the search for an item with which to entertain the baby as simple as reaching out a hand. On the floor of what Maggie considered Ace's office, a quilt was spread, its colorful squares embroidered with caricatures of different farm animals.
The biggest surprise of all, though, was that it was Ace who was responsible for the majority of the additions. He rarely made a trip to town that he didn't return with something new for Laura. An adorable chenille teddy bear for her to sleep with. A rubber rattle shaped like a dog's bone for her to chew on. A storybook constructed from fabric squares and illustrated with colorful felt appliqués. With each new addition, Maggie silently prayed that it was a sign that Ace was moving closer to accepting the baby.
She was sending up a similar prayer one evening, when the doorbell rang. Her hands in dishwater, she lifted her head, listening to see if Ace would answer it. Not hearing a sound from his office, she quickly grabbed a dish towel and dried her hands as she hurried for the door.
Opening it, she found a delivery man on the porch. She looked at him in surprise. "It's rather late for a delivery, isn't it?"
"Not when we're transporting perishable goods." He glanced down at the clipboard he held. "The invoice is addressed to an Ace Tanner and requires a signature."
Since Ace hadn't responded to the doorbell, Maggie assumed he was busy and didn't want to be disturbed. "He can't come to the door right now. Is it okay if I sign for the package?"
The man handed over the clipboard. "Makes me no never mind. Personally, I'll be glad to get rid of the dang thing."
She quickly signed her name, then passed it back, frowning. "Why? Is it heavy?"
He snorted a breath. "Heavy and loud. The mutt hasn't shut up since I loaded the carrier into my truck."
Maggie's eyes bugged. "Mutt! Ace never said anything about buying a dog. Are you sure you have the right address?"
The man thumped the back of his hand against the clipboard. "Says it right here in plain black and white. Ace Tanner, Bar T Ranch, Tanner Crossing, Texas."
"That's the correct address, all right." Catching her lower lip between her teeth, she strained to look around him. "Is the dog very big?" she asked uneasily.
He snorted a breath, as he turned and jogged down the porch steps. "Depends on what you call big."
Maggie watched as he slid open the truck's side door and disappeared inside. When he reappeared, he was stooped beneath the weight of a pet carrier large enough to contain a full-grown mountain lion. Maggie crossed to the edge of the porch. "Leave it there," she said, fluttering a hand at a spot on the sidewalk a good ten feet from the edge of the porch.
He groaned, straining, as he set the carrier down. "With pleasure." Dusting off his hands, he turned for his truck. "And good riddance."
Her gaze on the carrie
r, Maggie slowly descended the steps. She sank to her knees and stooped to peer inside. A yelp from the dog, had her jerking back. Placing a hand over her heart to still its beating, she stooped again to peer inside. A long, pink tongue snaked out and, before she could dodge it, licked her full on the mouth.
Curling her nose in disgust, she drew back, dragging the back of her hand across her mouth. "If I'd wanted a kiss," she complained to the dog, "I'd've asked for one."
His response was a pitiful whimper.
Her heart melting at the heartbreaking sound, she reached for the carrier's latch. "I bet you're tired of being inside of that old cage, aren't you, buddy? I'll let you out, but you've got to promise me you won't—"
Before she could finish the warning, the door flew open and a mountain of fur shot out, striking her against the chest and knocking her flat on her back. With her eyes squeezed shut, Maggie pushed at the dog, who seemed determined to thank her for rescuing him by licking her to death.
"Get off of me!" she cried, shoving at the dog. "You weigh a ton!"
"Not quite a ton, but close."
Hearing Ace's voice, Maggie flipped open her eyes, just as he collared the dog and pulled it back.
Afraid that he intended to punish the dog, she pushed up to her elbows. "He didn't mean any harm," she said, in the dog's defense. "He was just being friendly."
"'He' is a 'her,' and I've never laid a hand on her." He hunkered down and gave the dog's head a brisk rub. "Have I, girl?"
Maggie watched, her eyes widening as she recognized the dog. "That's the dog from the pictures you took for your book on Wyoming wildlife!" she cried.
Laughing, Ace tipped his head back, trying to dodge the dog's tongue, as it frantically licked at him. "This is her, all right … though there's a whole lot more of her. I left her with a buddy of mine in Kerrville when I got the call that the old man had died. Since it looks as if I'll be here awhile longer, I asked him to ship her to me. Down, Daisy," he ordered sternly. Trembling with excitement, the dog immediately sat back on her haunches, her brown eyes fixed adoringly on Ace.
With a woeful shake of his head, Ace stood and offered Maggie a hand up. "Sorry about the exuberant greeting. She usually has better manners than that."
Maggie stared up at him, as he pulled her to her feet. "You had the dog all along," she said in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me?"
He lifted a shoulder. "You didn't ask."
Before he had a chance to prepare himself, Maggie threw herself at him. With her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck, she peppered his face with kisses.
"I just knew you were hiding a heart somewhere in that gorgeous chest of yours."
Ace drew back to look at her askance. "Gorgeous?"
Maggie ducked her head, blushing to the roots of her hair. "Well … it is to me."
Dropping his head back, Ace hooted a laugh. "Gorgeous," he said again, then laughed even harder. "I don't think anyone's ever referred to my chest as gorgeous before."
Scowling, she squirmed, trying to get down. "I don't see what's so funny."
"I do. Gorgeous is a word used to describe a woman's looks. You know, like, 'Maggie Dean is one gorgeous chick.'"
She stopped squirming to look at him in wonder. "You think I'm gorgeous?"
"No. It was just an example."
"Why, you—"
Laughing, he dodged the fist she swung at his head. "I was only kidding!"
She eyed him skeptically. "Double-dog swear?"
"Triple-dog swear." He slowly eased her to her feet, but kept his arms locked around her. "Forgive me?"
"I don't know," she grumbled, unsure if she was ready to forgive him yet.
"Where's the kid?"
"Asleep."
He swept her up into his arms. "Good. That means I've got plenty of time to convince you."
"Ace!" she cried, clinging to his neck. "What about the dog?"
He stopped at the door, whistled and the dog came bounding up the steps.
"Stay, Daisy," he ordered, and the dog immediately flopped down on the porch and dropped her head between her front paws.
Maggie stared at the dog over Ace's shoulder, as he carried her inside. "Amazing," she murmured.
"I've always thought I was."
She bopped him on the back of the head. "Not you, goofus. The dog."
Reaching his room, Ace dumped her onto his bed, then dove in after her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her over him, as he rolled to his back. "While I'm convincing you to forgive me, I guess I'll just have to convince you that I'm amazing, as well."
Enchanted by this playful side of Ace she had never seen before, Maggie planted an elbow on his chest. "And how do you intend to do that?"
"I could start by dazzling you with my magic skills."
She eyed him dubiously. "What magic skills?"
"I can make things disappear right before your eyes.
"What kind of things?"
He caught the hem of her T-shirt. "My specialty is clothing. Shut your eyes," he instructed.
She narrowed them at him instead. "You said 'before my eyes.'"
"Semantics. Now close 'em."
Maggie obediently closed her eyes. In a flash, Ace ripped her T-shirt up and over head.
"You can look now."
When she did, he opened his hands before her face and turned them this way and that.
"See?" he said smugly. "No shirt."
She feigned a bored look. "Impressive, but not particularly amazing."
"Well, what about this?"
In the blink of an eye, Maggie was beneath him and the remainder of her clothes—as well as his—were on the floor.
"Now," he said, as he settled between her legs, winded by the effort. "What do you have to say about that?"
Smiling, Maggie slid her hands over his buttocks and urged him to her. "I'd say you're a master magician."
He fumbled a hand in the drawer of the bedside table, found a condom and put it on.
She gasped, tensing, as he pressed his erection against her center, then hummed her pleasure, melting around him as he slipped inside.
"Now that," she said, "is truly amazing."
She felt his smile against her neck, the rasp of his tongue as he stroked it down.
"Baby, you ain't seen nothin' yet," he said, just before he caught her nipple between his teeth.
She arched high as he suckled, then strained higher still, as he closed his hand around her opposite breast, mimicking with his fingers the seductive pull of his mouth on the other. Sensation churned inside her, gathering in speed and intensity until they melded into a single bolt of lightning that ripped through her body, piercing her low in her belly and creating an explosion that sent her flying over the edge.
She clung to Ace, her hands trembling, her heart thundering in her ears. "Ace!" she cried.
He chuckled and began to move inside her. "Like I said. Baby, you ain't seen nothin' yet."
* * *
A baby's cry tugged Maggie away from her dreams. Responding instinctively to the sound, she pushed back the sheet and started to rise.
A hand on her shoulder stopped her and pulled her back down.
"I'll check on her," she heard Ace say.
Murmuring gratefully, she snuggled her cheek into the pillow and dragged the sheet back to her chin.
When she awoke the second time, the first faint rays of sunshine were seeping through the drapes. Unwinding the tail of the shirt that was twisted around her knees, she smiled, remembering growing cold in the night and Ace getting it for her. Touched by his thoughtfulness, she stretched, rolled … then froze. Ace lay next to her, his face relaxed in sleep, his body curled protectively around the baby, who slept between them, a pacifier dangling from the corer of her mouth.
She gulped, swallowed, emotion crowding her throat. Oh, Ace, she thought, touched by the sight of them sleeping together. Please, please, please let this be a sign that you've decided to keep her.
Reaching out, she shaped a hand over his cheek and smiled as he blinked open his eyes to look at her. "This is a bad habit to start, you know," she warned.
He glanced down at the baby, then covered Maggie's hand with his and closed his eyes. "She was lonely."
Maggie chuckled and snuggled closer. "She said that?"
He shook his head. "No, but I could tell."
Her heart melting, Maggie leaned to press her lips to his. "You big softie."
"Uh-uh. Lazy. It was easier to stick her here, than have to stay up and entertain her."
Laura stirred between them, and the pacifier slipped from the corer of her mouth. Scrunching up her face, she let out an indignant wail.
Ace pulled his pillow over his head. "Your turn," he rumbled from beneath it.
With a rueful shake of her head, Maggie rolled to her knees and gathered the baby into her arms. "It's okay, precious," she soothed, as she scooted from the bed. "Maggie'll have you a bottle warmed before you can say scat."
"Scat."
Maggie glanced back to frown at the bed. "Very funny, Ace. Keep it up and you'll be the one doing the warming."
A snore came from beneath the pillows.
Chuckling, she headed for the door again. "You big faker."
* * *
The next two weeks passed in a blur of activity for Maggie. She spent one entire weekend doing nothing but cleaning the bunkhouse in preparation for the arrival of the three ranch hands Whit had managed to locate. The second she spent cooking and cleaning up after the hands, Ace and his brothers, who he had called home to help work the cattle. The men had worked from dawn until dusk on both Saturday and Sunday, first moving the cattle to the corral, then checking them over, doctoring those that needed it and castrating a dozen or more bull calves that—from the fuss they kicked up—weren't too crazy about the idea of being neutered.
On the weekdays in between, she cared for Laura and, in her spare time, helped Ace clean out his father's office and bedroom. She discovered that, for a man with such extensive holdings, Buck Tanner kept pitifully few records. Ace said it was because Buck didn't trust anyone, including his sons. Whatever his reasons, Buck had left few paper trails for Ace to use as a guide.
Five Brothers and a Baby Page 12