“You don’t mind, Tee?” Gabe asked. Mixed emotions played across his face. He looked hungry, still tired and a little nervous.
“There’s only one way to get practice, Coach. And that’s by practicing.”
“True words.” He handed her the baby, watched while she settled her into a proper position for feeding, and then as she touched the bottle to the baby’s soft, pink lips.
Jessie rooted instantly, hands clenched, so happy to be fed, a delightfully normal reaction.
“Coach, do you think we can do batting practice sessions at the dome this week?” Eric asked as he buttered a hunk of warm bread. The dome was a huge, rounded, tent-like facility where kids could sharpen their athletic skills indoors during the winter.
Gabe shook his head. “Not until January, guys. I’ve got to juggle babysitting, work, the festival and help cover a couple of guys who are taking vacation in December. Once January hits, we’ll book time there, twice a week. Same as always.”
“And the weather’s been unusually mild,” Corinne noted. “Can’t you guys do batting practice right here at Welch Grove Park?”
“It gets dark early now.” Callan shrugged. “By the time we get home from school and get to the park it’s already dusk.”
“The shortened days make a difference,” Gabe agreed. He paused as he ladled soup into his bowl, then breathed deep and faced Corinne. “I don’t think I’ve ever smelled anything so good, Corinne.” He smiled her way, the ladle paused midair.
Pleasure warmed her cheeks, much the way her daughter’s had a few minutes before. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Behind them, the baby gasped like they often do when they need to burp after a milky feast.
Gabe shot out of his chair. “I’ll take her, Tee.”
Tee wasn’t exactly the acquiescent type. “Coach, I’ve got her. She’s fine.” She stood up and walked the baby around the room, patting her back like an expert. “I had to do this with Davy last year. And Emily’s baby, too. Practice, remember?”
Gabe’s hands clenched. His face went tight.
“Hey, you’re actually pretty good with a kid, Tee.” Brandon offered the praise around a bite of bread, total boy. “I wouldn’t have a clue what to do with a baby, and I sure wouldn’t touch it. I think they’re breakable. They’ve got to be. They’re so small.”
“Mom says they’re tougher than they look,” Tee offered over her shoulder.
“I’ll take her, Tee. Go grab some food.” Gabe’s voice didn’t leave room for argument. He reached out and took Jessie into his arms, then picked up the bottle to continue feeding her.
An awkward silence descended.
Tee’s expression spoke plainly. Gabe was making a big deal out of nothing, but Corinne was grateful when she held her tongue. She came to the table and took the remaining seat, facing Brandon, then proceeded to look anywhere but at him.
Smitten.
The boys talked sports, ranging from current football to the last baseball game of the year, being played that night. Instead of wolfing her food, Tee ate in tiny bites, eyes down. She didn’t join in the conversation and the boys didn’t appear to notice, too busy dissecting team moves and managers and unanimously deciding that Mike Trout was the best player in baseball.
And Gabe sat straight and still, not leaning against the recliner’s cushioned back, as if he didn’t dare allow himself to be comfortable with the baby in his arms but couldn’t let her go, either.
Seeing that, Corinne couldn’t help but wonder why.
* * *
Corinne thought babies were tougher than they looked.
She was wrong, and Gabe understood that better than most. Kids were delicate creatures in so many ways. Gifts from God, deserving of love and attention and protection.
Aware of Corinne’s gaze, he kept his eyes trained on Jessie. She squirmed, then did that gasping thing again as she tried to pull back from the bottle.
Gracie had never done that, she’d never made that strangling sound that made him leap out of his chair a few moments before. Jessie appeared to think it was quite normal, but that was because she didn’t know how his heart rose up in his chest, strangling him from within. She scrunched up her little face, writhed as if in dire pain, burped and smiled.
And not just any smile.
She pulled back from his chest with her head still a little wobbly, and that precious baby met him eye-to-eye and grinned as if happy to be fed and proud to have burped.
He grinned back.
He didn’t want to, but he couldn’t help it. The response was automatic, and when she read his smile, hers grew.
She reached out to touch his face like she’d done the previous day, and this time she didn’t frown.
“She’s glad you shaved,” Corinne observed. She moved to his side and rubbed her head against the baby’s onesie-covered belly.
Jessie laughed, grabbed for Corinne’s hair and missed because Corinne drew back.
“I’ve got her.” Corinne reached for the baby. “Go eat, and don’t give me a hard time, Coach. House rules.”
“Did you get enough?” He glanced at the table and was amazed by how much food three teenage boys had plowed through. “Never mind. If I don’t eat now, I’ll miss my chance.”
“Growing boys.” Corinne settled the baby onto the floor and changed her diaper while he returned to the table. “Cal, since Tee set the table, can you and the guys load the dishwasher?”
“Sure,” Eric answered as he stood. “That was great, Mrs. G. Thanks for letting us stay and watch the first half of the game with you guys tonight.”
“It’s a school night, but when it’s the World Series, exceptions must be made,” she told him. “And we’re happy to have you guys over.” She finished changing the baby, then set up a play mat with overhanging arches. “I’m glad I kept this tucked away when Emily’s baby got too big for it. Gabe, look.” She tucked the baby onto the mat, face up. Jessie began reaching and kicking immediately, batting at the soft-sided toys suspended above. “She loves this.”
She did, and that spawned another memory. He and Elise, watching Grace’s growth, noting every one of her newly acquired skills in a baby book. Rolling over, first smile, first tooth, first tear...
His heart tripped again.
There was no way he could do this, not when every time he looked at Jessie, all he could see was Grace at the same age. He wasn’t sure his head could handle it, and he knew his heart couldn’t, but what could he do?
No answers came, and maybe that was because God wanted him to make up his own mind.
He knew what he’d tell someone else. He’d done it often enough. He’d tell them to move forward, grasp the good of today and forge on.
That was easy advice to give away, but wretchedly hard to follow himself.
“Stop fretting over whatever and eat,” Corinne scolded from the floor. “Take it day by day, the same kind of thing you’d tell the team, I expect.”
She was right. He didn’t think he could eat a bite, then proceeded to wolf down a monster-sized bowl of soup and two thick slices of her homemade bread, drizzled with garlic butter. When he finally pushed back from the table, he stared down, dumbfounded. “I can’t believe I ate all that.”
“You have to remember to take care of yourself in order to take care of her,” she reminded him softly. The baby started fussing, and Corinne turned her over on her tummy and rubbed her back. A little burp followed, then a sigh of contentment when she took her pacifier and dozed off. Eat and sleep, with occasional diaper changes.
The normal routine came roaring back to him, the beloved sameness of it all amid the wonder of new life.
“Come sit or stretch out. And if you doze off, I’ll watch her for you. I’ll stay right here,” Cori
nne promised. She stood and crossed the room to retrieve her laptop, then settled onto the floor alongside the sofa. “That recliner is mighty comfy, and if she stays awake tonight, a little extra rest now isn’t a bad idea.”
He was 100 percent sure he wouldn’t fall asleep, so when he awakened during the fourth inning, he was surprised. The baby was still sleeping, Tee was watching the game and Corinne was stretching tired joints. “Hey. Look who’s awake,” she teased softly, smiling. “Mr. I’m-Sure-I-Won’t-Fall-Asleep has rejoined us.”
“I crashed.” He pushed the recliner more upright and yawned. “I thought I was tougher than that.”
“Food, cozy fire and sleeping baby.” Corinne set the laptop aside and stood. “Perfect combination. Coffee?”
“I’ll get it. You’ve been working.”
“Well, I’m done working, and I’m having tea, so I’m heading that way.” She popped a refillable pod into the coffee dispenser and hit the button just as Jessie began to squeak. “And it looks like we’ve got company.”
He bent low to pick up the baby. She blinked round eyes at him, yawned, stretched and blinked again. “I’ll do the diaper if you do coffee.”
“Deal.” She brought two mugs to the living room almost instantly and Gabe realized how much he loved the new single-cup brewing system when she set the coffee on the table to his left. “I’ve got her bottle ready whenever she is.”
“How are you so good at this when it’s been twelve years?” he asked with a nod toward Tee.
She ticked off her fingers. “Kimberly and Drew’s little guy, Davy; Emily’s baby, Katelyn; not to mention the twins, Timmy and Dolly. And I work with expectant parents. Lots of times I dash across the floor to meet their tiny blessings when they come.”
She went above and beyond. He’d noticed that quality in her right off, but he’d noticed something else, too. Corinne kept an intentional cool distance around him. At least she had until he found a bundle of joy on his doorstep. Funny how a baby changed all kinds of boundaries when you least expected it.
He walked Jessie around the room. Tee glanced up, then down.
He’d hurt her feelings.
What an oaf.
He sat on the edge of the window seat and pointed to the homework pile next to her. “Social studies?”
“A geographical map of the New England colonies with at least ten topographical features.”
It looked pretty good from where he was sitting. “If you’re ready for a break, would you like to feed her so I can talk to your mom about the Christkindl festival next week?”
Her eyes lit up, but Tee feared nothing, a fact he liked. “Are you going to get all nervous and overreact if she makes a noise?”
Corinne kept her eyes down across the room, but he was pretty sure she choked back a laugh.
“No, and I’m sorry I did. You were doing fine. Blame it on my inexperience and nerves, okay?”
She met his gaze and drew her forehead tight. “Coach, I’ve never seen you get nervous like that before. Even in the championships. Not like...” She shrugged, thinking. “Ever.”
“Babies are way more important than any game,” he answered softly, and when he did, he read acceptance in her gaze.
“My mom would say the same thing.” She flipped her notebook closed, set it on top of the poster board and stood. “I’d love to feed Jessie.”
“Here you go.” He handed her the baby, then brought her the bottle and a cotton towel for burping. “You feed. I’ll work.”
“Gotcha.”
And when Jessie gurgled that weird sound a few minutes later, he steeled himself not to turn, look or jump out of his skin. Tee handled her just fine. Now if he could only learn to do the same.
Chapter Nine
Gabe’s living room lights were dimmed but still glowing late that evening. Should she offer to help? Or leave him to his struggles?
Corinne’s hand hesitated over the light switch, and then she flicked it off, darkening the first floor. He’d be fine. He seemed to almost have an affinity for baby care, unusual for someone with no experience, but his fear was real and she’d seen that often at the hospital. It would dissipate in a few days, and by then he’d have child care lined up from the list she’d given him, and a few days with his mother around. That week of organization and help should bolster his confidence.
By Thursday night, when vendors had rolled into town and the huge tents had been erected on the Shelby/Gallagher Farm, she was ready to head home when Susie MacIntosh hailed her from the shuttle bus drop-off loop. She crossed her way quickly. “How are you doing? I keep thinking about you and this baby.” Corinne kept her voice soft on purpose.
“Good so far,” Susie whispered back. “Mack is so excited, and we’ve never gotten past three months before, so there’s reason to be optimistic, right? We’re almost halfway there!”
“Yes, absolutely.” Corinne gave her a quick hug. “Infertility is a wretched business, Susie, and I’m praying for you guys and this baby. Every single day. Are you helping with the festival?”
Susie shook her head. “No, but Mack is, and I decided to check things out as the vendors put things in place.”
“Wasn’t Gabe on tonight’s schedule?” Corinne asked. Susie’s quick expression of regret was enough of an answer. “Did he take the night off because of the baby?”
“He took the whole week off,” said Mack as he came up alongside. “He’s nervous about day care. And maybe still wondering what to do.”
“I assumed he’d found someone and went to work like usual.” The past few days had been a whirlwind of work and festival organization. She hadn’t noticed that Gabe wasn’t leaving the house. “Mack, thank you for jumping in to help. It’s greatly appreciated. Are you covering his schedule for tomorrow, too?”
“He’s done the same for me many times.” He looped an arm around his wife and shared a sad kind of smile with her. “His mom rolls in tonight, so he’s fine for the weekend. But he needs to figure this out. If you have any influence, Corinne...”
He said the words as if he thought she did, and the minute he said it, she wished it were true. She moved toward her car and hit the key fob to disengage the locks. “I don’t, but I’m bossy. We’ll see. Thanks again for stepping in tonight.”
They waved goodbye and headed in the opposite direction while she navigated trucks and trailers to get out onto the road.
Gabe hadn’t worked all week.
She needed to smack him.
She pulled into her driveway, dead tired from the craziness of festival prep, but headed across the yard first. If she went inside her cozy home, she’d never have the energy to come back out and scold her tall, good-looking, stubborn neighbor. She rapped on his door lightly.
He opened it a few seconds later, looking surprised. “Hey. Come on in, it’s getting cold out there.”
“The weather’s ready to turn, for sure,” she answered as he swung the door shut behind her. “Mack ratted you out tonight.”
He frowned.
“He said you took this week off and that you’re not sure what to do about day care for Jessie, which means you didn’t go visit any of the places I gave you.”
“I did go, actually.” He looked uncomfortable and swiped a hand to the nape of his neck. “I didn’t like them, Corinne. They seemed so...” He hesitated, then said, “Sterile. Like it was a schoolhouse setting for infants. And who wants that for a baby?”
She didn’t tell him that lots of people preferred the more professional setting, because it was clear that he wasn’t a fan. “So you’re just going to stay home for the next five years until she’s in kindergarten?”
He grimaced. She took pity on him because he seemed truly uncomfortable about leaving the baby in a structured day care facility. “Kate is free right now, and she
offered to watch her, but I thought we had this all set. She managed to raise a bunch of Gallaghers, so why don’t you think about that. If nothing else, it buys you some time.”
“You think she’d do it?” Gabe’s expression was like a drowning man, grabbing for a newly extended lifeline. “Seriously?”
“She said she would, and when Drew needed a place for Jessie to stay overnight, Kate jumped all over the opportunity,” she reminded him. “Kimberly has the event center running smoothly, and Kate likes that she can actually be retired unless needed. So yes, she’d love it.”
“I would be okay with that,” he told her, and the relief on his face agreed. “I’ve got their number, I just didn’t want to impose. I’ll call her.”
“Good. And even if having Jess is temporary, at least you can both get into some kind of normal routine. I know you’ve been up late and up early because I see the lights, but one lesson that every new parent learns is that they have to try to work in some sort of normal. Otherwise they drive themselves crazy trying to be all things to all people. Especially babies. Like the one peeking up at me over there.”
She crossed the room.
The minute Jess spotted her, she grinned and batted little arms, wanting to be lifted and held. “Oh, you absolutely marvelous, adorable thing.” Corinne scooped her up and laughed into her happy baby face. “You are beyond precious, my darling. And have you been keeping my friend up night and day?” When the baby laughed, Corinne nuzzled her cheek, then scolded. “Shame on you, but I do understand the attraction.”
Did she just say that out loud?
Heat rose from somewhere in her middle, a reaction she couldn’t let him see. Eyes down, she kept her attention firmly on the baby.
“You understand the attraction, Corinne?” He’d moved closer, and the deep note of his voice commanded the tiny hairs along her neck to attention. He sounded...interested. The very thing she’d been trying to guard against.
“We girls are always attracted to anyone who brings us food,” she offered lightly, as if his proximity wasn’t tempting her forward. “And this happy smile says you’re doing something right. She’s absolutely content.”
The Lawman's Yuletide Baby Page 9