His Distraction (Assured Distraction Book 2)

by Thia Finn

  Once again, Hayden stepped up. “Why don’t I stay here and you take Peri home? If there’s a problem, I’ll call you first thing. I’m sure Krissy will want to sleep as soon as they get her settled, so she’ll probably be fine ‘til morning.”

  “Yeah, that’s a good idea, Hayden. But dude, I hate to ask you to do that. You’ve already done so much.”

  “You didn’t ask me to do a damn thing; I volunteered. Now go on and take Peri home. She’s falling asleep on her feet.” Hayden pushed them toward the exit doors.

  Once they were outside, Cash came up behind Hayden. “You’re a great guy, Hayden, to stand-in for Ryan like that.”

  “Well, it’s a fucked up situation, and I’ve spent a lot of time with Krissy. She’s used to me being there to help her, so I’m sure it won’t be any different now. Hell, she’ll probably sleep ‘til morning if they’ll let her.”

  “As much as I’m dying to hold that sweet baby, I guess we should come back in the morning so they can get a little rest,” Chandler told the group.

  Hayden waited in the room where they were moving Krissy, with the flowers and balloons Chandler brought. They rolled Krissy’s bed into the room, and she took one look around. She never acknowledged Hayden but instead closed her eyes to sleep. It was exactly what he expected from her. He knew she wanted Ryan there instead of him. Ryan was reluctant to embrace the entire situation, and while Hayden understood it, he didn’t like it.

  He opened the reclining chair and prepared to sleep just in case she woke and needed anything. Not long after he finally fell asleep, they brought the baby in for Krissy to feed. She refused to take the crying baby. Hayden picked up the baby boy and talked soothingly to him as he had his little brother when he was born. He remembered his mom feeling the same way when she brought his brother home from the hospital.

  The nurse came in and told Krissy she would need to start nursing the baby, but Krissy refused and told the nurse she wasn’t going to breastfeed and to bring a bottle for the baby. The young nurse considered Hayden, not knowing if he was the father.

  “I’ll bring you a bottle then, Mr.…”

  “Devillier, Hayden Devillier.” He couldn’t shake her hand with the baby in his arms. “That’s a good idea, though. Bring a bottle and I’ll try to get him to eat.”

  She looked back and forth between Krissy and Hayden then nodded her head and left the room.

  Once she was gone, Hayden walked to the side of the bed where Krissy was facing. “Krissy, don’t you want to try to feed the baby? Doctors like the baby to have its momma’s milk, you know.”

  “I DON’T CARE! I’m tired, just let me sleep!” She closed her eyes and turned the other way.

  Hayden was surprised that she would turn down her child. She hadn’t asked to hold him yet, and now she didn’t want to feed him either?

  He accepted the formula from the nurse and sat down with the baby to try to feed him his first bottle. The young nurse couldn’t seem to take her eyes off Hayden, which felt strange to him.

  She watched him working to get the baby to take the nipple. “So, it seems like you know what you’re doing here.” Hayden shook his head yes while he spoke to the boy in hushed tones. He worked the nipple back and forth across the little pink lips until the boy opened his mouth and tried to suck from it. Finally, the baby got a taste of the formula and began working his little tongue to get the nourishment it offered.

  Relieved that the baby was eating, Hayden looked up at the hovering nurse wondering what her deal was. Was this part of some test or training for new parents that the nurse was supposed to do?

  “I think I’ve got this,” he told her.

  “Yes, I just wanted to make sure. I didn’t think you were old enough to have much experience with newborns.”

  “Not my own, no, but I have a younger brother and sister that I cared for when my mom had them.” Now why did I tell her that?

  “You know, Mr. Devillier, you familiar to me. There was a lot of talk during the baby’s delivery that the band Assured Distraction was in the waiting room.

  Quickly rolling over, Krissy yelled at the two, “Get the hell out of my room. I don’t want to hear you hitting on him or mentioning that band!”

  The young nurse gave Hayden a hasty, apologetic look and left the room quietly. He didn’t say a word because he knew whatever he said would only make Krissy angrier.

  When the baby stopped sucking, Hayden put the infant on his shoulder to burp him. Once it finally happened, he continued patting him until he realized the newborn was fast asleep, so he gently laid him in the rolling bassinet. An older nurse came in and watched him as he moved with the little one, realizing Hayden knew what he was doing. She rolled the baby back to the nursery, which wasn’t the norm anymore, but in this case, she felt it was best to let mom rest.

  Hayden lay back in the chair and pulled a blanket over himself, puzzled at Krissy’s lack of interest or concern for her baby. Even if Ryan wasn’t going to be there for her, she was this child’s mother. Weren’t mothers supposed to have some supernatural bond with the baby after carrying it inside them this long? He wondered what was going to happen when she took the baby home. Babies needed a lot of holding and loving. He fell asleep with these heavy worries weighing on his mind.

  He was jarred awake a few hours later to Krissy yelling at the same young nurse to get the baby away from her bed. He quickly moved around to where the nurse stood by the baby’s bassinet. “It’s okay, I’ll see to him,” he reassured her. The nurse gave Hayden a look of pity, and then nodded and left him to it. Once the door closed behind her, he turned on the new mom.

  “What the hell, Krissy? He is your baby. You haven’t even held him.”

  “I’m not going to hold it either. That baby has ruined my life. I’ve made up my mind to give it up for adoption. It’s obvious its daddy doesn’t want it so neither do I.”

  “Krissy, it’s a baby boy, not an “it”, and he needs you. And Ryan does want him. He left you guys alone to sleep for a few hours and was planning to come back early this morning. How do you think Ryan is going to feel when he gets here and learns you’re reneging on the plans you two talked about?”

  “Do I look as though I give a fuck what that bastard thinks? As soon as I can leave, I’m out the door. He can keep it, or give it up, or whatever. I. Don’t. Care. As a matter of fact, take it out of here. I don’t want to see it again.”

  “Krissy, you can’t mean that. You carried this baby for nine months. Don’t you want to hold him first, before you make any decisions?”

  She rounded on Hayden, and the glare in her eyes was one full of hatred and anger. “Listen to me, Hayden. I don’t want that baby. I wanted Ryan. He doesn’t want the baby or me. So tomorrow, when they release me, I’m getting the fuck out of Austin and never looking back. I don’t want to name it, I don’t want to know anything about it, and I don’t want you saying another fucking thing about it to me.” By the time she spoke the last word, she was screaming, causing the baby to cry, as though it could feel the resentment and lack of love from his mother.

  Hayden stood there staring at Krissy like the devil himself had taken over her body. He couldn’t fathom that this woman he thought he’d gotten to know a little over the last several months could feel this way about her newborn child. His mother faced similar circumstances, but he never lacked for love from her. Even in their hardest times, Hayden always knew love from his mom and grandparents.

  He rolled the bassinet out of the room and down to the nurses’ station. He had no idea what to tell them. Surely they heard everything she was screaming. When the nurse who brought the baby in saw him coming toward their desk, she rounded the end and took the baby from him.

  “I don’t want to pry into personal matters, so please excuse me for asking, but is she your wife?” Hayden shook his head no. “Do you know who the father is, because someone’s going to have to come up here and take custody of him, or we’ll have to call Child Protective
Services?”

  “Well, it’s complicated. I’m her roommate and have been helping her out during her pregnancy. She claims the father is my cousin, the man here last night when he was born. But he’s demanding a paternity test be done to make sure. He hasn’t made it back up here yet this morning, but I’m sure he’ll be here soon. I’ll hang around until he gets here. If there’s a place I can be with the baby, I’ll take care of him until then.”

  “Yeah, he needs to have bonding time with someone, and you seem to know what you’re doing with a baby. We have quiet rooms; I’ll see about getting you set up in one.” She showed him to a small room with formula and diapers. “Call if you need me.” She left, and Hayden picked the baby up to soothe him from the fretting that started when Krissy was yelling. Hayden began singing softly to the baby while he walked and bounced the tiny newborn. He finally sat in a rocking chair and continued to sing and rock the boy while he slept in his arms.

  Ryan and Peri knocked on Krissy’s open doorway, and she wouldn’t turn her head in their direction.

  “Where’s the little one?” Peri asked. “I’m dying to hold him.”

  “I don’t know. Hayden has him somewhere.” Krissy’s tone immediately indicated she was angry. “I think I’m going to see if the doctor will spring me from this hell hole tonight.”

  “Is that safe, Krissy? You just had him last night,” Ryan asked, concerned about her and the baby’s health.

  “I had it without any complications, and I’m perfectly healthy. It’ll be twenty-four hours tonight. I’m sure I’ll be able to leave in the morning if not tonight.” She was still lying in bed in her hospital gown.

  Ryan laughed a little, and then said, “I think I would stay as long as they let me stay. It's got to be easier in the hospital with nurses around than it will be when you get home.”

  Before she could reply, Hayden pushed open the door and rolled the bassinet into her room. “Oh, I didn’t know y’all were here already. I thought maybe Krissy would want to feed him this time.”

  Peri turned to Krissy with her mouth hanging open. “Aren’t you feeding him every time? How does he eat without you?”

  “I’m not feeding it at all. It takes a bottle just fine, and I don’t want anything to do with it.” Krissy slowly stood up and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Peri and Ryan looked at Hayden, mouths still hanging open. He motioned for them to follow him and the baby out of the room without saying anything for Krissy to overhear.

  “What the fuck, Hayden?” Ryan said as soon as they were in the feeding room.

  “I don’t know what to say. She won’t hold him. She won’t feed him. Nothing. Hell, she wants nothing to do with the little guy. I think that girl is fucking crazy. She never said anything about not wanting the baby. Who doesn’t want to hold the baby they’ve carried for nine months?”

  Peri gazed at the sleeping baby, sporting a blue stocking cap for warmth in the bassinet. His little body was swaddled tightly in a receiving blanket. “He’s adorable. I wished he wasn't asleep because I’m dying to hold him.”

  “I’m the only one who’s held him so far. He wakes up every four hours like clockwork and wants to eat. He’s still trying hard to get the whole nipple thing down. I know y’all don’t want to talk about this, but y’all have to make some decisions. The nurse said that if she’s not going to step up to care for him then a relative needs to claim him, or they will be forced to call CPS. We can’t let that happen, guys.”

  The shock was written all over Peri’s face, but Hayden continued. “She said the doctor will probably discharge them tomorrow, and then what will happen? Krissy says she’s putting him up for adoption.”

  “Like hell, she will!” Ryan’s voice was loud and deep, but the baby slept through it. Peri grabbed his arm and put her fingers to his lips. Quietly, he mouthed, “There is no way she is going to put this baby up for adoption. If that’s my child, I’ll raise him. She can’t do that if I won’t sign the papers.”

  “Yeah, but what if you’re not the father? You won’t have any say, and who knows who the father is if it’s not you.” Peri said softly. She couldn’t keep her eyes off the cute little bundle sleeping soundly.

  “I don’t know what we’ll do if I’m not the father.”

  “I know. I mean, I sure don’t want a kid right now, but I wouldn’t want to see him go to foster care.” Hayden shook his head.

  “The first thing we need to do is the paternity test before we make any decisions. If the baby’s yours, then we’ll take him, no question. We’ll need to hire a nanny or something to help me out, but he’ll have a home with us and be a part of our family. I won’t let her throw this baby out. Discard him like trash.” Peri couldn’t help the tears that were streaming down her face by the time she stopped talking.

  Ryan wrapped Peri tightly in his arms, and the three were standing there watching the baby sleep peacefully unaware when the doctor walked in to check on him. “Well, I see family finally arrived? We have a definite problem here with the boy’s mother. I went into the room to find the infant, and the mom told me y’all took him away. Said she didn’t want him back in her room?” He watched the three blank faces with a questioning expression of his own. “I think it’s safe to say this is more than post-partum depression. She truly seems like she doesn’t want her baby.”

  “Yeah, she’s not interested in him at all, she hasn’t even held him since they laid him on her after he was born. I’m the only one who’s held him so far besides the nurses.” The doctor unwrapped the infant, and the little one let out garbled cries at the cold air and stethoscope on his exposed skin. “Is he going to be okay if he never gets his momma’s milk? I mean, can he get strong if he only gets formula?” Hayden asked, genuine concern on his furrowed brow.

  The doctor smiled a little. “Oh, yes, he’ll grow big and strong on a bottle. Many babies are bottle-fed. I assure you he’ll be just fine on it.”

  Hayden sat down and peered over the top of the bassinet. “Well, he sure likes that bottle. It didn’t take anything to get him to eat from it.”

  “So, I suppose you are the one caring for him now? Are you the father?”

  “Oh, NO!” Hayden was fast to answer. “I’m just a friend, but I’m his momma’s roommate and have taken care of her during her pregnancy.”

  Ryan spoke up. “You see Doctor, I might be the father, but I don’t think I am. I sat down last night and figured up when she would have gotten pregnant. Isn’t it supposed to be forty weeks? We weren’t together forty weeks ago from yesterday. I was on tour by then, and we haven’t been together since.”

  “Yes, but that’s arbitrary in that he could have come at thirty-seven weeks or forty-two, and he would still be a full-term baby,” said the doctor.

  “Yeah, I know but we didn’t have sex for a week or so before I left and certainly not after I left. So honestly, I don’t think he’s mine. We need to do a paternity test to confirm, though, and that’s going to take three to four days, right? She’s ready to leave the hospital now, without the baby. Is that going to be a problem?”

  “As long as someone is going to care for the baby, he can leave with her. But otherwise, we will have to call protective services in to take custody, and he’ll be placed in temporary foster care until his birth father is determined.”

  Peri had sucked in a breath before she burst into tears. Ryan pulled her in as she cried on his chest. “Yeah, doctor. I don’t think we’ll be able to let that happen, even if it’s just for three to four days.”

  “There is another way to see if the child’s yours, though. At least, we can eliminate you being the dad.”

  “How? I thought we had to do paternity testing to get that information?” Ryan pressed, continuing to hold Peri close. He knew this was killing her, but he didn’t know what else to do other than claim the child as his and take responsibility for him.

  “We can get your blood type sample right here. We already know the mother and
baby’s type because we do that when he’s born to check for positive and negative factors.”

  “Then do it. What do I need to do?”

  “Come over to the nursery office and we’ll see about getting it taken care of.” The two men left the small room together.

  Hayden offered the rocking chair to Peri. “I’m sorry you have to go through this shit, Peri. Seems like Krissy’s problems keep spilling over onto you. It can’t be good for you. You have your baby to think about.”

  “I’m fine, Hayden. I want to tell you how grateful I am for taking care of this sweet little one during all of this. I’m so impressed with you stepping up for this huge responsibility.”

  “No, it’s all good. I like babies. There’s something about them being so dependent on you for their entire existence. Poor little guy can’t do anything for himself yet, but he’ll learn quickly enough. My brother and sister both did. My mom, she wasn’t too much of a great mom, but hell, at least she wanted us. Nothing like what this one’s getting from his momma.” Hayden shook his head in disbelief of Krissy.

  “If they let us take him home, then we can make some decisions. The idea of protective services coming in, I simply can’t sit by and let that happen. I don’t know what we’ll do if she won’t cooperate.” Peri leaned over and kissed the boy on the cheek. He opened his eyes and started moving his tongue around, so she picked him up and hugged him close to her warm body.

  “He likes to be close,” Hayden said, watching every move she made. She seemed a little stiff at first but loosened up finally when she sat back down with him in her arms. “You ever held a baby before, Peri?”

  “Not one this little. He’s not even a full day old yet.” She smiled and rocked the baby.

  The doctor and Ryan came back through the doorway, and Peri could tell something was wrong as soon as she laid eyes on his solemn face. “What were the results, Ryan?”

  “I’m not the baby’s daddy. Krissy’s a B, and I’m an O. The baby’s an A,” Ryan told the two. The doctor says that’s not possible for us to have an A baby together. So, now what are we going to do?”