HAPPY NEW YEAR, BABY FORTUNE!

by Leanne Banks

  At least she wasn’t crying, he thought and lifted her gown. “Okey, doke. We can do this,” he said because some part of him remembered that he’d seen a few people talk to babies. It wasn’t as if they understood. Maybe they just liked the sound of a human voice.

  Who knew?

  He looked at the diaper, and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out which was the front and the back.

  Piper began to squirm and make noises. They weren’t fussy, but they were getting close.

  “I’m getting there,” he promised. “Just give me a little extra time.”

  He pulled open the dry diaper, then carefully unfastened the baby’s dirty diaper. Colton glimpsed a hideous combination of green, yellow and brown.

  “Oh, Piper. How could you?”

  The baby squirmed and almost seemed to smile.

  Heaven help him.

  Colton pulled out a half dozen wipes and began rubbing her front and backside. Six wipes weren’t enough, so he pulled out some more and cleaned her a little more. Afterward, he tossed some baby powder on her and put on the disposable diaper.

  Sweat was dripping from his forehead. “There. We did it.”

  Piper began to fuss.

  “Well, thanks for nothing,” he said, picking up her and the dirty diaper. He wondered if there was a special hazardous-waste disposal container in the house for the baby’s diapers. He didn’t see one, so he tossed it in the kitchen trash and felt sorry for the poor fool who lifted the lid to take out the garbage.

  He jiggled Piper, but she was still fussy. He wondered if he shouldn’t have fed her. He cruised the hallways of the house. Piper never broke into a full cry, but he could tell she was right on the edge.

  Desperate, he tried to sing. “Mamas, don’t let your babies—”

  Piper wailed.

  “Not a good choice,” he muttered and jiggled her even more. He walked and talked, since talking worked better than singing did. She calmed slightly, but he could tell she still wasn’t happy. This female was definitely difficult to please.

  After thirty minutes, she was still fussy and Colton was growing desperate. He headed for the magic diaper bag and sat down to dig through it. Piper sobbed loudly in his ear as he searched the bag.

  “Give me a break,” he said. “I’m trying.” He dug his way all the way to the bottom and grabbed hold of a bottle. Pulling it out, he stared at a bottle labeled, “Last resort”.

  Colton was pretty sure he was at his last resort. He opened the bottle and found a wand. “Well, damn,” he said, and began to blow bubbles.

  Piper immediately quieted and stared at the bubbles.

  Colton continued to blow, and Piper began to laugh. It was the most magical sound he’d ever heard. He blew the bubbles, and she giggled. Her reaction was addictive.

  “Well, who would have known?” he muttered under his breath. Maybe everyone should come armed with a bottle of bubbles. He blew bubbles past the time he was tired from it, and Piper finally rested her head on his shoulder. Colton wasn’t taking any chances, though, and he kept up his bubble blowing.

  Finally, he glanced down and saw that Piper’s eyes were closed—half moons with dark eyelashes fanned against her creamy skin. She was one beautiful kid, he thought. The spitting image of Stacey. He gently strolled through the hallways again.

  Weariness rolled through him. He’d been up before dawn and trying to work through a mile-long list of chores his father shouldn’t do. The sofa in the den beckoned him. He wondered if he could possibly sit down without waking Piper.

  Colton decided to give it a shot. He slowly eased down onto the sofa. Piper squirmed, and he froze. Don’t wake up, he prayed. He waited, then leaned back, inch by inch. “We’re okay,” he whispered. “We’re both okay.”

  Colton relaxed against the side of the sofa and slinked down. He rested his head backward and moved the baby onto his chest. “Don’t wake up.” He rubbed her back until he fell asleep.

  * * *

  “Stick out your tongue, Kylie,” Stacey said to her brother’s youngest foster child.

  Redheaded Kylie reluctantly stuck out her tongue. Stacey saw no signs of strep. “I’m sorry you feel bad, sweetie,” she said.

  “I can stick out my tongue,” Kylie’s older brother, Justin, said and fully extended his tongue from his mouth. The boy’s expression had a disturbing resemblance to a rock singer.

  “Not necessary, but thanks, sweetie,” she said.

  Stacey turned to her brother Toby. “Her temperature is normal, and her lymph nodes feel fine. I would give her some extra liquids and try to help her get some extra rest.” She rubbed Kylie’s arm. “Do you feel achy?” she asked.

  Kylie shook her head. “No, but my head hurts.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Stacey said. “I bet a cool washcloth would feel good. If she can’t sleep, she can take some children’s Tylenol. In the meantime, Kylie needs some rest, comfort and cuddling.”

  “Does that mean I get to use the remote for the TV?” Kylie asked.

  Stacey laughed. “I think you are definitely due the remote.”

  “But I wanna see SpongeBob,” Justin said.

  “You can see SpongeBob anytime,” Toby said, rubbing Justin’s head. “Let’s just pile on the couch and watch what Kylie wants to watch.”

  Her brothers sighed but scrambled onto the couch. “I hope it’s not a princess movie,” Brian, the eleven-year-old, said.

  “I want Monsters,” Kylie said.

  “Again?” Brian said in disgust.

  “Kylie gets to choose tonight. If you don’t like her choice, you can get ahead on your homework or read a book,” Toby said.

  Stacey did a double take. She still couldn’t quite get used to seeing her bachelor brother turn into an instant dad by agreeing to take on these three kids. Then again, Toby had always had a generous heart, so she really shouldn’t be surprised. Stacey knew he’d met the kids when he’d volunteered at the Y. When he’d learned their mother had died at an early age and that their father wasn’t around, he’d tried to give them some extra encouragement. When their situation had gone from bad to worse and the aunt who’d been caring for them was forced into rehab, Toby had stepped forward to take them into his house by becoming a foster dad.

  “Well, I’d better head back to the house. I couldn’t find anyone except Colton to take care of the baby while I was gone,” she said, packing up her little medical bag.

  “Colton?” Toby echoed, giving a startled laugh. “You asked Colton Foster to take care of Piper?”

  Stacey lifted her hands. “He was my only choice. Everyone else was busy, and I didn’t want to leave you in the lurch.”

  Toby sighed. “Well, tell him I said thank you. I’ll feel better about Kylie now that you’ve checked her.”

  “You still need to keep an eye on her. You should check her temperature and symptoms in the morning. It’s a shame the kids’ regular doctor is out of town,” she said. “I wish we had a clinic in Horseback Hollow. Maybe I could get a job there,” she said. “That’s wishful thinking,” she murmured, then looked up at her brother and squeezed his arm. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” Toby said, but raked his hand through his hair. “This situation definitely has its ups and down. It all goes along smoothly for a few days, then it seems like we hit a big bump in the road.”

  Stacey pulled on her coat and walked to the door. “Regrets?” she asked in a low voice.

  Toby shook his head firmly. “I did the right thing, and they’re good kids. They make me laugh every day.”

  “Well, I admire you, Toby. Not many men would do what you’ve done,” she said. Three kids, all redheads with tons of energy.

  “I think I’m getting a lot more out of this than I expected,” he said.

 
She gave her brother a big hug. “Call me anytime, and bring the kids over to visit Piper. When they’re well,” she quickly added.

  “I’ll do that,” he said and opened the door. “Drive safely,” he instructed, protective as ever.

  “Good night. Get that cool washcloth for Kylie. See if it helps,” she called over her shoulder and got into her car.

  Stacey drove toward her house, growing more nervous with each increasing mile she covered. It wasn’t that Piper was a bad baby, but at times she could be demanding and very vocal. Stacey hoped the baby had calmed down enough to fall asleep. She supposed that if Colton had really needed anything, he would have called her. As she pulled in front of the house, the lights from inside welcomed her. She got out of the car, climbed the stairs and opened the door.

  She paused for a long moment, listening for the sound of Piper. All she heard was quiet. Stacey breathed a sigh of relief. Piper must have fallen asleep. She was surprised the television wasn’t on. She would have expected Colton to turn on a ballgame once he’d put Piper in her crib.

  Stepping into the den, she caught sight of Colton napping on the sofa with Piper asleep on his chest. Her heart swelled with emotion. If that wasn’t the sweetest sight she’d ever seen, she thought. Seeing her daughter being held by a good strong man reminded Stacey of everything Piper was missing on an everyday basis. Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked furiously to keep them at bay.

  First things first, she thought. Get the baby to bed. She gingerly extracted Piper from Colton’s chest, praying the baby wouldn’t awaken. Then she tiptoed to the small nursery in the room next to hers and put Piper down in her crib. Piper gave a few wiggly moves, and Stacey held her breath. Then the baby sighed and went back to sleep.

  Stacey returned to the den and touched Colton’s shoulder. He didn’t awaken. She gave him a gentle shake, then another. The man was dead to the world. He must be worn out, she thought. He’d probably put in a full day at the ranch, yet he’d still agreed to watch Piper for her.

  A rush of sympathy flooded through her. Stacey had lived on a ranch long enough to know it involved hard backbreaking work and long hours. It wouldn’t hurt him to rest a little longer, she thought, and pulled the blanket from the back of the sofa and put it over him.

  Backing away, she pulled off her coat and hung it in the closet, then returned to the den. Sinking onto the chair across from the sofa, Stacey allowed herself the luxury of looking at Colton while he was unaware. She wondered why she’d never noticed how attractive he was before. Sure, she’d known him her entire life, but she wasn’t blind.

  He was as strong as they came. Broad shoulders and she’d bet he might even have a six-pack. She blushed at the direction her mind was headed. He had a bit of stubble on his chin. His hard masculinity was at such odds with those eyelashes, she thought.

  She wondered what it would be like to sleep with him and wake up with him. Would he be grouchy or sweet in the morning? She wondered what kind of lover he would be. She’d only had one, Joe. Their lovemaking sessions had often felt rushed to her, and although it wasn’t something she discussed, she’d never felt completely, well, satisfied after sex with Joe.

  Stacey wondered if Colton was the kind of man to take his time with a woman. Although she hadn’t paid much attention, she’d heard of more than one woman he’d left more than happy after a night together. Lately, she was becoming much more curious about Colton. She kept reminding herself that he was interested in someone else, but that didn’t seem to take the edge off her...curiosity.

  At that moment, she heard the front door open and her father talking to her mother. “That meeting went on forever,” he grumbled.

  “Everyone has a right to speak their mind,” Jeanne said.

  “Well, they could speak a little faster,” he said, and closed the door firmly behind him.

  Stacey saw Colton jolt awake at the sound. He glanced around. “What the—” He broke off and shook his head.

  “Hi,” she said.

  “Hey,” he said, rising quickly.

  “Listen, thank you for taking care of Piper,” she said, also getting to her feet.

  “No problem,” he said, rubbing his face. “I guess I’ll head home—”

  Her mother and father entered the den. “Well, hello there, Colton. It’s good to see you.”

  “Colton agreed to watch Piper while I checked out Kylie for Toby. He said she wasn’t feeling well and their doctor is out of town, so he wanted me to come over and make sure she was okay. She just had a headache. I think Toby may be a little nervous fostering those three kids. Can’t say I blame him.”

  “I’m glad Kylie is okay. It sure was nice of you to come over here and look after Piper,” Jeanne said.

  “That, it was. She can run you ragged at bedtime,” her father said sympathetically.

  “Daddy,” Stacey said in an accusing tone.

  “But she’s a cute one and we love her,” her father added.

  “Of course we do,” her mother said. “Why don’t you join us for some hot chocolate before you leave? I can have it ready in no time.”

  “You don’t need to do that,” Colton said, appearing a bit embarrassed.

  “I want to,” Jeanne said. “Now sit down and relax, and I’ll have that hot chocolate for you before you know it.”

  Colton sighed and sat down on the edge of the sofa. “Is there anyone who can say no to your mother?”

  “Not for long,” Stacey said, laughing. “How was Piper?”

  Colton nodded. “She did fine,” he said in a noncommittal tone.

  Stacey read between the lines. “She was a beast, wasn’t she? I was afraid of that. Even though I’d fed her, she seemed unsettled.” Stacey sighed. “I’m sorry.”

  “I wouldn’t call her a beast,” Colton said. “Now,” he added and chuckled, “amazing how something so small can get you so twisted trying to get her to calm down.”

  “How did you get her calm?” she asked, curious.

  “You mean after I gave her the bottle in your magic bag and changed the toxic dump of her diaper?” he asked.

  “Oh,” she said, cringing.

  “Yeah, I might need to take the kitchen trash out tonight before I leave,” he said.

  Her mother entered the room with cups of hot chocolate filled with mini-marshmallows. “This will help you sleep better once you get home, Colton,” she said.

  “I think Piper may have worn him out, so he may not need any help falling asleep,” Stacey said.

  “Oh, dear,” her mother said, wincing. “She’s gotten so much better during the last month. Did she have a rough night?”

  “I wonder if she sensed that I was in a tizzy about getting over to Toby’s house,” Stacey said.

  “Well, I speak from experience. Babies can sense our moods. Especially their mom’s moods. At the same time, she may have just had a little tummy ache. Can I get you something to eat, Colton?”

  “No, I’m fine, Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Fortune Jones,” he corrected.

  Her mother smiled. “That was sweet,” she said. “But you’ve known me long enough to call me Jeanne.” Her mother looked at Stacey. “Now, what on earth made you think to call Colton to take care of Piper?”

  “I was trying to reach Rachel and she didn’t pick up. I was hoping Colton could reach her,” Stacey said.

  “Oh,” her mother said with a glance that combined intuition and suspicion. “Colton was definitely the man of the hour tonight, wasn’t he?”

  Uncomfortable with her mother’s almost knowing expression, Stacey cleared her throat. “Yes, he was.”

  Chapter Five

  A couple days later, Colton went into town to get some special feed and pick up a few things from the Superette for his mom. He would almost swear his mother could sense when he wa
s headed into town because she always seemed to have a list of items for him to pick up from the small grocery—well, the only grocery—in town.

  Using the term town might have been an exaggeration. Colton may have lived his entire life in Horseback Hollow, but he’d traveled enough to know his birthplace was more about wide open spaces than tall buildings and city conveniences. The town was just two streets long.

  Colton glanced at the list his mother had given him and picked up apples, bananas, onions, tomato sauce and pasta. He hoped that meant spaghetti was in his near future. He added a can of green beans to his basket.

  “Hey. What are you doing here?” a familiar voice spoke up from behind him. He turned and saw Stacey standing in the aisle.

  “Just picking up a few things,” he said. “What about you?”

  “Formula and baby food for Piper,” she said. “I just took something to the post office for Mom.”

  She glanced at his food items. “Spaghetti,” she said more than asked. “Are you cooking for someone special?”

  Confused, he cocked his head to one side. “Someone special?”

  “Don’t be shy,” she said with a coy smile. “Cooking for your lady friend. I have a great recipe for spaghetti sauce, but you need sausage and cheese,” she said.

  He shrugged. “I haven’t ever fixed spaghetti before unless it was from a can.”

  “Well, you’ve got to do better than that for a woman. If you’re cooking for two, you could add some delicious bread and salad and call it good,” she said. “And something chocolate. Women love chocolate.”

  Colton opened his mouth to protest, but she didn’t let him fit a word in edgewise.

  “I could help you,” she offered. “Why don’t I give you a cooking lesson? If you’re anything like my brothers, you’ve relied on your mother your entire life for your meals, so you never bothered to learn.”

  That was a little insulting, he thought. But true.

  “You sure you won’t tell me who you’re cooking for?” she asked.

  “My lips are sealed,” he said. It was easy to keep that secret since his so-called lady love didn’t exist.