HAPPY NEW YEAR, BABY FORTUNE!

by Leanne Banks

  He strode toward the front door.

  “Woo-hoo, you look great,” his mother called.

  Colton smiled and turned to meet her gaze. “Thanks, Mom. You look great yourself.”

  “Well, thank you, sweetheart,” she said, and moved toward him to give him a kiss on his cheek. “You going to pick up Stacey and her baby?”

  “I am,” he said. “I’ll see you at the wedding and reception.”

  “You look good,” his mother said. “She’s a lucky girl.”

  “Thanks,” he said. I’m a lucky guy.

  He drove to the Joneses’ ranch and knocked on the door. He waited a couple moments, and Stacey finally answered the door.

  “Sorry,” she said. “I haven’t been feeling great, and it took extra time to get Piper ready. The great news is she seems to be in a good mood.”

  “I’m all for Piper being in a good mood,” he said, and studied Stacey for a moment. “You look a little pale. Are you sure you want to go?”

  “I’m sure,” she said. “This will pass. I probably haven’t had enough water. I’ve been busy all day long.”

  “If you’re sure,” he said.

  “I’m sure,” she said and smiled. “Let’s go.”

  Colton helped Stacey and Piper into Stacey’s car, then got behind the wheel. He drove down the driveway of the Joneses’ ranch and turned onto the main road. Stacey’s silence bothered him. He drove a few miles down the road.

  “I need you to stop,” Stacey said. “I feel sick.”

  Colton immediately pulled to the side of the road. Stacey stumbled out of the car and got sick on the side of the road. He wasn’t sure if he should comfort her or leave her alone. After a few moments, she got back in the car.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I should go to the wedding. I think I caught a stomach virus from the little boy I was tutoring. Please take me back home,” she said, and leaned her head against the headrest.

  “Right away,” he said, and made a gentle U-turn in the middle of the road. He took a quick glance at her and saw that she was taking deep breaths. He pushed the button to lower the passenger window.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  Colton pulled into the driveway and stopped in front of the house. Stacey flew out of the car. “I’m sorry. I’ll get Piper in a couple minutes,” she said, and raced through the front door of the house.

  Colton sat in the car, staring after her. Piper squirmed and cooed. It wasn’t an unhappy sound, just an acknowledgment that the car had stopped. He took a deep breath but didn’t glance back at the baby. He suspected that if he looked at her, she might start squawking.

  He waited two more minutes, but there was no sign of Stacey. Well, darn, he was going to have to take Princess Piper inside. Stepping out of the driver’s seat, he turned to the backseat and searched for the release of the safety seat. Piper squirmed, but she didn’t yell at him. He finally found it and pulled her into his arms. Slamming the door behind him, he trudged up the steps to the house and walked inside to complete silence in the house.

  Hearing the flush of a commode from the back of the house, he walked farther inside. “Stacey?” he called, once, twice, but there was no answer.

  Colton sighed and looked at Piper. “Looks like it’s me and you kid,” he said. He suddenly realized he’d left the magic bag in the car and returned to retrieve it. The second time Colton entered the house, he decided not to call out to Stacey. She was clearly ill. That left him with one task, taking care of Piper.

  “So, how’s your diaper? Can you give me a little warning if you’re going to do a complete blowout?” he said. “I’ll need a whole box of those wipe things.”

  Piper looked at him and lifted her finger to his mouth.

  “Is that your way of saying shut up? I thought women wanted men to talk more,” he said.

  Piper made garbled baby language, but it wasn’t fussy, so Colton had hope. “You know, this isn’t that much different than talking with most women. Most of the time I don’t understand what they’re saying.”

  Piper continued with her baby talk.

  “I wonder if you know what you’re saying,” he said. “I should probably check your diaper, even though I don’t want to.”

  Colton gave a peek and a touch. “Just wet,” he said, excited in a way that he could never explain to a bunch of guys at the bar. “No poo. I can do this,” he said, and put her down on the sofa and changed her diaper.

  “Time for a bottle?” he asked and pulled one out of the magic bag.

  Piper reached for it. He sank down on the couch while she sucked down the formula. When she was finished, she looked as if she were in a stupor. He propped her up on his leg. She let out a belch that would rival that of a trucker’s.

  “Whoa, that was impressive,” he said and patted her on the back.

  Piper let out another loud, extremely unfeminine belch.

  “Way to go,” he said.

  Piper looked up at him and gave him a milky smile. That smile melted his heart. She was a sweetheart. In some dark part of his mind, he couldn’t help wondering how Joe could have left her. How could he give up the opportunity to be a father to this sweet little girl?

  Chapter Ten

  Piper spit up a little on his suit’s pant leg. Colton bit his lip, remembering the blowout at the festival. Could be worse, he thought, and removed his coat and tie. If Piper ruined his shirt, he could wash it. The tie and coat were more problematic. He lifted her in his arms and walked around the kitchen.

  Colton wanted to check on Stacey, but he also wanted to give her some privacy. He’d had a couple stomach viruses in his life, and all he’d wanted to do was lie on the bathroom floor and pray for relief.

  Piper began to babble again. Colton was just thanking his lucky stars that the sounds she was making were happy ones. “So, who do you like better? Spurs or Mavericks?”

  Colton carried Piper around for a half an hour. It seemed the easiest way to keep her happy. She grew drowsy in his arms, though, and he didn’t know if he should put her down for the night. Plus, he was worried about Stacey. He meandered down the hallway to Stacey’s room.

  “Hey, Stacey,” he said and tapped at the door. “Are you okay?”

  “No,” she called. “My stomach has been inhabited by an alien, and it has turned itself inside out.”

  He swallowed a grin. It must be a good sign that she could joke. “Can I do anything for you?”

  “Just make sure Piper is taken care of if I croak,” she said.

  His heart squeezed tight. “Don’t joke about that,” he said.

  Silence stretched between them. “I’m not gonna croak,” she said. “I’m just gonna wish I could croak.”

  “Are you sure I can’t get anything for you? Water? Soda?” he asked.

  “Maybe some soda,” she said. “Clear soda,” she clarified.

  “Done,” he said and went to the kitchen. Juggling Piper from one arm to the other, he searched the refrigerator and found a can of seltzer. He poured it into a glass with ice and took it back to her bedroom.

  “Got the soda,” he said, knocking at the door.

  A moment later, the door opened, and Stacey looked up at him as she propped herself against the doorjamb. He could honestly say she looked like death warmed over. She was pale, and her eyes were red-rimmed. “I can only take a sip,” she said, and reached out to take a tiny drink.

  “Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital in Lubbock?” he asked. “You look pretty bad.”

  “I’m in the worst part of the virus,” she said. “I just need to stay hydrated. One sip at a time.” She closed her eyes. “I need to lie down. Can you watch Piper a little longer?”

  “Yes, I just need to know—”

  “Than
ks,” she said and shut the door.

  Colton looked at the door for a long moment, then looked at Piper. Her eyes moved in a slow blink. “You look very sleepy,” he said. “But I don’t want you to wake up in the middle of the night. Maybe a late-night snack?”

  He returned to the den and pulled out the magic bag. Rifling through it, he found a jar of peaches. “Sound good?” he said to her.

  She drooped against his shoulder. Colton opened the jar and fed her while she rested in his arms. It required far more coordination than it took to wrestle a calf and brand it.

  Piper scarfed down the pureed peaches and let out a hearty burp. Colton figured a poop was coming any moment. He felt a sudden surge of warmth on his legs. “Wait, wait, wait,” he said, and lifted her up before she ruined his suit pants.

  He laid her down on a blanket and grabbed the whole container of wipes. “I can do this,” he said to himself. “I’ve done it before.” Colton opened Piper’s diaper and winced. Quickly, he cleaned her up and fastened her new diaper only to have her refill it.

  “Oh, Lord, help me,” he muttered and started cleaning her up again. Sprinkling powder on her, he fastened yet another diaper on her. Taking the little girl in his arms, Colton tossed the two dirty diapers into the kitchen can and walked toward the nursery.

  Rummaging around the room, he found a gown. With some trouble, Colton removed Piper’s shoes, tights and dress, then pulled on the gown. She whined at him several times.

  “Cut me some slack. I haven’t done this before,” he said. He caught sight of some booties and pulled them on her feet. “Comfy?” he asked.

  She wiggled and stared up at him. He stared back at her for a long moment and felt as if he was seeing the beginning and ending of the earth in her eyes. He couldn’t look away.

  Piper wiggled again, and he shook his head. He must have imagined that strange feeling, he thought. He picked her up and paced around the room. After a few moments, he decided to try out the rocking chair. He rocked her for several moments, then set her down in her crib on her back.

  Bracing himself for her cry, he held his breath and waited. Colton counted to one hundred. No sound from Piper. He almost couldn’t believe it.

  Leaving the room and carefully closing the door behind him, he glanced back at Stacey’s room. He wondered if he should check on her. Lost in a quandary, he stared at her door.

  “Is there a problem?” Stacey’s mother asked.

  Colton nearly jumped out of his skin. He’d been so focused on Stacey and Piper he hadn’t heard Stacey’s parents enter the house. “Stacey got sick on the way to the wedding,” he whispered, not wanting to awaken Piper. “We came back, but she was too sick to take care of the baby. I looked after Piper, and she’s fallen asleep.”

  “If there’s one thing I know, it’s not to wake a sleeping baby,” Jeanne said.

  Colton smiled. “I’m with you on that, but I’m a little worried about Stacey. Would you mind checking on her?”

  Jeanne disappeared into Stacey’s room for a moment, then returned to the hallway. “She’s falling asleep as we speak. I think the worst of the virus is past. I feel bad that this was her first experience tutoring.”

  “Knowing her, she won’t quit,” Colton said.

  “Very true,” Jeanne said to him and squeezed his arm. “Thank you for looking out for Stacey and Piper tonight.”

  “Piper was a breeze,” Colton said. “I just wish I could have helped Stacey a little more.”

  “You helped her by taking care of Piper.” Jeanne gave him a considering glance. “Looks like Piper may be getting used to you.”

  “I think I just got lucky with her tonight,” Colton said. “I always feel as if I’m spinning the roulette wheel with that little one.”

  “Don’t underestimate yourself,” Jeanne said.

  “If you say so,” he said. “You sure you don’t want me to hang around a little longer in case you need an extra set of hands?” he asked, feeling oddly reluctant to leave Stacey and Piper.

  “I’ll be fine,” she said and chuckled. “I had to juggle babies when they were sick many times when my children were young.”

  “I guess so,” he said, and felt a little foolish. Of course Jeanne Fortune Jones knew what she was doing. The woman had seven children, after all. “I’ll head on home, then. Tell Stacey to give me a call when she’s feeling better.”

  “I’ll do that,” her mother said. “Thank you again for looking after both of them.”

  He nodded and collected his tie, jacket and hat. “Good night,” he said, and headed toward his truck. Colton had an odd, empty, gnawing sensation in his gut as he drove home. He should have been relieved to hand over the reins of Piper and Stacey’s care to Jeanne, but he wasn’t. Taking care of a temperamental baby while Stacey was sick? It should have been one of the most miserable evenings of his life. He should have run screaming the second Stacey’s mom came home. Instead, he’d taken to the task quickly—and more easily than he’d imagined possible. And walking away from Piper—and her beautiful mother—was getting tougher by the day.

  Something was wrong, very wrong. He needed to rethink all this.

  * * *

  Over the next couple of days, Colton brooded over his relationship with Stacey. With everyone else voicing an opinion about it, he needed to figure out his own thoughts. In a different situation, in a different— bigger, more crowded—town, he and Stacey could allow their relationship to develop naturally with little intervention. Since, however, both of them lived at home with their families, it seemed they were overwhelmed by prying eyes. Colton had feelings for Stacey and Piper, stronger feelings than he wanted to have at the moment, but he wasn’t sure what he should do about those feelings—or what he wanted to do about them. Colton wanted to take things slow. He wanted to be careful. There was a baby involved, for Pete’s sake. At the same time, he wanted so badly to be with Stacey and Piper. And yet he couldn’t stop thinking about Joe. Why had he abandoned Stacey and Piper? How could he have? Colton had known that Joe’s father hadn’t been around much, but surely that wouldn’t have prevented Joe from being the husband and father Stacey and Piper needed.

  The quandary frustrated him so much that he worked outside until it turned dark. Maybe if he wore himself out, he would fall asleep without thinking about Stacey and Piper. He walked into the house with two goals in mind, a meal followed by a shower, but he caught sight of his sister Rachel grading papers in the den.

  “Oh, there you are,” she called out to him, jumping up from the sofa. “I thought you might have fallen in a hole.”

  “No, but I’ve been digging a few,” he said, and continued to the kitchen. He foraged through the refrigerator and found some leftover baked chicken and rice. “How’s life as a student teacher?”

  “Busy, busy. But not so busy that I can’t offer to babysit so you and Stacey can have an evening out by yourselves,” she said, and shot him a cheeky grin.

  “That’s nice of you,” he said and heated his leftovers in the microwave. “I’ll have to check with Stacey when she’s feeling better.”

  “Oh, she’s feeling better,” Rachel said. “I talked to her today. She hasn’t called you yet because she’s embarrassed that she got sick and you had to take care of Piper.”

  “I didn’t mind taking care of Piper. I was glad to do what I could to help Stacey when she felt so bad,” he said impatiently.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Rachel asked. “You seem grumpy.”

  “I’m just tired,” he said, pulling a mug from the cabinet. “I’ve been up since the crack of dawn, working outside in this wind.”

  “Hmm,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Are you sure it isn’t anything about Stacey? You’re not leading her on, are you?”

  Frustration ripped through him, and he slammed the
cabinet door. Swearing under his breath, he shook his head. “That’s part of the problem,” he said. “Everyone is watching every move Stacey and I make. Everyone feels the need to offer an opinion. Did you ever think we don’t need your opinion? Did you ever think we don’t want to hear what you think?” he challenged his sister.

  Rachel drew back, her eyes widened in surprise. “Why are you so touchy? I just said you shouldn’t lead her on. You know that, too.”

  “Then why did you feel the need to tell me?” he asked. The microwave dinged, signaling his food was ready. He poured himself a cup of decaf and took his dinner to the table.

  “I just thought I should make sure,” she said. “Stacey has been through a hard time. You know what happened with Joe.”

  “I do,” he said. “You think I should stop seeing her?”

  Rachel blinked. “Well, no. Why would you say that?”

  “Because it’s starting to look as if everyone either wants me to make a lifetime commitment right off the bat or pull back. Those are two extreme choices, considering we just started seeing each other. I’ve never dated a woman with a child before. I don’t know if I’m ready to be an instant father. I don’t know that much about kids, let alone babies.”

  Rachel sank onto the kitchen chair across from him and sighed. “This kinda stinks for you,” she said. “Everyone is so excited for Stacey to get involved with a man who would be both a good husband and father that they’re jumping to conclusions. Do you wish you hadn’t started seeing her?”

  “No. I do wish everyone would stay out of our business, but I don’t see how that’s going to happen. I have feelings for Stacey, and for Piper, too, but I have to figure out how to slow this down and get it more under control,” he said.

  Rachel nodded. “I know control has always been important to you, but good luck with it. I hear it doesn’t always work in the romance department. My offer to babysit Piper sometime still stands. Otherwise, I’ll let you figure this out on your own.”