Daddy Next Door

by Carol Voss

  “Well, he’s probably doing great, then.”

  The woman tried to cuddle her infant inside her jacket. “I need to call the fire department,” she said over the baby’s crying.

  “I already called them.”

  “Oh. Thank you so much.”

  Coop helped her grasp blanket ends whipping in the wind and tucked them tightly around the infant. The woman’s face was shadowed by the night, but her exotic scent drew him in and commanded his attention. With those high heels, she could almost look him in the eye. He liked that.

  “I’m sorry to be so much trouble.” Swaying to comfort her baby, her deep sapphire eyes fired off enough damsel-in-distress signals to tweak every protective nerve he owned. Her teeth were even chattering.

  “Glad to help.” This wind had ice in it, and her lightweight jacket was clearly built for style rather than warmth. “My house isn’t far away.”

  “Your house?” The woman sounded as if she hadn’t considered what she’d do beyond getting out of the smoke.

  “Come on.” Hanging on to the squirming kid, Coop scooped up the empty baby carrier and strode across the yard Clyde kept mowed and trimmed. The woman caught up and jogged beside him, the baby still crying his heart out. He sure did have a great set of lungs.

  “My brother is really, really scart.”

  “I’ll bet he is.” This kid was probably plenty scared himself. “But everybody’s safe, so there’s no reason to be scared.”

  “Braveman’s not safe.” Coughing, the kid turned himself into a squirming octopus trying to wrench himself out of Coop’s arms again.

  Coop hung on.

  The woman looked over her shoulder. “Something is wrong with the chimney.”

  Her skin looked porcelain in the moonlight peeking through the clouds. “Birds, chipmunks, maybe even raccoons probably filled the chimney with nests and stashes of food. I’m surprised Clyde didn’t clean it out before you arrived.”

  “I told him I’d be here next week, but...plans changed. How far do the firefighters have to come?”

  “From Noah’s Crossing, about a mile.” Digger trotted to them, wagging his tail and looking pretty proud of himself. “Good boy, Digger.”

  “Is he your dog?” the boy asked.

  “He sure is. He let me know about the smoke.”

  “He’s a hero,” the boy said, his voice hushed. “Just like Braveman.”

  “Hear that, Dig? You’re just like Braveman.”

  “Thank you, Digger. And Mr.—” The woman sounded out of breath.

  Remembering those high-heeled boots she wore, he slowed his pace. “Ben Cooper.”

  “Alyssa Douglas. It never occurred to me the chimney could be plugged.”

  “Well, don’t worry. We have the best volunteer fire department and EMS unit in the area.”

  “Volunteer?” She sounded alarmed.

  “Best in the area. We’d be in big trouble if we had to wait for help to come from farther away.”

  The baby’s crying seemed to be winding down. Reaching his house, Coop pushed open the door and stood back to allow her to go in first.

  She walked into his laundry room, the light making her golden hair glow like soft silk. He’d never seen a more delicate, feminine woman. Tall—too thin—but she carried herself like a princess. Her U.S. senator father must be proud.

  Coop stepped into the house behind her. Princess or not, her problems obviously ran a lot deeper than a chimney fire. Why else would she be staying in an old cottage in November with two little kids and no husband in sight?

  Chapter Two

  Alyssa hurried into Ben Cooper’s warm, bright laundry room, the smell of scorched food snagging her attention for a moment. She hugged Robbie close. He couldn’t be as cold as she was, or he’d still be crying. She scrutinized her baby’s flushed little face.

  Fussing hoarsely, he blinked up at the recessed ceiling lights.

  Was he flushed and hoarse from crying? Or was it something to worry about? His body was so tense. Rubbing his back, she peered at Joey in Ben’s arms.

  She reached out and removed his smudged glasses. Tears clumped her son’s long lashes, and his eyes looked bloodshot, his gaze glued to the big yellow dog slurping water from a dish in the corner. He was so excited over the dog that it was hard to tell if he was okay or not.

  She turned her attention to their rescuer. She’d just launched into their new life, and she already needed help? She could hardly believe it. Didn’t want to believe it.

  But there he stood, his shiny, jet-black hair falling almost to his collar. Wisps fell over his forehead like Joey’s usually did. But that was the only thing about Ben Cooper that suggested boy. His strong face, broad chest and biceps straining the fabric of his gray sweatshirt looked all grown-up.

  Patting her baby’s back to soothe him, she looked into Ben’s kind eyes, dark pools of concern mixed with male appreciation and the glint of curiosity.

  She was used to male appreciation and knew how to deal with it. And the curiosity was no surprise either. He had to wonder what she was doing here.

  “What did Dig get into this time?” A girl in tattered jeans and faded gray sweatshirt hanging to her knees slid to a barefoot stop in the doorway, her large brown eyes widening in surprise. “Hi.”

  “Hello,” Alyssa said.

  “Alyssa, my daughter, Hope.”

  Alyssa did her best to smile, not sure she pulled it off.

  Ben handed Robbie’s carrier to the girl, then bent and set Joey down, his man-size jacket pooling at her son’s feet. Ben lifted the jacket off Joey’s shoulders and slipped into it, giving the boy a smile. “Make sure they have whatever they need, Hope. I’m going to hook up water hoses and try to keep the fire contained until the fire trucks get here.”

  “No.” Alyssa grasped his arm. “You’ve done enough. Let the fire department handle it. I don’t want you taking any chances.”

  He glanced at her hand on his arm, then raised his gaze, his grin warming the room. “I don’t take chances.”

  The kindness in his mellow voice reached through her anxiety, almost as if they shared a connection. Ridiculous. She’d just met the man.

  “I’ll send the EMS people over when they get here to make sure everybody’s okay.” He turned and pushed out the door.

  “Dad will be safe. He knows about construction ’cause he built our house.” Hope’s words sounded confident, but her tone was thin with worry. Obviously, she was trying to convince herself her dad would be all right.

  Alyssa felt even worse. “He promised he wouldn’t take chances,” she said to reassure herself as much as Hope. She stepped to the laundry tub, and rinsed Joey’s smoke-smudged glasses under the faucet. Everything about the house seemed very new. “How long ago did he build your house?”

  “We moved in over a year ago, but it took a long time to build before that.”

  “You’ve got a great dog.” Joey stared at the big canine as if he’d discovered magic.

  “Yeah. Dad found him in a ditch after a car hit him. He made a deal with the vet to get Digger back in shape, and I got to help take care of him.” She swung Robbie’s empty carrier back and forth as she talked. “I’m gonna be a veterinarian. To help animals like Dig.”

  Joey watched the girl as if fascinated. Whether by the girl, her story or the sparkling braces on her teeth wasn’t clear.

  “That’s very admirable, Hope.” Sounding as frazzled as she felt, Alyssa dried Joey’s glasses the best she could with a corner of Robbie’s blanket and handed them to Joey.

  He coughed as he shoved them on.

  “Do you feel all right, honey?”

  He nodded brightly, but his eyes still looked bloodshot.

  “Can you take off your jacket?”
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  Was that sirens she heard in the distance? She couldn’t wait until the EMTs could check her children. Everything would be fine, she tried to tell herself. But how could things be fine when she’d put her children and Ben Cooper in danger, and Gram’s cottage was on fire?

  “Cute baby.” Hope eyed Robbie.

  “He’s Robert.” Joey struggled out of his jacket. “But we call him Robbie.”

  Alyssa waited for him to tell Hope his own name, but she wasn’t surprised when he didn’t. She laid her hand on his head. “This is Joey.”

  “Hi.” Hope looked down at him. “Come on in,” she turned and led the way.

  Handing his jacket to Alyssa, Joey trotted after the dog.

  Alyssa hung the jacket on one of the pegs near the door and followed the children into an open kitchen, the whir of a ceiling fan stirring a breeze. The profusion of utensils and spilled food on the counters screamed inexperienced cook.

  “Can I get anybody anything?” Hope offered.

  Joey turned to tug Alyssa’s arm. “Can I have milk?”

  She hated to ask but... “Joey would like milk, please.”

  “No problem.” Hope whipped over to the table and handed Joey an already-filled glass. “You can drink this. Dad didn’t have time to eat ’cause he went to find out why Digger was barking.”

  Alyssa helped Joey drink from the full glass. What was Ben doing next door? Was he all right? He had to be all right.

  Robbie’s breathing sounded stuffy, as if he had a cold. But he didn’t have a cold. Was he having difficulty breathing? She held him more upright, hoping it would help him breathe easier. She missed Cam’s strong lead in a crisis. Would Hope’s mother know what to do until the EMTs got here? “Is your mother home?”

  The girl narrowed her eyes, her pert mouth set in an unhappy line. “My mother is dead.”

  “I’m sorry.” The poor girl. She wished she hadn’t asked. She looked at her baby, willing the EMTs to get here. The sirens seemed to be getting closer.

  “Can I see the fire trucks, Mommy?” Joey’s eyes were like saucers.

  Alyssa took the glass of milk from him before he could spill it in his excitement.

  “Come on, we can see them from Dad’s room.” Hope took off, the dog on her heels.

  Alyssa and Joey rounded the corner into a lived-in great room with floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out on the black lake. Red lights pulsed off the water, but the trucks and cottage were out of sight. Hope and the dog had already topped the open stairway.

  The doorbell rang.

  A barking yellow blur of locomotion thundered down the steps. Robbie’s eyes flew wide as Alyssa dodged to stay out of the dog’s way. She started for the front entrance, Joey at her side. Realizing the dog was headed for the back door, she turned and hurried through the kitchen and into the laundry room. “Sit, boy,” she ventured, hoping to quell the barking.

  Amazingly, the dog stopped barking and sat, looking up at her with liquid brown eyes as if waiting for her next command. “Stay.” She gave him a firm look and yanked the door open. “Come in, come in. I’m so glad you’re here.”

  A tall, fiftyish man with salt-and-pepper hair and an equally fit woman, both in navy blue EMS jackets and carrying heavy-looking bags, stepped inside along with a blast of cold wind. The man turned and closed the door behind him.

  “We’re Liz and Max.” The woman gave Alyssa and her boys a concerned look. “Coop said you all inhaled some smoke.”

  “I’m worried about my children. My baby’s only three months old.” Hardly recognizing the strained voice as her own, Alyssa and Joey led the way into the kitchen, the dog moving with her as if waiting for his next cue.

  “And who do we have here?” The woman—Liz—asked Joey as she set her bag on the floor and unzipped it.

  Joey frowned at the woman.

  “This is Joey,” Alyssa answered for him. “He’s four.”

  “Nice to meet you, Joey.” The man—Max—pulled out a chair from the table. “Mommy, why don’t you sit down with the baby, so Liz can look him over?”

  Alyssa sank into the chair and turned Robbie to face Liz.

  “Can I check your breathing, Joey?” Max asked.

  Joey looked to Alyssa.

  “It’s okay, honey.”

  “It will take just a couple minutes, okay?” Max said.

  Joey gave him a small nod.

  Liz pressed her fingers to Robbie’s neck, then bent and pulled a stethoscope from her bag. “Any coughing fits? Shortness of breath? Wheezing? Anything like that?”

  “He sounds stuffy, and he’s very hoarse. Maybe from crying. The whole thing was pretty upsetting. I’m sure he was cold when we ran outside.”

  “Let me listen to your lungs.”

  “Mine? I’m fine,” Alyssa said impatiently. “But my baby’s breathing doesn’t seem right. He doesn’t have a cold, but don’t you think he sounds stuffy?”

  “A little stuffy, yes. But you sure you’re fine? Your children need a well mother, you know.”

  “I have a headache, probably the stress.”

  “Let me take a listen.”

  Alyssa shook her head. “You don’t seem to understand—”

  “I want you to warm the stethoscope for the baby.”

  “Oh.”

  When Liz had listened and pronounced Alyssa fine, she turned her attention back to Robbie. “If you’ll unzip his outfit?”

  Alyssa hurriedly pulled down the zipper.

  Liz pressed the stethoscope to Robbie’s tiny chest.

  Joey crowded against Alyssa.

  She met EMT Max’s gaze.

  He gave her a smile. “Joey’s as good as new.”

  Tears stung her eyes. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Robbie began to fuss, and now, Alyssa could hear a definite wheeze. Her heart sped up again.

  “You can zip him back up.” Liz quickly draped the stethoscope around her neck, grasped her cell from its clip on her bag and hit speed dial.

  “Is it serious?” Throat closing, Alyssa fumbled with the zipper on her baby’s sleeper.

  “I want Dr. Delaney to meet us at his clinic to check the little guy. You can hold him on the way.”

  She swallowed her panic. “We need to go in the ambulance?”

  “The doctor will want your baby to get a tad of oxygen as a precautionary measure.”

  Ben strode into the kitchen, the dog scrambling up from the hardwood floor to greet his master.

  Meeting Ben’s eyes, Alyssa’s vision clouded with tears.

  He glanced at Liz talking on her cell, then to Max, as if reading what was going on.

  “We’ll meet you there.” Liz clicked off her cell.

  “Mommy, can I ride in the amblunce with you?”

  “I’m sorry, Joey,” Liz answered. “It’s pretty crowded—”

  “You can ride in my big truck with me, buddy,” Ben offered. “We’ll follow them. How does that sound?”

  Joey frowned uncertainly at Alyssa.

  Her mind raced to think of another solution. One that wouldn’t require even more help from Ben.

  “Don’t worry, Joey will be fine,” Ben said. “And we’ll bring both car seats.” He scooped Joey onto his shoulders. “That way, I can give you all a ride back.”

  Alyssa swallowed, more defeated than she’d felt in a long while. She’d come to Rainbow Lake to stand on her own. Instead, she’d needed help from the moment she arrived. From Ben, Hope, the firemen, the EMTs. Ben had even risked his life for her, her children and her cottage, and now she needed even more aid.

  But he seemed to think Robbie wouldn’t have to go to the hospital. That he’d be coming back with them. She needed to hold o
n to that right now. “I’m sorry to ask you to do that, but I would really appreciate it.”

  Ben gave a nod. “You just worry about the baby. His big brother and I have the rest under control.”

  * * *

  “Ben, is Robbie gonna live in heaven with Daddy and Gram?”

  Sitting beside Joey in Dr. Delaney’s silent waiting room, Coop eyed the boy, glasses perched on his nose and swinging his feet several inches above the polished, gray tile floor. The kid’s dad was dead? That was why Alyssa was alone? “Don’t worry, buddy. Robbie’s going to be fine, and he’ll still live with you and your mommy. When did your daddy go to live in heaven?”

  Joey squinted behind his glasses as if thinking very hard. “Not tomorrow. Yestraday.”

  Confused, Coop dragged a breath. Did the poor kid wake up in the middle of the night calling for his daddy, the way Hope had cried for her mommy? Was he old enough to realize his father was never coming back?

  At the moment, he looked like he carried the weight of the world on his narrow shoulders. Must have figured out his baby brother’s trip in the ambulance was a serious thing. “The smoke probably bothered Robbie more than you because he’s so small, but he’s going to be fine.”

  Joey nodded, but he didn’t lose his anxious look.

  Coop hoped he was right about the baby. These kids’ mom seems in over her head, God. She sure doesn’t need a sick kid on top of everything else she’s obviously trying to deal with. What can I do to help them?

  He thumbed through the stack of magazines on a nearby table, looking for something to take a little boy’s mind off serious stuff.

  Ken Delaney swung into the waiting room in faded jeans and a black turtleneck, minus the lab coat he wore during regular office hours. The baby’s blankets in one hand, he held the door for Alyssa with the baby in her arms.

  Her beautiful sapphire eyes looked shell-shocked.

  Coop climbed to his feet.

  Joey jumped off his chair, ran to his mother and threw his arms around her legs.

  Alyssa cupped her son’s face in her fingers and gave him a wobbly smile. “The doctor says Robbie will be fine.”

  Throat feeling thick, Coop breathed a silent thank-you as he strode to her.