by Elsie Davis
“Absolutely. Thank you for working with me on this.” Grace’s smile warmed his heart as much as Holly’s had done moments ago. They were smiles a man could get used to coming home to and sharing on a regular basis.
It came as a shock to realize exactly where his thoughts had wandered—a place he’d never let himself go before. Thinking of home and women in the same thought was like the unspoken language for a relationship. “No problem.” Ryan went down on one knee, gently laying Holly down in the spot Grace indicated.
The baby immediately thrust her bottle to the side and started crying. Her lower lip trembled as tears began to fall. Ryan picked her back up, and she quit crying. He turned to Grace and frowned. “Now what do I do?”
“If you’ve got a couple of hours, you can sit on the floor with her.” Grace shook her head and laughed. “Apparently, she’s quite smitten with you.”
Ryan couldn’t find it in his heart to be upset. In fact, he found Holly’s adoration satisfying. No one would believe him if he told them. “Yeah, well, that won’t help the agony of sitting on the floor for a few hours. I’ll pass.” Ryan let out a deep sigh, trying to mentally review options. “Do you need to take the afternoon off?”
“That’s a sweet offer and way more than I deserve. But I can’t afford to leave. I need to finish the sign mockups and get them to the printshop by five. I’ll figure something out. Maybe she will settle down once you’re out of sight. You know the adage, out of sight—out of mind.”
Ryan preferred to think it wouldn’t be that easy for either one of them, not that he’d tell Grace that. Some things were best kept private. “What if I take her on a tour of the building and give you some dedicated time to work? A compromise of sorts. I mean, with her mommy just around the corner, how hard can it be?”
“I’m not…” Grace stopped midsentence and looked away, fiddling with the diaper bag. It was clear she didn’t trust him to care for her daughter, and the truth stung a little. Or a lot.
“It was just an idea. Sorry.” He started to hand Holly over to Grace, hoping to extricate himself from the situation altogether.
“No. It’s not that. I don’t mind if you’re sure. It just doesn’t seem very professional.”
“I’m thinking a baby in a warehouse is already way past professional. What’s one step further? At least I can still talk to the other employees and take care of some business. Boss’s prerogative.” Ryan winked at Grace, unable to resist teasing her.
Grace smiled, stepping in close to wrap them both in an excited hug. “Thank you.”
With a thank-you like that, he’d have to find ways to make her happy more often. For the brief second she’d been in his arms, Ryan liked it. A lot. The scent of jasmine swirled around him, tingling his senses long after she’d pulled back.
Ryan left her office before he made the mistake of saying anything, not wanting to make the situation between them more confusing than it already was. He toted Holly around the warehouse, pointing out things as they went. The big, noisy equipment toting boxes around. Shelf after shelf of product. The loading dock. And of course, the employees, whose shocked expressions made him laugh. It was totally out of character, and yet it didn’t bother him one iota. Not even with the grand opening next week.
The investors might view the situation differently, but they weren’t here. Holly was adorable and was quickly wrapping herself around his heart and squeezing. He kept the baby entertained, only stopping by Grace’s office occasionally and only for a few minutes at time to let her know Holly was okay. Well, that, and to let Grace change the baby’s diaper.
By the end of the day, Holly was his new best friend, not to mention his youngest. Something he couldn’t let Grace find out. He wasn’t in the market for a relationship or an instafamily, something he could well imagine Grace would want at this point in her life. It wouldn’t do to give her the wrong impression and lead her to think this was anything more than it was—a boss temporarily helping to keep a valuable employee. Temporarily, of course, being the operative word.
Ryan dropped Holly off at Grace’s office when it was time for him to leave. “Hope you got a lot done today. I don’t plan to make a habit of babysitting. It’s not my thing. Besides, it ruins my professional image.” He winked.
“I did, thank you. I really appreciate your help. And I know you didn’t have to do it, but it also makes me that much more confident I’m working for the right company. A company with heart.” Grace started to pack up Holly’s belongings.
“Let’s not spread the word. I’ll have every single parent within a hundred-mile radius trying to work here and bring their baby to work while they do it.” Ryan shook his head, not wanting to even think about such a situation.
“My lips are sealed.” Grace zipped two fingers across her lips.
“I’ll be out of the office the next couple of days, so you’re on your own,” Ryan said, grinning at her playfulness.
Chapter Nine
Grace hadn’t bothered to tell Ryan she’d fired her sister and he was none the wiser she’d brought the baby to work in his absence, not even bothering to try and find someone. The weekend would have been a good time to find a babysitter, but Spring Fling would complicate those efforts. And then there were the signs she’d offered to pick up from the printers and drop off at the ski resort. So much to do, so little time to do it, and all she really wanted was to have fun with the baby.
“I hope you’re going to be a good girl for me today, Holly. We’re going to a festival. I’m sure there are lots of neat things I can show you there if the boss man gives me some time away from the booth.” Grace smiled at Holly as she tried to grab her necklace and pull it toward her mouth. Drool poured from the sides of her tiny pink lips. Grace reached for a dry cloth to dab the baby’s chin. Babies drooled, she got that. But this was extra drooly, and it kept soaking her bibs and shirts, which in turn meant extra clothes and washing at the end of the day.
She considered taking her to the doctor, but it wasn’t like she had any legal authorization. Something else Karen had failed to take care of before she left in such a hurry. And Grace’s multiple calls to her cousin, had so far, gone unreturned. If it continued, or the baby got fussier, Grace would call her own mother, but until that happened, she was trying to manage on her own.
She loaded the diaper bag with everything imaginable, the overflow landing in a bigger handbag than what she was used to carrying. Grace had more stuff to tote with her than an airline would allow for carry-on and personal baggage without extra charge. She couldn’t imagine packing for more than a day trip anywhere. It gave her a healthy appreciation of mothers who managed it all and made it look easy.
“Ready to go, missy?” She flung her handbag over her shoulder along with the diaper bag, carrying Holly on her other hip as they headed for the door. Lucky followed, a hopeful look in her big eyes. “Sorry, girl. Not this time. Maybe we can go for a nice long walk later today.” Overloaded, Grace had to forgo petting the dog before she left but promised herself to give her an extra treat tonight.
Running ten minutes behind schedule, Ryan would just have to deal with it. Grace pulled into the parking lot, searching for an empty space. She found one that wasn’t exactly close, but it would have to do. She unbuckled Holly from her car seat, tossed the diaper bag and oversized tote over her shoulder, and started the trek toward the rows and rows of tents.
Having no idea where the booth was located, she took a deep breath, and started with the first row. She checked both sides, searching for the World Sport booth. There was a good turnout this year, some booths displaying their crafts or wares for sale, and others advertising their services to everyone who passed by.
Food lines were beginning to get long as people stopped for fried dough, snow cones, cotton candy, and a wide variety of other festival favorites. Grace readjusted her load, the baby getting heavier and heavier by the minute. Another five minutes past before she spotted the World Sport booth at the end of t
he second row.
“There you are. I was beginning to think you would be a no-show,” Ryan said, his welcome less than perfect, but his quick help to take Holly appreciated.
“Trust me, I considered it. But I value my job, and an order is an order.” Grace smiled, hoping to take the sting out of her words. Ryan didn’t understand the situation at all, but it wasn’t his fault. Normally, she would have been all over the chance to prove herself when it came to her job, especially to a new boss. But that wasn’t the case this weekend.
“I didn’t realize you were bringing Holly. I take it your sister didn’t make it again?” He asked the question, not even bothering to look at Grace, his full attention wrapped up in the baby and tickling her neck and legs.
For a man who professed to have no interest in kids, he sure seemed comfortable with Holly. Another reason to stay away from Ryan, aside from the boss thing. He might come across as a no-family kind of man, but Grace saw things differently. It was hard to miss the connection he was forming with Holly.
“I didn’t ask her. She made her position known, and I’m working on finding a replacement. Something I’d be doing today if I weren’t here. But since it is my day off, I didn’t see any reason I shouldn’t be able to bring Holly.” Grace dropped the bags off toward the back of the tent and began to inspect the setup.
Someone walked up to the booth and picked up a brochure. “So, who is World Sport Inc., and where are they located?” the lady asked.
“I’ll let you explain it while I tend to Holly.” Ryan grinned, stepping back from the table.
Grace smile at the woman and dove right into the sales pitch. “It’s a new company that’s going to take the world of sports equipment and clothing to a new level. Everything related to sports, from equipment and accessories to clothes, can be found in one place, one website. And all with free shipping and returns, and typically one and two-day delivery service. They also have full technical support for every product—something no other online retailer is currently providing at this scale.” It helped that Grace believed in Ryan’s vision for the company’s future, her excitement showing as she rattled off the information.
“But what if I want to try something on? Where are the stores?” The woman’s brow scrunched as she tried to understand.
“There will be a handful of signature stores across the nation within a couple of years. But the beauty of World Sport is that the store becomes your home. You can try things on in your own home and return them if you don’t like them or they don’t fit. With a short shipping time, people can have items go back and forth and pick exactly what’s right for them. And if they need something in a hurry but aren’t sure what size, they can order two and return one. One-stop shopping without ever leaving your house.”
“That sounds amazing. I already do most of my shopping online. Clothes, not so much. But I like the idea of an online sports company dedicated to all things athletic. I look forward to doing business with you all.” The woman nodded and grabbed a card.
“Have a nice day. And be sure to tell your friends about us,” Grace added, remembering word of mouth was ten times faster than the internet.
“Oh, I will. I noticed your daughter is teething, you might want to try teething biscuits if you haven’t already. Worked wonders with my babies.”
Teething? Why hadn’t she thought of that? Because she wasn’t an experienced mom. It made perfect sense. “Thanks for the tip. I hadn’t tried that yet.” She was trying not to sound surprised. She didn’t want Ryan to realize how clueless she really was when it came to babies.
“You’re welcome. I noticed the drool is all. You two are blessed to have such a sweet baby. She looks just like her father.”
“Thank you, but she’s not our baby. I mean, we’re not together. He—” she pointed in Ryan’s direction “—and I. The baby is with me.” She was making a complete mess of something so simple.
“I see. Nice man. Not every guy is a natural with a baby.”
Grace turned back to look at what she was seeing. “Hmmm. He does have a way with her.” Ryan was walking the baby around and pointing out objects to keep her entertained. Obviously, Grace wasn’t the only one who noticed they looked like father and daughter.
“You should snap that man right up if he’s single.” The woman laughed before wandering off.
Ryan approached. “Well done. Apparently, your marketing creativity extends to selling brand awareness verbally as well. I’m impressed.” Between his cologne and his closeness and his flattering words, Grace found herself caught up in the moment. A man-woman moment if there ever was one. Correction, with Holly reaching out to hug her, it was a man-woman-baby moment.
Grace laughed. “I have many talents you are unaware of.”
“I look forward to discovering them,” Ryan said, handing her the baby.
“Next one’s yours. I’m curious what your hidden talents are.” It was Grace who had the last laugh, seeing the look of shock on his face. Apparently, the man wasn’t used to people challenging him, at least, not when it came to work. But then he didn’t know subtlety was not one of her strengths.
The afternoon passed by rather quickly, the two of them taking turns with customers and with Holly. They worked together as a team, each one taking breaks from the booth to parade Holly around. At other times, they let her take center stage as the people who stopped by the booth fell in love with her antics. At one year old, she was quite the character.
A couple of ladies approached, and Grace was surprised to find her mother one of them.
“Mom, I can’t believe you’re here. This is a great surprise.”
“Some of the nurses from Lancaster General planned on coming and insisted I join them. For once, I was inclined to agree. The house is a bit tense right now with everything going on.” Her mother exuded confidence, her perfectly coiffured hair and designer linen pantsuit proclaiming her a woman of the world and someone used to getting her way. Except when it came to Faith.
“Trust me, she needed to get away. Too many hours at the pediatric clinic and not enough time for herself,” one of her mother’s friends confided.
“There’s the little darling,” her mother said, spotting Holly and Ryan behind her. “I wondered if you’d bring her.” Her mom stepped around the table and reached to take the baby from Ryan. “Have you been a good girl, Holly?” Her mother kissed the baby’s cheek, Holly laughing and grabbing at the flower in her mother’s fancy updo.
Grace realized everything she should have told Ryan could very well come out here and now. Her mother had no idea what was going on. She held her breath, unable to stop whatever was going to happen. She’d just have to deal with it, the same way she always dealt with trouble. Head on.
“Ladies, I’d like you to meet Holly,” her mother said proudly, showing her off to her friends.
“She’s adorable. I can see why you have pictures of her in your office,” one of the women said as she took Holly’s hand.
“My sister, Judith, has been good about keeping me in the loop with the most recent pictures.”
Ryan’s questioning look worried her.
Grace glared at her mother, willing her to let the matter drop. First thing Monday morning she’d tell Ryan, but now wasn’t the time or place.
Her mother frowned. “Grace, not to change the subject, but have you talked to your sister yet?”
“No, why?”
“You were a little rough on her and I think you should call to smooth things over.” Her mother continued to smile at Holly as she delivered the unwelcome message.
Obviously, nothing had changed. Faith was still her mother’s little girl. “What do you mean? She’s the one who bailed on me and left me in the lurch. Twice.”
“The first time, maybe. But the second time wasn’t her fault. She feels bad, but she’s even more hurt that you didn’t believe she had car trouble. Faith’s got a lot of growing up to do but lying has never been one of her faults. Call her, ple
ase?” Her mother was right. Maybe Grace should have been more understanding or patient, or at the very least, listened to what Faith had to say.
“Sure thing, Mom. It was good to see you again. Maybe I’ll swing by the house tomorrow and talk to her.”
Her mother leaned in to kiss her cheek and handed the baby back. “You do that, I’d love to see you and Holly again when we have more time. By the way, she needs her diaper changed. There’s a certain odor coming from her backside if you know what I mean.” She grinned before turning to the others as they walked away to the next booth.
Ryan moved to stand next to her. “That was interesting. It sounds like your sister bailed with good cause, and you didn’t take the time to listen? That’s not the Grace I’ve come to know, who seems to be fair and balanced most of the time.”
Grace bristled at the censure in his voice, feeling guilty enough without Ryan adding a huge topping of condemnation on the top. “You’ve never let your sister explain, either. How is that any different? What if her reasons are justifiable?”
Ryan tensed. His brow lines were drawn into deep grooves as he tried to come to terms with her accusation. Served him right for butting in where he didn’t belong.
A customer walked up, ending their conversation. “You take this one, I’ve got to change Holly unless you want to volunteer for that duty?”
“Hardly. That’s where I draw the line.”
“I thought as much.” She grinned, walking away and leaving him to take care of the newcomer.
* * *
Ryan went into tell-and-sell mode, explaining World Sport’s intent. When the customer left, it gave him a chance to think about Grace’s comment. He didn’t like having his own words thrown back at him, mainly because there was an inkling of truth to them. Bella had left him and never looked back, but what were her reasons? Maybe he owed her that much. Her desertion was one of the reasons he wasn’t into relationships or family, but what if everything he believed had been based on a lie?