He raised his daughter to his shoulder and began to pat her back. “How expensive?”
She shook her head.
“I can look it up on the internet.”
She finally gave him an amount, and he tried not to react.
“I take it you’ve already looked into it.”
“Yes, I have a fertility specialist. As soon as I finished with your therapy I was going to begin treatment.”
“Why wait? Make your appointment and start them now.”
* * *
THE MORNING FLEW by in a whirlwind of activity. Austin had to watch from the sidelines as Erin took over. After feeding and bathing precious little Lilly, she had put her down for a nap. Then she kept going with his scheduled hour of therapy. He had a new determination to drive him to do his best workout.
By the time he finished, Lilly had woken up again. After the second feeding, he’d played with his daughter, hoping to tire her out. Erin had fixed lunch for them both and they ate at the coffee table while entertaining the baby. Finally Lilly crashed and Erin put her in the bed. Then he convinced Erin to go lie down, too.
“Come get me when the baby wakes up,” she whispered as she stood.
He waved her off. “Just go to sleep.”
As she walked off down the hall, he couldn’t help think about how blessed he’d been to find this woman. She had every right to walk out with the added burden, but she agreed to stay and help with Lilly. He was also starting to feel more for her than a working relationship. He truly liked Erin, and he needed to keep it there, too. He’d be foolish to even think about starting anything with her. They both had their futures planned out, and nowhere did they come close to being the same, except for having children.
He leaned his head back on the sofa. A little less than twenty-four hours ago all he had to worry about was himself and his leg healing. Now he was a father. His entire life had changed with Lilly. He needed to make sure his child was taken care of. A call to his lawyer was important to add her in his will.
He also needed to buy some baby things. His daughter had to have a bedroom, too. There were only three in the house, and with one being the workout room, he was short a baby nursery.
He thought about Erin asleep in the last bedroom. He couldn’t put Lilly in there. That wasn’t fair to her. She needed a good night’s sleep. A sudden picture of Erin’s sexy little body asleep in his king-size bed flashed through his head. All that red hair spread across the pillow, those green eyes dark with desire. He blinked and opened his eyes. He gasped and sat up straighter, and began to concentrate on anything that would cool off his body.
Damn. He didn’t need to think about her that way. She was his therapist and now the baby’s nurse. He couldn’t give in to thinking about satisfying his own need. He was a dad now.
There was a soft knock on the front door, and then it opened. His father peered inside. Oh, no. Austin didn’t need to have a lecture about being irresponsible. Instead, Neal Brannigan smiled and walked in. “I hear I have a granddaughter,” he whispered.
Austin put his finger against his lips and nodded. He reached for his walker and got to his feet as his father looked into the crib at the sleeping infant.
After taking a quick glance at the child, Neal followed his son into the kitchen.
His father spoke first. “Sorry. When I heard the news, I couldn’t wait for an invitation to come and see her.”
Austin sat down in the chair. “Lilly only arrived yesterday. I hadn’t planned a party.”
His father raised a calming hand. “I know, son. I only stopped by to take a peek at her and see if you need anything from the store.”
Okay, he was surprised by his father’s offer. “What? No lectures on my behavior, or how I should have been more careful?”
Neal shook his head. “You’re an adult, Austin. And besides, look at that darling angel you have. You’re a lucky man. Your mother, Mary, always wanted a little girl. It just never happened for us.” His smile brightened again. “Now I have a granddaughter to love on.”
Maybe this wasn’t so bad. “How are you at babysitting?”
“Well, it’s been a while, but I’m pretty sure I can recall a few things. Remember, your mom and I raised two babies at once.” His eyes glassed over. “Those were the days. You two boys had us coming and going. You were the worst. If you were awake, you’d wake up Cullen. Even back then you were getting him into trouble.”
“I did?”
“Who do you think taught him how to climb out of the crib? It’s no wonder you ride bulls. Anything for a challenge.”
Austin felt a tightening in his chest. His father remembered all this? “Yeah, I guess I always liked living on the edge.”
There was silence for a few seconds, and then his father said, “Have you decided what you’re going to do?”
He shook his head. “Just that I’m going to raise my daughter.”
Neal nodded. “I know that. What I meant was, what are you going to do immediately? Are you staying here to raise Lilly? Do you need some help?”
“Honestly, I haven’t thought past finding her a room in this house. Erin has agreed to help out for a while, but as soon as I’m on my feet, I’m on my own.”
“You’re not, son. You have family around.”
Warmth spread through his chest. “I appreciate that, but I have to go back to work eventually and make a living.”
Neal frowned. “What about all the money you made in endorsements?”
“It’s invested, but I’d planned to use it for my retirement, not to live on for the next forty to fifty years.” He shook his head. “Do I have to think about all this right now?”
His father raised an eyebrow. “So are you still thinking about going back to bull riding?”
Austin tensed. He didn’t want this argument. “I’m not saying that, but it has been a very lucrative career for me.” He raised a hand. “Maybe we shouldn’t discuss this.” He’d always known how his father felt about his choice of career, how disappointed he’d been in his second son for following the rodeo. “We’re never going to agree.” Austin couldn’t understand at thirty-two why it still mattered so much.
Worse. He had a feeling it always would bother him that his father couldn’t be proud of him. No matter what, he swore his daughter would never feel that way about him.
Chapter Eight
The next morning, Erin was dragging as she pulled up in front of Austin’s house. She’d gotten off from the center a little early, so the sun wasn’t even up yet. Maybe she could manage a few hours’ sleep before the baby woke up.
She put the key into the lock and opened the door. In the dim light, she stopped to see the shirtless Austin stretched out and asleep on the sofa. Her heart swelled when she saw the tiny infant curled up on his well-developed chest, her little bottom tucked up in the air.
Oh, my. She wasn’t going to survive these two. Austin Brannigan was difficult enough to ignore, but add this adorable little girl and Erin was a goner. The most sensible thing to do would be to turn around and walk out the door. Instead, she took off her sweater coat and knelt down beside the lovable twosome but didn’t know what to do. Should she disturb them? Of course, safety won out. But before she could wake him, his eyes opened and locked on hers.
“Erin?” he breathed in a low, husky voice that had her thinking about hot, passion-filled nights with this man. Whoa, stop that.
“Yeah, it’s me,” she whispered. “What are you doing with Lilly?”
“She wouldn’t go to sleep. Every time I put her down she started to cry. It broke my heart.” He rubbed his stubble-covered chin. “We need a rocking chair.”
“I think she’s got your number, cowboy. She also needs to be in her own room.”
“I know. That’s why I decide
d to move you into my bedroom.”
“Excuse me,” Erin whispered, but not soft enough, and the baby stirred.
Austin rubbed the infant’s back until she settled down. “Just hear me out. You move into my room. I take your twin bed and move it into the therapy room. Then Lilly can have your old bedroom.”
She was touched. “You’re too big for a twin bed. No, since I’m not staying long, I’ll move into the therapy room.” She stood and carefully lifted Lilly off Austin’s chest, then bundled her into a blanket to keep her warm before placing her in the crib.
Once the baby settled down, she turned to see Austin reaching for his walker. Then he followed her into the kitchen.
She tried to ignore his bare chest, but gave up. Okay, she’d seen him half-naked before, but so early in the morning, and him half-asleep... She glanced away. “Look, you can’t give up your room to me. My stay here is only temporary at best. But you’re right—Lilly will sleep better if she has her own room. Then we don’t have to walk around whispering.”
Austin was still trying to wake up. When he saw Erin so close he had to fight to keep from reaching for her. “Well, we better come up with something, because don’t you move in today?”
She nodded. “I brought some things over in the van. I’m officially on vacation for the next week.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “I wouldn’t exactly call taking care of us a vacation.”
“Speak for yourself, Brannigan. I’m going to enjoy this week. So don’t give me a hard time and spoil it.”
He raised a hand. “Not me. If you get turned on by spit-up and dirty diapers, who am I to change your mind?”
She nodded. “Okay, after I feed Lilly her breakfast, would you mind if I took a few hours to sleep?”
“Sure. Go now. I can handle the bottle, and I’ve figured out how to change a diaper. We can play for a while, and when you get up you can give her a bath and dress her.”
Erin nodded. “Then we need to go shopping for some baby things. Unless you want to order everything online.”
He shook his head. “I’m really tired of being cooped up. A road trip sounds good. Do we have a safety seat for Lilly?”
“Yes—her carrier snaps into a base that fits in the car.”
“Okay, then. Now, you go lie down and get some sleep. Then we’ll hit the road.”
She eyed him cautiously. “We’re only going into town to Baby World.”
Who would have thought he’d get so excited about shopping? Most of his clothes had come from companies that wanted him to advertise their brand, so everything had been shipped to him. Now he was shopping for baby clothes.
“I feel like I’ve been held prisoner for the last four months. It doesn’t matter where I go. I’m hoping we can stop for lunch, too.”
“Well, while you think about that, I’m headed off to dreamland for a few hours.” She walked out of the kitchen, and he had to fight to keep from following her. He wouldn’t mind a little dreaming with this woman. He quickly shook off the thoughts. He wanted Erin Carlton to stay, and if she knew what he was thinking, she’d surely run far away.
* * *
THREE HOURS LATER in the shopping center parking lot, Austin managed to get out of Erin’s van on his own. On the drive into town, he’d decided she needed a safer vehicle, especially if she was going to be driving them around. He didn’t want to think about the trip to Denver in a few days.
With Erin holding the sleeping Lilly in the carrier, and him aided by his walker, they made their way into the store. She grabbed a shopping cart and attached the carrier, and they headed back to the baby crib section. There were so many choices that he was dizzy.
Erin stepped closer. “Remember, this is furniture Lilly will use through her first few years, and you can even add a youth bed for when she’s a toddler.”
“Pick whatever you think is the best.”
He had refused to bring a wheelchair. So he sat down in one of the rocking chairs, which was surprisingly comfortable, and big enough for him.
A blonde salesclerk came up to them. She smiled. “Hello, I’m Michelle. How can I help you?”
“Well, Michelle, we need a baby bed and dresser,” he told her. “And many other things, too.”
If the thirtysomething woman recognized him, she didn’t say anything. He was happy about that. He looked at Erin. “I’m going to leave this up to you, but add this chair to the list.”
“Good choice,” Michelle said. “My husband had that model and he clocked a lot of hours in it with our boys. Do you like the caramel color, or it also comes in dark chocolate or ivory.”
“I think I like this color.”
Michelle nodded and turned her attention to Erin, who made a suggestion of a crib and dresser that were maple and a contemporary style that he liked, too. He gladly entertained Lilly while Erin and Michelle moved on to the clothing section to get some basics for an infant. The salesclerk suggested several stretchy little suits in pink and yellow and green. A couple of dresses that the women were making over were tossed in the pile.
Over the next hour they filled the cart with bottles, diapers, clothes, sheets, blankets and a mobile for the crib, and a few other toys to stimulate a baby. Right now, the baby in question, Lilly, had decided to take a needed nap.
At the checkout, his MasterCard consumed the total that would scare most people, but his daughter deserved that much from her father.
Michelle handed him the receipt. “Thank you so much, Mr. Brannigan. My husband isn’t going to believe me when I tell him you were in today. We’re happy to see you’re recovering from the accident.”
“Thank you, Michelle. You have a piece of paper?” She nodded and handed one to him. “What’s your husband’s name?”
“Jake.”
He wrote a short note and gave it back to her.
Michelle beamed. “Thank you. You and your wife come back anytime.”
“We will, and I’ll ask for you.” He waved, trying not to react to the comment or correct the mistake. “No doubt you’ll see us again.”
After the promise of a late-afternoon delivery of the furniture, the stock boy loaded up the van with the other baby items. Then they climbed in for their next stop. Lunch.
Erin climbed in the driver’s seat and looked at him. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. What about Lilly?”
“She’s sleeping.” Erin stopped at the light. “Of course, that doesn’t mean she won’t wake up and demand to eat. Do you want to stop at the B & B Café, or we can go next door to Sweet Heaven and see your sister-in-law Shelby.”
“Let’s go there,” Austin said. “There’s less chance of running into a large crowd of people.”
Ten minutes later, Erin found a place to park in the small lot next to the storefronts on Main Street. Austin got out, retrieved his walker and waited for Erin to get Lilly. They walked into the small bakery and catering business. The bell rang overhead, causing Lilly to jump and wake up, and she immediately began to fuss. They moved across the room to the corner and sat at a soda-shop-style table just as Shelby came out of the back.
“Well, I’ll be.” She smiled. “So they finally let you out of the house.”
Austin grinned. “Just for a few hours, but we had to buy some supplies for the kid. Believe me, she needed a lot of stuff.”
“And they outgrow it all so fast.” Shelby glanced at Erin before she went to the baby. “So he roped you into being the chauffeur today, huh?”
“I volunteered for a few weeks.” They set the carrier on the table and quickly Lilly wasn’t putting up with being ignored any longer.
Shelby stepped in. “May I hold her?”
“Sure. Would you mind if I heated her a bottle?”
Cradling the
baby in her arms, Shelby nodded toward the kitchen. “You’ll find a pan in the bottom cupboard next to the refrigerator.” After Erin left, Shelby turned to Austin. “So she’s playing mom to the little one here.”
He didn’t like that term, but basically she was. “Erin is helping me out. I can’t move around easily just yet.”
Standing, Shelby swayed back and forth as the baby sucked eagerly on the pacifier. “You’re taking on a lot for a guy who enjoyed the single life.”
“I won’t turn my back on my child.” A strong protective feeling came over him. “Besides, I’m already in love with the little munchkin.”
“She’s adorable. She gets my mama juices all revved up.” His sister-in-law got all dreamy-eyed. “I’d love to have Cullen’s baby, but right now, we’re both trying to start up two businesses and raise Ryan.”
“That’s understandable.” He thought of Erin and her wanting a baby. After seeing her with Lilly, he knew she’d make a great mother. He’d done some research online last night to check out the IVF procedure. Since she didn’t have a husband, who was going to be her sperm donor? Could she just pick a random father for her child?
“Austin.”
He glanced up to see that Erin had returned with the bottle. “What?”
“Do you want to feed her?”
“Sure,” he said and took the fussy baby from Shelby. Once situated in his arms, he gave her the bottle, and silence filled the air.
Shelby smiled. “That girl knows what she wants and nothing else will do. Excuse me—I have customers.” She went back to the counter to take their order.
Erin sat down across from him. “How do you feel? Did we overtire you?”
He was taken aback by her comment. “I’m fine. Okay, my leg might ache a little, but not like it used to.”
“That’s because you’ve been moving around a lot more today.” She looked concerned. “You’re gaining strength back, but I still don’t want you to overdo it.”
He looked down at the baby sucking on the bottle. She was already half finished. He took the nipple from her rosebud mouth, then raised the baby to his shoulder and began to pat her back like he’d been instructed to do. After a few minutes there was a husky burp. “Good girl.” He cradled her in his arms again and fed her the rest of the formula.
A Colorado Family Page 8