He laced their fingers together. "If Livy needs help, I'll take care of it. And as to training, we'll get in one of Ash's obedience classes."
Ryan's wife was a local dog training guru. She held classes at the feed store a couple of times a week. They were always packed with locals and dog owners from the nearest counties.
"If it barks and whines in the night, it's gone," she mumbled, staring at his chest.
She was softening.
He untangled their fingers and skimmed his hands up her sides. Back down. He pulled her closer and slid his arms around her lower back.
"You're still a pushover," she said.
But she didn't seem to mind too much as she nestled into his embrace.
"Am not." He rubbed his chin against her jaw. "Is this makeup you're wearing for me?"
He'd noticed the floor-length dress, too. Couldn't remember seeing it before. Maybe it was new.
He watched in fascination as a blotch of pink appeared where her neck met her shoulder. Then another just below her ear. The blush climbed all the way into her face. He leaned back to watch.
She wouldn't meet his eyes.
"I know I've let myself go since the baby was born—"
He shushed her with a gentle finger against her lips. He removed it and let his hand slide behind her head, into her hair. "You're beautiful. With makeup on or without it."
Her eyes cut to the side, as if she didn't believe what he was saying but she didn't want to disagree. She bit her lip.
"Beautiful," he repeated.
And then he kissed her.
She didn't hesitate. She deepened the kiss, opening to him like a flower to the sun.
And the back door banged open.
He stopped kissing her but didn't let go at the sound of nails scrabbling on the kitchen tiles. As far as he was concerned, Livy could take the puppy upstairs to her bedroom.
But when the screen door slammed behind her, Elijah startled and woke with a wail.
Haley went on red-alert, her entire body tensing. And not in a good way.
He sighed and let her go.
Not tonight, buddy.
Chapter 5
"And how are we doing today? Six months already. Hard to believe."
Haley looked down at Elijah, nestled in her lap wearing only his diaper. The nurse had already been in the brightly-colored exam room and taken his measurements and temperature. It'd only been a week since Maddox and Livy had brought the puppy home.
"We're all right," she told the doctor.
"Hmm. You don't sound sure." He sat on a rolling stool, his white coat falling open to reveal slacks and a dress shirt beneath. He was relaxed and smiling, a man around her dad's age. She'd initially liked him because of his experience.
"I thought he'd be sleeping through the night by now," she admitted.
Elijah gurgled, chewing on his fist.
"Well, he's plenty old enough. How many times is he up during the night? Is he nursing?"
"Yes. Sometimes twice, sometimes three times." I feel like a zombie.
The doctor wheeled to the computer on a desk in the corner. "Let's look and see..." He tapped away at the keys and the monitor flicked to life. Another few keystrokes. "He's in the fifty-third percentile for his weight and height. He certainly doesn't look like he's missing any meals."
Haley looked down at the chub that rolled the edge of the baby's diaper.
"Does he have any teeth coming in?"
She shrugged miserably. "I can't tell. He chews on everything, but I haven't been able to see or feel a tooth coming through the gums."
He smiled at her. A patient smile. Maybe one that carried a little bit of humoring her. "Babies cry, Mrs. Michaels. At night. During the day. All the time. It's okay to let him cry himself to sleep."
She inhaled quickly, a gut reaction. Let Elijah cry? On purpose?
"Isn't that cruel?" she asked.
Now she felt sure the doctor's smile was descending into condescension. "Not at all. Babies need to learn to self-soothe."
That sounded reasonable. Except…" I want him to know I'm nearby. That I love him." Was that so wrong? "I don't want him to be afraid."
"You're his mother. It's your choice, of course. I'm just telling you that you can choose to let him self-soothe. It might be healthy for you both."
She tried to return his smile, but her expression felt fragile, false.
"Let's check Elijah out, if you don't mind." He now scooted his chair across the floor until his knees almost touched hers. He pulled his stethoscope from around his neck and plugged the ends into his ears. He buffed the diaphragm on his shirt before he placed it on Elijah's chest to listen.
She sat motionless as he went through the exam. Listened to Elijah's heart and lungs, looked in his eyes, ears, and mouth, tested his hip joints.
All the while, his words ran circles through Haley's brain. Let him self-soothe. Healthy for the both of you.
It couldn't be that easy, could it?
Like there was anything easy about letting her sweet child cry in his bed while she listened.
The doctor finally sat back. "He looks great. Any other questions?"
She shook her head dumbly. Was she harming her son? Or would it damage him if she let him cry?
But the doctor didn't get up off his stool. "How are you doing, Mom?"
Her gaze snapped up to him. "I'm fine." She gave the rote answer she gave to everyone.
He held her gaze.
And her face began to grow hot.
"I'm fine—mostly," she admitted. She hadn't come in here intending to admit any such thing. "My… my emotions are all over the place. I think it's from lack of sleep, but..." To her consternation, tears welled in her eyes.
"You're breastfeeding, right?"
She nodded.
"It's common for breastfeeding mothers to notice their hormones aren't completely back to normal until the baby weans."
Seriously?
"I thought—I mean, I read six to eight weeks."
He shrugged. "For some women. No two moms are the same." He crossed his arms. "Are you experiencing any thoughts of harming yourself or the baby? Detachment issues?"
She shook her head. "No."
"I don't think it's postpartum depression. Do you have any reason to think that's what you're experiencing?"
"It hadn't even occurred to me."
Her tears began to dissipate at his calm manner.
He looked at her awhile longer. Then stood up. "I'm going to have the nurse print some information for you while she's preparing the vaccinations for Elijah here. One of the things is the information for a support group for new moms. It meets at the local library every other Tuesday. I think you'd benefit from attending."
She didn't know if she could face other women. Not when she was certain they must have known what they were doing—at least much more than she did.
But she smiled and shook the doctor's hand anyway.
Ten minutes after they'd left the doctor's office, Haley found herself pushing a happy Elijah in his stroller down the empty halls of Redbud Trails Junior High.
She'd descended so low... but she couldn't forget Livy's remarks about the new vice principal… really pretty.
Or ignore the fact that Maddox had been arriving home later than usual every day.
Plus, there was her failed seduction. After the disastrous dinner, she'd fully intended to be awake when Maddox had come to bed, but she'd fallen asleep with the lights on.
He hadn't mentioned it the next morning.
She'd tried to tell herself she was being a jealous idiot, yet here she was, stalking the halls of a nearly deserted junior high on the search for a gorgeous wife-stealing school administrator and questioning her own sanity.
The dismissal bell had rung at least fifteen minutes ago, and there was no sign of any kids. They'd already vacated the building. Livy had begged to stay home with her puppy, bored at the mere idea of sitting through Elijah's pediatrici
an appointment with Haley. So Haley was alone on this adventure.
She turned the corner to the hallway where Maddox's classroom was located. As it was on the interior of the building, the entire hallway was dim. Lights off. From here, she could see that his door was closed and no light shone around the edges.
Maybe he was in the tiny coach's office next to the locker rooms.
But after trekking down another two hallways, pushing the stroller, she found that empty too.
Where was he?
She'd parked next to his truck outside in the teacher lot. He would've recognized her car and waited for her, if he'd gone out that way. And she hadn't seen anyone since she'd entered the building.
This had been such a dumb idea.
She retraced her steps to leave. No one had to know she'd been here at all.
But as she passed dark, silent classrooms, voices sounded. A laugh.
In the middle of the building, two major hallways crossed. She took a look to her left. There was a light on.
The teacher's lounge.
Maybe it wasn't him. Maddox had always professed that when his students left for the day, he was ready to come home to her, to his family. If he wasn't in his classroom finishing up from the day or preparing for tomorrow's work, could he really be in there... visiting?
Go home. There was a part of her that wanted to bury her head in the sand and pretend. Maddox loved her. He wouldn't have an affair.
Would he?
In the three years they'd been married, he'd never taken on a summer school class. Not until this year.
She had to know.
She pushed the stroller toward the one lighted doorway, wincing at each squeak of the rubber wheels on the tiled floor.
Five feet from the door, she recognized his voice. "...been a little overwhelmed with the baby and everything at home."
She drew to a stop. He was talking about her.
Was he complaining about her?
There was a throaty, feminine chuckle. "I have a hard time imagining that. Never been married."
She even sounded pretty. Why couldn't the new vice principal have had an annoying high-pitched Minnie Mouse voice or something?
Go home. Nothing good was going to come from this. Already, hurt was surging through her.
"I've been trying to pick up the slack, but—"
A human-sized shadow moved into the doorway. Maddox. She'd recognize those shoulders anywhere. He wasn't looking out into the hallway. Yet.
Escape.
But she was frozen in place. Her skin felt scraped raw. Her heartbeat was pounding in her ears.
She must've made some movement, because his head turned. And then she was pinned in place, like a butterfly stabbed to a piece of paper.
"Haley? What're you—?"
She fixed a bright smile in place, as if she hadn't been skulking out in the darkened hallway. As if she hadn't just heard what she had.
"I was in town for Elijah’s doctor’s appointment, and I thought I'd stop by and surprise you." Had that been her voice? Syrupy sweet and almost obnoxious? Tone it down, or he'd know something was wrong. "You weren't in your classroom, and I saw the light on down here..."
The hallway lights came on with a snap of fluorescent bulbs. She blinked against the brightness.
When she could focus again, Maddox was there, folding her into an embrace.
Could he feel how tense she was?
Over his shoulder, a woman had exited the lounge and stood waiting.
She wasn't pretty. She was gorgeous. A straight fall of light blonde hair just touched the tops of her shoulders. She was slim—no mommy-tummy on this one—and stylish, wearing a white button-down blouse tucked into a charcoal pencil skirt. And Louboutins.
Haley hadn't seen Louboutins since she'd left the city. Who would wear them in an empty building during summer break?
A homewrecker, that's who. Someone trying to make an impression.
She couldn't seem to grasp her composure as Maddox let her go.
He didn't seem to notice anything was amiss. "This is Kiera Martin, the new VP. Kiera, my wife Haley."
He didn't sound upset that she'd barged in. He sounded proud. Of her?
She didn't know what to think as Kiera Martin took two svelte steps forward, her hand outstretched. "Hi, there."
She had a firm handshake, and unless Haley was mistaken, her gaze was assessing. Then her eyes fell to the stroller.
"And this must be the little man."
Haley had to clear her throat to get the words out. "This is Elijah."
Kiera Martin squatted in front of the stroller, cooing. The movement should've been awkward in her slim skirt, but she made even that look elegant.
Haley had never felt so frumpy as she did right this moment, still in her maternity jeans and a too-large T-shirt.
Haley tried to squelch the ugly emotions running rampant inside her, but it wasn't happening.
Maddox's arm came around her waist. "I was just rinsing out the coffee pot before I headed home. It was a two-pot kind of day."
That was his excuse, huh?
And what had School Administrator Barbie been doing in there?
Flirting, probably.
Haley's smile wobbled. "Elijah and I won't keep you."
Maddox squeezed her, still oblivious to her tension. "I'm done for the day. Catch you later, Kiera."
"Goodbye."
He let go of Haley to grab the handles of the stroller, leaving her to walk beside him. She couldn't help taking one more glance behind her.
Kiera Martin stood watching them, an expression Haley couldn't read on her face.
Chapter 6
Why was the dog whining in the middle of the night?
Haley was half-asleep, warm and ready for her bed after feeding and snuggling Elijah in the rocking chair in his room.
But as she stepped into the hallway, she heard Livy's puppy whining through the girl's closed door.
So far, Livy had kept her word. She’d fed the puppy, exercised it, played with it, and taken it outside, even during the night.
Had Livy somehow slept through its whining?
Elijah was such a light sleeper that Haley didn't dare let the dog keep making noise.
She cracked the bedroom door. "Livy," she whispered. "Wake up."
There was no movement from the girl in the bed, but the puppy set to scratching. And barked.
"Ssh," Haley shushed it, stepping into the room. "Livy." How was the girl sleeping through this?
Maybe it would've been kinder to simply take the dog out, but Haley didn't feel kind. She walked to the bed and reached for Livy's foot, buried under the quilt. A soft shake might wake the girl.
Except her fingers met only blankets and more blankets.
Stomach pinching in instant worry, she stepped back to the door and slapped on the overhead light.
Livy's bed was empty.
She rushed into the hall and then into the master bedroom, calling for Maddox.
By the time she got the light on, he was sitting up in bed, bare-chested and squinting against the light.
"What's going on?"
"Livy's gone. She's not in her bed."
He reacted instantly, standing and reaching for the T-shirt on top of his dresser. He squinted at the clock. It was after two.
"Try her cell phone," he said as he headed to their en suite bathroom.
Good idea. Her hands shook as she grabbed her phone from its charger on the nightstand. She hadn't thought beyond get Maddox. Even now, she was so panicked she couldn't marshal her thoughts.
She dialed Livy.
And heard the girl's phone ring from down the hall.
The dog barked again, but for once, Elijah waking up was the least of Haley's worries.
She hung up.
Maddox must've heard the phone ring, too, because his face was grim when exited the bathroom. He reached for the boots at the end of the bed.
"Should I call some of her
friends?" Haley asked, half to herself. She headed for the door, intending to grab Livy's phone.
"Hang on." Maddox had one boot on. "Let's think a little before we put out an all-points bulletin."
He sounded to calm and she felt anything but.
"Justin and Katie used to sneak out and head down to the pond sometimes. Or the barn. She might not be out with someone. Maybe she's on the property."
Haley's head started to pound. "She hasn't wanted to spend time in the barn in months. And alone? Why would she do that?"
He shrugged as he pulled on his other boot. "Why do kids push the limits? Break the rules? Because they can."
He might be happy to stay calm and start with the barn, but Haley was going to get that phone and make some calls. If Livy's friends gave her a hard time afterward, so be it.
She started down the hall, Maddox following more slowly. She wracked her brain, trying to remember the name of the new girl in town that Livy had been spending some time with. Did she have an older brother? Or was that another one of Livy's friends? Baby brain and pure exhaustion made it so difficult to pull on the right strings in her brain.
She was muttering to herself. The dog barked again.
"Do you want me to take the puppy out?" Maddox asked from behind her.
"Do what you want," she mumbled. "It's what you've been doing all summer anyway."
She closed her eyes, suffering a beat of anguish at the words she hadn't meant to say.
And then Maddox had her arm in a firm grip and swung her around to face him. "You wanna run that by me again?"
Frustration and anger peaked, and she blurted it all out. "You decided to teach this summer without even asking my opinion." And he was spending time during the day with a lovely, enchanting new woman. "You bought the puppy. You want to handle Livy your way."
He shook his head, his expression disbelieving. Maybe wondering why she was picking the fight right now.
But behind that, she also saw a hint of guilt.
And that broke her. Tears welled in her eyes.
"Please tell me you're not having an affair with Kiera Martin."
He wouldn't have looked more shocked if she'd slapped him.
He opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
Kissed by a Cowboy 1 & 2: Sweet Cowboy Romance (Redbud Trails) Page 12