by Barb Han
“Does she have to? Can’t she interview me? I’ll volunteer to care for the baby until you find her next of kin or what about…” Hope died on Prudence’s lips as she spoke. She didn’t finish her sentence before the sheriff was shaking his head.
“I’m sorry,” was all he said.
“Hear me out,” she continued. “She knows me, and we have formula for her. Casey brought up diapers and wipes. There’s plenty to get through the night. Plus, she’s already asleep and—”
“That’s impossible,” Lawler cut her off. He didn’t seem like he was trying to be rude. In fact, he seemed more like he was trying to stop a roaring train before it slammed into a wall. He waved his hands in the air. “Jenn here is trained in how to handle these delicate situations. She’ll find an appropriate temporary home—”
“She deserves to stay where she’s comfortable,” Prudence whispered. “And that seems to be here with me.”
“Like I said, ma’am, I apologize for being unable to grant your request. You’re welcome to fill out an application to become a foster parent—”
“That could take weeks or months to set up. It would be too late,” Adam intervened. He’d been standing off to the side, watching quietly as the whole scene unfolded. When he finally looked up, he had fire in his eyes.
A trill of excitement that he would take up for her rocketed through her, fueling her. “What if I hand over access to my accounts? Let you come check my medicine cabinet to make sure I’m not taking anything that could hamper my ability to care for her?”
Again, Lawler shook his head.
“What are we talking about here?” Adam added. “An overnight stay?”
“Yes. Overnight to start,” Lawler said. “We don’t know the circumstances yet, though. This could end up dragging on for days, possibly weeks.”
“I’m willing to go the distance until she’s safe in her own bed again,” Prudence volunteered. She understood the pickle he was in. How could he give a baby to someone who couldn’t remember how she came across her in the first place?
“There’s no need to do that,” Adam said with the kind of finality that would put him in the head seat in any board room. “How about this. She stays here with me. I take care of her.”
“You sure you want to do that with everything you have going on?” Lawler asked.
“My name was tucked inside the blanket, Timothy. I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.” Adam turned to Jenn. “Thank you for stopping by. It doesn’t look like we’ll be needing your services after all.”
Adam’s mind was made up. Someone had written his name on a slip of paper. Prudence was on his family’s property and she’d been one hundred percent honest about everything she remembered. He could see it in her eyes. Plus, there was no reason for her to lie.
“Sheriff?” Jenn’s gaze bounced from him to Lawler and back.
Lawler gave a nod.
“Mind if I check her out before I leave? For my report,” Jenn said.
“Be my guest,” Adam said, figuring Jenn would have to examine Baby X while in Prudence’s arms. There was something about the look of determination in her eyes that had forced him to do the right thing. Plus, he was more than a little curious as to why his name had come up.
It was late and, based on the fact Prudence had yawned no less than three times in the past five minutes, he figured she could use a good night of sleep. Everything would look better in the morning and they could figure out a plan from there. By then, the parents of this sleeping angel might have come forward and the reunion would be sweet.
Wishful thinking?
He needed something positive to happen in his life considering he was still reeling from the Marshall’s death and the aftermath that was as certain as a tornado in April.
Prudence opened the blanket enough for Jenn to count ten fingers and ten toes. She noted a birthmark behind the baby’s right ear.
“How old would you guess she is?” Prudence whispered.
“A couple of weeks, five at the most,” Jenn said.
“Someone must be frantic, or they will be when they realize she’s missing.” Prudence’s sympathy and protective stance was the main reason he’d volunteered to keep the baby overnight.
Maybe it was losing the Marshall that had Adam’s heart feeling tender. He didn’t normally do knee-jerk reactions. All he could do was stand by the fact it seemed like the right thing to do.
Besides, he was more than mildly confused as to why his name came up in connection with this case. His curiosity about Prudence was growing. If she truly didn’t have family around, he figured no one had her back.
“I’ll file a report and make sure the information about her being located is on the database as soon as possible,” Lawler said. He grabbed his phone and asked if he could snap a picture for the file.
Prudence nodded.
“She looks perfect to me,” Jenn said with a cautious smile. She didn’t seem thrilled about the arrangement but didn’t look ready to go up against the sheriff either.
“I promise to take good care of her until her family is located,” Prudence reassured.
“I have no doubt you will.” Jenn’s words were appreciated. She turned to the sheriff. “If that’s all, I’d like to get back to my own family.”
“Thank you for coming out on short notice,” Lawler said. He stood up and walked her out of the room, no doubt to convince her that he was doing the right thing for the baby. He would want her endorsement on an important matter like this one.
As the pair disappeared down the hallway, Prudence wasted no time thanking him.
“I do understand why I’m not exactly a good candidate to take care of her by myself. This wouldn’t be happening without your help,” she said to Adam.
He wasn’t ready to make a big deal out of it, but his chest filled with pride that he’d made her happy.
“What do we need to do to get the two of you to bed?” He immediately heard the way that sounded and backtracked. “That didn’t—”
“I think I know what you meant,” she said, and her cheeks turned a couple shades of pink. The coloring contrasted against her creamy skin and brought out those intensely beautiful eyes.
“Shower? Clothes? More food? Something to drink? Name it and it’s yours,” he said, redirecting his thoughts.
“Part of me doesn’t want to risk waking her. She looks so peaceful. Finally,” she added on a sigh.
“We know her lungs are in full working order,” he joked, needing to lighten the mood.
Prudence had an incredible smile when she relaxed. Thick, full lips that curled at the corners that he suddenly wanted to kiss.
Since that would be about as productive as milking a flower, he steered his thoughts in a different direction.
“We can stay here overnight or head over to my place,” he said.
“You don’t live here?” she asked, glancing around.
“This house belongs…belonged…to my grandfather,” he stated.
“I’m sorry, Adam. I heard the sheriff reference your family but I didn’t realize anything serious had happened.” Her voice was like silk, trailing over him, soothing places he kept hidden.
“Yesterday,” he said by way of explanation.
“Makes sense I don’t know, considering I have no memories of the past three days,” she said low and under her breath. “I wonder what else I’ve been missing.”
“Not much. You were right about it being June. Even if you did take a blow to the head, you’re speaking clearly. You seem to have your wits about you now,” he said.
“What about the ER?” she asked.
“Do you feel queasy?” He’d grown up with eight brothers and nine cousins. He knew a thing or two about concussions.
“No,” she said.
“Is your sight blurry?” he continued.
“Only when I take off my glasses.” She did, and he was struck by her high cheekbones and silky skin. Her eyes stood out even mo
re, if that was possible, framed by thick lashes. And those lips rounded an oval-shaped face that caused his heart to skip a few beats when he stared at it too long.
How had he walked right past her and never noticed?
Crazy how much he’d missed by keeping his head down and never looking around. To be fair, he knew just about everyone in town and usually kept his eyes forward rather than risk long conversations with people. Adam almost laughed out loud at the thought. If he didn’t know any better, he’d call himself an introvert.
Give him a clear day, an endless sky, decent weather, and not another human for miles. That sounded like perfection until now. He’d never thought of his life as lonely before. Not even in the past ten months when he’d been licking his wounds. What was the sudden difference?
Losing the Marshall was playing with Adam’s head. Or was it something else? Because suddenly, looking at Prudence holding that baby in her arms, it seemed like there was more to life that he’d been missing by keeping his eyes on the ground.
The sound of Lawler’s boots shuffling across the tile in the hallway interrupted the moment.
“Jenn is all set,” Lawler said.
“How about you?” Adam walked over and placed his hand on Lawler’s shoulder. “Are you good with this arrangement?”
“I better be. I just sent my only social worker home.” Lawler laughed at his own joke. “Seriously, Baby X is lucky to stay here on the ranch. I couldn’t find a better overnight situation for her if I tried. I have complete faith the two of you will take excellent care of her.”
Prudence’s face lit up at the compliment, and it warmed Adam’s heart. He’d just volunteered to keep a newborn overnight along with letting a stranger with no memory of the past three days stay in the Marshall’s home. Maybe Adam was the one who’d lost his mind.
5
Prudence rocked the baby. Her arms were ready to fall off. Her back hurt. And, strangely, she’d never felt better in her life.
Unless, of course, she factored in the reality she had no memory whatsoever of the last three days.
“I know the way out,” Lawler said after asking a few more routine-sounding questions for his report. The man had been thorough.
He disappeared down the hallway as Adam caught her gaze.
“For tonight, it’s probably best if we stay here. There haven’t been any kids in this place in years and we’ll have privacy since I doubt anyone will want to stay at the Marshall’s house. Anyone who wanted one has a home on the property,” Adam said. “And I know a bedroom with a crib already set up. I don’t think the room has been used since my brothers were little.”
“Why is there two of everything?” Prudence asked, remembering her question from earlier. At least her mind was working now.
Adam stopped cold. His forehead wrinkled in confusion.
“When Luna brought us here. I noticed two sets of barns and—”
“Oh, right.” Adam nodded. “It’s because my father and uncle fight so much. Have all their lives. So, the Marshall built two separate but equal homes and barns for them. The whole place is divided down the middle.”
The dread in his voice struck her.
“It sounds like a rough situation to grow up in,” she said. Looking around at all the grandeur, she’d assumed living here must be a dream. The family had plenty of money. At least, that’s how it looked from the outside.
“Believe me, you don’t want to know.” He issued a sharp sigh before holding out his hand. “How about we talk about that later? I’m not sure how long one of those things sleeps, but Casey comes back from his weekends at home more tired than if he’d spent all day on fences.”
“Fences?” She quirked a brow, noticing he’d just called Baby X a ‘thing.’ She was mildly amused by the off-handed comment.
“Remind me to explain what that means another time,” he said with a smile and a wink.
She took his outstretched hand and used it as leverage to pull herself up. There was something about making contact with Adam that caused electricity to vibrate through her, warming her all the way to her cheekbones and back.
“Think we can head to my place first thing in the morning? I have a prescription there and can’t miss a dose,” she said.
“Not a problem. I have a feeling Baby—”
“Mind if we figure out a nickname for her? I hate the thought of referring to her in such a generic term,” Prudence said.
“Let’s see. I was standing on Angel Pass when I first—”
“Angel. I like that name,” she said with a smile. “What do you think?”
“It’s good. It fits her.” He looked at the baby in her arms with such appreciation that Prudence’s ovaries practically hummed.
“Let’s put Angel to bed and give your arms a break,” he said.
“Deal.”
Prudence followed him upstairs and to the first bedroom on the right. The room was large. It had a four-poster bed, wallpaper that was elegant but also from a different era, and a sitting area complete with a balcony.
“I picked this suite for its size, the en suite bath, and the fact that, if memory serves, there’s a crib on the other side of the bed,” he said.
“If you don’t come up here, why is it so clean?” She didn’t see a speck of dust.
“The Marshall had a live-in housekeeper for years. She’ll be back tomorrow morning. It was next to impossible to force her to take the night off and go home,” he said.
“I thought you said she lived here,” she said.
“Only during the weekdays,” he stated.
True to his word, there was an old-fashioned crib next to the bed. Prudence glanced at the clock, realizing she didn’t so much as have her phone on her. It was strange to be so disconnected, but she missed her journal even more. She almost laughed out loud. What exactly would she write in it? Forgot the past three days but woke up with a baby and none other than Adam Firebrand at my side.
If only it was funny.
Prudence glanced down at her clothes. She must have been around some animal today considering the dog hair on her jogging suit. Please don’t tell her she’d been wearing the same clothes for three days. She shook off the thought as impossible. She would smell much worse.
Although, would she even know it if she did?
Embarrassment heated her cheeks at the thought. There would have been a sign if she stunk to high heaven. Right? A wrinkled nose when Adam got close to her.
She decided she must not be too ripe. A shower still sounded amazing and she wondered if there was any clothing she could borrow in the meantime.
“Do you, by chance, have something I can change into after a shower? I always take one before bed and these clothes are dirty.” She had to wash off the animal funk before climbing under her sheets.
“There’s a robe on the back of the door. That should do until I can throw your clothes in the washer.” His voice dropped an octave and had a low-gravelly quality to it that caused her stomach to freefall.
“That’s great.” She cleared her throat trying to ease the sudden dryness. Why did it feel like she’d just licked a glue stick? Prudence gently placed the baby in the crib. “Think she’ll be okay here until I get back?”
“I’ll make sure of it.” Those words spoken with that voice traveled all over her.
Prudence had no choice but to get out of Dodge. She practically gaited toward the bathroom.
“Toss your clothes out and I’ll run them through while you shower,” he said. That man could make reading the ingredients off a cereal box sound sexy.
“Okay.” The thought of him touching her most personal things sent more of that electricity shooting through her. She stripped and then wrapped a towel around her. Even the towels here were bigger and better than anything she’d ever owned.
Cracking the door open, she handed over her clothes, bra, and panties in all. She’d been careful to tuck those inside her warm-up shirt, but still. Shower.
For the
next ten minutes, she scrubbed and rinsed. Did Angel need to be cleaned up too? Prudence somehow doubted the baby took a daily bath. If she had her phone, she could easily look it up. She’d learned a long time ago that she could figure out how to do almost anything within reason on the internet.
The sounds of Angel fussing got Prudence moving. She exited the shower, dried off, and wrapped the robe around her in two shakes.
Nothing could prepare her for the hit she took when she opened the door and saw this huge, outdoorsy cattle rancher trying to calm the baby. Angel looked so tiny by comparison to his big strong arms. He was gently bouncing her on his shoulder while comforting her by patting her back.
The sight was almost too much to take in all at once. A surprising tear sprang to her eye. Prudence had never once wanted a husband and a child. Not as far back as she could remember had either of those things held any appeal. Until this moment. Right then. With Adam and Angel.
Adam had helped with kittens and foals, and had assisted with the birthing of puppies and more calves than he could count, so why was this little thing ripping his heart to shreds with her whimper?
He’d never felt so helpless in all his life.
“Everything okay in here?” Prudence’s voice was like rain in a drought.
“She’s fussy so I picked her up. It helped for all of two seconds,” he said, trying not to notice the rivulet of water rolling down Prudence’s sensual neck. She didn’t have her glasses on, so he could see more of the delicate features of her face. Not the time, Firebrand.
“I can take her,” she offered but he figured her arms needed a break.
“Tell me what to do and I’ll do it,” he said.
“She can’t be hungry again so soon…” A spark lit up her dark blue eyes as she wagged her finger in the air and headed toward the loveseat where he’d set the diaper bag. She returned a moment later with something blue in her hand.
“There you go.” She barely touched Angel’s cheek with it before the newborn latched on.
It was insta-quiet.