by Barb Han
“Makes sense,” his mother said. He shouldn’t care that his mother seemed taken with Prudence, but he was. He wanted his mother to like someone he cared about. The same went for Angel. No matter what the paternity test revealed, he wanted to ensure Angel had a good home. He highly doubted that meant having anything to do with Libby’s parents. She hid him from them. She hid her pregnancy.
A few dots clicked into place. Was she afraid they wouldn’t approve of him?
It was probably his ego talking, looking for an excuse other than the simple fact Libby didn’t love him. Crazy, because it was water under the bridge now. And yet, he wanted to know if this child had been conceived with love.
Cart before the horse, Firebrand. First, he needed to see if Angel belonged to him at all.
Looking at Prudence as she talked to his mother, his heart was making designs that it couldn’t afford.
Prudence liked Mrs. Firebrand. The woman had a kind face, gentle disposition, and came across as a doting mother. Her hands looked like a gardener’s, no polish or fake nails there. She had an earthy appeal. As far as Firebrands went, Prudence was now four-for-four. She hadn’t met his father yet, and based on Adam’s description, the man sounded bullheaded. She would reserve judgment until she looked him in the eyes and shook his hand.
“I’ve seen you in town. Now, I have a reason to speak to you,” Mrs. Firebrand said with the kind of warmth that wrapped Prudence in a hug. She was caught off guard by the acknowledgment. Most folks couldn’t pick her out of a lineup to say she lived in the same town.
“I’d like that a lot.” Prudence held Miss Peabody a little closer. The sweet girl was shaking a little less.
Hutch got up and moseyed over, sniffing every surface along the way.
Mrs. Firebrand’s eyes lit up when she looked at her son.
“The Marshall never allowed animals inside the house.” Her mischievous look was endearing. “He could be such an old ninny.” Her nose wrinkled when she said the last word.
“So if anyone asks, you’re pet sitting in the morning. Okay?” Adam asked.
“I suppose it is true,” she responded with a nonchalant shrug. And then the spark returned to her brown eyes. “Plus, it’s no one’s business but ours what I’m doing at the Marshall’s house.”
“Believe me, I don’t like putting you in a bad position. If you don’t feel comfortable leaving out some of the truth, by all means go ahead—”
She waved her son off before he could finish.
“It’s settled,” she said, chin up. “Now, I better get back home and get to bed. Early rise in the morning.”
“Thank you, Mom,” Adam said with a hug and kiss on the top of her head.
She shushed him away as she took a look into the carrier. “She sure is a beautiful baby.”
“True,” he said and Prudence heard the pride in his tone.
She wasn’t doing such a great job of protecting herself, because she had to agree with both of them. Angel was something special, all right.
Mrs. Firebrand walked to the back door. She stopped and turned. “You know about the will?”
“Brax stopped by earlier,” he said.
“The men are already fighting and their father hasn’t had a proper burial yet.” She made the sign of the cross. “I hope you boys learn from them and don’t make the same mistakes. No good ever came out of fighting for the sake of arguing.”
Prudence couldn’t help but be charmed by Adam’s mother. It had been too long since she’d had one and this lady seemed very special.
“I do my best to get along,” Adam said.
“Keep at it. The others will come around eventually,” she said, before wagging her index finger in the air. “Or they’ll have to live with regret.”
On that note, she took her exit. The woman knew how to leave an impression.
“There’s dog food on the front porch. I better—”
“I can bring it in,” Adam volunteered. He was off before she could stop him. He hauled the bags into the kitchen and then set up the bowls, filling them with water. “When do they eat?”
“I should have asked Randy when the last time they were fed, but they usually eat after dinner.” She thought of Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey. Again, her heart hurt for the losses that had been racking up. “They should be good until morning.”
“Any medicines I need to know about?” Adam asked.
“None. They’re both healthy,” she said.
“We’ll have to watch that one when she goes outside. Can’t have a coyote nabbing her from the backyard,” Adam said.
“I always go with them when they do their business. This guy here is a jumper. Not many fences are capable of holding him in. So I always have to keep an eye on him,” she admitted.
“Have you considered what to do with them on a more permanent basis?” he asked.
She snuggled Miss Peabody. “I’m thinking of keeping them both. They know me and we have a good relationship. We have trust established and I know their routines. It would be an easier transition for them.”
“What about your job?” His dark brow arched.
“I’ll have to figure that part out,” she admitted. One step at a time.
He nodded.
“Speaking of meals, when was her last bottle?” she asked.
“Hour and a half ago,” he said after a quick glance at the clock and even faster mental calculation.
“Did you ever realize how often a newborn fed?” It was probably the stress of the day that made her laugh. It was either laugh or cry.
Adam cracked a smile.
“I had no idea,” he said.
That statement covered so much of what had happened in the past twenty-four hours. The day should have felt like the longest in her life but there was something about being with Adam that gave her shelter in a raging storm.
“Hutch just did his business. Sorry about the front lawn,” she said. “I had no way to scoop without my supplies.”
“I’ll get it in the morning,” he said. “Besides, I’m sure there’ll be others. Though we should probably keep him in the backyard from now on. It’ll give him plenty of room to run and there’s an invisible fence to keep critters out. The reverse will be true with him. He won’t be able to cross it and escape no matter how high of a jumper he is.”
“That’s a relief,” she said.
“We should still keep an eye on the lady, though. Coyotes can get creative when they spot an easy meal.”
“They won’t get this girl.” She held Miss Peabody against her cheek. There’d been enough loss to last a lifetime.
And she was scared that more would happen before this investigation was over.
16
“You can take the first shower. I’ve got these three under control.” Adam figured he could handle himself despite being sorely outnumbered.
“That’s brave,” Prudence shot back with a smile. At least a little bit of the ice between them was melting. “But I’ll take you up on it.”
She started to hand over the puffball but the little dog wasn’t having it. She wiggled and stared at Adam with frightened eyes.
“I’ll take her with me,” Prudence said. “I can keep the shower curtain partially open and make a bed for her in the corner with a spare towel.”
As she tried to leave the room, the lab followed. She tried to shoo him away but gave up after a few minutes.
“How about I set Angel up in the bedroom so the dogs will be more comfortable? I can stay until you’re finished,” Adam finally offered.
“Sounds like a plan.” She waited on the bottom step while he lugged the baby and diaper bag upstairs. He returned for her overnight travel bag.
Standing at the top of the stairs, he signaled the troops. The minute Prudence stood up, Hutch followed. He never trusted a person who didn’t get along with animals. Dogs could be some of the best judges of character.
Clearly, Prudence got the stamp of approval.
She sid
estepped around him at the top of the stairs at the same moment he moved out of her way. Electricity pinged between them anytime they were near. Had his mother picked up on it earlier? She’d gone out of her way to make Prudence feel at home, which he appreciated more than words could express.
“I shouldn’t be too long,” Prudence said as she moved to her suitcase. She set Miss Peabody down and opened the case. The little dog took the opportunity to hop right in with the clothes.
Prudence stopped what she was doing and sat back on her heels.
“My scent must be all over the bag,” she said.
Lucky dog, he thought. But said, “It probably gives her a lot of comfort to be surrounded by something so familiar.”
“Well, I think we just found her new bed.” Prudence pulled out a few garments and then slid the suitcase into the bathroom.
Hutch, on the other hand, hopped up on the sofa and curled up in a ball at one end. Not before digging around enough to knock a throw pillow off first.
Adam had a soft spot for animals in general. These two hit him in the place he normally kept tucked away, making him feel things he couldn’t afford to feel. Things like attachment.
He managed to get Angel out of the carrier and into her crib without waking her, a feat that deserved a hushed celebration.
It was probably the day wearing on him and the news Libby was gone, but he wanted nothing more than to climb inside those sheets and sleep. Since more than a couple hour’s nap would be impossible, he waited his turn with more impatience than intended.
When he heard the shower kick on, he moved over to Hutch. The lab’s tail started swishing back and forth when Adam stopped and then squatted down. “You found a good home, ole’ boy.”
A well of emotion stirred in his chest, catching him off guard. He didn’t normally do sentiment, and yet his heart went out to the dog. How could it not?
Adam pushed up and walked over to the window, staring out at the clouds that were moving at a steady clip. There weren’t enough of them to promise rain, which was unfortunate. The parched earth’s throat cracked from dryness and summer hadn’t started yet. If the second day of June saw cracks in the soil, he could only imagine how bad things would get come August when the relentless heat kicked in.
He checked on Angel. The name fit her. His ducks were in a row for the morning and he had no idea what to expect with Libby’s parents. Getting through tonight with Prudence was a whole other ballgame. He missed the closeness he felt before the wall went up. The kisses they’d shared kept replaying in his mind and were, without a doubt, the most intense he’d ever experienced. They more than hinted at mind-blowing sex…
Not something he needed to focus on when she was in the next room, naked, and in the shower. No reason to torture himself when she’d been clear. She was done with him.
The alarm, a.k.a. Angel, went off at four a.m.
Prudence tossed her covers off and rolled out of bed, reaching for her glasses. Thankfully, the crib was right there, and the binky quieted the little girl. She would be satisfied long enough to make a bottle of formula and change a diaper.
She glanced over at Adam’s side of the bed and noticed the covers hadn’t been touched. She’d gone out so hard after her shower she didn’t realize he hadn’t slept next to her.
“I got the bottle if you want diaper duty,” his gruff, sleepy voice tugged at her heartstrings. She couldn’t afford to let him get to her.
“Diaper duty it is,” she said, doing her best to hide her disappointment at the sleeping arrangement. He must have taken the loveseat with Hutch.
She flipped the nightlight on and caught sight of his shirtless, muscled back as he stretched his arms out and then shrugged into a cotton t-shirt. The color black had never looked better on a person, she thought.
Miss Peabody barely looked up from the suitcase that had been strategically placed close enough to the bed for Prudence to keep watch. Lot of good it did, because the minute Prudence closed her eyes, she was out last night. Adam must have taken the midnight feeding.
How? She was scratching her head as to how that man could go days without sleep. They’d been together three nights now and he couldn’t have had more than a couple of hours here and there.
Prudence needed a straight eight with no interruptions, but nine was better. She didn’t even have to sleep that last hour. She liked waking up slowly, staying in bed and under the covers as long as possible before starting her day. Getting up leisurely was generally out of the question while she was working. Lazy days were made for the times in between jobs.
The diaper change took a couple of minutes. By the time she was finished, Adam had returned with the bottle. She couldn’t deny they made a good team. Getting right out of bed for this kiddo was worth it.
She smelled the baby’s blanket. “I expected her to be pretty rank by now.”
“I gave her a sponge bath last night,” Adam said.
“What? How?” She must have slept like a rock. But, really, no surprise there. Still, she felt guilty for not being there to help.
“I’ve had to take care of abandoned baby animals. This isn’t much different,” he stated.
“You’ve definitely gotten the hang of this…” She searched for a word other than ‘parenting’ and came up empty.
“Once I got over the fear that I’d break her in half on accident, I saw the similarities. I threw her clothes in the wash,” he said.
“How’d you manage that?”
“Wrapped her in a towel.” He smiled at the baby and Prudence could clearly see how easily he was bonding with Angel.
But then, the kid was special.
“You did great. She smells amazing and her clothes are clean,” Prudence said with a little bit of awe in her voice. He deserved the praise.
“While you give her the bottle, I’ll run downstairs and see what’s for breakfast,” he said.
“I feel like a slacker here.” Prudence was only half-joking.
“You’ve been incredible with her,” he quickly countered. “I don’t know how I would have gotten through that first night without you.”
The truth was that she had him to thank. She doubted she would be alive without him. Someone was after the baby, and she would have ended up collateral damage. The words got stuck in her throat, along with a few others. Words like, I missed you last night, and, kiss me again, wouldn’t help her ability to keep an emotional distance from him.
The baby was another story. It was impossible not to fall for this little nugget. A little voice in the back of her mind picked that moment to tell her she’d fallen hard for Adam too. The voice was getting louder by the minute despite all her efforts to quash it.
By the time Angel finished the bottle, the dogs had been fed and taken out. Prudence brought the baby down as Adam let his mother in the backdoor.
“Good morning,” she practically chirped. Her eyes sparkled when she greeted Prudence and the cheesy grin on her face gave away that she was thinking that Prudence and Adam were a couple.
Prudence hated to be the bearer of bad news…
Correcting his mother would only call more attention to their non-relationship. And she didn’t have it in her heart to be the one to wipe the smile off Mrs. Firebrand’s face.
“May I?” she asked, looking at Angel with such appreciation.
“Of course.” Prudence handed the baby over. “I’d tell you how to take care of her, but with nine sons under your belt, you don’t need a novice like me piping in.”
Mrs. Firebrand’s eyes lit up. “It has been a long time since I had one of these in my arms.”
She seemed to bite her tongue rather than give her son a hard time for not giving her a grandbaby already. Based on Adam’s tense expression, Prudence had guessed right.
“She’s every four hours with a bottle of formula,” Adam said to his mother. “These guys should be okay for a while. They’ve already been fed and let out.”
“Got it,” his mother
said. Living on a ranch for the past forty years or so, she must know a thing or two about keeping animals.
Prudence couldn’t imagine leaving Angel and the dogs in better hands.
“I dug out some old nightgowns from when you and your brothers were babies,” his mother said proudly. She motioned toward the overflowing handbag hooked onto the back of a dining chair. “Don’t worry. No one saw a thing.”
She winked. Could this woman be any more endearing?
Prudence could easily see where Adam got his charm from. Based on everything he’d said so far, it couldn’t have been his father.
“We’d better head out,” Adam said. “Thank you for coming by and doing this. It means a lot.”
“It’s nothing,” she shooed him away like he was a bothersome fly.
Prudence couldn’t help but think she would miss this place when the investigation closed. And she had a feeling the end was closer than she wanted it to be.
She said her goodbyes and then reclaimed her spot on the passenger side as Adam took the driver’s side. He started the engine and looked over at her like he had something important to say. He must’ve thought better of it because he shook his head and put the gearshift in reverse.
“In all the excitement this morning, I totally forgot my morning caffeine,” she said when they were finally on the road.
“We have time to stop off,” he said. “I could use a cup.”
“Yes, please.” She folded her arms. It had only been three days, and yet not having a baby to hold made her confused as to what she should do with her arms.
She moved her hands, placing them palms down on her thighs.
If this was what she was like after three days, she couldn’t imagine how difficult separation would be after a year or two. Forget even longer.
Adam pulled off the highway and into a popular coffee chain’s drive-through. Less than five minutes later, she had a steaming latte in hand. Regular coffee did the trick most days, but this was amazing.
She realized she was distracting herself thinking about the baby and coffee, rather than overthink what they might be walking into. “What do you know about Libby’s parents?”