Neal crossed his
arms on his chest. He appraised the blonde. Tall, sexy as hell, but what was
her agenda? Her long braid switched like
a lioness’ tail did as the beast prepared to spring.
Who was she?
He’d expected to
find the twins in Emma Sanchez’s care, but he rather preferred this woman whose
brilliant blue eyes matched her tee shirt. Her khaki shorts revealed a nice
pair of legs.
Her accusations
thundered. Her eyes flashed sparks of anger. Whoever she was, he was intrigued.
She clamped her lips together and glared at him.
A pair of
ear-piercing screams shattered the silence. Neal jumped.
The twins! Were they ill?
At least he could
handle illness. “What’s wrong with them?”
“I guess I scared
them.” She knelt on the afghan and spoke in low, soothing tones. “It’s all
right. I won’t yell again.” The cries died to whimpers.
His gaze focused
on the woman. She definitely wasn’t the person he’d expected to accompany the
twins. During their phone conversations, he’d envisioned Lena Greene as a
short, dumpy woman. Nothing about the blonde’s appearance marked her as a
social worker, a class of women he was well acquainted with. Since the day he’d
entered the system at the age of three, he’d had too many encounters with the
breed.
Officious,
rigid, uncaring, along with a dozen other sterling attributes.
She didn’t fit
that picture. Her blue eyes and her air of harassed martyrdom made him want to
rescue her.
He held up his
hands. “I surrender. I’m guilty of every charge. If I’d known you’d be waiting
at the airport, I would have ignored the four major emergencies that kept me
chained to the clinic. Welcome to Prairie, Ms. Greene.”
“I’m not Lena
Greene.”
“And you’re
definitely not Emma Sanchez. So, who are you?”
“Nora Harte. Lena asked me to deliver the twins.”
Her voice reminded
him of brandy -- full-bodied and intoxicating.
She lifted one of
the twins. “This is Molly.” She thrust the infant into his arms and returned
for the second. “And this is Todd.”
She edged past
them. The babies’ squirms grew stronger and he prayed he wouldn’t drop them.
“There’s an
envelope on the coffee table with official papers,” she said. “Enjoy the
children. I have to go. I’m due in Santa
Fe
She can’t
leave!
He had no
experience in the daily care and handling of babies. He had to find a way to
keep her until Emma arrived without admitting how inept he felt.
“You’re leaving
now? Are you sure you want to head out
this late?”
“There’s plenty of
daylight left. When it gets too dark, I’ll find a motel.”
“Do you realize
what desolate territory you’ll be crossing?
Towns and motels are far apart.”
“Then what do you
suggest?”
He handed her one
of the twins. She smelled of lavender and memories. “Spend the night and leave
in the morning.”
Nora hesitated.
She clutched Molly and backed away. His green eyes said more than his words. “I
--”
“Say you’ll stay.
I wouldn’t want to worry about your car breaking down miles from civilization.”
And he wasn’t ready to be alone with the babies.
The concern in his
voice soothed the emotions he had kindled. Dr. McKay presented a complication
she wasn’t sure she could handle. She swallowed. “I’ll stay, but just for
tonight.”
“Great.”
His smile made her
feel warm and uncertain. The awkward way he held Todd brought forth a desire to
help him. She lifted Molly to her shoulder. “Hold him like this. You’ll find
it’s more comfortable, Dr. McKay.”
“My name’s Neal.”
His intense
concentration as he imitated her was endearing. She recalled how uneasy Lena had been about sending the twins to a bachelor,
especially one who kept doctor’s hours. He’d assured the social worker that
he’d found a caring woman to be the babies’ nanny.
“Where’s the woman
you hired to watch the children?”
“Wasn’t she here
when you arrived?”
“The door was
unlocked and the house empty.” She sat on the arm of the couch.
Neal crossed the
room. “I should have called, but I didn’t have a minute all day to think of
anything except patients. When Emma and I talked yesterday, she said she would
be here by noon.”
Nora’s gaze met his.
Eyes as brilliant as summer grass captured her attention. She shook her head.
She was out of her mind and her emotions were about to run amok. Something in
his expression made her want to stay and help him adjust to this new situation.
She couldn’t stay
beyond tomorrow morning. Her parents expected her. She would have to leave at
dawn and travel past dark to meet the schedule.
“Thanks for
offering to stay.”
The gratitude in
his deep voice tempted her to forget her plans. She shook her head.
Neal McKay was
a wanderer. Lena ’s investigation had confirmed
that. The lack of personal touches and the unpacked boxes were a clear sign he
didn’t plan to settle here.
The attraction she
felt astonished her, but she knew it would lead nowhere. She wanted a man with
roots, not a tumbleweed. After her chaotic childhood, she intended to stay in
one place for the rest of her life.
“I’m curious,” she
said. “Why didn’t you furnish the nursery?”
He shrugged. “I
went to the mall to buy beds, but I couldn’t decide which model was
appropriate. I thought I’d ask Emma for help.
She shook her
head. “You’ll need more diapers and formula.”
“I know. Ms.
Greene neglected to tell me their size and the brand of formula. The nurse
practitioner said some babies have problems when they change brands.”
“She’s right. We
need to go shopping.”
“I think you’re
right.”
“We should go
before dinner. I’d cook, but your cupboards are bare.”
He paced across
the room. “We’ll eat at the cafe. Food’s good, hot and there are no dirty
dishes.”
She put Molly on
the afghan. “Watch them while I get bottles. We’ll go in my car. The infant
seats are still in place.”
“Why drive? The store’s five blocks from here.”
“It’s too hot to
walk. Besides, we’ll need the car for the groceries.”
“How much food can
two babies eat? A couple cans of formula
won’t take much room.”
She smiled. “It’s
cheaper by the case. And you’ll need disposable diapers and food for the house.
I’d like breakfast before I leave.” She looked up. “Are you sure you’re a
family practitioner? You don’t know much
about babies.”
“Sick babies are
my thing.” He grinned. “The certificate’s in one of the boxes here or upstairs.
I’ll dig it out.”
“I was joking.”
“Actually, you’re
right. I can order antibiotics, tests and treatments for sick children, but
I’ve never lived with infants. Seeing them as patients is different from being
responsible for them.”
“You’ve got that
right.”
“I don’t deal much
with the small set at the clinic unless there’s an emergency. A pediatrician
comes in twice a month and there’s a pediatric nurse practitioner on staff.”
Nora dashed to the
kitchen and returned with two bottles. She added them to the diaper bag. Since
they would need the stroller at the store, she put Molly in one of the seats.
She slung the diaper bag over her shoulder.
“Todd next.”
“I’ll carry him.”
At the car, Neal
watched Nora fasten the babies in the infant seat. Watching her exhausted him.
How would he cope alone? If he didn’t
locate Emma, that’s what he would face.
The middle-aged
woman had seemed reliable, sensible and had been recommended by Hattie Gardner,
the town’s matriarch, as the best person for the job. When they returned to the
house, he had to call Emma.
Nora parked in
front of the grocery store. She opened the stroller. Neal fumbled and finally
unfastened Todd. As he held the baby, reality struck. For the next eighteen
years, he was responsible for the well-being of these children. He hadn’t the
slightest idea what to do. Foster homes, at least the ones he’d been placed in,
weren’t good training grounds for parents.
He watched Nora.
She handled the twins like a pro. If for some reason Emma wasn’t coming, what
would it take to persuade Nora to stay.
She put the diaper
bag in the tray beneath the stroller. “You push the twins and I’ll take the
cart.”
“Sounds good.”
Inside the store,
Nora stopped to read the signs. “This way,” she said.
As they started
down the aisle, the number of baby items amazed him. Maybe they’d need his
pickup instead of the car. Nora put a case of formula, two packages of diapers
and some boxes in the cart.
“What about this.”
He picked up some bottles of juice.
“They’re not ready
for juice. They’ve just started cereal.”
“Dr. McKay, are
these your babies?”
Two elderly women,
Maude and Grace Adams, blocked the aisle. Nora continued ahead with the cart.
“They are,” he
said.
“What beautiful
children.”
Neal lost sight of
Nora. “Thank you, ladies.”
“Are they much
trouble?”
“Do they sleep all
night?
“We’re twins, you
know.”
Their comments
pinged and ponged. Neal felt dizzy. “I’ve got to go.”
“We’ll see you at
Hattie’s on Saturday.”
Neal turned the
stroller. He spotted Nora at the check-out counter. The cart was crammed. “Why
all the food?”
“I thought I’d
cook dinner.”
“I said we’d eat
at the cafe.”
“Should I put the
steak back?”
He shook his head.
“We’ll take everything.”
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