[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Lucy?"
"No." Hallie had to clear her throat. "The family's out of
town on an emergency. I'm Dr. Outlaw's partner, Hallie Scott.
I'm keeping an eye on things while they're gone."
Nicole nodded. "I know. Miami. Baz told me. He doesn't
know we're here. D'ya think he'll be pissed?"
"Of course not. Are you hungry?"
"Famished."
Hallie nodded. "Would you like to change Robert and feed
him while I find something for you to eat?"
235
About a Baby
by Ann Yost
"Oh, I'm not nursing. That didn't really work out for me.
Listen, why don't I just check the fridge?"
"What about the baby?"
She made a face. "Could you change him? I'm really
burned out."
Hallie carried the baby and diaper bag upstairs. His sleeper
was soaked with a combination of urine and sweat but he'd
stopped fussing. He seemed to understand that relief was on
the way. He reached out to touch Hallie's nose. She plucked a
towel from the bathroom with the Jacuzzi, laid it on Jesse's
bed and went to work.
"You could really use a nice warm bath couldn't you?"
Robert's long-lashed eyes were huge and curious. She gave
him a sponge bath with a wet washcloth. She found lotion and
powder in the bag and she used them. He kicked his feet and
blew a bubble. She peered at his tiny features. Did he look
like Baz? She couldn't tell. Or, maybe, she just didn't want to
know.
"Robert," she whispered. "You are so beautiful."
She was in the middle of slipping a clean diaper under his
bottom when a stream of urine hit her in the face. She yelped
at first then she laughed. "Guess you didn't like being called
beautiful."
She dressed him then made her way down the back
staircase. She found herself giving Robert a guided tour. "This
was originally for the servants back in the days when they
had servants. Asia uses it mostly now. You'll like Asia. She
always smells like fresh bread and she's gonna love you."
236
About a Baby
by Ann Yost
She spoke as if Robert had to learn all about the Outlaws,
as if he would be living in Eden permanently. Somehow she
felt certain he would. He and his mom and dad.
"You know," Nicole said, when Hallie entered the door into
the kitchen, "there's a pig in here."
"His name is Wilbur. He's a pet."
"I'd really like a taco."
"Would you settle for meatloaf?"
"Sure. I didn't mean to be difficult." She grinned at Hallie.
"I'll warm up the food if you give Robert his bottle."
"No problem."
Hallie warmed the bottle then she sat at the table and fed
the baby while Nicole put together a meal of meatloaf, potato
chips and beer.
"Tip it like that," Nicole advised when she didn't get the
right angle for Robert's mouth. "It took me awhile to get the
hang of it, too."
Robert sucked greedily at the bottle.
"He's really hungry."
"Pretty much all he does is eat and sleep. And poop."
"That will change," Hallie said. "Pretty soon he'll be sitting
up then toddling around."
Nicole looked at her as if she wasn't holding her breath
waiting for those two stages of development. "I thought it
would be more fun, you know? I thought it would be like
somebody to love me. It's boring and it's lonely."
"Being a single mother can't be easy," Hallie said. She
watched Robert's rosebud mouth work the nipple. "He seems
like a good baby." A perfect baby.
237
About a Baby
by Ann Yost
"You should spend the day alone with him. He always
wants to be picked up or changed or something."
"I've heard babies are hard work."
"You don't have any children?"
"No."
"Do you want to?"
"I'm pretty busy with the veterinary practice."
"Ya know what I'd like? I'd like to be a stewardess on a
plane. That looks pretty exciting. You get to go all over the
world for free."
"It would be a difficult career with a small baby."
She shrugged. "Or else I'd like to be a waitress on a cruise
ship. Can you imagine how much fun that would be?"
"Not really."
"You meet all kinds of men when you're working in a bar.
That's where I met Baz. He came in every night and got
toasted but he was always so nice to me. And then he
married me and I thought all my problems were over."
"They weren't?"
"No. My ex, Tony D., he's trying to get Robert. He told me
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]