to them nightly before bedtime in lieu of the mother Adan had never known. But that had lasted only until he’d turned six years old, when he’d been unceremoniously shipped off to boarding school.
The baby’s cries began to escalate, thrusting the bittersweet memories away. He stepped aside to allow Piper entry, plagued by a sudden sense of absolute helplessness when he couldn’t think of a blasted thing to do to calm his son. He hated failure in any form, and he’d worked hard to succeed in nearly everything he’d endeavored. Yet somehow this miniature human had left him virtually defenseless.
Piper crossed the room to the dressing table and set the tote and carrier at her feet. “Bring him over here.”
“Gladly.”
After he laid the infant on the white cushioned surface, Samuel continued to wail at a decibel that could possibly summon the palace guards. Piper seemed willing to speed up the process by sliding the yellow-footed pajama bottoms down the infant’s legs. She then leaned down to retrieve a diaper that she set on the end of the table. “You can take it from here.”
While the child continued to cry, Adan surveyed the plastic contraption and tried to recall a time when he’d watched his sister-in-law change one of the twins. Sadly, he could not. “I am not well versed in proper diaper-changing procedure.”
Piper sighed. “First, you need to remove the wet diaper by releasing the tapes. But I need to warn you about something first.”
He suspected it wouldn’t be the last child-rearing caution he would hear. “Take care not to flip him on his head?”
She frowned. “Well, obviously that, and make sure you’re ready to hold the diaper back in place if he’s not done. Otherwise, you could find yourself being anointed in the face.”
He certainly had never considered that. “How do you know these things?”
She withdrew a white container from the bag and opened it to reveal some sort of paper wipes. “I learned the hard way. I used to babysit for a family with three boys, and two of them were in diapers.”
This woman—who had been a stranger to him twenty-four hours ago—could very well be his savior. After he lowered the diaper and didn’t have to dodge, he readied for the next step. “Now what?”
“Gently grasp his ankles with one hand, lift his bottom, then slide the diaper from beneath him with your free hand.”
Adan had earned a degree in aeronautics, yet this task seemed astronomical. Fortunately the boy found his thumb to pacify himself while his fumbling father figured out the process. And thankfully his hand easily circled both the infant’s ankles, and raising his legs was akin to lifting a feather. Once he had the diaper removed and the baby lowered, he turned back to Piper. “Piece of cake.”
She took the plastic garment from him and discarded it in the nearby bin. “True, but he’s still little. Just realize there will soon come a time when he’ll be much more mobile, and a lot less cooperative.”
The image of his child vaulting from the dressing table assaulted him. “Will I need to strap him down?”
Piper laughed. “You’ll have enough experience by then to handle him. And you’ll probably want to change him in a place that’s a little lower to the ground.”
He shook his head. “I had no idea that caring for someone so small would require so much knowledge. I am ill equipped for the task.”
“You’re more than equipped, Adan.” She handed him a damp paper cloth, set the container aside, then grabbed the clean diaper and unfolded it. “But right now your son requires that you finish this task. After you clean him up a bit, repeat the first step, only this time slide the diaper underneath him.”
Piper displayed great patience as he followed her instructions to the letter. Once he had the infant rediapered and redressed, he noticed that his son had fallen asleep.
“Grab the bag and we’ll put this little guy to bed,” Piper said as she lifted the baby, crossed the room and placed him on his back in one of the two cribs.
Tote in hand, Adan came to her side. As he watched his child sleep, he experienced a strong sense of pride. “I must say he’s quite something.”
“Yes he is,” she replied in a hushed tone. “Now let’s go so he can have a decent nap before it’s feeding time again.”
After one last look at his son, Adan guided Piper into the corridor, leaving the nursery room door ajar. “Do you think it’s all right to leave him all alone in an unfamiliar place?”
She patted his arm and smiled. “He’s going to be fine for the next hour or so. And I’m sure Elena will have the monitor in place very soon so you can track his every move. But you will need to send out for supplies tomorrow.”
“I prefer to take care of the supplies myself,” he said on a whim. “However, I could use some counsel on what to purchase, if you would be so kind as to accompany me into the village. I can also show you the sights while we’re there.”
“Aren’t you afraid someone might recognize you?”
He was more afraid she would reject his plan to spend more time with her. “I have ways to disguise myself to avoid recognition. We would appear to be tourists exploring the town.”
She hid a yawn behind her hands. “I could probably do that. But at the moment, I could use a nap. Jet lag has taken hold of me.”
What an inconsiderate buffoon he’d become. “Of course. If you’ll follow me, I will show you to your quarters.”
Adan guided Piper toward the suite opposite his, situated two rooms down from the nursery. Once there, he opened the door and she breezed past him, coming to a stop at the end of the queen-size bed. He stepped inside and watched as she surveyed the room before facing the open windows that revealed the mountains in the distance.
“This is a beautiful view,” she said without turning around.
“Yes, it is.” And he wasn’t referring to the panoramic scenery. She was beautiful. Incredibly beautiful, from the top of her hair that ruffled in the warm breeze, to her man-slaying high heels, and all points in between. What he wouldn’t give to divest her of that black dress, lay her down on the purple silk bedspread and have his wicked way with her....
“That peak is really prominent.”
She had no idea, and he was thankful she hadn’t turned around to find out. After regaining some composure, he crossed the room and moved behind her. “The largest mountain is called Mabrứuk. Legend has it that it blesses Bajul with fertility.”
She turned, putting them in close proximity. “Fertile as in crops?”
“Actually, livestock and village offspring. We’ve come to know it as the baby-making mountain.”
She smiled. “Did its powers reach all the way to Milan?”
“Perhaps so.”
Her smile disappeared, replaced by self-consciousness. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up. Obviously you were shocked over learning you had a son.”
An
