moons with dark eyelashes fanned against her creamy skin. She was one beautiful kid, he thought. The spitting image of Stacey. He gently strolled through the hallways again.
Weariness rolled through him. He’d been up before dawn and trying to work through a mile-long list of chores his father shouldn’t do. The sofa in the den beckoned him. He wondered if he could possibly sit down without waking Piper.
Colton decided to give it a shot. He slowly eased down onto the sofa. Piper squirmed, and he froze. Don’t wake up, he prayed. He waited, then leaned back, inch by inch. “We’re okay,” he whispered. “We’re both okay.”
Colton relaxed against the side of the sofa and slinked down. He rested his head backward and moved the baby onto his chest. “Don’t wake up.” He rubbed her back until he fell asleep.
* * *
“Stick out your tongue, Kylie,” Stacey said to her brother’s youngest foster child.
Redheaded Kylie reluctantly stuck out her tongue. Stacey saw no signs of strep. “I’m sorry you feel bad, sweetie,” she said.
“I can stick out my tongue,” Kylie’s older brother, Justin, said and fully extended his tongue from his mouth. The boy’s expression had a disturbing resemblance to a rock singer.
“Not necessary, but thanks, sweetie,” she said.
Stacey turned to her brother Toby. “Her temperature is normal, and her lymph nodes feel fine. I would give her some extra liquids and try to help her get some extra rest.” She rubbed Kylie’s arm. “Do you feel achy?” she asked.
Kylie shook her head. “No, but my head hurts.”
“I’m so sorry,” Stacey said. “I bet a cool washcloth would feel good. If she can’t sleep, she can take some children’s Tylenol. In the meantime, Kylie needs some rest, comfort and cuddling.”
“Does that mean I get to use the remote for the TV?” Kylie asked.
Stacey laughed. “I think you are definitely due the remote.”
“But I wanna see SpongeBob,” Justin said.
“You can see SpongeBob anytime,” Toby said, rubbing Justin’s head. “Let’s just pile on the couch and watch what Kylie wants to watch.”
Her brothers sighed but scrambled onto the couch. “I hope it’s not a princess movie,” Brian, the eleven-year-old, said.
“I want Monsters,” Kylie said.
“Again?” Brian said in disgust.
“Kylie gets to choose tonight. If you don’t like her choice, you can get ahead on your homework or read a book,” Toby said.
Stacey did a double take. She still couldn’t quite get used to seeing her bachelor brother turn into an instant dad by agreeing to take on these three kids. Then again, Toby had always had a generous heart, so she really shouldn’t be surprised. Stacey knew he’d met the kids when he’d volunteered at the Y. When he’d learned their mother had died at an early age and that their father wasn’t around, he’d tried to give them some extra encouragement. When their situation had gone from bad to worse and the aunt who’d been caring for them was forced into rehab, Toby had stepped forward to take them into his house by becoming a foster dad.
“Well, I’d better head back to the house. I couldn’t find anyone except Colton to take care of the baby while I was gone,” she said, packing up her little medical bag.
“Colton?” Toby echoed, giving a startled laugh. “You asked Colton Foster to take care of Piper?”
Stacey lifted her hands. “He was my only choice. Everyone else was busy, and I didn’t want to leave you in the lurch.”
Toby sighed. “Well, tell him I said thank you. I’ll feel better about Kylie now that you’ve checked her.”
“You still need to keep an eye on her. You should check her temperature and symptoms in the morning. It’s a shame the kids’ regular doctor is out of town,” she said. “I wish we had a clinic in Horseback Hollow. Maybe I could get a job there,” she said. “That’s wishful thinking,” she murmured, then looked up at her brother and squeezed his arm. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Toby said, but raked his hand through his hair. “This situation definitely has its ups and down. It all goes along smoothly for a few days, then it seems like we hit a big bump in the road.”
Stacey pulled on her coat and walked to the door. “Regrets?” she asked in a low voice.
Toby shook his head firmly. “I did the right thing, and they’re good kids. They make me laugh every day.”
“Well, I admire you, Toby. Not many men would do what you’ve done,” she said. Three kids, all redheads with tons of energy.
“I think I’m getting a lot more out of this than I expected,” he said.
She gave her brother a big hug. “Call me anytime, and bring the kids over to visit Piper. When they’re well,” she quickly added.
“I’ll do that,” he said and opened the door. “Drive safely,” he instructed, protective as ever.
“Good night. Get that cool washcloth for Kylie. See if it helps,” she called over her shoulder and got into her car.
Stacey drove toward her house, growing more nervous with each increasing mile she covered. It wasn’t that Piper was a bad baby, but at times she could be demanding and very vocal. Stacey hoped the baby had calmed down enough to fall asleep. She supposed that if Colton had really needed anything, he would have called her. As she pulled in front of the house, the lights from inside welcomed her. She got out of the car, climbed the stairs and opened the door.
She paused for a long moment, listening for the sound of Piper. All she heard was quiet. Stacey breathed a sigh of relief. Piper must have fallen asleep. She was surprised the television wasn’t on. She would have expected Colton to turn on a ballgame once he’d put Piper in her crib.
Stepping into the den, she caught sight of Colton napping on the sofa with Piper asleep on his chest. Her heart swelled with emotion. If that wasn’t the sweetest sight she’d ever seen, she thought. Seeing her daughter being held by a good strong man reminded Stacey of everything Piper was missing on an everyday basis. Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked furiously to keep them at bay.
First things first, she thought. Get the baby to bed. She gingerly extracted Piper from Colton’s chest, praying the baby wouldn’t awaken. Then she tiptoed to the small nursery in the room next to hers and put Piper down in her crib. Piper gave a few wiggly moves, and Stacey held her breath. Then the baby sighed and went back to sleep.
Stacey returned to the den and touched Colton’s shoulder. He didn’t awaken. She gave him a gentle shake, then another. The man was dead to the world. He must be worn out, she thought. He’d probably put in a full day at the ranch, yet he’d still agreed to watch Piper for her.
A rush of sympathy flooded through her. Stacey had lived on a ranch long enough to know it involved hard backbreaking work and long hours. It wouldn’t hurt him to rest a little longer, she thought, and pulled
