eyes.
“Too bad,” he muttered.
Dakota wasn’t sure what to say to that.
Geoff glanced at the pad in his hand, as if checking to see if there was more. Just then, Hannah made a cooing sound.
The producer turned toward the noise and saw the baby in her playpen. Hannah was on her back, staring at the mobile Dakota had attached to the side of the crib.
“Is that a baby?” Geoff asked.
“Uh-huh.”
“Yours?”
She hid a smile. “Yes.”
He turned to leave, then looked at her again. “Were you pregnant and I missed it?”
“She’s six months old.”
“So that’s a no?”
The smile escaped. “I wasn’t pregnant before.”
“Okay. Because I’ve been told that I’m not very observant when it comes to anything other than the show. But I would have noticed if you were pregnant.”
“I’m sure that’s true.”
He looked at Hannah. “She’s yours, right?”
Dakota thought about explaining about the adoption, but decided he really wasn’t that interested. “She’s mine.”
“Okay, then. You’ll ask about the explosion?”
“No, but I’ll ask about the festival.”
Geoff sighed. “I guess that will have to do.”
“I guess it will.”
He left.
Dakota laughed, then crossed to the playpen and picked up Hannah. “What a silly man,” she said, holding her daughter in her arms. She felt the girl’s forehead and was pleased that it was cool. The antibiotic was working quickly.
Her mother had stopped by that morning to check on her and warn her that Hannah’s fever could climb during the day. Dakota was prepared with Tylenol drops. So far, though, everything was going well. Hannah had been eating and seemed less frightened of all the new experiences.
While Dakota sat in her chair, holding the baby, she called the mayor and explained about the festival.
“If I say no, will he take his show and go away?”
“Probably not.”
“Then I suppose he can film it. How’s Hannah?”
“Doing well. She slept for a few hours last night. She’s eating well.”
“Good. You know you can call me if you need anything.”
“Yes, I know. Thanks.”
Dakota made a couple more calls, then walked around the production office with her daughter. No one seemed overly interested in the child, which was fine. These people didn’t know her.
When they got back to her desk, she put the baby in her car seat and placed her so that she could see the morning filming out the window. Dakota did her best to work but found herself glancing at Hannah every few seconds.
She had a baby. A child of her own. The true miracle of it all had yet to sink in.
A few minutes later, Bella Gionni, one of the feuding Gionni sisters, walked into her office.
“I wanted to see how things were going,” the dark-haired, forty-something woman said. “We were all worried about your first night. How was it?”
“Good,” Dakota told her. “Hannah slept relatively well. She’s doing better. I don’t think her ears are bothering her as much.”
What she didn’t admit was that Finn had spent the night with her. Every time Hannah had whimpered, Dakota had jumped to her feet and raced into the baby’s room. Finn had been right there with her, helping with the formula, getting her settled in the rocking chair. She couldn’t have done it without him.
“Can I hold her?” Bella asked.
“Of course,” Dakota said. The doctor had told her to make Hannah’s life as normal as possible. In Fool’s Gold, that meant knowing lots and lots of people.
She took the baby out of the car seat. Bella held out her arms, and Hannah seemed to lean into her. From what Dakota could tell, the little girl was enjoying the attention. Perhaps there hadn’t been enough at the orphanage.
“Who’s that beautiful little girl?” Bella asked, cooing softly. “That’s you. Yes, it is. You’re going to be a heartbreaker.”
Dakota knew this was the first of many visits. Not only would Bella come back again, but there would be others. The women in town would take care of them both.
While she appreciated the support and knew she could depend on it, she knew that last night it had been Finn who had kept her sane. Having him stay had meant everything to her. It had been better than sex. Not that she would say so if he asked, because the sex was amazing. But last night had been about taking care of her. About being the man she needed.
She’d never been able to depend on a man before. The experience was new, and she found she liked it. Still, it wasn’t something she should get used to. After all, Finn was leaving. He’d made that very clear.
Even so, she was determined to enjoy what she had while it lasted.
AURELIA KNEW there was a problem when three more days passed and she hadn’t heard from her mother. Normally they didn’t go an entire day without speaking at least twice. While she knew she had to learn to stand on her own, there was no reason she also had to lose contact with the only relative she had. After work the following Friday, she went by her mother’s house.
Her mother answered the door right away.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Are you here to see me?” her mother asked, feigning surprise.
“Yes. We haven’t spoken in a few days. I wanted to check on you.”
“I can’t imagine why. You’ve made it clear that you care nothing about me. I could drop dead in the street and you would simply step over me.”
Aurelia told herself to be patient. She had established new boundaries that her mother didn’t like, and they were going to be tested. If she respected herself, her mother would learn to respect her, as well.
Instead of getting angry or frustrated, she smiled. “You have such a way with words. You always create the most amazing visuals. I wish I’d inherited that ability from you.” With that, she slipped past her mother and entered the house.
“Have you made tea yet?” she asked as she made her way to the kitchen. Her mother always made tea after
