Alex smiled. “You’ll get the hang of it, and now you have help. From what I remember, the Wilders are a pretty good family. Her folks do some sort of charity work—I don’t recall, exactly.”
“She said they were out of the country. I think we know enough about the Wilders. Keep us posted, Alex.”
“I will. The minute I find out anything, I’ll let you and the others know. Jane Doe didn’t pop into Royal from a void. And somewhere in her background there’s someone from the club. I’ll keep asking. And you keep up the great baby care. This will make you an expert so when you marry and become a dad, you’ll know what to do.”
“Yeah, right.” David snorted. “Marriage has always been out for me—now I’m absolutely sure it’s out. Growing up without a mom and my dad away half the time, I don’t know anything about this family stuff.”
“You’re learning. You’ll let all that knowledge go to waste,” Alex teased. “What a shame.”
“Yeah, right.” David left his friend and hurried to his car.
“This car wasn’t even made for a baby,” David remarked to himself, struggling to get the new carrier buckled into the back seat. He looked down at the tiny baby, who still slept peacefully. He brushed her wispy hair with his fingers. “Darlin’, you’ve been an angel. Now I’ll live up to my promise and we’ll buy a rocking chair on our way home.”
As he closed the door carefully, he saw Clint approaching on his way out of the lot. David flagged Clint down, got the borrowed carrier and hurried to Clint’s car, to ask him to return the carrier to its rightful owner at the hospital.
As Clint drove away, David climbed into the front, starting the engine and glancing into the rearview mirror at Autumn. “Sleep, little one,” he said softly. “’Course, you’re probably resting up for tonight, but that’ll be between you and your new nanny. I’m going to hit the sack and pass out for twelve hours.”
To David’s relief Autumn continued to sleep through his purchase of a rocker and promise of delivery later that day.
Praying that she continued to sleep until he was home, he took the shortest route and sped home, finally turning from the county road onto his own ranch road. Iron gates were opened wide. Pipe-and-wire fencing ran up to two tall posts and a sign on one of the posts read TX S Ranch. He looked at the familiar TX S brand that made up the name. Stirring up a cloud of dust, he raced the car along the gravel drive.
He let out another sigh of relief when the sprawling house came into view. He loved the ranch. This was home, the happiest memories of his childhood had been here. In tight spots in far corners of the world, this was the place he dreamed about.
Made of sandstone, the house was built before the turn of the century in the late 1800s. David had often climbed up its shake-shingle roof, swung from the branches of the tall oaks that shaded the fenced yard and spent hours on the wraparound porch. Now the house was his haven from the world.
Beyond the house stood a barn, a bunkhouse, other outbuildings and a corral. In the distance several other houses could be glimpsed.
As he neared the four-car garage, a brown-and-black shaggy dog came tearing out of the shadows and ran to meet the car, jumping and wagging his tail, staying back a safe distance away from the car.
David parked and climbed out, idly scratching the dog’s head briefly. “Now, General, you scoot. We’ve got a sweet baby who has come to live with us, and she’s too little for you to play with.”
Just then Autumn stirred and blinked, and for a few moments, gazed at the world in silence.
“We’re home, little one. I’ll have you changed and fed in no time. I’m getting to be an old hand at this,” he said, hurrying into his house.
As he passed a rocker on his porch, he eyed it, and half an hour later he went back outside to pick it up and carry it into his spacious kitchen, which had a large living area at one end of the room. He picked Autumn up from her carrier and put her on his shoulder, patting her as he crossed to the counter to get her bottle he had just readied.
“Now, darlin’, your diaper has been changed. We can rock and you can eat and that ought to make you happy.” He sat down and shifted her carefully in his arms, holding the bottle for her as he had seen Marissa do. In seconds Autumn was happily sucking away and David rocked, marveling that he had a baby to care for.
“I’m getting the hang of it,” he said in amazement. “I’ll still be mighty glad to see your nanny arrive.” He glanced around the kitchen. His housekeeper, Gertie, had cleaned his disastrous kitchen from last night. Imported tile countertops were once again immaculate, as was the terra-cotta floor. He looked around the room. It had rich fruitwood cabinets with fruitwood covering the refrigerator. A workstation island separated the kitchen area from the living area, and one end of the room held a large stone fireplace with a sofa and two comfortable chairs. On the other side of that end of the room stood a fruitwood oval table and twelve chairs beside a wide bay window. Practical and comfortable with state-of-the-art equipment, the room was one of David’s favorite places. Now the rocker was in the center of the living area.
David looked at the baby in his arms. Could he have ever been this tiny? Before she died, in those early months, had his mother rocked him? There was a rocker at the Pine Valley house and it was old. He was certain his father had never rocked him. He couldn’t imagine his father dealing with a baby. His father had always hired someone to do that job.
He glanced at the clock. Five until four. Would Marissa be prompt? He didn’t care, as long as she just showed up. He had called home from the club and told Gertie to get a bedroom ready, that he had hired a nanny who was moving into the ranch house.
He heard an approaching car and sighed with relief. When the doorbell rang, David got up, careful to avoid disturbing Autumn, who was still busily drinking from her bottle. He carried the baby with him and swung open the front door, staring in amazement.
He wanted to ask, “Who are you?” Instead, he gazed into the same chocolate-brown eyes and saw the same delectable full lips.
Gone were the strange clothes and makeup. Before him stood a stunning woman who was all curves and long legs with a narrow waist. Shining dark blond hair fell in a silky curtain below her shoulders to frame her face.
Her skin was flawless, with only the faintest pink to her cheeks. She wore a simple blue cotton short-sleeve shirt that was tucked into a navy skirt. David reflected he’d be able to span her waist with his hands. He realized he was staring.
“You don’t look the same,” he blurted, and then wondered what had happened to his finesse.
She smiled, the same adorable, dimpled smile, only now it turned his insides to steam.
“No. I guess we never got around to discussing my clothing this morning. The store had a special sale going and they asked all the employees to dress as Mother Goose characters. I was Little Bo-Peep.”
“Bo-Peep?”
“You don’t know your nursery rhymes—Bo-Peep who lost her sheep?”
“No, I don’t.”
Marissa’s brows arched, but she kept her comments on his lack of knowledge of nursery rhymes to herself. She looked
