considered where I’ll put Autumn.”
“Put her bed in my room if you want. I’ll be up with her at night. Unless that’s too far from your bedroom.”
“Nope, my room is on the other side of yours.”
“Oh, my!” she gasped.
His head whipped around. “Is something wrong?” he asked, looking at her intently.
“No, of course not,” she answered quickly, feeling her cheeks flush. In the next room. How would she ever get a wink of sleep knowing that he was sleeping so close?
When she had driven to his ranch and had first seen the sprawling house, she figured she might see him only rarely because the place looked so big. But now she realized that wasn’t going to be the case at all. He slept in the next room. There goes my sleep, she thought.
“Fine. The baby bed goes in here,” David said cheerfully, unaware of the effect he had on her. “They promised to deliver it this afternoon.” As if on cue, the doorbell rang.
“Give me Autumn and you can get the door,” Marissa said. Brushing his hands again with hers, he handed her the baby and left in long, springy strides.
She let out her breath. “Oh, my!” she repeated softly, and then looked at the sleeping baby in her arms. The little girl was precious, and Marissa couldn’t wait to get her bathed and dressed in some of the things they had picked out at the store earlier.
She sat in a chair and cuddled Autumn, talking softly to her until she looked up and saw David standing in the door watching her.
“The crib is here,” he said in his husky voice that held a peculiar, solemn note. “You can put her on your bed until it’s set up. She can’t roll off yet.”
“I know. But I believe in holding and loving little babies. Even if she’s asleep, I think she likes being held.”
“She can’t possibly know you’re holding her.”
“Oh, I think she does. And if she stirs, she’ll know. This is more comfy than on the bed.”
“I can’t argue that one,” he remarked dryly, and hauled an enormous box into the room. “I was going to put the bed up, but I don’t want to wake her.”
“You won’t.”
“I’ll make a lot of noise,” he said. “I may have to hammer.”
“Babies can sleep through all sorts of noise,” she assured him.
“I wish I’d known that last night,” he remarked.
“Go ahead and set up the bed. If she wakes, we’ll move to another room.”
Marissa watched him work, noticing the play of muscles in his back and arms as he put the bed together. His hands were strong and well-shaped, except she noticed two of his fingers on his left hand were crooked and scarred and she wondered what had happened to him.
“I didn’t sleep any last night, so after supper tonight, it’s la-la land for me.” He slanted her a look over his shoulder. “That okay? Can you manage by yourself this first night?”
“I certainly can,” she said, watching the taut pull of his jeans over his long, muscled legs as he hunkered down to put the pieces together.
“Good! I’ve been dreaming of hitting the sack since midnight last night. And believe me, I’ll be dead to the world. She eats every two hours or maybe more often than that.”
“We’ll be fine. You just go ahead and sleep,” she said, thinking about him sprawled in bed, too aware that her pulse jumped at the mental picture conjured up by her mind. Knowing she better stop finding him so fascinating, Marissa still couldn’t keep from watching every move he made.
Swiftly, he set up the crib and then left to find the bedding they had purchased together. In another few minutes he had a sheet on the mattress, a bumper pad secured inside and a mobile of colorful animals fastened to hang over the crib.
The next time the doorbell rang, he left and returned carrying a large, cherry-wood rocker. “I thought I might as well put this in your room. Where do you want it?”
“I don’t know. Just set it down, and we’ll figure out the best place later.”
“If you’ll give me the keys to your car, I’ll bring it around to the back and unload your things.”
“Sure.” She fished in her pocket and held out keys, and his fingers stroked hers as he took them. It was the most casual touch, yet she tingled to the tips of her toes. He was gone again and back in minutes carrying boxes and suitcases.
He made three trips and then stood with his hands on his hips looking at her belongings. “You don’t travel lightly, do you?”
“You didn’t make it clear how long this job will last,” she said pointedly.
He shrugged. “I didn’t mean to question you about your things. I don’t care if you move your grandma and sisters here and bring the entire household. I’m just so thankful to have a good nanny, anything you do will be fine.”
“I’m here now, and she’s a sweet little baby.”
“When would you like to eat? If it’s all right with you, we can eat while she’s asleep. And later, Gertie leaves. It’ll be just the two of us.”
Just the two of us, spoken in his deep voice that all by itself was like a caress, sent another tingle spiraling in her. She hadn’t been here two hours and she was having reaction after reaction to him.
“It doesn’t matter to me.”
He looked at his watch. “If Autumn is sleeping about seven o’clock, we’ll eat, and then I’m bidding you adieu to sleep.”
“Fine.”
“I’m going to clean up, unless you want me to hold her while you unpack?”
“No. That’s all right. She’s asleep, so I’ll put her down for a little while and get some of my things unpacked.” Marissa moved to the crib, placing Autumn on her back. She stood looking at the baby, brushing her wispy hair with her finger. “She’s a beautiful baby.”
“She’s a little miracle. I don’t know how she put up with me last night,” he said softly. He had moved to the other side of the crib, and Marissa looked up to see him studying Autumn intently. He touched her lightly with his large fingers. His skin was dark brown next to the baby’s pale skin. “She is pretty. I never thought that about a baby before, but then I’ve been around very few babies.”
“It was good of you to take her in.”
He looked up to meet Marissa’s gaze. “Her mother needs all the help she can get. And some prayers. These two are in deep trouble. Well, I’ll leave you alone and see you at dinner. Holler if you want me.”
“Sure, David,” she replied, and watched him go. I’m going to fall for him, she thought. Head over heels. He’s
