* *
“THERE’S NO NEED to be embarrassed,” Zane said, stepping outside with her. The chill from earlier in the day had faded into an unusually balmy warmth. The night air was scented with approaching rain. “I’m sure it’s nothing your nurse-colleague hasn’t seen before.”
Irked to find the weather shifting as erratically as her moods, Nora stumbled slightly under the weight of the baby still strapped to her chest, his diaper bag and her own shoulder bag. “That’s not the point,” she grumbled.
Zane reacted as swiftly as usual, easing a palm beneath her forearm, the other around her waist. As soon as she steadied, he tenderly searched her face. “You okay?”
“Yes,” Nora fibbed, “I’m...”
He took the diaper bag from her resisting fingers, slung it over one broad shoulder and moved in even closer. “Barely awake?”
The sad truth.
She eased away from the hand beneath her elbow. “It was a long day.” A very, very long day.
He fell into step beside her. Staying close enough to assist her if need be, far enough away not to crowd her. His every action as perfectly gallant as always.
“Let me drive you both home.”
When even the gruff sound of his voice had her tingling all over? Not wise. Wishing she hadn’t parked quite so far away from the door, Nora kept her eyes on her waiting minivan. “It’s only two miles.”
Zane tilted his head at her and Liam. “Plenty of time for you to fall back asleep, jump a curb and hit a tree.”
She hated it when he was right. A sixteen-hour shift on a holiday, while simultaneously caring for her infant son, was too much. He, on the other hand, looked chipper as could be. But then Special Forces soldiers were trained to get by on very little shut-eye and still perform at optimum ability.
Using what felt like the very last reserves of her energy, she picked up her pace. “Then how are you going to get to your pickup truck?”
One half of his mouth quirked up in a smile. “I’ll run back. I haven’t worked out today. It’ll be fine.”
The wind gusted. With one hand, Nora held back the hair that had blown into her face. Maybe he did want a good run. In any case... With a sigh, she reluctantly gave in. “Fine. If you’re sure you don’t mind.”
“I don’t.”
Not daring to look him in the eye, she used her firmest voice to let him know, “Once we get there, I’m not asking you in.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him shrug, his expression inscrutable. “Not asking you to.”
She turned her head to face him. They locked gazes.
Damned if he didn’t look serious about that, too.
With a sigh, Nora traversed the last ten feet to her minivan. Unlocked it via the keypad, then handed him her keys at the same time Liam finally woke.
Her little angel was not happy about being eased out of his cozy baby carrier, and into his car seat. He let his discontent be known with loud howls all the way home. And Liam was still crying furiously as Zane unlocked her front door.
“How can I help?”
Stubborn pride made her want to refuse. However, three months of experience had taught her self-reliance only took a new mom so far. If she wanted Liam to be as happy as possible, and she did, she had to let others assist her in situations like this.
With a reluctant sigh, she asked, “Do you know how to change a diaper?”
“Yep.”
She regarded Zane skeptically. She knew they did not cover that in the military training he’d had.
His expression deadpan, he explained, “I’ve got five nieces and nephews in the infant and toddler stage. Three brothers, a sister and various in-laws, none of whom are shy about asking me to lend a hand when I’m in town.”
Which probably meant he knew a lot more than she had given him credit for. “Okay then,” she acquiesced, watching while he followed her and Liam across the threshold.
She paused to hand over her squalling son. “The nursery is upstairs, next to the last room on the right. His pajamas and a clean diaper are already laid out. If you can get things started up there, I’ll warm a bottle for him and be right up.”
Liam, who had miraculously slowed down his crying during their exchange, stared worshipfully up at Zane, tears still glistening moistly on his rosy little cheeks.
She understood the abruptly spellbound attitude.
Zane had that effect on a lot of people.
Even on her.
Zane smiled down at Liam, as fondly as if he were her son’s daddy. Nora’s heart gave another leap.
“Atta boy,” Zane soothed, running a hand over Liam’s back. “We’ll get you into your jammies in no time...” He headed up the stairs, Liam now quietly compliant in his arms.
Trying not to think about how nice it would be to have Zane here helping her all the time, Nora went into the kitchen. Three minutes later, she joined them.
Zane was standing over the changing table, laughing, a big, gentle hand placed over Liam’s bare chest. “Nice shot, fella. You have a future as a comedian.”
Nora edged closer.
Saw, too late, the damp arc across Zane’s sport coat, holiday tie and shirt. Smelled the urine. Oh, no. She sucked in a breath of embarrassment and regret. “I’m so sorry.”
“Really?” Zane chuckled, stepping back to let her take over, as promised. His eyes twinkled merrily. “Because I would’ve thought you would feel it was what I deserved for hanging out on your office sofa, waiting so long for you to wake up that I fell asleep myself.”
Why did Zane have to possess such a great sense of humor? Take everything in stride? Even the news that this darling little baby wasn’t his, after all.
Nora lifted an airy hand. Ignoring her mounting desire for him, she professed, just as humorously, “One of the hazards of raising a boy, I have learned.”
He shrugged out of his sport coat, unknotted his tie, set both aside. “You’ve taken incoming, too?”
“Oh, yeah. The worst time was my first day back at work when Liam was six weeks old. I was trying to get him changed before we headed out the door. And bam, he hit me with everything he had. I ended up having to completely change both of us.”
While she finished dressing Liam, Zane unbuttoned the first couple of buttons on his shirt and rolled up his sleeves. “Do you always take him to work with you?”
Nora nodded. “It was part of my condition for returning so early, that I have Liam nearby. I hire student-sitters during my shift
