he asked with a pointed look. He nodded toward the boxed swing and the crib. “I suppose I could put those together while she sleeps, if she sleeps. What have you decided about the situation here? Can you send somebody out to help?”
Actually, The Mommy Club was shorthanded right now. There were several members of the community who needed help. One young mother had had surgery. Another was undergoing chemo for breast cancer, and several women were helping take care of her children and bring in food. Sometimes it seemed like The Mommy Club had a score of volunteers. But when it came down to the nitty-gritty, daily help was hard to find.
Adam must have seen something in her face. “What? No one’s available? Or are you just going to call a social worker and say I’m not fit to take care of Erica?”
“That wouldn’t be the truth. But I really don’t know the answer yet. I’ll check back with you tomorrow. You’ll be fine. I know you will.”
“I’ll be fine,” he agreed. “But I don’t think you’re fine, Kaitlyn, because you’re running. I don’t know why, and you obviously don’t want to tell me, but you’re running. Think about that while you’re driving to Sacramento.”
Kaitlyn knew she’d think about nothing else.
In the Sacramento hospital, Kaitlyn kept her attention focused on her four-year-old patient who was doing much better. She was grateful for that. The little girl had been mighty sick, and Kaitlyn hadn’t let that worry show to the parents.
But now as she read Mary Lou’s chart on her electronic tablet, she was hopeful her patient would be going home soon.
She’d just turned away from the nurses’ desk when she heard her name called. Valerie Tremont waved from the sitting area. She had a cup of coffee beside her and Kaitlyn guessed she was taking a break. A nurse here, Val had been keeping to herself lately, and Kaitlyn suspected why. A divorce. Kaitlyn knew firsthand how that could tear up a person’s life.
Glad for any distraction from Adam and his niece, Kaitlyn approached Val with a smile. “How are you?”
“Surviving,” she said with an attempt at cheerfulness.
“Are Chrissy and Craig okay?”
“We’re all adjusting. It’s not as if David had been home the past few years.”
Her husband, David, had been a medic in the marines and deployed several times. Over a year ago, he’d decided to walk away from his marriage. Although Val lived in Fawn Grove, she worked at the hospital in Sacramento because the pay and benefits were better than anything she could find locally.
“Do you see David?”
Val shook her head. “After that last deployment, his discharge and the divorce, he said he just needed time for himself. The last I heard, he was taking a hostel trip through Spain. I think he just saw too much in his service, and he’s trying to escape the memories.”
Kaitlyn sat down beside her. “How’s the apartment working out?”
“The Mommy Club did a great job recommending one. It’s on the first floor of an old house. I still don’t have an upstairs neighbor, which is nice because the kids have the run of the yard anytime they want it. And I can’t believe how reasonable the rent is. I think my next goal is to find a job nursing in Fawn Grove so I don’t have to commute. Mom and Dad need a life, too, outside of babysitting.”
“I’ll keep my ears open.”
“Thank you. How are you?”
Today she was a bit disconcerted, but other than that... “I’m good.”
“Are you going to The Mommy Club fund-raiser at Raintree Winery next week?”
Kaitlyn had to smile. “The bachelor auction? I don’t know. I’ll help Sara and Jase get the word out, but the event itself isn’t quite my cup of tea.”
Because the thought of a dinner date threw her into a tizzy? She’d never been much of a dater, not with her med school workload and meeting Tom. When she looked back at her marriage, she wondered if she and Tom had settled for each other because it had been convenient, because they’d both wanted a family. But her miscarriage and the reason behind it had ended that possibility in Tom’s mind.
“Are you going to the fund-raiser?” Kaitlyn asked with a twinkle in her eye.
“No,” Val returned with a firm shake of her head. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to think about dating again.”
“You need more time.”
“And a fairy godmother,” Val said with a laugh.
Did all women really have dreams of finding Prince Charming? On that score, Kaitlyn’s dreams had dissolved into something much more practical—a thriving practice where she could help the kids she saw every day. She didn’t need anything else.
However, as Kaitlyn was driving back to Fawn Grove, she felt an inexorable pull toward Adam’s condo to see how he was faring with his niece. After all, she’d told him she’d check in on him. She told herself that picking up some Chinese on the way was mostly for her sustenance. She’d skipped lunch. She’d also told herself as she rang the doorbell, chemistry and a doctor’s busy lifestyle simply didn’t mix.
That maxim held water until Adam opened the door. This time he was wearing the baby sling with Erica in it, but his niece was wailing again.
Adam seemed unreasonably glad to see Kaitlyn, yet unsettled, too. Was he pleased she was here to help? Or because...
Or because he couldn’t forget about their kisses, either?
Without preamble, he said, “A mother wearing this contraption and me wearing this contraption are entirely two different things.”
“Do you want me to come in, or do you want me to leave with my Moo Goo Gai Pan?”
* * *
“Moo Goo Gai Pan?” The thought of hot food was the one thing that might bring him a little pleasure. Well, maybe there was more than one thing that would, but they’d concentrate on the food.
“Sweet and sour chicken, too,” she added.
He had to wonder why she was doing this. After all, she’d run away before. “So now The Mommy Club delivers takeout?”
“So now a pediatrician with The Mommy Club was hungry and thought you might be, too. I didn’t see much food in your refrigerator.”
He didn’t have a comeback to that remark because it was true. He simply crossed into his living room where the swing stood, leaving her to close the door behind her. “The swing worked for about fifteen minutes.” As he transferred Erica from the sling to the swing, his gaze found Kaitlyn’s.
Darn if the room didn’t tilt again. Mini earthquake?
Although the aroma from the food was making his mouth
