Nobody's Baby (13 page)

“You’ll need stuff for the baby, Mr. H.”

Rio swore and Toby grinned. “Want me to help you carry the stuff down?”

“Yes, but I have no idea what to take.”

“Brace yourself, Mr. H. You’ll need a lot. Diapers and diapering stuff and a bag filled with all kinds of mysteries that babies seem to need.” He shrugged. “I’ll call my sister for a list.”

Rio knew diapers were necessary. Who didn’t? But diapering
stuff
? He felt his brows rise into his hairline. “You have a sister?”

“Yep, Dee. And three nieces. They’re in the neighborhood of five, three and a mere seven months. Little hellion princesses who turn on the sweetheart charm when you least expect it and twist your heart into a knot.” He rubbed his chest, another grin reflecting whatever he was remembering.

So far, Rio hadn’t felt any heart-knotting around A.J. He wanted to ask when that feeling kicked in, but it exposed too much. Could be he just wasn’t the paternal type. “You’d better come to the nursery and show me what to pack.”

A half hour later, Rio figured the better question for Toby would have been what wouldn’t they need from the nursery. Personally, he thought five economy sized boxes of disposable diapers was overkill, but what did he know? Good thing they had two vehicles and a plan to evade the press. A few were back, keeping vigil outside Hawthorne House gates, but a larger bunch gathered outside the hospital.

Chapter Nine

T
rue to their agreement, Rio had Kate whisked from the hospital through a side exit and into an unfamiliar car driven by Cody. Toby, A.J. and Rio rode in an SUV somewhere behind hers in traffic. Both vehicles had tinted windows, allowing her to see the motley group of paparazzi relegated to the fringes of the medical center grounds by hospital security. Their little caravan fled Denver for the foothills and was climbing steadily when her cell rang.

“Kate, it’s Rio. He’s starting to squirm around and make noises. It doesn’t say anything about that in the instructions from the hospital.”

“What kind of noise?” A tiny squawk came over the line, answering the question and making her breasts ache in a way that shouldn’t be possible, given that Dr. Krieger had given her something to prevent lactation. Her fingers curled into fists, heart thudding all of a sudden. “Most likely he needs a diaper change. Check it out.”

“Okay. How do I, um ...”

She explained how to check for warmth on the outside and visually inspect for expansion of the gel-like substance which made disposables so popular.

Rio’s report was negative for both. Kate dismissed hunger because she’d overheard a nurse telling Rio that A.J. had taken a bottle shortly before checkout. “Touch him. Make him feel safe. Rub his cheek or stroke his arm or leg so he knows you’re there, or talk to him. What kind of music are you listening to?”

“Nothing. I’m keeping it quiet so he’ll stay asleep.”

“Unless you want to spend years tiptoeing around your house every time he dozes off, I’d suggest you let him get used to sleeping with noise. Classic rock if you can find it. Something along the lines of Led Zeppelin, CCR, or the Stones, though much to James’ dismay, A.J. settled easier with Journey or Foreigner.”

Rio’s chuckle followed. “Bucking his old man’s choices from the womb.”

One hand went instinctively to her belly, still puffier than she’d like but no longer firm with cargo. She closed her eyes and remembered placing Rio’s hand there, the wonder in his eyes. “Yeah. Kids tend to do that early and often.”

Rio didn’t comment, and Kate didn’t feel the need to fill the line with idle chatter. The faint sound of music came through and muffled, deep tones meant to pacify. Rio’s voice had amazing calming qualities. There was a rich timber to it that she’d never noticed with any man before, and something settling and steady about his presence. Even over a phone line, with him several car lengths away, her hands unclenched.

“It’s working. He’s going back to sleep.” His voice was clearer now and quieter, more intimate, her world shrinking to two. “Hey, you okay?”

For a moment, a protective cocoon surrounded her, the same feeling she’d had when Rio was helping her through labor. With effort, she straightened and shook her hair back off her face. “Of course I am. Call me if you need me.”

Kate snapped the phone closed and tried to concentrate on the passing scenery as they wound farther and farther into the majestic Rockies. There was no room in her life for romantic indulgences right now. Maybe someday, after college, but not now. Until then, she was on her own. A sense of dread fell over her with the certainty that she’d made a serious miscalculation in agreeing to Rio’s proposition.

She hadn’t seen a house for at least a half mile when they turned down a stretch of road between pastureland, then rounded a bend. A dormant meadow spread before them, surrounded by bare aspens and robust evergreens. Patches of snow hugged the shadows. Nestled at the base of a mountain was a big log home, more like a ski lodge than the modern condo she’d been expecting. The closer they drove to it, the larger it loomed.

Holy cow.

Not until Cody stopped the car and handed her out did she see that it had three front doors. The overall structure must be a façade for separate condos. Maybe she’d be in a different condo from Rio and A.J.  That would make the situation less difficult than she’d envisioned.

“Some place you’ve got here,” she said as Rio approached without the baby. There were miniscule crystals of snow melting on his fur-lined jacket and, when she glanced down, on her own.

“A third of it is mine, but I’ve never had the time or inclination to furnish it. The three of us will stay in mom’s section, Toby and Cody can bunk in James’ section.”

Well, that answered one question. She shot a pointed glance at his vehicle. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

His face formed a stony mask. “Toby’s got it. I’ll show you to your room. Krieger’s orders were for you to rest the next few days. You’re to take it slow and easy.” Rio unlocked the center door and stepped aside for her to enter first.

“No worries on that score. I felt fine when we left the hospital, but now I could use a short nap.” She glanced around. Rustic elegance was the description that came to mind for the décor in beiges and blues. High beamed ceilings and a massive rock fireplace were the focal points in the room. No antler chandeliers, bear rug, or any of the typical trappings were present. The furnishings were sturdy yet didn’t scream man-cave. They invited her to sit down and stay awhile.

“This way.” He indicated a door to their right and swung it open. “I’ve used this guest room a time or two. It should have everything you need, including a decent private
bath. A.J. and I will take the upstairs bedrooms.”

Kate nodded, distracted by the faint sounds of an infant’s cry. Everything in her strained toward the sound. It was all she could do not to rush back through the open front door. She hugged her arms to her waist. Rio had paused in mid-sentence, his gaze darting toward the fretting sounds, worry lines between his eyes again. “I’m sorry. What were you saying?”

“Oh, um, that we have a service that keeps everything ready in case we decide to pop in, but I didn’t want anyone to know we were coming, so I didn’t call to have them stock the fridge.” He looked ready to bolt. “While you rest, I’ll run into town and grab some take-out for tonight and pick up a few things for breakfast while I’m there. Anything in particular you’d like?”

“I’m sure whatever you get will be great. So far, your choices have fit nicely with mine. But who’ll watch A.J.?”

“Oh. Right.” He frowned as another cry sounded louder than the others, glanced down at his hands and stuffed them in his pockets. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen him do so. “I’ll send one of the guys. This is going to take some getting used to.”

He had no idea. Poor guy.

Cody came in first, loaded down with baby paraphernalia.

Toby came through the door immediately after, jiggling what Kate assumed must be a heavily swaddled A.J. with a blanket tented over his head. “Looks like we’re gonna have a dusting of snow by nightfall. How are we fixed for supplies?”

A.J. chose that moment to voice the level of his unhappiness.

Rio’s throat bobbed. “What’s wrong with him now?”

Kate sighed and took charge from her doorway. “Comfort, hunger or fatigue. It’s a mystery you have to solve every time. Investigate and figure it out by process of elimination. Toby, lay A.J. on the couch and unwrap him. Cody, bring the diaper bag over.”

The three large men scrambled to do her bidding, the twins performing their duties and shooting back out the door with relief on their faces. Pride beamed from Rio’s face when he discovered a wet diaper.

Kate held back a smile, then talked him through it, clamping her lips firmly shut when one side gaped around the leg. She could’ve done it five times faster, but Rio would learn and A.J. would survive.

She had to endure, keep her distance and hang on for a few weeks. Only it was already much harder than she’d thought it would be.

Soon Rio had the baby settled in a portable bassinet. He dispatched one of the Foxe brothers into town with a credit card for supplies while the other unloaded the rest of the luggage and boxes. Kate took a short nap, mostly to avoid seeing and hearing A.J. All too fast, the evening meal was over, nightfall was upon them and the brothers took to their own quarters next door.

Rio sat in front of the fireplace, staring at the glowing coals left from a nice fire he’d started earlier. It had taken the chill out of the air until the central heating unit caught up with the new temperature setting, leaving the room warm and cozy. Only one small lamp and the embers lit the otherwise dark room and Rio’s features. Beside him on an end table, a baby monitor stood guard.

Kate hugged a stoneware mug of hot cocoa and started to sit down, then paused. Not a good idea. The room was too inviting, and she was too susceptible to his charm. But Rio’s brooding gaze begged for answers. More than once today she’d seen evidence of his reluctance to touch A.J., the uncertainty in his eyes when he had to. Even then, he returned the little guy to his bassinet as soon as possible. His mom had alluded to things left unsaid about their past, and Kate had to wonder if there was some connection. “Have you talked to your mom lately?”

Rio nodded without looking up. “Even sent her some pictures of A.J. It’s killing her not to be here, but her friend is having surgery tomorrow. How about you?” He turned his attention to her. “Did you call your brothers?”

“I talked to Zach yesterday before your press conference aired, asked him to pass the word along to Dean that I’d be in touch in a few weeks after all this blows over.” She rounded the opposite end of the sofa from Rio. “I thought you stated the true facts of the situation to the press. Unless they
want
to look like they’re making stuff up, it should go a long way toward dissipating the rumors and sensationalism in the story.”

“Let’s hope it does and someone else becomes the flavor of the month.”

But that wouldn’t solve the problem between a tiny boy and his uncle. She couldn’t allow Rio to neglect the emotional factor with A.J. Especially since the baby had no one else to give him that all-important ingredient to his well-being. She owed that much to Allie and James.

*
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*
*
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R
io expected his short-lived conversation with Kate would end there, and she would slip out of the room as she’d been doing all day. Instead she drank from her cup, holding it with both hands as if it contained life’s elixir rather than the warm cocoa he’d smelled when she entered the room. After sneaking a wary look at his arm thrown across the back of the sofa, she perched on the opposite end cushion.

“Rio, help me understand something. You’re obviously a capable man, a strong guy who’s used to a leadership role. You step in to take charge when needed, yet your responsibility for a baby seems to bring out all your uncertainty.”

He turned his attention back to the dying fire, hoping she’d get the hint and leave him alone with his troubling thoughts. A.J. was so tiny. Every time Rio had to lift those matchstick legs to change a diaper or hold the little guy during a feeding, Rio was hyper conscious of how easily he could injure A.J.

“I mean, it’s baffling. You command Toby and Cody without hesitation, and they’re pretty intimidating. What is it about A.J. that has you ...” She cocked her head as if making a careful word choice. “Unsettled?”

“Very tactful, Kate,” he teased, but her expression remained determined.

“Don’t shut me out, Rio. Not after everything we’ve been through together. If nothing else, I thought we came out of that birthing suite with a friendship. Granted, I didn’t think I’d have a chance to return the favor, but now I do.” She leaned toward him and laid her hand over his. “You were there for me. Let me be here for you.”

He shot off the sofa cushion like it was spring-loaded and strode over to poke at the coals, though they didn’t need it. He could still feel the softness and warmth of her hand on his. Just two days ago, he’d have found some excuse to get closer, to lean in and feel that exquisite perfection he’d found in kissing her. But that was before he saw A.J., realized the magnitude of his responsibility, felt a seismic shift in the way he wanted Kate.

Still attracted? Oh, hell, yeah. He’d make love to her in a heartbeat, if she were able and willing. But it was more than that now, something he hadn’t had time or the will to examine.

“A.J. isn’t the problem, is he? This is about you and somehow, it’s connected to your ...”

“Don’t call him that. Don’t give him a title he doesn’t deserve.” The words spilled out of him before he knew they were coming. Yeah, this was connected to Hank. He wished it wasn’t, wished he wasn’t connected to the man.

“I was going to say your past.” Her even tones washed over the ragged edges of his nerves.

If he told her, she’d look at him differently. A good thing, if it kept her from tempting him with those casual touches. He returned the poker to its stand and sat on the hearth, facing her. “Because I was large like Bear Hawthorne, people assumed he was my real dad. You don’t know how many times in my life I’ve wished that were true.”

“What do you think about when you look at your hands and stuff them away?”

“Hank. His hands.”
His fists.
“I didn’t think anyone had noticed.”

The best label he could come up with for Kate’s expression was careful. She tilted her head. “Your mom said he wasn’t an easy man. What did she mean?”

Surprised, Rio shot her a sharp look. “Had quite the conversation with my mom, didn’t you?”