Rancher's Perfect Baby Rescue

“Of course. We’ll leave as soon as Melody can travel.”

“The child shouldn’t travel for at least ten days.”

“What?” Nathan barked at the doctor. “Why not?”

Before he’d called the man, Nathan had dialed up May Frommer for a recommendation on the doc and also for a brief discussion of his current uninvited guests. May had said it was still up in the air as to whether Dr. Rafe Black was secretly a Devotee or not, but her best guess was he was not. And then she went on and on about how Nathan should be gentle with Susannah and the child—as if he was ever too rough on any woman. He simply wanted her gone.

“The baby seems lethargic because she’s dehydrated,” Dr. Black answered and brought him back to the moment. “I’ve given her electrolytes, but this kind of thing takes a toll on infants. Babies take cues from their mothers. In this case, the mother is anxious and exhausted, so the baby is, too. Stress can kill a child that small.”

Hell, he was no ogre. He couldn’t throw them out now.

“Have you treated the mother yet?” He wondered what Susannah would have to say about the doctor’s orders. “Have you talked to her?”

“Not yet.” The doctor picked up the second case he’d brought into the house and looked ready to go back into the bedroom.

But he turned first and asked a question of his own. “Is this woman a Devotee? She looks familiar, like I’ve seen her in town. But Devotees don’t often come to me.”

“She was a Devotee for a few months. Having the baby seems to have changed all that.” Nathan hoped to hell that what he just claimed would turn out to be the truth.

He had no intention of having a practicing Devotee on his ranch, in his house, in his damned bed.

“But she lived in Cold Plains during the past six months?”

It was an odd way of putting the question, but Nathan nodded his head.

“Very well. I’ll go back to treat her now. Your housekeeper tells me her name is Susannah and that she has a few cuts that qualify for suturing. I’ll check them out.”

Nathan let him go and then headed off to find Maria.

He didn’t have to search long. He found her where she was most of the time: in the kitchen.

“Looks like you’re going to have houseguests for the next couple of weeks,” he told her. “Hope you’re ready.”

“The doctor says they have to stay? Good. We’ll handle it. I’ll fix you up a spot in one of the guest rooms.”

Damn. “Why can’t they move to a guest room?”

“Rooms are too small and there isn’t one that’s connected to a bath. This won’t be forever. Don’t whine about it.”

Gritting his teeth, Nathan got his temper back under control. “What did you think of Rafe Black? The way he talked to me about the Devotees, I got the distinct impression that he wasn’t one of them.”

“Naw. He’s no Devotee. He don’t stink like they do.”

That made Nathan chuckle. All right, so he was stuck with Susannah and the kid for a couple of weeks. He’d make the best of it. For quite a while now, he’d been wondering if it was possible to deprogram a Devotee. Actually, he guessed what he would be doing in this case was called exit counseling since Susannah left of her own free will. Once, before circumstances made him give up the idea, he’d been sure he could accomplish the steps necessary.

This might be a good time to find out for sure.

“There’s only one wound I see that might need a couple of sutures. But it’s probably been too long to keep it from scarring.” The doctor spoke softly to Susannah even though Maria had taken the baby into the kitchen.

“Which wound? Where is it?”

“On the back of your arm. It won’t show unless you wear sleeveless blouses or bathing suits.” He opened his bag and took out the necessary equipment. “I’ll make a couple of quick sutures to be sure it heals without any trouble.”

“Thank you.” She bit the inside of her cheek and waited for him to numb the area.

While he worked, Dr. Black said, “Haven’t I seen you around Cold Plains? Have you lived there long?”

Was he asking her because he was a Devotee or because he wanted a new patient?

“I lived there for a while. But I’m leaving town tonight. Why?” She held her breath, waiting for his answer.

“Afraid you can’t leave the ranch just yet. As I told Mr. Pierce, the baby needs at least ten days’ rest and regular feedings before you two can travel.”

“You told him that? What did he have to say?”

The doctor’s eyebrows went up. “He didn’t seem pleased, but he agreed.”

Well, that was a relief. However, if the two of them were staying on the ranch, she would have to find some way of getting around Nathan. They couldn’t conduct World War III between them for the next couple of weeks. It wouldn’t be good for Melody.

“I’ll give you instructions before I leave.” Dr. Black finished working on her, and whatever he’d done hardly hurt at all.

But as he put his things away, he seemed to have more to add. Was there something very wrong with the baby that he hadn’t told her?

“Could I ask a favor?” he asked softly.

“I guess so. What is it?” This was an odd way for a doctor to start a conversation, but she waited to hear the favor.

“While you were living in Cold Plains, did you happen to meet a woman named Abby Michaels? She was a new teacher’s aide at the day care center. She disappeared from town a while back, and I’m trying to find out if she had a baby with her.”

“The name kind of rings a bell.” Susannah had been told by the Devotees that she was to become the new teacher’s aide at the day care center after Melody’s birth. Guess they would need to find someone else now. “But sorry. I didn’t know her. And I never heard anything about a baby.”

A sad look crossed the doctor’s face for a second. “Well, thanks anyway for trying. You can put on your shirt while I jot out a couple of prescriptions.”

Out of the blue it occurred to her that this man was definitely not one of the Devotees. But wasn’t it strange that any doctor would come to Cold Plains without intending to join the group?

Still … “Um, can I ask a favor now?”

“Yes.” He looked over warily.

“I don’t want the Devotees to know I’m here. I would prefer that they think the baby and I have already left town. Is there any other way besides writing prescriptions with our names on them?”

He gave her another wary look, and then his features relaxed. “I have samples of the necessary medications in my office in town. If the ranch can send someone for them, I’d be happy to offer what you need.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, she nodded. Then she filed the info about him being so helpful away in her mind—just in case Melody might need more of his help.

“Would you like to go for a walk?” Nathan had waited until the baby was napping and Maria had time to sit with the little girl. “It’s been a couple of days since you came to the ranch, and I thought you’d like to look around. Maria can keep an eye on Melody for a while.”

Since the doctor had issued his orders yesterday afternoon and finished up with his patients, Nathan hadn’t seen much of Susannah. She’d slept for almost twenty-four hours straight, and Maria delivered her meals on a tray.