Assignment: Baby

An hour and a half later, the room had cleared of everyone but Mandy, Sophie and Hunter.

She tugged at her hair again and approached cautiously, slowly building speed and looking more confident. “No way are we going to work together,” she said.

“Yes, way. Because I’ve signed on and I’m not a quitter.”

“I’m calling Dr. Hersh first thing tomorrow morning and asking for a replacement.”

“And he’ll tell you exactly what he told me. ‘Good thing you’ve agreed, Hunter. I was about to cancel the class.’” After a brief, silent standoff, she said, “I don’t believe you.” “It’s true, so get over it. I’m here to stay.” One little white lie couldn’t possibly hurt their already strained partnership. Mandy stared him down with a defiant glint in her eyes.

“I’m your last resort. Take it or leave it,” he said.

Something changed in her demeanor. Was it acceptance of her rotten luck?

She walked back to the podium and shuffled some papers. “I almost had a heart attack when you walked into the room.”

Hunter followed her. “Then you were in the right class.”

“Don’t be a smart-ass,” she said.

“Believe me, no one was more surprised than I when Joel told me who I’d be working with.”

“Why did you agree to work with me?”

“Because you needed help,” he said quietly.

She glanced at him, but her eyes darted away before he could engage her.

Feeling a twinge of guilt, he continued. “That’s not completely true.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I didn’t know you were involved until I’d already committed.”

She tilted her head and quirked her mouth, looking neither disappointed nor surprised at his confession. “But you didn’t back out?”

“Nope.”

She shook her head. They stared at each other for a beat, and he thought he saw a hint of gratitude.

Drawing her brows together, she gazed at Sophie and asked with an acerbic flare, “Babysitter problems?”

The baby had fallen asleep halfway through the session, and had used his shoulder to lay her head and drool on.

“No. This is Jade’s daughter. I am the babysitter.”

“Jade had a baby?” Relief flashed on her face but she quickly concealed it. Amanda and Jade had become great friends while she and Hunter had been married. Unfortunately, after the divorce they’d drifted apart. Her shoulders relaxed and she seemed to breathe easier. “How wonderful.”

A surge of dread coursed through him. Of course—how else would it look? You jerk! What a heel she must have thought he was. “Oh, man, you thought Sophie was mine, didn’t you?”

She looked confused. “What was I supposed to think, Hunter?”

A sudden need to make sure she knew and understood his circumstances made him blurt out, “For the record, I’m not remarried or involved, and I don’t have any children.”

She lifted her brows, and after a long silence said, “I can’t believe Jade had a baby.”

“It wasn’t under the best circumstances. She’s a single mother and she’s been having a rough time of it since delivery. Truth is, she’s admitted herself to the hospital for treatment for severe postpartum depression, and I’m Sophie’s guardian for at least the next month.”

She looked him square in the face and he noticed a flicker of surprise in her eyes. “All the more reason for you to step down and let me find someone else…”

“We’ve gone over that already, Mandy.”

Subtle warmth spread across his chest. When he placed a hand on his shirt, he realized with chagrin that Sophie needed a diaper change. Now.

“Oh, damn,” he said, holding the baby at a distance and letting the overflow drip to the floor. He’d have to send the suit to the cleaners. He was still on a learning curve with diapers— and everything else where his niece was concerned. Apparently he hadn’t sealed the diaper tight enough.

Sophie’s eyes opened and she fussed, fisted her hand and shoved it into her mouth. He strode to the nearby table and reached for the diaper bag, then dug inside with one hand while balancing the baby under his other arm, butt out and away from his suit. The diaper bag dropped to the floor. “Damn it.”

From the podium, Mandy shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Here, let me help you out.”

If he didn’t love Jade so much, he would never have agreed to take on such a responsibility. What was he supposed to do with a baby? But, through their parents’ neglect, the bond between him and his sister had been cemented. He couldn’t let her down.

Mandy approached, picked up the bag, reached inside and tossed him a cloth diaper and some baby wipes. After spreading out the small vinyl-lined diaper-changing pad on the floor, she reached for Sophie, who continued to protest. Mandy gently patted the baby’s head to help soothe her. “There, there. We’ll get you fixed up in no time so you can go back to sleep.”

The craziest thought occurred to him: he was thankful the baby didn’t have a diaper rash—as though it would reflect badly on his parenting skills. All three and a half days of them.

He couldn’t believe he still cared what Mandy thought, or that he was having such a mundane moment with the woman he’d never been able to get completely out of his system. Be careful, he warned himself. She can’t be trusted.

He’d stood still too long, and let things grow too quiet. She glanced up at him with questioning aqua eyes.

“So you’re working toward your PhD, I’m told.”

“Who told you?”

“Dr. Hersh. He seems very impressed with this study of yours.” Maybe she’d thrown herself back into her career and had given up on her baby fantasy?

She smiled. Sophie fussed again.

“I think she’s hungry,” she said. “Did you bring a bottle?”

He finished wiping his hands and removed his soiled jacket, wishing he could strip off his shirt, too. Mandy had always been so organized. Even now, when it was none of her concern, she seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. “Uh, yes. There’s a can of powdered formula and a bottle of water to mix it with somewhere in there.”

“You take care of the meal and I’ll change her diaper. Did you bring her jammies?”

“Jammies?” He paused. “Oh, pajamas. Yes.”

“Let me guess. Pink ones?” She smiled briefly and he thought daylight had broken through the night. Her finely pointed features had never ceased to amaze him, and right now the slant of her eyes and the turn of her nose captivated him. Through his eyes, Mandy had always been beautiful, and it appeared she’d only gotten better with time. But what was the point of entertaining those thoughts?

He glanced at his niece on the changing pad. How ironic. Mandy’s sudden desire to have a baby had driven them apart. Now a helpless baby was forcing them to drop the past and focus on the “right now.”

He needed to say something. Anything. Now. “Jade has this thing for pink…for such a staunch feminist it’s strange…” he mumbled, and fumbled with the can.

“Pink is just a color, not a political statement.” She looked up, a tentative look in her eyes. “She’s really a beautiful baby.”