A Doctor For The Nanny

But that wasn’t the problem. Eva always learned her lessons. But her mistakes were doozies. Such as driving the tractor, taking the turn too wide and tying up the side rake in the barbed-wire fence. Another time she’d mistakenly grabbed a bucket of rolled corn instead of oats to feed the horses. Thankfully, one of the ranch hands had caught her before she’d made the horses sick. She’d then found herself sequestered in the kitchen, but that hadn’t proved to be much better. But the biggest mistake of all, the one she’d never repeat again, was falling in love. Never would she trust another man with her deepest, darkest secret. Never would she hope that he would love her for herself and not the children she could never give him.

As if on cue, a baby’s cry permeated her muddled brain. Her heart wrenched with the sound. She instinctively wanted to run to Cody’s nursery and pick him up, but she forced herself to stay put. No sense in torturing herself.

“Please give me one more chance, Martha Rose,” Eva pleaded.

The woman placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and met her eyes. “Darlin’, you and I both know it isn’t gonna work. We might as well not pretend. With all this trouble in the town, cattle rustlings and stealing, those burnt onions and flat biscuits are the least of our worries. It’s not the end of the world. But it’s time for you to go and do something else.”

True, but it went deeper than that for Eva. Her heart still stung from being rejected by her fiancé. In this small community, most of the ranchers valued family and children above everything else. Except their land and cattle, which they wanted to pass on to their kids one day. If she couldn’t have children, what good was she? No man in the area would ever want her. And she wasn’t about to leave town. She loved Little Horn. She’d been born and raised here. The thought of leaving to try to find a husband left her feeling cold and empty inside. She had to develop a career and learn to make it on her own. There must be something she was good at.

“Why don’t you go and help Miss Mamie with the baby? She’s got her hands full with that little one, and she could sure use the help,” Martha Rose said.

Eva shook her head. “No, anything but that. Not the baby. Please, Martha Rose.”

A spear of panic pierced Eva’s chest. Lots of people in town knew that she’d been gored by a bull when she was only sixteen years old. But they didn’t know that the horrifying incident had left her barren. Unable to have children. And no one knew how badly it hurt her to be around kids...the one thing in life she wanted most and could never have. Not without adoption or taking in foster kids. She had loved and admired her father and couldn’t imagine raising her own child without a daddy. She’d have to be married first, which brought her back to the problem of finding a man in this small community who was willing to marry a woman who couldn’t give him biological children. And she couldn’t take in foster kids when she didn’t even have a home of her own.

“Land’s sake, it’s just a small baby. And babies are easy to love,” Martha Rose insisted.

That was just the problem. Eva didn’t want to love Cody. Or any child, for that matter. But Martha Rose seemed oblivious to Eva’s anguish. Turning back to the stove, the woman bustled about as she stirred a pot of gravy and checked the roast beef. Eva seemed to have been forgotten. And she figured maybe it was for the best.

As she faced the door, Cody’s piercing screams continued, filling the entire house. No wonder Miss Mamie had called in the doctor. Every evening it was the same. The baby cried and cried.

Clamping an iron will on her fears, Eva pulled off her apron, set it on the sideboard, lifted her head in determination and walked into the other room. Down the hall leading to the back bedrooms, she followed the baby’s plaintive cries. And when she reached the doorway to his nursery, she stood there feeling lost and all alone in the world.

Wearing only his diaper, Cody lay on the changing table with Tyler leaning over to inspect him. The doctor moved a stethoscope over the baby’s perfectly formed miniature chest and abdomen. Cody kicked his tiny legs, closed his eyes, scrunched up his face and howled in outrage. Yet Tyler seemed completely unruffled by all the fuss.

“There now, little guy. It’s okay. We’ll wrap you up in your blanket in just a moment.” Tyler smiled and spoke in a soothing voice.

Mamie Stillwater stood beside the doctor, her dark, flashing eyes filled with concern. At the age of seventy-eight, Mamie was the matriarch of the Stillwater family. A woman with an iron will and a delicate bone structure who had withstood the test of time. Her cottony white hair couldn’t diminish the regal beauty she’d carried throughout her life. But just now she was clasping her wrinkled hands in frustration.

“He sure is mad, Dr. Grainger. No matter what I do, I can’t get him to stop crying,” Mamie said.

Tyler cooed and spoke gently, trying to calm the angry baby. “I think he’s just colicky. See how he pulls his legs up toward his stomach? Crying at this time of the evening is normal for a baby of his age. It’ll pass soon enough. Just be patient.”

Eva listened intently, feeling lulled by the deep bass of Tyler’s voice. Since he was a pediatrician, he must know lots about kids that Eva had never even contemplated. But since Little Horn was such a small town, Eva had heard that he also treated an adult patient on occasion.

“Oh, I’d forgotten about colic,” Mamie said. “No wonder he’s upset. It’s been so long since I had a small baby to care for. I don’t know what I’ll do if I don’t soon find a nanny to help take care of him.”

Eva’s heart pinched hard. Watching the red, squalling baby wave his thin arms in the air brought out her compassion. She wanted to do something to help him. To soothe him. But fear kept her frozen in place. Babies were her one taboo.

“Any news yet on who the baby’s mama is?” Tyler asked as he used a lit instrument to peer into Cody’s nose and ears.

Mamie barely spared Eva a glance. “No, nothing since Ben found him on our doorstep with nothing more than a blanket to tell us his name. If only Ben hadn’t had that horrible accident right afterward. And now he’s lying in the hospital in a coma.”

Mamie spoke above the wailing of the baby. The elderly woman sounded so miserable that Eva stepped over and wrapped her arms around Mamie’s slender shoulders in a quick hug. “Don’t worry, Aunt Mamie. I’m sure Ben will come out of it soon.”

“Oh, Eva, I hope so,” Mamie said, patting her hand. “I’m so glad you’re here. You’re such a comfort to me.”

Tyler motioned toward a clean terry-cloth onesie sitting on the dresser. Eva quickly handed it to him and he smiled his thanks. She felt charmed.

“Eva, would you mind dressing Cody while I talk to the doctor for a few minutes?” Mamie asked her.

The woman didn’t wait for Eva’s consent before turning her back and continuing her dialogue. Tyler flashed another smile as he handed Eva the sleeper, then stepped over to the doorway with Mamie. The baby continued to cry.

“You think Cody will be okay, then?” Mamie asked the doctor.

“I do. Nothing to worry about. He’s a healthy little boy.”

Mamie released a deep sigh. “If only I could find a nanny for him. I’m not used to these late-night feedings. And the constant crying has gotten on my nerves. I feel plumb tuckered out with it all.”

Trying not to listen in, Eva slipped the baby’s legs and arms into the body suit and snapped it up in front. The poor little dear had cried so much that his voice sounded hoarse. Keeping her hand on Cody’s chest so he wouldn’t roll off the table, Eva reached for a receiving blanket. No doubt he wanted to be cuddled.

“Last night I didn’t even hear Cody wake up until he was screaming his head off,” Mamie said. “The child might starve to death with no one but me to take care of him. I’m just an old woman now. Not much use to anyone, especially a young baby.”

Tyler chuckled and squeezed Mamie’s arm. “That’s not true. Your family loves you. And I’m sure Cody will be just fine. Did you get the results from the paternity test back yet?”

Mamie nodded. “Yes, he’s definitely a Stillwater. My great-grandson. I’m delighted, but I sure wish Grady was here and Ben was out of the hospital. Until both men are home safe, we won’t be able to figure out which one of them is Cody’s daddy.”

Ben and Grady were identical twins. Grady was currently serving in Afghanistan on some hush-hush special-ops mission. No one seemed to know where he was or how they could get in touch with him to let him know about the baby and his brother being in a coma.

“I’m sure Grady will check in with you soon,” Tyler said.

The crying stopped abruptly, and both Tyler and Mamie turned to look at Eva. She felt their gazes resting on her like a ten-ton sledge. The sudden quiet was unnerving to all of them. Especially Eva. Because she’d done something unthinkable. The one thing she’d vowed never to do. She’d wrapped the baby up in his blanket, clasped him close against her heart and sang him a soft lullaby.

* * *

Tyler stared as Eva rocked the baby gently. The child stared up at her with wide eyes, seeming enraptured by her. She was singing softly, her voice high and sweet. A song Tyler remembered hearing his own mother sing on more than one occasion.

He couldn’t take his eyes off Eva. Long strands of her red hair swept past her shoulder and she tucked them back behind her ear. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the window, glinting off her auburn highlights. With her pristine skin and soft brown eyes, her profile looked delicate and petite. In fact, he couldn’t remember ever seeing a more beautiful woman.

“Why, Eva, I had no idea you knew how to calm an angry baby,” Miss Mamie said.

Eva looked up, her eyes filled with wary amazement. “I didn’t know it, either. I haven’t held a baby since I was a teenager.”

Mamie pursed her lips and gave a nod of satisfaction. “Well, that’s settled, then. We need a nanny, and you fit the bill. You’re hired.”

Eva’s mouth dropped open in stunned surprise. “What? But I...I can’t.”

“Of course you can,” Mamie said.

The baby began to fuss, and Eva started rocking again, back and forth. Cody immediately quieted. And something about her standing there snuggling the baby close against her chest pulled at Tyler’s heartstrings. Her delicate white hands looked so small and fragile against the blue blanket, yet so gentle and loving.

“You’re just what Cody needs. I can’t think of a better fit.” Mamie touched Tyler’s arm. “Come on, Dr. Grainger. I’ll walk you out.”

Before Eva could argue, Mamie turned and led Tyler toward the door. He reached for his hat and medical bag, carrying them in his left hand. Miss Mamie took his right arm, talking nonstop about Ben and Grady and how thrilled she was to have a new great-grandchild.

Tyler vaguely listened, his thoughts on Eva. She hadn’t said much, but he’d read volumes in her silence. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw her face flush pink. Her eyes looked wide and wary beneath her thick dark lashes. Her slender body vibrated with nervous energy. If he hadn’t known better, he would have said she was absolutely terrified by the thought of caring for the baby. Surely that was his imagination running wild. She was obviously a natural. And aside from crying in the evenings, Cody was an adorable little baby. But Tyler got the impression that Eva didn’t want to be anywhere near the child. He could see it in her tensed shoulders, in the way her gaze followed him to the door in an uncertain look of desperation. He had an overpowering urge to comfort her. To tell her she was doing fine and everything would be okay.

Ah, what was he thinking? Other than serving as the baby’s pediatrician, he didn’t want to get involved. He’d graduated high school with Ben and Grady Stillwater. They’d all been good friends, playing sports together, competing on the rodeo circuit. But Eva was a different matter entirely.