Colton Family Showdown

She couldn’t have heard him correctly. It took every ounce of her self-control to keep still for the baby.

“Once Baby John is settled with his family,” Fox continued, “we’ll cut that back to the consulting position. In the meantime, if you’re comfortable with it, I’d like you to stay here. Consider the room and board a benefit in addition to your pay.”

Maybe she was addled from walking and the stress of being late, but this offer had escalated quickly. She couldn’t say no.

“Room and board and one salary is plenty,” she began. “I—”

Fox sat up straight, his palms flat on strong thighs. “I need you to say yes. You’ll be paid well for both positions,” he reiterated. “It will make up for the fact that my house only has one bathroom.”

He looked so sheepish about it, she wanted to laugh. “Then yes.” In her wildest dreams she hadn’t imagined the interview going this well. As the baby dozed on her shoulder, she shifted the conversation toward his breeding program and the number of foals he expected in the spring.

Her heart soared to be having an engaging, animated discussion with her professional idol even as she held someone else’s infant in her arms.

“Is there a bed for him?” she asked. “It’s better if he can sleep on his own, even for short naps.” Better for both baby and caregiver.

“I’ll give you the full tour.” He motioned for her to follow him down a hallway and into a neat guest room. Bookshelves flanked the bed and a recliner upholstered in weathered leather had been tucked into the corner near the window. “This can be your room for the duration. Hang on.”

She waited, then stepped aside as he returned with a bulky rectangular object.

“I used this for his bed.” He settled the box into the corner by the closet and adjusted the quilt he’d used to pad it so it couldn’t bunch up as the baby slept. “Unless you think it’s unsafe.”

“No, it’s clever,” she said, admiring his ingenuity. “I never would’ve thought to repurpose a hay bin for a crib.” She settled Baby John Doe into the makeshift crib and breathed a sigh of relief when he didn’t wake up.

“It’s clean.” He started forward and stopped himself. “And it rocks a little, too.”

Kelsey obliged, rocking the hay bin, though the baby was out cold. “I bet he’ll be a good sleeper,” she murmured when they were back in the hall. “Do you have a baby monitor?” He shook his head, so she left the door cracked to be sure she heard the infant when he woke.

“Bathroom’s right here.” Fox reached into the open doorway and flipped the light switch.

She peeked in to see a well-designed bathroom space with all the necessities in upgraded finishes. “Two sinks? Smart.”

“When I didn’t add a second bathroom to the floorplan my sister, Sloane, insisted on two sinks.”

“She lived with you?”

“No, but she harbors hope that eventually another woman will.” He looked at her, his eyebrows drawing together. “I guess she was right.”

Kelsey grinned, understanding sibling dynamics. “Since I’m only temporary, it’s up to you how right she is.”

His smile was slow with an ornery tilt and then it was gone. “Will it be a problem sharing a room with the baby?”

“Not at all.” The baby would be a more congenial roommate than her last two had been. The guest room was a vast improvement over the cramped lab tech housing in the dorm she’d left behind. Sharing a bathroom with only one adult? This might be the best corporate housing ever.

“Thanks, Kelsey. I really appreciate this.” When they were back in the main room, he said, “Did you need to cancel a hotel reservation?”

“Oh, I hadn’t found a motel.” She laced her fingers together to keep her hands still.

“Perfect.” He started for the door. “I’ll help you bring in your things.”

“Wait. My stuff is still in my car, which broke down. That’s why I was late,” she reminded him.

He glanced to the front door, though he couldn’t see the driveway from here. “Oh. I assumed...”

“The car is a few miles east of town. I grabbed a ride part of the way and walked the rest.”

His eyebrows shot up to his hairline. “You walked?”

“The rideshare app didn’t have anyone available,” she said, waving off his concern. “The car is safely on the shoulder. It’s too dark to head out there now. It can wait until tomorrow.”

“All right.” He checked the windows and released a breath. “I guess we’d better find food for the two of us.”

Her stomach growled, and his grin flashed again. It was amazing to feel both safe and valued. To be employed twice over. Though she’d learned to protect herself through the years, living under Fox’s roof gave her an extra layer of security she appreciated right now.

Chapter 2 (#uf1da3bab-29d4-5b47-a4ce-dff903f1b7c4)

Hours later, after they’d demolished a couple of burgers and a salad, Fox watched as Kelsey sat on the floor in front of his fireplace. She changed the baby into a clean diaper and pajamas at light speed. It didn’t seem to impede her progress when the baby kicked his legs or tried to roll one way or another.

Her sleek, strawberry-blond hair was still locked into a bun at the back of her head and he wondered how long it was when it was loose. She was a petite thing, with big hazel eyes in a pixie’s face. He’d studied her résumé and read through the positive letters of reference from labs and stables alike. She exuded strength of character as well as physical confidence. Whatever had brought her to his door, he counted himself extremely lucky.

She bumped her nose to the baby’s and then did something with the last clean blanket that calmed Baby John instantly. When she lifted him to the crook of her arm he was wholly content.

“He looks like a baby burrito,” Fox observed wryly.

She put the baby into his arms. “Swaddling is the technical term,” she said, her voice as light and soft as a cloud. “But baby burrito works.” She cleaned up everything and went to wash her hands. “Be right back.”

He stared down into the baby’s blue eyes. Was this one of his brother’s children?

“I tossed in a load of his laundry so we have clean clothing for tomorrow,” she said when she returned. “Want me to take him?”

Yes. No. Fox held on for the moment, more relaxed now that he had some help. He’d never known how soothing and right it felt to hold a happy infant. He didn’t remember days like this with Sloane’s daughter. His niece was like a hummingbird, always on the move or chattering. Often at a volume that made his ears cringe. “I looked up swaddling online. They make it look easy in the videos.”

The baby yawned and scrunched up his mouth. Fox panicked, standing up and striding to Kelsey. “What does he need?”

“Probably this.” Kelsey popped the pacifier into the little guy’s mouth.

“Probably you,” Fox said, handing the baby back into the arms of the expert.

He stared at her, openly in awe of her skills with the baby. She made child care look more like child’s play. “How do you know what to do and when?”

He peered over her shoulder into the infant’s drowsy eyes. Baby John yawned again and then worked the pacifier.

“Years of practice,” she said, rubbing the baby’s back while she held him close.

“You don’t look old enough to be Mary Poppins.”

According to her résumé, she’d had two jobs as a nanny during her undergraduate years and occasional stints of child care between internships while she finished her master’s degree.

“Brilliant and funny,” she mused. “Good qualities in a boss.”