A Baby For The Doctor

“Now you find a lollipop? Where were you when I was trying to dress him?” She rolled her eyes at Ash and he laughed.

“Next time I’ll do better.”

“Okay, buddy, here we go.” Jordan clicked the harness into place and closed the door. In an unguarded moment, Ash saw grief and pain flash across her face before she shuttered it. “He’s really hurt. I wasn’t prepared for how badly.”

He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “I’ll come by and check on him after clinic tomorrow morning. And you can call me if you need anything.”

She nodded and her eyes lingered on his for a long second. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

Jordan rounded the car and got in, turning around to give her little charge a reassuring smile. Ash watched as she drove out of the parking lot, lifting a hand as she turned the corner onto the highway.

Yeah, she was different. Not his type at all. So why was he so interested?

Chapter Two (#u96d88f8f-fbad-5e81-851e-9e39512f2257)

Jordan turned on the coffeemaker in the kitchen, but not before she added another scoop of ground coffee to the filter. While it was brewing, she laid her head against the cool stainless-steel surface of the refrigerator. She was exhausted.

Levi had shunned the crib altogether, opting to fight it out in the living room. He’d stayed awake until he absolutely could not hold his eyes open anymore, finally falling asleep staring into the fire she’d built in the big stone fireplace. His dimpled fingers were entwined in the fur of her German shepherd, who was glued to his side. She didn’t know exactly what had happened to this baby but he was stuck in fight-or-flight mode.

It was heartbreaking. He needed to learn to trust that she would take care of him, but his body wouldn’t let him. Even her dog, Gus, understood Levi had broken places and all they could do to fix him was just be there.

A soft tap at the door had her glancing up in panic, but Gus just lifted his head and woofed softly before laying it back down. She put her finger over her lips and let her sister, Claire, in through the French doors that looked out over the pond to the barn on the other side.

“Hey, I just came to see how our new little guy is doing. I brought you some clothes for him.” Her sister’s long brown hair was in a messy bun on top of her head, an oversize sweatshirt hiding her still tiny baby bump.

“He’s asleep on the couch. The crib was a no-go.”

Claire peeked over the back of the blue velvet couch. “Oh, sweet baby. Has he eaten yet?”

“No. I tried everything I had that was kid-friendly. He wouldn’t even eat one of those applesauce pouches. I’m not really sure what to do.”

Claire shook her head. “Maybe Ash will have some ideas. He’s so tiny. It’s hard to believe he’s three.”

“That’s what the paperwork says, but it wouldn’t be the first time the age was wrong on the paperwork.” She poured coffee into a ceramic mug and topped it with cream so she could drink it faster.

“Amelia said she would take care of the horses this weekend so you can get Levi settled.”

“Bless her.” Claire’s stepdaughter, Amelia, had bonded with the horses from the first time she saw them. If she was looking after the animals, Jordan could stop worrying about them. “How’s Sweetness feeling this morning?”

“Cranky. I left her with Mrs. Matthews, eating breakfast. She loves those tiny pancakes Mrs. M. makes.”

“Hiring her was the best decision ever.” Jordan gave her sister a sideways glance. Claire had nearly burned the house down twice and all of them had eaten more than their share of NoodleO’s. “Not that you weren’t a good cook.”

“I wasn’t.” Claire poured herself half a cup of coffee. “But Mrs. Matthews is and she needed something big to do after her husband, Vince, passed last year.”

A whimper came from the couch. Jordan leaned over the back and pulled the soft fleece blanket over his narrow shoulders. Levi squinched his eyes shut and burrowed farther into the cushions.

“What did Ash say about him?”

Jordan topped off her coffee and stirred it. “Ash didn’t really get a chance to check him out last night. Levi seems to have an objection to superhot male doctors.”

Claire snorted her coffee. “I bet Mama J doesn’t have an objection.”

Jordan scowled at the nickname—and the observation. “Mama J thinks Dr. Sheehan should stick to his high-society girls.”

“I think maybe there’s more to Ash than meets the eye.”

“If you say so.” Jordan wasn’t trying to be rude, but Ash was tagged in social media with a different girl every week, most of the time dressed in evening wear, attending some function or another. His day-to-day couldn’t be further removed from her simple life here on the farm. She walked, mug in hand, to the window.

“Jordan...”

When she turned around, Claire’s eyes were filled with tears. “I know I asked you to pick Levi up. I even thought he and Sweetness could maybe share a room. But my margin is razor-thin right now and now I know...he needs more care than I can give him.”

Jordan’s heart hammered in her chest. She’d kind of had a feeling this would happen. Somewhere in the back of her mind, where she tucked things she didn’t want to think about, she’d had an inkling that when she said yes to Levi, she wasn’t just saying yes for the weekend.

That didn’t mean the idea of keeping him didn’t scare her down to her toenails.

Claire met her at the window. “I know you work so hard with the horses and taking care of your practice. You have so much on your plate. I talked to Reesa and she said they would try to find another family next week.”

“No.” The vehemence with which she replied surprised even Jordan. She gentled her tone. “No. I said yes to Levi. Not you. I didn’t know what I was stepping into, but we never do.”

Claire nodded, her eyes still brimming. “No, we never do. It’s worth it.”

“If Mom hadn’t thought so, we wouldn’t be where we are now.” A wry smile curved Jordan’s lips. “So remind me of that in a week when I’d sell my left kidney for a night of sleep.”

“I will, but you have some time to think about it and make sure that’s what you want to do. Now I need to get back before Mrs. Matthews realizes she traded her retirement for indentured labor.” Claire grabbed Jordan around the neck and squeezed, tight. “I love you. I hope you don’t regret moving here.”

“Never. I like a challenge.”

Claire laughed and handed her the empty mug. “I’ll be back for more later.”

Jordan watched her sister swing off the porch onto the well-worn path to the main house. Claire was in her element at Red Hill Farm. She may be struggling a little being a mom while dealing with first trimester sickness, but their brood of kids was thriving here.

As Jordan walked the few steps into the living area, she realized Levi wasn’t asleep anymore. His dark brown eyes were wide-open and staring at her. His thumb was in his mouth, the pale blue lovey she’d brought to the hospital clenched in his fist, his other hand in Gus’s black fur.

He blinked, his lashes taking a long, slow dip.

“Hey, buddy, you hungry? Want something to eat?” Even though she knew he probably wouldn’t know it, she made the sign for eat tips of fingers to mouth. Gus’s tail thumped. “Not you, you dorky dog.”

Levi didn’t move, just looked at her. At least he didn’t seem scared. “How about some milk?”

Again, she made the sign along with the word. He didn’t respond. She’d tried a sippy cup last night and he’d refused it. It was possible, considering the neglect, that he’d only had a bottle. Luckily, she had one left from an overnight with one of their former foster babies. She poured milk into the bottle and, after a little thought, added a packet of formula because Levi could definitely use the calories.

Warming it just enough for the powder to mix, she shook it and showed it to him. His eyes brightened for the first time. She eased onto the sofa and sat beside him. He reached for the bottle, but instead of just handing it to him, she picked him up and put him on her lap, letting him rest against her chest.

He stiffened, but didn’t pull away from her like he had last night. She put the bottle in his mouth and he wrapped his fingers around hers and took a few sips. He pulled it back, looking at it like he wasn’t sure what he was tasting.

“It’s okay, buddy. Good stuff.” She let him slide into the crook of her arm so that she could see his face. His eyes were open and, as he drank, he reached with one small hand to explore the hair that had fallen out of her ponytail to frame her face. The touch was so light, she barely felt it.