With a Little T.L.C.

“I don’t believe it,” his mother said.

Neither do I, Joe wanted to chime in, but knew that would undermine his accomplishment. He wished he could take credit for the technique. But it was something he’d learned on his niece. He was glad he’d remembered. He hoped this was the final exam, the last test to show Liz that he had what it took to be in her program.

It was something he wanted to do. On top of that, as the Human Resources Director for Marchetti’s, Inc., he was conducting his own unofficial research to see if on-site child care was feasible. He was always searching for forward-looking ideas to benefit the employees.

“I’m impressed, Joe,” Liz said.

Was there a grudging note of respect mixed with the sincerity in her voice? He hoped so.

“Thank you,” he answered, handing a dozing Tommy back to his mother.

Another baby started to fuss. Joe remembered it was the baby with the shallow latch. Valerie. Her mother, Andie, looked at him pleadingly. “Want to go for two?” she asked hopefully.

“Sure.” He took the infant and tried the same technique. In a few minutes, the fussy child had calmed.

For the rest of the evening, he became the resident nanny. It gave the mothers an opportunity to listen without interruption to the group. It gave him a chance to prove something to Liz Anderson. He didn’t know why that was so important to him, he only knew it was.

When time was up, the mothers all filed out and he thought their spirits were lighter than when the evening had started. Their radiant smiles as they walked past him were a big clue. So this is what a women’s support group was all about, he thought. Their husbands must be grateful. He was looking forward to learning more about the program. Not to mention the intriguing and exceptionally cute Nurse Anderson.

Andie looked up at him. “Do you hire out your services?” she asked wistfully.

He shook his head. “Sorry.”

“Are you going to be here next week?” Barbara asked.

“I’ll have to check my schedule.”

“Your social calendar?” someone asked.

“And business,” he added.

Barbara smiled at him. “You would make a wonderful father, Joe. I can’t believe no woman has snapped you up.”

He shrugged as he looked at the group of new mothers. “All of you are already taken.”

Then he was alone with Liz. She was looking at him strangely. “That was an interesting experience.”

“Interesting good, or bad?” he asked crossing one ankle over the other as he leaned back against one of the gray plastic chairs.

“I’d have to say good,” she answered slowly.

“You don’t sound convinced. I think it was clear that they love me,” he said.

“Those women are so tired they would love Godzilla if he could give them a minute-and-a-half of peace and quiet.”

“Are you comparing me to the giant lizard who ate Tokyo?”

“If the shoe fits.” She laughed. “I’m kidding. There’s no question that you were wonderful tonight. A real hero.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.” Before she got a chance to cancel out her compliment with a zinger, his cell phone rang. He flipped it open and said, “Hello?”

“Joe? It’s Abby.”

“Oh, geez. Abby. We had a date, didn’t we?” He smacked his forehead. He’d agreed to meet her and help her pick out a wedding present for her fiancé, his brother Nick. “I’m about ten minutes away. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Sorry, Ab. I’ll make it up to you.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

He flipped the phone closed and met Liz’s gaze. “That was my sister—”

She held up her hand. “Please don’t insult my intelligence by saying that whoever called was your sister. I can’t believe you forgot your date.”

“It’s not a date. It’s just Abby.”

“I can’t believe you have so little respect for her.” She shook her head. “And it is a date. By definition a date is a particular time to meet someone, usually of the opposite sex.”

He nodded. “All of that is true. But Abby is practically my sister.”

“Come on, Joe. This is me. I’ve already got your number. You don’t have to pretend. It won’t impress me. I’m immune.”

“I’m not trying to impress you. It’s the truth. I’m supposed to shop with Abby for—”

“Don’t. What you do on your own time is your business. The volunteer program is mine.” She headed for the door. “If you fulfill that obligation, I’ll be impressed.”

“Liz?”

She stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “What?”

He saluted. “I will be here bright and early for orientation. I’ll be the best darn cuddler you ever had.”

Chapter Two

Joe held up the tiny disposable diaper and turned it over and over, eyeing it from every angle. He slid Liz a look that was part mischief, part puzzled—and one hundred percent appealing. Her heart did a little skip and she tried hard to work up a good annoyance at him for causing it. She even resurrected her feelings from the other night when he’d tried to pass off the girl on the phone as his sister. She was only marginally successful in blunting the force of her attraction.

“Even a bag of microwave popcorn has directions that say ‘this side up,”’ he said. “How come there’s no arrow for top and bottom on this sucker?”

“A bright guy like yourself can figure it out. This is the end of orientation, the final exam. No cheating.”

Liz was alone with him in the newborn nursery. He was the only trainee volunteer, darn the luck. It would have helped if other trainee volunteers were there to take the edge off the one-on-one orientation.

Liz stood beside him, next to the changing table. In front of him was a battered rag doll for practicing. She wished she could say that the green wraparound lab coat Joe wore diminished his appeal, or blurred his heartthrob image. But no such luck.

He shook his head. “You never said anything about changing diapers when you were trying to discourage me from volunteering. The term ‘cuddling’ seems self-explanatory and does not encompass this.”

“Backing out already, Mr. Marchetti?”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“I never said I wanted you to quit.”