The Bronc Rider's Baby

Great. Nate had changed Jessica’s diaper before—several times. And once, when she’d spit up all over them both, he’d had to put her in new jammies—or whatever it was called. But that didn’t mean he felt comfortable moving her little arms and legs around. Still, he supposed the old adage was true. Practice made perfect.

“I just fed her,” he told the nurse. “So her weight could be up because of that. But I also changed her in the waiting room.”

“It all balances out,” she said.

When Nate removed all but her diaper, Jessie let out a wail as though he’d hurt her.

“Goodness,” the nurse said, as if screaming, red-faced newborns with flailing arms and legs were a common occurrence. “Would you listen to that? She’s certainly got a temper and a strong pair of lungs.”

As the woman started toward the door with Jessie in her arms, she turned to Nate. “Are you coming with me to the scale?”

“Absolutely.” The whole point of today’s doctor visit was to make sure her weight was on target.

He followed her to another room, this one smaller than the other. There she proceeded to weigh an unhappy Jessie.

He held his breath as he waited to hear the result. What in the world was he going to do if she hadn’t gained any weight? Or worse, what if she’d lost a few ounces?

But then the nurse looked up and smiled. “Good job, Daddy! She’s up nearly six ounces since she was discharged from the hospital.”

Nate’s heart soared as if he could take all the credit himself. And even though he’d only played a small role, he felt as if he’d just gone eight seconds on a bronc no one could ride.

He wished Anna could have been standing here, hearing the news herself, but he supposed that it was just as well that she’d remained in the waiting room. He was still a little uneasy around her and didn’t want her to pick up on his insecurities or to know how far out of his element he really was.

Five minutes later, after the doctor had examined Jessie and declared her healthy and thriving, Nate redressed her with minimal issues and secured her into the carrier. Then he returned to the waiting room feeling far more competent than when he’d arrived.

Anna, who was still seated in the same chair, set the magazine she’d been reading aside, reached for her purse and got to her feet. “How’d it go?”

“Great. She’s gained six ounces already, which is almost a half pound. So that’s a relief.”

“I’m sure it is. Now you can go home and celebrate.”

As much as he missed his privacy, he wouldn’t be going back to his house. He still wanted to stick close to the Rocking C, although he felt much better about things now.

“I guess there’s a lot to be happy about, but I won’t be celebrating the way I used to. Something tells me that having a couple of beers with my friends at the Stagecoach Inn won’t be appropriate. But I’ll probably stop by Caroline’s Diner for dinner and splurge on dessert.”

“That might be a lot more fun, especially with a baby.”

As they started toward the door, he found himself asking, “Are you hungry?”

The question seemed to take her aback because her eyes widened and her lips parted. But before he could renege on the implied invitation, she said, “Actually, I had a light lunch, so yes, I am hungry.”

He supposed it was too late to backpedal now. “Do you want to meet me at Caroline’s?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Yep, he supposed it did. Hopefully, it didn’t also sound like a date. He opened the door for the pretty social worker then followed her out.

Not that dating Anna Reynolds wouldn’t be appealing. But Nate wasn’t about to get romantically involved with someone who could stir up trouble.

Or worse, someone with the power to take Jessie away from him.

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