The Baby And The Bachelor

“I am.” He was facing Memorial Day weekend with Bree? “Our niece won’t stop crying.”

“Maybe you’re not holding her the right way.”

“I’m holding her the right way,” he insisted. “I called her doctor. She’s teething.”

“You haven’t called Payne, have you?”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“She’s going to kill me for this.” Now Temple was catching on, Stuart thought. “Don’t tell her I’m in Mexico.”

“She’ll find out. You know she’ll call.”

“Don’t answer the phone. I know,” she said, sounding brighter. “Drive Bree around in the car. That’s what Payne does when nothing else works.”

“Drive around when she’s screaming at the top of her lungs? How does that make sense?”

“Just try it. I don’t suppose you date any divorced mothers?”

“Not if I can help it.” He didn’t tell her he’d called a couple of his female friends for help, but neither had seemed very interested in discussing infant care.

“Then you’re screwed.”

“And it’s your fault.”

“Look, I’m not going to pretend it’s any kind of hardship being stuck in Puerto Vallarta with a gorgeous fireman named Hank who’s built like a Greek god and says he hasn’t been with a woman in—well, never mind. He’s a little rough around the edges, but that’s the way I like—”

He closed his eyes. “Please, Temple. For God’s sake, no details.”

“Right.” She chuckled. “When did you suddenly turn prudish?”

“Temple, I’m begging you. Get on a plane. Any plane. Come home. Can’t you hear your niece screaming for you?” He held the receiver close to Bree’s open mouth and let Temple get a blast of the baby’s anger.

“Sorry, pal. Circumstances beyond my control and all that. Besides, laying on the guilt doesn’t work with me,” was all she said before she hung up.

Brianne looked at him and screamed even louder, if that was possible.

“How do you feel about cars? Drugstores? Tylenol?” he asked, holding her to his shoulder. “What kind of music do you want to listen to? Jazz? Blues? Classical? Or classic rock?”

She continued to scream into her uncle’s ear.

And then she messed her pants.

“HELP,” WAS ALL STUART said, standing there on her back doorstep with a sobbing baby on his shoulder. Kim didn’t know why she held out her arms, but he looked relieved and handed Brianne to her. The poor little girl was heated and damp, her face wet with tears as she nestled against Kim’s chest.

“What have you done to her?”

“I think,” he said. “It’s the other way around.”

“Is there something wrong with her?” Kim stepped aside and let him into the back foyer of the studio. It was true that he didn’t look any better than he had three hours ago. He wore the same stained rumpled clothes and he looked close to exhaustion. But still, of course, tremendously handsome. The “movie star” face and the killer smile were a lethal combination, even when Stuart was grubby and tired.

“She’s teething,” he said, hoarse. “I talked to her pediatrician, who explained it to me.”

Brianne hiccupped and then let out another wail. Kim forgot to ask why he was here or how he’d discovered she lived above the studio or any other questions her more clever twin would have uttered. She snuggled the baby against her and led Stuart upstairs. “Poor baby,” she murmured. “She misses her mommy, I’ll bet.”

“Yeah,” Stuart said behind her. “So do I.”

“What happened to her aunt? Didn’t you say—”

“Airplane strike. She’s stuck in Mexico with a fireman—never mind,” he said, joining her on the top landing. He followed her through the open door of her apartment. “Trying to explain Temple right now would take too much energy.”

“But what are you doing here?” Surely he didn’t think she knew anything about teething.

“I couldn’t think of anywhere else to go. She liked you this afternoon,” he said. “She stopped crying when you held her.”

“That’s different.” Kim sat down in the black-painted rocking chair that had belonged to her grandmother and felt the child stiffen in her arms. Once she began to rock, though, Brianne once again relaxed against her. “That was professional.”

“I gave her Tylenol,” Stuart continued, as if he hadn’t heard her. He sat in the middle of the couch and leaned back. “I rubbed her gums with medicine that’s supposed to numb the pain. I changed her diapers a dozen times.”

“But you’re a doctor,” Kim pointed out, still amazed this particular man had ended up in her living room. “You don’t know what to do?”

“I’m a vascular surgeon,” he said. “I haven’t done anything with pediatrics since I was in med school.”

“Did you call her mother?”

“Payne?” He grimaced. “I couldn’t. She’s got enough to handle right now, with her husband away and her in-laws needing her. I don’t think her mother-in-law’s prognosis is very good.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. Me, too. I don’t dare give Payne anything else to worry about right now.” His gaze dropped to Brianne. “Thank God she’s stopped crying.”

“The poor thing.” Kim was glad Kate had left a little while ago. While her sister would urge her to go out on a date, she would be suspicious of a man who appeared needing help with a baby. Sucker, Kate would say, shaking her head. You let everyone take advantage of you.

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