A Bachelor, A Boss And A Baby. Rachel Lee

      She had hoped, however, that she might be little less boxed in here. Small population, for one thing, and no rapid growth for a while. Most of what was needed was bringing the plan up-to-date on new regulations from the state and federal government. Environmental regulations had increased dramatically...and there was seldom a way around them. She had that on her side, at least. Also, she needed to create a plan that would display a good future for the county and city, a good environment for the people as well as one that encouraged careful growth.

      Still, it was bound to be tough, and even tougher when the cabal running matters was very small.

      She kept her face smooth, however. She didn’t know Blaine Harrigan and didn’t dare express anything untoward. Now that she was here with her cousin’s baby in her care, she couldn’t afford to lose her job. To protect herself, she had to stay here at least a year, so she wouldn’t put a problem smack at the top of her résumé. Wonderful. She couldn’t afford a catastrophe.

      “You get used to it,” he rumbled, gently patting Daphne’s back. “When are you supposed to meet with the gentlemen and lady?”

      “Tomorrow evening. I hope by then I can find childcare. Do you know of anyone good?” she asked hopefully. If she had to choose someone, she’d rather they came with a recommendation.

      A quiet laugh escaped him. The baby stirred a little and settled quickly. “I’m not in the way of having a family. But I have friends I can ask. I’ll call around today.” He rose slowly, taking care not to jar the baby. “I need to be off. I’ve got a meeting at ten a few miles out of town about a road repair. Might require some work on the culvert. I’d invite you but for the wee bit, here.”

      “Oh.” A truncated pointless response, but she was holding her breath anyway as he slowly bent and placed Daphne in her car seat. To her relief, the child didn’t wake.

      “I’ll see you later,” Blaine said as he straightened. He winked at her. “We’ll be together a lot. In fact, you and me might need to become a damn army of two.” A nod, then he let himself out.

      An army of two? Diane bit her lip wondering what he meant. Had it been some kind of warning? Then she wondered at the ease with which he’d taken over with Daphne. Too bad he wasn’t looking for childcare work.

      Resting her chin on her hand, she looked down at the baby and wondered how all this had happened. Well, the job, at least, was her fault. It might turn out to be a very good job, too, despite what she’d heard from Blaine.

      But Daphne? While she was having trouble facing it herself, it remained that Daphne’s presence in her life was probably going to be long term. As in permanent.

      MaryJo had been growing sicker for years, but it had been a slow process. A lot of it had been brushed away as quirks. Then, last year, MaryJo’s parents had died in a flash flood in Texas, and that seemed to have pushed MaryJo past her tipping point.

      First had come the social workers, then had come a pregnancy during which she couldn’t take any meds, and the next thing Diane had known, her cousin had a full-blown psychotic break. After the baby was born, the meds didn’t help much.

      MaryJo heard voices that told her to do terrible things. She even hallucinated. In short, MaryJo had vanished into an alternate universe, and nobody believed it was safe to leave Daphne in her care, or even nearby. To this day, Diane was ashamed of how little time she’d spared for thinking of her cousin on the far side of the state. She’d gotten the wrap-up from a social worker after MaryJo was hospitalized.

      Then, a little less than three months after Daphne’s birth, the baby had come to live with Diane.

      Inevitably, though, Diane looked down at the sleeping child and smiled. Except when Daphne was fussing and inconsolable, Diane always felt happy looking at her. Something about a baby.

      Then she turned back to her desk and opened the folder containing all the notes for her new job that someone had left.

      * * *

      Around noon, a quiet knock sounded on her office door. She glanced at the still sleeping Daphne and decided she’d better answer it rather than call out. Rising, she rounded her desk and opened the door to find two women of about her own age, early thirties, standing there with big smiles. One had silky chestnut hair to her shoulders and wore a Western shirt with a denim skirt and cowboy boots. The other was a redhead who wore a flaming red slacks suit that she carried off with panache.

      “I’m Aubrey,” said chestnut hair. “And this is my friend Candy. We’re in the clerk’s office. We heard you brought your baby, and everybody is dying to see her, so we thought we’d skip down here first and prepare you. And maybe you’d like to go to lunch with us?”

      At once startled and charmed, Diane returned the smile. “You can peek, ladies, but she’s sleeping for the first time since 1:00 a.m. I’d rather nothing wake her.”

      “Of course not,” said Aubrey, keeping her voice low. “I’ve been through it. Sleep before everything.”

      Deciding it was okay, Diane stepped back and opened the door wider. Both women crept in quietly and looked down on the angelic baby who only a few hours ago had been wearing horns and carrying a pitchfork. The mental image suddenly made Diane want to laugh.

      “Ooh, how sweet,” breathed Candy. “She’s so pretty. And that’s saying something about such a young one.”

      Aubrey elbowed her gently. “Wait till you have your own. But yeah, she’s gorgeous, all right. We’ll tell everyone to give you space, but now we can report back so they won’t be so curious. I didn’t know you were bringing a family. I thought you were single. Well, we all did.”

      Diane flushed, realizing that the questioning had begun. She wondered how long before it turned into a cross examination.

      “I am single. This is my cousin’s baby. I’m taking care of her because my cousin is seriously ill.”

      “That’s a shame,” said Aubrey. “About your cousin, I mean. Well, I guess you don’t want to carry the baby across the way to the diner, but would you like us to bring you back lunch? And if you like coffee, don’t get it out of the machine in the hallway. It’s terrible. But walk half a block and you’ll get it world-class.”

      “That’s good to know, because I do love coffee and tea. Especially a latte, but...”

      “Oh, we’re part of the modern world,” said Candy. “The diner makes lattes. I do wish we’d get a decent Chinese or Mexican restaurant, though. Maude’s great, but basic.” She hesitated, then asked, “Do you want a salad or a sandwich? I can recommend the Cobb salad.”

      “Or the steak sandwich,” Aubrey chimed in quietly. “That usually makes two meals for me. You wouldn’t have to cook tonight.”

      “I love Cobb salads,” Diane said, but she couldn’t help thinking about a steak sandwich. Full of calories, but over two meals... “Let me get my purse. I think I’ll have the sandwich, after all.”

      Candy quickly waved her hand. “Consider this a welcome-to-town present. It’s just a little thing. While we’re out, does the baby need anything?”

      Yesterday’s trip to the market had pretty much taken care of that. “I’m stocked,” she said with confidence.

      The women both smiled and began to make their quiet way to the door. Then Aubrey looked back. “Do you need day care?”

      Diane’s heart leaped. “Yes. But...”

      “You don’t know who to trust,” Aubrey finished. “How could you, being new in town? My brother’s wife works at the early-learning center. I’ll see if she can find you a space. Be back in a short while?”

      With waves, the women left. Diane checked on the baby once again then settled at her desk, wishing for coffee and an answer to cosmic questions. She’d been so career focused until this, but now she had another life to worry about.