A Baby For The Doctor. Stephanie Dees

wasn’t long before the screams turned into sobs and then sniffles. He stuck his thumb in his mouth and closed his eyes tight against the world.

      “Wow, when he found his voice, he really found it.” A little shell-shocked, she sat back against the bench seat, hands shaking, her face flaming. “It didn’t cross my mind that strapping him into the high chair would trigger the trauma for him.”

      Ash slid his glass of ice water to her. “You did exactly the right thing to handle it. He calmed down quickly. The pediatrician in me is impressed.”

      “I’m familiar with working with traumatized kids, just not usually this young. Being his foster mom makes it different than being a therapist, too.”

      “I’ve heard great things from my patients who are clients of yours.”

      She smiled. “You should come out some time and watch a session. The kids think they’re just coming to ride, but they work hard. And honestly, there’s something special about the horses. Some connection they have with kids with all kinds of special needs. I can’t explain it, but it works.”

      “There’s a huge need for people to have options for therapy. Not just kids, either. Don’t give up.”

      “I won’t. I’m not sure I could if I wanted to.” Her therapy practice was her passion and she absolutely loved the work she did with the kids. She’d even coached a few adult PTSD survivors with good results.

      “Don’t give up with Levi, either. He’s got a long way to go, but we’ll get him there.” Ash glanced at his watch and slid out of the booth. “I’ve got to run. My first patient will be waiting for me.”

      He took a few steps toward the door and turned back. “Hey, Jordan. Meltdowns happen. He learned during this one that you will be there for him when they do.”

      Touched, she nodded. To be honest, it was all she could do. She had no words. She watched Ash walk out of the restaurant, his characteristic confidence evident as he waved at Lanna and kissed his mom, stopping long enough to whirl her around until she swatted at him to put her down.

      Lanna slid the blueberry pancakes onto the table, along with a pitcher of warm maple syrup. “Bless this baby’s sweet heart. Yours, too. You stay as long as you like to finish that up.”

      “Thanks, Lanna.”

      Jordan leaned forward to take the first bite and nearly choked as someone popped into the seat across from her. A pretty blonde she recognized—from church, maybe?

      “Hey, Jordan, I’m Darla. We met at the potluck after church a few weeks ago. I heard last night that you were picking this little one up and I called around. We’ve got meals planned for you for the next couple of weeks and Suzette Sloan pulled some baby supplies together for you. It’s not much but would it be okay if she drops it off on your porch?”

      Jordan’s throat was full of unshed tears. She swallowed hard, focusing on the solid weight of little Levi in her arms. Meeting Darla’s sparkling dark brown eyes, she smiled, willing her lips not to tremble. “I don’t even know what to say. Y’all are so generous.”

      “You don’t have to say anything—just say yes!” Darla laughed and pulled her cell phone out of her purse. “And give me your phone number in case we need to get in touch with you.”

      Jordan rattled it off as Darla typed it in. “What made you guys think about doing this?”

      Darla tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “Well, to be honest, I think we all wish that we had the nerve to do what you guys are doing out there on the farm. Maybe someday.” Darla’s phone buzzed and she glanced at it before jumping to her feet. “I’m supposed to be at Clara’s school right now. Okay, meals will start tonight and we’ll just leave everything on your porch. I’ll text you so you have my number.”

      As quick as she had arrived, Darla was gone. Jordan patted Levi on the back and decided to take her pancakes to go. She and Levi had to be at the WIC office in twenty minutes.

      She glanced across the street at Ash’s tidy office—with bright white paint and shiny black shutters. She wasn’t really sure what to make of their newfound friendship, if it was friendship. They’d forged a kind of bond, by caring for Levi.

      But maybe it was just that, a mutual concern for a sweet, sad baby boy.

      Whatever. She had more important things on her mind than Ash Sheehan. Things like building her therapy practice and making sure Levi healed. She didn’t have time to worry about Ash and their maybe-friendship. In fact, she was sure it wasn’t anything at all.

      And just to make sure she remembered that, she was going to stay as far away from the handsome doctor as possible.

      * * *

      When Jordan got home, Levi’s caseworker was sitting on the porch steps with a file spread around her and a pencil between her teeth. Jordan had just spent three hours in the WIC office with a toddler who refused—understandably—to be strapped into a stroller. She was absolutely exhausted, and unlike her small charge, she couldn’t take a nap on the drive home.

      Bartlet nickered at her over the fence. The horses were waiting for her. And so, apparently, was Reesa. Jordan hitched Levi higher on her hip and took a deep breath. “Hey, I didn’t know you were coming this afternoon.”

      Reesa gathered the papers and pulled them into a stack. “I had to visit with the twins, Jamie and John, and Claire today, so I thought I’d drop in to see Levi, too. Save me a trip another day. How’s he doing?”

      Pushing open the door to the cottage, Jordan let the dog out and tried to remember if she’d left anything embarrassing on the floor. “Come on in.”

      She placed sleeping Levi on the crib mattress on the floor and went to the kitchen to pour two glasses of sweet tea, kicking a loose pair of socks under the couch as she went. “He hates the crib. We’re working on it.”

      Reesa, in one of the chairs, waved a hand, dismissing it. “No worries. It takes time, sometimes more than you’d think, for them to adjust.”

      “Are we going to have a lot of time? Wait. Don’t answer that. I know you don’t have any way to really know.” She held one of the glasses out to Reesa, with a napkin.

      Reesa stuck a pencil into the pile of riotous curls on top of her head and leaned forward to take the glass. “Neither Mom nor Dad bonded out, so they’re still in jail. I’m going to see them later this week to get some names of family from them. If they still won’t give us anyone, we’ll try to get the judge to compel them to, but we don’t have a whole lot to hold over their heads. They’re already facing significant time with the drug charges and the child endangerment.”

      “So we’re probably looking at six months with Levi.”

      Reesa nodded, the colorful curls on her head bouncing wildly. “At least. Levi will be classified medically fragile and I have no idea what we’ll find when we start looking at family.” She paused and, with her customary directness, added, “Do we need to find him another placement?”

      “No.” Jordan didn’t hesitate. In just a couple of days, Levi’s journey had become inextricably entwined with hers and she had to see it through with him. “He’s just starting to trust me. I’m not going to do that to him. He has enough to deal with without me adding to it.”

      “Okay, good. Obviously, I think you’re the perfect person for him since you can help him with any kind of physical or occupational therapy that he might need at home.” Reesa wrote something in her notes and looked up again. “Now, let’s talk about him. You said he hates the crib. He will sleep out here, though?”

      “Yes. I think it’s the thing about being enclosed. He freaks out in the car seat and high chair, too.”

      “Poor guy. How are his burns?”

      “Better. I’ve been putting the cream on them and they look less angry.”