LITMIR.BIZ

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realized that Liam was staring at her, and his disapproving scowl was back. Caught feeling foolish and vulnerable as she drooled over her dream-baby, she tried to sound as professional as possible.

      “As I was saying, I think we can stabilize this child without drugs or invasive procedures. His hypothermia is mild and he checks out normally in all other respects. He just needs to be wrapped up, snuggled in someone’s arms and given a warm bottle. If he’s too sluggish to suck, we’ll do an IV. Later, once his temperature’s risen sufficiently, we can put him in a warm bath and get that blood and gunk off him.”

      Unable to resist the urge any longer, she threw her professional image to the wind and bent to lingeringly kiss the baby’s sticky forehead. “Poor little thing smells like the dump on a warm day,” she whispered.

      Liam said nothing and Allie didn’t dare look at him. Besides, she was perfectly content looking at the baby.

      Doug was back with the bottle. “I tested it, but you’d better test it, too.”

      Allie agreed. Doug knew squat about babies and bottles. But to Allie’s surprise, the temperature of the formula was just right.

      “It’s fine, Doug. Thanks.”

      “Then I’ll be going.” He was already striding toward the door. He pointed a finger at Liam. “I’ll need to talk to you some more, so don’t leave town, Lord…er….”

      Liam winced. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather you—all of you—weren’t so formal. My name is Liam, and I have no intention of leaving town for at least a month. Oh, and look by the rubbish bin…er…Dumpster…for a patchwork quilt like that one.” He motioned toward Allie and the baby. “He was wrapped in one very like it when I found him.”

      Doug nodded briskly and left, allowing Liam to turn his full attention back to Allie and the baby. She wished his lordship would leave, too. She’d give anything to be alone with the baby so she could feed him and enjoy him without feeling watched and self-conscious. Certainly this unsmiling peer-of-the-realm would find something wrong with the way she was holding the bottle or question the wholesomeness of the formula brand.

      Sure enough, just as she raised the bottle to the baby’s lips, Liam interrupted.

      “Can I hold him and give him the bottle?”

      “No, I need to monitor his response firsthand.”

      Liam looked skeptical but backed away. He leaned his hips against the counter, crossed his arms over his chest and fixed his intense gaze on Allie and the baby. He may have backed off, but he was still staring at her.

      Fortunately Bea’s imploring expression must have caught his attention. Looking contrite and concerned, Liam went to Bea, lifted her up and slipped into the chair, settling her comfortably in his lap.

      Now both of them were staring at her.

      “Shouldn’t you call your grandmother?” Allie asked on a sudden inspiration. “I’m sure Mary’s worried sick by now. There’s a phone on my desk in the next room.” She couldn’t resist adding, “Oh, and while you’re in there, please feel free to look over my medical credentials.”

      Liam gave her a baleful look, which she answered with a guileless smile. He left, carrying Bea in his arms.

      Allie finally had the baby to herself.

      Smiling down at him, she observed that his color was already much better. Normal, in fact. Now, if she could just get him to take the bottle. But his eyes were closed. He might have fallen into an exhausted sleep.

      She touched the rubber nipple to the baby’s lips, a tiny drop of warm formula seeping out to pool in the corner of his mouth and dribble down his chin. “Come on, sweetie,” Allie coaxed. “I know you’re tired. This has been a doozy of an opening act, but now’s not the time for a siesta. Open up. I think you’ll like this. It’s going to make you feel much better.”

      The baby’s eyes fluttered open. His mouth caught the nipple and clamped onto it. Thank God for the sucking instinct, Allie thought.

      The baby’s forehead furrowed with surprise as he took a couple of involuntary swallows. His eyes widened, blinked twice, then drifted shut as he continued to suck. Allie gave a sigh of relief and smiled, her heart swelling with that wonderful “motherly” feeling she’d experienced before only in her dreams.

      MARY ANSWERED halfway through the first ring.

      “Hello?”

      “Gran, it’s me.”

      “I’ve been worried, Liam!”

      “I know. I’m sorry. It took us longer to get into town than I expected, then Bea had to go to the loo and we stopped at a petrol station.”

      “At a petrol station? Nothing’s open this late in Annabella. Where are you, Liam?”

      “We’re at Doctor Lockwood’s.”

      “What’s wrong? Is Bea sick?”

      “No, Bea’s fine. I’m fine, too.”

      “Then why—?”

      “It’s a long story, Gran. I’ll tell you everything when I get to the house.”

      “How soon will you be here?”

      “In just a few minutes.” Liam hesitated, then asked, “How well do you know Allie Lockwood, Gran? Has she been in Annabella long?”

      “Allie’s family’s been in Annabella since the dawn of time, just like mine. Our tribe moved away, but she and…a couple of her family stayed on.”

      “Okay, so she’s a longtime resident, but is she a good doctor?”

      “I’ve never needed her services, thank God, but everyone swears by her around here. If she’s half as good as her grandfather was, though, I’d say she’s an excellent doctor.”

      Mary’s voice had gone suddenly wistful. That’s when Liam remembered something he’d heard about Annabella. Something he’d been too distracted to remember sooner. Lockwood. Lockwood was the name of that man from Gran’s past. The man she’d jilted to marry his grandfather. He’d never heard the whole story before and was suddenly consumed with curiosity, but now was not the time to drag out skeletons.

      “Liam? Why do you want to know if Allie Lockwood’s a good doctor? I thought you said you and Bea were fine?”

      “We are.”

      “But—”

      “Bea and I will be there in just a few minutes, Gran. I’ll explain then.”

      “All right, then. See you soon. I’ll have hot chocolate ready for you.”

      “Goodbye, Gran.”

      “Goodbye, love.”

      Liam hung up and looked down at Bea, curled up in the corner of a small sofa in Allie Lockwood’s tiny cubicle of an office. She looked so tired, so frail, so anxious. As traumatic as the past hour had been for him, he imagined it had been even worse for her. And he’d been so preoccupied with making sure the baby was okay, he’d neglected her a little. He forced his lips into a smile.

      “Gran’s got hot chocolate waiting.”

      Bea nodded. “Good. But what about the baby, Daddy?”

      “I told you he’s going to be all right, Bea.”

      “I know, but…but are we just going to leave the baby here? Who’s going to take care of him?”

      “Doctor Lockwood, for now. As for later, I don’t know, Bea. Probably—”

      Bea’s brows drew together and her large brown eyes darkened. “Because I’ve been thinking, Daddy,” she said in a tone that struck Liam as being heartbreakingly serious and grown-up for such a small child.

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