LITMIR.BIZ

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she’d been to accept this new assignment as a nanny. She should have said no. Last night when Tyler had asked if she was okay, she should have told him the truth.

       No. I can’t have children, and I don’t want to take care of an adorable baby because he’s a constant reminder of what I can never have.

      Instead, she’d shut her mouth, the words stuck in the back of her throat. She didn’t want to confide anything to Tyler Grainger. Or any man, for that matter. The emotional cost was too high. Better to keep her deficiencies to herself. But now she had a real problem on her hands. Cody was sick. What if he had a fever? She had no idea even how to check for that. And she realized just how unprepared she was to be taking care of a young child. A combination of guilt and fear heated her face. She was in way over her head.

      Tyler led her into the living area. It was a comfortable room with tall potted plants, two recliners, a sofa, throw pillows and pictures of his family. One photo in particular caught her eye. It showed Tyler and his sister, Jenny, on horseback. The picture was taken from the side. Tyler sat in front holding the reins. Jenny sat behind her older brother, her arms wrapped around his waist, her cheek pressed against his back, her face smiling with absolute adoration. Eva knew the entire family had been heartbroken when Jenny had died years earlier at the age of ten. A real tragedy.

      “Come in here,” Tyler said.

      Eva stepped into an examination room, complete with chairs and a wide, padded table.

      Tyler washed his hands in a small sink. Then without asking permission, he scooped Cody from her arms and set him down on the table. His big, strong hands seemed infinitely gentle as he folded the blankets back to take a look. Cody latched on to one of Tyler’s large fingers and tried to pull it to his mouth. Tyler gently pulled free of Cody’s grasp. The baby sucked his own tiny fist, babbling and kicking his legs. He seemed completely oblivious that anything was wrong.

      Eva’s heart pounded in her ears. Sweat broke out on her palms. Tyler reached for a stethoscope, then listened to the baby’s heart and lungs. Next he took Cody’s temperature.

      “His temp is slightly elevated, but nothing that alarms me,” Tyler said without looking up.

      Eva stood beside him, her gaze pinned on Cody as she gripped the edge of the table. “But what about the rash? What caused it?”

      “We’ll see.” Tyler continued his examination. He lifted the baby’s arms, then checked his ears and mouth.

      “Aha! Has Cody been drooling more than usual and chewing on things?” Tyler asked.

      Eva shook her head. “I have no idea. I was just put in charge of him last night.”

      She’d heard of babies drooling, but figured it was done all the time. And they chewed on everything, didn’t they?

      “Well, I think I’ve found the problem,” Tyler said with a laugh.

      Eva leaned closer, nearly beside herself with worry. “What is it?”

      “Cody is teething.”

      “What?”

      He gently opened the baby’s mouth and pointed at his bottom gum line. “See there how the gum is red and inflamed?”

      “Yes.” She stared with rapt attention, wondering how that could cause a rash on the baby’s cheeks.

      “And see that little ridge of white?”

      She stooped forward, catching Tyler’s scent. A mixture of spice and soap. Pleasant and masculine. “What is it?”

      “A central incisor,” he said.

      She stared at the erupting tooth as if it were something from outer space. “But isn’t he too young to be getting teeth already?”

      Tyler shrugged. “Yes, he is. Normally, babies get their bottom central incisors at six months, but some babies start teething earlier. It appears that Cody is in that situation.”

      There was so much she had yet to learn. So much she didn’t know. “Will it harm him?”

      “Not at all. But once the tooth comes in, you’ll want to start brushing it with a soft bristled toothbrush on a regular basis.”

      Oh, goodness. She’d had no idea.

      Tyler stepped away, letting her dress Cody while he washed his hands again. She could barely snap up the baby’s sleeper, her hands were shaking so badly. She’d been scared out of her wits. Fearful that she’d done something to cause the rash. And once more she wondered if she was insane to agree to work as Cody’s nanny.

      * * *

      Tyler dried his hands on a paper towel. “I think Cody is just fine.”

      “But what about the rash on his face? What’s causing that?” Eva asked.

      “No one really knows what causes it. It could be that the baby is rubbing at his mouth an extra amount and spreading saliva across his cheeks. That would definitely cause a rash. But it’s harmless enough.”

      He turned just as Eva looked up, her face pale and creased with relief.

      “Well, that’s good, isn’t it?” She blinked, sending a large teardrop scurrying down her cheek. She turned away, wiping at her eyes.

      Tyler’s heart gave a powerful squeeze. He stepped close and touched her arm. She glanced at him, looking embarrassed and worried at the same time.

      “Eva, don’t cry. The baby’s fine.” He placed a finger beneath her chin and lifted gently, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Were you really that worried about Cody?”

      Her lips trembled and she nodded. “I thought...I thought I’d done something wrong. I don’t know anything about babies. What if something bad happens and I don’t know what to do?”

      Her voice cracked and so did his heart. She’d always been tenderhearted, even when they were little kids. She’d yell at the boys when they’d try to chase a cat. Or make them get down from a tree so they wouldn’t disturb a nest of sparrows. Her gentle kindness was one reason Tyler had always liked her so much. Maybe Eva couldn’t cook, but she was awfully sweet.

      “No, Eva. You’ll be okay. You’ve done nothing wrong. Babies get rashes all the time. But you did the right thing by bringing him to me. I can rule out a lot of problems.” He withdrew his hand, still feeling the warmth of her skin against his fingertip.

      “Like what kinds of problems?” she asked.

      “Oh, roseola and scarlet fever. Those are more serious problems that can cause a rash, which I don’t believe Cody has. I think he’s just teething early.”

      She bowed her head over the baby and wrapped him in his blanket. “How can I know if he’s got something seriously wrong?”

      Tyler leaned his hip against the table and folded his arms. “Fever is a good warning sign. If Cody feels hotter than normal, if he’s extra fussy. Things like that are good indicators that something’s wrong.”

      “Well, now that you mention it, he does spit up an awful lot. I worry that he’s not getting enough formula. I don’t know why they made me his nanny. I don’t know the first thing about taking care of him.”

      He laughed, trying to ease her mind. Trying to soothe her nerves. “Yeah, babies are hard to read sometimes. But I guarantee this little guy is getting plenty to eat. He’s strong and healthy. You’re doing fine with him.”

      Obviously he’d been right in thinking Eva didn’t want to take care of the baby. Now he realized it was probably due to her lack of knowledge about caring for a young child. So maybe he could help ease her mind. It was what he loved doing, after all. Helping children. But it was even more than that for him. It was his life mission to help save kids’ lives. The whole reason he’d become a pediatrician in the first place. Because he’d lost his baby sister when she was only ten years old.

      “But

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