“I ...” He paused and frowned. “Do you hear that?”
“Enzo! What the hell? Are you on something?”
“No.” He shook his head. “Shhh.”
She pulled out of his grip and backed away, furious. This was a new one.
“I’m not kidding, Aibhlinn. I heard something.” He took off toward the woods.
She crossed her arms. “What are you doing? It’s dark out there. You’ll get hurt.”
He ignored her and she cursed under her breath. I swear this is the last straw. Now he’s got me tramping through the woods in the middle of the night. She used her flashlight app to illuminate the path and started after the partially inebriated man she wanted to murder. Stumbling over the forestation, she stepped more carefully. As they moved into the woods, she froze. The haunting wail reached out and round house kicked her ovaries. It’s a baby. Her blood ran cold. “Enzo,” she called, picking up her pace.
“This way.”
She followed his voice off the cleared path and found him with an outstretched hand. Together, they made their way closer to the source of the cries. A carrier came into view, and they gasped.
“Is that what I think it is?” she asked.
The cry came again. “I’d say yes.” They walked around to view the squirming bundle. Dressed in a yellow bear outfit to ward off the cold, it was impossible to tell if it was a he or a she. “Hey, little guy, its okay,” Enzo said softly.
The care he used to unbuckle the seat made her heart jolt.
He cupped the baby’s tiny head and held its body to his chest, gently soothing it with his whispered words as he stroked its back. “It’s soaked, Ave. It’s no wonder it’s crying.”
“Who would do this?” she whispered.
“Someone without a damn heart,” he said fiercely. “You get the carrier, and lead us out of here.”
The take charge attitude and gentleness he was exhibiting had her ready to throw her panties over her shoulder and lay down with her legs spread wide. This was a side of him she’d never seen before, and she wanted more. Doing as he asked, she cast what light she could on the path. They stayed close to one another as they made their way out of the forest with the precious cargo in tow. “What are we going to do?” she asked.
“First things first, we’re going to get him or her what they need. Fresh clothes, diapers, new carrier. If they’d leave the little guy like this in the woods, who knows what they’ve been doing at home.”
“Shouldn’t we call the police?”
“I don’t know about you, but I’m in no hurry to get this little guy into the system where he’ll be lost. No, I want to talk to my mom tomorrow, see what I can do to make sure t
his little one goes to her,” he said.
His thoughts were going a mile a minute. “And if she can’t?” Aibhlinn asked.
“Then we’ll go from there.” He paused. “You’re in this with me, right?”
She nibbled the inside of her lip. “I don’t know what you need me to do, but I’m here.”
A beautiful smile broke across his face. “This is why I love you so much. Your heart is huge. So, let’s get this one settled.”
“We really have to figure out if the bairn is a boy or a girl, so we can give it a proper name?”
“What? Like Aibhlinn junior?” he teased.
She clucked her tongue. “No, but there’s nothing wrong with a strong Irish name.”
Enzo smirked. “Right.”
They made their way down to her car, and she knew life would never be the same again.
“Here,” Enzo said, handing over the baby who’d shoved its fist into its mouth and snuggled closer for warmth.