“I’ll let you take over now.” Sara placed a used bottle in the sink.
Grant went stone still. He had to start this minute? His heart rate picked up. He’d rather be doing two surgeries at the same time than be left alone all day with a baby.
She turned from the sink and studied him. “Is there something wrong?”
“Wrong?” he croaked.
“You’ve gone pale.”
Could he admit it? Did he really have a choice? “I don’t think I can handle Lily on my own all day. Can we come with you?” He sounded pitiful even to his own ears.
“Uh?”
“I don’t think it’s healthy for her to be left in my hands all day. I don’t know the first thing about taking care of a baby.” He rushed to add, “We would stay out of the way. The movers should do all the work for you anyway. I’ll feed and diaper Lily. I just need to know I have backup in case something goes wrong.”
* * *
Was Grant kidding? The look on his face said he wasn’t. Sara had never seen someone appear more alarmed. For a second she was afraid she might have to pick him up off the floor. If they left right away she could get done what she needed to do before the movers arrived. Would taking Grant and Lily along really be that big a deal? Yes, it would, but she felt sorry for him.
“I guess that’ll be okay.”
A smile spread across his face. “I’ll get Lily and we’ll meet you at the car. Why don’t we take the SUV? That way we’ll have plenty of room and you can haul anything you don’t want the movers to touch back here.”
Sara couldn’t help but grin at his enthusiasm. It was better than the sickly look he’d had on his face minutes before. And worlds better than the displeasure on his face when he’d pointed out there were no pictures of him in the house. “I’m afraid it’ll be a rather dull day for you.”
“I think it’ll be a better time for me and Lily than the one we’d have here without you.”
“Well, all right.” Still, he would have to learn to do it himself some time. She wouldn’t always be around.
“Great. Tell me what I need to do to get Lily ready and we’ll go.”
It wouldn’t be much of a day off if she had to give him orders the entire time. “You need to change her and get her dressed.”
A perplexed look came over his features.
“Take her to the nursery and start undressing her. I’ll be up when I’m finished here.”
“Okay. But don’t be long.”
With an exasperated sigh Sara rinsed the bottle. She had her work cut out for her. Packing and seeing about Grant and Lily. By the time she made it to Lily’s room, Grant had the baby’s clothes off. They had been discarded and were in a pile on the floor. With a clean diaper in his hand, he was at least making an effort to put it on Lily. Maybe he’d be better at taking care of Lily than she was giving him credit for. At least he was trying. Giving him time to figure it out on his own, she went to the chest of drawers and pulled out an outfit.
“Done.” Grant threw his hands up as if he had scored at a sporting event.
Sara walked to the bed and peered down at Lily. The diaper was cock-eyed and the tabs were backwards instead of facing the front but the diaper was on.
In an effort not to discourage Grant, Sara patted him on the back. “Good job.”
A bolt of awareness shot through her. Touching him reminded her of the time she’d stuck her finger in an electrical socket as a child. His back was solid, muscular. Strong.
“Hand me her clothes.” He was so focused on what he was doing he had no idea of the effect he’d had on her.
Relieved that was the case, Sara gave him the onesie she’d picked out. “For a man who didn’t tell me her name a week ago and only started holding her recently, you’re sure getting into this.”
He turned to her. “Sometimes a man can be stupid.”
“Hey, I’m not going to touch that statement with a ten-foot pole.” And she knew well how quickly a person could become attached to a baby.
Grant gave her a sarcastic smile.
Half an hour later they were at the carport ready to get into the SUV. Grant said a harsh word under his breath.
“What’s wrong?” Sara patted Lily on the back. She concealed a smile, knowing full well what the problem was.
“I have to move the car seat. I wish I’d never put it into the car. You need a mechanical engineering degree to put one in correctly.”