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of embarrassment if he told you no thanks.” She shook her head. “How desperate will I look if my friends are hooking me up?”
    Jenna rolled her eyes. “Give me a little credit for tact. By the time I’m finished with Gabe, he’ll think the whole date was his idea. You just leave it to me.”
    A whimpering cry echoed from the room full of babies.
    “I don’t want to leave it to you—damn.”
    When a second wail sounded, Miranda jumped to her feet and hurried to reach the culprit. In the dimly lit room, Jackson stood in his crib, shaking the rail.
    A smile lit his face when he saw her. “Ran, Ran, Ran.”
    “Shh.” Bending, she picked him up and carried him out, giving his bottom a little pat.
    Jenna heaved herself off the chair to place her empty soup bowl in the sink. “What’s wrong?”
    “His diaper is wet. I wonder how much duct tape Cole used this time.”
    “Excuse me?”
    Laying the baby on a changing pad, she slipped off his pants. “Amazing.”
    “What is?”
    “The diaper. Looks like it was applied by a competent adult. Imagine that.”
    Jenna laughed softly. “Cole is obviously full of surprises. I wonder…”
    Glancing up, she gave her friend an enquiring look. “Wonder what?”
    “Never mind. The girls in the corner are beginning to stir. I guess nap time is over early today.”
    “Most good things end too soon.” She fastened a clean diaper on Jackson and smiled when he giggled and clapped his hands. “Time to get back to work.”
    Hours later, she tapped her toe and stared out at the empty parking lot before glancing up at the clock on the wall. Five-fifteen and no sign of Cole.
    “Are you sure you don’t mind if I leave? Troy invited a new client to dinner, and I’ve a few last minute details to attend to, even though Honey is catering the meal.”
    Miranda turned away from the window. “I thought Honey had chicken pox.”
    Jenna slipped the strap of her purse over her shoulder and rested her free hand on her belly. “She’s feeling better, though she still looks God awful, and she didn’t want to cancel on me completely. Chase is dropping off the food, and I’ll serve it.”
    “For heaven’s sake, go. I’ll wait for Cole.”
    “See you tomorrow, then.”
    After the door shut behind her, the minutes ticked by. Apparently bored with the big, yellow dump truck, Jackson tossed it on the floor and let out a yell.
    “I know exactly how you feel.” Squatting beside him, she lifted the baby in her arms. “Let’s try your uncle. Again.”
    Jackson chirped approval.
    Grabbing her cell phone off the table, she pressed redial and frowned when it immediately went to voice mail. She didn’t want to spend time alone with Cole, but he was forcing her hand.
    With a sigh, she juggled Jackson on her hip. “Good thing I bought a spare car seat for emergencies.”
    “Unka, Unka.”
    Her lip curled. “Yep, we’re going to go find your uncle. Then I’m going to kill him.”
    ****
    “Easy. Easy. You break the antlers, and there’ll be hell to pay.” Cole grunted and strained as he and the two haulers struggled to carry the moose up the ramp onto the trailer.
    First, his usual guys were unavailable, so he’d been forced to go with another company. Then, they’d arrived an hour late, pissing him off to no end. And to top it off, one guy was about the size of a twelve-year-old girl and kept letting the rear feet drag. Fuming and sweating, Cole wrestled the overgrown hunk of art into position. He was fastening the straps to hold the moose in place when a blue bug barreled down the driveway, a cloud of dust spewing out behind it.
    Miranda. His spirits lifted—then dropped like a stone. Hell and damnation, he’d forgotten all about picking up Jackson.
    With a long sigh, he tightened the remaining straps and signed the form on the driver’s clipboard. Then, with a final pat for the moose’s butt, he stepped away from the trailer. The engine fired up, and the truck eased around the