Read Online Charmed (Second Sight) by Hazel Hunter - Free Book Online

little.
    “Sorry,” he whispered, looking around. “My son. Kayla Massen is the mom.”
    The nurses eyebrows went up.
    “You’re the father?” she said.
    “I am,” he said, his heart pounding.  
    Remember. You have a right to be here.
    She glanced down at the carrier in his hand.
    “A present,” he said, his mouth dry. “About being late. I was out of town. My work, it’s, well, you know. Well, how would you know? I hardly know and…” He shrugged and felt sweat trickle under his arm. At least he knew it was a boy, thanks to Isabelle. A thought occurred to him. “Isabelle got in touch with me,” he said. “Just this morning.”
    A momentary flicker of recognition crossed the woman’s face.
    Everyone remembered Isabelle.
    “Which one is he?” Daniel asked. “I can hardly wait to hold him.”
    At that, the nurse had to smile.
    “Right over here,” she said. She pointed to a crib in the third row. The two of them converged on it and Daniel set down the car seat. “Daniel Gavin Massen,” he read out lout.  
    Who in the hell is Gavin?
    “Have you ever held and infant before?” she asked as she took a small clear bottle from the large pocket of her smock. She squeezed some clear liquid into her hand and held the bottle out to him and indicated his hands. He held them out and she did the same for him. “Always wash your hands first,” she said, snapping the bottle closed and putting it away. She rubbed her hands together and Daniel imitated her.
    This is ridiculous. Just skip the lesson, lady.
    “When you pick him up, just remember that the head is the heaviest part of their body,” she said. She scooped her hand under the head and Daniel realized for the first time that the baby’s eyes were open. Did it look like him? “Spread your fingers, put your other hand under the bottom,” she said as she did that, “and lift toward your chest.” She demonstrated but then put the baby back down. “Go ahead,” she said, backing up. “Give it a try. Nothing to be afraid of.”
    Afraid of? He nearly laughed. The only thing he was afraid of was being here too long.
    He picked up the baby, a loose and wobbly bundle, as the nurse had done.  
    “Hold him to your chest and support his head and neck,” she said.
    Daniel nearly rolled his eyes but did as he was told.
    Even so, he had to marvel at how small the boy actually was, especially given the price he’d bring.
    Time was wasting.
    When Daniel raised his gaze to the nurse, she was smiling like a madonna at the two of them.  
    “I’ll just hold him for a while if that’s okay?”
    “Oh of course,” she said, waving at him. “Take your time. Mom is resting.”  
    As she headed to the door, he paced a little and looked down at the baby.
    Where is the security device?
    You didn’t have to be in the baby business long to know that hospitals these days used a bracelet or sometimes even something in the diaper to trigger an alarm when a perimeter was crossed.
    “I’ll be at the nurse’s station if you need anything,” she said.
    “Thanks,” he replied.
    The security device was one of the reasons she was ready to leave him there so readily.  
    And her workload , he thought as he watched her pass in front of the large window.
    He’d be sure not to exit in that direction.

    •••••

    Mac’s big hands worked delicately with the gauze and tape. Though the burn hadn’t been bad, Mac had worried about her wearing a glove over it.
    He’d been quiet ever since she’d talked about his thoughts. Most people had no idea what was in their heads. Even when she repeated it to them verbatim, they didn’t recognize it. But Mac did and it obviously bothered him.  
    “You could be a doctor,” she said–and waited. It was as though he hadn’t heard her. “Mac?”
    Finally, he smiled.
    “You’re just saying that because you’ve seen my bedside manner,” he said. The gentle curve of his full lips was mesmerizing. “That ought to do it,”