Read Online Snowbound Baby (Silhouette Romance) by Susan Meier - Free Book Online
Authors: Susan Meier
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day before, but because she had rocked a baby all night he decided she needed nourishment.
He slipped downstairs and into the kitchen where he put on a pot of coffee and began frying some sausages, knowing that would bring her out.
Two minutes later, just as he assumed, she walked out into the kitchen. Cooper turned from the stove. “Hey, good morning.”
She mumbled, “Good morning.”
Peeking at the baby, who appeared to be over her virus and actually looked bubbly and perky, he said, “Wow, look at Daphne. She’s back to normal.”
Zoe said, “Yeah, she’s great,” but her response was so subdued, Cooper peered at her. Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes were glassy. Oh, Lord! Unease squeezed his stomach. “You’re not sick, are you?”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she walked to the stove. “What are you making that smells so awful?”
“Sausage.”
She gave him adismayed look. “Oh, no!” she said, then shoved Daphne at him. “I think I have to throw up.”
Cooper just barely caught the baby before Zoe raced away. Holding Daphne at arm’s distance, he stared at her. She stared back. “This will only take a minute,” he told the baby, hoping he was correct.
She let out a yowl.
Cooper said, “Right,” then waited. And waited. And waited.
Finally, realizing something might really be wrong, he carried Daphne into the bedroom, around the bed and to the corner bathroom. “Everything okay in there?” he called.
Zoe opened the door and came out. “No. Everything is not okay. I’m really sick.”
A ripple of dread swept over Cooper. “What, exactly, does ‘really sick’ mean?”
“It means you’ll have to care for Daphne today…at least for a few hours. It was only a twenty-four-hour bug. I felt myself getting sick last night. I’ll be better by this time tomorrow.”
“This time tomorrow!” His eyes widened with horror. His stomach plummeted. “I can’t care for Daphne!”
“You have to,” she said, then fell to the bed facedown, as if she didn’t have the energy to get into bed like a normal person.
“You don’t understand. I can’t! I don’t know how.”
“I thought you had all kinds of experience with baby cows.”
“They don’t wear diapers.”
She didn’t even lift her head. “I’m sorry, Bryant. But you’ve got to do this. And you can. I didn’t have anybody teach me how to care for her. My mother’s in California, remember? I figured it all out myself. Except for special case scenarios like yesterday’s virus, Daphne is actually fairly self-explanatory.”
“You think sheis, but…” He glanced at the bed. Zoe was out. He glanced at Daphne. She patted his cheek, then shifted her hand, grabbed at the stubble of whiskers on his chin and twisted.
“Ouch!”
Daphne laughed.
Cooper groaned. “Zoe?”
She didn’t even move. Cooper almost fell to the bed in frustration. He did not know one thing about caring for a baby, but it looked as though he was about to learn.
Chapter Four
“O kay, how hard can this be?” Coopersaid, using psychology on himself as he walked Daphne out to the kitchen again.
Hadn’t he faced greater challenges?
Shoot, yes!
When he left Arkansas, he had about three hundred bucks. The only job experience he had was working for the family construction business with two brothers who didn’t like him, so he couldn’t name them on a résumé. Nonetheless, he found a company similar to the one he and his brothers had inherited when his parents had died, and he got a job as a laborer.
Because he really had been a construction worker and even had experience running the family company, he rose quickly through the ranks and not only saved lots of money, he also found a friend who wanted to be partners with him on a ranch. Once they bought the ranch, he easily got his commercial driver’s license—CDL—and found a trucking company that would employ him when he needed quick cash. The ranch couldn’t be depended on to make money,
He slipped downstairs and into the kitchen where he put on a pot of coffee and began frying some sausages, knowing that would bring her out.
Two minutes later, just as he assumed, she walked out into the kitchen. Cooper turned from the stove. “Hey, good morning.”
She mumbled, “Good morning.”
Peeking at the baby, who appeared to be over her virus and actually looked bubbly and perky, he said, “Wow, look at Daphne. She’s back to normal.”
Zoe said, “Yeah, she’s great,” but her response was so subdued, Cooper peered at her. Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes were glassy. Oh, Lord! Unease squeezed his stomach. “You’re not sick, are you?”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she walked to the stove. “What are you making that smells so awful?”
“Sausage.”
She gave him adismayed look. “Oh, no!” she said, then shoved Daphne at him. “I think I have to throw up.”
Cooper just barely caught the baby before Zoe raced away. Holding Daphne at arm’s distance, he stared at her. She stared back. “This will only take a minute,” he told the baby, hoping he was correct.
She let out a yowl.
Cooper said, “Right,” then waited. And waited. And waited.
Finally, realizing something might really be wrong, he carried Daphne into the bedroom, around the bed and to the corner bathroom. “Everything okay in there?” he called.
Zoe opened the door and came out. “No. Everything is not okay. I’m really sick.”
A ripple of dread swept over Cooper. “What, exactly, does ‘really sick’ mean?”
“It means you’ll have to care for Daphne today…at least for a few hours. It was only a twenty-four-hour bug. I felt myself getting sick last night. I’ll be better by this time tomorrow.”
“This time tomorrow!” His eyes widened with horror. His stomach plummeted. “I can’t care for Daphne!”
“You have to,” she said, then fell to the bed facedown, as if she didn’t have the energy to get into bed like a normal person.
“You don’t understand. I can’t! I don’t know how.”
“I thought you had all kinds of experience with baby cows.”
“They don’t wear diapers.”
She didn’t even lift her head. “I’m sorry, Bryant. But you’ve got to do this. And you can. I didn’t have anybody teach me how to care for her. My mother’s in California, remember? I figured it all out myself. Except for special case scenarios like yesterday’s virus, Daphne is actually fairly self-explanatory.”
“You think sheis, but…” He glanced at the bed. Zoe was out. He glanced at Daphne. She patted his cheek, then shifted her hand, grabbed at the stubble of whiskers on his chin and twisted.
“Ouch!”
Daphne laughed.
Cooper groaned. “Zoe?”
She didn’t even move. Cooper almost fell to the bed in frustration. He did not know one thing about caring for a baby, but it looked as though he was about to learn.
Chapter Four
“O kay, how hard can this be?” Coopersaid, using psychology on himself as he walked Daphne out to the kitchen again.
Hadn’t he faced greater challenges?
Shoot, yes!
When he left Arkansas, he had about three hundred bucks. The only job experience he had was working for the family construction business with two brothers who didn’t like him, so he couldn’t name them on a résumé. Nonetheless, he found a company similar to the one he and his brothers had inherited when his parents had died, and he got a job as a laborer.
Because he really had been a construction worker and even had experience running the family company, he rose quickly through the ranks and not only saved lots of money, he also found a friend who wanted to be partners with him on a ranch. Once they bought the ranch, he easily got his commercial driver’s license—CDL—and found a trucking company that would employ him when he needed quick cash. The ranch couldn’t be depended on to make money,
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