reason you wanted to build the cabin all by yourself.”
“As opposed to the fact that I’m antisocial?”
“I didn’t say you were antisocial.”
“You came damn close.” He noticed Amanda watching him carefully. “Can she pick up swearwords, do you think?”
“You mean store them up for when she can talk?” Katherine smiled. “I don’t know.”
“I think I’ll clean up my language, just in case. Okay, what’s next?”
“Keep your right hand on her at all times. She can’t roll yet, but I still like to make sure there’s no way she can fall. Then just unsnap the legs of her sleeper.”
“Right.” His fingers seemed too big for the tiny snaps and he fumbled with the task. “Damn, these are tricky,” he muttered, then remembered his new resolution. “I mean, doggone, these are tricky.” He glanced at Amanda, who was staring at him as if he’d landed from another planet. “She’s probably wondering if this is going to take all day.”
“Actually, I’ll bet she’s fascinated by seeing a new face during this procedure. She’s probably sick of looking at the same lady all the time.”
He doubted it, but he appreciated Katherine’s attempt to be encouraging. Finally he had Amanda’s chubby little legs free. Next came the really dicey part. “Now what?”
“The diaper’s held on her with those adhesive tabs. Pull them free and it will come off.”
He followed her instructions, while Amanda gurgled at him. At least the baby wasn’t screaming in agony, so he must not be doing so bad. Katherine stood very close to him, her shoulder touching his. When she moved he caught a whiff of her perfume. And he still wanted her as much as ever.
“Fold up the wet diaper and give it to me,” Katherine said. “I’ll throw it away while you start cleaning her up.” She started to move away from the table.
“Hold it! I’m not doing this part without supervision.”
“Just take the towelette from the container and wipe carefully in all the folds.” She walked over to his trash container.
“There’s a hell of a lot of folds here. I mean, a heck of a lot of folds. What if I’m too rough? What if she decides now’s a good time to go again?”
“That’s why you have a pad there.” She returned to his side, a smile on her face. “At least she can’t squirt you in the eye like a little boy might.”
“They do that?” In spite of himself, he was fascinated by the habits of these uncivilized little creatures. In some ways they were like the wild animals he related to so well.
“Boys react just like a miniature fire hose, lots of times as soon as you take the diaper off. You have to be on alert the whole time.”
“How do you know about this?”
“ Cachet is very supportive of employees with children. They bring their babies to work, so I’ve been present at a couple of staff meetings where babies had to be changed before we could go on with the meeting.”
“Oh.” Although he was happy about the magazine’s policy for Amanda’s sake, he didn’t enjoy being reminded about Katherine’s perfect job.
“So, are you going to continue?” She gestured toward Amanda, who was kicking her legs and blowing bubbles.
“Right.” He remembered that Katherine had really yanked to get one of the moist towelettes out of the container, so he took an end and pulled hard. About ten came out, all linked together. He had enough length to make a scarf. “Sh—sugar!”
When Katherine started to laugh, he glared at her.
“I’m sorry,” she said, sobering immediately. “I guess you don’t know your own strength.”
“Can you stuff them back in?”
“It’s not worth the effort. Just tear off one and throw the rest away.”
“Okay. Whoops. We’ve got leakage.”
“Well, now you have a purpose for those extra towelettes.”
Once he had the puddle cleaned up, he started cleaning Amanda. He was sure he was doing it all wrong and she’d start crying any minute, but she didn’t. In
“As opposed to the fact that I’m antisocial?”
“I didn’t say you were antisocial.”
“You came damn close.” He noticed Amanda watching him carefully. “Can she pick up swearwords, do you think?”
“You mean store them up for when she can talk?” Katherine smiled. “I don’t know.”
“I think I’ll clean up my language, just in case. Okay, what’s next?”
“Keep your right hand on her at all times. She can’t roll yet, but I still like to make sure there’s no way she can fall. Then just unsnap the legs of her sleeper.”
“Right.” His fingers seemed too big for the tiny snaps and he fumbled with the task. “Damn, these are tricky,” he muttered, then remembered his new resolution. “I mean, doggone, these are tricky.” He glanced at Amanda, who was staring at him as if he’d landed from another planet. “She’s probably wondering if this is going to take all day.”
“Actually, I’ll bet she’s fascinated by seeing a new face during this procedure. She’s probably sick of looking at the same lady all the time.”
He doubted it, but he appreciated Katherine’s attempt to be encouraging. Finally he had Amanda’s chubby little legs free. Next came the really dicey part. “Now what?”
“The diaper’s held on her with those adhesive tabs. Pull them free and it will come off.”
He followed her instructions, while Amanda gurgled at him. At least the baby wasn’t screaming in agony, so he must not be doing so bad. Katherine stood very close to him, her shoulder touching his. When she moved he caught a whiff of her perfume. And he still wanted her as much as ever.
“Fold up the wet diaper and give it to me,” Katherine said. “I’ll throw it away while you start cleaning her up.” She started to move away from the table.
“Hold it! I’m not doing this part without supervision.”
“Just take the towelette from the container and wipe carefully in all the folds.” She walked over to his trash container.
“There’s a hell of a lot of folds here. I mean, a heck of a lot of folds. What if I’m too rough? What if she decides now’s a good time to go again?”
“That’s why you have a pad there.” She returned to his side, a smile on her face. “At least she can’t squirt you in the eye like a little boy might.”
“They do that?” In spite of himself, he was fascinated by the habits of these uncivilized little creatures. In some ways they were like the wild animals he related to so well.
“Boys react just like a miniature fire hose, lots of times as soon as you take the diaper off. You have to be on alert the whole time.”
“How do you know about this?”
“ Cachet is very supportive of employees with children. They bring their babies to work, so I’ve been present at a couple of staff meetings where babies had to be changed before we could go on with the meeting.”
“Oh.” Although he was happy about the magazine’s policy for Amanda’s sake, he didn’t enjoy being reminded about Katherine’s perfect job.
“So, are you going to continue?” She gestured toward Amanda, who was kicking her legs and blowing bubbles.
“Right.” He remembered that Katherine had really yanked to get one of the moist towelettes out of the container, so he took an end and pulled hard. About ten came out, all linked together. He had enough length to make a scarf. “Sh—sugar!”
When Katherine started to laugh, he glared at her.
“I’m sorry,” she said, sobering immediately. “I guess you don’t know your own strength.”
“Can you stuff them back in?”
“It’s not worth the effort. Just tear off one and throw the rest away.”
“Okay. Whoops. We’ve got leakage.”
“Well, now you have a purpose for those extra towelettes.”
Once he had the puddle cleaned up, he started cleaning Amanda. He was sure he was doing it all wrong and she’d start crying any minute, but she didn’t. In
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