fact, the more he worked on her, the better he felt about doing it.
Katherine cleared her throat. “That’s probably good enough.” She gave him a clean diaper. “I only have four of these left.”
“Then what?”
“Good question. Do you have safety pins around?”
“I don’t know.” He’d decided he should be able to put the diaper on without asking Katherine how it went, so he studied it for a minute, then studied Amanda.
“Maybe we can use dish towels.”
“Maybe.” He thought he had it figured out, so he lifted up one of Amanda’s legs and shoved the diaper underneath that side. Then he lifted her other leg and pulled it into place. Except now the adhesive tabs wouldn’t work unless he put her facedown. So he had the damn thing backward.
Lifting her legs one at a time again, he pulled the diaper out and turned it around. There. In no time he had her taped together and the snaps done up. He turned to Katherine. “How was that?”
Her eyes were warm and sparkly. “That was great. Thank you.”
“And she didn’t even cry.”
“Why should she?”
“Well, because I’m big, and my voice is deeper and I figured I’d scare her.”
“But you’re gentle and slow with her. She senses you mean well.”
“Yeah.” He slid one hand under her head and the other one under her bottom as he lifted her off the table. “Animals are like that, too. Even wild ones can sense if you’re trying to help them.” He settled Amanda into the crook of his arm. He must have smiled at her, because suddenly she grinned back at him and waved her fists in the air.
“Hey, Mandy,” he said softly.
She gurgled and waved her fists some more.
His heart swelled as he gazed down at her. She was beautiful. Whether he and Katherine had been wise or foolish when they’d made love didn’t matter anymore. They’d produced Amanda, and that was reason enough to bless that night they’d spent together.
He glanced up at Katherine and caught her watching him with a tenderness that took his breath away.
“I knew you’d fall in love with her if you gave yourself a chance,” she murmured.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Z EKE WAS AFRAID K ATHERINE was right, and he was falling in love with Amanda. Not a wise move. She wasn’t his to keep. But then neither were the wild baby animals he cared for and released when they were old enough to be on their own. He survived losing them, so he ought to be able to survive this.
“I should probably feed her,” Katherine said, holding out her arms.
Zeke glanced at her bandaged wrist. “Let me rig up a sling for you first.” He settled Amanda in her bassinet and she immediately began to cry.
“I’ll feed her first,” Katherine said.
Zeke hated hearing Amanda cry, but he put a restraining hand on Katherine’s shoulder. “You need that sling. I’ll fix it in no time.”
She stilled under his hand.
He could feel the current running between them and took his hand away before his touch became a caress. “This won’t take long.” He took a pillowcase from the dresser and used his pocketknife to rip the sides open.
Katherine gasped. “You’re ruining your pillowcase!”
“Doesn’t matter.” He walked over to her. “Bend your arm at the elbow.”
She did as he asked. “I still don’t think you should have cut open that perfectly good pillowcase.”
“You need a sling for your arm more than I need that pillowcase, and with Amanda needing to be fed, we don’t have time to come up with an alternative.” Concentrating on keeping the process impersonal, he slid the material under her arm and stepped behind her so he could tie the ends around her neck. But he kept getting her hair caught in the knot. “Could you lift up your hair?”
“Sure.” She slid her left hand behind her neck and lifted the hair off her nape.
He hadn’t expected the gesture to affect him like a fist to the gut. Yet here he was, struggling to breathe as he gazed at that exposed, tender spot at her
Katherine cleared her throat. “That’s probably good enough.” She gave him a clean diaper. “I only have four of these left.”
“Then what?”
“Good question. Do you have safety pins around?”
“I don’t know.” He’d decided he should be able to put the diaper on without asking Katherine how it went, so he studied it for a minute, then studied Amanda.
“Maybe we can use dish towels.”
“Maybe.” He thought he had it figured out, so he lifted up one of Amanda’s legs and shoved the diaper underneath that side. Then he lifted her other leg and pulled it into place. Except now the adhesive tabs wouldn’t work unless he put her facedown. So he had the damn thing backward.
Lifting her legs one at a time again, he pulled the diaper out and turned it around. There. In no time he had her taped together and the snaps done up. He turned to Katherine. “How was that?”
Her eyes were warm and sparkly. “That was great. Thank you.”
“And she didn’t even cry.”
“Why should she?”
“Well, because I’m big, and my voice is deeper and I figured I’d scare her.”
“But you’re gentle and slow with her. She senses you mean well.”
“Yeah.” He slid one hand under her head and the other one under her bottom as he lifted her off the table. “Animals are like that, too. Even wild ones can sense if you’re trying to help them.” He settled Amanda into the crook of his arm. He must have smiled at her, because suddenly she grinned back at him and waved her fists in the air.
“Hey, Mandy,” he said softly.
She gurgled and waved her fists some more.
His heart swelled as he gazed down at her. She was beautiful. Whether he and Katherine had been wise or foolish when they’d made love didn’t matter anymore. They’d produced Amanda, and that was reason enough to bless that night they’d spent together.
He glanced up at Katherine and caught her watching him with a tenderness that took his breath away.
“I knew you’d fall in love with her if you gave yourself a chance,” she murmured.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Z EKE WAS AFRAID K ATHERINE was right, and he was falling in love with Amanda. Not a wise move. She wasn’t his to keep. But then neither were the wild baby animals he cared for and released when they were old enough to be on their own. He survived losing them, so he ought to be able to survive this.
“I should probably feed her,” Katherine said, holding out her arms.
Zeke glanced at her bandaged wrist. “Let me rig up a sling for you first.” He settled Amanda in her bassinet and she immediately began to cry.
“I’ll feed her first,” Katherine said.
Zeke hated hearing Amanda cry, but he put a restraining hand on Katherine’s shoulder. “You need that sling. I’ll fix it in no time.”
She stilled under his hand.
He could feel the current running between them and took his hand away before his touch became a caress. “This won’t take long.” He took a pillowcase from the dresser and used his pocketknife to rip the sides open.
Katherine gasped. “You’re ruining your pillowcase!”
“Doesn’t matter.” He walked over to her. “Bend your arm at the elbow.”
She did as he asked. “I still don’t think you should have cut open that perfectly good pillowcase.”
“You need a sling for your arm more than I need that pillowcase, and with Amanda needing to be fed, we don’t have time to come up with an alternative.” Concentrating on keeping the process impersonal, he slid the material under her arm and stepped behind her so he could tie the ends around her neck. But he kept getting her hair caught in the knot. “Could you lift up your hair?”
“Sure.” She slid her left hand behind her neck and lifted the hair off her nape.
He hadn’t expected the gesture to affect him like a fist to the gut. Yet here he was, struggling to breathe as he gazed at that exposed, tender spot at her
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