spoiling, too. Starting with a night that does not revolve around changing diapers and scheduled feedings.”
“Rosie is good with her,” Carrie conceded. “But it still feels weird.”
“Tell her, doc.” Lorelei nodded Haleigh’s way. “Tell her this is good for her.”
Three sets of eyes turned her way as if Haleigh possessed the secrets of the universe. They could not be more wrong.
“Well, I . . .” she floundered. “I mean . . . I’m not really an expert on babies or motherhood. My specialty is more before they emerge.”
“I knew it.” Carrie pulled away from Lorelei. “I never should have left her.”
“I didn’t say that!” Haleigh backpedaled. Reaching for a more supportive answer, she said, “It’s good for babies to learn a little independence. To experience new social situations and interact with people other than their parents.”
“Really?”
Haleigh had no idea since she’d totally made the facts up.
“Yes. Of course. And it’s good for you, too. Think of it as recharging your battery. A happy, fulfilled mother means a happier baby.” That had to be from a parenting magazine somewhere. “It’s been scientifically proven,” she added.
The bomb appeared to be defused. “That makes sense, I guess,” Carrie mumbled. “Thanks for the reassurance, Dr. Mitchner.”
Feeling as if she’d just lied to a child, Haleigh felt the familiar mantle of guilt settle heavily on her shoulders. She prayed the waitress would forget about her drink.
“Where’s my dance partner?” Spencer barked as he wrapped his arms around his fiancée. “I came here to dance, woman. It’s time to get your pretty little butt on the floor.”
“I second that,” Caleb said, then corrected himself. “About my woman’s butt, of course.”
Lorelei rolled her eyes as Spencer pulled her toward the twirling dancers. As if unable to resist, Caleb planted a hot kiss on his wife before all but carrying her to the floor. A task easily accomplished considering his impressive bulk and her diminutive size.
“What do you say?” Cooper asked, nodding after the others. “You up for a spin or two?”
Panic assailed her. If memory served, done correctly dancing could be as arousing as a good bout of foreplay. Haleigh could not handle this much temptation in one night. “I’m not sure I remember how,” she said.
“Come on,” Carrie encouraged. “It’s good for straitlaced doctors to experience new social situations and to interact with people other than their patients.”
The gleam in the woman’s eye took Haleigh by surprise. “I wasn’t born yesterday,” the younger woman said. “But I do appreciate your efforts. Now do yourself a favor and give Cooper a dance.”
Green eyes met hers and Haleigh knew she couldn’t turn him down. At least there was no liquor on the dance floor. She could smell an amaretto sour nearby and the scent was making her mouth water.
“I might step on you,” she said.
“So long as I don’t step on you we should be all right.”
Slipping her hand into his, Haleigh followed Cooper to the floor with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation. Without hesitating, he squeezed between a pair of dancers and had her shuffling backward in a Texas two-step without missing a beat. Running on instinct, Haleigh fit her body against his as her left hand slid up his neck to nestle in the dark curls that tickled his collar. When Cooper pressed her right hand over his heart, she couldn’t help but notice the kick in his pulse.
By the time they made a full turn around the floor, Haleigh stopped worrying about her footwork and focused on the man holding her tight. Despite the fact that Haleigh was far from perfect, Cooper still liked her. Thank goodness someone did.
Chapter 10
Cooper had died and gone to heaven. And if Haleigh didn’t stop playing with his hair she was going to find herself horizontal by the end of the song. Not that he’d mind the change in position, but the
“Rosie is good with her,” Carrie conceded. “But it still feels weird.”
“Tell her, doc.” Lorelei nodded Haleigh’s way. “Tell her this is good for her.”
Three sets of eyes turned her way as if Haleigh possessed the secrets of the universe. They could not be more wrong.
“Well, I . . .” she floundered. “I mean . . . I’m not really an expert on babies or motherhood. My specialty is more before they emerge.”
“I knew it.” Carrie pulled away from Lorelei. “I never should have left her.”
“I didn’t say that!” Haleigh backpedaled. Reaching for a more supportive answer, she said, “It’s good for babies to learn a little independence. To experience new social situations and interact with people other than their parents.”
“Really?”
Haleigh had no idea since she’d totally made the facts up.
“Yes. Of course. And it’s good for you, too. Think of it as recharging your battery. A happy, fulfilled mother means a happier baby.” That had to be from a parenting magazine somewhere. “It’s been scientifically proven,” she added.
The bomb appeared to be defused. “That makes sense, I guess,” Carrie mumbled. “Thanks for the reassurance, Dr. Mitchner.”
Feeling as if she’d just lied to a child, Haleigh felt the familiar mantle of guilt settle heavily on her shoulders. She prayed the waitress would forget about her drink.
“Where’s my dance partner?” Spencer barked as he wrapped his arms around his fiancée. “I came here to dance, woman. It’s time to get your pretty little butt on the floor.”
“I second that,” Caleb said, then corrected himself. “About my woman’s butt, of course.”
Lorelei rolled her eyes as Spencer pulled her toward the twirling dancers. As if unable to resist, Caleb planted a hot kiss on his wife before all but carrying her to the floor. A task easily accomplished considering his impressive bulk and her diminutive size.
“What do you say?” Cooper asked, nodding after the others. “You up for a spin or two?”
Panic assailed her. If memory served, done correctly dancing could be as arousing as a good bout of foreplay. Haleigh could not handle this much temptation in one night. “I’m not sure I remember how,” she said.
“Come on,” Carrie encouraged. “It’s good for straitlaced doctors to experience new social situations and to interact with people other than their patients.”
The gleam in the woman’s eye took Haleigh by surprise. “I wasn’t born yesterday,” the younger woman said. “But I do appreciate your efforts. Now do yourself a favor and give Cooper a dance.”
Green eyes met hers and Haleigh knew she couldn’t turn him down. At least there was no liquor on the dance floor. She could smell an amaretto sour nearby and the scent was making her mouth water.
“I might step on you,” she said.
“So long as I don’t step on you we should be all right.”
Slipping her hand into his, Haleigh followed Cooper to the floor with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation. Without hesitating, he squeezed between a pair of dancers and had her shuffling backward in a Texas two-step without missing a beat. Running on instinct, Haleigh fit her body against his as her left hand slid up his neck to nestle in the dark curls that tickled his collar. When Cooper pressed her right hand over his heart, she couldn’t help but notice the kick in his pulse.
By the time they made a full turn around the floor, Haleigh stopped worrying about her footwork and focused on the man holding her tight. Despite the fact that Haleigh was far from perfect, Cooper still liked her. Thank goodness someone did.
Chapter 10
Cooper had died and gone to heaven. And if Haleigh didn’t stop playing with his hair she was going to find herself horizontal by the end of the song. Not that he’d mind the change in position, but the
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