Page 17 of White Collar Rancher

The atmosphere was relaxed now as Katherine cradled Isaiah. Martin peered over at least every five seconds, his face vacillating between grief and delight.

“Maisy had colic,” Katherine announced. She jerked her head up like she’d startled herself. She put a hand to her chest and chuckled. “My word, Marty. Do you remember how hard that was?”

Martin developed a faraway look. “We used to joke that colic was the reason we only had one.”

Katherine’s gaze watered, but she recovered. “Right. She was a handful from the very beginning.” Pressing her lips together, she looked away.

“She sucked her thumb, too.”

Justin could high-five Martin for steering them out of deep waters.

For the next few minutes, Katherine and Martin reminisced and compared notes with him. Thumb-sucker? Pacifier? Does Isaiah have one pupil bigger than the other? He’ll grow out of it. Has he found his toes yet?

The lightness of the conversation and the way the two grandparents treasured Isaiah prompted his next question.

“Do you guys want to spend the afternoon with him?”

Katherine’s mouth opened, but no words came out. Then wonder crossed her face. “Would you be okay with that?”

“His diaper bag is fully loaded.” Justin had packed less on international trips. “If he naps again, just cuddle him the entire time. He won’t complain.”

“We…we really appreciate this, Justin.” Martin’s face was close to crumpling. They had been legitimately scared he wouldn’t allow them around Isaiah. He should’ve called earlier.

“Isaiah needs his grandparents.” He needed Isaiah’s grandparents.

After running through all the instructions, not like they’d need much, he shrugged into his coat. This was really happening. He could do…whatever he wanted.

Giving Priya a pass on baby duty with him had made the last few days lonely. Boring. Sipping wine by himself in his living room was not the high point of his day. In fact, watching the nightly news with a full glass and no one to talk to was his new low.

Leaving the house without his kid was like an expedition into the Outback. Other than enduring Isaiah’s well-baby visits, he’d hardly ventured out. Brigit grabbed his groceries and chatted for a few minutes, but she was doing so much on the ranch he couldn’t ask any more of her.

Blowing out a breath and watching it puff in front of his face, he ambled to his pickup.

Freedom.

Now what?

It was close to evening. He could go out and have a real meal—one he didn’t have to cook himself, with food that needed actual preparation.

He wasn’t that hungry, and going out to eat by himself didn’t hold the appeal he thought it would.

As he pulled away from the curb, the phone popped into his hand before he thought too hard. A block later, he pulled over and called Priya. He shouldn’t be calling her for no reason, but he couldn’t bring himself to hang up.

She answered with “Is everything all right?”

He couldn’t help his grin. Was it due to her question or just hearing her voice again? When had he started craving the sound? Probably when she’d quit coming every day. “Guess who’s a free man for a few hours?”

“Free?” Fabric rustled like she was switching ears. “Like, no baby? Are your parents in town?”

“Nope. He’s with Katherine and Martin.”

“It went well then? How are they?”

He didn’t miss how earnest she sounded. “They don’t blame you, Pri.” How could they?

“Everyone else does,” she muttered and rushed on. “So what are you going to do?”

He mulled over her words. Should he ask her about it? Who blamed her? Why would she think that? Maisy’s death had even been in the newspaper. Justin’s parents had saved a copy for Isaiah when he was older, to help him know there was nothing that could’ve been done.

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