Page 49 of The Refiner

Astor coughs, trying to mask another dry heave.

“Really, Dr. Potter, I’m disappointed in your lack of professionalism. Surely blood and bone smell worse than baby poop.” Not that I know if a bone has a smell, but Astor doesn’t deal with guts, so a bone was the first thing I could think of.

“They don’t, I assure you,” he fires back.

I would shoo him out of here and handle it if I were my sister.

But I’m not.

Astor Potter is not using his man card to get out of changing his first poopy diaper.

“Well, now you can tell all your doctor friends that baby shit smells worse than blood and bone.” I tease. “I’m sure they’ll all be impressed you could withstand such a harsh working environment.”

He dry heaves once more, and this time, I’m concerned he might actually barf on Tatum, but then he says, “Your sarcasm is not helping.”

I step up to the changing table and see a little girl naked and likely confused. “Oh, I didn’t mean for you to think I was trying to be helpful.” I grin, leaning over and kissing the top of Tatum’s sweet baby head. “Tatum looks appalled by your reaction to her natural bodily functions.”

Astor flashes me a glare that I’m sure he means. “She’s not appalled. She’s getting cleaned up. She’s happy.”

I shrug. “True, even if you are taking half an hour doing so.”

Gah, if I had my phone to document the eight thousand wipes he’s used so far…

“Please, Keys.”

He’s resorted to panting out breaths. “Please. Just take over.” Aw. He’s begging. How the mighty have fallen with a bit of baby poop.

“Can I make you something to eat?” I wink, hoping my words remind him of last night when he ignored my pleas to go to Piper’s. “I want to make sure you’ve had breakfast before I leave.”

I swear he whimpers—a tiny little sound, I’m sure he hopes I didn’t hear.

“Just keep breathing.” I pat him on the shoulder and walk to the door. “And make sure you wipe her front to back. I’ll start breakfast.”

“Keagan, please.” His plea shoots straight into my soul and shatters the ice there. “I need your help.”

Dammit. “No, you don’t. You’re a doctor. You can certainly change a diaper.”

His head drops to his chest, and he blows out a breath. “I probably can, but I’m asking for help anyway.”

Don’t you do it. Do not flash me that broken man look.

He does.

And those eyes, that stiff jaw looking intense and vulnerable…

“Iwantyour help, Keagan. I want it.”

Damn him. Damn him and that cute little bundle of kicking feet staring up at him like she already loves him more than milk.

“Fine,” I relent, “but you have to promise never to look at me like that again.” Or say that you want me. It does something to my heart that won’t be healthy for either of us. He’s Piper’s baby daddy. I can’t fall in love with him. That would be weird, and Tatum has had enough challenges already.

“Look at you, how?” Bless his heart. He genuinely looks confused. Like he didn’t know he was using a look to melt the ice around my heart. “I looked at you how I always do.”

That little line on his forehead isn’t cute. Neither is his denial.

“Just move.” I wave him away with my hand, completely ignoring his frown. I can’t help it if the man doesn’t realize just how sexy he is or how he, inadvertently, found the back door to my cold, dark soul. I don’t have time to explain it. A little girl is tired of being cold, waiting on her daddy to figure out how to change her.

I manage to get Tatum cleaned up and changed into a new outfit, all in minutes. All the while, Astor just stands there, staring. “Now, class, can you tell me what you learned today?”

---