Page 36 of Wishes on Wildflowers
Great. Marco and Daria’s boys didn’t get away with this kind of behavior. Neither did her cousin Francesca’s kids. How did a person get a toddler like that to stop?
While she remained frozen in her tracks, Nathan strode past her and scooped the screaming child in his arms. “Hey, little guy. Enough of that now.”
For a few seconds silence reigned. When Buddy started up again, it was less heartfelt.
Linnea grabbed Mandy by the hand and pulled her toward the elevator. “Thanks. Let’s get out of here.”
By the time the elevator hit Main, Buddy had his arms around Nathan’s neck while his tear-stained face burrowed under his chin. Nothing short of a miracle.
From Nathan’s previous questions, Jasmine was pretty sure Buddy had never laid eyes on him before. How could he possibly have the magic sauce? And, against her better judgment, all she could hope was that Nathan would stay right beside the little boy until his stepdad came for him. Whenever that would be.
15
Back at Bridgeview Manor,Jasmine exited Linnea’s car while her roommate helped Mandy with her car seat buckle. Nathan’s truck pulled in across the lot in visitors’ parking.
She should probably get Buddy out. It was crazy how the kid had quieted down for a stranger at the hospital, but Nathan, no doubt, had things to do. He hadn’t signed up for babysitting duty. Neither had Jasmine, for that matter, but she was home and could give Linnea a hand entertaining the two little ones.
Before she crossed the parking lot, Nathan had already opened the back door and leaned in.
Jasmine hated to be impressed he hadn’t waited for help. She stepped closer. “Here, I’ll get him. Did he fall asleep?”
“Who you?” she heard a sleepy little voice ask.
“I’m Nathan. A friend of your daddy.”
Which wasn’t strictly true, not that Buddy spent much time with the loser who had sired him.
“Your Aunt Linnea is here in the other car with your sister. Let’s get you unbuckled and you can see them, okay?”
“Kay.”
Jasmine reached to take the child but, as Nathan turned, an awful stench reached her nostrils. Whoa. She blinked and took an involuntary step backward.
Nathan held the boy out at arms’ length, his nose wrinkled. “Anyone want a stinky kid?”
Not her. Not that she hadn’t changed her nephews’ diapers, but Buddy wasn’t her brother’s kid. She glanced around to see Linnea and Mandy approaching.
Mandy planted her hands on her hips and tilted her head to one side. “Oh, Buddy, did you poopy in your pants?”
The boy slurped his thumb into his mouth, staring at the pavement, as Nathan set him down. Instead of toddling over to his sister and Linnea, he leaned against Nathan’s leg.
Linnea sighed and held out her hand to the boy. “Come on, Buddy. Good thing your grandma gave me a couple of diapers from your mom’s purse. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Buddy clung to Nathan’s leg. Nathan shook his head and patted the wild damp curls.
Jasmine snickered. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a shadow.”
Nathan’s gaze met hers, and his chin tipped up along with his eyebrows. He scooped Buddy up into a football hold. “Where are we going?”
He couldn’t be serious, not that Jasmine would stop him. Maybe her roommate would, though. It was Linnea who’d volunteered to watch the kids, after all. The stink was her problem. “Up three flights of stairs.”
“Lead the way.” He waggled his eyebrows.
Had she just invited him into the apartment she sharedwith Linnea? No way. She was keeping him at a distance, remember? Not inviting him closer. Not that this was a romantic moment by anyone’s standards. She wrenched her gaze away and reached for Mandy’s hand. “Let’s go.”
This was ridiculous. All the way up the stone outside steps, all the way up the interior flights of stairs, she heard Nathan’s footfall behind her. He was watching her. She could feel it. And the part of her at his eye level had to be her backside. Great. She didn’t want him staring at her backside. She didn’t want tothinkabout him staring at her backside. She didn’t want to think about him at all.
Except she did.
