throw.
Chapter Five
She slept for hours. Somewhere between the pizza, coffee, and feeding Libby, she drifted off and woke to a late night talk sports program and Joe cradling Libby in one arm while he fed her a bottle. The alarm on her apnea monitor shrilled, jerking her out of the sleep-blurred state. She reached over and silenced the noise, but couldn’t quite wrap around the sight, and a tidal wave of guilt flooded her. Sitting up abruptly, she fumbled for an apology, but the quiet smile on Joe’s face arrested the words.
“Hey sorry,” he murmured. “I was trying to be careful with that. She woke up about five minutes ago. You had a bottle in the diaper bag, so I changed her and gave it to her. I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s—” Amazing, wonderful, heart-stopping. Do guys like you really exist ? In the six months since her daughter’s birth, Melody had done it all. Struggled through Libby’s illness, taken care of her, visited the doctor regularly, fought the failure to thrive, and soldiered through diagnosis after diagnosis.
“Why don’t you go back to sleep?” He cocked his head, glancing down at the blonde angel in his arms. “She’s fine and I think she’s not going to be awake much longer. Her eyes are closed.”
Melody rubbed her face, trying to scrub away the sleep. “I should apologize….”
He lifted his eyebrows as though asking, for what ?
“We were supposed to watch the game and you’re—you had to sit here by yourself—and now you’re feeding her…and….” She tripped over the words, a yawn splitting her jaw on the last one. Rubbing her face again, she pinched her cheek and fought to focus and wake the hell up. She needed coffee—a lot of it.
“Well, see I don’t think we can agree on that.” He worked the empty bottle free from Libby and set it on the coffee table before shifting her, almost rolling her onto her side. She let out an indelicate belch, but her eyes didn’t open. He settled her back into the crook of his arm and tugged the blanket around her.
For the barest of seconds, she envied her daughter. Envied the safety and security nestled in Joe’s very capable arms. What would it feel like if he held me that way ?
“Melody?”
She dragged her wandering attention back to him. “What?”
“I said I don’t think we can agree on that.” His gentle voice held a trace of a tease in it and she couldn’t contain her smile.
“Why not?”
“Because I wasn’t alone, you let me hang out here and it was nice. It’s nice to be needed.”
The words sent a jolt through her. “Okay, maybe I’m sleep deprived….”
“No maybe about it, darling. You’re exhausted.” The absolute lack of judgment coupled with genuine sympathy softened the words.
“Yeah, okay. I’m definitely sleep deprived. But I’m not getting how it’s nice to be needed….”
“I like being useful. I’ve been at Mike’s Place for weeks, recovering. My family’s great, but they all had to get back to their lives and their work, although they call regularly. In fact, I talked to my momma before I came over. My guys are great, too. But I’m the patient here. Folks look after me—they don’t let me do the same for them.” He glanced down at Libby. “And it’s nice….”
“You’re a natural with her.” Resting her elbows on her knees, Melody stared at him. He was a natural with her, too. She barely knew him. They’d met less than two days ago, not even thirty-six full hours and yet she felt comfortable with him being in the room. Hell, more than comfortable. She liked having him there.
“She’s sweet like her momma, and she’s smart, too. She’s sleeping.” Joe studied Melody and heat warmed her cheeks.
“I can’t ask you to babysit while I sleep.”
“Don’t have to ask. I told you, I like it. I like listening to both of you sleeping. It’s peaceful. But if you’re not going to sleep, why don’t you go take a bath or whatever it is
Chapter Five
She slept for hours. Somewhere between the pizza, coffee, and feeding Libby, she drifted off and woke to a late night talk sports program and Joe cradling Libby in one arm while he fed her a bottle. The alarm on her apnea monitor shrilled, jerking her out of the sleep-blurred state. She reached over and silenced the noise, but couldn’t quite wrap around the sight, and a tidal wave of guilt flooded her. Sitting up abruptly, she fumbled for an apology, but the quiet smile on Joe’s face arrested the words.
“Hey sorry,” he murmured. “I was trying to be careful with that. She woke up about five minutes ago. You had a bottle in the diaper bag, so I changed her and gave it to her. I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s—” Amazing, wonderful, heart-stopping. Do guys like you really exist ? In the six months since her daughter’s birth, Melody had done it all. Struggled through Libby’s illness, taken care of her, visited the doctor regularly, fought the failure to thrive, and soldiered through diagnosis after diagnosis.
“Why don’t you go back to sleep?” He cocked his head, glancing down at the blonde angel in his arms. “She’s fine and I think she’s not going to be awake much longer. Her eyes are closed.”
Melody rubbed her face, trying to scrub away the sleep. “I should apologize….”
He lifted his eyebrows as though asking, for what ?
“We were supposed to watch the game and you’re—you had to sit here by yourself—and now you’re feeding her…and….” She tripped over the words, a yawn splitting her jaw on the last one. Rubbing her face again, she pinched her cheek and fought to focus and wake the hell up. She needed coffee—a lot of it.
“Well, see I don’t think we can agree on that.” He worked the empty bottle free from Libby and set it on the coffee table before shifting her, almost rolling her onto her side. She let out an indelicate belch, but her eyes didn’t open. He settled her back into the crook of his arm and tugged the blanket around her.
For the barest of seconds, she envied her daughter. Envied the safety and security nestled in Joe’s very capable arms. What would it feel like if he held me that way ?
“Melody?”
She dragged her wandering attention back to him. “What?”
“I said I don’t think we can agree on that.” His gentle voice held a trace of a tease in it and she couldn’t contain her smile.
“Why not?”
“Because I wasn’t alone, you let me hang out here and it was nice. It’s nice to be needed.”
The words sent a jolt through her. “Okay, maybe I’m sleep deprived….”
“No maybe about it, darling. You’re exhausted.” The absolute lack of judgment coupled with genuine sympathy softened the words.
“Yeah, okay. I’m definitely sleep deprived. But I’m not getting how it’s nice to be needed….”
“I like being useful. I’ve been at Mike’s Place for weeks, recovering. My family’s great, but they all had to get back to their lives and their work, although they call regularly. In fact, I talked to my momma before I came over. My guys are great, too. But I’m the patient here. Folks look after me—they don’t let me do the same for them.” He glanced down at Libby. “And it’s nice….”
“You’re a natural with her.” Resting her elbows on her knees, Melody stared at him. He was a natural with her, too. She barely knew him. They’d met less than two days ago, not even thirty-six full hours and yet she felt comfortable with him being in the room. Hell, more than comfortable. She liked having him there.
“She’s sweet like her momma, and she’s smart, too. She’s sleeping.” Joe studied Melody and heat warmed her cheeks.
“I can’t ask you to babysit while I sleep.”
“Don’t have to ask. I told you, I like it. I like listening to both of you sleeping. It’s peaceful. But if you’re not going to sleep, why don’t you go take a bath or whatever it is
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