of
that, Sara thought, pacing the hallway. But she hadn't wanted to discourage
Mitch when it was clear things were going so well.
After their
rocky start, Sara had hoped Mitch would open up and take Jonathan into his
heart. For a while, Sara didn't think it was going to happen. But these past
few days had changed dramatically. Both father and son had taken to each other
as if they'd been together right from the start.
Progress. That
was very good. Unfortunately, it left her feeling a bit disjointed about what
to do with herself while she waited for success or disaster.
Put her feet
up? Yeah, right!
She'd paced the
hallway, only leaving to answer the telephone, which annoyingly enough, turned
out to be two wrong numbers. She quickly bounded back to the hallway, pressing
her ear to the door when things became too quiet for her peace of mind.
It wasn't
working. Aside from looking like an idiot with her cheek pressed up against
the freshly painted wood door, she was getting a stiff neck.
“You need any
help in there?” she called out again when her first question was left
unanswered.
There was a
loud slosh of water and a quick, low, grunt that had Sara bursting through the
bathroom door. She found Jonathan sitting upright and secure in his baby
bathtub, a small rubber duck tub toy clutched between his chubby fingers.
“I'm okay,”
Mitch said, getting himself upright. “I just slipped on a little water.”
“A little?”
She glanced at the wet floor surrounding him. There was about a gallon of
water on the floor and another gallon of water on Mitch. His dark hair was
slick with wetness as was his faded jeans. Even though he'd cuffed the sleeves
of his white button down oxford shirt, that too was soaked.
“Why don’t you
take off your shirt next time…that is, if you’re going to take a bath with
him,” Sara teased, pulling a fresh towel from the linen closet and opening it
up to receive the baby.
Mitch cocked
his head to one side and pulled the baby from the tub. “Very funny. I think
we did pretty good for a first time. Don't you think, buddy?”
Jonathan let
out a squeal of glee and kicked his wet legs furiously as Mitch lifted him in
the air to the waiting towel. Sara wrapped Jonathan in the towel and held him
close. When she nuzzled his cheek, the baby rewarded her with the sweetest
smile that reminded her so much of his father.
“Give me a
second to mop up this water and I'll get him dressed,” Mitch said.
“It’s going to
take you more than a minute to clean this up. Why don't you let me give him
his bottle and get him to bed? That way you can have some time in the
workshop.”
Mitch had
mentioned at dinner that he was almost done making Jonathan's crib. He'd been
spending little snatches of time in the workshop in between his ranch work,
working with Beau on the final finishes to the barn, and working the horses.
It amazed Sara that there was still time for Jonathan at all. In truth, she
had feared Mitch would use his work at the ranch to keep himself distant from
the baby. But he hadn't.
Mitch grabbed
Jonathan's little fist, and bending his head, gave it a gentle kiss. The warm
emotion that instantly spread through her chest and lodged in her throat took
Sara by surprise. But she welcomed the feeling. Mitch's blue eyes were
smiling when he finally glanced at her.
“Thank you,
Sara,” he said, quietly.
She left before
she made a fool of herself by showing him just how much Mitch, the man, had
affected her by doing something so simple and pure. What was it about rugged
men and babies? Her heart racing, she grabbed the clean clothes she'd hastily
discarded when she raced into the bathroom, and headed upstairs to her room.
She had to stop
this. It had been nearly a month since she'd come to the Double T and she
feared her emotions were getting the best of her. The last time that had
happened, she'd made the disastrous
that, Sara thought, pacing the hallway. But she hadn't wanted to discourage
Mitch when it was clear things were going so well.
After their
rocky start, Sara had hoped Mitch would open up and take Jonathan into his
heart. For a while, Sara didn't think it was going to happen. But these past
few days had changed dramatically. Both father and son had taken to each other
as if they'd been together right from the start.
Progress. That
was very good. Unfortunately, it left her feeling a bit disjointed about what
to do with herself while she waited for success or disaster.
Put her feet
up? Yeah, right!
She'd paced the
hallway, only leaving to answer the telephone, which annoyingly enough, turned
out to be two wrong numbers. She quickly bounded back to the hallway, pressing
her ear to the door when things became too quiet for her peace of mind.
It wasn't
working. Aside from looking like an idiot with her cheek pressed up against
the freshly painted wood door, she was getting a stiff neck.
“You need any
help in there?” she called out again when her first question was left
unanswered.
There was a
loud slosh of water and a quick, low, grunt that had Sara bursting through the
bathroom door. She found Jonathan sitting upright and secure in his baby
bathtub, a small rubber duck tub toy clutched between his chubby fingers.
“I'm okay,”
Mitch said, getting himself upright. “I just slipped on a little water.”
“A little?”
She glanced at the wet floor surrounding him. There was about a gallon of
water on the floor and another gallon of water on Mitch. His dark hair was
slick with wetness as was his faded jeans. Even though he'd cuffed the sleeves
of his white button down oxford shirt, that too was soaked.
“Why don’t you
take off your shirt next time…that is, if you’re going to take a bath with
him,” Sara teased, pulling a fresh towel from the linen closet and opening it
up to receive the baby.
Mitch cocked
his head to one side and pulled the baby from the tub. “Very funny. I think
we did pretty good for a first time. Don't you think, buddy?”
Jonathan let
out a squeal of glee and kicked his wet legs furiously as Mitch lifted him in
the air to the waiting towel. Sara wrapped Jonathan in the towel and held him
close. When she nuzzled his cheek, the baby rewarded her with the sweetest
smile that reminded her so much of his father.
“Give me a
second to mop up this water and I'll get him dressed,” Mitch said.
“It’s going to
take you more than a minute to clean this up. Why don't you let me give him
his bottle and get him to bed? That way you can have some time in the
workshop.”
Mitch had
mentioned at dinner that he was almost done making Jonathan's crib. He'd been
spending little snatches of time in the workshop in between his ranch work,
working with Beau on the final finishes to the barn, and working the horses.
It amazed Sara that there was still time for Jonathan at all. In truth, she
had feared Mitch would use his work at the ranch to keep himself distant from
the baby. But he hadn't.
Mitch grabbed
Jonathan's little fist, and bending his head, gave it a gentle kiss. The warm
emotion that instantly spread through her chest and lodged in her throat took
Sara by surprise. But she welcomed the feeling. Mitch's blue eyes were
smiling when he finally glanced at her.
“Thank you,
Sara,” he said, quietly.
She left before
she made a fool of herself by showing him just how much Mitch, the man, had
affected her by doing something so simple and pure. What was it about rugged
men and babies? Her heart racing, she grabbed the clean clothes she'd hastily
discarded when she raced into the bathroom, and headed upstairs to her room.
She had to stop
this. It had been nearly a month since she'd come to the Double T and she
feared her emotions were getting the best of her. The last time that had
happened, she'd made the disastrous
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