Sawyer by Delores Fossen Page B

everybody’s tied up with the investigation and other stuff. The baby’s already had her bottle and a diaper change. Much easier changing her than my boy.” He hitched his thumb toward his son. “Luke thinks diaper time is practice for hosing me down.”
    The little boy paused, only to grin at his dad, and continued the game.
    “Any breaks in the case?” Gage asked.
    “None,” Sawyer answered. “Ransom drop’s supposed to be tomorrow. The kidnappers will give us the location and details then.”
    Cassidy needed to focus on the conversation, but it was hard to do that when the three children started running around her. Apparently, they were resuming their game, and she was to be the new gooser. She truly sucked at it because on her first attempt, she nearly poked one of the little girls in the eye.
    “And what about her?” Gage asked, glancing at the baby.
    Sawyer lifted his shoulder. “The doctor took a sample of her DNA and blood. We could know soon if the dead woman was her mother.”
    And they’d also know who the father was.
    She didn’t miss the way Gage volleyed glances between Sawyer and the baby. “You think she’s yours?”
    Sawyer didn’t jump to answer. “Maybe. I’ve ruled out one woman, but there was someone else. Just a one-nighter, and I haven’t been able to track her down.”
    A one-nighter. Like Cassidy. It shouldn’t have stung, but it did, and it made her wonder just how many women that smile and those hot looks had seduced.
    She really didn’t want to know.
    “Just give me a call if you need any help,” Gage offered, and he motioned toward the diaper bag next to the baby. “I think you’ll find everything you need in there.” He paused though, glanced at both Sawyer and her. “You two sure you’re up to this? A newborn’s a lot of work.”
    “We’re up to it,” she heard herself say, though Cassidy had no idea if they truly were. All she knew was she didn’t want the baby to have to spend the night in the hospital and she didn’t want to have to stay the night at the Ryland ranch with all of Sawyer’s kin around. It would be bad enough with just the two of them at his place.
    Three of them, she corrected.
    Having the baby around would make her stay with Sawyer seem less, well, intimate. Not that he had any notion of intimacy happening between them.
    Sawyer looped the diaper bag over his shoulder and reached for the baby, but the sounds of footsteps and voices stopped him.
    Even though she figured the ranch was safe, Cassidy still went on alert. However, it was a false alarm because Mason and a very pregnant brunette came into the room. They were kissing and seemingly ignoring the kids trailing along with them.
    The woman broke the kiss with Mason. His wife, no doubt. And her face flushed a little when she saw Cassidy and Sawyer. Smiling, she made her way to Cassidy and offered her hand.
    “I’m Abbie Ryland. I hope Gage welcomed you to our quiet home.”
    Cassidy nodded and watched the children stream in.
    Abbie laughed at her slack-jawed reaction. Mason mumbled something about them having their own baseball team. But there seemed to be a lot more than just nine of them.
    “That’s Robbie,” Abbie said, pointing to a little boy who was about three. “He’s Dade and Kayla’s son.” She looked around the room, spotted a toddler with loose brown curls and enormous gray eyes. “And that’s their daughter, Meggie. Be careful, she bites.”
    Cassidy felt more than a little foolish when she dropped back a step. The little girl looked like an angel. But she did have teeth.
    Mason scooped up one of the boys and tossed him over his shoulder. “This is Grayson’s boy, Chet. The rest are Nate and Darcy’s brood. Kimmie, Noah and Bella.”
    Kimmie was a red-haired girl about four. Noah appeared to be about the same age, and the other girl, Bella, looked to be around two.
    “How do you keep them all straight?” Cassidy asked, and even though Abbie chuckled, it