she was. Of course, he grudgingly admitted, she was somewhat interesting. She had a sad life and she sang idiotic songs to the baby her husband hadn’t wanted.
All right. So he wasa bit curious.
Only a few minutes after Cooper left, Zoe decided she needed to move, too. With her behind numb from sitting on the hard floor, she had to roll to her side to rise. Daphne hadn’t awakened or whimpered, but now Zoe herself was feeling somewhat tired. She blamed the cold, the boredom and her fitful sleep from the night before. She lay beside the baby and after only a few minutes her eyelids began to droop. She reminded herself that it would be a hell of boredom to be up all night because she’d taken a nap, but couldn’t seem to force her eyes to stay open.
What felt like hours later, a knock awakened her. Disoriented, she glanced around the dark room and realized it was after five because the sun had set. She looked at Daphne, who was awake but still listless.
Cooper knocked again. “Is everything okay in there?”
Zoe said, “Yeah. We’ll be out in a minute.” She pushed herself off the bed and found a lamp to light the room before she grabbed Daphne and made her way to the door.
When she opened it, Cooper was standing there. “Kid okay?”
A bit groggy from her nap, Zoe nodded. “She’s still sick. I have the medicine on the counter out here. After I try to get her to eat something, I’ll give her another dose and she’ll go back to sleep.” She paused, then said, “Would you mind getting her baby seat and bringing the diaper bag out so I can get a jar of food?”
He said sure and Zoe started to feel guilty that she had disliked him so much in the beginning. No matter what he said, he really wasn’t as bad as he thought he was. Worse, she was also feeling a tad guilty that she still intended to pry his secret out of him. Of course, with Daphne sick, there might not be time for that. So, maybe there wasn’t anything to feel guilty about.
He brought the babyseat to the kitchen. Zoe set it in the center of the table and strapped Daphne inside. Then she rummaged through the diaper bag for a jar of baby food. She chose apple, because it seemed to be the kind that would probably sit the easiest on the baby’s stomach, opened it and got a spoon from the drawer by the sink.
Clearly bored to tears, Cooper Bryant had watched her every move. “That’s all you do? Just open the jar and get a spoon?”
“Sometimes, if she’s having a vegetable like strained carrots, I heat the food. But for applesauce, this is all I do.” She spooned out a mouthful of food and put it to Daphne’s lips. Daphne took the bite and swallowed it. Feeling victorious, Zoe scooped a second spoonful, but apparently the first hadn’t set as well as Zoe had hoped and Daphne spat it out.
Zoe put the lid back on the jar and handed it to Cooper. “Put this in the refrigerator, would you?”
“That’s it?”
“She’s not hungry. She’s got a virus. She probably can’t even drink her formula. Once I give her some more medicine, I’m going to feed her a bottle of water and hope she goes back to sleep.”
An hour later, Cooper tiptoed to Zoe’s bedroom again and peeked inside. Not only had Daphne fallen asleep but Zoe had, too. He stretched into the room, reaching for the switch on the lamp and extinguished the light. Zoe may not want to go to bed at seven o’clock, but she was asleep so she might as well get some rest. She might be up the entire night if Daphne decided she was done sleeping.
When Cooper went to bedat ten, Zoe and Daphne hadn’t stirred, but he heard them a few times in the course of the night. He couldn’t really sleep, and when he did drift off he had odd dreams, mostly about his family. He didn’t care to remember the good times and he sure as hell didn’t want to relive the bad, so when his wristwatch said six, he rolled out of bed. He didn’t know if Zoe had heated any of the dinner he’d prepared the
All right. So he wasa bit curious.
Only a few minutes after Cooper left, Zoe decided she needed to move, too. With her behind numb from sitting on the hard floor, she had to roll to her side to rise. Daphne hadn’t awakened or whimpered, but now Zoe herself was feeling somewhat tired. She blamed the cold, the boredom and her fitful sleep from the night before. She lay beside the baby and after only a few minutes her eyelids began to droop. She reminded herself that it would be a hell of boredom to be up all night because she’d taken a nap, but couldn’t seem to force her eyes to stay open.
What felt like hours later, a knock awakened her. Disoriented, she glanced around the dark room and realized it was after five because the sun had set. She looked at Daphne, who was awake but still listless.
Cooper knocked again. “Is everything okay in there?”
Zoe said, “Yeah. We’ll be out in a minute.” She pushed herself off the bed and found a lamp to light the room before she grabbed Daphne and made her way to the door.
When she opened it, Cooper was standing there. “Kid okay?”
A bit groggy from her nap, Zoe nodded. “She’s still sick. I have the medicine on the counter out here. After I try to get her to eat something, I’ll give her another dose and she’ll go back to sleep.” She paused, then said, “Would you mind getting her baby seat and bringing the diaper bag out so I can get a jar of food?”
He said sure and Zoe started to feel guilty that she had disliked him so much in the beginning. No matter what he said, he really wasn’t as bad as he thought he was. Worse, she was also feeling a tad guilty that she still intended to pry his secret out of him. Of course, with Daphne sick, there might not be time for that. So, maybe there wasn’t anything to feel guilty about.
He brought the babyseat to the kitchen. Zoe set it in the center of the table and strapped Daphne inside. Then she rummaged through the diaper bag for a jar of baby food. She chose apple, because it seemed to be the kind that would probably sit the easiest on the baby’s stomach, opened it and got a spoon from the drawer by the sink.
Clearly bored to tears, Cooper Bryant had watched her every move. “That’s all you do? Just open the jar and get a spoon?”
“Sometimes, if she’s having a vegetable like strained carrots, I heat the food. But for applesauce, this is all I do.” She spooned out a mouthful of food and put it to Daphne’s lips. Daphne took the bite and swallowed it. Feeling victorious, Zoe scooped a second spoonful, but apparently the first hadn’t set as well as Zoe had hoped and Daphne spat it out.
Zoe put the lid back on the jar and handed it to Cooper. “Put this in the refrigerator, would you?”
“That’s it?”
“She’s not hungry. She’s got a virus. She probably can’t even drink her formula. Once I give her some more medicine, I’m going to feed her a bottle of water and hope she goes back to sleep.”
An hour later, Cooper tiptoed to Zoe’s bedroom again and peeked inside. Not only had Daphne fallen asleep but Zoe had, too. He stretched into the room, reaching for the switch on the lamp and extinguished the light. Zoe may not want to go to bed at seven o’clock, but she was asleep so she might as well get some rest. She might be up the entire night if Daphne decided she was done sleeping.
When Cooper went to bedat ten, Zoe and Daphne hadn’t stirred, but he heard them a few times in the course of the night. He couldn’t really sleep, and when he did drift off he had odd dreams, mostly about his family. He didn’t care to remember the good times and he sure as hell didn’t want to relive the bad, so when his wristwatch said six, he rolled out of bed. He didn’t know if Zoe had heated any of the dinner he’d prepared the
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