The Unclaimed Baby. Sherryl Woods
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who could detect a puzzle and let it rest until the solution was offered voluntarily was a rarity. After months of people poking and prying into her feelings, she was more grateful than he would ever know.
“Let me grab another package of formula and we’re set.”
“I’ll get that. You bundle up the little darlin’.”
When everyone was wrapped snugly in enough layers to withstand the bitter cold, they walked briskly to her place. She couldn’t help thinking that on a night just like this one a week ago, the cold had cut through her and left a chill not only throughout her body, but in her heart. What a difference a few days—and the presence of this man and this baby—had made. What would happen to her when—not if, but when—they were gone?
Chapter 5
Cord had never spent a more frustrating few minutes in his life. First the unexpected flood of tears from a woman who seemed so strong, then the ad mission of secrets and the shuttered expression at the mention of beer. There was a story there, but he had a feeling it was a whole lot more complicated than anything he could imagine.
It would be simple enough to get at the truth out at White Pines. Sharon Lynn had said it herself—she had no secrets from her family. Fortunately he was wise enough to know that the answers had to come from her. He wanted her to trust him enough to share them with him, to let him into her life totally and completely. That kind of trust didn’t happen over night and it surely wouldn’t happen if he started prying. Obviously this was going to be just one more test of his patience.
In the meantime, though, his imagination was working overtime. To silence all the wild speculation going on in his head, he focused on the baby. Every time he held her, he was more awestruck. She was so tiny, so perfect. Powerful, amazing emotions swept through him, made him vow to protect her with his life if it ever came to that. The emotions were all the more astonishing because he had no idea where they’d come from. His own pitiful parents had never set such an example.
“Have you ever in your life seen a kid this size eat this much?” he asked as she sucked lustily on her bottle, her little hands gripping it tightly as if she feared he might take it from her. “You don’t suppose she was half starved when we found her?”
“Lizzy says her weight appeared to be normal and that she wasn’t showing any signs of being mal-nourished.” Her expression darkened. “Have you thought about the mother at all?”
“I’ve tried not to. It’s too infuriating. What about you?”
“I can’t help thinking that she must have been truly desperate.”
“Maybe the mother wasn’t in any position to care for a child.”
“You mean financially?”
“I mean maybe she was sick herself, maybe she even died after the baby was born and the baby’s father couldn’t cope.”
Her expression shifted from anger to sympathy. “Oh, God, I hadn’t even considered that.” She came to stand close and brushed gentle fingers over the baby’s head. “Poor little thing.”
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