A Baby For The Sheriff
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She carefully laid squirming baby Lily down on the scented bed while trying to soothe her with soft-spoken words, which weren’t working. She walked to her bathroom and prepared a couple warm washcloths and then brought along a couple fluffy clean towels—new towels that she’d also picked up for the shower she and Russ would take together after hours of making love.
So much for all her sexy plans.
Of course, the night was still relatively young. Anything could happen.
Placing one towel under Lily and keeping one handy to wrap her in, Coco began to undress the little sweetheart, who had stopped fussing when Coco started singing the first song that came into her head, “Happy Birthday.”
“I’d offer to help,” Russ said, coming up behind her, “but I’m horrible with kids, especially babies. Plus, I don’t know the first thing about changing a diaper.”
“And you think I do?” Coco said as she gently wiped off Lily’s soiled bottom. Russ made a few disgusted grunts and turned away.
Coco knew enough from birthing livestock to keep hold of Lily’s arms while she cleaned her. Newborns of any kind liked to be touched and held whenever something else was happening to them. This one little action seemed to soothe her, exactly like it soothed a foal.
“You’re a woman,” Russ announced as if that fact had any relevance in this situation.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s in your DNA. Besides, you deal with babies all the time.”
“There’s a big difference between a puppy or a foal and a little baby girl, an abandoned baby girl. Poor sweetheart doesn’t know what to think...do you, sweet Lily?”
Lily made a couple complaints, but then settled when Coco began singing “Happy Birthday” again.
“Where’s that sheriff? He should’ve been here by now.” Russ walked up behind Coco and ran his hands down her body. Normally a great sensation, and a real turn-on, but not while Coco was trying to clean up baby poop. “We need to pick up where we left off.”
She moved away from him, leaning in closer to Lily, who was now nice and clean and smelling of new baby, a delightful scent if there ever was one.
“I don’t know if that’s possible tonight, Russ. The mood has sort of been broken.”
Coco swaddled Lily as best she could inside the soft white towel, then picked her up, cradling her tight against her chest, her little rosebud mouth suckling the air.
“Not really. I know how we can get it back again.”
“How?”
He leaned in and kissed her with one of those sinful kisses that might have brought her to her knees...if it wasn’t for the warm trickle of liquid that now ran down between her breasts.
* * *
SHERIFF WILSON WASN’T about to drive over to Dr. Grant’s clinic without all the supplies she’d asked for, and then some. He’d taken care of enough babies in his life to know exactly what she needed. Plus, he knew enough about the system to know that the chances of his being able to drop off a baby with the appropriate authorities at this time of night, with all this snow, were slim to none. After he’d changed out of his uniform into more casual wear, he’d made a few phone calls, and the only words of encouragement he’d gotten were keep her warm.
Driving down Main Street was proving to be a challenge, despite his being the only actual vehicle on the road. Even Travis Granger, who maneuvered his red sleigh and Clydesdales, picking up any stranded pedestrians, was having a time of it. The two men nodded to each other as they passed, silently acknowledging that Briggs was in for it tonight.
By the time Sheriff Wilson tried to pull his SUV curbside on Main Street, then trudge up to the glass front door of Whipple’s One Stop and push on the bell that rang inside the Whipple apartment upstairs, he felt the tension intensify in his neck and shoulders. Jet braced himself for what was sure to be the third degree from Cindy Whipple, proprietor and one of the biggest town gossips. Not only was she a gossip, but she had town radar and could usually figure out what someone was trying desperately to hide. She had the uncanny ability to guess exactly what was going on before anyone could tell her the truth.
A sweet woman with a heart of gold, but she couldn’t keep a secret if God came down and asked her personally.
Within moments, a soft light came on inside the store, illuminating the frozen-food section located in the back. Jet and Cindy locked eyes for a moment before she disappeared behind the produce shelves.
When the glass door finally swung open, bells chiming overhead, Cindy Whipple greeted him wearing a fuzzy red robe and matching slippers. Her short white hair stuck out in strange angles, as if she’d just come out of a windstorm, and her horn-rimmed glasses were askew on her wizened face. But her lips were perfectly smeared with red lipstick. Ms. Whipple never went out in public without her bright red lipstick in place. And, apparently, that went for answering the door late at night.
“Sheriff Wilson! What in blazes are you doing out here so late? Did somebody die? Is there a big accident somewhere and you need medical supplies? Because I can give you a deal you won’t believe.”
“No, nothing like that, but is it possible that you could open your store for me? I know it’s late, ma’am, but I would really appreciate getting a few things.”
“I take it this is some kind of emergency, or you wouldn’t be standing here. Are you going to tell me what happened or is it a secret?”
He decided to play along. “Yes, it’s a secret, and I can’t tell anyone about it. Not even you.”
“Me? I’m Fort Knox,” she said with a chuckle.
If only that were true.
“Good, because I’m depending on you not to ask me any questions. I promised I wouldn’t say a word.”
“Absolutely. Not one question. Not a word. My lips are sealed.” She slipped two fingers across her pursed lips, as if she was zipping them up. “Now, what do you need?”
He was hoping he could get out of there without giving her any details. At this point, that was about all he could hope for.
“Baby formula, newborn diapers, a few of those onesies, some undershirts, a couple baby bottles, nipples, a little knit hat and blankets, lots of those small baby blankets,” he told her all in one breath. “Oh, and baby wipes, several containers of baby wipes.”
Her eyes went wide, and she straightened up her glasses. “Now, why on earth are you in here buying up baby supplies?”
“You promised no questions. I’m depending on you.”
“But...”
He tilted his head and gave her a look.
She took a step back and let out a big sigh. “Okay, okay.” Then she quickly went about gathering up all the supplies, placing them on the counter.
After a moment she yelled from across the store, “A boy or girl?”
“Why would that matter?” He knew she was fishing.
“Just want to know if I should pick up blue or pink blankets and onesies.”
“Yellow or green will work.”
“Fine!” she said, but he could tell this secret thing was killing her.
Soon, the counter was littered with baby things. Fortunately, Jet knew enough about newborns to know they didn’t need rattles, teething toys or the high chair she’d stuck next to the counter.
In the end, he managed to get exactly what he needed, even picking up a thermal onesie suitable for winter weather and some sort of soft travel bassinet Cindy had sung the praises of. He’d have gotten a car seat as well, but it wasn’t sized for an infant. Other than that, Whipple’s One Stop truly had everything he needed for baby Lily.
He was just about to compliment Cindy Whipple when she interrupted. “I’ve thought about the expectant moms in town, and I’ve accounted for all of them. I think it’s someone from out of town. Am I right?”
“I can’t say,” Jet told her, swallowing his praise.
“Is it one of our teens? Some poor girl who has managed to keep her pregnancy a secret, even from her parents? I bet it’s Roseland Cooper, or maybe Jennifer Wells...or maybe it’s not either of them. I bet it’s one of them Century sisters, maybe Bess or Dani. Them girls always were wild...no mother to raise ’em and a dad who didn’t value nothin’ but his next drink. Just because they’re of age now doesn’t mean they’ve got a lick of common sense. Neither one of ’em could settle. Always movin’ ’round the country.”
Jet knew the Century sisters well, especially Dani Century, but he didn’t want to think about her now. That was over a long time ago, and bringing up her name only reminded him of a time in his life he didn’t want to relive, especially not tonight.
“They don’t live here anymore, Mrs. Whipple. They both headed out months ago.”
“Oh, that’s right. Time gets away from me,” she said as she bagged everything. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”
“I can’t, remember?”
“But it’s a baby. Nobody can hide a baby...unless...” She sucked in air and put her hand over her mouth.
“Unless what? Mrs. Whipple? What are you thinking?”
She leaned in closer over the counter, and whispered, “Some out-of-towner abandoned a baby at the jail, didn’t they? And your deputy is caring for it right now while you’re in here getting supplies. Child Welfare can’t do nothing about it in all this snow, and the road to the hospital is probably closed by now, so you’re stuck. I bet that’s it. You can tell me. My lips are sealed. Fort Knox.”
But Jet didn’t answer. Instead he picked up the two overflowing bags wondering how on earth Cindy Whipple could have gotten so close to the truth. The woman had a sixth sense about these things, and if Jet hung around any longer he was sure she’d figure out the baby’s name, gender and, even worse, that the baby was abandoned on Doctor Grant’s doorstep.
As he walked out of the store, he contemplated hiring Mrs. Whipple as a special investigator. Not that he ever could or would, but having her work with him seemed a lot smarter than having her working against him...of that he had no doubt.
Chapter Two
“Are we ever happy to see you,” Russ Knightly said as he opened the front door to Coco’s private residence above her clinic. The door to her clinic sat right next to her private apartment door, but despite the sign above it that touted Paws & Tails Animal Clinic, the sheriff knew her patrons managed to get the two doors confused, just as he had the first time he’d stopped by. They looked exactly alike but for the sign, which, in his opinion, should have been placed on the door itself.
Russ’s clothes looked disheveled and he wore a harried look on his cover-model face, as if the normally cavalier mayoral candidate had reached his breaking point. Even his habitually groomed dark hair was tousled.
Jet could only think of one question: Why was he here?
The shock of seeing Russ standing in Doctor Grant’s doorway instead of Doctor Grant herself threw Sheriff Wilson off his game for a moment. Of all the men in this town, Russ Knightly was the last person he ever thought he’d see anywhere near Coco Grant. For one thing, he’d thought she was a smart woman...but unless there was a really good reason for this lunkhead to be answering her door at this time of night, Jet had sorely misjudged Coco’s common sense.
“I got a call from Doctor Grant, but if you’re already here, I’ll just drop these off with you.” He shoved the bag of baby things into Russ’s hands, and placed a bigger bag of diapers and baby wipes just inside the doorway. “I’ll be on my way before the snow gets any deeper.”
Then he turned to go, angry that he’d been used as an errand boy.
“No. Wait. Aren’t you going to take the baby?”
The sheriff turned back around, detecting a hint of angst in Russ’s normally brazen voice. “Can’t. There’s nobody to care for her tonight.”
Jet proceeded down the three front steps off the wide porch, until Russ called to him again. The man had actually followed him, carrying both bags of baby things. Did Russ really think he was going to stop him from leaving?
“Well, we certainly can’t take care of it. We’re not authorized, but I know for a fact that you are. It’s your duty as town sheriff to take custody of this baby.”
Jet hesitated at the bottom of the steps on the snowy sidewalk and contemplated his options. According to the local newspaper, the Teton Valley Gazette, Russ Knightly was beating Mayor Sally Hickman by ten points. If he became mayor, he could make Jet’s life miserable, and even replace him if he so chose.
Despite all his complaints, Sheriff Jet Wilson loved his job and didn’t want to start over again in some other town...at least not yet.
“You’re right about that, Mr. Knightly. I must have been mistaken. I thought you and Doctor Grant wanted to keep that poor, destitute, abandoned child overnight, which would be fine, according to the law, as long as I approved it. Which I do.”
“Well, don’t, because we do not want to keep the baby overnight. We want you to take her. Coco...I mean, Doctor Grant, and I have other plans.”
Jet got it loud and clear. This charming snake and Doctor Grant were in a relationship. Russ might as well have sucker punched him right in the jaw. It would have made more sense than this tawdry relationship.
As much as it pained Jet, he walked back up the three steps, past Russ Knightly, then began walking up the flight of stairs to the doctor’s private residence, an apartment he’d never seen before, but had thought about many times.
“You could have carried some of this stuff, ya know,” Russ complained behind Jet as the two men made their way up the steps.
“I sure could have,” Jet said, offering no excuse, listening to Russ grunt as he tried to maneuver the steep stairs.
Jet’s guilt kicked in and he was about to turn back around and grab one of the bags from Russ when the door opened to Doctor Grant’s apartment.
She looked absolutely gorgeous, almost beatific, as if she was no longer human, but rather an angel that had come down from heaven. It was all there in her smile, a radiant, joyful smile not really intended for Jet, but coming from deep within her.
Seeing the doctor standing in the doorway, with that tiny baby cradled in her arms, wearing a beautiful black dress that hugged all her curves, her short-cropped, almost black hair hugging her face, showing off that lovely long neck of hers, earrings gently dusting her bare shoulders and the low light from her apartment bathing her body in its warm glow, took Jet’s breath away. Her steel blue eyes seemed brighter, her lips fuller, and that chiseled nose set everything off making her look regal. Doctor Coco Grant always stood up straight, proud of her six-foot height, which Jet loved considering he cleared six foot four easy.
No woman had ever had that kind of impact on him before. The world might as well have stopped spinning.
For the first time in his adult life, he knew what it meant to be tongue-tied. It was all he could do to keep from blabbing like a schoolboy.
“Thanks for coming out, Sheriff. I know it’s late, but we didn’t know what else to do,” the angel said, her voice low and enthralling.
“I...um...”
“Excuse me,” Russ said from just behind Jet, then nudged him out of the way. “But this stuff is heavy.”
That knocked Jet back into reality...the reality of an abandoned baby cuddled up against Doctor Grant, with bare shoulders exposed to the cold of the stairway.
Jet cleared his tight throat. “Not a problem,” he told Doctor Grant. “I picked up a few things on my way over.”
“More like the whole store,” Russ muttered.
All of a sudden, the baby started wailing. Jet figured it was the grating sound of Russ’s voice that set her off.
Smart baby, Jet thought.
“Why don’t you let me get some clothes on that little darlin’ while you make her a bottle. We can talk about how you found her after we get her settled,” Jet said.
From the look on Doctor Grant’s face, he could tell she hadn’t expected him to know much about babies.
“Are you sure?” she tentatively asked. “Because, I mean...”
But Jet had already taken the tiny bundle wrapped in a fuzzy white towel into his arms. She felt as light as a feather as he spoke to her in a soothing voice and gently rocked her. At once the wailing turned into tiny whimpers.
“How’d you do that?” Coco asked, but Jet wasn’t in the mood to answer her question. Instead he asked one of his own.
“Any bruises on the child?”
He walked past her and into the spacious apartment and immediately noticed all the lit candles on just about every flat surface in the large rooms, plus the open bottles of wine and scotch on the dining table that still held the remnants of what had to be a romantic dinner for two. A large bouquet of roses, undoubtedly a gift from her shining knight, sat in a clear glass vase in the center of the table.
Sheriff Jet Wilson could only imagine the disruption this little girl must have caused. He did a mental snicker.
“None that I could see,” the doctor answered using her official voice. “She looks well cared for, and she’s the appropriate size and weight for a two-week-old infant. I looked it up online.”
“That’s good. Now, where can I change her?”
“In my bedroom, down the hall on your right.”
Jet picked one of the bags of essentials that Russ had dropped on the floor and went off to make little baby Lily a bit more comfortable in this uncomfortable situation.
“Can one of you please bring in the other bag?” Jet asked, not turning back around. He assumed Russ would carry in the bulky bag, and the less he saw and spoke to that man, the better.
Just last week he thought he’d seen Russ locking lips with a petite blonde woman over in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a town less than thirty minutes from Briggs. Jet had been there for a meeting with law enforcement officials when he spotted Russ through a restaurant window cozying up with a woman Jet had never seen before. And from the way they’d been eyeing each other, Jet had assumed they were an item.
Apparently he’d been wrong.
Apparently Russ Knightly liked to spread his affections around.
“You wouldn’t be taken in by that kind of behavior, would you, Lily?”
She blinked and pushed her spindly legs out from under the towel. He could tell she didn’t particularly like that heavy towel over her. Jet put her down on the bed, opened the box of diapers, pulled one out and quickly slipped it under Lily’s bottom and fastened it. Then he grabbed a white side-snap undershirt and slipped that on her. She at once looked much more comfortable and happy.
“There, now you can relieve yourself at will, and no one will be the wiser.”
Her little arms reached up as she let out a soft wail. “Aw, sweet cakes, don’t be cryin’. We’re gonna fix you up with a bottle, and I promise you, you’ll be well taken care of. No need to make a fuss.”
As he soothed Lily, his mind wandered back to Russ and Jackson Hole, pondering whether or not the good doctor knew about the other woman or, for that matter, if the other woman knew about Doctor Grant.
And if both women knew, were they okay with it?
Call him old-fashioned, but in Jet’s world, a relationship consisted of two people who only had eyes for each other.
Unfortunately, so far, those kinds of old-fashioned ideas hadn’t panned out so well. He kept falling for the wrong women, but dang it, after his last broken heart, he’d promised himself he would never do that again.
Until the next time.
“Seems like you’ve got it covered,” Doctor Grant said from behind him, her statement confusing him for a moment.
“Yes... I mean... You are referring to baby Lily, right?”
She came around and sat on the edge of the bed, facing him. Her forehead mirrored her confusion. “What else would I be referring to?”
He needed to change the subject, and fast, as he slipped Lily into a warm, long-sleeved, bunny-covered sleeper gown and zipped it closed. “Is that bottle coming soon?”
She nodded. “Right here,” she said. “I can feed her.” She held out her arms, but Jet was reluctant to give Lily up. Instead, he gently picked her up and cradled her in his arms. She felt warm and delicate against his chest, and he had to get over the thought that she might break if he held her too tight. It had been a while, a long while, since he’d held a two-week-old baby, but he had no problem remembering exactly what to do.
“Just point me to a comfortable chair, and we’ll be fine.”
“You want to feed Lily?”
“Sure,” he told her, swiping the bottle, testing the heat of the formula on the inside of his wrist, then gently enticing Lily to take it. She fussed, and wouldn’t suckle no matter how he tried to encourage her. “Maybe she’s used to her mama’s breast, and this won’t work. If that’s true, we really have a problem.”
He glanced over at Doctor Grant, whose breasts just happened to be at eye level and looking quite tempting spilling over that low-cut neckline.
“Well, don’t look at me,” she said, immediately standing.
“I wasn’t looking... I mean... I couldn’t help but see...” He stopped and took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. “I only meant this could be a real problem if she doesn’t take the bottle.”
Jet kept trying, but Lily kept making a face and crying. He could feel the tension building down the back of his neck and in his shoulders. He never even considered that she wouldn’t take a bottle, and now he felt foolish for being so naive.
“You brought two kinds of bottles. Maybe she’ll take the other one. It’s worth a try,” Doctor Grant said.
She left the bedroom and he followed right behind, grateful that Cindy Whipple had sold him both types of bottles. If this worked, he’d have to go back and kiss her!
“So, everything’s good and you’re getting ready to leave with Lily?” Russ said to Sheriff Wilson as he and Coco headed for the kitchen. Russ sat on the sofa in the open living room, sipping on a drink, seemingly waiting for all this baby fuss to end so he could get on with his night.
“Not yet,” Jet said, trying to dismiss the vision of Russ and that blonde, seeming so cozy.
“Lily won’t take her bottle,” Doctor Grant told him, sounding concerned.
“Maybe she’s not hungry,” Russ answered, as if he knew something about babies. “A hungry baby will eat.”
“Where did you hear that?” Jet asked, but kept heading for the kitchen with Doctor Grant.
“I just made it up, but it sounds perfectly reasonable.”
Jet couldn’t help an eye roll. Fortunately, only Lily could see him, and when he gazed down at her, she seemed to appreciate the gesture as she sucked on her fist.
“Apparently you don’t know much about babies. According to Sheriff Wilson, they’re particular, especially if they’ve only been nursed. She may only accept a breast,” Doctor Grant told him, as she rinsed the other bottle, the one with a nipple that looked more like a woman’s breast.
“Then go find her one. There must be several women in this town who are nursing their babies.”
Doctor Grant stopped what she was doing and stared at Russ. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Well, what’s the alternative?”
“We have another bottle. It has a different nipple,” Jet said.
“And if that doesn’t work?”
“Pray that it does,” Doctor Grant said, her voice firm and filled with agitation. “Because if it doesn’t, we’re all in for a world of trouble.”
Lily began wailing again, louder than ever. Doctor Grant took the bottle from Jet and sped up the procedure.
Russ abruptly stood. “Well, I can see that the two of you have this covered, so I’m going to be on my way,” he shouted over Lily’s protest. “If you need anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate to call.”
“You’re leaving? Now?” Doctor Grant asked, as if his departure took her by surprise. Jet’s only surprise was that Russ hadn’t left when Lily first arrived.
“Sorry, baby, but I’ve got a lot to do tomorrow, especially if the snow keeps falling like it is,” Russ told Doctor Grant. “It proves my point that Sally Hickman isn’t fit to be mayor. When I’m the mayor there will be more than enough snowplows to keep our roads cleared.”