Wanted: Parents for a Baby! by Laura Iding Read Free Book Online Page A

We’re going to give you some food to help you grow big and strong. You’re going to be just fine, you’ll see.”
    The way Cassie soothed Emma made him wish desperately that things could be different. He’d been fighting the chemistry sizzling between them for a couple of months now, knowing he couldn’t dare act on it. Not just because they worked together, although that certainly didn’t help matters, but because she deserved someone better than him.
    Finding Victoria and his unborn son deadfrom an accidental overdose had broken something deep inside him. A portion of his heart that he didn’t have a clue how to fix.
    As much as he adored children, he wasn’t ready for a relationship. Not now.
    Maybe not ever.
    * * *
    Cassie glanced over her shoulder, watching covertly as Ryan walked away. That had been the most personal conversation they’d ever had and she couldn’t imagine why she’d told him about her ex. And then he’d shocked her further when he’d jumped to her defense with the case worker from Child Protective Services. Maybe he had reservations about her idea of applying to be a foster parent for Emma, but that hadn’t stopped him from offering to give her a reference.
    She knew she shouldn’t read too much into his actions, although at the same time she was certain she hadn’t imagined the spark of attraction that had sizzled between them.
    The very idea that he might be as attracted to her as she was to him made her face go hot. And she couldn’t deny a tiny sense of panic. How could she go out with someone as amazing as Ryan? Her ex had been a handsome pharmacist, with women throwing themselvesat him, and she hadn’t been enough to satisfy him. Plus, Ryan didn’t know the truth about her miscarriages, either.
    She took deep breaths to calm herself down. Most likely Ryan was just being nice. He obviously cared about Emma’s fate. And she was exhausted from her restless night. Maybe she’d imagined the awareness between them. Imagined the husky way he’d said her full name.
    Cassandra .
    Her knees went weak and she dropped into the seat near Emma’s computer. What was wrong with her? This wasn’t the time or place to think about the attraction she felt for Ryan. She needed to keep her mind focused on important matters, like giving Emma her first tube feeding and placing eye protection on Barton prior to placing him beneath the bili lights.
    But as she cared for little Barton, Ryan’s voice lingered in her mind. When the baby’s parents came in to give him his noon feeding, she was grateful to head over to spend more time with Emma.
    The baby’s seizure precautions were still in place, despite the fact that there hadn’t been any documented seizure activity since thefirst one shortly after her admission. Still, Cassie knew they needed to be careful not to overstimulate Emma. Too much stimulation could actually cause the seizures to return. So after giving Emma her second feeding Cassie settled behind the computer to look up information on being a foster parent.
    The amount of paperwork was overwhelming, but she refused to let that stop her. She printed out the application and the instructions, tucking them in her purse so she could review the information on her break.
    Her shift dragged by slowly, no doubt because she was anxious to get to city hall. The fact that Ryan had gone home, leaving Dr. Matthew as the neonatal intensivist in charge, had nothing to do with it.
    At least, that’s what she tried to tell herself. Not very convincingly either.
    To keep Ryan from crowding her thoughts, she focused on getting all her work finished. By two forty-five, Cassie was ready to go. She went over one last time to Emma’s warmer, realizing that as she was off on Saturday, she wouldn’t get to see the baby until her shift started on Sunday at three o’clock in the afternoon.
    â€œYou’re