With a Little T.L.C. by Teresa Southwick Read Free Book Online Page B

delivery. Her mother was resting comfortably. The family pediatrician had checked out the new arrival who was now peacefully slumbering after her traumatic ordeal.
    Liz wheeled her into the nursery and parked the isolette beside an empty one. She leaned over the tiny newborn and smiled again. “It doesn’t seem fair, little one. For nine months life is good. Then, bam. You make your entrance into the world and your dignity is stripped away. I promise it gets better, princess.”
    â€œDo you know that from personal experience?”
    Liz whirled at the sound of the familiar deep voice. Joe. “What are you doing here?”
    â€œI could ask you the same question.”
    â€œI work here.” And until now working successfully at avoiding you, she silently added.
    â€œI volunteer here,” he said.
    She knew that too. For the last few weeks, he’d kept his promise and shown up for the 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. cuddler shift. Sometimes he worked more than once a week. She’d made a point of reading the volunteer sign-in sheet, just to check up on him.
    â€œSo I see. Why so early?” she asked, shaking her head. “Let me rephrase. It’s not early. It’s practically the middle of the night. Are you crazy?”
    â€œI know this isn’t the customary time,” was all he said.
    â€œThat’s it?” She shook her head. “You have an annoying habit of not embellishing.”
    He shrugged. “I’m a man of few words.”
    Who apparently didn’t need a lot of sleep, she thought. He confidently held the infant in his arms as he sat in the rocking chair. His cheeks and jaw were smudged with whiskers. His dark hair was rumpled as if he’d just rolled out of bed. A visual that did strange things to her insides.
    â€œThis isn’t the shift you agreed to. Breaking the rules already, I see,” she teased, mildly surprised that she bore him no ill will. But it was darn near impossible to work up a good mad at a hunky guy holding a newborn baby.
    â€œThe night security officer let me in,” he offered.
    â€œI’m not questioning your method. Just your timing. It’s four in the morning. Shouldn’t you be getting your beauty sleep?”
    â€œNo.” He met her gaze. “And since when do you work this shift?”
    She’d just been thinking the average adult should be sleeping and only the batty ones were up and about. Apparently she and Joe both needed to take a sanity pill.
    â€œI fill in where necessary,” she said with a shrug.
    Two could play their cards close to the vest. He wasn’t talking about why he was there so early. She sure as shootin’ wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of revealing that she had done it a lot lately. Mostly to avoid watching him trifle with female hearts.
    But even a cynic like herself couldn’t help noticing that 4:30 a.m. wasn’t the most favorable flirting time. The majority of the staff on this shift had specific reasons for working it. Primarily children. A two-income household could easily split child care responsibilities this way.
    Joe shifted his position in the rocker. “The hospital is lucky to have someone so dedicated.”
    The compliment warmed her. “Thanks. I think of it the other way around. I’m grateful to have them.” She angled her head toward the bundle he was holding. “She’s a beauty isn’t she?”
    He glanced down and smiled, a tender look that tugged at Liz’s heart. “Yeah,” he said.
    â€œBoggles the mind, doesn’t it? Life is a blank slate for this little girl. She has to learn to walk, talk—everything.”
    Joe looked at her. “It’s hard to believe that one short year ago my niece was about this size. Now she’s walking.”
    â€œIs she?” Liz was genuinely interested.
    He nodded. “It’s amazing how much ground she covers with her short, pudgy