Colton Family Showdown Read online

  “You said you had younger siblings?” he asked.

  She pounced on the distraction. “Yes. I’m from a big family.” She hoped this might be the start of an interview, as long as he didn’t try to hire her as a nanny. “Caring for our younger siblings was expected.”

  “Did you resent it?” He sat down on a counter stool.

  “Only once in a while,” she replied. Before she’d discovered there was more to life, she’d been quite content to obey and cooperate and generally toe the family line.

  He chuckled. “I understand. I was one of seven.”

  He must have come along too late in the birth order to learn much about infants. “Well, your unexpected guest here is growing fast. And possibly cutting his first tooth.”

  He groaned. “My little sister’s baby is two years old now. She had a rough time when her teeth came in.”

  “Teething becomes a struggle for everyone,” Kelsey agreed. Fortunately a couple of her last nanny posts were for preschoolers, so teething wasn’t an issue. “If there was a nanny union, trust me, we’d negotiate for hazard pay.”

  “If it means avoiding more agonizing hours like this last one, I’d meet all of your demands.” He sat forward. “Why did you miss the interview we had scheduled?”

  She started to mention the email and voice mail she’d sent and stopped. Criticizing the boss wasn’t the best way to get acquainted. “Car trouble. My apologies.” The baby kicked and gurgled and she pulled the bottle out of his reach while he amused himself with the tassel on her jacket zipper.

  “Shouldn’t he finish?” Fox asked.

  “He will,” she assured him. Within a minute, the baby was reaching for the bottle again.

  Fox cleared his throat. “I reviewed your résumé a few days ago. I know you’re not here for a nanny position, but you can see I’m in a bind. Kids aren’t...” He stopped cleared his throat. “I could use the help while I track down his real family. I’m not sure why he was left at my door, but I can’t manage him alone.”

  So he was more afraid of the baby than of her. More likely he was afraid of what he didn’t know about the baby. He wouldn’t be the first dad she’d worked for who felt overwhelmed by the task.

  “I made the trek out here to work with you, specifically on the genetics and bloodstock advising.”

  “And I’m looking forward to having you on board, in the lab and the barn,” he replied.

  Another surprise. She had arguments ready to convince him about what she could bring to his business. After missing the interview, she’d worried that wouldn’t be enough. He needed an assistant and she needed a mental and professional challenge. The big sky and wide-open spaces where no one from her past could interfere with her plans and dreams were the perfect bonus. She lifted the baby to her shoulder and patted his back until he belched. They both laughed and the baby grinned. He was beyond cute when he wasn’t screaming. Then again, most babies were. Fox’s deep chuckle put a sparkle in his eye. It was improbable to think he loved the baby, but she could see he already cared.

  “Your credentials in your field are remarkable, Miss Lauder.”

  “Call me Kelsey,” she said as the baby took the bottle again.

  “Kelsey, the job you came for is yours, whether or not you help with the baby. While he’s only here temporarily, he will be around the house and the office. Foster care is a last resort.”

  Heat flooding her cheeks, she kept her head down, reeling from the way he said her name. This rush of awareness dancing through her system had never been so acute. She had a job—the job that could make her career—and she couldn’t quite process the accomplishment because of her attraction to her new boss. Who was now off-limits.

  “Baby John is only temporary,” he repeated. “I’ll find someone else if you’d rather not take on the nanny role.”

  “You said you didn’t know his name,” she said.

  Fox’s gaze rested on the infant, who was almost dozing now. “Baby John Doe.” He shrugged. “Just until we find his parents.”

  The name made sense in a sad way. “How do you see the hours going? If I took on both roles,” she clarified. She’d worked both live-in child care and hourly. Would he put her up in one of the bunkhouses on the ranch to be close? That would be a big financial perk. Or would she need to find an apartment and a reliable car in a hurry?

  “To start, I’d want you to primarily be on baby detail and get acclimated with the ranch routine and business as time allows. I don’t want to run you ragged.”

  “I’ve never been afraid of hard work,” she assured him. Slowly, she drew the empty bottle from the baby’s mouth and maneuvered him to get another small burp. He snuggled against her shoulder, his downy hair tickling her skin.

  “That was immediately clear on your résumé. Not many people can be employed full-time and maintain the GPA you held in school.

  “I’ll pay you a competitive salary for each position.”

  She couldn’t have heard him correctly. It took every ounce of her self-control to keep still for the baby.

  “Once Baby John is settled with his family,” Fox continued, “we’ll cut that back to the consulting position. In the meantime, if you’re comfortable with it, I’d like you to stay here. Consider the room and board a benefit in addition to your pay.”

  Maybe she was addled from walking and the stress of being late, but this offer had escalated quickly. She couldn’t say no.

  “Room and board and one salary is plenty,” she began. “I—”

  Fox sat up straight, his palms flat on strong thighs. “I need you to say yes. You’ll be paid well for both positions,” he reiterated. “It will make up for the fact that my house only has one bathroom.”

  He looked so sheepish about it, she wanted to laugh. “Then yes.” In her wildest dreams she hadn’t imagined the interview going this well. As the baby dozed on her shoulder, she shifted the conversation toward his breeding program and the number of foals he expected in the spring.

  Her heart soared to be having an engaging, animated discussion with her professional idol even as she held someone else’s infant in her arms.

  “Is there a bed for him?” she asked. “It’s better if he can sleep on his own, even for short naps.” Better for both baby and caregiver.

  “I’ll give you the full tour.” He motioned for her to follow him down a hallway and into a neat guest room. Bookshelves flanked the bed and a recliner upholstered in weathered leather had been tucked into the corner near the window. “This can be your room for the duration. Hang on.”

  She waited, then stepped aside as he returned with a bulky rectangular object.

  “I used this for his bed.” He settled the box into the corner by the closet and adjusted the quilt he’d used to pad it so it couldn’t bunch up as the baby slept. “Unless you think it’s unsafe.”

  “No, it’s clever,” she said, admiring his ingenuity. “I never would’ve thought to repurpose a hay bin for a crib.” She settled Baby John Doe into the makeshift crib and breathed a sigh of relief when he didn’t wake up.

  “It’s clean.” He started forward and stopped himself. “And it rocks a little, too.”

  Kelsey obliged, rocking the hay bin, though the baby was out cold. “I bet he’ll be a good sleeper,” she murmured when they were back in the hall. “Do you have a baby monitor?” He shook his head, so she left the door cracked to be sure she heard the infant when he woke.

  “Bathroom’s right here.” Fox reached into the open doorway and flipped the light switch.

  She peeked in to see a well-designed bathroom space with all the necessities in upgraded finishes. “Two sinks? Smart.”

  “When I didn’t add a second bathroom to the floorplan my sister, Sloane, insisted on two sinks.”

  “She lived with you?”

  “No, but she harbors hope that
eventually another woman will.” He looked at her, his eyebrows drawing together. “I guess she was right.”

  Kelsey grinned, understanding sibling dynamics. “Since I’m only temporary, it’s up to you how right she is.”

  His smile was slow with an ornery tilt and then it was gone. “Will it be a problem sharing a room with the baby?”

  “Not at all.” The baby would be a more congenial roommate than her last two had been. The guest room was a vast improvement over the cramped lab tech housing in the dorm she’d left behind. Sharing a bathroom with only one adult? This might be the best corporate housing ever.

  “Thanks, Kelsey. I really appreciate this.” When they were back in the main room, he said, “Did you need to cancel a hotel reservation?”

  “Oh, I hadn’t found a motel.” She laced her fingers together to keep her hands still.

  “Perfect.” He started for the door. “I’ll help you bring in your things.”

  “Wait. My stuff is still in my car, which broke down. That’s why I was late,” she reminded him.

  He glanced to the front door, though he couldn’t see the driveway from here. “Oh. I assumed...”

  “The car is a few miles east of town. I grabbed a ride part of the way and walked the rest.”

  His eyebrows shot up to his hairline. “You walked?”

  “The rideshare app didn’t have anyone available,” she said, waving off his concern. “The car is safely on the shoulder. It’s too dark to head out there now. It can wait until tomorrow.”

  “All right.” He checked the windows and released a breath. “I guess we’d better find food for the two of us.”

  Her stomach growled, and his grin flashed again. It was amazing to feel both safe and valued. To be employed twice over. Though she’d learned to protect herself through the years, living under Fox’s roof gave her an extra layer of security she appreciated right now.

  Chapter 2

  Hours later, after they’d demolished a couple of burgers and a salad, Fox watched as Kelsey sat on the floor in front of his fireplace. She changed the baby into a clean diaper and pajamas at light speed. It didn’t seem to impede her progress when the baby kicked his legs or tried to roll one way or another.

  Her sleek, strawberry-blond hair was still locked into a bun at the back of her head and he wondered how long it was when it was loose. She was a petite thing, with big hazel eyes in a pixie’s face. He’d studied her résumé and read through the positive letters of reference from labs and stables alike. She exuded strength of character as well as physical confidence. Whatever had brought her to his door, he counted himself extremely lucky.

  She bumped her nose to the baby’s and then did something with the last clean blanket that calmed Baby John instantly. When she lifted him to the crook of her arm he was wholly content.

  “He looks like a baby burrito,” Fox observed wryly.

  She put the baby into his arms. “Swaddling is the technical term,” she said, her voice as light and soft as a cloud. “But baby burrito works.” She cleaned up everything and went to wash her hands. “Be right back.”

  He stared down into the baby’s blue eyes. Was this one of his brother’s children?

  “I tossed in a load of his laundry so we have clean clothing for tomorrow,” she said when she returned. “Want me to take him?”

  Yes. No. Fox held on for the moment, more relaxed now that he had some help. He’d never known how soothing and right it felt to hold a happy infant. He didn’t remember days like this with Sloane’s daughter. His niece was like a hummingbird, always on the move or chattering. Often at a volume that made his ears cringe. “I looked up swaddling online. They make it look easy in the videos.”

  The baby yawned and scrunched up his mouth. Fox panicked, standing up and striding to Kelsey. “What does he need?”

  “Probably this.” Kelsey popped the pacifier into the little guy’s mouth.

  “Probably you,” Fox said, handing the baby back into the arms of the expert.

  He stared at her, openly in awe of her skills with the baby. She made child care look more like child’s play. “How do you know what to do and when?”

  He peered over her shoulder into the infant’s drowsy eyes. Baby John yawned again and then worked the pacifier.

  “Years of practice,” she said, rubbing the baby’s back while she held him close.

  “You don’t look old enough to be Mary Poppins.”

  According to her résumé, she’d had two jobs as a nanny during her undergraduate years and occasional stints of child care between internships while she finished her master’s degree.

  “Brilliant and funny,” she mused. “Good qualities in a boss.”

  He hadn’t really been joking. According to her bio, she’d just turned thirty. Maybe dealing with babies had more to do with some innate female intuition than women wanted to admit. He wasn’t about to say that out loud and have her walk out on him.

  “I wish I knew how to find his family.” He walked over and stared out the big windows that overlooked the nearby paddock. He could just make out the lights in the bunkhouse beyond the barn. “Someone has to be missing him.”

  “That doesn’t mean someone wants him back,” Kelsey murmured.

  “I guess you’re right.” He hadn’t thought of it that way. Should have. Hell, he hadn’t had much time to think at all since taking the baby in. “I assumed the mother dropped him here, though I don’t have any reason for that assumption other than the way he arrived.” And now he had Deputy Bloom’s concern in his head, as well. What if Baby John’s mother was a victim of the Avalanche Killer?

  “How was he dropped off?” Kelsey asked.

  “He was bundled up in a car seat. The diaper bag was stocked. He was clean.” The baby had smelled like his niece just out of the tub. He hadn’t made that connection until just now.

  “So the basics of food, clothing and safety were met?”

  “Yes. My first thought was that the baby was supposed to be dropped off at Wyatt’s place.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he’s my brother. Deliveries frequently get messed up between his address and mine.” He laughed. “And because his wife just delivered a baby boy. The day before this little guy showed up.”

  Kelsey smiled. “Logical.”

  He grinned down at her. They both knew it wasn’t the least bit logical.

  “He’s out,” she whispered. “I’ll go put him to bed.”

  “He’ll cry,” Fox warned. Last night his heart had broken a little more every time the baby fussed. Although he’d napped quietly for a couple of hours while they’d eaten dinner and discussed horses. He and Kelsey had similar philosophies about breeding, and she was as familiar with his primary goal to breed a healthier quarter horse for ranchers as he was.

  “We’ll figure it out,” she promised.

  Her confidence balanced his lack thereof. She headed down the hall and he went to the kitchen for a beer. When she came back, only silence behind her, he shook his head.

  “Miracle worker.”

  “I’m not,” she insisted. “You just have a tired, content baby.”

  “Want a beer?”

  “No thanks.” She walked around him and poured herself a glass of water instead. “Did you notify the authorities when he showed up?”

  He was pleased she was already so at home in his house. “Yes.” It helped to have someone to talk with, even if she was mostly a stranger. Except she felt like a friend after the time he’d spent reviewing her résumé. “I went straight to the sheriff’s office. Fortunately or not, depending on your viewpoint, no one in the area has reported a missing baby.”

  “I’m surprised they didn’t take him off your hands.”

  “They tried.” Goose bumps rose on his arms and he rode out the chill that followed. “Sheriff Colton
—he’s a cousin—told me they’d call in child services to take care of him. But it felt wrong.” He couldn’t meet her gaze, unwilling to bare his soul completely. “Someone left him here, on the Crooked C. Everyone knows this is Colton property. I couldn’t turn around and hand him over to strangers.”

  “I’m not judging you,” she said so low he thought he’d imagined it. “I expect the sheriff was confident you could handle it.”

  Fox laughed. “Feel free to call and tell him the truth.”

  Her smile radiated equal parts amusement and acceptance. He hadn’t seen that kind of look aimed his way since he was a kid.

  “It’s not considered news anymore, but my sister and I were adopted by Russ and Mara Colton when my parents died. Mara was my mom’s older sister. She and Russ took us in rather than let us go into foster care.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss. The change must have been a relief as well as a challenge.”

  “Exactly both. They kept us with family and raised us as if we were theirs from the start.” There were inevitable differences between his parents and Mara and Russ, but he’d always felt awkward and ungrateful when he dwelled on them.

  “And you wanted the same for Baby John.”

  “Family is important...” His voice trailed off as a wealth of painful old memories and newfound worries assailed him. His dad hadn’t been the best example of patience and kindness. Fox couldn’t help wondering if and when he might snap and do the wrong thing. “If he’s a Colton we need to know. I’ll start asking my brothers tomorrow.”

  “Asking is a good start, but why not run the DNA?” she queried.

  “I should’ve thought of that.” Proving he wasn’t the father might light a fire under Trey to launch an investigation into the baby’s real parents.