“Plus twenty-five percent,” I said. He probably would have agreed to anything, but I wasn’t out to take total advantage. “And just until you can find someone else.”
He nodded.
“I’ll let Ruby know I won’t be able to keep my shifts at the Merc and give Mr. Farley my notice. I’ve already paid my rent this week, so I don’t need a place to stay until next weekend. You’ve got three weeks. I need to be back on the road by the first of November.”
He was either too relieved to wonder where I was going or too tired to ask. “Thank you, Rose. What time can you be here in the morning? I’m supposed to start a twenty-four-hour shift at the station the day after tomorrow.”
“Is eight okay?” That was only twelve hours away, barely enough time to get back to the trailer, fix something to eat, and get a decent night’s sleep.
“That would be great. I’ll try not to break her before you get back.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“You won’t.” My reassurance shouldn’t make a difference, but it seemed like it did. I left him standing in the doorway, with the light from inside outlining his massive silhouette. By the time I reached my truck, the cool night air hadn’t done a thing to clear my head. I’d told him I was just helping out, but part of me already knew I was in deeper than that.
CHAPTER 3
CULLEN
Every time Callie cried in the middle of the night, my gut reacted the same way it did at the first crackle of a wildfire, my heart pounding, waiting for the next move to be the wrong one. Rose was a godsend. With her help, taking on the responsibilities of fatherhood didn’t seem as overwhelming. She handled everything while I was away on a twenty-four-hour shift and coached me through how to take care of Calliope during my forty-eight hours off. It had been a full week since I’d found out I was a dad, and I was starting to get the hang of the baby’s schedule.
Ruby had been a huge help as well. She showed up on my porch after her trip to Bozeman with shopping bags full of tiny pink clothes. The best part was that she hadn’t given me any grief for hiring Rose out from under her. I got the feeling she’d only offered her the job at the Merc as a way for Rose to make enough money to pay for the repairs to her old Bronco. She’d warned me that Rose was a temporary solution, but I hadn’t had a chance to look for something more permanent yet. Not when I spent every waking moment marveling at how much Calliope had changed in the short week she’d been with me.
Fires, I understood. They burned hot, fast, and left nothing but ash when they were done. Babies were different. They burned slow and steady and straight through a man’s defenses.
The fallout from town hadn’t been as bad as I’d anticipated either. Priest had rallied a bunch of the Mustang Mountain Riders to bring over everything they thought I’d need and then some. Rose had pulled out the stuff I could use, including the baby carrier thingy that I currently had strapped to my chest.
I was off today and decided it was time to introduce Calliope to a few of my buddies. We were meeting Miles and Kinley at the cafe to go over some videos that had been recovered from trail cams the night of the fire at their place. Rose was coming with me on our first adventure out of the house. She and Calliope had gone into town a few days ago to pick up more formula and diapers, but this was my first time taking her out in public.
Walking into the cafe with a baby attached to my chest caught everyone’s attention. Funny how a man could charge into a burning building without blinking, but one baby carrier and a room full of eyes had my palms sweating. I wasn’t just imagining it when a collective hush fell over the room. But as soon as Miles stood and headed our way, silverware clanked on plates again and people turned their focus back to their lunch.
“You look like a natural already,” Miles said.
“Hardly.” I undid the carrier and pulled Calliope free. “I’m taking it day by day.”
“He’s doing great,” Rose piped up from my side.
Miles looked down at her. “You’re Rose, right?”
She nodded, and I wanted to kick myself for not making the introduction myself. “She’s also an angel. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
Rose glanced up at me, her cheeks pink from the compliment. “You’d figure it out.”
“Give me that baby.” Kinley held out her arms. “You have no idea how excited I’ve been to meet her.”
I passed Calliope over. Kinley immediately shifted her onto her hip. Calliope looked over at me like she wanted reassurance. Her bottom lip trembled. My heart gave a little tug that I didn’t know what to do with, then Kinley held out her necklace, and the baby grabbed it with her pudgy little hand.
“I’m going to grab a highchair,” I said. No one seemed to care, since they’d been just as captivated by the beautiful baby girl as I’d been.
When I came back, Kinley had taken a seat and pulled a few toys out of the diaper bag. Rose mixed a bottle and passed it over so Kinley could feed her.
“You need a burp cloth,” I said. “She gets lazy about three quarters of the way through and will dribble all over your shirt if you’re not careful.”
“Wow, Cullen. You’re really into this, aren’t you?” Kinley shot me a smile and took the burp cloth Rose offered.
Warmth spread through my chest. Maybe it was pride for how much progress I’d made in a week. Maybe it was a touch of embarrassment for how attached I’d already become to a fifteen-pound baby girl.
“He’s a great dad.” Rose glanced over at me, a soft smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Callie’s lucky to have him.”
“Callie, huh?” Miles asked.
