There were piles of boxes of nappies, baby wipes, and formula all along the base of the island.
A baby’s cot was situated behind the sofa. A changing table on the other side of the room near the dining table. There were toys and teddies scattered here and there. And the room smelled of baby powder.
“Fyfe …” I approached man and child, and he looked at me as he wiped the corner of the baby’s mouth.
His eyes gleamed with anguish. “A woman I … I had a fling with left Millie on my doorstep two days ago. Left a note with Millie telling me she was mine and that she couldn’t take care of her anymore.”
Oh my fecking gawd.
A slight curl curved his mouth. “Aye, that look on your face is pretty much what I looked like two days ago.”
My gaze flew to the wee thing. She was beautiful. “How … how could she leave her?”
“I don’t know,” he whispered hoarsely.
Aching for him, I reached out to squeeze his arm. I knew this had to be bringing up his own feelings of abandonment.
Fyfe looked at my hand as if he was shocked I’d touched him.
I withdrew my hand and asked gently, “Are you sure she’s yours?”
“No. I did one of those at-home paternity tests yesterday and mailed it out right away. It can take up to two weeks to get the results.”
Mind whirring, I glanced around the room again. “You bought all this in two days?”
“I didn’t have much choice. Drove to Inverness the day I got Millie, paid extra to have them deliver it next day.”
Of course he did. Fyfe thought he wasn’t capable of caring about people, but when called upon to do it, he threw all of himself into it. Turning to Millie who was staring at me, I smiled and brushed my fingertips over her soft, rounded cheek. “Aren’t you beautiful, wee yin?”
Fyfe sucked in a breath.
“What?”
“That’s just … that’s what I’ve been calling her. Wee yin.”
I smiled at Millie. “Wee yin. But you have such a pretty name, Millie Billie. Don’t you?” I raised my arms toward her and asked, “May I?”
“Sure.”
“How old is she?” I asked as I lifted her from the high chair and into my arms.
“She has to be around nine months, I reckon.”
“This … woman—” I tried not to feel anything at the thought of Fyfe being with someone else and that resulting in him being tied to her forever through their child. “She didn’t leave a birth certificate?”
“Nothing but a note that Millie is mine and that she couldn’t look after her anymore.”
Sympathy scored through me at the anger in his words.
“Oh, Millie.” I smoothed a soothing hand over her warm back as she reached for one of my curls. “Everything is going to be all right, my darling. Look how well you’re being looked after. Just like the wee princess you are.” I grinned at her and her eyes flashed to my smile. “Aren’t you the most beautiful baby girl? Oh my goodness, I could eat you up.”
She let out a little giggle and my heart swelled. Turning to grin at Fyfe, my lips halted mid curve at the abject longing on his face.
Overanalyzing his expression was asking to have my head messed with again, so I turned away and began walking with Millie through the living space. “Look at this teddy.” I picked up the gorgeous white polar bear. “Do you like it? Isn’t he pretty?”
Millie grabbed the polar bear in both hands and stuffed his nose into her mouth.
“What shall we call him? Hmm? Mr. Polar?”
