When the doorbell rang twenty minutes later, she rushed to the door, relieved to see Evan. “You’re my hero.”
He handed her the pack of diapers and laughed. “Doesn’t take much to please you.”
Janie opened the back and removed one. “Not tonight it doesn’t.”
“I picked up burgers.” He set two brown bags and sodas on the table. “Nothing special, but I didn’t want to take longer than necessary.”
“Burgers are good. Thanks.” She knelt on the floor and put the clean diaper on Ava. “Do you mind waiting to eat until after I give her a bottle? Her mom said it should put her to sleep.”
“Fine with me.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “Do you mind if I use your charger?”
“Go ahead.” She nodded toward the counter where she’d moved it to earlier. “You can take my tablet off.”
“Thanks.”
She scooped Ava off the floor and kissed her nose. “Want to hold her while I make the bottle?”
Evan eyed the baby with uncertainty. “I don’t have much experience with babies.”
“You don’t need any to hold her.”
“Okay.” His pupils dilated with fear as he cradled Ava in his arms.
She grinned at him from the sink where she heated water for the bottle. “You can relax. She won’t bite.”
“I know that.”
“Wait until you have your own kid.” She dumped the scoops of formula into the water and shook it hard until it mixed together. “You’ll be an old pro by then.”
A startled expression flashed across his eyes. He jumped from the chair and brought Ava to her. “Here. I think she wants you again.”
“A grown man scared of a little baby.” She winked at Evan, then cooed at Ava. She carried her and the bottle to the living room and sat in the recliner. “Could you turn the TV on to one of the local stations? It sounds like the winds picking up.”
“Sure.” Evan leaned forward from his spot on the sofa and picked up the remotes from the coffee table.
The regular programming played, but a tornado watch and severe thunderstorm alert scrolled along the bottom of the screen.
“Lovely.” She clutched Ava closer to her.
The baby happily sucked on the bottle, oblivious to the potential of severe weather.
“I wouldn’t worry.” He switched to another local station that gave the same warnings. “We get tornado watches all the time and nothing ever comes of them.”
“Still, I’d feel better not having someone else’s baby under my care if one came through.” She brushed a finger along Ava’s downy hairline. “Not that I mind watching you one bit. You’re a sweet pea.”
Evan frowned at her, but she didn’t know why. He focused his attention on the television, and wouldn’t look at her.Strange.
True to her mom’s word, Ava fell asleep three-quarters of the way through her bottle.
Janie spent several extra minutes with her, enjoying the feel of a baby in her arms. She stole a glance at Evan. Would she have her own baby in the near future? She stood as gracefully as possible and laid Ava in the portable playpen.
When she turned around, Evan stood directly in front of her.
He breathed in and let the air out slowly. “I can’t do this.”
She raised her brows, felt her forehead wrinkle. “Can’t do what?”
“Us.”
