CHAPTER 15
Naomi stoodunder the spray of the shower with her eyes closed, letting the heat work into the knots between her shoulder blades. Grace was asleep in her bassinet.
Three days had passed since Grace’s arrival.
Naomi had spent most of those three days in a fog of formula and fragmented sleep, running on coffee and whatever her mom or Millie managed to put in front of her.
She should feel overwhelmed.
Part of her did.
But the other part—the part that lit up every time Grace turned her face toward her, the part that had started memorizing the way the baby’s fingers curled around her thumb—that part wasn’t overwhelmed at all.
That part was already in too deep.
Not only that, but Good Boy was still with her. No one had called to claim him.
The dog was faithful and content. He’d filled out some already from being fed and taken care of. And he never left her side.
He fit right in here at Refuge Cove, and part of Naomi hoped no one called about him.
She turned off the water and reached for a towel.
Her mom had come for the day. She and Millie would hold things down at the shelter and had offered to watch Grace. Madelyn, their only guest, had actually left yesterday. A great aunt had offered to let her live at her place, and Madelyn had wanted to go.
Though it felt weird not to have any women at Refuge Cove, maybe the timing was good. They had a lot on their plate with Grace right now. Besides, they could get a call for another placement at any time.
Today, Naomi had a small window of time to get into town, handle things with her auto insurance company, and get back. Working around an infant was certainly different—and challenging. But another part of her loved it.
However, if she didn’t have such a strong community around her offering support, life would be a lot more difficult. She was so thankful her mother and Millie were available to help.
She dressed fast—jeans, a sweater, boots—and pulled her hair back without looking in the mirror. Then she grabbed her keys off the counter and headed toward the stairs.
Grace was asleep in Naomi’s mom’s arms in the living room, her tiny face peaceful.
Naomi paused beside her and whispered, “I won’t be long.”
Her mom looked up and smiled. “Take your time. We’re fine here.”
Naomi crossed the room and pressed a kiss to Grace’s forehead—so light she barely made contact. The baby didn’t stir.
“Be careful,” her mom added, and something in her voice made Naomi look up.
“I will.”
She said goodbye to Millie and Caleb on her way out, waved at Max, and scratched the lab’s ears one more time before stepping out into the cold.
She probably should have mentioned to Micah that she was heading into town. The thought crossed her mind as she unlocked her SUV.
But Grace wasn’t with her, and Micah had only offered to escort her when the baby was along. That made sense. It was more official that way, more part of his job. This was just errands. Nothing that required backup.
As she walked toward the driver’s side door, she saw the dent in her bumper. The damage wasn’t bad enough to keep her off the road, but it was bad enough to remember.
You should’ve slowed down.
Travis’s mocking voice echoed in her mind.
Naomi climbed inside and clutched the wheel.
