Page 31 of The Rough Ride (Sanctuary, Inc. #3)

N ick pulled up in front of Liz’s house and parked.

It sure was a friendly looking neighborhood.

Flagstone ranchers lined the streets, each with a striking front garden, and different color front doors with matching shutters.

Liz’s yard distinguished itself with mounds of multi-colored impatiens and a pink crepe myrtle in full bloom.

Judging by the combination of older folks and young children he’d seen on the neighborhood playground, it was a happy mix of every ethnicity and age.

It looked like a comfortable place to live.

Liz should be home from work any minute now. Granted, her car wasn’t in the driveway, but maybe she’d parked in the garage. There was a lot of commotion down the block. Two police cars and an ambulance. He narrowed his eyes at the scene before striding to the Nelson front door and ringing the bell.

No answer. He rang the bell again. Maybe she was changing out of her work clothes.

Still no answer. He banged the knocker a few times, walked to the garage and peered inside. The only car in there belonged to Liz’s mom. He’d just hang in the truck until Liz got home.

As he unlocked his car, someone called his name. Arlene hurried toward him with Ella in the stroller.

“Hey Nick, I’m so glad Liz got a hold of you. Happy Labor Day.” She gave him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. “Follow me.” She fumbled with the house key on her lanyard and unlocked the door. “Come on in.”

“It’s nice to see you, Arlene. Been what, a couple years? Your new digs are nice.” He carried the stroller up the few stairs and set it down in the living room.

Arlene scooped Ella into her arms. “Thanks. I like it. Large enough for company but not overwhelming like the big place we had when Liz was growing up. Plus, with Hank gone, I needed to move near my friends.”

“I didn’t think you were due home from the beach until later tonight.”

“We left early this morning and got home three hours ago. I could tell when I talked to Liz last night that she wasn’t comfortable leaving Ella with Vera for a full day.

We just left the beach a few hours earlier than expected, although, truth be told, I could’ve stayed at the ocean for the whole month of September.

That sunshine and sand did my heart a lot of good. ”

He stuffed his hands in his pocket while the baby squirmed to get a look at him. “I’ll bet. Liz said you’ve been a real help to her with Ella and everything.”

Arlene smiled. “Aww, that’s sweet. I love my daughter more than anything, Nick.

” She kissed Ella’s head and straightened.

“Okay. Let me show you a few things. I set her oatmeal and banana for supper on the counter. I already measured it. Just add a half cup of water and heat for thirty seconds in the microwave. I put her schedule on the counter. She gets a bottle after supper and one right before bed. Bedtime is seven or seven-thirty at the latest. She’s been sleeping through the night, but if Liz isn’t home yet, she may wake up and need another bottle and a diaper change around ten. ”

Whoa. Whoa. “I’m not following you, Arlene. I have a dinner date with Liz tonight.”

“What? Didn’t Liz call you to babysit Ella? I left a message for her at work.”

“No. I haven’t spoken to Liz since late Friday night. We’ve texted a few times, and yesterday, we decided to have dinner together when I was done work today.”

Arlene rubbed two fingers up and down her forehead. “Oh, my. I thought Liz received my emergency message and sent you over to help with Ella.” She slumped against the counter and shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“What happened?”

She looked up at him with teary eyes. “My best friend, Louise, just did a Peter Pan down her cellar stairs while putting her suitcase away. I was going to take Ella with me to the hospital, but those places are full of germs. And I promised Louise I’d come with her to the hospital.

Liz got called into work today. I thought the agency gave Liz my urgent message, and she sent you over to take care of Ella. ”

Nick gulped. There had to be some weird conspiracy of the childcare universe going on.

“Give me the baby, Arlene. Go take care of your friend.” He stepped toward her and held out his arms.

She took a step back, clutching Ella. “Have you ever babysat before? ”

“That wasn’t important a minute ago.” He forced a small smile onto his face. “And yes, I just spent fifty-two hours babysitting Senator Richardson’s kids. A one-year-old and a four-year-old. It’s a long story. You don’t have the time to hear it right now.”

Her eyebrows shot upward. “Wasn’t it his house that got firebombed Saturday night?”

“That’s the one.”

“Goodness, I’m glad everyone is okay.” Arlene kissed Ella’s cheek and placed her in Nick’s arms. “I gotta go. Louise is conscious but awful banged up. And you can’t heat breast milk in the microwave.

Just set it in a pan of warm water in the sink for a few minutes to take the chill off.

My cell phone number is on the fridge if you have any questions. ”

Breast milk? Waaay different than Ollie’s bottles.

The house oozed quiet, except for the Cinderella clock in Ella’s room.

Its faint tick-tock reminded Nick he’d been rocking in this chair for over an hour with Ella.

She’d dozed off a long time ago. Her little left hand clutched the neckline of his shirt while her right thumb nestled firmly in her mouth.

Every once in a while, she’d stir and suck, then burrow deeper into his chest. He’d tucked a fleece baby blanket around her a while back.

He wasn’t willing to put her in the crib just yet. Besides, she smelled like baby lotion, something he recognized but couldn’t remember where or when the soothing scent had bathed his senses like this.

Truth be told, watching Ella was fun. She was such a happy baby. Once he got over the trauma of changing a girl diaper, he enjoyed himself.

He scrolled the pictures on his phone with his free hand.

He’d taken a slew of Ella. One of them caught the prettiest look on her face.

It was the kind of picture you shared. Maybe he’d have it framed for Liz.

He texted it to Arlene. It would make her smile, no matter what was going on at ER.

Then, he sent it to his Aunt Eileen with a short text that it was Liz’s baby.

He closed his picture app and checked the baseball scores.

He’d just tuned into the Nats versus the Orioles when his aunt’s reply pinged in his texts.

Nick read it and inhaled a sharp breath as a potent mix of adrenaline and surprise sprinted through his body.

She’d sent two pictures side by side. The one of Ella and one of him at roughly the same age.

They were almost identical. The breath whooshed from his chest as he read her text.

OMG. Liz makes beautiful babies, but it sure looks like you helped.

His hand trembled as he set the phone down, and his eyes filled with moisture. Emotions darted through his mind at warp speed. He looked at the picture on his phone again, just to make sure. His aunt was right.

In the distance, a car door slammed. It was eleven o’clock. The automatic porch lights switched on, and the sound of keys scratching against the front door drifted from the living room. It had to be Liz because Arlene texted hours ago and said she’d be spending the night at the hospital.

He couldn’t get up just yet. His feet must’ve frozen in place while his heart did flip-flops. Liz would’ve seen his truck, and known he was there. She’d find him after she made her tea in the microwave. Sure enough, the beeps on the microwave sounded.

A couple minutes later, her fingers grazed his shoulder as she bent down, kissed his head, and whispered, “I’m so sorry you got roped into babysitting after your hellacious weekend at the Richardson’s.

I didn’t receive my mom’s message until later this evening, and by then, I knew Ella would be asleep. How’d you do with her? You okay?”

Nick swiped at the corner of his right eye. The words were hard to come by. It’s a good thing they were whispering because his voice caught on the lump in his throat.

“More than okay. She really likes my beard. Kept trying to eat it.”

Liz snickered. “Mom’s been teaching her to give kisses. She was probably kissing you.”

Oh? He chuckled. “Why don’t you put that tea down and sit on the footstool here so we can see each other?” He forced his legs off the ottoman.

“Sure. What if I turn on the little lamp so we have some light? I could take Ella from you, if you want.”

“No. I like it dark right now, and I’m not ready to let go of her just yet.”

“I know that feeling.” Liz set her tea on the changing table and sat on the footstool in front of Nick’s chair. “What’s up?”

“I took a few pictures of Ella tonight. She’s a happy kid and easy to be with. I couldn’t resist. I got some good shots, too.”

“Really?” Liz cocked her head and gave him a tentative smile.

“And I sent one to my aunt and told her Ella was your daughter. You’d mentioned wanting more people to know that you had a little girl now, so I figured you wouldn’t mind.

I mean, Eileen’s always loved you. She thinks the world of you.

” The muted rays from the nightlights danced in Liz’s hair and his fingers itched to slide through the dark silk.

“The feeling’s mutual; I don’t mind. May I see them?”

Nick pulled out his phone and scrolled down. “Take a look at this.”

She gazed at the picture and paused. “Wow, that’s a great picture of my girl. What app did you use to get the old-fashioned tint to the picture? It’s lovely.” She handed the device back to him.

“Yeah, well, here’s the thing, babe.” He cleared his throat and fought to control the waver in his voice. “That’s a picture of me at seven months old. Eileen sent it.”

“What?” She gasped and reached for the phone.

He located his aunt’s text and handed it back to her.

She read the text and their eyes locked, the phone slipping from her hand to the ottoman.

Shock rolled across her beautiful face, and her expression froze. But seconds later, her eyes widened and her lips slowly softened into a trembling smile. Unabashed tears spilled down her cheeks.

“I’m not real sure what to say right now, Sergeant,” she murmured.

He rocked the stirring Ella in his arms and slid his fingers over one of Liz’s hands.

He knew exactly where to begin. “I’m the one who never said a word about trying to have the vasectomy reversed.

It never occurred to me that I wasn’t shooting blanks.

I’d read about some reversals healing over time but didn’t even consider I was in that small percentage. ”

Liz stared at the baby picture. “You and Ella look almost identical at the same age. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen a baby picture of you before now. The resemblance is uncanny.”

“I know. You’ve never seen a baby picture because my mother hid everything she valued so my father couldn’t destroy it.

There were many nights I slept with photo albums and her jewelry under my mattress or in the toy box.

When Eileen helped me clean out the house, I told her she could have whatever she wanted.

During those bitter days, I wasn’t interested in keeping anything. But I’m glad she saved that picture.”

Nick leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on Liz’s lips.

“Ella’s my daughter. I’ll still get the blood test and make it official, but there’s no doubt in my mind that she’s mine.

” Damn. His voice was trembling. Not something he wanted to happen while conveying his acceptance of such a life-altering biological fact.

“I’m not prepared to be a parent, babe. You’ll help me figure it out? ”

She grabbed a tissue and dabbed at her cheeks. “Of course I will. I can’t imagine what changed your mind between Friday night and now. But, for the record, I don’t blame you for this situation. This is my fairytale ending. It doesn’t have to be yours. I’m the one who decided to have Ella.”

His mouth quirked up on one side. “Yeah, well, it’s pretty obvious I’ve been involved since her beginning.”

“Let me put the baby in her crib now, so you and I can talk in the living room?” Liz gently removed Ella from his chest and tucked her in bed.