Newborn Daddy

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Steve held up his hand. “I don’t want to, but I’m not going to let you risk your baby’s health, Emma. Or your own. I don’t want you to lift anything, even your baby, for at least a week.”

It upset Ryan when Emma’s cheeks whitened. “Emma, Billy’s planning on you coming. He’ll take care of everything, and I’ll hire one of the wives on the ranch to help you every day. You won’t have to worry about me bothering you.”

He’d thought his words would help, but she looked even more devastated. Frowning, he tried to think about what he’d said to upset her, but he couldn’t figure out what it was.

“It’s the only way, Emma, if I’m going to let you out of here before at least a week is up,” Steve added.

“Please, couldn’t I—”

“No.”

Ryan wanted to rail at her. She made his offer sound like torture. He was trying to help. What was wrong with her? But he didn’t need Steve’s glare to warn him to keep quiet. Every time he spoke it only made matters worse.

“If I agree to go to the ranch, can Andy and I go today?” Emma asked, her voice trembling.

Steve reached out and covered her hand resting on the blanket. “No, but you can go after I see you in the morning.”

Ryan held his breath, waiting for her answer. It was because it was the only safe thing to do, of course. His tension had nothing to do with Emma…or her baby.

With her lashes lowered, she said, slowly, “All right.”

“Good, I’m glad. Now I won’t have to worry about that beautiful little girl,” Steve said, patting her hand again.

Ryan watched that hand, fighting the urge to tell him to take his hands off Emma. Which was ridiculous. Steve wasn’t that kind of man. Emma was safe with him.

Then Emma turned her gaze on him. “Can Billy take me to the apartment first? I’ll need—”

“We have everything you need. He set up a nursery last night.” That wasn’t quite honest. Billy hadn’t done it by himself, but Emma didn’t seem to want Ryan involved in anything connected to her or her baby.

Not that he blamed her. Ever since he’d seen that tiny baby, with him named as the father, and realized Emma had already been pregnant when he’d shut her out of his life, guilt had filled him.

Damn it, he’d been right, believing he shouldn’t have anything to do with family. His mistake was not explaining that to Emma before he—

“Ryan?” Steve called, interrupting his self-castigation. “I think Emma will be able to leave about ten in the morning. Is that all right with you?”

“Yes, of course.”

Emma said nothing, staring out the small window. The door opened again behind Ryan and he automatically turned to see who had arrived.

The nurse had stepped into the room. But she wasn’t alone. That pink bundle was in her arms. He stepped closer, wanting a better view of the baby. But then he looked at Emma. The panic-stricken look on her face stopped him.

Did she think he would hurt the child? She considered him a monster? He might not have chosen to have another child, but he wouldn’t harm the baby.

His features stiff, he stepped away from the new arrivals and noted the relief on Emma’s face. The message was clear. She was coming to his ranch because she had no choice, but she wanted nothing to do with him. Nor did she want him to touch her child.

Steve was standing beside Emma and reached out to pat her shoulder. “The nurse is going to help you start nursing your little girl, but they’re not going to bring the baby to you tonight. The nurses will give her more sugar water. I want you to have one more night of sleep before you leave.”

“Oh, but I can—”

“Not tonight,” he said firmly but cheerfully. “We’ll leave you alone now for your lesson. Goodbye, Emma.”

Ryan didn’t know whether to add his goodbye or not. Maybe it would be best if he just faded from view.

When he and Steve reached the hallway, he walked beside his friend, saying nothing.

“You know,” Steve finally said, “I’m disappointed in you, Ryan.”

Ryan’s head snapped up and he stared at his friend. “What? Why?”

“I thought you’d make a little more effort to support Emma. I think the past few months have been difficult for her.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Ryan demanded, his voice hoarse. “Do you think I haven’t condemned myself over and over again for the way I treated her? But she doesn’t want anything from me. She hardly speaks to me, avoids looking at me. If she had anyone else to turn to, she wouldn’t be coming home with me. That much was clear.”

Steve shook his head. “I’m not so sure. She could be afraid to get close to you again.”

“Yeah, because she hates me.” He started walking again. “I’m doing what I can. She’ll be taken care of, and I’ll keep my distance. That’s the best I can do to help her out.”

This time, Steve didn’t argue with him.

After an almost sleepless night, Ryan arrived at the hospital a little early the next morning. He’d talked to Jack yesterday evening and knew Beth was going home today, too. Jack had arranged for a temporary housekeeper to help Beth during the day when he returned to work as the only local attorney.

Ryan knocked on Beth’s door.

“Come in,” Jack called.

“Everyone packed?” Ryan asked, trying to keep his voice cheerful.

“Come in, Ryan,” Beth called, smiling. “Yes, we’re packed. We’re just waiting for Steve to okay everything.”

“Good. So you and junior are doing okay?”

“Yes, fine. Better than you, I’d say.” Beth looked at her husband before shifting her gaze back to Ryan.

“Stayed up too late working,” Ryan muttered.

“I see. I thought maybe you were worrying about not telling me about Emma.”

Ryan glared at Jack, figuring he’d told his wife about Emma and the baby.

“I didn’t say a word,” Jack protested, rightly interpreting Ryan’s glare.

“For heaven’s sake, Ryan, the entire town is talking. I had to pretend I already knew when my visitors spilled the beans. Why didn’t you tell me? How long have you known?”

“Beth, I—I found out when I saw the baby in the nursery. It’s been a shock.” What an understatement, Ryan thought. He still didn’t know what he was going to do.

“Oh. Well, I want to go see her before I go home. She might not let me visit her if I don’t.”

“Don’t you need to wait for Steve?”

“I’ll tell them at the nurse’s desk where I am. Please?” Beth pleaded with her gaze as well as her words.

Ryan shrugged. “You’ll get a better reception if you go without me.”

“But—but I heard you’re taking her home to the ranch.”

Ryan stuck his hands in his jean pockets. “Yeah, but she hates my guts. She’s going because she can’t manage on her own. She didn’t handle everything as well as you did.”

Beth stared at him before turning to her husband. “Go get a wheelchair. I want to take Jackson to show her.”

“You can’t walk?” Ryan asked, worried.

“I can, but I worry about stumbling when I’m carrying the baby.”

Jack was quickly back with a wheelchair. While he was gone, Ryan had taken a closer look at his namesake. Ryan Jackson had weighed over eight pounds when he was born, and he hadn’t lost much weight.