The Baby Emergency by Carol Marinelli

Author:Carol Marinelli [Carol Marinelli]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781460357927
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-07-15T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

‘HOW’S the hired help?’ Smirking slightly, Melissa sat down and dived into the box of chicken savouries Shelly had bought. ‘Behaving himself?’

‘Impeccably.’ Shelly met her colleague’s eyes, reddening as she crossed the line she had sworn Ross to and elaborated. ‘Unfortunately.’

‘I thought that was what you wanted,’ Melissa was tucking into the savouries with gusto now, as Shelly concentrated on the feed she was giving.

‘It is,’ Shelly insisted, leaning back in the chair as the baby attacked the bottle. ‘Or it was. I don’t know, Melissa, I’ve set the boundaries, insisted he doesn’t cross them, and now I’m annoyed that he’s keeping to the deal that I set in the first place.’ If she hadn’t been holding a baby, so exasperated was Shelly she would have got up and paced the floor right then and there.

It was her fourth night on duty. Her fourth night of leaving Ross in her home and heading off to work. And no doubt in just a few short hours it would be the fourth time she would arrive home in the morning to two grinning faces and a house so untidy it was unrecognisable.

A house that felt completely like home.

‘I was the one who insisted we didn’t discuss things with anyone at work, and just look at me!’

‘I’m not just anyone, though.’

Shelly let out the breath she’d inadvertently been holding. ‘I know you’re not. You must be just about sick of all my dramas by now.’

‘On the contrary.’ Melissa grinned. ‘I love them, just so long as you keep on feeding me. When do your parents get back?’

‘Sunday morning.’

‘And you’re off now until when?’ Melissa asked with thinly disguised interest.

‘I’m back at work on Saturday night.’

‘So is Ross staying at yours for the next few nights, or going back to the doctors’ mess in between baby-sitting shifts?’

Thankfully the baby started to fret and Shelly avoided answering for a moment as she placed the bottle on the workbench and leant the baby forward, massaging his back to bring up his wind.

‘Shelly,’ Melissa pushed. ‘You can wind a baby and talk better than anyone I’ve ever known.’

‘OK,’ Shelly snapped, more annoyed with herself than Melissa. It was a question that had been plaguing her for the last couple of days and now as the clock crept toward four a.m. it was make-your-mind-up time. ‘It would seem that the ball’s in my court.’

‘I’ve never held a tennis racket in my life.’ Melissa grinned as she took another handful of savouries. ‘You’ll have to be more specific.’

‘Ross has made it very clear the next move’s up to me. If I ask him to stay the next few days…’

‘He’ll want sex?’ Melissa asked eagerly, and Shelly shook her head and started to laugh.

‘Melissa!’ Shelly said indignantly. ‘If I ask him to stay it will mean I’m moving things forward, that I like spending time with him, that I want to spend more time with him.’

‘Which you do,’ Melissa said with annoying simplicity. ‘And you can rub that back all you like but that baby’s not going to burp for you again.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.