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“That’s something, I suppose,” Flo said, but she still sounded disappointed. “Maybe I can change your mind.”

“Please don’t try.”

Flo’s gaze turned speculative. “There must be a reason Jim wanted you around. You swear it’s not personal, so I’ll have to figure it out. Don’t worry, I will.”

Heather didn’t know what to say to that.

“You probably want to get your baby settled so you can work,” Flo said with a swift change of topic that left Heather feeling a little off balance. “Come on back here. I’ll show you what we did to fix up a place for your baby.”

Heather trailed after Flo. They left the main room and entered a short hallway.

“Bathrooms are over there,” Flo said, pointing to her left. “Boys and girls. A cleaning service comes in twice a week to keep things nice. Supplies are under the sink. In that back room is a refrigerator and microwave, along with table and chairs. We have a television, but Jim doesn’t like it on unless there’s some big news story or a play-off game.” She gave a wink. “Sports and national disasters mean we have all the boys from outside tracking dirt on our carpet.”

She opened a door to the right. “This was a supply room, which is kind of a grandiose term because it’s not much bigger than a closet. We put everything into two big cabinets in the lunchroom and then had this painted and fixed up for you.” Flo stepped back to let her pass. “I picked out the colors myself, so I hope you like it.”

Heather wasn’t sure what to expect. She stepped through the doorway, turned on the light and entered baby paradise. The room was small, as Flo had said, but pale pink walls opened up the space. A crib and rocking chair in light oak took up most of the floor space. Netting acted as a shelf in a corner of the room and held nearly a dozen different stuffed animals, while teddy bears painted in pastel colors danced across two walls.

“As you can see, there wasn’t much room to work with,” Flo said, stepping in beside Heather. She leaned forward to unhook what looked like a shelf from the wall. “Jim came up with this idea. Sort of a fold-out changing table.”

She demonstrated how to pull down the padded table. Safety bars that would keep the baby from falling snapped into place. When not in use, the entire unit could be raised and stored out of the way.

“There’s a playpen in the lunchroom,” Flo continued. “It’s the kind that folds up flat, so we tucked it behind the door. When you want to have the baby in the office with us, we can set it up between the desks. We get a nice bit of morning sun. It’s not too bright, but your daughter would probably like to play in it.”

Heather took in the furniture and the decorations. Having just decorated a baby’s room herself, she knew the cost and time involved. A mixture of sensations flooded through her. It was too much, and she wanted to say so, but something in her heart told her that this had been a labor of love.

“I’m overwhelmed,” she admitted.

Flo picked up a teddy bear and shrugged. “I’ll admit I went a little over budget, but I couldn’t help myself, and Jim said he didn’t care.” She gave Heather a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I always wanted a dozen kids of my own, but I couldn’t have them. Plumbing problems. I’ve been spoiling my sister’s kids since they were born, not to mention those in my neighborhood. So I hope you don’t mind if I start right in spoiling your baby.”

Heather stared at the woman’s perfect makeup, too tight clothes and tentative smile. She wondered how much pain this wonderful lady had endured in her life and how she’d come to be so strong. “Thank you for making my baby and me feel so very welcome. I would love for you to spoil Diane as much as you’d like.”

Flo grinned. “I might not get a lick of work done.”

They headed out to the main office. “I’d better get her settled so I can get to work,” Heather said, then paused. “Would you like to put her down?”

“Thanks.” Flo unstrapped the baby from her carrier with an expertise that told of years of practice. “Oh, that box right there is the baby monitor. The one in her room is bolted to the wall. Just hit that pink button to turn it on.”

Heather couldn’t believe all that they had done for her and was still confused as to what was going on. Little more than a month ago, she hadn’t met Jim Dyer and now he’d become an important part of her life. She wasn’t sure whether she should be scared or grateful. Then a soft sound came over the baby monitor. She heard Flo singing a lullaby to her daughter. Heather thought about how gentle Jim was with her child and how this job was an answer to her prayers. Obviously, after a run of bad luck where men were concerned, she’d finally started getting it right.

* * *

Jim walked into the office, a clipboard in his hand. He tossed it onto Flo’s desk. “The 197 charter is back. We’re about ten hours away from an overhaul,” he told her.

Flo made a note in her book. “I’ll make sure it gets scheduled.”

“Thanks.” Jim walked to his desk and looked through the pile of messages. He couldn’t actually concentrate enough to read them, but he made an attempt to act normal. He didn’t want Flo to know how pleased he was that Heather had started work today.

He’d arrived long before her day had begun and he’d been out with a charter until a few minutes ago. But when he landed, he’d noticed her small, sensible sedan parked on the far side of the building, and despite the fact that he told himself they were just friends, his body had gone on major alert.

Finally, he tossed the messages onto his desk and looked at Flo. “Did Heather get here?” he asked casually.

“Don’t pretend you didn’t know. I heard that skip in your step when you walked into this office. She’s in the nursery.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “She was feeding Diane, but they should be done now.”

“I’ll just go make sure she’s settling in all right.”

“You do that.”

He ignored Flo’s knowing gaze and walked toward the rear of the building. Once he entered the hall, he knocked on the door on the right. “Heather, it’s Jim.”