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After the baby had comforted herself and quieted down, Davis eased her from an exhausted new mother. All fumbling fingers, he diapered the baby’s bottom, wrestled on one of the little gowns Emma had made for her, then placed her in the cradle next to the bed. He turned his attentions to his wife, brushing her tangled hair, then helping her into a clean nightgown. All the while he cast glances at the sweet little bundle in the cradle. Soon Emma joined her daughter in slumber.
Too excited to sleep himself, he cleaned up the rest of the room before tucking the covers over mother and daughter. Assured that the fireplace was burning brightly, he quietly closed the door.
As he entered the kitchen, Davis glanced at the clock ticking on the counter. Two o’clock in the morning, and the house was now quiet. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat at the table, going over in his mind the events of this amazing night.
His wife had come a long way since the day he’d met the scared little girl who wanted her mama. She’d practically given birth all by herself. He grinned at the yelling and screaming she’d hurled at him, wondering if most women did that.
Soon his thoughts drifted off to life with a baby, and how different their days and nights would be. He yawned several times, and then laid his head on the cushion of his crossed arms resting on the table.
The sun peeked through the windows, showing off Mother Nature’s handiwork. Davis moved his head and groaned at the pain in his neck. He rotated his head to ease the muscles, and pushed aside the forgotten cup of coffee.
He glanced out the window at the snow, a couple of feet deep, covering the ground, bushes and trees like a huge white blanket. Small animals poked their heads up from their cozy nests to examine the cold white covering. An eagle swooped down, looking for his breakfast.
Confused, he took in his surroundings, not sure why he was in the kitchen, fully dressed, and sleeping on the table. Then it came back to him in a rush. The baby. They had a daughter. And Emma seemed to be fine after her ordeal. Apparently, upstairs mother and daughter slept peacefully, no testimony to the turmoil of the day before.
Slowly Davis stood, stretching his cramped muscles. The fire in the kitchen had died down, and he rubbed his hands up and down his arms, trying to warm up.
He gathered wood from the mudroom and soon had a fire roaring in the kitchen stove. Then he went upstairs to check on his family. Both his girls looked peaceful, but as he leaned over the baby, she started to fuss. Emma opened her eyes and studied him as he lifted the precious bundle out of the cradle.
He moved to her side and sat, then placed her gently in Emma’s arms. “I think she’s hungry again.”
“We should probably change her first.”
He frowned. “You think so?”
“Yes, I think so.” She laughed, and handed the baby back.
After his daughter was dry, but still fussy, he returned her to Emma who unbuttoned the front of her nightgown, and brought the small rosebud mouth to her nipple.
“We haven’t picked out a name.” Emma ran her fingers over the downy head cuddled next to her breast. “I was certain we were having a boy.” She glanced at him. “Are you disappointed?”
Disappointed? He was so enthralled with his little miracle, he felt as though a fist punched him in the chest every time he looked at her. Still shaken to the core that he and Emma coming together as one had created this wondrous new person, he shook his head.
“No. Not at all. Do you have a name you like?” He inhaled a shaky breath, attempting to get himself under control. Nothing in his life had ever affected him like the sight before him. His wife and his daughter, attached to each other with a bond unlike anything else.
“How do you like ‘Caroline?’”
“Sounds fine to me. Caroline it is.”
“Yes, Caroline Elizabeth.”
“Caroline Elizabeth Cooper,” Davis repeated. A real mouthful for such a little girl.
He ran his knuckle down the baby’s soft cheek. She reached out a small hand, and grasped his finger. So small, so vulnerable. A sense of power raced through him. This little girl was his to nurture and protect.
“We did it.” Emma’s eyes met his, a satisfied smile on her glowing face.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Emma yawned and stretched, then scooped three-month-old Caroline from her cradle. They’d had three months of broken sleep, new parent’s panic when they didn’t hear her breathing, and joy over her first smile. Emma was thrilled to be back in her old dresses, and had established a routine for herself and the baby that worked well.
Her biggest surprise had been her husband. Davis stopped in several times a day to check on his daughter, taking him away from his job of building a barn and putting up fences to corral the horses soon to arrive. The minute he’d washed up for the day, he’d gather Caroline into his arms and sit at the table, talking to the baby as Emma prepared supper.
“You do realize she doesn’t understand what you’re saying.” Emma stood with one hand on her hip, the other clutching a stirring spoon.
“Yes, she does. Look at how her eyes light up at the sound of my voice.” He held the baby in front of him, his large hands supporting her back and neck as he continued his dialogue.
