AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Eighteen
Ruby stayed in the ambulance with Jim on their trip to the local hospital. The poor old dear seemed to feel safer with her nearby, and so she held his hand and talked softly to him, telling him that everything would be fine. His wife would be meeting him at the hospital and no… she wasn’t mad at him. Just terribly worried.
While there, once Jim and the Mrs. were together, for some strange reason, she felt drawn to the area of the hospital where they housed the newborns.
In the past, she’d never been one to fuss overly about children. In fact, if the truth were known, she’d admit to not ever holding a tiny baby and terror had begun to build over all the looming events in her life. Things like the baby’s birth and how she was supposed to be a mommy when the shock of it all still hadn’t quite worn off.
She knew Jill would be her lifeline to sanity, but it wouldn’t be fair to drop this situation on her hard-working mother at her age. She’d finally made it in the culinary world. Her restaurant rated as one of the best in Dallas, and the cooks she hired were top-notch. Plus, Jill was also active in the local cooking schools, both in teaching and then bringing on assistants to give them further training on-site.
No way had Ruby ever expected to dump a baby on the poor woman. But then neither had she prepared her own lifestyle to handle this new little person. Just the whole idea scared the hell outta her.
Sure, in the beginning, they’d both kick in, but eventually, she’d have to make arrangements for the child herself. She wished she knew of a nanny-type person who might be willing to take on the responsibility. Guess eventually, she’d have to start looking.
Suddenly, one of the babies began crying – a gorgeous little black boy with a strong set of lungs and his tiny body cocooned in a blue blanket. At the same time as Ruby turned to the window, she unexpectedly knocked against a new observer and felt stupid for not paying attention. The black woman was middle-aged, and her face shone with love as she stared through into the nursery.
“I’m so sorry, ma’am. I was daydreaming and hadn’t noticed you arriving. Did I hurt you?” Ruby had taken the lady’s arm to steady her.
“No, no, sweetheart. I’m fine. I could see you were in dreamland. I just didn’t expect you’d turn so quickly.”
Ruby, making sure her new friend was steady, removed her hand and held it out. “I’m Ruby Allen.”
“By your uniform, I can see you’re a firefighter. I’m in awe of all the people who work for us in that capacity. My name is Molly. Once, many years ago, my son and I were involved in a huge fire that burned down our family home. I’ve never gotten over the shock, and I still suffer from fear of fires today.”
Though they were old, Ruby had noticed the skin pinched in scar tissue on Molly’s neck and a few on her hands. Having seen a lot of burn scars, she knew immediately what they were. “I’m so sorry. Even though it’s usual for folks to suffer from fear of fire after they’ve gone through trauma themselves, it can be debilitating. Any experience with fire is horrendous. I’m glad you made it out safely.”
“My son, who I adopted, is the only one from his family who got out with me. I was their nanny.”
Ruby immediately stepped back, and a grin formed. “You’re a nanny? You won’t believe this, but I had just decided I needed to find one for myself. Thinking about it put me in dreamland earlier when I knocked into you.” She waved her hand toward the window. “Is one of these babies in your care?”
Molly laughed. “No, no… I just came to see a friend’s new grandson. He’s the one making all the noise. I haven’t worked as a nanny for years. Are you expecting?”
Stunned, Ruby saw from the look in Molly’s gaze that she’d figured out her secret. “I didn’t think my pregnancy showed too much yet.” Subconsciously, Ruby rubbed her belly.
“Oh, it doesn’t honey. I saw it in your eyes.”
Ruby laughed. “What you saw was pure fear.”
Molly took Ruby’s hand and held it tight. “Look, sweet girl, a baby is a blessing. Never let anyone tell you different. They come into the world wanting to love and smile and be happy. It’s the adults they meet who enable that to happen. You keep touching your tummy and talking to that little angel, so it gets to feel your love, and you’ll be just fine.”
From the gentle way Molly spoke, to the lovely look on her face, Ruby just knew the woman was a genuinely beautiful soul. “Molly, seriously, would you be willing to go back to work?”
“Oh, honey. I haven’t done that sort of thing for years.”
“It’s not something a person is likely to forget though right? Really, I’m going to need someone to help me look after this baby, and you’re perfect. I feel drawn to you. It’s uncanny.”
“Well, what do you know? I’ve been thinking I haven’t got enough to do lately. My son works in law enforcement for the FBI, and he’s been taking all these crazy undercover assignments this last year or two which leaves me with a lot of empty time on my hands. Let me think on this.” She grinned towards Ruby’s tummy and added, “It looks like we’ll have a few months to figure things out.” Molly’s next words set Ruby back a little. “What about the baby’s father? Shouldn’t he have a say in who looks after his child?”
Ruby stiffened. It was now or never. She had to come clean. If the woman decided to be a part of their child’s family, there needed to be trust.
“It’s best to start with truth between us. I have no idea who the baby’s father is. It’s a long story. If you choose to work with us, I’ll tell you one day.”
Molly looked closely into Ruby’s eyes and then smiled. “Deal.”
Watching closely for Molly’s reaction, Ruby saw only kindness and a gentle smile that never wavered. She had no idea why it happened, but the next thing she knew, she’d put her arms around Molly and held on. “Thank you, Molly. You’ve given me the best present I’ve ever had. You can’t imagine the relief of knowing someone will be there to help me, and I won’t have the guilt of taking my mom away from her own world. It’s been a huge worry.”
Ruby felt Molly’s arms giving her the best warmest hug she’d had in… forever, and for the first time since this nightmare began, she could see her way to a happy ending.
Before they left each other, they made arrangements for Molly to come and have lunch on the weekend at Jill’s restaurant where Molly could meet her mom, and they could all discuss plans for the baby’s arrival. It would also give Ruby time to get the application and reference forms she’d need Molly to fill in.
