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The baby cried louder, and with disbelief, Joshua picked up the diaper bag, brought it into the house, and closed the door.
Marcy shook her head. “Ew. I don’t do screaming babies or men with kids. It’s been fun, Josh. Call me if you get this straightened out. But not if you have a kid. Have a good night. I’m going to the rodeo.”
He could only watch as she picked up her purse and overnight bag and walked out the door. And just like that, she was out of his life. Probably forever.
Normally, he ended the relationship, not the other way around. He shrugged. “Oh, well. You ended that, Mia.”
While Marcy was a beautiful woman, they were a dime a dozen down at the club. Soon he’d find another.
“Women,” he said, gazing down at the child. “This is why I’ll never marry. What am I going to do with you? Do you like sports? Football? How about cartoons? What is going to make you happy?”
The baby’s bottom lip trembled and those eyes that he suddenly feared gazed at him. They were the same damn color as most of the Burnett men – startling blue eyes that gave them away.
How in the hell had Skylar had his child without telling him she was pregnant? No, she was just using him and she’d be lucky if he didn’t call Child Protective Services on her.
But then he glanced down and gazed at the crying baby. What if she was his? And if his family learned about her, he would be in dog shit creek without a boat.
Opening the diaper bag, he glanced through the contents, not knowing what everything was for. Skylar hadn’t given him instructions on what to do.
How could he keep this child through Sunday? Today was Friday. That would be two whole days.
“What do you need?” he asked the little girl who couldn’t be more than three months old. “A clean diaper? A bottle? Tell me. A million dollars? Hell, I’d give you the ranch right now to keep you from crying.”
Where was she going to sleep? He didn’t have a crib.
He laid her on the carpet and then he went into the closet and came back with a fluffy blanket. Grabbing a baby blanket out of her bag, he laid a large quilt and then laid the child on her blanket.
“She said your name is Mia. Let’s start with changing your diaper. Maybe that would make you stop crying.” He took out a plastic-lined diaper from the bag.
He unsnapped the outfit she had on and pulled the wet diaper free.
“Can you please not poop until your mother returns,” he told her. “My weak stomach won’t be able to handle it, and where would I put the nasty diaper? It’s not like we have trash pickup every day out here on the ranch. Just hold your poop.”
The baby farted as if to replynot happening.
Those blue eyes gazed at him and he could see she wasn’t certain about him. Lifting her legs, he slid the fresh diaper beneath her and then pulled the tabs hoping it was tight enough. At least he didn’t get baby pee on him.
That would be gross.
“It would help if you could tell me if I was doing this right. You’ll cry if I get it too tight. You’ll wet on me if I get it too loose. I’m not cut out to be a babysitter or even a father. This is why I don’t have children.”
The baby stopped crying and gazed at him.
“Now what do we do?” he asked. “You’re too young to drink, but I sure could use a whiskey right now.”
She kicked her legs and he sat back on his heels and stared at her.
Was Mia his daughter? Was he a father?
“Damn, your mother has some questions to answer when she gets back here. In fact, I’m going to call her right now.”
He picked up his phone and dialed Skylar’s cell number which he still had in his contacts, miraculously.
“You have reached Skylar Beal. Joshua, you’re her father, deal with her. I’m on my way to a fabulous shopping trip that will end with a party I’m attending on Saturday night. Sex for the first time in months. Don’t call me again unless it’s an emergency.”
Click.
She’d changed her voice message just for him. Bitch.
