5. Chapter 5
My shoulders spasm as I sit around my tiny desk in my cramped office tucked away in the back of The Diner. Is it the size of the office or the size of the desk? I can’t tell.
I glance at the clock and let out a deep breath of relief when I see the day is almost over. I quickly finish placing orders for supplies and ingredients I won’t be able to purchase at the Farmers Market tomorrow.
Locally grown and caught ingredients are something my grandfather always took pride in. So do I, but there are some things I need to order from distributors.
It’s been a while since I’ve been able to sit in my office and handle paperwork on a Friday night. Normally, I would be back in the kitchen cooking .
I finally bit the bullet and hired Dillon a few weeks ago. They came highly recommended by The Matthew House.
Marcus and Jacob started The Matthew house in honor of their husband, who passed away. Marcus is a big investor who likes to focus on LGBTQ+ projects and is also an investor in my friend Alex’s video game company.
Many of the local businesses in the area helped The Matthew House put on a job fair. Jaxon, Alex’s boyfriend, along with Spencer, the host of tonight’s family dinner with his boyfriend Finn, all came together.
Spencer, who knows what he’s talking about in business, is younger than me and impressively runs not one but two businesses. Well, it’s more of a combo situation. A bookstore and café in one, it’s ingenious.
When I met Dillon, I scooped them up as fast as I could. I’d been wanting to make some changes, and I’ve slowly been putting them into motion.
Hiring another cook gives me a little breathing room and now that Dillon has settled into their position, I get to take advantage.
Plus, I still have Darcy. She has worked for me for the past 8 years. She’s more than capable of managing things in my absence.
I’m ready to make a change in my life and figure out what I want. Even if I don’t know exactly what it is I want.
Well, there is one thing I know I want… Ok, I lied. There are two things.
I want more time for baking. Baking centers me. It’s slow and delicate, it’s soothing. It’s precise measurements and following directions to a ‘T.’ It calms my sometimes almost overwhelming need to have everything neat and orderly.
And the other thing ?
I replay that kiss in my mind over and over again. My concentration is shit today, and it’s all because of those lips.
I never thought of myself as a lip man, but Jasper’s are at the forefront of my brain, replaying their smooth glide across mine. The need to dart my tongue out and lick into his mouth was a force of nature I fought hard to hold back, too afraid to make a move.
My dick twitches and I roll my eyes. I’ve spent the day battling the stupid thing, trying to keep it in check. Knowing we’ll be breathing the same air tonight at family dinner isn’t helping.
I know he acts like it was nothing, but the spark that ignited up my spine says differently. I know he felt it, too. He had to, right?
I startle when Darcy’s floating head pops in my open doorway.
“Hey hun, I’m just gonna take the trash out.”
“Here, let me. It’s dark out and I haven’t fixed the lights out by the dumpsters.”
Empty bottles clink against the floor as Darcy drops the bag. “Good, I didn’t want to do it, anyway.” She snickers. “Are you about to head out to dinner? Where is it this week?”
“Dragonfly.” We have been holding dinner there more times than not lately.
“Oh, they have the best BLTs.”
I laugh. “Rumor has it that it’s something with the bacon.”
“You better give me the scoop when you find out.”
“Please, Beckett has that on lockdown. I don’t think he’ll give it up that easily,” I holler back as she walks away with a laugh .
I get up from my chair, stretching, my back crackling and popping, like the old man I feel I am, before picking up the trash bag and out the back door.
Dark shadows play with my eyes as I step outside. “I really need to fix the lights out here,” I mutter to myself. It’s too dark and not safe for my employees. I can barely see anything.
I make a metal note to fix the light when I come back from the Farmers Market tomorrow morning.
The lid to the metal dumpster screeches as I lift it and toss the bag inside before slamming it back down again. The sound piercing my ears makes me wince.
I’m about to open the back door when I hear it. Or I think I hear it. It’s hard to tell when my ears could be bleeding.
A small, tiny cry.
I spin on my heels. That can’t be.
As I make my way back toward the dumpster, the sound gets louder.
I suck in a sharp breath. Tucked next to the side of the dumpster is a car seat with a baby blanket draped over it.
My eyes dart around, desperately hoping to see someone, anyone. My gut sinks. No one. There has to be a reason this baby was left here.
Bending down, I slowly peel back the blanket and my heart breaks at the sight of a small baby crying; cold and alone.
Not knowing how long the baby has been outside, I snatch the car seat and hurry inside.
“Darcy, can you come here, please?” I yell down the hall as I enter the back door before slipping into my office. I try to hide the panic in my voice, but I don’t think it worked .
“What’s wrong? Was it the bear? Did it attack you?” Darcy enters my office, stopping in her tracks, her eyes practically bugging out of her head.
“Someone left a baby out back by the dumpsters.”
“Oh my God, that’s terrible,” she gasps, eyes wide.
“Can you call Jerry?”
“Yes, of course.”
In small towns, you get to know the local sheriff on a first name basis. That, and the multiple bear sightings I’ve called in over the last couple of months, helps.
With my focus in front of me, I slowly lift the tiny being out of the car seat as Darcy makes the call. Going by the cute pink hat, I’m going to guess it’s a little girl.
And yes, the bear embroidered on the front is not lost on me.
Her cries gradually quiet down to a small whimper. Awkwardly, I wrap her in a blanket and cradle her in my arms. The last time I held a baby was when my niece was born.
I just have to remember not to drop her and support her neck. It’s fine. I can do that.
“Okay, Jerry is on his way, and he’s bringing Billy from the fire station to check her over, but…”
I look up, “But… what?”
“Well, small towns, am I right?” she says with a dry laugh.
“Darcy…”
“Well, Ms. Wilson, who normally handles all the social services issues when they arise, is currently on vacation until Monday. Jerry said he could try to get someone from the big city out here, but it’s a Friday night and it may take a bit of time. ”
“What does that all mean?”
“That means Jerry is going to talk to you when he gets here,” she says, squeezing my shoulder.
I don’t think I like the sound of that.
“What’s this?” Darcy reaches into the car seat and unfolds a handwritten note.
“‘ Please don’t think I’m a bad person. I love Mazie, but she’s not safe with me and I can’t give her the life she deserves .’”
I look down at the bright-eyed baby. “Mazie.”
Darcy looks over my shoulder. “She looks like a Mazie.”
“Yeah, she does.”
Ten minutes later, the police chief is taking my statement while Billy looks Mazie over.
“And the only other item you found was this note?” he asks, staring at the handwritten piece of paper.
“Yeah, that was it.”
“And you didn’t see anyone else?”
I sigh. “I need to replace the light by the dumpsters, so it was hard to see, but no, I didn’t see anyone.”
Billy comes over carrying Mazie. The now-peaceful look on her face makes a tear slide down my cheek and my heart ache.
Why am I crying? She’s just a baby… A baby who has no one to take care of her.
“We have baby supplies on the rig for emergencies when children are involved. I gave her a fresh diaper, and I’ll grab a few bottles of formula before I go, but she seems to be healthy. I don’t think she was sitting outside very long. ”
My eyebrows shoot up. “What do you mean before you go?”
The expression on Billy’s face as he shoots a look at Jerry sends a clear message that I’m not going to like this.
Jerry clears his throat. “We don’t seem to have anyone that can take in a baby at the moment.”
I look at Darcy and she grimaces.
“Don’t look at me. You know I’m staying at my mother-in-law’s house while my husband tries to fix the busted pipes that flooded our basement.”
Ugh, I do know this.
“Is there any way you could take Mazie for the weekend? Ms. Wilson will be back on Monday, and she said she can look into getting Mazie placed temporarily until she can find something permanent.”
Jerry has gone and lost his ever-lovin’ mind. He seriously can’t mean what I think he means?
“You want me … to… to take care of a baby?”
“Well, I mean, I know it’s not the most ideal situation, Olly, but you’re a respected member of this community and well-liked. I think this little girl would be lucky to be in the care of an outstanding citizen like you.”
I roll my eyes, “You’re laying it on kinda thick, Jerry.”
I don’t think I have much choice in the matter.
It’s one weekend. I can handle that. I’ve watched my niece a few times… a couple of years ago… when she was first born.
I blow out a breath. Fuck, this is happening. One weekend. I can do this, even if it’s not a part of my normal daily routine. I can stuff down my anxiety. It’s fine.
“Okay, I’ll take her, but where is she supposed to sleep? I can’t keep her in the car seat. That, I at least know. It’s not safe. ”
“I can make some calls and see if I can get a portable crib.”
“Oh, wait,” Darcy pipes in. “We have a playpen from when my granddaughter was little. I’ll have my husband drop it off tonight.”
Billy places Mazie back in my arms. “Well, looks like we have a plan. I’ll grab the formula and an extra pack of diapers.”
Jerry slaps my back, startling me, making it even more challenging to keep a firm hold on the little girl. “You have my number. Call me if you need anything.” Then the fuckers just turn around and walk out the door.
Looking down, the soft, warm weight of Mazie in my arms fills me with a sense of responsibility… protectiveness, as her small fingers grip onto my shirt. She needs me.
My eyes go wide and I swallow thickly.
Fuck! I’m responsible for a baby.
“Go easy on me, kid. I’m outta my depth here,” I whisper.