Chapter Seven
“What’s the latest news on Teresa?” Katrina handed him a file.
“As far as I know the doctors are suggesting she might be able to go home tomorrow.” The last few days had been a whirlwind from another dimension. Every morning he was up early enough to shower and dress before Emma woke up. Then he’d get her dressed and downstairs for breakfast. After that, he’d decided that avoiding daycare because of potential gossip was ridiculous, so he’d drive her to the daycare, do his best to get his work done without calling to check on her like he had the first two days until finally Sally the manager told him to relax and stay away.
For a split second he’d considered firing her for her bluntness, but quickly decided she was probably right. Real parents did not call daycare every hour to make sure their children were doing well. According to his grandmother, if Emma were disturbed by her surroundings and the changes in her routine, her disposition would show it. Since the child was usually smiling and playful, they could only assume all was well.
“You’re fading again.” Katrina waved a hand in front of him.
This wouldn’t be the first time he’d been unable to concentrate on business. He’d gone to the hospital in person to see Tess again, but each time, she’d been sound asleep. They’d spoken on the phone a few times, but mostly just sharing health updates and reports on Emma. He still had no idea how his name was on Emma’s birth certificate, though he did double check to confirm that was indeed the case. At first he was obviously confused. Who does that? Then he shifted quickly to downright furious. If it was money she was after why didn’t she just come to him? Or was this some long-term plan for Emma to one day stake a claim to the Baron fortune? Not that it would work. There was no doubt he was not the child’s father; no DNA test would prove otherwise. So what was the motive? The more he considered the possibilities, and thought back on the young woman who had helped him pass physics and get accepted to AM, who had laughed and joked with him and his family, he couldn’t believe anything bad about her.
Whatever her reason was, over the phone wasn’t the time to find answers. Especially since, even though Tess sounded stronger, she was still weak. He could hear the frailty in her voice and the struggle to hide it. At the sound of her soft voice asking for her daughter, inquiring over every detail of her day, his anger would soften and then he’d remember Tess’s smile, how excited she was for him when he passed his last physics test, how she’d shiver when she ate her ice cream too fast, there wasn’t a devious bone in her body. There just had to be a good reason.
“And there you go again. Maybe I’ll just go back to my desk and check my email.” Katrina chuckled and took a step back.
“Sorry.”
She shook her head at him. “I know it can’t be easy to be surprised one day with the responsibility of a toddler, but at least her mother will be home soon. Who’s going to help her?”
“What?”
“You know how much work a toddler is. Most people fresh out of the hospital need some time to finish recuperating. She is going to have help, isn’t she?”
According to the nurse who had told him that she might be released soon, the woman had said something about three or four weeks to full recovery, but he hadn’t considered what exactly that meant. “Good question.”
“One that maybe you should find the answer to? After all, Emma’s care is your first responsibility.”
He nodded. Though he had no idea, why or how it happened, but he definitely agreed with his assistant. Emma’s care was very much his responsibility, and making sure that her mother got the care she needed to take over the job once again was about to become his responsibility as well.
“It’s official.” The same nurse who Teresa had found so annoying just a few days ago, was grinning at her like the Cheshire Cat.
“What is?”
“You’re going home today. Doc Morgan signed off on it a short while ago.”
Home. Thank heaven. She was growing weary of lying in bed all day. She had a daughter to raise and a new job to start and a long list of things she wanted to accomplish for both. Although, she had no idea how, when moving around wasn’t all that easy. “Not that I’m complaining, but didn’t he say I’d be here a full week at least?”
“He did. That’s pretty normal.” The nurse erased her name from the board as she would be going off duty shortly. “But you’re doing much better. There’s nothing we can do for you here that you can’t do at home.”
Right now, she couldn’t picture doing anything alone at home. Her mind began rushing through all the things she’d need once she got home with Emma. Help kept jumping to the top of the list.
Closing her eyes, she sucked in several deep breaths. She was a project manager. All she had to do was organize and manage; she could probably do that from home. Maybe. But, winning the lottery wouldn’t hurt. She’d used most of her signing bonus for the first months rent and deposit as well as picking up a few pieces of furniture for the much bigger home. If she could find someone to help her around the house, she might be able to afford them for a couple of weeks. Surely by then she’d be able to take care of Emma by herself. She’d also have to deal with replacing her car, but that would have to wait. “How long before I can leave?”
“As soon as someone comes for you and we can give them your care instructions.”
Well, that might be a problem. If she spoke out loud that there was no one, did that mean she’d have to stay longer? Continue to rely on Cooper’s kindness for Emma’s care? Did she have a choice? Maybe with one more day. She needed a little time to research and plan. Which meant she needed internet connection. Her laptop preferably, but a tablet would do. A small hammer began banging against her temple.
“Hello,” Cooper greeted the shift nurse.
“I thought you’d be the one coming for Miss Gordon.”
Teresa looked from the nurse to Cooper, her mind struggling to put the pieces together. The doctor might think she was improving quickly, but her scrambled brain said otherwise. Normally she was always three steps ahead of everyone in the room. A quick survey of the situation and she’d formulate a detailed plan within minutes. Thinking that fast drove some of her coworkers crazy at her last job. Right now, she couldn’t plan her way to the bathroom.
“I thought you’d be dressed and ready to go. Or am I too early?”
“I just heard that I’m being released today.” It was a lame response, but the truth.
Cooper nodded. “I wasn’t far. When I called for an update and one of the nurses told me that she was expecting the papers to be signed for your release today, I went ahead and came over. Thought we needed to talk anyhow.”
Oh boy, did they need to talk. He probably hated her. Though he hid it well.
“Oh.” Cooper snapped his fingers. “When I passed the desk, a nurse asked me to tell you that she’d be in shortly to give you the care instructions.”
“Yes, about that. I’m going to have to do some fast work to get everything in place at my house.”
Shaking his head, Cooper took a step closer to her bed. “Grams insists you come to the ranch. The nurse explained you still have a few weeks of recovery time.”
“The ranch?” She couldn’t impose on these good people any more. Though it was nice to know she’d at least been right about one thing when it came to the Barons and Emma.
“Don’t bother arguing. Grams may be a lot of years older than the last time you saw her, but she hasn’t changed one lick.”
Memories of the gentle matriarch flooded her mind. Once the Governor had said his wife reminded him of a velvet hammer. Soft, beautiful, unique and deadly when swinging. As far as she could remember, Lila Baron always got her way. “I don’t know.”
“If she lives alone, can she still go home?” Cooper looked to the nurse.
The woman didn’t say a word; she merely shrugged and shook her head.
“That’s what I thought.” Cooper blew out a soft sigh and seemed to struggle to smile. “Looks to me like you have two choices: the ranch or staying put.”
Not much of a choice if you asked her. “Where’s Emma?”
Now his smile bloomed in earnest. “When I learned I’d be detouring to pick you up, I swapped cars with Devlin. He took her to the ranch for me.”
“Devlin?”
Cooper chuckled. “Don’t look so surprised. That little one has the whole family wrapped around her cute little finger.”
Already exhausted from holding her own head up, Teresa leaned back. Resisting the urge to close her eyes and take a nap, she caught the way Cooper’s eyes narrowed as he watched her.
The nurse paused at the foot of Teresa’s bed. “I’m going to see what’s taking those instructions so long. When I come back, I’ll help you get dressed.”
“Oh, right.” Did she even have any clothes?
As if reading her mind, Cooper lifted a plain shopping bag. “I was told you’d be more comfortable in oversized t-shirts for now. I hope you don’t mind Fruit of the Loom.”
T-shirts? Oh, boy. Could things get any more embarrassing?