First, he paid attention to how Jordan switched out car seats, swapping out Scott’s booster for a toddler seat that sat rear-facing. “How am I supposed to see what she’s doing back there when she’s facing the other way?” Simon grumbled, clearly flustered. “Use my imagination?”

Jordan chuckled. “Install a mirror. If she’s unhappy, believe me, she’ll let you know. In California, state law changed a couple of years ago. Newborn to age two faces rear. It offers more protection if you’re involved in an accident.”

Simon paled. “Oh jeez, I should make sure I don’t speed then.”

After adjusting the headrest, Jordan turned to Simon and stared at the baby resting her head on his shoulder. “Try that, because it looks like you have an exhausted little girl there.”

“So I noticed. She’s been yawning up a storm.” Awkwardly, he settled her between the harness and strapped her in. Then he loaded up the back of Jordan’s Ford Explorer with the stuff the lawyer had dumped on the driveway.

“Look, Simon, if you have any questions at all, call me. I’m more than happy to go over anything you need to know.”

“You don’t happen to have a manual I could read, do you? What about diapers? What kind does she use?”

Jordan went over all that, but when Delaney started to fuss for the first time since getting there, she stopped. “Go home and use whatever’s in the diaper bag. I’ll send Nick over later to check on you with a few items that might come in handy.”

“Okay. You know where to find your car if you need it.”

“I won’t. Nick’ll be home soon.”

Simon’s house was a five-minute drive away because he lived next door in the Taggert Farms

caretaker’s cottage—a box of a house painted bright red with white shutters.

It was once occupied by Gavin and Maggie Kendall and their two kids, who’d moved into the main farmhouse after Simon arrived. Since then, he’d renovated the inside by gutting the interior walls and changing the layout.

Now the place had an open great room and an island kitchen, a design that worked far better for him than the claustrophobic, caged feeling. He’d built bookshelves on one end of the living room. He’d added a second bathroom that separated two small guest rooms on one side while expanding the en-suite that belonged to the master bedroom and on the other.

As soon as he pulled up in the SUV, Merlin bounded off the porch to greet him. The Newfoundland mix had bronze fur and a short snout that made him look like an adorable bear cub in the face. Merlin had the best disposition of any pooch Simon had ever owned and swore the dog was the smartest canine he’d ever been around.

“Hey, boy, have I got a surprise for you. Look what we have. Don’t go scaring her now, okay?”

Simon got out and opened the car door, and immediately realized Delaney had fallen asleep on the short ride home. He unfastened her seat belt and lifted her out doing his best not to wake her up. When he reached the front door, he realized he had a problem. He couldn’t open it with his hands full.

“Merlin, get the door.”

The dog responded by standing on his hind legs and using his front paws to repeatedly hit the lever until it finally cracked open an inch. Merlin stuck his nose in the space and nudged the gap wider.

“Good dog. Good boy. I’ll get you a treat after I put her down.” He glanced around the living room, looking for where that would be and decided on the sofa, that way if she woke up he’d be able to see it immediately.

Gently he placed her into the cushions before dropping down beside her on the couch. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes and let the tension fall away before promptly falling asleep.

A light tap on the door had him bolting upright. Next to him on the sofa, Delaney was still zonked out, fast asleep. It was dark outside. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been out, but the nap hadn’t changed the fact that he was a father. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he stumbled to the door.

Nick stood on the porch carrying half of a crib. “Jordan thought you might need this. Cord’s getting the other half out of his truck.”

Simon tilted his head to study the piece of furniture that seemed so out of place in his house. “It’s like a cage. You gonna help me put it together?”

“That’s why I’m here. Jordan insisted on giving you Scott’s high chair, too. And I put a call in to Kinsey. She’ll be here later after she gets her kids down for the night to read over the paperwork you signed.”

“Thanks. Be kind of quiet, okay. The girl’s still…” The girl was now sitting upright. Her face puckered up as she started bawling her lungs out.

Totally out of his depth, Simon did the only thing he could. He went over and picked her up. “Oh, hey. You are totally soaked.” He looked around for the diaper bag. “I forgot to bring it in. We’ll go get it, okay? It’ll be okay. Shhh, now. Shhh. It’s okay.”

All the way out to the car, he bounced and tried to soothe her by talking in his normal voice. But the more he talked the louder she cried.

Once back inside, he set her down on the floor, where she stood in one spot in the middle of the room and wailed.

Nick helped by digging through the bag until he found a Pampers and handed it off.

“Okay. Tell me how this works.”

Cord found the instructions on his phone and handed it to Simon. “There’s a video. You’re good with how-tos, right? Piece of cake.”

Simon watched the YouTube post and then began the process even though Delaney was still unhappy.

While Nick looked on, he offered his own expertise, leaning over Simon’s shoulder. “Rip off the sticky tabs first.”

Simon obliged and yanked off the wet diaper. He turned to grab the clean one, but Delaney used the opportunity to roll over on her stomach and scurry away faster than a cockroach.

Nick skillfully stopped her progress and brought her back to the starting line. “This is what they do. They try to escape. You gotta be quicker and a whole lot smoother. Kind of like when you handle a rifle, load it, and take it apart with precision without even thinking about the drill. Changing a diaper has to become second nature. Like this.” With one hand, he held Delaney in place, slipped the clean diaper under her backside like a pro and with the other, wrapped the front part across her belly. “Now you secure the tabs. First one, then the other. Quick and fast. There. See. All done.”

Simon breathed a sigh of relief like he’d just finished a marathon. “That wasn’t so bad for my first time, right? At least it wasn’t poop.”

“Not yet,” Cord muttered as he slapped Simon on the back. “That’ll come later. I’m gonna carry in the rest of the stuff.”

Simon nodded and scooped the baby up. Stunned that she’d stopped fussing, he jostled her in his arms. “There. She’s fine now. Did you notice when I picked her up she stopped crying?”

Nick rolled his eyes. “Just because she’s small, doesn’t mean she’s dumb. Getting you to pick her up is what makes her happy.”

“She’s probably hungry by now.”

“Jordan thought of that. She sent over cold scrambled eggs and some applesauce. They eat food cold, not steaming hot, so don’t try to make her eat hot foods,” Nick offered. He held up a Tupperware container of finger foods and a sippy cup. “Use the bottles in the diaper bag at bedtime and naptime. The sippy cup is for during the day. There’s enough food there to get you through a couple of days. Do you have any Cheerios? Cause they eat cereal by the handfuls when they won’t eat anything else. Cheerios are always your go-to back-up at mealtime or snack time.”

Cord reappeared in the doorway with the high chair. He rubbed his hands together. “I’ll set this up while Nick brings in the rest. After you get her to eat, I’ll go start putting the crib together. Which room?”

Simon pointed down the hallway. “Both are kinda small, but the first one is slightly larger.”

“First one is the nursery. Got it,” Cord said as he headed that way.

While Nick went outside to retrieve the other items Jordan had sent over, Simon strolled into the kitchen.

“Nursery? Good lord, doodle-bug. You have a nursery and I have a baby’s room in my house. Keep your expectations very low and we should be fine. Don’t expect too much right away.”

After settling her into the high chair, Simon somehow managed to charm her into eating some of the egg and applesauce. For good measure, he poured a cupful of Cheerios in a plastic bowl, which she promptly dumped out on the tray and, one by one, stuck in her mouth.

Merlin hung around to lap up anything Delaney dropped on the floor. And toward the end of the meal, that was a lot.

“Kinsey just texted to say she’s on her way,” Nick announced. “What else can we do before we leave?”

“Leave?” Simon repeated in a panic. “Don’t take off just yet. Take a look in the room…nursery…and see what else I might need. Make me a list.”

“You’ll need a diaper pail. I didn’t bring one of those. You can use a wastebasket for now,” Nick said as he went in search of one.

Before long Kinsey arrived, looking around and taking note of the situation. “Wow, what a way to find out you’re a father. Am I right? No phone call ahead of time?”

“Nope. I’m not even sure how they tracked me down at work. You know, out at the Bed and Breakfast.”

“Don’t bite my head off,” Cord began. “But is there any part of you that thinks she might not be yours?”

“Why would I bite your head off? It’s a logical question. I mean, I spent a summer with Amelia Langston. The timing adds up. I’m not stupid, I did the math. Fifteen-and-a-half months would be about right.”

“You could always get a DNA test,” Kinsey suggested. “It’s what I’d recommend to any of my clients in your situation. It wouldn’t be a slap against you or the baby or the mother for that matter. It’s a practical, easy and quick thing that verifies your responsibility, legally. If I ask, I bet Quentin could get you an answer by the end of the week, Monday at the latest.”

“All right. Sure. Set up an appointment.”

Kinsey eyed the folder and the documents spread out on the coffee table. “Have you gone through any of this stuff?”

“No,” Simon said quietly. “It scares me a little.”

Kinsey began to paw through the papers until she held up an envelope. “There’s a letter here addressed to you. It’s attached to the copy of the will. Give me the baby while you read over it. Could be important.”

Simon stared at his name on the outside. It was written in script and probably in Amelia’s handwriting.

 

Dear Simon,

 

If you’re reading this the unthinkable has happened. I’m no longer around to take care of our daughter. You’re probably pretty upset at this point, wondering why I didn’t tell you about her from the beginning. The reason is simple. I didn’t want to share her with anyone, not even you. We weren’t together long enough to do any more than create this beautiful child, a child I discovered that I desperately wanted more than anything else, more than traveling the world as a photographer.

That summer we met was magical, but neither one of us was in a good enough place to make it last for longer than a summer fling on Cape Cod. We probably weren’t the first two people in the world to spend a summer there like that and we won’t be the last.

Surely you agree we weren’t meant to remain together. It’s a fact. What we had that summer wasn’t a forever kind of thing and deep down you knew it, too. That’s why when August ended we went our separate ways. It was the right thing to do. For both of us.

I hope you’ll forgive me for not telling you I was pregnant. But after finally getting out of the Army, it seemed to me like you were just beginning to find yourself. Not a good time to embark on a different course like fatherhood. I think I did the right thing.

I wanted this baby. Girl or boy, it didn’t much matter to me. It was unexpected, but not entirely a bad thing. At least not for me. I didn’t need or want your help in this. But now, it seems fate has chosen a different path entirely for both of us. And now, for Delaney.

Please take care of our daughter. I hope you learn to love her as much as I do. Please don’t hold hard feelings toward her for what I did. She’s blameless. Delaney Amelia Bremmer is yours now.

 

Love, Amelia

 

Simon bit his lip and fought back the tears that formed in his eyes and tried to keep them from dripping down on the letter. He folded it back up and stuck it in the envelope.

“What did it say?” Kinsey asked.

Simon handed it back to the lawyer. “That Amelia was more warped than I remembered.”

“I’m sorry,” Kinsey said, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Is there anything you want me to do?”

“Is there any way you can get Delaney’s birth records from the hospital?”

“I have the birth certificate right here. Your Amelia delivered a baby girl on May 28th at ten-seventeen in the morning, weighing seven pounds, one ounce.”

“She was never my Amelia. Didn’t you read the letter?”

“Simon, you shouldn’t take this as a…”

“Stab in the heart? No way. What Amelia says about us not being right for each other is absolutely the truth. It wouldn’t have worked out between us. We were too different. I knew that while we were together. But as a guy she slept with casually, even I deserved to know about a baby. I could’ve…I don’t know…done something.”

Nick stood up. “Well, I came over for moral support and to drop off a few things that should at least get you going. I’m headed home to help put my own two wildlings to bed. If you need anything, call.”

“Thanks, Nick. You too, Cord. I’ll be all right now. Go home where you belong.”

“I have surgery in the morning,” Cord explained. “Otherwise I’d play uncle for a little longer. But I’m better with animals than kids.”

Kinsey let out a laugh. “That’s probably why you make a great veterinarian.” She turned to Simon. “Put him on the list to babysit down the road.”

He managed a grin. “Don’t worry, Cord. I don’t expect you to take care of her unless it’s a full-on emergency. Will Merlin be okay around her?”

“You need to ask? Merlin has one of the best temperaments I’ve ever seen in a rescue dog. I think it’s the Newfoundland in him. Nothing to worry about on that score.”

“Want me to set you up with an appointment at the Community Church for daycare?” Kinsey asked. “They’re expecting a new pastor to take over any time now since Reverend Whitcomb had his stroke last month. Dottie’s already moved out of the cottage and put him in a retirement home near Santa Cruz, a place Dr. Blackwood found. It specializes in stroke victims. She’s there with him full time now. The reason I’m bringing it up tonight is because you might need to hold a spot open for a fifteen-month-old. The twins go there three times a week for five hours a day and it’s getting crowded. They’ve been talking about hiring more help but so far without anyone at the top, it hasn’t happened yet.”

“Then do what you think is best. You guys get out of here now and go home to your families. I’ll be okay. And if I’m not, I’ll call out for help.”

Outside as Kinsey got into her car, she turned to Nick and Cord. “You know him better than I do, but does it seem like he’s in…”

“Shock?” Cord supplied. “I’ve never seen him so subdued.”

“Neither have I,” Nick offered. “I think we should all keep an eye on him and come by as often as possible. This is such a life-changing event for him.”

Shortly after everyone left, Simon put his charge to bed. Nick had fixed the crib up with clean, crisp sheets and a soft, pale blue and buttery blanket. He stood over her, afraid to leave the room, watching her mouth move in a sucking motion in her sleep.

The scene was so surreal. He put another blanket around her just in case she got cold. He touched her forehead, thinking how hot she felt, but the movement woke her up. And she wasn’t one bit happy about it.