Free Second Ride Cowboy (Second Chance Series) by Rhonda Lee Carver Page B

even console an upset baby?
    Duke left the solitude of his room and strode toward the sound of the unhappy child. He stopped at the cracked door and peered in. Ava stood inside her crib. Her disheveled hair and rosy, tear-stained cheek appearance shot through him like a dull knife.
    So this was Ava.
    Caught up in the moment, he’d forgotten he wasn’t stable on his feet. He lost his balance and his shoulder struck the wooden frame. He stepped back, but he was too late. The child saw him and held him in the depths of her cornflower gaze. She stopped crying, but her bottom lip trembled as she sniffed loudly. His heart melted.
    “Duke?” Margaret stood up from the rocker, blocking his view of the baby. “Lila said you’d probably be in your room for the rest of the night.”
    “Something is wrong with the child.” Hearing a gurgling noise, Duke stepped past Margaret. The baby was sucking on her fist.
    “She’ll be fine. She’s only teething.”
    He doubted the crying could be blamed on teeth. Closer to the crib now, he stood within arm’s reach of the child. Ava still watched him, curiosity mingled with sadness in her expression. One thing he didn’t see, and it amazed him, she wasn’t afraid. On instinct, he lifted his hand and placed his palm against her forehead. “She feels warm.”
    “A side effect of teething,” Margaret said.
    “Don’t teething children need held?” he asked.
    “Yes, sure.” Margaret moved past him, reached into the crib and lifted Ava into her arms. “I think you should try.” The woman pushed the baby into his arms. He resisted, but Margaret insisted. “Try.”
    “I don’t think this is a good idea.” He couldn’t hide the trembling in his voice.
    “You’re her father. What’s not good about it?”
    Duke brought his arms up and wrapped them around the child. He’d never held a baby before and the tiny figure against his chest felt awkward but nice. Her fists bobbed in the air and she whimpered. “I don’t think I’m doing this right,” he said.
    “You’re holding a child, not balancing a set of dishes.” Margaret laughed.
    Adjusting his arms, Duke found a more comfortable position for the baby. She seemed to like it better too because she cooed and laid her head against his shoulder. Feeling his knees weaken, Duke went to the rocking chair and sat. The baby didn’t fuss.
    “I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”
    Duke barely heard Margaret because he embraced the moment of holding his child for the first time. He lowered his face to her silky hair and breathed in her scent. He didn’t know what a baby should smell like, but this one definitely smelled good. He caught a trace of powder and something else, perhaps shampoo.
    One chubby leg fell against his thigh. He lowered his hand and touched her pale skin. She was soft, like her mother. “Do you miss your mommy?” he asked.
    “Maa, Maa,” Ava moaned against his chest.
    “It’s okay. Mommy will be home soon.” He understood the feeling of missing her.
    He rocked while he held Ava close, not sure how much time had passed until he heard her even breathing. She’d fallen asleep. Pride erupted inside his chest. Now he understood what Chance had meant when he said there was no feeling close to the one of becoming a father.
    After a while, he debated whether he should put her back into the crib, but he didn’t want to wake her. He guessed she didn’t like the mini jail with its bars.
    Laying his head back, he closed his eyes. It couldn’t hurt anything to stay like this until he was certain she was okay. His thoughts roamed to Lila. What had happened between them earlier hadn’t been planned or expected. They’d had sex, but it was more than that. They shared a history.
    Had she gone with Lucas to confess she’d slept with Duke?
    One thing he was sure of, she hadn’t been sleeping with anyone while he was in a coma. He knew her well, and if she’d been involved with any man, she wouldn’t have