Free Baby in Her Arms by Judy Christenberry Page B

these two was going to cost her. It would take her months to forget the contentment of these days.
    “Ginny and I appreciate what you’re doing for us. And I know I’m taking advantage of you, but I didn’t find a nanny yesterday and—”
    “And you want me to help you Monday, too?”
    “Is it too much to ask?”
    “No. In fact, I think I need to take some vacation days. I’ve been working too much lately.”
    She couldn’t bear the intimacy of the bed anymore. Not when she’d promised to stay longer. She didn’t regret that promise, but she was going to have to be careful. She needed to harden her heart against Josh as much as possible. “I’ll go start breakfast while you’re taking care of Ginny.”
    Before she could escape, Josh had swung his legs over the side of the bed. “Ginny and I will come with you.”
     
    Three adults made his apartment seem small, Josh reflected. It had always been perfect for his life, until now. He’d never thought he would ever need to move.
    But he was beginning to realize that Ginny was a permanent fixture in his life. And since he couldn’t take time to care for her, he had to have room for a nanny or whoever.
    With nothing else to do, he pulled the classifieds out of the paper and began reading the house-for-sale ads. “Hey, Maggie, listen to this. Four-bedroom house, three baths, large yard, Shawnee Mission School District.”
    She looked at him, surprised. Ginny had just awakened from her nap and was playing on the floor with Maggie, while Sam watched a golf tournament on television.
    “Does that sound good?” he prompted when she said nothing.
    “Good for what?”
    “For Ginny.”
    “I thought you weren’t going to move.”
    “I’ll have to. There’s not enough room here. And she’ll need a yard to play in. And good schools to go to.”
    “It sounds expensive.”
    He dismissed her comment with a wave of his hand. “I’ve got some money saved.”
    He had quite a bit of money, actually, thanks to his mother. Her insistence that his father take a safe job, selling insurance, and insuring himself for an inordinate amount, had seemed silly. But when they’d had a car wreck while Josh was in college, killing both of his parents, he’d been left with a lot of money. He would rather have had parents.
    He’d learned a valuable lesson, however. There was no protection against death.
    “So, you’re going to keep Ginny?”
    He stared at Maggie. “What do you mean? Of course I’m going to keep Ginny! She’s my child.”
    Sam was watching them, a strange expression on his face. “Isn’t Maggie her mother?”
    Josh ignored him, not willing to share his personal life with a client, but Maggie answered. “No, I’m not.”
    “I thought you were. The kid looks a lot like you.” Sam turned his attention back to the television.
    Josh stared at her in frustration. He wanted to discuss her meaning, to protest her thinking he would ever give up his child. But he didn’t want to do that in front of Sam.
    “Let’s go into the bedroom,” he suggested softly.
    “Um, no, I have to fold clothes. I washed a load of Ginny’s things.” She got to her feet. “Watch Ginny for me.”
    The baby tried to crawl after Maggie, and Josh caught her around her little tummy. “Whoa, Ginny. Mommy—Maggie said for you to stay here.”
    His slip startled him. Maggie wasn’t her mother, but she certainly acted like it. He knew she cared about Ginny. This morning, he’d thought he might win in their battle of wills over who was going to care for the baby, because he could see how hard it was for her to let him take her place.
    But Maggie had surprised him.
    And he’d surprised himself. It wasn’t as hard to care for a baby as he’d thought. And she was kind of cute.
    Ginny picked up a stuffed block and threw it.
    He reached for the block and handed it back to her. In no time, she’d thrown it again. He handed it back. She threw it again.
    “Wait a minute. This is a game,