The Sheriff and the Baby (5 page)

Jealousy. It was jealousy, pure and simple, Matt decided the next morning. Jealousy had twisted his guts and had him up pacing the floor half the night.

No sooner had he gotten home than his backstabbing brother had called and practically intimated that Beth would make a perfect wife for
him
and a mother to his three daughters!

The lousy rat hadn’t even met her, yet he was already planning a future for Beth and Sarah. What the hell was Luke playing at?

Matt downed a cup of coffee and headed for the bathroom to get ready. He was going to make damn sure Luke didn’t beat him to the hospital before visiting hours commenced.

W
HEN HE STRODE THROUGH
the hospital doors an hour later, Matt was trying to assure himself for the umpteenth time that he wasn’t visiting Beth for any selfish reasons related to his own need for a woman’s company or because she interested him. No, he was only there so early to make sure Luke didn’t have a chance to put crazy notions of happily-ever-after-on-the-ranch into Beth’s head when she was feeling so vulnerable.

He wasn’t interested in her for himself, merely felt some
sort of responsibility for her and Sarah. He wanted to protect her from—

Matt halted in the corridor outside her room.
Protect? Responsibility?
He’d sworn off getting involved with anyone, loving anyone, after Sally and the baby died. He never wanted to expose himself to that sort of pain again.

So why, then, were they continually invading his thoughts?

He could hear a baby’s loud cry from Beth’s room. He knocked, but when there was no answer, other than the rising pitch of Sarah’s cries, he turned the knob and opened the door.

Beth was rocking Sarah, her head bent over her daughter as she spoke softly, trying to calm her baby.

Despite the lies she might have told him, Matt couldn’t deny that her love and concern for the child were genuine.

He coughed politely and Beth looked up. Her eyes were sunken with fatigue, her hair was unbrushed and her nightgown pulled carelessly together. But to Matt she was beautiful.

“I didn’t hear you come in.” She sniffed and reached for a tissue. “How long have you been there?”

Sarah continued to fuss, her plaintive cries of distress filling the room. Matt’s heart went out to both of them.

“Long enough to know you’ve probably had it. May I?” he asked and, at Beth’s nod, scooped Sarah from her mother’s arms and held her against him.

The baby sensed the change at once and quieted.

“Typical!” Beth fumed. “There doesn’t seem to be anything I can do for her. I’ve hardly slept a wink all night.”

Matt stroked Sarah’s cheek, then looked back at Beth. She was trying so hard to do the right thing by her daugh
ter. “Do you want to take a minute to wash your face? I’m happy to hold her.”

Beth scrambled out of bed. “Thanks. I must really look a mess.” She went into her bathroom, but didn’t close the door.

Matt could hear the sound of running water, then it shut off. “Becky came to visit yesterday,” she called out.

Matt didn’t miss the note of longing in her voice. “She wasn’t too pushy, was she? My family tends to specialize in taking over. Particularly the women.” And Luke.

“She was very sweet,” Beth told him, returning to her room. “She seems to have great affection for you.”

Matt grinned. “We’re a very close family.” He used the opening to question her. “Do you have any family?”

Her expression changed, but Matt pressed her. She was being far too mysterious. Maybe she was a battered woman claiming to be widowed to try and stop him from delving deeper. If so, he was determined to find out and protect her. “Are your parents still alive? Your husband’s folks?”

Beth shook her head. “I’m an only child. That’s why I know almost nothing about looking after babies,” she said, neatly ducking his question. “My career was my life and I steered clear of getting too involved with children. Until I got pregnant, I didn’t think I could love and raise a child of my own.”

“And now?”

She smiled and her shoulders relaxed a little. “Now I know I’m capable of loving a child. Although I’m not sure I would’ve admitted that at around two this morning when she was screaming at the top of her lungs.” She stroked Sarah’s hair and looked up at him, the devotion she felt for her daughter evident in her eyes.

Matt liked it when she was being frank with him. It made him feel trusted.

“Can I ask why you’re here again?”

Matt was caught off guard by her question and said the first thing that came into his head. “I meant to tell you yesterday that your car’s been towed to a garage and I’ve arranged to have some estimates done.”

He saw her swallow before she said, “Thank you, but I intended to take care of all that when I get out of here.”

“It’s no problem. In the meantime, it’s safe. I wanted you to know that.”

Feeling awkward at the silence that filled the room, he addressed Sarah. “Have you inherited your mama’s lungs, sweetie?”

“What do you mean?”

Matt glanced up from the baby lying contentedly in his arms. “Ah, the other night, you were making enough noise to wake the dead.”

Her face flushed with embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I was scared…and in so much pain.”

Matt smiled. “No need to apologize. The experience affirmed my everlasting gratitude that men can’t give birth.” He shifted Sarah to his shoulder when she started to fuss again and rubbed her back.

“You’re so good with her,” she said, her voice full of longing.

“When my nieces were babies, I could calm them when everyone else was at the breaking point.” The admission had him wondering for the thousandth time what sort of father he would’ve made.

Beth’s shoulders relaxed some more. “That’s nice. You’ll make a great father someday.”

He wished she wouldn’t keep talking about fatherhood.

“I’ll bet you’re the one the kids turn to when they need advice or want to keep a secret from their parents?”

Matt forced the burning sensation aside and nodded. “You guessed it.”

Sarah rewarded his back rubbing with an enormous burp. Then she threw up.

Matt held his breath as he felt the warm liquid seep through his shirt. He handed Sarah back to her mother and left the room without a word.

T
OO AWARE OF HIS
absence, Beth wondered if he’d come back. Although she’d planned to be long gone by the time Matt O’Malley showed up this morning, things hadn’t gone to plan. Sarah had kept her up most of the night alternately crying and feeding. Now here she was, feeling like death warmed over and still at the hospital. She was in no state to make her way home and try to manage Sarah while she was so exhausted. It wouldn’t hurt to stay another day, so long as Matt didn’t push her for any more answers to his questions.

Beth looked down at her daughter and couldn’t believe her eyes. She’d fallen asleep. “Typical!” she muttered again. “Keep me up all night and
now
you want to sleep!”

After cleaning Sarah’s face and hands, she placed her in the crib.

Despite not wanting to see Matt today, she was grateful he’d shown up, if only to give her a break from Sarah.

When she’d seen him standing there, looking so dependable, his eyes full of compassion, Beth had felt gratitude right down to her toes.

Careful!
she warned herself.
It isn’t wise to rely on Matt O’Malley. He’s a cop.

In her mind she believed this, but her heart was having trouble agreeing. Ever since he’d lifted her from the car, she’d felt safe, protected. The way he’d held her securely against him as he carried her to his vehicle had penetrated
through the pain, instilling a sense of calm and sheltering her from her fear of what was to come. And he hadn’t deserted her when he’d got her to the hospital. Instead, he’d stayed, held her hand and provided her with some focus outside the pain of childbirth.

No matter how hard she tried to deny it, she felt a bond with Matt O’Malley.

When a light knock sounded at the door, Beth glanced up, hoping Matt had returned.

The man who stood in the doorway bore every indication of being a close relative of Matt’s. He was tall, with thick, dark brown hair graying at the temples, brown eyes and a lazy smile. He held a large bunch of flowers. “Hi, there. I’m Luke O’Malley,” he said. “May I come in?”

Since it would be downright rude to refuse, she said, “Of course. Matt’s just stepped out for a moment.”

Luke advanced toward her bed. “I brought you these to cheer up your room,” he said and laid the flowers in her arms. “Becky told me she visited you yesterday, so I knew you’d only get candy from her.”

“You seem to know your sister-in-law very well.” She smiled and offered her hand. “I’m Beth, and thank you. The flowers are lovely.”

He shook her hand, and Beth noted that she didn’t experience the same wonderful feeling as when Matt had accidentally touched her the day before.

“Pleased to meet you,” he drawled and released her hand. “Matt’s told me a lot about you, and I’m pleased to make your acquaintance at last.”

He turned his attention to Sarah lying peacefully asleep in her crib. “Now, isn’t she just the prettiest little lady? Reminds me of my own beautiful daughters when they were babies. You’ll have to come out to the ranch and meet
them. They’ve grown up into beautiful girls. ’Course they miss having a mom—”

“Luke!”
Matt stood in the doorway; his expression was thunderous.

Deep in her belly, Beth felt a prickle of something she couldn’t quite name. Sarah stirred in her crib.

“Hush, Matt! Now look what you’ve done,” Luke admonished. “You’ve gone and woken the little darlin’ up.”

I
MMEDIATELY SUSPICIOUS
of the stupid grin his brother wore, Matt narrowed his eyes in warning. He’d watched Luke weave his charm from the doorway and didn’t like it one bit.

He moved to Sarah’s crib and lifted her into his arms. “There, there, sweetie,” he soothed, and Sarah rewarded him by returning immediately to sleep.

Luke had resumed his pathetic attempts to charm Beth, oozing his best country-bumpkin charm and prattling on about her and Sarah coming to visit
his
ranch. Last time Matt had heard, Two Elk belonged to
all
the O’Malleys!

Luke was saying, “Just give me a call and I’ll come and get you.”

Fixing his brother with a look of contempt, Matt snarled, “Hadn’t you better be getting along? I’m sure you’ve got calves to brand or torture in some other diabolical way.”

When Luke refused to budge, Matt suspected he was up to something, and if his instincts were right, Becky was in collusion with him.

Luke crossed his arms over his chest and set his feet at a wider stance. “Now, now, Matt, you can’t go keeping Beth all to yourself. I’m sure she’d like to meet the rest of the
single
O’Malley men.”

Luke’s challenging stance meant he thought he was set
tling in for a long session. Matt needed to get him out of there, and fast.

“Like I was saying, haven’t you got a whole barn full of animals waiting back at the ranch for you to torment?” Matt said, holding Sarah protectively against him.

A slow grin spread across his brother’s face. “That I do,” he agreed, a little too readily, making Matt even more suspicious about his motives.

His stomach sank to his boots when Luke said, “Seems my little brother’s in an awful hurry to be left alone with you, so I’ll be taking my leave, if you don’t mind.” He turned and winked at Matt, then slipped out the door.

Matt stole a glance at Beth. Her face was bright red with embarrassment. He didn’t know what to say in answer to Luke’s parting shot. He’d been set up and he hadn’t seen it coming! The silence in the room stretched to a minute, then two. He wished Sarah would start fussing, but she slept on, contented in his arms.

B
ETH FIDGETED WITH
the sheet. Was Luke implying that Matt was…
interested
in her? Surely not! They hardly knew each other.

She changed the subject. “Becky said you’re a widower.”

From his pained look, she knew she’d struck a raw nerve.

He put Sarah in her crib, tenderly covered her with the blanket, then raised his head. “My wife died three years ago,” he murmured.

The agony she saw etched in his eyes made her regret her prying. “And you’re still in love with her,” she said softly.

“No.”
He spoke too quickly and drew his hand through
his hair in what seemed to be an uncharacteristically nervous gesture.

He stood and said, “I’d…better be off. But first I want to apologize for that outburst earlier. I think my busybody of a brother was trying to matchmake. It was inappropriate and I’m sorry for any embarrassment it caused you.”

Matt O’Malley was blushing! Beth found it touching.

“It didn’t embarrass me,” she told him, although that wasn’t true. “And…I’m so sorry about your wife.”

Matt gave her a curt nod and left.

“Phew!” Beth fanned her face after the door closed behind him. Questioning Matt about his wife sure had him heading out in a hurry.
He must still love her,
she thought, smoothing the sheets.
In spite of his denial.

She nestled beneath the covers and thought about the sheriff. He was a complex man, an intriguing man. Big but gentle, physically strong yet weak stomached. She smiled at that one. He’d been so good-natured about Lucy’s teasing in the delivery room. And he obviously cared about his family, just as they cared about him.

He had the one thing she’d always wanted—a big, loving family. She’d always craved siblings to play with, fight with and go on holidays with. Instead, she’d been a lonely child who’d had to rely on her own company. She supposed there was one benefit to her upbringing; it had stood her in good stead for the past months of enforced solitude.

There was something inherently appealing about a man who could grieve for his wife for years.
Unlike me,
she thought with a pang of conscience. She’d grieved more for the sham that was her marriage than for Marcus, after his treachery was revealed.