Page 8 of The Cowboy's Miracle Baby

Sarah laid a hand on Cami’s arm. “That’s really no mystery to the rest of us, dear. You, who care for twenty-five children a day, every day. And treat them like your own.”

“I’m just a teacher,” Cami said. “Not a mother. For heaven’s sake. Some days I don’t even know what I’m doing.”

Cami met Gus’s gaze as he was watching her. “Welcome to my world.”

Cami grinned back. She had a nice smile. Warm. He could see why her kids all seemed smitten by her.

“Before we get ahead of ourselves,” Shay said, brushing a finger along the silky hair on the baby’s head, “maybe we should think about calling the authorities. I mean, you can’t just keep a found baby. Can you?”

His feeling exactly. Gus wasn’t about to step into this fray and offer his opinion, but he had a sense that Liam’s baby sister had no clue what she was actually up against here. Not just caring for this newborn but fighting a system that generally didn’t care about notes or tender feelings. Something to which he could attest personally.

“Of course, we’re—I’m—going to call the authorities in the morning. Or… on Monday. But it’s late Friday night. No one’s around and there’s no need to rush into anything. She’s just a baby for heaven’s sake. We can do a baby for a night, can’t we? Or a couple of nights?”

“And the real mother?” Cooper put in. “What about her?”

“I don’t know,” Cami said, clearly frustrated at all the questions she couldn’t answer. “But that’s beside the point right now, isn’t it?” She shook her head. “I’m going to make up a bottle before she realizes she’s starving and in a roomful of doubters.”

As she left for the kitchen with the bag full of groceries, the others exchanged looks. Definitely doubtful looks, at that.

“Oh, dear,” Sarah said softly.

“Yeah, you can say that again.” Liam ran a hand through his too-long dark hair. “I don’t suppose you tried to talk her out of this, did you?” he asked Gus.

“I did, actually. But… as you can see, she wasn’t having any of it. I feel part of this, too, as it was Ella who found the baby, lying there all by her lonesome. Let’s just say it was definitely a tough call.”

“Poor thing,” Shay murmured, brushing the baby’s soft hair. “And at Christmastime, too. But we know she can’t keep it. Right? I mean she definitely can’tkeepit.”

They all silently acknowledged that such a thing had no hope of happening. Not that Gus had any clue whether Cami intended to do so. All he could say for sure was that her instincts to protect that child were familiar and, he had to admit, admirable. But protecting a child of your own was one thing. Protecting a stranger’s child from a predictable and most likely sad future was another battle altogether.

With a last look at the tiny baby in Sarah’s arms, Gus rubbed his still-cold hands together. “Look, I’ve gotta get Ella home. It’s past her bedtime. I’m just gonna say good night to Cami,” he told the others before heading toward the kitchen. “If you’ll excuse me?” He scratched Pippa on the head before walking through the door to the kitchen where he found Cami measuring out powdered formula into a clean baby bottle.

She was closely reading the instructions on the side of the baby formula can when he walked in. She glanced up at him and flicked a smile his way. “Don’t say it. I’m sure you think I’m crazy, too.”

“Nothing of the kind,” he said, pulling the box of diapers out of the plastic shopping bag and putting it on the counter. “You’re only doing what you feel is right. This whole thing, I mean, who’d have imagined finding a kid, abandoned, on a night like this? I do feel bad leaving all of this to you. We did find her together, after all.”

“And you don’t think keeping her here over the weekend is the right thing?”

“I didn’t say that.” He sighed. “Just don’t get too attached. She’s gonna end up in the system one way or another and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”

She poured filtered water into the bottle and twisted on the cap, giving the whole thing a good shake. “You know, they say that to me every year about my students. Don’t get too attached. And I try not to. I really do. But kids… they find a way inside you, don’t they? There are some—a few—that will always have a piece of my heart. And if the worst that happens is that this little baby manages to be one of those? Then so be it. I’m not going to let her fall through the cracks. Without her mom, she needs someone on her side. It might as well be me.”

“That’s a lot to take on.”

“Maybe. Or maybe it’s just who I am. I don’t even know where this is going right now. At any rate, you’re absolved of any responsibility for this. It’s my choice. So don’t worry.” She put the bottle in the bottle warmer Gus had bought and set the timer.

A frown tugged at his brow. “Yeah. Okay. I’ll check back in tomorrow.”

That drew her gaze again. “Not really necessary.”

“Right. I’ll see you then.”

She tilted a curious look at him, and it was then he noticed how pretty her gray-green eyes were, limned by dark lashes.

“In all this… it was nice to meet you, Gus Claymore. An inauspicious meeting to be sure. But still, bloody noses and lost babies aside? A pleasure.”

A grin edged the worry on his face. “Oh, right. Bloody noses aside. And with an apology still to be written. Nice to meet you, too.” He started to offer his hand, but that was just too awkward. What he really wanted to do was give her the hug she obviously needed. But that was out of the question, too. “Good night, Cami.”

“Night, Gus.”

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