Page 5 of The Cowboy's Miracle Baby

“I’d have to agree with that,” he said, softening a bit. “Still, she’s been a little at loose ends since we moved this time. But she’s really loved coming here, doing the pageant. She’s talked aboutyounonstop.”

“Really?” Heat crept up her cheeks.

At six, Eloise was a few grades lower than her own students at Marietta Elementary, but she’d seen her at school, most often alone.

“Ya’ll are kind of new to town, aren’t you?”

“We’ve been here about five months. Working with Dr. Anders at his clinic.” He glanced in his daughter’s direction as she wandered through the pews. “You’re not going to kick her out over this, are you?”

“What?Of course not. Don’t worry. This will all work itself out. It always does.”

He shifted uncomfortably as Luke sent a curious look between them. “Well, if you guys don’t mind, since you’re here for Ella, I’m gonna take off. I’m gonna stop for a coffee on the way home. You good?” he asked Gus.

He nodded. “Thanks for showing up.”

“Always. See you at home.”

As Luke headed back out into the cold, Gus turned back to Cami. “We’d better get going, too. She must be hungry for dinner, and I’ve got to-go food in the car. It was nice to meet you.”

“And you, too. Finally.”

But as he turned to go, Eloise appeared behind him holding an armful of blankets.

“Daddy, look. Somebody left it near Ms. Hardesty’s stuff.”

Cami frowned. “Blankets?”

“No,” Eloise said, her eyes full of wonder as something in the blankets made a mewling sound. “This.” She tugged the pink blankets aside to reveal a baby.

A small, practically newborn baby.

Cami and Gus gasped at once “Oh, my—!” Cami reached for the bundle, carefully taking it out of Eloise’s arms.

“Where did you find it?” Frantically, they both searched the church to see who was missing a child. But there was practically no one left inside the chapel.

Eloise pointed to a pew at the back of the church. “She was all alone. Can we keep her?”

Gus wrapped a protective arm around his daughter. “Show us where you found her.”

The child promptly pointed out the very pew where the baby had been, and not only was there no one looking for the child, there was no baby carrier or any other sign that connected it with any parent nearby.

She turned in circles, hoping to see someone she hadn’t seen before, but no. Eloise was right. Someone had left this child here alone.

Her eyes met Gus Claymore’s in something of a panic. “Who could do this?”

He shook his head as bewildered as she was. She pried the blankets aside to get a better look at the baby. A frown furled the baby’s tiny mouth as she cranked up a weak cry. She didn’t look more than a few days old, but already she was a beautiful baby. There was no mistaking her for anything but female. Her hair was faintly blonde, and her tiny, dark lashes were damp with tears. As Cami pulled the blankets aside, she heard the crinkle of paper and pulled a folded sheet of lined school paper out from beneath the blanket.

And in pencil, in shaky handwriting, the note began, DEARMS. HARDESTY.

Chapter Two

Cami’s hand beganto shake as she read the note.

DEARMS. HARDESTY, it read. I’M SORRY. IFIHAD A CHOICE, IWOULD KEEP HER, BUTICAN’T. SHE’S BETTER OFF WITHOUT ME. IKNOW YOU’LL DO WHAT’S BEST FOR HER. ITRUST YOU. HER NAME ISLOLLY. AT LEAST THAT’S MY NAME FOR HER. THE BRACELET IS FROM ME WITH HER NAME ON IT. MAKE SURE SHE KNOWS IT WAS FROM ME. PLEASE TELL HERILOVED HER AND THAT IT WASN’T HER FAULT.

There was no signature. She looked up at Gus Claymore who looked every bit as shocked as she felt. “Oh, no,” she whispered to no one in particular. “No.”

Why me? Who would leave a baby alone like this? And for me?

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