Page 21 of Baby Blue
“Nonsense. Have you already fed her?”
“Oh, yeah. Fed her a little after five. She’s been changed twice, but… Crap! I forgot to bring more diapers!” he said, panicking a little. He didn’t want to be late to work.
“I have a key, remember?” Anne said, laughing. “Stop worrying! Go to work! We’ll be fine, won’t we, Indigo?” she said, leaning down over the baby and tickling her. Indigo responded by squeaking a little and wiggling.
“You’re sure?”
“Positive! Go to work, Brent. We’ll be fine,” she repeated.
“Okay. See you… Well, I won’t see you. But I’ll see Polly as soon as I can get home from work.”
“Yep. And I picked up the baby wash and formula, so you can take that home with you this evening.”
Blue felt his face flush. “I’ll pay you back as soon as I…”
“I’m not worried about it. Go to work. We can discuss all that later,” Anne told him and pointed toward the door. “Go!”
“Okay, okay!” he answered, laughing and heading to the door. “Talk to you later.”
“Yes. Have a good day at work,” she called after him.
Oddly, he had an overwhelming urge to kiss her goodbye.Where the hell did that come from?he asked himself, but he already knew the answer. He just didn’t want to admit it.
And he tried?to have a good day at work. He really did. But it seemed as though Turner was always watching him, waiting for him to trip up so he could hammer his best mechanic. What the fuck was that about? He’d only been there for about thirty minutes when he heard that voice. “What are you yawning about? Have another late night?” Turner laughed, but it was a menacing laugh, not something jovial and friendly.
“Uh, yeah. But I’m working, aren’t I? So what’s the deal?”
“You’re not working very fast,” Turner informed him.
Blue rolled out on the mechanic’s creeper and glared up at him. “I’m working. What the fuck do you want from me?”
“Tell me you were lying,” Turner said, leering at him.
“About what?”
Turner started to laugh loudly, and everyone turned to look. “About a fucking baby on your doorstep, asshole! What a story!”
Blue struggled to his feet, careful to keep the creeper from shooting out from under him, and pulled his ancient smart phone out of his pocket. He poked the screen several times, and after a few tries the pictures folder opened. He punched around in there and finally smiled down at the phone before turning it around to show Turner. “See? Me. And a baby. At my house. I’m no liar.”
“Who’d you borrow that baby from?” Turner asked mockingly.
“I didn’t. She’s mine. An ex-girlfriend dropped her off on her way out of town,” Blue said, then realized how pathetic it sounded. But it was the truth. No reason to lie about it.
“Does she realize how bad she’s fucked up? You? With a baby?” Turner said, glaring at Blue.
“Oh, I’m sure she doesn’t care or she wouldn’t have left the baby on my doorstep,” Blue countered.
“Boy, ain’t that the truth. A fucked-up woman leaves a fucked-up man a baby to fuck up. That’s priceless.”
If he was aiming to piss Blue off, he’d managed. “I’m not going to fuck her up. I’m taking very good care of her, no thanks to you,” he snarled.
Turner’s face went beet red. “She’ll be lucky if she doesn’t starve to death with you taking care of her,” he replied, his voice dark and husky.
“I’ve got help. Good help. Don’t worry about my daughter. She’s fine,” Blue spat back, and then realized he’d never said that out loud before.My daughter. He kind of liked the way it sounded, and he couldn’t help the little grin that crept out on his face.
“What are you smiling about?” Turner asked, obviously angry.
“I have a daughter. And I know more about taking care of mine than you did about taking care of yours, and I haven’t even had her three days yet. Guess Iamsmarter than you in some ways, huh?” he said and chuckled.
