Page 41 of Raven's Instinct
“Oh, that would be a treat,” Kendra said. “Lucky girl, I can’t remember the last time I had a bath.”
Amy looked grouchy and pushed Alan away when he swept in to get the worst of her mess off with a paper towel, but he made her laugh by making faces as he cleaned her up. Kendra watched from the kitchen door, smiling foolishly.
Alan’s bathroom was as bland as any of the other rooms, completely devoid of meaningful decoration, but he did have a shaving kit and toothbrush by the sink, which made it feel a little more personal.
It wasn’t a huge bathroom, but it was large enough that Kendra could sit on the closed toilet and watch as Alan, after a glance at Kendra for permission, took over the bath time duties.
He got the tub filled up just right and made a show of testing the temperature on the skin of his wrist. “I read about this,” hesaid. “I like my baths a degree shy of boiling, but kids are delicate or something.”
“Me too,” Kendra said.Is this what having a helpmate was like?
I’m a helpmate, her owl protested.
For certain definitions ofhelp.
“You too are delicate, or you too like hot baths?” Alan asked, with a sly sideways smile. “I wouldn’t want to draw you one of the wrong temperature.”
Kendra coulddefinitelyget used to the idea of a guy drawing her a hot bath. “I like them scalding,” she said. “I haven’t been able to dothatsince before I got pregnant.”
Amy was sitting on the floor, trying to get her pants off. It was unsuccessful because she was sitting on them. “Want some help?” Alan offered.
“NO,” Amy said. “I can.”
And she could, but it was a long, arduous process, and both Alan and Kendra ended up unsuccessfully smothering their laughter as she struggled and finally triumphed. Alan lifted her into the tub and she squatted to splash in the water. “Sit all the way down,” he commanded.
Amy looked as if she might protest, then her foot slipped and she didn’t fight Alan when he deftly caught her and lowered her down into the water. “I don’t have bubble bath, but body wash ought to be fine,” he said, running a little more water to lather it up. He gave her a washcloth, which she chased around in the bubbles, tried to eat, drown, and pretend was a puppy dog.
Kendra found herself watching Alan more than Amy, confident that he could keep the girl from drowning without her interference. He was so gentle and handsome and strong. His hands looked like they could do anything, and his attention to Amy was unwavering.
No, not entirely unwavering. Every so often, he would glance at Kendra. She wasn’t sure if it was for approval, to make sure she felt included, or if she was a magnet to him like he certainly was to her. She was not sure she had ever felt so complete as she did with her daughter happy in his care.
28
ALAN
Alan caught Kendra’s comment about not taking hot baths since she was pregnant and almost pounced on the opening to ask about her life before Amy. But he let it go past because he still wasn’t sure how to ask the questions he wanted answers to. Was she grieving Amy’s father? Hiding from someone abusive? It was obviously a sensitive topic and Alan didn’t just want to blunder thoughtlessly into it.
He rinsed off Amy and bundled her into a towel after the water cooled, playing peek-a-boo as he dried her off. She was at her most adorable, laughing and lighting up every time she saw him.
Kendra went out to her van to get a pair of pajamas and a fresh diaper, and Alan was surprised and delighted when she brought in a folding playpen with her, complete with a blanket and stuffies.
“I don’t want to assume, but does this mean you’ll be staying the night?”
“I didn’t want to assume that the invitation extended to that,” Kendra countered, “but I brought it so that Icould.If we got there.”
She dressed Amy and sat down with a board book on the couch while Alan set up the combination crib and playpen in the spare bedroom. He didn’t have a nightlight, but there was a lamp he could put in the closet and when he pulled the door most of the way shut, it was a perfect sliver of light.
When he came out, feeling like a genius for arriving at that solution, Amy was already asleep in Kendra’s arms.
“Baths reallyaremagic,” Kendra said in awe, very quietly so Amy wouldn’t wake up. She gathered Amy up and brought her into the bedroom, leaning over to set her down in the bottom of the playpen with her blanket.
Alan met her at the door and could not help kissing her again, getting a hand at her waist this time to pull her close. She made a little noise of surrender and kissed him back, then turned and shut the door behind her.
Alan kissed her in the hallway a little longer, not sure if he should guide her straight back to his bedroom, or be more of a gentleman.
Gentlemen are overrated, his raven suggested.
“I should have brought a bottle of wine,” Kendra said, during a gap for breathing.
