and she hurried along beside Nate on their way to the kitchen.
“I’m sorry you had to hear all that,” he said gruffly. “When those two start having at it, things can get pretty heated.”
“I’m the one who’s sorry,” Brittany corrected him. “I should have left the minute Ethan got home. It’s just that everything happened so fast—Where does Ms. Thorpe work?”
“She’s a big shot in a company that manufactures computer parts, and she’s determined to break through the glass ceiling and make it all the way to the top. And don’t apologize,” Nate said. “I’m glad you stayed. Do me a favor and don’t leave yet.”
Brittany blinked. “But all this is really none of my business—”
“Don’t be too sure,” Nate said as they reached the kitchen. “Ethan’s gonna need help tonight, and much as I love my frisky little grandson I can’t keep up with him.”
Nate retrieved the key to the liquor cabinet from its hiding place in a drawer, opened it and fixed Hannah’s drink. “My sons think I don’t know how infirm I am and I let ’em believe that, but I do know. I won’t risk lettin’ little Danny get hurt or lost because I had one of my spells of confusion when I was supposed to be watchin’ him.”
He finished mixing the cocktail and picked up the glass. “I’ll pay you overtime, of course.”
Brittany noticed that his hands were shaking and she silently but firmly took the glass from him before it spilled. This was a sign that his blood sugar was low and it was imperative that he eat something.
“Of course I’ll stay if you want me to,” she assured him, “but as a friend, not a nurse. There will be no talk of paying me overtime. Now, get a peach out of the fridge and eat it while I take this drink to Ms. Thorpe.”
He smiled. “You’re a sweet girl—uh, I mean woman. Sorry, I forgot—”
She felt a rush of affection much as she would feel for a grandfather if she still had one.
“That’s all right.” There was a catch in her voice. “I’ll make an exception for you. You may call me a girl anytime you want to.”
She turned and walked toward the family room.
As she got closer she heard Ethan and Hannah arguing. “There’s no way I can take Danny full-time on such short notice,” Ethan said angrily. “You might at least have given me a few weeks’ warning.”
“I just got word of the promotion yesterday,” Hannah explained testily, “and it’s predicated on whether or not I can be there and take over on Monday. I agree it’s unreasonable, but don’t forget I didn’t want a baby in the first place. If you’d used a little more restraint…”
She let the sentence trail off as Brittany felt the hot flush of embarrassment. “I worked hard to get where I am in my career today,” Hannah continued, “and I don’t intend to give it up. Besides, we always agreed that as soon as Danny was old enough you’d take physical custody of him.”
She glanced up and saw Brittany coming through the doorway with her cocktail. “Well, it’s about time,” she snapped.
Brittany clenched her jaw in an effort not to respond to the other woman’s taunt. As she walked over to the couch and handed the drink to Hannah, the baby let out a wail from the front of the house. Ethan turned and strode quickly up the hall, leaving Brittany and Hannah alone. Neither spoke at first, then Hannah said, “Are you really a nurse?”
“I’m a medical assistant,” Brittany explained. “I see to it that Nate gets his shots and his meals on time, and watch him to make sure he doesn’t wander off.”
Hannah took a sip of her drink. “You aren’t going to be taking care of Danny, are you?” The disapproval in her voice was strong.
“That’s not what I was hired for,” Brittany said angrily. “I’m a nurse and Nate is my patient. You and Ethan will have to decide who takes care of the baby.”
Just then they heard Ethan, Nate and Danny coming back to the family room. Ethan carried the crying child. “Now what’s wrong with him,” Hannah asked sulkily. “He’s been fussing all day.”
“Well, for one thing his diaper’s wet,” Ethan told her. “Also, he’s probably tired and hungry.”
“Well that’s not my fault,” Hannah whined. “I can’t do everything at once. The only reason he was happy when I first brought him over here is because you and Nate spoil him to death.”
Ethan gently patted the child’s back. “Where’s what’s-her-name? The latest nanny.”
“Hayley,” Hannah said, supplying the name. “Ungrateful little snip. She packed up and left as soon as I told her I was moving to Chicago. I thought you might want to hire her to take care of Danny over here, but she said something about going to stay with a friend in Los Angeles and took off. She’d planned to give me her notice tomorrow.”
Even though she hadn’t had much experience with small children, Brittany had always been drawn to them and she could understand why Danny was so upset. The atmosphere in the room was volatile, and even though he wouldn’t understand what was being said, the voices raised in anger were chilling.
Her heart went out to the poor little guy, who was sobbing noisily on his daddy’s shoulder, and she looked at Ethan.
“If you’ll give me a diaper I can change him,” she offered.
“Would you?” Ethan asked.
“Sure,” she said.
“I’ll get them.” He left the room to return a few minutes later with a package of disposable diapers and baby wipes.
He walked over to where Brittany was standing and put the box on an end table, then peeled Danny’s arms from around his neck and handed him to Brittany.
Danny would have none of that and screamed, “No, Da-da, Da-da” as he held his arms out for Ethan to take him again.
Danny was solid and his kicking and squirming made it hard for Brittany to hold on to him, but she backed away when Ethan tried to take him again.
“No, let me keep him,” she said. “If I can wrestle two-hundred-pound men in and out of hospital beds I can surely tame a twenty-five-pound baby.”
She picked up the packages and carried them and the child to the other couch. “There now, little guy,” she crooned. “Don’t be afraid. I just want to put dry pants on you.”
She sat down and held Danny over her shoulder the way Ethan had, then lightly massaged his back and talked quietly to him in a reassuring tone. He still sobbed but he was no longer so frantic.
Finally, when Brittany was fairly sure he would submit to her ministrations, she laid him on the couch on his back and unsnapped the inside seam of his blue denim overalls.
She continued to talk to him all the time she worked. There was no conversation in the room. Everyone watched in silence, undoubtedly afraid he’d tune up again if it was broken.
When she finished, she picked him up and sat him on her lap. He waved his arms and grinned. She had the distinct impression that everyone was fighting the urge to break out in applause.
What a ridiculous idea! She’d managed to quiet Danny, but after all she was a nurse and, besides, she had a natural affinity for children.
She looked up at Ethan. “If you want me to I can give him his supper. Nate’s overdue for something to eat, too. I’m willing to feed them both while you and Ms. Thorpe put all these baby things away—”
“Sorry, guys, but you’re on your own,” Hannah said as she stood up. “I have all I can handle getting my own stuff packed and ready to leave.”
She turned to face Ethan. “Contact our lawyer