an explosive sound. “Conner, you don’t know the first thing about babies.”
“I’ve nursed an orphan calf. It can’t be all that different.”
With a muffled groan, Grandfather leaned back in his chair.
Conner looked at the infant in his arms. Her mother was missing. How long had she been alone? Somebody ought to care about her. He would. “Come on, baby, swallow your milk.” He again jiggled the bottle in her mouth.
The baby blinked and swallowed once, then turned her eyes away from him and stared. He followed the direction of her gaze and saw nothing.
Milk ran out her mouth.
He tried as hard as he could, but the baby wouldn’t swallow again.
He gave Kate a pleading look. “She won’t eat for me.”
Her eyes gentle, she took the baby from his arms and the bottle he handed to her. It was good to have her here...someone with medical know-how.
Kate smiled. “I’ll show you what to do and then you’ll be able to do it.” She eased the nipple into the tiny mouth. “Come on, little Ellie.”
Ellie. He liked that far better than Elspeth.
“You need to eat. That’s it, sweet girl.” Kate’s voice drew the baby’s eyes and she swallowed. Once. Twice and again. And then she stopped.
Kate crooned to her. “You can do this.”
The baby drank another swallow and then her eyes drifted closed.
“She’s done for now. She’ll be okay if she’s fed every hour or more often until she is taking a full feed. It’s going to be a time-consuming job for a few days.”
She handed the baby back to Conner. Her eyes were steady, her gaze intent. “She’s a Marshall. Your daughter.” Kate spoke calmly, encouragingly. “It’s up to you to give her what she needs, and at the moment that’s lots of love, frequent feedings, and it wouldn’t hurt to use gentle, kind words around her.” She gave a few instructions about feeding the baby and keeping her warm and comfortable. “Now I must return home in case my father needs me.”
Although the baby wasn’t actually a Marshall, there had to be a reason Thelma said she was. Perhaps the baby was in danger from some of the people in the traveling show. Or maybe Thelma had married and her husband was cruel. Until Conner knew the facts, he would give Ellie the protection of the Marshall name. That meant keeping the truth hidden. He pulled the baby tighter to his chest.
He watched Kate put on her bonnet and reach for the black bag she had brought in and panic clawed up his throat. “Wait. You can’t leave. There’s no one here but me and Grandfather. We need help.” He knew he sounded needy and it wasn’t like him, but being in charge of a weak little baby frightened him more than anything he could remember.
He glanced desperately at the door. Where was his family when he needed them? Everyone had gone about their business, that’s where. Pa and Conner’s two brothers were checking on the cattle and might be gone several days. His sister, Annie, went to visit her friend for a few days and didn’t say when she’d be back. Even his recently acquired sisters-in-law had disappeared to their own pursuits.
His gaze shifted to the window and the corrals visible beyond where the horses he had been breaking and training milled about. That was the kind of work he understood.
He brought his attention back to Kate. “You’re a nurse.”
“Doctor’s assistant,” she corrected in a distracted way.
“This is the kind of thing you understand. I don’t.”
“I’ll show you how to prepare her bottle. You know how to feed her now.”
“Okay.” He put the baby in her basket and listened to Kate’s instructions. It hardly seemed enough knowledge to care for a weak baby. “I can do this.” He would care for this child as if she was his. But he had to grit his teeth to keep from calling Kate back as she left the room. A few minutes later, a buggy rattled from the yard. It scared him to death to be responsible for such a tiny baby, but he’d never let anyone guess.
Grandfather studied him with steely eyes. “Did you know you had a baby?”
“She’s not mine! I can’t believe you think she is.”
“You’re sure?” Grandfather’s voice was full of doubt.
“As sure as I am that the sun will set tonight and rise again tomorrow.” He gazed at the baby, expecting her to be asleep, but she stared up at him. He touched her cheek and played with her hand, curling and uncurling her fingers. “I can’t believe Thelma called the little thing Elspeth.” Except it didn’t surprise him. Thelma had admired a singer of that name.
“Why would she say she’s yours? Why would she send her here?”
Indeed. He met Grandfather’s piercing gaze with his own steady one. “I can’t answer for her choices. But perhaps the baby is in danger.” He let that sit for a moment.
“What kind of danger?”
“Some of the people in her traveling troupe were a little...” He held up a hand to indicate uncertainty.
“What are you going to do with her?” Grandfather asked, his voice not unkind.
“Seems to me this little one needs a family to care for her and protect her. I’m willing to do that.”
Grandfather cleared his throat. “Every child deserves to be surrounded by love and care. I guess Thelma knew what she was doing when she sent her to you.”
“Except she likely didn’t think it would be just you and me caring for her.”
“Don’t worry, son. We’ll figure it out as we go. ’Sides, doesn’t it say in the Bible that God cares about even the little sparrows? She is of far more value than a hundred sparrows. We’ll trust God to help us.”
Conner nodded. “I think we’ll be keeping God busy for a few days.” But hadn’t he learned how sufficient God was in the painful days after Thelma had left? His family had gathered round him and helped him as much as they could and for that he owed them his faithfulness. They’d help him with the care of this little scrap of humanity as well. Just as soon as they got back. In the meantime, he and Grandfather were all she had.
How long would they need to provide for Ellie? What was going on with Thelma?
* * *
Kate had barely finished making a pot of coffee for her father the next morning when someone clattered into the waiting room and hollered, “Doc, are you there?”
She was used to the doctor being called away any time of the day or night, so she quickly filled a cup of coffee for her father. “Eat something while I go see what it is.” She’d delay the caller long enough to allow Father to have breakfast. A few minutes to eat leisurely would go a long way to preventing any problems with his memory.
She went into the waiting room. A man she recognized from the community stood before her.
“My mother fell getting out of bed this morning and is hurting. Could the doctor come and see her?” His mother was a frail elderly woman.
Father appeared behind her. “I’ll go immediately.” He reached for his black doctor’s bag.
“I’ll go with you.” Kate untied her apron and hung it on a hook.
She had barely finished speaking when one of the young cowboys she recognized from the Marshall ranch burst through the door.
The cowboy grabbed the hat off his head. “Miss Kate, Conner says would you please come immediately? The baby isn’t eating. He says she’s really weak.”
Kate’s hands clenched. She’d hoped and prayed for a better report. She wanted nothing more than