Ooh, Baby! (Harlequin American Romance, 1252, Band 1252) - Softcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Ann Roth lives in Seattle with her husband. After earning an MBA, she worked as a banker and corporate trainer. She gave up that life to write, and if they awarded PhDs in writing happily-ever-after stories she'd have one. In 1999 Ann won the Golden Heart  for unpublished writers for best long series. Since then she has sold numerous romance and women's fiction novels, a novella and short stories.For more information, visit www.annroth.net 

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Hi, Lily, it's Janice."

As if Lily didn't recognize her sister's voice. "It's your mommy, Hailey?at last," she told the gurgling baby on her hip.

"Embla," Hailey said, her little lips blowing bubbles.

At seven months she wasn't old enough to make any sense, but Lily thought she understood. "Hailey says hello, and that she's excited to hear your voice." Moving into the living room, phone clutched in her free hand, Lily squeezed between the armchair and the compact desk that served as her office. "You know I adore Hailey, but I'm leaving soon for that lunch with my friends. For my, ahem, birthday?"

"Omigosh, it's April thirtieth, isn't it? It completely slipped my mind. Thirty on the thirtieth. Happy birthday, Lily. Or should I say, old lady."

Lily winced. "Very funny. Well, you're not far behind."

Hailey was heavy, and after stepping over the baby-paraphernalia-laden coffee table, Lily sank onto the love seat. She propped the baby close beside her, keeping her arm around the little body. "In just two short years you'll be thirty."

"I'd rather not think about that now."

While Lily completely understood, the response was typical Janice. At times her sister was as irresponsible as a teenager. "Back to Hailey. You were supposed to be here by now. You didn't forget that, too, did you?" Lily gave a forced laugh. "As if you'd forget your own daughter."

But that was a distinct possibility, since like their mother, when Janice fell in love she tended to forget everything but her man. At the moment she was dating a bass guitar player, and after bringing Hailey from Seattle to Halo Island so Lily could watch her, Janice had rushed back to the Seattle airport and caught a flight to San Francisco for a romantic weekend. She'd returned to Seattle this morning.

When Janice remained silent, Lily went on. "Your plane was on time?I checked. You were supposed to be here by now."

"I know, but?"

That little hesitation set off warning bells in Lily's mind. Hailey was squirming, so she laid her on her back. The baby waved her chubby little arms and legs in the air and rewarded Lily with a toothless grin.

"Did you miss the ferry?" The only way to reach Halo Island was via seaplane or ferry, and the ferry was cheaper.

"Not exactly. Oh, Lily, you'll never guess. Bobby invited me to tour with his band, all the way across the country! They might even let me sing backup! This could be my big break, and I'm just thrilled!"

Every statement was a joyous exclamation. As pleased as Lily was for her sister, who had forever dreamed of making a living as a singer, she wondered about Hailey. "Great, but do you think all that traveling is good for a baby? Remember how chaotic our childhood was, and how we always swore we wouldn't do that to our kids?" Not that Janice had ever wanted children. But then Hailey had come along. The baby's father was long gone.

"How could I forget something that important?"

Lily grabbed a rattle from the coffee table and handed it to her niece. Over the phone she distinctly heard an airport announcement. "You're in the Seattle airport," she guessed. The realization irritated her?why hadn't Janice just said so? She never stated the plain truth unless it suited her, another despicable trait inherited from their mother. "You should've told me sooner, so I could change my lunch plans." Too late for that now.

"Actually, I'm at LAX with Bobby and the band. Listen, will you keep an eye on Hailey while I'm gone?"

LAX? "But I?" Lily began, stopping when the baby exchanged the rattle for a hank of her hair?shouldn't have bent down?and pulled it toward her mouth. Lily gently untangled the strands from the pudgy fingers, then swiped a trail of drool off the baby's dimpled chin. "You know tourist season starts in two weeks. I'm swamped trying to make enough jewelry for opening day."

"You're always swamped. This'd only be for two weeks?three, tops."

Babies were all-consuming. Having just spent two and a half days with her niece, Lily understood this oh, so well. "You know I dearly love Hailey," she said, planting a quick kiss on the baby's foot. "But you also know how small this houseboat is. Six hundred square feet is barely room for me, and with my jewelry stuff everywhere?" She glanced toward the kitchen, where the small eating bar and two stools were piled with boxes of beads, fasteners, coils of metal wire, pliers and other supplies. Lily shuddered to think what would happen should Hailey get hold of any of it.

"Come on, Lily," Janice prodded. "You've always loved kids. Heck, you practically raised me. You're great with Hailey?much better than I am. She adores you."

Trust Janice to know exactly what to say. Lily was good with kids, and hoped to have a whole brood someday. She wanted what she and Janice had never had, a big, happy, stable family. With a loving husband at her side, a man who actually wanted his children, and neither of them lying to their kids about anything, ever. Yes, Lily had been burned by Jerome, who had wormed his way into her heart and bed before she found out he was married. Yes, that had hurt. But it had been over a year now, and she was ready to move on. At the same time, what with saving up to buy Mr. Creech's building on Main Street?he'd offered her a great deal, provided she came up with the down payment by fall?and steadily growing her jewelry business, there wasn't much time for dating, let alone babies. Yet her biological clock had begun to tick. Loudly.

"Lily? You there?"

"Listen here, Janice. Even if you forget about my lack of space, the hazards to Hailey's safety and the fact that I'm about to start putting in twelve-hour days, seven days a week, I'm really not ready for this kind of responsibility. Not even for a few weeks."

"And I so get that. But this is my big chance, and you just said that all the traveling wouldn't be good for Hailey. I don't exactly have anyone else to turn to. Would you leave a baby with our mother?"

Who at the moment was so wrapped up in her current lover, she barely stayed in touch. "No," Lily replied without hesitation. She released a heavy sigh. "All right, I'll do it. But you have to pick up Hailey before tourist season starts? no later than May fourteenth." A Sunday. With the season officially opening May seventeenth, that seemed reasonable.

"Thanks, Lily. I really appreciate this. I'll be in touch, or if you need to reach me, call my cell."

As the phone clicked in Lily's ear, Hailey stuck her toes in her mouth and gurgled.

Seated at a table for four plus a high chair in the Salty Dog, a restaurant favorite of locals and tourists, Lily shared the latest from her sister while Hailey gummed a roll. "So I'll be taking care of my niece for the next two weeks."

Joyce and Cindy, Lily's two employees and also her friends, had already cooed over the apple-cheeked baby, who had charmed them with her big, blue eyes and rosebud mouth. Now they said nothing.

But Charity, Lily's best friend, spoke right up. "That's some sister you have. And with tourist season about to start. I'd like to give her a piece of my mind. Saddling you with?"

"Shh." Lily laid a warning finger over her lips and turned her gaze to the baby. "Not in front of Hailey. We'll talk later. It isn't every day a girl's friends treat her to lunch, and I want to enjoy every second."

"Personally, I'm glad you're doing this for your sister," Joyce said. "It isn't easy raising a baby alone." A divorced, thirty-three-year-old mom, she ought to know. She smiled. "That's why I'm eternally indebted to you for hiring me. Where else could I earn a decent income working out of my home?" Making the jewelry Lily designed. "It's so nice that I can do something for you by treating you to lunch."

"I second that," said Cindy, who was thirty-seven. Her husband, a ferry captain, had been injured in a freak accident and was on permanent disability, which...