Charlie smiled softly. “I’ll be fine. I did my neonatal and pediatric rotations and everything.” She bounced the baby a little bit. “We’ll be fine, won’t we, buddy?”
Dave jumped in, even though he questioned whether or not he should. “I can help too.”
Smith raised an eyebrow. “What sort of experience do you have with babies?” he asked, laughing a little. “Because believe me, it’s harder than it looks. My sister has two. I volunteered to babysit for a weekend once.” He shuddered, and Charlie laughed.
Dave paused, annoyed at how easily Charlie seemed charmed by the young officer, annoyed at how he was made to feel left out of their little club. “I have a daughter,” he said quietly, his gaze shifting to Charlie, watching as her smile slipped from her lips and her eyes registered confusion.
He probably should have mentioned that before inviting her back to his place. But it wasn’t exactly icebreaker sort of conversation. It was the kind of thing he’d rather ease into.
“A daughter?” she whispered, and he felt like an absolute heel for springing it on her and for letting himself be baited by his own stupid male pride.
“Yes,” he replied. “She lives with her mother in Kennebunkport.”
“Oh.”
He hated the disappointment he saw in Charlie’s face. But now wasn’t the time to explain. Instead he turned his attention to the police officer. “I’ll help Charlie get settled, give a statement at the station, whatever you need.”
“I appreciate your help, Mr. Ricker.” He wrote a phone number on a slip of paper and handed it over to Charlie. “This is my cell number. You call if you need anything or think of something you might have missed.” Smith gave her a stern look. “You should program that into your phone too, so you can avoid calling dispatch.”
“I don’t think that’s necess—”
“You do it. You’re part of this town and around here we look out for each other. You’ll be getting a call from us too, I expect. I’m sure there will be more questions.”
He was gone in a gust of cold air, leaving them alone in the clinic again, the silence loud between them.
*
Charlie hadn’t thought she’d ever be glad to hear a baby cry, but the moment the infant sent up an impatient squall, she finally let out her breath.
She could focus on the baby and not on Dave. Dave with his soulful eyes, helpful nature … and his kid.
He had a child. It seemed to her that was pretty important information.
“I need to fix some formula,” she murmured. “Here. You hold him. It’ll be faster that way.” Without sparing him another glance, Charlie turned away and headed down the hall to a cupboard, where she removed a can of baby formula. Then she marched to the kitchen in the back, putting a kettle on to boil and then taking a bottle and nipple out of the cabinet. She wasn’t sure how she felt about this new tidbit of knowledge. Wasn’t sure she even had the right to be out of sorts about it.
Dave had followed her down the hall and now stood in the doorway. The baby wasn’t soothed at all, even as he jostled his arms up and down a bit. The cries only increased in pitch.
“Do you have everything you need?” he asked, over top of the racket. “He’s a hungry little guy.”
Charlie nodded, pouring the formula into a bottle and screwing on the top, then immersing the bottle in a cup of hot water to warm the formula. They stood in the small kitchen, the shrill cries rubbing on the edge of Charlie’s nerves.
She looked up at Dave. “So. You have a daughter.”
He nodded, staring her straight in the eyes. “Yes. And an ex to go with her, of course. You might as well get a complete picture.”
He was edgy. Well, too bad. “It might have been nice information to have.”
He switched the baby to his other shoulder. “I met you yesterday. Asked you out tonight. I wasn’t really sure of the when-to-bring-up-the-ex-and-kid protocol.”
“I’m not sure either. It just feels weird.”
“Why? Because you said yes?”
He started patting the baby on the back as the tension in the small kitchen ratcheted up some more. “So you and Officer Todd. Is there some history there?”
She frowned at the abrupt change in subject. “What?”
“You know. You guys seemed pretty friendly. He was awfully protective of you.”
She burst out laughing then, turned back to the sink, and took the bottle out of the water. “You think Todd and I have a thing?” It was ludicrous. Todd was a good five years younger than she was, and she was pretty sure he had a girlfriend. “First of all, I wouldn’t have … flirted with you if I were with Todd. And in case you didn’t notice, he was nothing but professional earlier.”
His voice was quieter now. “You’re right. I guess I just got a little jealous.”