The Cowboy Takes a Wife - Sample

Chapter Three

Wyatt held the Darcy straight out in front of him. There'd been many firsts for him over the last few months, but this was something completely out of his league. For the first time in his life, Wyatt Black was going to change a dirty diaper.

He glanced over at Elli, who was spooning sugar into cups without so much as a concerned glance in his direction. The last thing he wanted to do was look like a fool in front of her twice in one day. He did have a level of pride, after all. And he was generally a competent sort of guy.

But people—babies—were different than cows and horses and machinery. He wasn't any where near as sure of himself when it came to human beings. And not just babies. Each time he met Ellison, his tongue tied up in knots and nothing came out the way it should.

He went to the diaper bag, retrieved a diaper, and laid the baby on her blanket. He removed her sleepers and some sort of snapped-on undershirt and then the diaper. Good Lord. Wyatt paused, unsure, completely out of his element. Darcy, who'd been sucking on two fingers, took the digits from her mouth and began to squall again, protesting against the cold. He heard Elli go to the fridge and back to the counter. He refused to look up to check if she was watching.

"Hang on, hang on," he muttered, trying to remember how he'd taken the wet diaper off so he could put the new one on the same way. He slid the diaper beneath her bum and then proceeded to seal the sticky tab to itself.

"Do babies always cry so much?" he grumbled as he reached inside the bag for a new diaper.

Elli came to his side, laying a hand on his arm. "It's the only way they have of saying what's wrong," she said quietly. His arm warmed beneath the touch of her fingers. It felt reassuring and friendly, not the kind of caress he was used to. The touches he was accustomed to were more demanding. Wanting something, rather than giving.

"Do you know how to do this?" he asked, holding up the tiny diaper.

"I haven't done it before...on a baby," she replied, her gaze darting away from his.

"Meaning you've done it not on a baby?" he teased, wondering what had put the dark look on her face.

"A doll," she replied, her lips firm. "I've diapered a doll before."

There was something in her voice that reached inside him and grabbed his attention. A defiance, and a defensiveness he hadn't expected. But did he want to know? No, he decided, he didn't want to dig into whatever reasons Ellison did or didn't have for anything. But it didn't mean he was insensitive to her feelings, whatever they were.

"Can we figure it out together?"

Her gaze went back to him now, the irises of her eyes a glowing sapphire. "Wyatt..."

She'd dropped the Mr. Black and used his first name. His gaze dropped to her lips, he couldn't help it. They were pink and finely shaped and very soft looking.

He had to be careful here. Very, very careful.

"Which bit goes at the back?" He shook the white diaper gently.

She pulled back a few inches and looked away. "I think this way," she said, sliding the diaper underneath Darcy's bum, tabs at the back. "And diaper cream. There should be some of that, right?"

Elli watched as Wyatt dug in the bag and pulled out a tube. When he handed it to her, their fingers brushed, and she pulled her hand back quickly. The contact seemed to spiral straight to her tummy, and she held her breath for a tiny instant.

"It doesn't bite," Wyatt quipped, and Elli forced a smile. Maybe it didn't, but she wasn't so sure about him. Unsure how to respond, she hesitated and looked at the label—it said Barrier Cream. Logically, it provided a barrier for the baby's tender skin. She smoothed some on with her fingertips, ignoring the odd sensation of knowing Wyatt was watching her.