“Absolutely not. If we start behaving differently, then we’ll have to do it for the next year. There’s no need for such insanity.”
“I could have one of the men follow her,” Hal said.
“No,” Coco said. “If we take the casual route, then the press will back off,”
Benjamin gave it a second, and even third, thought. “I think it would be a good idea to have one of our men backing you up.”
“Overkill,” she said.
“Better safe than sorry,” he said, enduring her scowl. “We have to think about both your safety and Emma’s safety.”
Her complexion paled. “I would guard Emma with my life.”
“I know you would,” he said. “But I don’t want it to get to that point.”
She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”
Benjamin scrubbed his jaw with his hand. “I’ll reschedule my other appointments for this afternoon. I need to stay on top of Emma’s health.”
Coco blinked and took a quick breath. “Uh, okay. That’s a great idea. You just need to remember to take off your hat.”
Benjamin felt Hal’s confused gaze. “Emma doesn’t like my hat.”
“Damn,” Hal said. “That’s a shame.”
“Tell me about it,” Benjamin said and sighed. He took off his hat and clutched it in his right hand. “Let’s go,” he said to Coco and led the way to his SUV.
“Her car seat is in my car,” she said.
“No problem,” Benjamin said and transferred the seat from Coco’s car to his. He watched as Coco wedged Emma into the car seat and shook his head. “Bet she hates that.”
“If you give her enough toys, she forgets about it,” she said. “But I’m glad we don’t have to go on any long trips.”
“You and me both,” he said as soon as everyone was buckled in place.
He pulled away from the house and drove down the long drive to the public road. He noted a few cars parked alongside the public road and frowned but hoped they weren’t newspeople.
Driving toward town, he checked his rearview mirror, relieved when it didn’t appear that he was being followed. “So what’s the purpose of this appointment? Any shots?”
“It’s a regular checkup. Yes to the shots,” she said.
“Damn,” he muttered. “One more opportunity for her to associate me with pain.”
“They really do forget quickly,” she said.
“I’ll let you hold her during the shots,” he said.
Knowing the bond between Emma and Benjamin was still a bit tenuous, she acquiesced. “This time,” she said.
He slid her a sideways glance. “This time?”
“Yes,” she said. “There may be times when Emma will need support. She may break a leg—”
“Not on my watch,” he insisted.
She smiled. “She may fall and need stitches.”
“You’ll teach her to be careful,” he said.
“Accidents happen. How many broken bones and stitches did you get when you were growing up?”
“That’s different,” he said. “I’m male.”
“Ooh,” she said, drawing out the one syllable in a way that clearly indicated she disagreed. “Big mistake to think that because she’s female, she won’t have accidents. Plus there are illnesses that could take her to the hospital.”
Benjamin’s stomach turned. “I don’t like the sound of any of this.”
“Too late,” she said. “You’re already her father. The good news is that you can take this all one step at a time. Plus you’re already the type to man up, so you’ve got that on your side.”
Benjamin turned the corner to the road where the pediatrician’s office was located. “What makes you so sure about that?”
“You wouldn’t have gone after Emma right after Brooke died if you weren’t a responsible man. You wouldn’t have hired me ASAP. You wouldn’t have taken off your hat for Emma and allowed her to spit peas at you.”
“Well, I guess there’s that,” he said dryly and brought the car to a stop in front of the pediatrician’s office.
“Do they give you a beer after this?” he asked.
She laughed. “No. Not until you get home. Let’s go. It won’t be as bad as you expect.”
Automatically returning his hat to his head, he ushered Coco out of the car and freed Emma from her car seat. She was staring hard at him.
“Hat,” Coco prompted.
“Oh. Okay,” he said and removed it again, setting it in the front seat.
He handed off Emma to Coco and escorted them inside. They sat in the waiting room for fifteen minutes. Afterward, Emma was weighed and measured while they waited for Dr. Apple.
The jovial man walked into the examination room with a friendly, booming voice. “Hello to Emma and mom and dad.”
“You didn’t read the report. Emma’s mother died last month. Coco is her nanny.”
Dr. Apple frowned. “Oh, please accept my condolences. This must be a difficult time for you.”
“Yes, but not in the way you’re thinking,” Benjamin said. “Emma’s mother and I weren’t married.”
Dr. Apple’s mouth formed a perfect O.
“Yeah, and Emma hates me. She screams bloody murder every time I come around,” Benjamin said.
“She’s not screaming now,” Dr. Apple said.
“This is the exception,” he said.
“Not true,” Coco said. “All you have to do is take off your hat.”
Benjamin couldn’t deny her statement.
“Hmm,” Dr. Apple said. “Let’s check out your baby.”
The doctor conducted the examination and ordered the vaccinations. Emma was above average in her weight and height. She had gained in both since her last appointment. According to Dr. Apple, Emma was thriving. Benjamin was certain the primary reason for that was Coco.
The nurse entered and administered the punishment. Emma screamed in fury and agony. His heart wrenched. He watched Coco wince then immediately turn into comfort mode. “There you go,” she said rubbing the baby’s arm. “What a brave girl. All over in no time. You’re such a good girl.”
Emma quickly became distracted by Coco’s words of praise. Her cries subsided and she gave a few extra sobs then sighed.
“You can give her a low dose of baby acetaminophen if she appears uncomfortable,” the nurse said. “She’s a beautiful baby.”
Coco smiled. “Thank you. We think so, too.”
They walked out of the office and Benjamin helped Emma into her car seat and escorted Coco into her seat. Emma sucked on her pacifier.
“Poor thing,” Coco said. “They go through so much they don’t understand.”
“Yeah, but it’s necessary to keep