“Gee, thanks, Mom.” She frowned and then grinned.
“Didn’t Dinah volunteer for the night shift?”
“Eeeee. Wrong answer. Your sister won’t even get off work at the grocery store until eleven, and she might get called to substitute teach in the morning.”
“She gets all the breaks.”
“I’ll be sure to tell her that,” Naomi said brightly.
“Now, are you going? Your room isn’t getting any cleaner while we’re chatting.”
Ruth tilted her head to the side. “Can I take the minivan?”
“If you remember to put gas in it this time,” Reverend Fraser called from the other room.
“I’ll try, Dad.”
“Don’t try. Succeed.” He closed the door, probably to finish his Sunday sermon.
“See you at church,” Ruth called as she jogged to the kitchen for the car keys. “Don’t forget to pick up Tori from play practice.”
“I won’t forget.” At Pilar’s questioning look, Naomi explained. “Victoria St. Claire. You’ve probably seen her one of these past few Sundays. She’s been here about a month. She’s fourteen and about as boy-crazy as Ruth.”
“Is that possible?” Pilar chuckled, having heard stories about Ruth’s antics before.
The laughter died in her throat the moment that Naomi lowered Gabriel into Pilar’s arms. Emotion lodged in her throat instead, heavy and full.
“Hey, little one, you remember Pilar, don’t you?” Naomi spoke in a singsongy voice as she brushed a finger down the baby’s forehead. “You two are old friends.”
Pilar’s heart squeezed as she cradled the sleep-warmed body. All day at work her thoughts had been like a game of keep-away, jumping from Gabriel to Zach to her upcoming surgery and back to Zach, but she couldn’t catch them and subdue them so she could get some work done.
The unsettled feeling she’d been battling, though, evaporated as soon as she inhaled Gabriel’s fresh baby scent. Holding him felt so natural, as if he belonged there, close enough to her heart to hear its calming rhythm. For several seconds, the baby simply stared up at her.
“He likes you,” Naomi observed. “We’ll probably have him here for a while, so feel free to visit him whenever you like. I’m sure he would enjoy some spoiling.”
Whenever she liked? “I’ll do that.”
The baby started wiggling and smacking his lips, so Pilar propped him against her shoulder and walked around the room. “Do you want me to give him a bottle?”
“Sure, just a minute. I’ll warm one up.”
As soon as Naomi disappeared into the kitchen, the doorbell rang. Naomi’s voice could be heard from the other room. “Ruth, could you—”
“I’ll get it,” Ruth called as she tromped down the stairs. Muffled voices filtered from the entry and then stopped.
“Bye, Mom and Dad.” The door closed again.
In the silence that filled the family room, Pilar focused on little Gabriel alone. “You’re going to be just fine, sweetheart,” she said softly. “Dinner’s on the way. You don’t have to be cold here, or hungry or lonely. You’ll be happy here until we find you a new home.”
She stopped crooning to him just as Naomi came down the hall.
The veteran mom tested the formula’s temperature on the inside of her forearm as she approached. “Who was at the door?”
“Ruth never said. Must have been a salesman or something.” She reached for the bottle Naomi had been extending, but Naomi suddenly pulled back.
“Hi.” She spoke to someone over Pilar’s shoulder. “If I’d known there was going to be a party, I would have put on a pot of chili and some hot dogs.”
Pilar expected to hear laughter from the reverend or one of their children, since Naomi was a notoriously bad cook whose chili had a reputation all its own. But the sound that skittered up Pilar’s back and rolled over her shoulder in baritone richness hadn’t come from anyone living in the Fraser household.
“Don’t go to any trouble cooking on my account.”
Pilar whirled to find Zach leaning against the doorway, his arms folded and his ankles crossed as if he’d been there for a while. Her mouth went dry, and her cheeks burned. Just how long had he been watching? What had he overheard? And why had he been listening anyway?
“Just thought I’d drop by for a few minutes,” Zach said to Naomi, never taking his eyes off Pilar. His smile was slow and deliberate. He’d caught her, and they both knew it. So often Pilar had dreamed of having Zach stare at her, and now she only felt trapped by his study.
Handing the bottle to Pilar, Naomi marched over to Zach and gave him the hug treatment. Apparently, she’d missed whatever had passed between the other two adults.
“What were you doing sneaking in on us like that?” Naomi asked as she released him.
“I didn’t sneak. Ruth let me in,” he said, still looking at Naomi’s other guests.
Pilar popped the bottle between the baby’s lips, and he went to work on it, a good portion of the formula dripping down his chin. She didn’t want Zach to witness her inexperience in caring for a child, yet she sensed his gaze on her.
“We’ll have to work on our daughter’s manners,” Naomi was saying. “I’m surprised she didn’t stay to visit.”
Zach grinned. Ruth’s crush on him had hardly been a secret, and though he’d done nothing to encourage it, he’d always been kind to the teen.
“You didn’t say you’d be coming by.” Naomi had a strange expression on her face when Zach finally turned to face her.
“Oh, I was talking to the reverend earlier, and he told me the infant Doe has come to stay. I wanted to drop by to see how he’s getting along.”
“He’s doing great,” Pilar answered, finding her voice for the first time since seeing Zach.
“That’s good. I’ve got some solid leads. I’ve got a good feeling about this investigation. I’m going to find his mother.”
Zach glanced down at the baby for a few seconds before meeting Pilar’s gaze again. “It’s good to see you here, too. I wanted to ask you a few more questions.”
Naomi stepped forward then, reaching for the baby. Already he’d drunk down most of the four-ounce bottle.
“Here, let me take Gabriel up for a burp and a change. You two sit on the couch so Zach can ask his questions. When I get back down, I’ll let Zach hold Gabriel.” Wearing a Cheshire-cat smile, she didn’t wait for an answer before moving toward the stairs.
Pilar sat opposite Zach, pushing her back against the sofa arm. If only the piece of furniture could grow longer so she could move farther away from his intense stare. She could remember final exams in college where she’d been far less nervous than at this moment. Why did he keep staring at her as if she was a criminal?
She cleared her throat. “You said you want to ask me some questions.”
“I do.”
But he didn’t. He just continued to watch her until she couldn’t take it anymore.
“Did you come to use strange interrogation tactics on me? Because I’ve already told you everything