“OK, let’s see what they left us.”

“Baskets filled with baby stuff.” She sorts through it and then looks over at me with a questioning smile. “Breast pump and bottles?”

“Hey,” I say, opening my arms up wide. “It’s what all the moms do.”

“Says who?”

“Says Pam, my assistant. I asked her how I’m supposed to sweep you off your feet if I have to bring you back to feed Kate, and she said pump.”

“I think you have a thing for Pam.”

“She’s fifty-two, Ashleigh. I do not have a thing for her. Now get pumping. I want it stored in the fridge before you leave. And I rented the room across the hall for the babysitter. When we’re done, the baby can come sleep with us. But I get you alone until I say we’re done.”

I wait for the fight but she tips her head up and smiles. “Deal.” Then she grabs the pump and the bottles and settles on the couch. The room is boomerang-shaped, like it’s got two wings. One side has the master bedroom and bath, the middle is the sitting area, and the far side has the dining room. Our dining room has been transformed into a nursery complete with crib, baby swing, changing table, a supply of diapers and so much other shit I can’t identify, I start to feel a little apprehensive. “Should I put Kate in the swing? Does she use one of these?”

The pump is making noise in the other room so I walk back out and pick up Kate and ask again. “Can I put her in the swing, Ashleigh? We have a whole room filled with baby stuff back there.”

“Yeah, she might like that,” Ash says with her sleepy eyes. Shit, I guess pumping makes her just as tired as nursing.

“Come on, Kate, let’s check out the rides.” I carry Kate over to the dining room and set her down inside the swing. I lower the tray that locks her in place so she can’t slip out, and then turn the thing on and press start. It begins slowly, gently swaying back and forth and each time Kate comes forward she closes her eyes. Each time she goes back, she tries to open them again, and after about ten swings, she’s out.

I go back to find Ash and she’s sleeping too.

Fucking girls.

I’d like to just stare at her, but the bottle is almost full so I tap her on the shoulder. “Ashleigh. You need to change the bottle.”

She reluctantly opens her eyes, switches the pump to the other breast and gets a new bottle. “This thing is the shit, Ford.”

I laugh. “Is that right?”

“Yes, I like the nursing, but bottles of breast milk, that’s like revolutionary. I should’ve done this a long time ago.”

I grab the remote and turn the TV on for some background noise, then go back to my phone to check messages. Pam is handling things—Pam always handles things. I’ve been living in Denver for the past seven months, taking a few trips here and there trying to secure this producer job for the sci-fi thing, so Pam had to keep everything in check. I’m not worried about what’s going on in LA professionally, but I am getting nervous about what Ashleigh might do once we get there. If I knew Tony’s last name I’d look him up, check his shit out and see what his deal is. But now that Ash knows I can hack, I’m pretty sure she’d see through any prying questions.

A little while later Ashleigh is packing the bottles away in the pantry fridge and Kate is sending off stink signals. I get up and get her out of the swing, just as Ashleigh comes out of the pantry.

“She needs a new diaper, Ford. I got this.”

There’s a knock at the door and Ashleigh looks conflicted.

“I’m not helpless. Besides, it’s just Kate and me while you’re getting all spa-ed up. I’m gonna have to do it eventually, might as well give it a try now.”

“Ford—”

“Go. That’s an order.”

She hesitates a little longer but then lets out a long sigh. “OK, thank you. I totally owe you for all this.”

I smile big and if she could read my mind right now, she’d be wet and blushing.

I wait until she’s gone, then lay Kate on the changing table near the window. It’s got a mobile toy thing over top of it, and even though Kate is a little bit upset at first, she’s attracted to the bright-colored things dangling above her. I take off her t-shirt and open the diaper carefully.

“Yeah,” I say to Kate, my captive audience. “That’s some shit right there.” She throws me a gummy grin and I laugh. I manage the diaper duty, toss that thing in a bag, and then put it in the diaper pail in the corner.

I grab a diaper that has Elmo on it and slip it under her butt, then close it up with the sticky tabs. Any man who cannot figure this out is a moron. I get busy dressing her in a new outfit next and this is a little more challenging, but I’m not called a genius for nothing.

Chapter Thirty

I answer the knock at the door a little while later. “Can I help you?” I ask.

The messenger holds out a slip of paper. “The name of the babysitter procured for this evening, sir.”

I get some cash out of my pocket and hand it over as he passes me the envelope. “Thanks,” I say as he smiles and walks off. I close the door and go back to the couch. Kate is in the swing again. She’s a pretty good baby. Not that I have a lot of experience, but from what I can tell, she’s not anything like those babies you see in movies that make fun of clueless dads.

I take out my phone and start with the first name in my professional contacts. It’s Adam. His name’s not Adam, he’s just my number one. I don’t usually call him for easy shit like this, but I know he’ll do it while I’m waiting if he’s available.