Susan Mallery - Their Little Princess

“Boss?”

He looked up and saw a bulldog of man standing next to him. An unlit cigar poked out from puffy lips, while eyebrows drew together in a permanently worried frown.

“What is it, Angel?” he asked.

Angel was one of three foremen in charge of the new wing. Angel’s particular responsibility was coordinating the materials needed for construction.

“Toilets,” Angel said glumly. He wasn’t a real happy guy at the best of times. “They’re wrong. We ordered fifty-six toilets and what did they send? Bidets. You know, those weird shaped things to wash your butt after—”

Tanner choked back a laugh. “I know what a bidet is. Did you call the supplier?”

“Sure, but they’re squawking about how long it’s gonna take to get new ones. Then there’s the light bulb problem.”

Tanner started walking toward the elevator. They had to go down to the ground floor to find their way into the construction area. Angel moved with him.

“You’d think these bozos had never heard of a light bulb before. And you won’t believe what they sent me instead.”

Tanner’s brain quickly focused on the problems at hand. After he’d dealt with Angel, he needed to get an update from his other foremen, then make a quick tour of the work completed in the past couple of days. After that, he had reports and a meeting with his bookkeeper about who had been paid what. Then he was meeting Kelly Hall at six. Hell, it was never going to get done.

But instead of being discouraged, he found himself continuing to smile. Because it wasn’t every day that a man became a father.

Kelly tapped her pen impatiently against her desk. Be there, she willed silently, waiting for her friend to pick up the phone. While she waited, she glanced up at the clock. Her afternoon appointments started in ten minutes, which meant if Ronni didn’t pick up soon, they weren’t going to be able to talk until that evening. Kelly figured she disrupted her patients’ lives enough by having to cancel without warning if there was a baby to deliver, that the least she could do was be on time when she was in the office.

“Dr. Powers,” a familiar voice said crisply.

Kelly sighed in relief. “It’s Kelly and I did a really stupid thing.”

Ronni Powers, a pediatrician and close friend for the past three years, laughed. “No way your stupid thing can top my stupid thing. I had sex without a condom and got pregnant. Now how are you going to beat that?”

Kelly smiled. “Don’t give me that. You’re thrilled about the baby.”

“Thrilled, but still in shock. Besides, I’m supposed to be a responsible adult. No one is going to believe me if I don’t act like one.”

“You do, most of the time.” She paused and tried to figure out the best way to ask her question. “I need you to tell me if Tanner Malone is a good man.”

“That’s your stupid thing?”

“Sort of. Did you know about his baby?”

“Sure,” Ronni said. “Ryan told me. Tanner was involved with some woman over the summer. The relationship didn’t work out but she ended up pregnant. She was due any time now, wasn’t she?”

“She had the baby today,” Kelly said.

“I didn’t know that. Well, as I understand it, both she and Tanner had agreed to give up the child for adoption. Is there a problem?”

“That depends on whether or not Tanner is a decent guy. He changed his mind. He’s keeping his daughter.”

This time Ronni was the one who got quiet. Kelly pictured her green eyes widening with shock as her mouth dropped open.

“Tanner’s keeping the baby?”

“That’s the plan. As far as I know Lucy will still be giving her up, so Tanner’s going to have sole custody. Do you think he can manage?” Kelly rubbed her temple. “I feel a little responsible. I’m the one who dragged him to the nursery so he could hold her. You know what it’s like to cradle a newborn.”

“Pretty amazing,” Ronni agreed. “I’m stunned by the news. Fortunately, Tanner seems to be a great guy. He’s wonderful with Ryan’s kids, but being an uncle is very different than being a father.”

“That’s what I think,” Kelly agreed. “I know that there are a lot of single parents, but most of them have some kind of warning. Tanner made his decision today and the baby goes home tomorrow. Not much time to prepare.”

“You’re right,” Ronni said. “He can’t even take a couple of weeks off because of the construction project at the hospital. He’s been working too many hours as it is, just to get things caught up. What was he thinking?”

“So you think I was wrong to encourage him?”

“Not for a minute,” Ronni told her. “All this stuff is just logistics, Kelly. How can it be wrong for a man to love his child? And don’t give me any lines about mothers being more nurturing. I don’t believe that and I don’t think you do, either.”

“No, I don’t.” How could she? Her mother had died shortly after she’d been born and her father had raised her on his own. In her opinion, he’d done a wonderful job. She couldn’t imagine a parent being more supportive or caring.

“So it’s just a matter of getting Tanner up to speed,” Ronni said. Kelly heard her flipping pages in her date book, then her friend continued. “I’m free tomorrow. I’ll check with Ryan and see if we can go over and help him. Maybe a couple of lessons with a doll will prepare him for that first diaper change.”

The thought of Tanner Malone bent over staring at the contents of a newborn’s diaper made Kelly smile. “He’s not going to like that part at all.”

“Few people do.”

Kelly cleared her throat. “Yes, well, I’m going to help out, too. I figure it’s the least I could do after getting him in this mess.”

“You’re not the one who had the baby.”

Kelly could feel her cheeks getting hot, which was silly. She pressed the back of her free hand against her skin. “I know, but, well, anyway, I’m meeting him tonight. We’re going to a baby store and I’m going to help him pick out furniture. I also thought I’d take him one of those books on what happens during the first year.”

“Dr. Hall, do you sound flustered?”

“Of course not. I’m just watching the clock. I have patients in a couple of minutes.”

“I think not. I think you are, in fact, interested in Tanner.”

“You’re crazy. I’m helping out a friend.”

“Oh. When did you two become friends?”

Kelly glared at the phone. “Fine. I’m helping a fellow human being in need.”

“You’re hiding the truth, maybe even from yourself. I think you think he’s hot.”

“I’m concerned about a new father taking care of a child when he’s had no preparation or experience. My thoughts are for the baby, not Tanner.”

Ronni sighed. “All right. Have it your way, but you’re missing out. I have to tell you, there’s something pretty wonderful about those Malone brothers.”

Kelly smiled. Ronni was marrying Ryan Malone at the end of the month. “I think you’ve been influenced by your relationship with Ryan.”

“Maybe, but only in the best way possible. Besides, would it kill you to be interested in a man? You’ve been living like a nun for the past three years.”

“Sure. I always take relationship advice from a woman in the middle of an unplanned pregnancy.”

Ronni laughed. “Oh, thanks. Throw that in my face. But think about what I said. It would be very sad for you to ignore this opportunity.”

“Say good-bye, Ronni.”

“Bye.”

Kelly was still smiling when she hung up the phone. She collected her charts and made her way out of her office, all the while ignoring the little voice that whispered Ronni might be on to something after all.