Carol Voss - Instant Daddy

Of course, it would give Peter a good dose of one of the challenges of parenting. He needed to get a complete picture. And as much as she didn’t want Jake having a hard time settling down, maybe it would be worth it if Peter could see he wasn’t up to the job. Struggling to her feet, she grabbed a dry towel and glanced pointedly at her watch. “Jake’s bedtime has come and gone.”

“Hear that, Jake? Time for bed.”

Jake splashed, water flying. “Pedo chug.”

Diversion worked better than going the direct route, but Peter would find that out soon enough. She gave him the towel.

“Thanks. Come on Jake, let’s get you dried off.”

Jake stuck out his bottom lip in his mutiny pose.

Peter looked up at her, amusement crinkling his rich brown eyes. To his credit, he didn’t laugh even if Jake’s pout was the cutest thing in the entire world.

Jake slapped the water, sending it flying everywhere again. “Chug, Pedo.”

Peter turned back to Jake, a broad grin on his lips, as if that would help. He held the towel at the ready like he expected Jake to walk right into it. “See? Jessie gave me a big, fluffy towel to dry you off.”

Jake pointed to Jessie. “Mama.”

She smiled.

“Mama,” Peter conceded.

“Chug, Pedo.” Jake grasped the tugboat and jammed it at Peter.

Peter shook his head. “No more chugging. The tugboat’s tired. It needs to go to bed.”

Nice try.

But Jake was beyond listening. He flipped onto his tummy in the water, pushing the tugboat and making his motor sound.

Peter turned to Jessie. “Feel free to step in any time.”

“But you’re doing so well.”

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Of course not,” she fibbed.

“Any suggestions?”

“Well…” Maybe she should give him a crumb. “You could offer him his bedtime snack.”

He gave an aha nod and turned to Jake. “How about a snack, Jake?”

Jake kept pushing the boat and making the chugging noise, totally absorbed in his imaginary world.

“Hey, Jake. What do you like for your snack?” Peter tried again. When Jake ignored him again, Peter turned back to Jessie. “Now what?”

“He’s zoned. You’ll have to pick him up and take him out.”

“Will he cry?” he asked softly, probably so Jake wouldn’t hear.

“Count on it.”

“He’s used to you. Maybe you should do it.”

She gave him a lifted eyebrow. “He’ll cry for me, too. Just make it clean and fast.”

Peter put the towel down. Broad shoulders hunched, he leaned over the tub, poised to snatch the boy and lift him out of the water in his large, masculine hands. Strong and gentle, nails clean and neatly cut.

Neil’s hands had been strong and gentle, too. Sometimes, they’d been cracked and stained from hard farm work even though he used the special soaps she’d given him. Her heart twisted at the memory of her ex-fiancé. “Okay. Go ahead,” she encouraged.

Peter made his move.

With a shriek, Jake’s chubby legs flailed, his slippery body squirming and twisting to get free.

“Whoa, there,” Peter grunted, no doubt surprised by the power one little boy could unleash. He tried to set Jake on his feet on the towel, but churning legs and a squirming body made that impossible. So Peter hugged Jake close instead. “It’s okay, Jake. We’re going to get you dry and dressed so you can have that snack.”

At least his instincts were good. But it was hard to tell whether Jake heard him. He wailed loud enough to alert Jessie’s parents on the patio. She wouldn’t be surprised if Mom popped in to find out what was going on. “Calm down, sweetie,” she cooed as she tucked the towel around Jake.

“He’s never going to forgive me for doing that,” Peter said dismally.

Jessie could almost feel sorry for the man…if she wasn’t worried what he would decide to do when he fell in love with Jake. If he hadn’t already.

Finally, Jake’s crying subsided. “Wan Os,” he said on a hiccough.

Peter looked over Jake’s head at her as if asking her to interpret.

“He wants Cheerios for his snack.” She nodded to let him know Os were an option.

“Sure, Jake. Os sound good,” Peter said.

“Wan Os, wan Os.” Jake sniffed, twisting to get out of Peter’s arms.

“Slow down,” Jessie warned. “You can have Os just as soon as Peter gets you into your diaper and pajamas.”

Peter’s eyebrows shot up. “You sure I’m up to that?”

“Aren’t you?”

He squinted. “How hard can it be?”

Looked like he wasn’t ready to cry uncle anytime soon. She laid a diaper and pj’s on the changing table in the corner of the small room and stepped out of the way.

Peter climbed to his feet, abandoned the towel and laid Jake on the changing table without a hitch. He picked up the diaper, turning it in his hands as he studied it.

Not one to stay still for long, Jake began rolling onto his side.

Jessie lunged toward him.

“Whoa, there, fella.” Peter grabbed Jake to stop him from falling.

Jessie gave a sigh of relief.

“You need to lie down, so I can get this diaper on you,” Peter explained as if he expected the eighteen month old’s complete cooperation.

“Wan Os.” Jake swayed his head and upper torso back and forth to make his point.

“After we get you dressed,” Peter said.

Jake wailed, struggling to free himself.

Jessie grabbed the towels on the floor and began wiping up the water near the tub. If Peter wanted her help, he could ask for it. But she kept a keen eye on his progress.

He held a squirming Jake with one hand while he spread the diaper on the changing table with the other. Then he plunked Jake on the diaper and somehow got it between the little boy’s legs, but he couldn’t seem to figure out how to fasten it. At least, not before Jake kicked free of the diaper and sent it flying.

Things couldn’t be working out better. Suppressing a grin, Jessie flipped the drain and scooped toys into the net bag attached to the wall. “Are you going to get that diaper on him or not?”

Peter raked his free hand through his hair. “A demonstration might expedite things.”

“Are you asking for my help?”

“Please?” He gave her a pathetic look. Well, as pathetic as a strong, handsome, intelligent man can look, anyway.

With an exaggerated sigh, she ambled over to contain Jake while Peter retrieved the diaper from the floor and laid it on the changing table.

Jessie gave Jake a toy car to keep him occupied, lifted him onto the diaper and secured it.

“You sure make it look easy,” Peter commented.

“Experience. Can you handle putting him in his pajamas?”

Peter picked up the train-printed pj’s and looked them over. “Snaps go back or front?”

“Front.” She took the garment and matched top to bottom to show him.

“Got it.”

She wiped down the tub-surround, glancing back to see how things were going.

Shoulders flexing, Peter worked to get the small, struggling boy into his pajamas, then concentrated on matching snaps. “We’re almost finished, Jake,” he promised several times.

Jessie perched on the side of the tub to wait. He must be realizing he wasn’t cut out for parenting by now. One would think, anyway.

Finally, he lifted Jake in the air as he checked his work. “Mission accomplished,” he announced. He did look like he’d been on a mission—a very wet one. His dark hair was soaked and as mussed as short hair can get, and his soaked shirt clung to his chest.

Jessie noticed one lone, unmatched snap on Jake’s pajamas and considered not mentioning it. But only for a second. “You missed a snap.”

“Are you sure?” He gave her an exasperated look as he folded Jake in his arms.