Darcy gathered up dishes and took them to the sink. His shoe stuck to the floor. The whole place was unhygienic. “I’ve got a pub to run. And I don’t have a clue what to do with a two-month-old.”
“Babies aren’t that difficult. They need food, clean clothes, dry diapers and love. I’m sure you can handle that.” She paused. “Your father’s calling me. Sorry, love, I’ve got to go.” And she hung up.
Darcy went in search of Emma. She was slumped on the couch, eyes closed, mindlessly rocking the baby. She hadn’t changed him and seemed to be making no attempt to feed him. Billy had worn himself out and his cries were sporadic, punctuated by hiccups.
Darcy felt Billy’s forehead. It was hot. Fever or dehydration, he had no idea. Emma must be really sick to let the situation get this bad.
The baby wasn’t his responsibility. Emma had told him so repeatedly. She didn’t want him to be involved.
He kicked a pile of laundry out of his way. Had she thought about this scenario when she decided to have a child on her own? What if he hadn’t come by? What if someone else had found her and called Child Services? They might take Billy into custody, possibly foster him out temporarily. Emma would hate that.
Or what if no one had come by and something seriously bad had happened to Billy?
Someone had come by. Him. It was no good telling himself he wasn’t responsible when he knew full well he was. He felt ashamed of himself for calling his mother. Fine to ask for advice but to try to palm off his kid...it was wrong. He had to step up. It was only temporary, till Emma got better.
Gingerly, he reached for the baby and took him out of Emma’s slack arms. “Go have a shower while I change him.”
She blinked at him then gazed blankly at her empty arms. “You wanted to talk about decorating.”
“Shower. Now. That’s an order.” His mouth set in a grim line, Darcy held the soaking-wet baby out from his body and strode back to the nursery. From the recesses of his mind he recalled something Emma had said when Holly was sick. It’s a good sign if the diaper’s wet. It means she’s not dehydrated. So Billy being soaked through was a good thing. Yeah, right.
Darcy laid the baby on the change table and held him firmly in place with one hand on his tummy while he studied the situation. The sodden sleeper was a one-piece with snap closures. How hard could this be? It wasn’t like he’d never changed a baby’s diaper. Before that terrible day when Holly had fallen, he’d been in charge while Emma was out shopping. Back then Emma had laid out everything in the order in which he would need it. However, judging by the jumble of wipes, pins, powder and other unrecognizable stuff on Billy’s dresser, this time he was going to have to wing it.
“Don’t worry, kid. I’ll get you clean and dry in a jiffy.”
Billy started at the sound of his deep voice. Then cried louder. Darcy began to peel the wet clothing off a small squirming body. Ugh. The baby’s undershirt was soaked, too. Emma was using cloth diapers. No wonder everything was wet. Exactly how long had it been since she’d changed him? He thought of asking and rejected the idea. She probably didn’t know. Emma was a nurse and a mother, but right now she was in crazy town.
With relief, he heard the shower running. At least she wasn’t so far gone she couldn’t clean herself. How long had she been ill and trying to cope on her own and patently not coping? He felt sick to think about it. While he’d been preoccupied with the pub she’d been floundering by herself with only the occasional delivery from the pizza place for sustenance.
With two fingers Darcy dropped the soiled sleeper directly into the garbage. “Hope that wasn’t your favorite outfit, kid.”
He could see how Emma would go batty if she had to listen to that crying night and day. Why hadn’t she called him? Yes, he’d told her he wanted nothing to do with the baby and she’d insisted over and over that Billy was her baby, her responsibility. But surely she knew she could count on him in an emergency.
He almost gagged when he tore off the sodden diaper. Oh, man, this child needed a bath. He listened. Emma was still in the