crying.
Surprised, he shot Victoria a quick glance, and then headed over. “Nic. What happened?”
“Oh, you could say it’s been a bit of a rough day. But luckily, your neighbor here is a saint.”
Ford stole another look at Victoria, who had moved into the kitchen to give them space. Her rich, dark brown hair fell forward as she typed something on her cell phone.
A saint? Clearly, he was missing something.
First things first. “Are you and Zoe okay?” he asked Nicole.
“Why don’t we go to your place and talk?” she suggested. “I think we’ve intruded on Victoria for long enough.”
His big brother protective instincts went on high alert, hearing this reference to some “talk” he and Nicole needed to have. Still, she was right—they should wait until they were alone. “Sure. I can push the stroller, since you have Zoe.” He looked over at his niece, who gripped the bottle between her two tiny hands. Her head was turned as she drank, and she stared right at him with those big brown eyes.
Reaching over, he tickled her chest, getting her to smile and kick out her legs. “There’s my smile.”
Nicole rolled her eyes. “Of course she smiles for you. Is there any member of the female species who doesn’t adore you?”
From the kitchen, Victoria cleared her throat loudly. She looked over and gestured vaguely with an innocent smile. “Sorry. Must be dry in here.”
Ford threw her a look. Ha, ha.
Carrying Zoe, Nicole walked over to Victoria. “Thanks so much for letting us hang out while we waited.” She lowered her voice. “I’ll call you tomorrow, then, about the thing.”
His ears perked up. What thing? Something obviously was going on with his sister, and he didn’t like being out of the loop. But he stayed silent, holding back his questions until he and Nicole were alone.
“You’re welcome. I’m glad I could help.” Victoria brushed her finger against the back of Zoe’s hand. “Later, kiddo.”
Perhaps by reflex, the baby grabbed her finger.
“Aw, look at that. I think she likes you,” Nicole said.
“Of course she does. She’s obviously a very smart girl.” Victoria wagged her finger, comically shaking Zoe’s hand in good-bye. Then she caught Ford watching and blushed. Gently, she extricated her finger from the baby’s grip and walked in the direction of the front door.
He took that as his cue to leave.
Victoria held open the door for Nicole and Zoe, nodding in good-bye. Ford followed behind, pushing the stroller. He paused in the doorway and raised an eyebrow. “A saint?”
She gave him a sweet smile. “I believe the words you’re looking for are, ‘Thank you, Victoria.’”
Always with the sarcasm.
But on this occasion—as much as it killed him to admit it—she happened to be right. He had no idea what had transpired here between her and Nicole, but nevertheless, she’d taken in his sister and niece and for that . . . he owed her his gratitude.
Most unfortunately.
“Thank you, Victoria.”
She raised an eyebrow, as if waiting for the punch line, and then looked surprised when none came. Shifting uncomfortably in the doorway, she gave him a dismissive wave. “Whatever, you’re welcome.”
It was a funny thing, he thought. When she wasn’t being snarky or throwing barbs at him, there wasn’t anything to deflect his attention away from the fact that she was a beautiful woman. Like right then, the way her full lips curved upward as she peered up at him with those warm, chocolate-brown eyes.
“So, we’re just . . . hanging out here in the doorway, I guess?” she said.
Yep, so much for that moment.
* * *
ONCE INSIDE HIS place, Nicole took a seat on the couch and settled in to finish feeding Zoe. Ford bided his time, changing out of his work clothes and throwing on a T-shirt and jeans. When he came out of the bedroom, he found Zoe lying on a blanket in the middle of his living room while Nicole rinsed out the baby bottle in his sink.
He got down on the floor next to Zoe, shaking the giraffe toy above her chest. Her eyes widened and she reached for it, trying to grip it with her hands.
“You should’ve seen the meltdown she had at Victoria’s. It was pretty epic,” Nicole said from the kitchen.
Ford could easily believe it. The last time he’d been over at Nicole’s apartment she’d been trying something called “sleep training”—which, if all the crying and hollering was any indication, Zoe had been none too thrilled about. “Mom would probably tell you it’s payback. You weren’t