The Baby Bond Read Free Page A

when the crying commenced. It had been a standard joke between her and her sister. Cassidy played with Alex. Janna did all the hard stuff.
    “It’s probably breakfast time, don’t you think?” the fireman asked.
    Oh dear. Breakfast. Cassidy’s stomach fell to her toes. “I don’t know what to do.”
    He shot her an odd look, as if everyone knew what to do with a hungry baby. “Give him a bottle, I guess.”
    Cassidy bit her bottom lip, both embarrassed and dismayed. “Janna was nursing him. He’s never had a bottle.”
    In fact, Janna had never left her son with anyone, not even Cassidy, for more than a few minutes. Alex was her child of joy and promise, the beginning of the big family she and Brad had wanted. If Cassidy was honest, Janna was living the life both sisters had longed for.
    “Oh. That does present a problem.” He held up one finger. “Sounds like a job for the nurse.”
    He pushed the button and issued the order for formula as though he did this every day. Maybe he had kids of his own.
    “Thank you. I hope Alex can deal with the change,” Cassidy said, juggling the fussy child up and down, up and down, praying the nurse would hurry with that bottle.
    “It may take some time, but he will.”
    He must be a dad, she thought. Nice guy, firefighter, baby expert. Not hard to look at, either. Interesting fellow. “I never did get your name.”
    “Carano,” he said. “Nic Carano. Fire Station One.”
    Cassidy blinked. He couldn’t be. No way. This firefighter who had rescued her nephew was Nic Carano?
    Notorious Nic?
     

Chapter Two
     
    “I remember you,” she said, trying to reconcile the helpful firefighter with the Notorious Nic she remembered.
    He’d dated half the girls in her sorority house. All at once. Nic Carano, the fun-loving life of the party who went through girlfriends faster than frat boys through a keg of beer. She’d been very careful to be sure she wasn’t one of them.
    Nic was not her kind of man. If she had a kind. Unfortunately, building her career in graphic design left her little time to date. If she did, it would not be a man like Notorious Nic, no matter how nice-looking and charming he seemed.
    The door swished open and a nurse attired in blue scrubs appeared with a bottle, patted Alex’s head and disappeared again. As if she had a clue what she was doing, Cassidy tilted the baby into a cradle hold and slid the nipple into his squalling mouth. Alex shoved back, twisting his head, fighting the strange silicone.
    “You look familiar to me, too.” Apparently unperturbed by Alex’s crying, Nic went on talking as he pushed a chair behind Cassidy’s knees. Gratefully, Cassidy slid onto the seat. She hadn’t realized she was still standing. “College maybe?”
    Cassidy nodded. “Kappa Kappa.”
    “Oh yeah.” He grinned. “My favorite sorority. You lived there?”
    He asked as if he were puzzled, as if he hadn’t dated her so how could she have lived in the Kappa Kappa House.
    For one thing, she’d been too focused. For another, she’d been too smart to get involved with a man who was all charm and no substance. Though loath to admit it, her social life had been limited to a few shallow, quickly fading relationships, a couple of them regrettable. The Lord had forgiven her, but she was taking no chances on making the same mistakes again. Handsome, charming, shallow men were off-limits.
    Alex grew frustrated and thrashed in howling protest. Cassidy jiggled the bottle, trying to calm him. She’d had no idea feeding a hungry baby could be this difficult.
    “Come on, sugar. I know it’s different, but you’ll get the hang of it.”
    She tried again, sliding the nipple onto his tongue. He jerked away, pushing at her hand.
    “Want me to try?” Nic held out his arms. “I’ve got a little experience.”
    “You do?” Now that was a shocker.
    He winked. “Trust me. I’m amazing.”
    Right. Trust him. How many girls had heard that line? Trusting Nic was the last