Cowgirls Don't Cry(40)

“In that case, I suggest a shot of penicillin. Sometimes I treat this type of infection with amoxycillin but the shot works faster. Plus, you won’t have to mess with trying to get him to take his medicine, since he seems a little strong willed.”


“No surprise—he is a McKay,” Jessie muttered.

Doctor Monroe shut the file folder. She smiled at both of them, but it was strained. “Kids heal quickly. He’ll have to stick around for twenty minutes or so after the shot to see if he has an allergic reaction. If he’s not better after forty-eight hours, bring him in right away.”


“Will do.”


Jessie got the feeling that Doctor Monroe disapproved of this situation with Landon and she gave them both an odd look before she left the room.

“I see what you’re thinkin’,” Brandt said. “And yes, she argued with me about askin’ for your help with Landon.”


She frowned at him. “How did she know you intended to ask me?”


“I told her. I brought Landon in for a checkup after hours the week Samantha went to jail. She grilled me on how I planned to take care of him so I asked her opinion. She said I was self-serving and stormed out of the room after she signed off on the physical documentation for temporary guardianship.”


Doctor Monroe had performed the D&C after Jessie’s miscarriage. She’d recommended the yearlong wait before they attempted another pregnancy, and by that time, she and Luke were having problems, so she’d stayed on the pill. But the doc knew how devastated Jessie had been about losing that baby. It gave her a rush of gratitude that the doctor knew losing another child, albeit not one from her womb, might cause her sorrow.

Would it? Or will you be glad to hand this boy back to his mother?

The nurse came in. “He gets this one in the butt, so you’ll need to take his diaper off.”


Brandt plucked Landon from Jessie’s lap, turned the kid over his knee as he pulled back the diaper tape, exposing Landon’s left buttock. He held the squirming boy firmly as the nurse swooped in with—holy crap—a really big needle and jabbed Landon’s tiny butt cheek.

Landon screamed bloody murder.

The nurse was fast. She pressed on a Spider-Man bandage on the spot and Brandt had the diaper refastened in a hurry.

Landon practically jumped into Jessie’s arms. Her stomach clenched, seeing him so scared. She slipped his clothes on, trying to calm him. When she looked up, Brandt had the oddest expression. “What?”


“Don’t get mad, okay? But you’re good with him. Better than I thought you’d be.”


Jessie didn’t snap off a smart comment, it’d serve no purpose. She hefted him up onto her hip. She winced.

“I’ll get him, Jessie.”


“I’m fine. I’ll wait here with him. Just pay the bill and I’ll meet you back at my house.”


Chapter Eight


“No, Mom. I understand you wanna see him, but he won’t be much fun with an ear infection. Okay.

I’ll ask her. Yes, I promise. Bye.”


Brandt tossed his cell on the seat and rubbed his eyes. Jesus, he was tired. It’d been a long couple of days. Traveling, a funeral, the guilt of leaving Jessie alone with Landon. He wanted to drink a couple of beers, watch TV and crash. But that probably wasn’t in the cards tonight.

Plus, he had a surprise for Jessie. Things had been going great between them today, up until the point she pushed him out of the doctor’s office. Her text requesting items they needed from the store had been curt, but texts often were, so he wondered what kind of mood she’d be in. He grabbed the grocery bags and headed inside her trailer to find out.