“I’ve jotted down a few helpful hints. And just in case life gets sordid…” He took a huge box of disposable diapers from the second bag and set it on the floor.

She closed her eyes and thought of an appropriate expletive. “I don’t know how to do this,” she wailed. “I can’t change a diaper!”

Pat unwrapped the baby and spread the blue plaid blanket on the floor. He removed Tim’s heavy sweater and knitted hat, leaving him in yellow terry – cloth pajamas, and sat him in the middle of the blanket. Then he rummaged through the kitchen drawers, finding two wooden spoons, a plastic measuring cup, and a medium – size saucepan. “Toys,” he told Megan, placing them on the blanket with Tim. “If you have any problems, my office number is on the paper.”

“How did you find me?”

“My receptionist. She’s lived here all her life and knows everything about everyone.”

“Did she tell you I have a job? What about my job? How am I supposed to work?”

“You only work on weekends. Today is Monday.”

“Wrong. Being a visitors’ aide is a weekend job. I’m just doing that temporarily to make money. My real job is-”

“You should have thought of all this before you begged me to let you baby – sit.” Pat bent down and kissed Tim on the top of his head. “Good – bye, Tim. Be a good guy for Mommy Hunter.” He turned to Megan and kissed her on the top of the head too. “Good – bye, Mrs. Hunter.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I hate when you do that!”

“Do what?”

“Tweak my nose or kiss the top of the head… or wherever.”

Pat looked down at her. In all honesty he wasn’t that happy about tweaking her on the nose or kissing her on top of the head, either, but he was just about foaming at the mouth to kiss her on her wherever. She’d been too sleepy and too distracted to belt her robe, and in the course of her travels about the house it had parted, exposing a tantalizing corridor of smooth skin and slinky nightgown. He had been making a supreme effort not to stare. He was afraid if he got a really good look, he might start drooling, and he knew she hated drool.