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It wasn’t ideal. But Miranda wouldn’t be in her office for most of the day either since they were so short staffed. She’d be out in the cold. How could she do this without making Tori stay? She hated to ask her for help, not just because she was prideful but because she could do this on her own, couldn’t she?
“Miranda.” Tori stepped in closer, a hand on her wrist.
Miranda shivered at the touch. When was the last time anyone had touched her like this? Her heart skittered, especially knowing that Tori wasn’t straight, knowing that those long looks she’d caught Tori giving her might not have always been judgmental ones.
“Let me help you. Just today. I can take her home if you want, too, but I get the sense you’ll be more comfortable if I keep her here.”
“Yes,” Miranda squeaked out.
“Yes, I can watch her? Or yes, you’ll be more comfortable if I stay here?” Tori still hadn’t moved her hand. She rubbed her thumb along Miranda’s wrist. It was a gentle, slight move, probably meant to comfort, and damn did it work.
“Yes. My office.” Miranda turned to Hannah. “Give me a minute.”
She walked straight into the main offices, past the front reception area and toward the back where her office was secluded. She kept Rebel against her chest, holding her tight. The need to put her down was strong, but the desire to keep cuddling her was stronger. With Tori inside the office with her, Miranda could let down one or two of the shields she kept up in front of her employees.
“I’ll try to be as quick as I can.”
“If she’s only got a slight fever, we’ll be fine. I know they have to send home for these kinds of things, but I really wish they wouldn’t. The kiddos aren’t sick.”
“But she seems sick.” Miranda ran her fingers through Rebel’s mop of hair. She was asleep. She furrowed her brow. “She’s sleeping.”
Tori smiled. “It is about naptime at daycare, and she’s probably into the routine.”
“She doesn’t nap at home.”
“Really?” Tori stepped in closer, running her fingers over Rebel’s back. “Here. I know this is hard, Miranda, but if you’re going to allow me the honor of watching this sweet bean, then I need you to give her to me.”
“I…” Miranda paused. “Anyone in this office knows how to get hold of me and where I’ll be.”
“We’ll be fine.” Tori’s smile was placating, but Miranda was comforted by it. “I promise.”
She hesitated again but eventually shifted. Tori pulled Rebel into her arms, cradling her in the same way Miranda had been doing. She brushed a kiss into Rebel’s hair and took a step away. Miranda moved swiftly, putting her hand on Rebel’s back and planting another kiss to the back of her head.
“I’ll give you my number if you need anything.”
“Okay.”
Leaning over her desk, Miranda wrote her cell phone number on the back of her business card and handed it to Tori. Her stomach was still full of knots, but she knew her team needed her. There wasn’t another option. Tori sat down in one of the chairs usually reserved for employees. Miranda had rarely seen families in here in the last couple years.
“Is there a diaper bag somewhere?”
Miranda paled. Cold washed through her. “I might have one in my car.”
“That’s all I need, then. We’ll be right here when you get back.”
Tori’s beautiful smile was captivating. Miranda hadn’t felt quite this at ease ever since Tierney had dumped Rebel with her. Tori was beautiful—young—but gorgeous in her own right. Her baby blue eyes were big and bold against her shock of dark hair. The black of her dress played up those contrasting colors.
Miranda said nothing as she left the office and hightailed it out to her car. She didn’t find a diaper bag, but she did find diapers and wipes shoved into the pocket on the back of the passenger seat. She’d learned in the first week that she needed an emergency stash of those two items everywhere she went. She handed the items to Hannah and had her bring them in because she feared if she walked back into her office, she would never leave it. Tori was right. She couldn’t do this in a vacuum.
Miranda’s feet ached, and a chill had entered her bones that she hadn’t managed to get rid of. The rain hadn’t let up until they were leaving the cemetery well after the family had gone. It was nearing dinner time, and she knew she would have to get some food into Rebel soon. She’d gotten to the funeral home just after lunch.
Miranda went straight to her office, wanting to relieve Tori of Rebel before she started in on cleaning everything up and making sure they were set for tomorrow. She, luckily, wasn’t working tomorrow, which would give her the chance to stay home with Rebel since she couldn’t go back to daycare.
When she entered her office, Tori was sitting cross-legged on the floor, Rebel in her lap, as they read a children’s book that she had pulled out of thin air. Miranda stopped short. This was what a family looked like. Not her running around trying to work and sending Rebel off with sitters, but actually sitting down and taking the time to spend together. She was awful at this.
She cleared her throat, trying to get that unnecessary shame out of her system. “How did everything go?”
“Perfect.” Tori grinned up at her from the floor, not moving. “But I should be asking you that.”
