Page 86 of Love Bomb

She shrugged. “I only spent a month in a foster home and the people there were lovely. I can’t speak for all of them.”

Her answer didn’t seem to reassure him any.

“I can promise that the couple who’ll be looking after the baby are good people,” the social worker said. “I’ve dealt with them for years. The baby couldn’t be in better hands.”

Bain frowned. “Who are these people? What are their names? What qualifications do they have?”

Officer Donaldson stepped up beside the social worker. “They’re better qualified and more experienced than you,” he said bluntly. “Hand the baby over. You’ve done a good job so far, but he needs stability until his mother is able to care for him.”

Bain wasn’t intimidated. “You know this couple?” he asked Matt.

“Aye,” the cop said firmly. “I’d let them look after my own daughter.”

There was no arguing with that recommendation. Reluctantly, Bain handed the baby over.

“The sweater he’s wrapped up in,” he told the social worker, “was in the bag his mother left with him. We think it belonged to her. He seemed to settle when we cuddled him in it.” He looked like he was having regrets.

Rona thought he might snatch the baby out of the social worker’s arms, so she held his hand tight to stop him.

“We found that if you warm the sweater before you wrap him in it,” she said, “it works a lot better. I guess the heat enhances his mother’s scent.”

Man, this was hard. Bain moved closer to her, offering his strength and warmth.

“I promise you,” the woman said, “he’s going to be fine.” She glanced at Matt before carrying on. “How about I call later and give you an update?”

Rona breathed a sigh of relief as Bain relaxed, slightly.

“I’d appreciate it,” he said. “How long will he be in care?”

“Just until his mother can look after him again,” the social worker said. “And, I promise you, she’ll get plenty of time with him while she’s healing too. We have no intention of keeping them apart. We just want him to be looked after while she gets well.”

“That’s good,” Rona said. “Isn’t that good?” she asked Bain.

“None of this is good,” he rumbled.

They walked the cop and the social worker to the door and stood on the step while they drove away.

“This sucks,” Rona said.

“Aye, but he isn’t ours to keep.”

Her heart clenched at the words. “You’d never abandon your child.”

It wasn’t a question. Rona knew, deep in her soul, that Bain wasn’t capable of such a thing.

“No.” There was steely resolve in that one word. “But his mother is ill. She doesn’t know what she’s doing, even though it’s evident she loves him very much.”

Rona hadn’t been talking about Sandra’s baby.

“There are lots of ways to abandon a child,” she said softly.

“Come on.” Bain tugged her hand, pulling her back into the house. “We need food.”

Darach and Kade had gone to work and the house was weirdly quiet. Rona sat at the kitchen table and watched Bain rustle up some scrambled eggs and toast.

She found her eyes resting on his rear.

His backside was delectable. She hadn’t gotten a proper look at it when they’d been in bed together. But it was beautifully rounded and firm. If they were together, as a couple, Rona would make him cook in the nude. Just so she could watch his backside while he worked.