Wistful in Wisconsin

gullible you are, Mr. Sheriff. You definitely need a wife to take care of you.”
Fred wanted to press his hands over his ears. Her voice was making him crazy. Why she insisted on using it heaven only knew. He’d heard her real voice, low and sultry. He much preferred that throaty sound. If he didn’t think it would encourage her, he’d tell her that, too.
Since she’d been whispering, before her last remark, he followed that pattern. It made the chirps tolerable.
“So, if there’s a baby in the bushel basket, is there a puppy in the picnic hamper?” A chuckle lay under his words as he poked at her a bit.
“No, definitely not. I have all I can do to care for one baby, not two.”
Her look of horror drew the chuckle from Fred. The complaining baby flinched and screamed its distress.  He waited for Lilah to cradle the little body.
When Lilah didn’t pick up the baby, only stared stupidly down at it, he made his suggestion. “The baby needs to be cradled. You hold it close to you and comfort it.”
He watched her reach a hand under the newborn. When she pulled it away quickly, he scowled. “Go on. It needs to be cuddled.”
For once the chirp was gone as she whined, “It’s very wet. I don’t want to touch it.”
Snorting, Fred wagged a finger at her. “Then you need to change it.” He exhaled, long and noisily, through pursed lips. “I can’t believe we’re calling the baby it. Babies are he or she. So which is it?”
Lilah wrung her hands and shrugged. “I don’t know. The note didn’t say.”
Ignoring the bit about a note, he searched for a safe spot on the side of the road. With the spring thaw, mud abounded and he didn’t want to become stuck on the side of the road. Satisfied, he stopped the buggy on a grassy area and secured the buggy ribbons. His saddle horse gave a curious nicker but stopped along with the vehicle.
With widened eyes, Lilah wrung her hands faster. “Why are we stopping?”
Knowing it wasn’t nice to tease when she obviously felt distress, Fred still couldn’t resist. “It’s a beautiful spring day and this is the perfect spot for a little kissing.”
With a gasp, she wiggled into the corner of the buggy before squeaking out, “I think we’d best take care of that baby first.”
He felt the dimple appear in his cheek as a broad smile slipped past his control. “I’m teasing.” He reached toward the basket. “give me a clean diaper and I’ll take care of the little one.”
She eased closer to him and shook her head. “I don’t have any diapers. Anything it came with is in the basket, already as wet as the baby, I’d guess.”
Fred groaned, his hands stopping before he picked up the baby. “Friday is not getting any better.”
Lilah blinked rapidly at his comment before she wrinkled her nose. “What does the day of the week have to do with a wet baby?”
Not answering, Fred pointed to the linen at her feet. “Give me that towel you had over the basket.” When she didn’t move toward it, he added, “Please.”
Eyes twinkling, she grabbed it quickly. Handing it over, she muttered words that seemed inane to him. “I wonder how we’ll find out if it’s a boy or girl.”
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Fred pulled all the linens away from the infant. “Watch when I pick it up. If it doesn’t look like yourself, you know it’s a boy.”
She nodded solemnly, hands clenched together. “Which do you want, a boy or a girl?”
Her chirp had returned. That along with her silly talk made him frown and flinch. He didn’t bother to answer her. After all, this wasn’t their baby so why did it matter.
Their baby. Why did he think of that? They’d never have a baby together.
Shoving aside the thought, he focused on the wet, cold child. With a hand under its head and another under the bottom, he raised the little girl out of her basket.
“A girl. I wanted a girl. Badly. I just didn’t want to disappoint you since most men want sons.”
He had a terrible feeling that Lilah was playing house in her mind. Well, he hadn’t agreed to be the daddy in her game. Somehow, he needed to bring the woman back to reality.
“Stop talking foolishness and give me that towel. This little one’s shivering. Newborns don’t do well if they take a chill.”
The stars in her eyes faded as she moved purposefully, Lilah handed him the towel before looking around her. She rose and lifted her skirts. He watched her step onto the wheel of the buggy before jumping to the ground.
Ignoring her then, he stared down at the tiny, whimpering girl. “Let’s get you diapered. It doesn’t seem like you’ve got the energy to even cry.” Fred shook his head, wondering when the little sweetie ate last. Even red and wrinkled, she promised to be a beauty someday. Her little mouth pursed like a deep pink rose bud and her wide eyes stared up at him, amazingly alert for such a young infant.
Folding the towel, he did his best to tie it around her. “Well, little blossom, let’s try to get you warm.” Opening his coat, he tucked the baby next to his chest and pulled the garment around her.
A checked tablecloth landed on the leather seat. Lilah’s head appeared outside the buggy as she climbed the wheel and plopped next to him, petticoats flying upward. He couldn’t resist looking at the shapely calves she revealed to him. The woman did have lovely legs.
“This should work as a blanket.” Satisfaction oozed in her voice. In her normal voice, he noticed with relief. The one he remembered from that warm day last June when