Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
He walked off while I stroked the tiny head and mini bunny ears of the little guy. Zane returned with our dinner tray. He put it on the table between us. There was a ‘ding’ and the nearby black cabinet opened. Zane went to it and opened an upper door, pulling out a baby bottle the size of the ones I’d seen for puppies or kittens.
“Can it make us a new one automatically about every four hours?” I asked as he passed it to me.
“They’ll eat about every two and a half hours,” he said.
“Okay,” I replied and shook the bottle in my hand and then brought it to the mouth of the baby.
“Even during the night, Tanya…” he added.
“What did you call these? Fuschillas?”
“Commonly, yes. Fuschialala-viscacha is the proper name.” His mouth moved with far fewer syllables than I’d heard.
“Chili,” I whispered, and it blinked at me.
“What?” Zane asked.
“Chili. For short.”
Zane tilted his head.
Chili was just sniffing from the perch on my finger. And then it opened its little mouth and a long series of little clicks came out, sounding like a woodpecker rapidly pecking on a tree. I giggled. Zane leaned over with a pen like device that he put to the top of the baby’s head. The baby batted at it with a little paw and wobbled on my finger, so I scooped it onto a palm and let it stand there. It sniffed the air toward the baby bottle.
Zane examined his phone screen.
I brought my hand with the baby toward my chest and cradled it there while bringing the bottle to its mouth. Chili flopped onto his or her back and grasped the sides of the bottle with both front paws, grabbing it also with back paws so that it could hold it. Taking up most of my palm, the adorable baby snuggled in and suckled loudly.
Oh. My. Heart.
“Oh, you’re taking to it like a natural, Chili,” I said and put my finger to the bottom of the bottle to help stabilize it. Chili blinked at me while drinking.
“It’s a male. Just three days old. Healthy,” Zane said, looking at his screen.
“Male? I thought he might be, but he has a marsupial pouch.”
“Both genders take care of the babies,” he remarked.
“Ah. Rare but wonderful.”
He smirked. “I’ll make some calls first thing in the morning to find someone to take him.”
“Or… the next day,” I suggested.
Zane gave me a smirk. “Tanya…”
“I’ll take care of him.”
He raised his brows.
“Maybe your 3D printer can build him a cage? I take full responsibility,” I said. “I’ve never had a pet. I’m allergic to dogs and cats and my mom was a clean freak and never allowed me to have anything else, so…this guy isn’t making me break out into hives so I’m clearly not allergic and…” I shrugged. “Look at how stinkin’ cute he is!”
“Allergic?”
“Yeah. Always wanted a cat or a dog but they make me break out in hives and sneezing fits like crazy. It was pure torture having loved animals so much but never getting to have one.”
He gave me a look somewhere between amusement and concern as he rubbed his forehead thoughtfully.
***
Chili fell asleep in my hand with a milk mustache on his pink face. I cuddled his sleeping body against my chest while I ate my now lukewarm dinner and then the rest of my cupcake, listening to Zane talk to his son on the phone.
“No, you’ll see her tomorrow. She’s busy eating her dinner right now. Yes, her ankle is much better… she did, and it bloomed. Lots of jewels, yes.” He chuckled and his eyes twinkled. “Orange petals. Several colors, actually.”
I noticed he didn’t tell Ollie about the baby fuschilla.
“I’ll tell her goodnight from you. She loved her present, yes. I’m sure she’ll tell you herself tomorrow when you’re home. She’s already been using it. Right. Goodnight, son. Love to you, too.”
Swoon.
He put his phone down and his wineglass to his mouth, eyes on me while he sipped.
I smiled under his scrutiny. His eyes moved from Chili to my face and then he shook his head slightly.
I ignored that, put my fork down, and lifted up my ¾ remaining blue cupcake.
“Ankle okay?” he asked finally.
“Yeah. Much better.” I ate my cupcake because no way was I wasting it, but I was officially stuffed. My free hand went to my belly. “Oh. I’m so full. That was delicious. Thank you.”
Zane took a bite of his cupcake and then examined it in his hand while he chewed. “Mm,” he said. “Pretty good.”
“So good. Uh, I need to… um… use the bathroom, so could you—”
“Carry you?” he asked.
“No, I can walk. Can you hold Chili while I do that?”
Zane’s chin dropped and his eyebrows went up in a motion of ‘Really?’
I smiled. “I could just put him down on this pillow, I guess.”