A Very Special Delivery

banshee. That’s what I call it when she wails like that. The first time I heard her, she scared me silly, but that particular cry usually means she’s wet.”
    While Ethan took care of his daughter, Molly cleared the table and filled the sink with hot water. He must think she was crazy the way she behaved around an innocent baby, but there was no way she’d tell him about Zack.
    She was down to washing the skillet when, without warning, the lights flickered once, twice and then went out.
    “Oh, no.” Although she’d been expecting to lose power, she was still dismayed. She could manage without lights, and the old house had propane heat, but the well pump was electric.
    Ethan reappeared in the kitchen, holding Laney. “That’s not good.”
    “Not good at all. No power, no water.”
    “It would be better if you didn’t stay out here.” He shifted Laney to his shoulder, holding her there with one hand. “Is there someone in town you can stay with?”
    “My aunt tried to get me to stay with her yesterday.”
    “Great. After driving up that mountain last night, I think I could manage Mount Everest. If you’re agreeable, I’ll drive the three of us into town in your car. The company can send for the van when the roads clear.”
    “Sounds like a good plan. My car is in the detached garage next to the camper if you want to warm it up.” The trip on flat ground would prove much easier than the one he’d made last night. “But there will be four of us.”
    At his raised eyebrow, she said, “My cat.” If she was holding the cat carrier, she wouldn’t have to hold the baby.
    “Right. Gather up the cat and whatever else you need while I go out and start the engine.”
    Ethan placed his daughter on the couch again, shoved his feet into his boots, shrugged into his coat, and disappeared out the back door.
    Molly’s tension eased as she went into the bedroom to pack. Soon she’d be in Aunt Patsy’s cozy apartment at the Senior Citizens’ Housing Project, sipping raspberry tea and reliving the last twelve hours. The stress of having an infant in her house would be over. Ethan and his tiny reminder of her greatest pain would be gone.
    Bag packed and zipped, she carried the suitcase to the back door just as Ethan stomped through it. Cold emanated from him. He did not look happy.
    Shivering against the sudden draft of frigid air, Molly reached behind him to push the door closed. “Is something wrong?”
    Blowing out a frustrated breath, he pulled the stocking cap from his head. “Bad news. The power line over the garage snapped.”
    “No wonder the power is gone. That line feeds the breaker box to the entire house.”
    “Worse than that.” He unzipped his coat as if he planned to remove it. “The garage and everything in it is electrified—a death trap until that line is repaired.”
    “Oh, no.” Apprehension crept up her spine. He had to leave. He had to take that baby out of her house.
    “Sorry.” His mouth turned grim as he said the words Molly dreaded. “But none of us is going anywhere today—or maybe for a lot longer.”

Chapter Four
    “I could try walking into town,” Ethan said. Given the expression on Molly’s face he thought maybe he should at least try.
    “Don’t be silly. You nearly froze last night. We’re safe and snug here so we’ll make do until things begin to thaw out in a day or two.” An attractive little frown pinched her eyebrows together. “Water will be our primary problem, but there’s plenty of that frozen in the yard.”
    The tightness in his shoulders relaxed. He appreciated her practical attitude even if she wasn’t thrilled to have him as a house guest. “Got more buckets? I can start chipping ice.”
    “The big stock pots are in the storage room. They’ll have to do.”
    “I’ll get them. Which way?”
    “Back through here.” She motioned through the kitchen and down a hallway. “But I can do it.”
    “That’s okay. I might as well learn the lay of the land if I’m going to be here for a while.”
    Following her directions, he went through the door at the end of the hall only to see more rooms beyond. The old house seemed to ramble on forever. No wonder she didn’t heat this section.
    He opened the first room, spotted an old table loaded with boxes and assumed he’d found the storage area. He went inside to hunt for the pots.
    He found something else instead. Familiar packages. UPS boxes. Most from children’s stores. All of them recent