Page 17 of The Cowboy Takes a Nanny
“Curiosity can be dangerous, Leo.”
He arched one eyebrow, his voice deep and sure. “I’m happy to take my chances.”
And that was the problem, because she wasn’t.
*
He watched her expression close down, but like the sun always returns, he knew she’d bounce back. That was Ella—she didn’t sulk or do moods—she just recalibrated, and he’d learned a lot about her character witnessing those adjustments. Like the fact that her default was calm and happy. Sure, she had moments, which was natural, and he’d have questioned her mental stability if she didn’t. And he surely appreciated her frankness.
A pang of guilt sliced though him followed by a sneaky shame chaser. It still felt like betrayal to harbor any negative thoughts about Hope, his baby’s mama; and he hated it when they slipped in. Like now. He and Hope had had so little time together, but even so, he’d sensed something amiss in her, a sense that grew over the time they’d had together. It made more sense when he’d learned of her background, but their phone conversations after he’d first gone back onto the rodeo circuit had been painful at times. Most times. Long periods where she gave him nothing, and he’d had to fill in the blanks, begging her to tell him what he’d done wrong. He’d asked her to come with him when he left, but she’d refused, and then seemed to resent him for leaving. But he’d had no choice. He’d had commitments.
He knew it was unfair to compare Hope and Ella, even if it was where this current train of thought had originated. If his guess was correct, Ella’s life had been as different from Hope’s as night was to day. And he’d never had the opportunity to laugh with Hope, to completely relax, not like he could with Ella.
He thought he’d been in love with Hope, and yet he’d hardly known her. And then there was Kristina; he’d thought he was in love with her, too, and she wasn’t the person he thought she was. What about his feelings for Ella? Were they anything more than a carnal response? The thought pulled him up short, but as quickly as it had crept in, he shoved it away.
Ella was hot, and they lived under the same roof; shared a concern for their children … They were friends.
It was nothing more. And it never could be.
Yet, every day he longed for the sound of her voice, her laugh. Waited eagerly for the first glimpse of that mysterious smile, the one that made him wonder and want.
“Ice cream!”
After leaving Java they’d wandered through various stores but now her confident enthusiasm was once more washing over him. The word was just the distraction he needed to pull him out of the confused funk. “What?”
Pointing with one hand to a sign outside the little store, she used the other to cheekily tip his Stetson sideways to free his closest ear. “Ice cream!”
“I heard the first time. I just thought you were having some kind mental breakdown. Ice cream? Really? Have you seen my kid eat ice cream? She gets it everywhere. And besides, it’s freezing!”
“Part of the fun of it, Leo, and anyway, we can eat inside. Besides, think of it as practice for when she’s taking over the kitchen and creating some exotic face mask; something to enhance her complexion.”
Horror shot through him. “She’ll do that?”
Ella shrugged. “Who knows? But she’ll certainly be a teenager, and they’re known to do such things.”
“Did you?”
She chuckled. “Why do I feel I’ll be incriminating myself no matter how I reply.” They reached the counter. “You buying or me? I’ll have rocky road, and Benny will have vani—oh what the heck, let’s make it strawberry. Baby sized. That should really make a mess.”
Grinning he pulled out his wallet. “Rocky road, huh?” he cocked his head, pretending to siphon wisdom from the air around him. “Let’s see, compellingly complex. A lot going on underneath the surface? Sound right?” Ridiculously, somehow it did, and he wondered if he’d have guessed her preference if asked. Sweet and marshmallow soft, but with zing of bitter chocolate to keep him hopping. He jammed the brakes on that line of thought real fast.
He put in hers and Benny’s order, adding a vanilla baby cone for Mia.
Beside him, Ella had been looking for a table to accommodate the baby, but her sudden gasp indicated his observation had finally connected. “You didn’t … Excuse me? An ice cream-based personality analysis? Really?”
He stifled a grin, trying not to direct her attention to the sign on the back wall—the sign he’d just read as if it hadn’t hung there for years.
“Hmph! Okaaay,” she shot back. “Just remember you started this. Now, let me guess,” she continued, almost startling him with how aligned their thoughts had been, “you’re a choc mint kind of guy.” A perfectly shaped nail tapped against her lip as she thought about that. “Some might say a risk taker, but I’m going to say someone who can’t commit to one flavor! A bet hedger!”
His lips twitched, and quickly rescanned the sign and hastily changed his order, hoping that Marion, who’d been serving ice cream to him and his brothers for more years than he could count didn’t automatically reach for the choc mint. “My usual butter pecan, please Marion.”
The woman who’d surely heard the conversation choked back a laugh, but didn’t rat him out, thank goodness.
“Butter pecan?” He heard the frown and disbelief in Ella’s voice.
“It’s what the man said,” chortled the voice behind the counter. “Gotta say, I’m surprised as well,” Marion deadpanned. “Butter pecan? Let’s see—charmers, I believe, smooth talkers. Not to be trusted. If I were you, Miss, I’d hold out for the choc mint guy,” she added a wink in his direction, “but you had that a bit wrong. Choc mint is much more reliable, and I’m almost certain his perfect partner is a rocky road gal.”
“Pity there’s no choc mint guys around then.” Ella shot a narrow-eyed glare in his direction before turning to remove mittens and attach a bib to each child in an effort to protect their jackets.
