Page 55 of Delinquent Daddy (Banks/Kincaid Family 2)

From her house.

From her life.

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134

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

Chapter Eight

After hearing the front door open and close, Ellie yanked her top back together, slid off the counter, and hurried toward the living room. The room was dark, so she felt safe in going to the window and lifting a curtain. From the streetlamp's glow, she watched him walk stiffly yet steadily around to the driver's side of his Infiniti.

In the sparse lighting, he looked so much like the boy with whom she'd fallen in love. His hair was still pitch black and his form was that same slim, sleek build. It tore her up to see him like that. Once upon a time, he'd smiled whenever he'd seen her. And now...now he scowled as he sent one last glare up at her house before sliding into his car. It was almost shocking how drastically their relationship had changed.

But the one thing that remained the same and surprised her the most was his physical response to her. She couldn't believe they'd both gotten turned on so easily. It wasn't a good kind of shock, though. His instantaneous attraction to her had been one of the main things that had drawn her to him. The man could've had any girl he wanted back in college. Heck, he still could snag any woman. But he'd wanted Ellie. It'd been so flattering she'd been powerless to deny him anything.

The fact that this hadn't changed in ten years was going to make her struggle that much harder. Ellie closed her eyes and snorted out an ironic laugh. Harder. Oh, yeah, she could say that again.

135

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

Outside, his car engine started. Her eyes flew open. As he pulled away from the curb, she rubbed her fingers over the ache in the center of her chest. There was something else that hadn't changed. It still hurt to watch him leave.

Gritting her teeth, Ellie dropped the curtain. As the cloth fell over the window, she backed away and slid her hand down until she clutched her churning stomach. She continued to step in reverse until the backs of her legs bumped the sofa.

Though she wanted to sink into the soft, comforting cushions and cry, she opted to walk down the hall and check on her daughter.

Surprisingly, Cassidy was fast asleep. Though she hadn't done so in years, Ellie slipped into the room and tiptoed to the bed. She pulled back the covers and crawled onto the mattress with her baby. Cassie's sweet little-girl smell enveloped her and she

closed her eyes. Instantly, she smiled, thankful she was here, thankful she'd ended up so blessed.

Ellie hadn't lived an easy life. Since the time she was eight and her parents had died in an automobile accident, she had grown up in a home where food came sporadically, if at all.

She'd lived with her deceased grandmother's older sister, and Aunt Eadie didn't have the greatest memory. Ellie had practically raised herself.

From the moment her daughter was born and that tiny little life had been placed in her arms, totally her responsibility, she'd sworn Cassie would never live the way she had. Her daughter would always have a meal on the table, and she'd always have a structured, orderly life where she could take part in as many after-school activities as she 136

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

wanted. Plus she'd grow up in a neighborhood where she could play out in the open in a safe environment and attend a nice, reputable school.

So far, Ellie had been able to provide all of that; she wasn't about to lose slack now. Most of her good fortune had come from luck. The house she owned, or at least would own after another twenty-five years of payments, could actually be accredited to her louse of a boss. Winston's brother, Dr.

Mendel Young, had wanted to sell his guesthouse for years and when it went on the market, Winston mentioned it to Ellie.

Like a dog to a bone, she'd jumped on the chance to live next door to doctors and bankers. It didn't even matter that her home was only an eighth the size of every other house on the block. It was hers and didn't have wheels under it. She adored it.

She lived in a beautiful, safe community with a wonderful neighbor friend in Dr. Young's wife, Nora. Even their son, Keller, was a blessing to have nearby. From the moment the two children had met, they'd been best friends.

So yeah, Ellie pretty much adored this life she'd built up all by herself. She might've had grand dreams when she'd lived in Tennessee, but she'd never really thought she'd get this far. Hard work and pure determination actually did pay off sometimes.

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