Page 17 of Protected By Him

I helped her out, then guided her to the front doors with a hand at the small of her back. I felt the heat of her skin through the thin fabric of her blouse, and that little reassurance that she was okay calmed me further. When we walked through the front door, we were greeted immediately by Ella.

"Laura!" she screamed with excitement as she ran toward us with her little ponytail bouncing all around.

The sight of her brought a huge smile to Laura’s face, and all her anxiety seemed to melt away. She was just what Laura needed after a day like this. My mom followed close behind her.

"Hi Laura. Are you okay, sweetie," she said as she approached her and leaned in for a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey Ramona. I’m okay now, thank you. How have you been doing lately?" Laura replied, obviously trying to keep their interaction to only small talk.

"Oh, just letting this little girl keep my busy, that's all." She turned and regarded me with a questioning look. I shook my head and mouthed ‘later,’ not wanting to upset Laura again by recounting everything for my mom.

She gave me a nod as she grabbed her coat from the rack by the front door and pulled it on. "Are you sure you’re alright, Laura dear?"

“Yes, ma'am. I am fine.”

"Well, alright." Mom reached down and gave Ella Eskimo kisses on her way out the door. "Love you, Leo. Take care, Laura; I'll see you all tomorrow. And Leo, don’t forget, your dad and I are set to leave for our cruise the day after tomorrow. You’ll need to ask the sitter if she can help with getting Ella from school on the nights you work late."

I nodded my head and waved her off. I was thankful she didn't ask questions. Mom always seemed to have a sense of when to pry and when to let it go.

I looked over and saw that Ella was now on Laura’s hip. I felt a pang in my chest at the sight of them together, heads bent close in whispered conversation. Laura would make a great mother, and Ella loved her dearly. Laura looked up at me suddenly, and something of my feelings must have shown on my face because she gave me a quizzical look. I just smiled at her and shook my head before clapping my hands.

“Ella Bear, did Grandma feed you dinner already?”

“No, Grandma ate without me. I wanted to wait for you and Laura,” my daughter replied.

“Alright then, let’s go to the dining room.” I looked over at Laura. “We were just about to eat when you called. Mom made lasagna.” Ella led the way, and we settled around the table. Mom had covered the lasagna dish to keep it warm and set the table. She must have expected I would be bringing Laura back with me because she set three places.

"I'm not hungry," Laura swallowed hard, "But I wouldn't mind a glass of water."

I frowned, concerned that she wasn’t eating because she was still upset, but decided to let it go for now. "Coming right up." I stepped away from the table and went to the kitchen as Ella began to devour the lasagna. By the time I returned, she had it all over her face and shirt. It would have been cute if I wasn’t the one who had to clean her up.

Ella looked just like me, wavy brown hair and dark blue eyes. She was tall for her age. Although she’d just turned four, she looked more like a five-year-old.

She was such an adorable little girl. I couldn’t believe her mother wanted no part of her life. It was such a shame that she was missing out on this amazing little person we’d created together. I had never loved Samantha, and I hated the thought of having to share my daughter, but I would’ve made it work for Ella’s sake if her mother had wanted to be a part of her life.

I shook the thoughts away; it was her loss. Ella was surrounded by people who loved her. I looked at Laura again and thought,maybe someday, I’ll be able to give Ella the mother she deserves.

I passed Laura her glass of water. "Thank you," she replied as she took it.

"So, this man who followed you," I began as I sat back down, "could you make out his features?"

"It was dark out and raining," she replied, her gaze locked on Ella as if looking away might cause her to panic again. “And they were hidden far enough from the streetlight outside my building that I couldn’t make out their features beneath their hood.

I nodded and offered Ella another helping. She shook her head and patted her belly to indicate she was full.

I handed her a napkin. “Clean off your mouth. You can have dessert before bath time if you have any room left in your tummy.”

Ella nodded vehemently. “I do! Grandpa says ice cream fills in the cracks. There’s always room for ice cream!” She grabbed the napkin and tried to wipe her mouth, although she missed half of it. I couldn't help but laugh at her attempt and noticed Laura laughing as well. Ella always brought a smile to Laura’s face during her visits.

I reached over to assist her, though I wasn’t sure what the point was since she’d be covered in ice cream before long. “Do you want chocolate or vanilla ice cream?”

“Both!” Ella exclaimed. “Can I have both, Daddy?”

“Let me think.” I placed my finger to my chin and looked up as if I was deep in thought. “Hmmm, how about…”

I could see the anticipation building in Ella. “Say yes, Daddy! Say yes!”

“I think that maybe…" I was drawing out my reply to drive Ella crazy. Laura caught my eye, and I winked at her.

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