Ellie fought not to laugh. “Don’t worry. She’s too little to understand anything.”
Daisy crawled into the nonexistent space between Ellie and Jesse, tears on her cheeks, apparently unfazed by his presence in the bed.
“Hey, sweetie, what’s wrong? Are you scared?”
Daisy nodded but didn’t say, either because she wasn’t sure or because she didn’t have the words to explain.
“It’s okay, baby girl. You’re okay.” Ellie held her daughter, glancing over at Jesse, who had turned onto his side, one hand still holding fast to the sheet.
Daisy turned her head to look at him. “Jesse seepy?”
Jesse’s lips quirked in an amused grin. “I’m sleepy, too.”
“Come here, honey. Just close your eyes.” Ellie cradled Daisy’s head against her bare breast, kissed her forehead and hummed her favorite lullaby. “As I was a-walking for my recreation/A-down by the gardens I silently strayed.”
Ellie glanced over to find Jesse watching her, a mix of gentleness and intensity in his gaze. He reached out, lifted a strand of hair from her cheek, the tenderness of the gesture reminding her of the way he’d kissed her C-section scar and stretch marks. She’d gotten tears in her eyes then, tears she’d hidden from him, afraid she’d spoil the mood.
“The blackbirds and thrushes sang in the green bushes/The wood doves and larks seemed to mourn for the maid.”
Daisy’s eyes were closed, her little face relaxed.
Ellie hummed for a minute or two longer, then stopped. She sat, scooped Daisy into her arms, and carried her back to her bed, staying with her for a few minutes just to make sure she was truly asleep.
She walked back to the bedroom to find Jesse already wearing his jeans and pulling his T-shirt over his head.
She felt a stab of disappointment. “You’re leaving?”
“It’s almost four.”
“Already?” How could that be?
“The night flies when you’re having fun.”
“I’m sorry she woke you. I hope that didn’t make you too uncomfortable.” He’d probably never sleep over again.
“Hey, don’t apologize.” He closed the space between them, drew Ellie into his arms. “It just took me by surprise. I’ve never been in bed with a naked woman and her toddler before.”
When he put it like that…
“So that means Daisy hasn’t scared you away, that I’ll see you again?”
His hands slid down her back to pat her bare ass. “Damned straight.”
She slipped into her bathrobe and followed him down the hallway, smiling to herself when he stopped to glance in Daniel’s and Daisy’s bedrooms.
“They’re so … little and helpless,” he whispered.
They turned and walked toward the kitchen together.
“If you think they’re little and helpless now, you should have seen them when they were born. They were just over six pounds each.”
He shook his head as if this were crazy. Then he stopped and turned toward her, reaching down to rest one big hand on her lower abdomen. “That means you were carrying more than twelve pounds of baby in there.”
There was an intimacy to this, to sharing memories of her pregnancy with him. “It got pretty uncomfortable toward the end. I looked like an elephant.”
“I bet you had a cute waddle.”
They finished the short walk to the back door, Ellie watching while he put on his boots and slipped into his parka. “I wish you didn’t have to go. I wish neither of us had to work today. I can’t believe they expect you to work after what happened yesterday.”
“Ben was rattled and needs the day off. They can’t afford to be down two patrollers on a Sunday. But, hey, I have an idea. Why don’t you pack up the kids and come up to Cimarron Ranch with me on Wednesday?”
“The Cimarron?”
“You’ve heard of it?”
“Who hasn’t?” The West family were among the biggest landowners in the state and ran cattle on their ranch. They also bred champion quarter horses. “What are you doing up there?”
“Nate West and I are partnering for the skijoring race.”
Of course, they were, because if there was some crazy way to get killed, Jesse was in. “I don’t want to watch you break your neck.”
“I’m not going to break my neck. I promise. I bet the kids would like to see the horses.”
“I’m sure they would.” She took hold of the front of his parka. “Please be careful up on the mountain today.”
“You know it.” He slipped an arm around her, kissed her.
Then she remembered.
“I have something for you.” She pulled away, retrieved her extra key from the drawer, and held it out for him. “In case you need it.”
He took it from her then tucked it in his pocket. “Thanks. See you tonight.”
Then he turned, opened the back door, and disappeared into the darkness.
*