A Secret Colton Baby

Apparently she’d touched a nerve. Well, baby Amelia’s situation touched Ellie. She knew better than most how it felt to have parents who treated you as an afterthought. She’d do everything she could to make sure Amelia didn’t suffer the same fate.

The rest of the day passed quickly. She bathed and changed Amelia, before taking her down to the kitchen so Ellie could resume the rest of her duties. Despite his offer to help, Theo didn’t put in an appearance. Ellie wasn’t really surprised, though she was disappointed.

Since Amelia had gone right to sleep, Ellie was able to work unencumbered. Dinner went off without a hitch—she’d placed the chickens in the oven to roast along with some potatoes, carrots and onions, and opened several cans of rolls and baked them just before it was time to eat. For dessert, she’d made a cobbler using baking mix and canned peaches. Not exactly gourmet fare, but it would fill their hungry bellies. She’d fed Amelia while everything cooked.

The meal turned out delicious and the cowboys were loud and appreciative. Theo arrived just after everyone had started to eat. A few of the men paused, but Theo waved them to continue. So they did, still raining compliments down on Ellie.

She smiled, told them thank you, and waved them back toward their meal.

As had been her habit, Ellie stayed slightly apart, near Amelia’s portable bassinette. She watched from near the oven, having just made herself a plate and about to sit down at the smaller dinette table. She’d fed and changed Amelia earlier, and despite her earlier nap, exhaustion battled to claim her.

Theo crossed the room to stand near her. Conversation at the long table briefly ceased. But a quick look from Theo and it resumed, though several of them men made no secret of the fact that they were watching.

“I’m sorry,” Theo said, pitching his voice low so the others couldn’t hear. “I promised to help you with the evening meal and I forgot.” He rubbed his leg as he talked to her, making her realize his injuries were no doubt hurting him.

“That’s okay.” Surprised that he’d even apologized, she slid the plate she’d just filled toward him. “Go ahead and eat. I’ll make another plate and join you.”

He glanced at Amelia, who, with her tummy full, slept contentedly. “How is she?”

“Still fine.” Turning, she busied herself filling a plate with food. Once she was done, she carried it over to the smaller table that sat in the kitchen proper.

After a moment, he followed and took the chair opposite her, his expression shuttered. “I talked to my sister. Gemma’s going to be here about eight-thirty tomorrow morning. That’ll give her plenty of time to check us all out. The stores in Dead River don’t open until ten anyway.”

“Sounds great.” She glanced at the still-sleeping baby. “What about Amelia? After she’s cleared as healthy, can we bring her with us? I can’t exactly leave her here alone.”

“Of course not. I’ll help you with her.” Flashing her a preoccupied smile, he dug in. The muscles rippling under his button-down shirt made her mouth go dry. Even here, Theo radiated masculinity and sex appeal. And tension, though he appeared to relax a little as he began eating. “This is great,” he said. “How did you manage to make all this and still look after the baby?”

Secretly pleased, she shrugged. “It’s nothing fancy, that’s why.”

“It’s good food. Thank you for managing to act both as cook and nanny. I promise I’ll make it up to you as soon as I can.”

He sounded earnest and charming, and the sparkle in his emerald eyes was pretty damn close to irresistible. Dangerous thinking, she chided herself. “I may hold you to that,” she replied lightly. “Now eat up. There’s peach cobbler for dessert.”

He made a moan of delight and again she blushed. When she got the warm cobbler out of the oven, the men cheered. She served it herself, wanting to make sure there was enough for everyone.

After the hands had taken themselves off to the bunkhouse, Theo guided her toward the living room couch, handing her the remote before going back to fetch the bassinette, which he placed near Ellie.

“Sit. I’ll clean up,” he said. “And for breakfast tomorrow morning, Gram Dottie used to make us this baked egg dish that you can refrigerate and just pop in the oven. I helped her once or twice, so I think I remember how to do it.”

Surprised and touched, Ellie nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He flashed a grin so devastating her breath caught in her chest. “Now relax and watch something on TV. I’ll join you once I’m finished in the kitchen.”

Strange. Too tired to comment, she glanced at Amelia, who still slept. Perfect baby. Leaning back into the overstuffed couch cushions, she pressed the power button on the remote. Since she still didn’t know the television channels for this area, she pressed one at random. A legal drama was on, one she thought she might have caught a few episodes of in the past.

The next thing she knew, Theo was shaking her shoulder. “Ellie, wake up. It’s late and you need to go on to bed.”

Groggy, she blinked up at him, trying to understand. “What...what time is it?”

His lazy smile touched her like a sensual caress. “A little after ten. You fell asleep and looked so peaceful. I didn’t want to bother you.”

“Amelia.” She looked for the baby, not finding her. “Where’s Amelia?”

“I carried her upstairs a minute ago. She needed a diaper change and I think I figured out how to do it.” He lifted his shoulder in a sheepish shrug. “Though you might want to double-check my handiwork. She’s asleep in the crib.”

He’d changed Amelia? Talk about giant strides, especially from a man who’d barely been able to say his daughter’s name. Wisely, she kept her sentiment to herself. She sensed if she made a big deal about it or even commented, Theo would shut down.

“She’s going to want her nighttime bottle soon.” Pushing herself up off the sofa, she stifled a yawn. “I’ll just go ahead and make it, so I’ll have it when she wakes.”

He eyed her. “How do you know how to do all this, anyway?”

“My parents were very active in the church,” she said, shrugging. “When they went off to be missionaries, I stayed with a neighboring family who had triplets. Mrs. Anderson needed all the help she could get. I learned not only how to take care of babies, but I also learned how to cook.”

And Ellie had felt glad to be needed. Even if later, as she’d grown older, she’d come to understand she was being used as an unpaid nanny and cook. She hadn’t truly minded, as she’d come to love the triplets, but when she’d needed to get a job to earn her own money, she’d asked to be paid. Instead, she’d found herself out on the street. Luckily, one of her high school friends had taken her in until she could find a job and save for a place of her own.

Taking her arm, he guided her into the kitchen and over to a chair. His slow smile made her mouth go dry. “Sit. Tell me what to do and I’ll make the bottle.”

Wondering if she was still asleep and dreaming, she gave him instructions, unable to resist the tiniest bit of flirting. “It would seem you have a natural talent,” she told him, smiling shyly. His answering grin made her feel warm all over.

When the bottle was ready and he’d tested the temperature with a drop on his wrist, the way she’d told him, he handed it over, his fingers brushing against hers and lingering a second too long.

Telling herself it was in her imagination, she took it and pushed to her feet, again swaying slightly. He reached out to steady her, and somehow she ended up pressed against the muscular length of him.

Instantly, her senses leaped to life as she came deliciously awake. Breasts tingling against his rock-hard chest, her entire lower body began to melt as she stared up at him.

Green gaze dark, he lowered his face as if about to kiss her. She caught her breath, her heart lurching crazily, her mouth already throbbing. She wanted him so badly in that moment she shivered, dizzy with longing.

And then he released her, shaking his head, one corner of his sensual mouth curving. “Sorry. Old habits.”

Somehow she managed to make it out of that room and into hers without collapsing. Only when she’d closed the door and dropped down onto her bed and covered her face with her hands did she let herself think about what had just almost happened.

The only reason it hadn’t was that Theo had enough sense to back away.

Though she had to admit, the casual old habits had stung. But then, she chastised herself, what the hell had she expected? Theo Colton wasn’t for her. She needed her job and the protection Theo had promised from her crazy stalker. Which meant she needed to get herself under control and forget even thinking about being attracted to him.

Amelia began making snuffling sounds, which meant she was about to cry. Ellie scooped her up, gently pressing the bottle’s nipple against her perfect, bow-shaped lips. The baby latched on, suckling like a champion, which made Ellie smile.

Once Amelia had finished, Ellie burped her. One final check of her diaper, which had been put on perfectly, and she put the baby back in her crib, amazed at how quickly Amelia dropped into sleep.

Attending to her evening preparations as quickly as she could, Ellie brushed her teeth, washed up and changed into her pajamas.

She climbed into bed, ready to fall asleep, even though she knew she’d probably dream of Theo. She resolved, if she did, to promptly forget all about them in the morning.

* * *

That night and the next morning, Theo refused to even think about what foolish urge had made him almost kiss Ellie Parker. He’d been without a woman too long; that had to be it. After all, Ellie wasn’t even his usual type. He preferred his women curvy and flirty and casual. With her willowy, athletic figure, Ellie not only wasn’t his type, but was too serious by far.

And too sweet, he thought. The kind of woman who needed a white picket fence and a husband who was content to work a nine-to-five and come home to her each night.

In other words, everything Theo was not. Little Miss Serious would want it all, including love. He wasn’t in the habit of intentionally breaking hearts, and he didn’t intend to start now.

Rushing through his shower, he hurried downstairs to get the egg casserole baking in the oven. He also made a pot of coffee, waiting impatiently for it to finish brewing. Outside, the sun hadn’t yet risen, and he could tell the outside air would be crisp. His favorite kind of morning, back when he’d wake up and drive out to the rodeo grounds to check out the lay of the land. He’d walk the grounds, a cup of java steaming in his hands, looking for the other cowboys who were out there doing the exact same thing.

Shaking his head, he ruthlessly pushed that thought away the same way he’d quashed his surprising desire for Ellie.

Pretty soon the kitchen smelled like eggs and sausage and coffee. The hired hands begin to drift in, one by one, hanging up their jackets and wiping off their work boots on the mat just inside the back door before heading to their table in the adjoining room.

The casserole seemed to be a big hit, judging from the appreciative comments and requests for seconds. He’d already put the second one in and it had finished cooking just as he scooped the last bit out of the first pan.

The hands finished eating, several of them joking and laughing and clapping him on the back, calling him a damn good cook. As they filed out, Theo began to wonder why Ellie hadn’t yet put in an appearance.

Surely what had almost happened last night hadn’t made her skittish?

Fear stabbed him. What if she was sick? Or Amelia? Gemma wouldn’t be here for another hour or so. Trying to contain his rising panic, he rushed to Ellie’s room, finding the door closed. Taking a deep breath, he tapped lightly. When he received no answer, he went ahead and opened the door.

Inside, he heard water running and realized she was in the shower. Amelia gurgled, awake in her crib. He went closer and swore she smiled at him, flailing her tiny hands. Glancing toward the open bathroom door, Theo leaned over the crib, reaching for the baby. His hands looked huge even to him as he unbuttoned her Onesie so he could check her diaper. It was dry, which meant Ellie had changed her. He noticed two empty baby bottles on the dresser. One had to be from last night. The other meant Ellie had already been downstairs to make her formula and fed her. He had no idea when, but it had to have been before sunrise.

Amelia cooed, and Theo felt his smile widen. He’d never been much for babies—hell, what guy was—but this one seemed cuter than most.

“Well, good morning,” he said, in what he thought might be a reasonable facsimile of baby talk. “You look mighty pretty this morning.”

And then he’d be damned, but Amelia latched her teeny, tiny, wrinkled pink fist on to his finger and held on as if she knew what she was doing.

Throat tight, he stood still and let her.

A moment later the shower cut off. “I’m in here with Amelia,” he called out, just in case Ellie planned to walk out here naked or something. For his own protection as well, because baby or no baby, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to resist a nude Ellie. In fact, even thinking about it...

He forced his thoughts back to the baby, picking her up and holding her close as if she were also a shield.

“Morning.” Ellie wandered into the room, wrapped tightly in a towel, wearing another on her head like a turban. She looked pink and young and absolutely delectable.

Glad he was holding the baby, he managed a friendly smile. “I got worried when you didn’t come down for breakfast.”

“I’m sorry.” She sounded anything but. “I got up early to take care of Amelia and then came back up here and feel asleep. You’d promised to take care of feeding the hands, so I decided not to worry about that.”

Her gentle dig made him want to laugh. Instead he nodded. “There’s still some egg casserole left if you’re hungry.”

“I’m starving. I’ll come down and warm it up after I finish getting ready. Do you want to take Amelia with you or...”

A not so subtle request for him to go. He almost offered to take the baby with him, but then he realized he wouldn’t know what to do if she cried or needed something. No, he’d need a bit more practice and experience before he tried handling her alone.

“I’ll just put her back in her crib,” he said, pretending not to notice her disappointed expression. “Come on downstairs when you’re ready. Gemma will be here in a couple of hours.”

“Ninety minutes,” she corrected automatically. “You said eight-thirty. It’s seven now.”

“Right.” Once he had gently placed Amelia back, he carefully avoided looking at Ellie or going anywhere close to her. His hands were empty now and already he was itching to fill them.

Giving himself a mental shake, he hurried from her room and back down to the kitchen.

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