Chapter 9: Chapter 9

ELI

Eli darted outside, grabbed his shirt off the mirror of Andie’s car, then headed to his truck. He called the pizza parlor, ordered their pizza for delivery, and paid—including a tip—with his card.

He grabbed the photo and the other item he had picked to give to Andie. After shutting the truck door, his eyes darted around again, but he still didn’t see anything that would set Andie off.

Back in the kitchen, he set the items and his shirt on the table as he took a seat in a chair and dove into helping Andie feed the girls.

They finished eating then he and Andie cleaned them up. Eli held Lily, and she took the bottle.

Andie took Lucy, and they headed to the living room. They sat beside each other on the brown leather couch as the girls finished their bottles.

“So, how is Lily doing?” Eli asked as he gazed into her little golden eyes.

“She has her moments. I know she misses them, but she doesn’t understand.

“When she’s older, I’ll try my best to explain to her what happened. She’ll need you to tell her about Caleb, and she’ll need me to tell her about Candice.”

They looked at each other at the same time.

“We’ll make it work.” He smiled at her then there was a knock on the door.

He handed Lily to Andie, went to the door, grabbed the pizza, and returned. “Where do you want to eat?”

“In here is fine.” She adjusted both girls who were done with their bottles. “They can play while we eat. Then it’ll be bath time.”

He wanted to jump to help, but he didn’t want to overdo it either. He set the box down on the cushion. “Do you have paper plates?”

“I think so. Check the cabinet above the microwave.”

He stepped into the kitchen and grabbed the paper plates, two cokes, and the stuff he had brought in a little while ago.

As he entered the living room again, he smiled when he saw Lily and Lucy on the floor playing. He handed a plate to Andie, and they each took some pizza.

He noticed she only took a couple of slices, so he piled a few more on her plate.

She didn’t say anything, surprisingly. She ate slowly but managed to eat them all.

They leaned back against the couch, letting their food settle. Finally, he picked up the items he’d wanted to give her and handed them to her.

“I know you wanted this, but I also found this and figured you’d want that too.”

She took the picture frame and Lily’s baby book. “Oh, Eli, thank you.” Her fingers ran across the pink, sparkly book with butterflies.

She put the book in her lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back, one hand pressed against her back, the other cupped behind her head.

She slowly pulled back from him, and their eyes locked. Her eyes seemed to look deeply into him. “I better give the babies their baths and get them ready for bed.”

His hands slid from her body. “I could help,” he whispered.

“Okay.” She gave in to him with ease. She picked up the book, frame, and Lily while he took the pizza and put it in the fridge. He returned to get Lucy and followed Andie.

She went to the nursery first to get their jammies and diapers, then he followed her to her bedroom.

He glanced around. The room was off-white with just a plain dresser and a small bed that wasn’t on any special kind of frame.

Everything looked so plain as if she didn’t want to display her personality or get attached to any possessions.

But Lucy and Lily’s room was a gorgeous lavender purple, containing all-white furniture and stuffed animals galore. He didn’t understand it.

He let out a sigh and followed her into the just-as-plain bathroom. He watched her bend over a little and turn on the tub faucet.

After letting the water run for a minute, she put the stopper in the drain and let the tub fill a bit. “Have you ever given Lil a bath before?”

“Twice,” he answered, snapping his eyes away from her ass to look up. He sighed in relief when he saw she hadn’t turned her head to look at him.

But then she grabbed two fluffy blue towels, shut the water off, and knelt on the black-and-white tiled floor. Laying Lucy on the towel, she stripped her, then lifted her and sat her toward the back of the tub.

Eli wasn’t sure how this was going to work at first.

Andy glanced back at him for a second as Lucy began to splash.

“Are you going to get Lily ready, or do you want me to?”

“I’ve got it,” he answered and laid Lily down on the towel. He got her undressed and moved beside Andie.

His nose was again filled with that rose, vanilla, and sugar scent. It caused an ache deep inside him. Maybe all of this was a bad idea.

How could he be feeling this rush of desire when he had just lost his brother not even a week ago?

And she sure as hell couldn’t be feeling anything because that was just Andie. She shut all her emotions and feelings off. He had been with a few women before, but none of them had affected him like this.

He swallowed hard and placed Lily in the tub.

It didn’t take them very long to bathe the girls. Andie handed him a towel, grabbed the other one, and wrapped Lucy while he got Lily.

She collected the baby lotion from the vanity top in the bathroom, along with the clothes and diapers, and they headed to the bedroom.

His gaze hardly left Andie for a minute as they laid the girls down on the bed, but then he needed to get Lily dried.

He shook his head. Why was she suddenly affecting him so damn bad?

She finished with the lotion and then handed it to him. Their fingers brushed as he took it from her. She still felt a little cold. He wanted to ask her about it but doubted he’d get an answer.

They finished with the girls and headed back to the nursery. Andie kissed Lucy on the cheek. “I love you, sweetie.” She laid her down gently and covered her with her favorite blanket.

He watched her approach and kiss Lily on the cheek, also. “And I love you, cutie.”

Then Eli kissed Lily, laid her down in the crib, and covered her.

Andie flipped on their nightlight and headed toward the door. As soon as he was out behind her, she went to close the door, leaving it open a little.

They walked to the front door. As she stopped off to the side, he stepped closer to her.

“Do you feel okay with staying here by yourself?” he asked quietly.

ANDIE

Andie’s gaze locked with his, her heart about melted at the question. But she froze it back up.

He’d been decent to her today. So what? It was only because they were trying to make things work for Lily’s sake. And Lily would be the only reason for their contact.

She took a deep, shaky breath. “I’ll be fine, and so will the girls. I’ll make sure of it.”

He seemed to study her closely but nodded and ran the back of his fingers gently against her cheek. “If you get worried at all, I can be here in ten minutes, five if I rush.”

She nodded as his thumb brushed her cheekbone.

For a fleeting moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. His beautiful golden eyes darken a little and flicked from her eyes to her lips, then back to her eyes.

And for that short moment, she wanted him to, but instead, he backed away, placing his hand on the knob.

After he left, she locked the deadbolt and turned the knob lock. She let out a hard, shaky breath as she laid her forehead against the white-painted door and closed her eyes tightly.

She hated herself. She couldn’t let him in. He would want a family, one he could start, not a ready-made family.

Or maybe he didn’t want one at all. He had been so dedicated to starting up his ranch, and it was still a big part of him. It was still coming up off the ground a little.

She hated to admit she had felt alive with him so close to her today. She had felt the same way at the wedding, and it couldn’t happen.

If she let her guard down with him, he was sure to break her all over again. It had stung when he hadn’t given her the time of day when Candice and Caleb had gotten married.

Then again, he had probably known she was pregnant then, and the only reason he was giving in now was that she had Lily. Why couldn’t she remember that? She had to start. And now.

She finally managed to pull herself away from the door, turning the lights out as she headed to go take her shower and then be off to bed.

Being alone was what worked for her, and she had to keep it that way. She didn’t want it broken. Again.

ELI

Eli pulled his hat low over his eyes as they darted around one last time. Nothing. Damn. Was everything getting to Andie? No, there was no way.

She held herself together for the girls. He’d never forget how she had shivered when he mentioned Lucy’s dad.

There was something there. He just knew it. Just being left wouldn’t cause her to tremble like that.

He got up into his truck and sat there as he watched the lights shut off inside the little gray house in every room except her bedroom.

He sighed as he wondered what all she had hidden about her ex. He started the truck and headed for home. Now he knew he’d be back tomorrow just to check on them.

Something was starting to eat at his stomach, and it wasn’t good.