Andie was in her little shop with gray walls and pink table tops. She was rushing to get everyone what they wanted.
Whenever she was within eyeshot of the girls, she would glance over at them to make sure they were okay.
When she didn’t have them in her sight, she would constantly look at the video monitor. And, of course, they were okay.
The crowd finally began to disperse, and everything was gone as usual. As the last customer left, she locked the door and began to clean up. She was back in the kitchen when she heard a knock.
She let out a sigh as she loaded up the dishwasher and headed back to the dining area. She froze when she saw Eli outside the door.
He raised his hands up in a peaceful gesture, and he looked calm. She frowned at him and folded her arms over her chest.
He said something, but she couldn’t really hear him. She just raised her eyebrows at him. She tried not to laugh as he hung his head for a minute. He pulled out his phone and seemed to type something.
Her phone pinged in her apron pocket. She frowned at him but slowly pulled her phone out and read the message from him.
She looked up at him and slowly walked over to the door. She unlocked and opened it but didn’t let him in immediately. “Are you going to keep your temper in check?”
“Yes. The minute I don’t, you can throw me out,” he answered, trying to win her over with a smile.
She rolled her eyes and stepped back, letting him in. “They’re over in the playpen,” she said, then locked the door and headed back to clean the kitchen while Eli went to the playpen.
She watched the monitor for a minute and smiled at his interaction with Lily. He had climbed into the playpen and was tickling her, making her laugh.
Andie finished wiping the counters, oven, and sinks. She glanced at the monitor and saw Eli still playing with Lily, and Lucy was off on the other side of the playpen playing by herself.
She slowly sank to the floor, putting her head in her hands. She rubbed her face and took a deep breath.
Then she stood and heard a loud wail. She ran out to the playpen, where she discovered Eli talking to Lucy. She pulled Lucy into her arms and began to bounce her up and down.
Eli studied Andie as she pulled Lucy from him. She looked so tired. Strands of hair fell around her face. He stood up, taking Lily, but she let out a cry too.
Andie took her also and tried to get her to calm down. “Sorry, Eli. It’s time for them to eat.”
“I could help,” he offered and smiled at her.
She narrowed those gray eyes at him. “What about the ranch?”
“Eh, the guys got it for now. I want to help.”
She sighed. “Fine.” She turned away from him and headed toward the door.
He rushed past her, feeling like he’d gained a victory as he opened the door for her. “Keys?”
“Left apron pocket,” she answered. “If you take Lily, I’ll get them out.”
Instead, he reached into her pocket, pulled them out, and locked up. He followed her to the house next door and unlocked her front door. Pushing it open, he let her walk in first.
He accompanied her to the kitchen, where she placed Lily in a highchair, then Lucy.
His gaze followed her as she strapped in the girls, went to the fridge, got four jars of baby food, retrieved two baby spoons from a drawer, and returned to them.
She pulled two chairs up in front of the high chairs, and she seemed to collapse into one. He sat beside her and held out his hands to take the food so he could feed Lily.
As she handed them to him, their fingers brushed against each other, and his eyes darted to hers. He felt the coldness in her fingertips, but he didn’t say anything.
She pulled her hand back quickly and said, “Just half of each jar.”
“Okay,” he answered but found himself wanting to know how to make her feel better.
He began to feed Lily, and while darting his eyes between her and Andie, Lily managed to whack the spoon out of his hand.
It flew into Andie, covering her cheek and some of her hair with the food.
He had to fight not to laugh at the sight.
She turned to look at him, her eyebrows raised.
He bolted up, grabbed the paper towels on the counter behind her, and, ripping a towel off, began to clean her face and hair. “I’m so sorry, Andie.”
She looked at him. “What? Did you throw that at me?” Her eyebrows raised even more.
He let out the laugh he was holding in as he wiped clean the baby food-covered strands of brown hair.
He’d never noticed the natural-looking caramel highlights in her hair before and answered, “No, I didn’t. I just wasn’t paying attention, and Lily got a hold of the spoon.”
She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Well, thanks for cleaning me up,” she said and blushed as she continued to feed Lucy.
He smirked and resumed feeding Lily.
As they finished, Eli glanced at Andie and asked, “How do you do this for both of them?”
She shrugged and replied, “I just do it.”
He shook his head. “Well, now what?”
“Usually, I put them in their room and let them play, so I can shower and wash the day away,” she answered simply.
“How do you keep an eye on them?”
“Video monitor. It also has sound, but I am usually only in the shower for maybe ten minutes.”
He looked her over as she went to get Lucy then Lily. He never knew all of that was possible. Apparently, Candice and Caleb knew what they were doing.
“Well, I’m here. I’ll watch them for you. Why don’t you soak in the tub for a little bit?” he suggested innocently.
She narrowed those beautiful gray eyes of hers at him before replying, “No, I’m good. I won’t be long.” She made her way down the hallway and went into a room.
As he walked in behind her, he saw the one crib. “They both sleep in there?” he asked.
“It’s not ideal. I’m working on getting another crib.”
“Why don’t you just take the one from the house?” he asked.
“Well, you’re determined to take her from me, so is there any point in taking anything from there?”
He grimaced a little and softly said, “Andie.”
“Nope, it’s fine. I get it. If you take her, I’m not going to be able to stop you. I’ll fight, but I can’t stop it.” Her voice turned icy. She kissed Lucy and Lily, then headed out of the room after she got toys for them.
He sat down on the brown carpeted floor and watched the girls interact together. He hated himself for the last conversation he’d had with Andie.
He thought maybe it had been forgotten since she let him be around Lily. He was wrong, obviously.
This was going to be harder than he thought.
Andie made her way to her bedroom and got a change of clothes, which consisted of black sweatpants, a tank top, and a pair of matching pink panties and bra.
She must be a fool to have let Eli into her home. Sure, he had the right to see Lily, and she didn’t want to keep them apart, but just yesterday, he had threatened to take Lily away from her.
She was determined to make him see she could take care of both children, herself, and the bakery. He had nothing on her, nor would he get anything.
She headed to the bathroom and shut the door. She laid her clothes on the small black vanity top and started the shower.
Maybe she could take a few extra minutes? She stripped out of her work clothes, laid her phone by her clean clothes, then got into the shower. She sighed as the water pounded against her skin.
She washed her body and hair and shaved, staying in a little longer until her thoughts drifted to Candice and Caleb. Then she shut the water off, got out, dried herself, and dressed.
She brushed her hair hastily and went to the girls’ bedroom. She had to stop and just stare at what she was looking at.
Andie leaned against the doorjamb. She couldn’t fight the smile, watching as Eli blew raspberries on Lily’s belly.
But as soon as Lucy, wearing Eli’s hat, wanted the attention, he would blow raspberries on her cheeks and nibble them, making her squeal with laughter.
Wait, he wasn’t supposed to be near her or Lucy after yesterday. But the sight was just too adorable. A six-foot-four man on his knees, playing with two little girls like that, was priceless.
For a fleeting moment, she wondered what it would have been like to raise Lucy with her real father, but that was just stupid childish nonsense.
It had been a fluke that she’d even gotten pregnant. She had been told she would never have kids, and her boyfriend at the time was still using protection.
The day she’d found out she was pregnant began to replay in her mind. She had been a month late, and she’d been feeling so sick.
While he was at work one day, she’d called in sick, went to the store, and bought a test.
It hadn’t even taken the full three minutes for the results. She had sat there on the couch with the test in her hand and called Candice in tears, telling her how Daryl hadn’t wanted kids.
Candice had tried to reassure her, but nothing helped. That day, she’d found out how much Daryl didn’t care. She’d still been sitting on the couch when he came home.
First, he was irate that she hadn’t gone to work, then because she hadn’t had supper ready, then he saw the test. That was the first and last time he’d hit her. He’d actually tried to make her lose Lucy.
That was also her first trip to Whitehorse. When Caleb and Candice weren’t living with Eli, she had stayed with them until the bruises healed, never leaving the house.
She returned to North Dakota, and a short time later, Candice told her the news about getting married.
Andie decided then that she needed her best friend. She had been four months pregnant at Candice’s wedding, and no one knew.
She was six months along by the time she managed to officially move to Whitehorse, and Candice told her she was four months pregnant.
Andie let out a shaky breath as tears threatened to fall.
Eli looked up when he heard the sigh, and his gaze landed on Andie. Tears were in her eyes, and she looked as if she were so lost.
He quickly went to her. “Andie, what’s wrong?” He cupped her cheeks gently. “Andie?”
She jerked from his hands and moved back from him. “Nothing, it’s just time for the girls’ naps.” She walked around him, changed their diapers, and laid them down on opposite sides of the crib.
They yawned and slowly began to fall asleep. She turned away from the crib and picked up Eli’s hat from the floor. She slowly handed it to him and left the nursery.
Eli followed her to the living room, caught her arm, and pulled her back toward him. He cupped her cheek gently, rubbing his thumb against it, and softly asked, “What was really wrong back there, Andie?”
She shook her head but didn’t move from him.
“Something happened back there. Was it me?” he asked, worried he had upset her somehow.
She shook her head as she pulled her full bottom lip between her teeth and chewed on it.
He rubbed her arm gently as his other hand threaded through her damp, caramel-highlighted brunette hair.
Her eyes slowly closed.
“Why don’t you take a nap? I can watch the girls,” he whispered, wishing she would let him hug her, but he knew that would be pushing it.
She shook her head a little. “I have so much I have to do. I can’t take a nap.” She slowly stepped back from him.
He searched her mesmerizing gray eyes and moved closer to her again. “Like what?”
“Normal things that you would have people do for you,” she whispered and went to step back from him again, but he pulled her back and wrapped his arms around her, her head pressing against his chest.
Then her arms slowly wrapped loosely around his waist.
He stood there just holding her. Her tiny but womanly body felt so amazing against him. Why had it taken so long for him to realize he wanted to get to know her even better?
There was so much Caleb hadn’t told him because he had shut down so many opportunities, feeling it was useless information.
He had been so focused on trying to get the ranch up and running he wanted no distractions. And a female with an adorable child was not in the plan.
Caleb hadn’t felt the same way. The minute he had set his eyes on Candice, he was lost.
He rubbed her back gently as he tilted his head down, laying it against the top of her head.
He took in a deep breath, and the scent of roses, vanilla, and sugar sent goosebumps along his skin.
She smelled so delicious, and it seemed no matter how long she had been in that shower, she couldn’t erase the smell of the bakery. He took in another deep breath.
All of a sudden, her body tensed, and she pulled away from him just as he felt her body start to warm.
She glanced up at him. “Maybe, you should go,” she said and moved away. “Please, Eli, just go. I’ll call you later this week and let you take Lily for a little bit.”
She moved farther away when he stepped closer to her.
He felt a little defeated, but he really had screwed up. As he slowly passed her on his way to the door, her smooth hand grasped his rough, calloused one, and he turned back to her a little.
“I really will call you later this week, Eli. I don’t want to keep Lily from you or Maisy and Todd, and I won’t. You’re her family,” she whispered as she stared at the brown carpet.
He reached his other hand to her chin and tilted her head up slowly.
“I know. It’s okay. Just don’t forget you’re not alone in all of this. You can count on certain people.” He brushed her cheek with his thumb and then headed out the door.
Andie followed behind him and shut and locked the door after he left. She pulled aside the curtain and watched him walk to his truck, then let out a shaky breath.
She failed to keep him away from her and Lucy today and let herself appear weak to him. It would never happen again, but how could she do that when this man gave her a million odd feelings?
Because he’s a man, and men are trouble and can never be serious. But Caleb was a good man to Candice and loved both Lily and her. There just wasn’t a good man for her and Lucy.
It would be them against the world for the rest of her life. Eli was just hanging around because she had custody of his niece. If he got Lily, he’d have no reason to be around.
And she needed to remember that.
