gentleman.
Plus,
he hadn’t seemed all that attracted to her.
Plus,
he’d gotten really burned before and wasn’t going to open himself up with
another women.
Plus,
none of it really mattered because, in a few months, she’d be in India.
She
filled her glass of champagne and went to watch TV in her bedroom.
Happy
wedding night to her.
Five
Lydia pushed around eggs
in a pan and tried to stay awake.
It
was just six-thirty in the morning, but Gabe and Ellie always seemed to get up
early, and she thought it would be nice to fix breakfast on their first day
back from their “honeymoon” weekend.
The
weekend hadn’t been miserable. It hadn’t been particularly good, but she
shouldn’t have expected it to be. Gabe worked most of the time, although they
did spend one afternoon hiking and one afternoon at the Biltmore Estate.
He
was still wrapping up stuff with his company, but there was very little she
could do herself. She’d made some notes on the possible business project for
the rescued girls—maybe jewelry or some sort of craft—and otherwise she read or
watched TV or worked out.
It
was relaxing, but she was happy when the weekend was over and they returned to
Willow Park.
Gabe
was perfectly polite, and being in such close quarters with him kept building
her attraction for him—but he still sometimes felt like an intimate stranger.
She
occasionally tried to bring up more personal topics—like their conversation on
the veranda—but he didn’t open up like that to her again.
She
told herself not to be annoyed or impatient. While it might be nice if they
could be friends, it wasn’t necessary for their arrangement. And maybe it would
just take more time.
Her
eggs were starting to scramble when a voice behind her said, “What are you
doing?”
She
turned around to see Ellie, who was fully dressed in jeans, a snowflake
sweater, and two long braids.
No
lounging around in her pajamas for Ellie. Lydia felt a little sloppy in her
flannel pants, sweatshirt, and unbrushed hair.
“I’m
making breakfast,” she said, smiling at the girl as brightly as she could. “You
like eggs and bacon, don’t you?”
Ellie
didn’t answer. Just peered at the stovetop suspiciously.
“Do
you want some orange juice?”
“I’ll
get it.” Ellie stepped in front of Lydia on her way to the refrigerator, so
Lydia let the girl grab the container and pour for herself.
The
girl then went to sit down at the table with her juice.
Trying
to think of a topic of conversation, Lydia asked, “So how was your weekend with
your grandparents? Did you do anything fun?”
Again,
Ellie ignored the question. “Where’s Daddy?”
“He
was in his room earlier, but I’m sure he’ll be down soon.”
She’d
heard the shower running as she’d been on her way out and had to force from her
mind the vision of Gabe naked in the shower.
“Oh.”
“So
did you do anything fun with your Grandma and Grandpa this weekend?” Lydia
tried again, blotting the bacon with a paper towel.
Hopefully,
Gabe would be down soon, or her valiant attempt to be nice would go to waste
because the food would be cold.
When
Ellie didn’t answer, Lydia glanced over her shoulder. The girl was frowning
down at her glass of juice.
This
was hopeless. The girl was never going to like her, and she was absolutely
clueless about what to do to change it.
“Ellie,
you were asked a question,” Gabe said, as he walked into the kitchen. There was
the slightest sternness in his voice.
Ellie
gave a little jerk of surprise at the sight of her father. “Sorry.” She took a
deep breath and said, not looking at Lydia. “We went to the park and to church
and to a big toy store in Dalton.”
“Oh,
that sounds like fun.” Lydia made sure to smile, but she felt uncomfortable
because now Ellie would think she’d gotten her in trouble with her dad.
She
plated up eggs, toast, and bacon and brought two plates to the table.
“Thanks
for cooking,” Gabe said,
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