Read Online Bound by Honor by Donna Clayton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Donna Clayton
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wafted in the air, and her stomach grumbled.
It was daylight. The realization made her sit up with a jerk, the thin cotton blanket covering her pooling in her lap. The living room was empty, but she heard activity in the kitchen.
She'd slept through the night. Her mind raced back to the evening before. Gage had come to the rescue. Lily had seemed utterly captivated by him. And then he had suggested she rest her eyes.
Could she have slept through Lily's cries? She had been tired, but could she have zonked out to the point that she hadn't heard her niece during the night?
Shoving the blanket aside, Jenna stood. Absently, she combed her fingers through her hair and headed for the kitchen.
"Morning," Gage greeted. "Coffee?" He lifted the pot, obviously in the act of pouring himself a cup.
"That would be heavenly." She accepted the mug he offered, her gaze scanning the room for her niece. Not wanting him to think she was in a panic, she inhaled the rich vapor, and sipped the steaming liquid. "Mmm. This is good. Thanks." But she couldn't keep her next words from tumbling from her lips. "I'm sorry if you were up with Lily through the night."
"I wasn 't. I did leave my door open, th ough, in case she woke up and you didn't hear her."
Jenna thought it sweet that he'd do such a thing. Especially when he'd been so adamant about not wanting to have anything to do with Lily. It didn't make sense, really. And she had no idea why he was being so nice. But it was sweet, nonetheless.
He drank from his mug, then told her, "I haven't been up long myself."
"But . . ." Jenna cradled the warm mug between both her hands. "Lily slept through the night?"
Gage nodded. "I think both of you needed a good night's sleep. I know I did."
The grin that cocked his lips was sexy, and suddenly Jenna felt all flushed. She shifted her weight and studied the rim of her mug.
He set his coffee on the counter. Then he turned off the gas and slid the frying pan onto the back burner. "Let's go check on her."
She followed him through the living room. As they moved into the hallway that led to the bedrooms, he said, "I think part of the problem might be that she needs to sleep alone. It could be that sharing a bed with you was disturbing her sleep."
"You think so? That never entered my head. I wanted to buy her a crib, but I hadn't had a chan ce to ask you about taking the t ruck into F orsyth."
For a man who'd seemed so tense around a baby, Gage sure knew a lot about how to handle one. Her curiosity got the better of her. Jenna said, "You were so good with her last night. You gave me that golden nugget of advice about bundling her up. How on earth do you know so much about babies?"
He didn't answer her question. He also didn't continue down the hall to her bedroom, instead turning into the room directly across the hall from his. The one he'd specifically told her was off-limits the day she'd arrived. The one she'd thought was his office.
Jenna looked around her in wonder. It was a nursery. A baby's room beautifully decorated in pale shades of yellow and green, pink and blue. The rocking horse positioned in one corner was painted to look just like the pinto ponies that galloped out in the paddock. A border of teddy bears and alphabet blocks and rattles had been stenciled on the walls at ceiling level. White furniture gave the place an airy feel. The room was clean and dust-free. Well kept. Morning sunlight streamed through the gauzy green curtains hanging at the window.
Glancing into the crib, Jenna saw that Lily snoozed peacefully, her tiny thumb stuck into her mouth.
"Gage?" A dozen questions popped into her head, but every single one of them sounded too intrusive, too personal to voice.
Then she remembered the teenage boy at the service station, the one who had been willing to talk about Gage, the one who had mentioned an accident and how it had changed him. She racked her brain trying to remember what else she'd been told.
In an instant, the
It was daylight. The realization made her sit up with a jerk, the thin cotton blanket covering her pooling in her lap. The living room was empty, but she heard activity in the kitchen.
She'd slept through the night. Her mind raced back to the evening before. Gage had come to the rescue. Lily had seemed utterly captivated by him. And then he had suggested she rest her eyes.
Could she have slept through Lily's cries? She had been tired, but could she have zonked out to the point that she hadn't heard her niece during the night?
Shoving the blanket aside, Jenna stood. Absently, she combed her fingers through her hair and headed for the kitchen.
"Morning," Gage greeted. "Coffee?" He lifted the pot, obviously in the act of pouring himself a cup.
"That would be heavenly." She accepted the mug he offered, her gaze scanning the room for her niece. Not wanting him to think she was in a panic, she inhaled the rich vapor, and sipped the steaming liquid. "Mmm. This is good. Thanks." But she couldn't keep her next words from tumbling from her lips. "I'm sorry if you were up with Lily through the night."
"I wasn 't. I did leave my door open, th ough, in case she woke up and you didn't hear her."
Jenna thought it sweet that he'd do such a thing. Especially when he'd been so adamant about not wanting to have anything to do with Lily. It didn't make sense, really. And she had no idea why he was being so nice. But it was sweet, nonetheless.
He drank from his mug, then told her, "I haven't been up long myself."
"But . . ." Jenna cradled the warm mug between both her hands. "Lily slept through the night?"
Gage nodded. "I think both of you needed a good night's sleep. I know I did."
The grin that cocked his lips was sexy, and suddenly Jenna felt all flushed. She shifted her weight and studied the rim of her mug.
He set his coffee on the counter. Then he turned off the gas and slid the frying pan onto the back burner. "Let's go check on her."
She followed him through the living room. As they moved into the hallway that led to the bedrooms, he said, "I think part of the problem might be that she needs to sleep alone. It could be that sharing a bed with you was disturbing her sleep."
"You think so? That never entered my head. I wanted to buy her a crib, but I hadn't had a chan ce to ask you about taking the t ruck into F orsyth."
For a man who'd seemed so tense around a baby, Gage sure knew a lot about how to handle one. Her curiosity got the better of her. Jenna said, "You were so good with her last night. You gave me that golden nugget of advice about bundling her up. How on earth do you know so much about babies?"
He didn't answer her question. He also didn't continue down the hall to her bedroom, instead turning into the room directly across the hall from his. The one he'd specifically told her was off-limits the day she'd arrived. The one she'd thought was his office.
Jenna looked around her in wonder. It was a nursery. A baby's room beautifully decorated in pale shades of yellow and green, pink and blue. The rocking horse positioned in one corner was painted to look just like the pinto ponies that galloped out in the paddock. A border of teddy bears and alphabet blocks and rattles had been stenciled on the walls at ceiling level. White furniture gave the place an airy feel. The room was clean and dust-free. Well kept. Morning sunlight streamed through the gauzy green curtains hanging at the window.
Glancing into the crib, Jenna saw that Lily snoozed peacefully, her tiny thumb stuck into her mouth.
"Gage?" A dozen questions popped into her head, but every single one of them sounded too intrusive, too personal to voice.
Then she remembered the teenage boy at the service station, the one who had been willing to talk about Gage, the one who had mentioned an accident and how it had changed him. She racked her brain trying to remember what else she'd been told.
In an instant, the
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