her as his own.
“REMEMBER THAT DAY?” Dex leaned against his bedroom doorframe.
Ellie started and put the photograph she was holding back on his dresser. “Dex, I’m so sorry. I was looking for a bathroom, and I…”
He smiled and picked up the picture. “It’s my favorite. Do you remember taking it?”
She nodded, and he wondered if she felt the same longing for that time as he felt when he looked at it. The picture had been taken two weeks before she’d been sent away. Siena had just gotten a camera and was always taking pictures. Ellie hated getting her picture taken. She’d had on a halter top. Dex remembered thinking how pretty she was and that she never wore shirts like that. She’d turned away, and he’d wrapped her in his arms. Her back was warm and soft, and Dex had wanted to hold her forever. He’d told Siena to stop, but Siena had taken the first shot—the picture in the frame—and she’d caught the happiness on his lips, the look of love in his eyes. She’d caught his heart on film, and though the next five pictures showed a very different and protective Dex because Siena hadn’t listened when he told her to stop taking pictures, he’d kept this one for himself.
Ellie nodded. “Siena was always up for mischief.”
“She still is. I’m having lunch with her tomorrow. Want to come?” Please say yes. Having Ellie with him last night brought back so many memories and forced the ache of missing her to the forefront. He knew he shouldn’t get close, but resisting Ellie was not in his bailiwick of skills.
“I can’t. I need to find a job and I need to find a place to live. Oh, and call the bank to cancel my credit card.” Ellie ran her hand through her hair, and her fingers tangled in its thickness.
He set the picture down. “What about reporting it to the police?”
“That sounds like a headache. There was nothing but a little cash and one bank card in my purse. I’d better shower.” She started to walk past him, and he stopped her.
“Ellie, use my bathroom. The only other full bath is in the room where Regina is sleeping. How are you getting to your interview?”
She shrugged. “Walk, I guess. I’ll figure it out.” She opened her suitcase and began to unpack her clothes for the interview.
“I’ll give you money for a cab.”
She spun around. “No. I don’t need—”
“No shit. You don’t need money for a cab. You’ll walk twenty blocks or however long it is to the school. I know you can and will, Ellie. But until you get the bank thing worked out, just take the cab money. You can make breakfast to pay me back.” He smiled, knowing she was going to fight with him about the money and almost relishing in it. She was too tough for her own good—and so damned cute when she got ornery.
“I suck at cooking.”
“Then you’re in luck, because I don’t.”
She shivered. “It’s chilly in here.”
He crossed the floor and closed the window. “Old habits.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“I sleep with it cracked every night. Always have. Well, ever since…” Ever since you showed up at my bedroom window that first time. He realized his mistake as soon as he’d said the words. He’d just given her another reason to run. Don’t get close to Ellie Parker or she’ll take off. That could have been written under her photo in her high school yearbook. The week his mother invited her to dinner, Ellie didn’t walk home with him once. It had taken her almost two full weeks to find her way back to him again. But like a fish to water, she’d come back, and then she’d eased into his family’s hearts the same way she’d snuck into his.
She shifted her gaze from the window to her toiletry bag, clearly ignoring his comment. Damn it. He had enough going on in his life that he didn’t need the roller coaster ride that was Ellie Parker. But he’d be damned if every part of his body didn’t crave her now that she was close.
“I’ll be really quick in the shower,
“REMEMBER THAT DAY?” Dex leaned against his bedroom doorframe.
Ellie started and put the photograph she was holding back on his dresser. “Dex, I’m so sorry. I was looking for a bathroom, and I…”
He smiled and picked up the picture. “It’s my favorite. Do you remember taking it?”
She nodded, and he wondered if she felt the same longing for that time as he felt when he looked at it. The picture had been taken two weeks before she’d been sent away. Siena had just gotten a camera and was always taking pictures. Ellie hated getting her picture taken. She’d had on a halter top. Dex remembered thinking how pretty she was and that she never wore shirts like that. She’d turned away, and he’d wrapped her in his arms. Her back was warm and soft, and Dex had wanted to hold her forever. He’d told Siena to stop, but Siena had taken the first shot—the picture in the frame—and she’d caught the happiness on his lips, the look of love in his eyes. She’d caught his heart on film, and though the next five pictures showed a very different and protective Dex because Siena hadn’t listened when he told her to stop taking pictures, he’d kept this one for himself.
Ellie nodded. “Siena was always up for mischief.”
“She still is. I’m having lunch with her tomorrow. Want to come?” Please say yes. Having Ellie with him last night brought back so many memories and forced the ache of missing her to the forefront. He knew he shouldn’t get close, but resisting Ellie was not in his bailiwick of skills.
“I can’t. I need to find a job and I need to find a place to live. Oh, and call the bank to cancel my credit card.” Ellie ran her hand through her hair, and her fingers tangled in its thickness.
He set the picture down. “What about reporting it to the police?”
“That sounds like a headache. There was nothing but a little cash and one bank card in my purse. I’d better shower.” She started to walk past him, and he stopped her.
“Ellie, use my bathroom. The only other full bath is in the room where Regina is sleeping. How are you getting to your interview?”
She shrugged. “Walk, I guess. I’ll figure it out.” She opened her suitcase and began to unpack her clothes for the interview.
“I’ll give you money for a cab.”
She spun around. “No. I don’t need—”
“No shit. You don’t need money for a cab. You’ll walk twenty blocks or however long it is to the school. I know you can and will, Ellie. But until you get the bank thing worked out, just take the cab money. You can make breakfast to pay me back.” He smiled, knowing she was going to fight with him about the money and almost relishing in it. She was too tough for her own good—and so damned cute when she got ornery.
“I suck at cooking.”
“Then you’re in luck, because I don’t.”
She shivered. “It’s chilly in here.”
He crossed the floor and closed the window. “Old habits.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“I sleep with it cracked every night. Always have. Well, ever since…” Ever since you showed up at my bedroom window that first time. He realized his mistake as soon as he’d said the words. He’d just given her another reason to run. Don’t get close to Ellie Parker or she’ll take off. That could have been written under her photo in her high school yearbook. The week his mother invited her to dinner, Ellie didn’t walk home with him once. It had taken her almost two full weeks to find her way back to him again. But like a fish to water, she’d come back, and then she’d eased into his family’s hearts the same way she’d snuck into his.
She shifted her gaze from the window to her toiletry bag, clearly ignoring his comment. Damn it. He had enough going on in his life that he didn’t need the roller coaster ride that was Ellie Parker. But he’d be damned if every part of his body didn’t crave her now that she was close.
“I’ll be really quick in the shower,
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