Read Online Hidden Gifts (A Castle Mountain Lodge Romance) by Elena Aitken - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Elena Aitken
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still felt about his own child pulled at him. He couldn’t keep her. It was ludicrous to even think he could. But there was nowhere else for her to go. Except for the uncle. Maybe if Bo could reach him, and explain the situation, he might consider taking her in. Surely that was a better living situation for a little girl?
The thought twisted his gut, but Bo ignored it. He kicked at the ground. “Hey,” he said to Ella, “let’s hurry so we don’t get cold. Wanna race?”
Her eyes lit up with the challenge and she sprinted forward. Bo stifled a laugh. She was competitive, just like her mother used to be. He had a flash of memory: Tessa beating him at a game of pool. The same glint in her eyes then that he’d just seen in Ella. That was how they’d met. In a bar, where she’d hustled him and he’d taken her home. Hardly a romantic story, but it never was where he was concerned, and Tessa hadn’t been any different. Except she had, he thought. Tessa had been different because she had Ella.
A sharp cry interrupted Bo’s memory and brought the present, and Ella, sharply into focus.
Ella was lying on the dirt path, clutching her knee to her chest. Bo sprinted to her and dropped to the dirt. “Where does it hurt? Are you okay?”
Ella didn’t answer, but pointed to the hole in her pants, and the stain of blood that was starting to seep through her jeans.
His stomach flipped at the sight and his head pounded. He’d seen lots of injuries—heck, he was trained in field first aid. Bo’s hand fluttered over her little body, not landing in any one place. He couldn’t remember his training. What if it were broken? Maybe he shouldn’t move her. Was it a cut? “Come on,” Bo finally said. He scooped her up and stood. Feeling her shiver in his arms, he pulled her closer and headed for the Lodge.
~ ~
Bo burst through the doors of the Cub’s Club and rushed through the room to the pile of pillows at the base of the climbing tree. He placed Ella carefully on a large pillow and propped up her head with another one.
“Morgan,” he called. His eyes searched the room, frantic. “I need your help.” Bo turned his attention back to his daughter, who was no longer crying, but staring at him with wide eyes instead. She sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “Does it still hurt?” he asked her.
Ella nodded.
“Morgan!” Where was that woman? Ella was bleeding and she was nowhere to be found. What kind of child-care center were they running? He glanced around the room again and caught sight of Morgan as she appeared from the office. “Where have you been?” he barked at her.
When she saw Ella lying on the pillow, Morgan dashed towards them. Bo didn’t miss the glare she shot him as she sank to her knees next to the little girl.
“What happened, sweetie?” she spoke softly to Ella and dabbed at the new tears that had reappeared on Ella’s cheek with a tissue that she miraculously produced. She didn’t wait for an answer, but continued to talk in a soothing voice. “It looks like you have a little owie. Did you scrape your knee?” Ella nodded. “Well, it doesn’t look terrible,” Morgan continued, “but why don’t we take a look.”
“I don’t know,” Bo interrupted. “Maybe we should get a doctor. Or someone qualified in first aid.”
“Aren’t you qualified in first aid?” she shot at him and it looked a little as if she were smiling at him. “Bo,” she spoke slowly. “You need to calm down. It’s just a scrape.”
Was she serious? For a moment, he wanted to yell at her, to demand they call a doctor. But he took a deep breath and looked back at Ella and her bloody knee. No, of course it wasn’t really serious.
“Are you okay?” Morgan asked him.
Bo nodded but his stomach churned and he felt as if he might throw up. The room spun and he reached out to grab something, anything that would stabilize him. He grabbed Morgan’s shoulder.
The thought twisted his gut, but Bo ignored it. He kicked at the ground. “Hey,” he said to Ella, “let’s hurry so we don’t get cold. Wanna race?”
Her eyes lit up with the challenge and she sprinted forward. Bo stifled a laugh. She was competitive, just like her mother used to be. He had a flash of memory: Tessa beating him at a game of pool. The same glint in her eyes then that he’d just seen in Ella. That was how they’d met. In a bar, where she’d hustled him and he’d taken her home. Hardly a romantic story, but it never was where he was concerned, and Tessa hadn’t been any different. Except she had, he thought. Tessa had been different because she had Ella.
A sharp cry interrupted Bo’s memory and brought the present, and Ella, sharply into focus.
Ella was lying on the dirt path, clutching her knee to her chest. Bo sprinted to her and dropped to the dirt. “Where does it hurt? Are you okay?”
Ella didn’t answer, but pointed to the hole in her pants, and the stain of blood that was starting to seep through her jeans.
His stomach flipped at the sight and his head pounded. He’d seen lots of injuries—heck, he was trained in field first aid. Bo’s hand fluttered over her little body, not landing in any one place. He couldn’t remember his training. What if it were broken? Maybe he shouldn’t move her. Was it a cut? “Come on,” Bo finally said. He scooped her up and stood. Feeling her shiver in his arms, he pulled her closer and headed for the Lodge.
~ ~
Bo burst through the doors of the Cub’s Club and rushed through the room to the pile of pillows at the base of the climbing tree. He placed Ella carefully on a large pillow and propped up her head with another one.
“Morgan,” he called. His eyes searched the room, frantic. “I need your help.” Bo turned his attention back to his daughter, who was no longer crying, but staring at him with wide eyes instead. She sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “Does it still hurt?” he asked her.
Ella nodded.
“Morgan!” Where was that woman? Ella was bleeding and she was nowhere to be found. What kind of child-care center were they running? He glanced around the room again and caught sight of Morgan as she appeared from the office. “Where have you been?” he barked at her.
When she saw Ella lying on the pillow, Morgan dashed towards them. Bo didn’t miss the glare she shot him as she sank to her knees next to the little girl.
“What happened, sweetie?” she spoke softly to Ella and dabbed at the new tears that had reappeared on Ella’s cheek with a tissue that she miraculously produced. She didn’t wait for an answer, but continued to talk in a soothing voice. “It looks like you have a little owie. Did you scrape your knee?” Ella nodded. “Well, it doesn’t look terrible,” Morgan continued, “but why don’t we take a look.”
“I don’t know,” Bo interrupted. “Maybe we should get a doctor. Or someone qualified in first aid.”
“Aren’t you qualified in first aid?” she shot at him and it looked a little as if she were smiling at him. “Bo,” she spoke slowly. “You need to calm down. It’s just a scrape.”
Was she serious? For a moment, he wanted to yell at her, to demand they call a doctor. But he took a deep breath and looked back at Ella and her bloody knee. No, of course it wasn’t really serious.
“Are you okay?” Morgan asked him.
Bo nodded but his stomach churned and he felt as if he might throw up. The room spun and he reached out to grab something, anything that would stabilize him. He grabbed Morgan’s shoulder.
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