The Sheriff's Mail-Order Bride (The Watson Brothers #2)(22)

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you by taking him. It just seemed like the thing to do considering you were so tired.” Callie poured her a coffee and placed it on the table.

“No, I should be apologizing to you guys. All you’re doing is trying to be nice and I flipped out.” Fisher stood up on his feet and bounced on Gina’s knee.

“You have every right. If you see him missing again, you can guarantee it’ll be one of us that has him. Nobody comes up here anyway so don’t go worrying about strangers. Besides, Sherbet would have them before they could get into the house.” She glanced at the dog sitting and watching every bite Chance took of his toast, a hopeful look in her eyes.

“I know and I’m sorry I panicked. I’m just not used to having anyone help out. Now, what can I do? I did promise you French toast for breakfast.”

“Nah, it’s all good. Save that for tomorrow. We have to get to work or we’ll never get done today.” Callie dropped a kiss on Fisher’s head before walking over to the back door and taking her hat from a hook, plonking it firmly on her head. “Come down to the barn later if you want a look around. In the meantime, make yourself at home and do whatever you feel like.”

“Ditto.” Chance dropped his cup in the sink and threw the last charred crust to Sherbet before he joined his wife. Together they walked out with the dog hurrying in front of them, her bushy tail wagging in excitement.

“Well, I’d better get to work too.” Rory pulled out his wallet and took out a credit card which he placed on the counter. “I want you to have this and before you start protesting, please don’t. I pay the food bills here, it’s my contribution.” He rattled off his pin number. “For now, your part in this house is going to be the cooking if you can deal with it. You know Callie hates it and since I don’t always get home early, it doesn’t make sense to rely on me for a decent feed.” He smiled and walked over to stand in front of her. “If you need anything at all, for the house or for yourselves, use the card to buy it. And it might pay to fill up your car with gas too, next time you go into town.”

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you for trusting me enough to come all this way with your baby on the chance that this could work between us.” He leaned down and kissed her on the lips. A soft kiss that barely touched her skin but sent all kinds of signals to his body. “We’ll talk about the renovations to the cottage tonight if we have time. You two have a good day now.” Rory brushed his finger across Fisher’s cheek before walking out and shutting the door behind him.

*

She sat stunned at the table while her baby gurgled on her lap. What had just happened? Rory had given her his credit card and told her to buy whatever she or Fisher wanted. That didn’t sound a bit like the man who’d met her at the run-down cottage yesterday. What had she said or done to change his mind? Perhaps they had made a good impression after all. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks.

Fisher wriggled and Gina held him up. “Baby boy, this diaper is way too wet for my liking. Let’s get you dressed before I give you breakfast.” She slipped him onto her hip and hurried upstairs to change him into clean clothes. When Gina finished dressing her baby, she brushed her teeth and made the bed, letting Fisher play on the floor exploring their room.

Ready to go down to the kitchen and start cleaning, she picked him up and they headed back toward the stairs. When she passed Rory’s bedroom she paused, her inquisitive nature getting the better of her. Opening the door, Gina glanced in. The room was the same as hers without the clutter she already had spread around. The woodsy fresh smell she already associated with him scented the room and she imagined their bodies entangled in the sheets together. How long had it been since she’d been with a man? Far too long and to have one as charming and handsome as Rory within reach was all too tempting. She closed the door, guilt chasing her tail all the way down to the kitchen.

Gina found oatmeal in the pantry and decided that was a good start for the both of them. She let Fisher play on the kitchen floor with a small pot and a wooden spoon while she cooked their breakfast. Together they ate at the table, the baby on her lap which made for a messy meal. Gina was used to it. She was becoming a master at avoiding small busy hands that reached for her spoon every time she tried to get something in her own mouth.

After a quick clean up, she decided that if she did a load of washing today, prepped dinner, and gave the house a general clean up, she could work on Rory’s house tomorrow. While on a roll of doing the right thing and doing her best to make an impression, it seemed the most logical step to her. She hurried back upstairs to grab their dirty clothes bag. Fisher hadn’t moved from his position under the kitchen table and Gina headed to the back of the house and loaded up the washer. When she returned to the kitchen she had a quick glance in the freezer, and pulled out big bag of steak for a casserole. She left it in the sink to thaw out.

“Hey, baby, feel like a walk outside? Let’s go and see the animals.” She scooped him up and walked outside. She paused on the porch for a moment, taking stock of the ranch and its tremendous views. The nip in the air touched her bare cheeks; the sky, crisp and clear, held her hostage while she took it all in. It was so good to be out in the country and not in the city anymore. She could see the snow caps on the mountains and smiled. This would be a first real winter for her too. Making snowmen with her baby was going to be so much fun—that’s if she was here long enough to do so.