He plucked down the bear and then froze, trying not to grin. “Wait. Did you hear that?” He gaped at the toy. “Did you say something?” Holding the bear to his ear, he said, “Mm-hm. Yeah. Oh, sure, they’ve got plenty. In vanilla and chocolate. ”
“Is there strawberry?” Ellie asked, wide-eyed.
“Oh sure, they’ve got all the flavors. ” He handed her the stuffie. “Mister Bear says he wants to take a trip for ice cream. ”
Finally, a smile dawned on her face. She opened her arms to the bear, but instead Rob just scooped her up. He wasn’t such a bad dad. Not such a bad one at all.
He settled her by the pool, with a big dish of strawberry ice cream with gummy bears on top—a special request from Mister Bear himself. He was in a grand mood. It’d been three-zero-zero on the dot when he’d pulled in. Granted, he’d been watching the clock like a hawk, but an omen was an omen.
Helen had said Ellie needed warm, wet air, and it didn’t get much warmer than out by the pool. The air was dry, sure, but surely the pool water added some humidity to the place. It was a pretty clever solution, actually.
“Daddy will be right back, angel girl. ” Just an hour was all he’d need. Maybe not even that long. Maybe even twenty minutes. He leaned down to lay a kiss on her head. “Mister Bear here is in charge till I get back. ”
He left his daughter, smiling poolside. His double zeroes were waiting.
Thirty
Eddie traced his finger down Laura’s naked back. Every inch of her was perfection, and she was in his bed, lying on her stomach, her blond hair a wild tangle. God, she was gorgeous—and what a sight when she finally let loose and let go.
She squirmed from his touch. “You’re tickling. ”
“I’ll do more than that. ” He swept aside her hair to lay kisses along her shoulders but felt the tension there at once. “What’s with all the knots?” Leaning on his elbow, he began to rub her back. “Sweetheart, you’re wound
so tight you’re gonna snap. ”
She shifted to get a better look at him. “Then maybe you should unwind me. ”
Her eyes were all crackle and fire, and in them he saw the passion he’d always admired, only now she wasn’t fighting him. Now she was loving him.
It would’ve felled him, if he hadn’t already been lying down.
“Unwind you, or wind you up? Which is it?” He eased onto her back, wanting her again. He doubted he’d ever stop wanting her. Just touching her like that, he’d begun to stiffen already. He smoothed his hands along her arms, spreading them over her head. Nuzzling at her neck, he said, “Shall we go for three?”
“You’re a machine. ”
“It’s the mountain air, darlin’. And you. ”
She arched her back, wriggling her hips, teasing him. “Me?”
“All you,” he said, suddenly serious. He rolled to the other side of her, turning her to face him. Strands of her hair had tangled in her lashes, and he carefully brushed them aside. “You’re amazing, Laura. ”
“A girl tries. ” She gave him a light smile, clearly not getting his exact meaning.
“Hey”—he chucked her chin—“I don’t just mean your looks. Which, by the way, are stellar. It’s who you are. You amaze me. ”
He wasn’t the biggest wordsmith, so he thought carefully about how to express it. It amazed him how alive he felt with her. Amazing how she’d gotten under his skin. She’d thought she was afraid to be vulnerable, but he’d never felt so exposed before, and it scared him. But it felt great, too. Intense. He was ready for it. For her. Ready to let it all hang out.
He took a deep breath. “I won’t make you say or feel anything you’re not ready to say or feel, but hear this. I think you are the greatest goddamn woman I have ever met. You’re so smart. So sharp. Look at you—you plucked yourself up by your bootstraps and got out of here. Paid your way through school. Then when your family needed you, you came back again. You’re tough when you have to be, but you know what you want. You protect your own—your town, your family. You love fiercely, Laura. I’ve seen it. That’s what’s amazing. ”
“Really?” she asked, a little abashed. “I didn’t know anyone noticed that stuff. ”
They lay belly-to-belly on the bed, and when she looked up at him, he saw this strong woman’s eyes cloud with emotion. For once, she was letting herself be vulnerable, and it was for him. A tidal wave of affection swept him. Swamped him.
He cupped her head, pulling her close to kiss her forehead. “I noticed. I noticed you from the get-go—all the way back on that first day in kindergarten. ”
She laughed, wiping the corner of her eye. “No, you didn’t. ”
“All right. Maybe it took me till first grade. But you get my gist. ” He rained kisses along her face. “Plus you’re beautiful. You’re so beautiful, like an angel. Like a painting. ” He had too much to say…he didn’t know what to express first.