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“I thought you were married.” He almost told her how scared that had made him, but he thought that maybe they should get their friendship reestablished before he worked for more, as much as he wanted to.
“Please, give me a little more credit than that,” Ellen said, giving him a ghost of a smile, and the last of the pain faded from her face, which had been his goal.
“I’m sorry. I should have given you more credit, but you thought I would actually buy Shanna’s meal on purpose.”
“You did!” she said, but there was a smile on her face.
“I mean without being forced into it.”
“Well, let me get this stuff gathered up, and then we better go over and sit down with her. Although, I know she’d be happy if I went somewhere else.”
“But I wouldn’t be.” He pursed his lips, ready to tease her. “And plus, I bought you, so I get tonight and five days this week for eight hours. You’re at my beck and call.”
“Oh boy. I was wondering when you were going to figure that out.”
“Oh, trust me, I knew it when I paid the bill.” He winked at her, or tried to anyway with the swelling that seemed to be around his eye. “You’re an expensive girl, Ellen O’Reily.”
“Nobody made you buy me. I could be really cheap.”
“No. You’re worth every penny and more.” Then, to keep everything light, he said, “And I’m going to get every penny out of you this week. So be prepared to work hard.”
He squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back, and there seemed to be something that passed between them at that time. He wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but he hoped it was the start of something beautiful.
Chapter 10
Ellen felt an unfamiliar stirring in her stomach. She didn’t usually get nervous around Travis, but those were definitely butterflies in her stomach. Of course, she hadn’t been around Travis for five years, so she really didn’t know exactly how she felt around him normally.
She hoped this wasn’t the new way. She didn’t like it. But there was something new about Travis, well, a lot of new things. He had definitely matured, both in his personality and physically. Jan had said that his shoulders had broadened, and that wasn’t the least of it. He had a man’s face, and his eyes held knowledge and competence that matched his confident bearing.
He had been a teenager she admired and had turned into a man she could love.
She tried to shake that thought from her head. He hadn’t hinted at feeling anything more than friendship with her. He’d been so insistent on it when they parted before that she was kind of scared to cross that line. For now, maybe she’d just wait and hope he did. Wait and enjoy the relief she felt that he hadn’t bought Shanna’s lunch because he wanted to.
That was the best thing she heard all night.
It made it difficult to keep the smile off her face.
“Keep an eye on Atlas. I have to go to the bathroom and change this diaper.” Shanna spoke as she walked by, barely glancing at them as she strode toward the community center.
Obviously she was upset because Travis’s attention wasn’t completely on her. Ellen felt a little bad about that. She hadn’t meant to take Travis away. Travis was spending his time where he wanted to, and that probably upset Shanna just as much as anything.
Ellen couldn’t blame her; she would be disappointed if Travis was giving all of his attention to Shanna. But she hoped that she could be mature enough to step back and allow Travis to make the decision about who he wanted to be with without her getting angry and upset about it.
After all, getting angry and upset wasn’t going to change his mind. It might make him be a little nicer to her, just because he felt bad, but she wouldn’t want that either. Wouldn’t want him to be afraid of her anger and change what he was doing just because he was afraid of it.
“Travis?” A woman’s voice, unsure and a little shaky, made Ellen turn and look.
A brunette, a little younger than Ellen, holding a baby in her arms, stood off to the side, as though afraid to interrupt.
Ellen’s eyes shot to Travis. Did he know this woman?
There was no recognition in his eyes as he spoke. “Are you looking for me?”
“Are you Travis Feagley?”
His brows scrunched forward a bit as he nodded his head. “Yes?”
The woman swallowed hard, the movement making the tattooed flowers around her throat seem to shake their leaves. Then she moved a little closer, and Ellen peeked at the bundle in her arms, snuggled down so only its face was showing, the delicate lashes resting against soft cheeks and the face totally relaxed in sleep. She was no judge of babies, but she’d been around her brother and sister enough to know that this baby was...very young. Maybe not even six weeks old.
