Nate gave him the middle finger.
Yeah. It was going to be a great day.
* * * *
Ella sat at the high counter in the breakfast nook, her gaze sweeping over the house. “I love your place,” she said, taking in the gorgeously designed pieces that made the rooms pop. From the canary yellow rug to the massive red vase filled with exotic dried blooms, her senses were filled with delight. Lush green plants scattered about, the furniture was comfortable, yet elegant, in rich fabrics of velvet, leather, and linen.
The kitchen gave off a cozy, but airy feel with bright white cabinets and polished gleaming tile, paired with a natural wood table and sturdy chairs with Monet-type cushions. “Did you used to study art?” she asked.
Kennedy laughed and leaned against the counter. “Lord, no. But I’m obsessed with beauty in all forms. I love when things come together to please individuals in a visual and spiritual sense.” She wrinkled her nose. “Wow, that sounded pompous.”
“No, I know exactly what you mean! You were the one who put the photographs up in Connor’s place, weren’t you?”
“Guilty as charged. Connor is wonderful but decor is not one of his strong suits. Like most men, I’d have to say.”
“Agreed.”
“Now, let me ask you a question and you promise to give me an honest answer.”
Ella swallowed. Her heart pounded furiously, and she prayed Kennedy didn’t want to ask about her and Connor. About their relationship. She wanted to relax this afternoon and indulge in some girl chatter she’d been sorely lacking. She wanted fun and laughs and gossip, but not about her. “Of course.” She held her breath.
“Do you really want coffee or can I just open up this bottle of wine? It’s five o’clock somewhere.”
Her shoulders slumped in relief. “Yes. No, I can do better than that. Hell, yes!”
Kennedy grinned and grabbed a corkscrew. “I knew I really liked you from the beginning. Are you excited for next week? It’s makeover time.”
She tapped her unpolished nail against the swirling gold granite. “I think. I’m nervous, though. I’ve always been a huge believer in appearances not being important.”
“You sound exactly like Nate. I understand, but I don’t agree. It’s not about making you into someone you’re not. It’s about becoming a better you. Someone you like and can be comfortable with. I believe it’s important to make a strong first impression and give yourself an opportunity to dive deeper. Make sense?”
Ella sighed. “I guess. Arilyn’s counseling session was helpful, but I still have reservations about Luke adjusting to my dating. He’s been so happy lately. I don’t want to wreck anything.”
Kennedy poured the Chardonnay into two glasses and slid one over to her. “I understand completely. But Luke also needs to see you taking care of yourself and being happy. You shouldn’t have to deny that part of yourself in order to be a good mom. It’s been two years, Ella. You’re ready. We already found a fabulous match and Arilyn is working on getting a date set up.”
She sipped her wine and tried hard not to think about Connor. “You’re right. I’m definitely ready, and I’m excited to explore this new chapter.”
Kennedy slid on a stool across from her and lifted her glass. “I know it’s scary, but I promise you, it will be worth it. Sometimes we have to be brave enough to open up to someone new. Break out of our routine. Now, tell me about Connor.”
She avoided her gaze. “What about him?”
Kennedy leaned in. “How bad are you torturing him in class?”
Ella smiled slowly. “Really bad. Gave him an extra credit project. A little Woolf. A dash of Brontë. And a dose of Austen. Hopefully it will teach him a bit of how far women have come and how we don’t deserve to be called ‘darlin’ or ‘pretty little thing.’”
Her new friend laughed with delight. “Finally! Do you know how hard it was to break Nate of his habit of saying the most awful things to women? I had to electrocute him with a buzzer to re-form his habits.”
“You didn’t.”
Kennedy sighed. “Yeah. I did. At least it all worked out.” She took another sip of wine. “See, the thing about Connor is besides being gorgeous and a bit clueless, he’s got a great big heart that’s just waiting for someone to keep it safe. He protected Nate when their household fell apart. He took care of him, put him through college, and never thought twice about himself. A man like that is special, even if you have to dig a bit deeper to unearth it. That’s a man who you can count on for the long haul. Once he commits, he’s all in.”
Fascinated, she thought over the past weeks. The way he treated her son with a loving care that rocked her soul. His insistence on taking her car for an oil change, or fixing the backed up sink instead of calling the plumber. She remembered the roses on Valentine’s Day, and the hours he spent with them on a Saturday night playing board games. “Why does he continue to date women who mean nothing to him?” she finally asked.
“I think we all get hurt and hide in certain ways. His way was removing any depth from his relationships. Then he’ll always be safe.”
Ella stared thoughtfully into the golden liquid, swirling it around the edge of the glass. The words shot straight and true across the counter and fired a direct hit. Kennedy was right. It was almost as if he was comfortable slipping into a role he rarely questioned. He smiled, flirted, and kept things light. He seemed to do the same thing on all his dates. Did he not know anymore how to allow himself to really feel? More importantly, did he even want to try?
“You’re good at therapy, too. How do you see so much?”
“I spent years in therapy myself. I had issues galore. Still do. I learned one thing watching endless relationships begin, fail, break, and triumph.” Kennedy lifted her glass in a mock salute. “You just have to find the right crazy for you.”
Ella laughed and raised her own glass. “To the crazy.”
They clicked glasses. And drank.
* * * *
A few hours and a bottle of wine later, Nate trudged inside, pressing a kiss to the top of Kennedy’s head. Her hand automatically entwined with her lover in a rehearsed dance that had seeped into memory. A pang of envy hit Ella as she watched them, but it was a beautiful pang because it reminded her that type of love was out there.
“How’s it going, ladies?” He raised a brow at the empty bottle of wine. “Good, I see.”
“Very good,” Kennedy affirmed. “You guys need a break? I’ve got some brownies for Luke.”
“Did you bake them?” Nate asked.
Kennedy gave an affronted humph. “Of course not! I bought them at the bakery.”
“Thank God. Then he’ll love them.”
Ella laughed. “There hasn’t been a brownie Luke hasn’t liked. I’m surprised they’re still at it.”
Nate faced her. He was a handsome man, with a sexy goatee emphasizing his sharp features, and gorgeous brown eyes with swirls of green. He was shorter and leaner than Connor, but the resemblance was immediate in the thrust of the nose, arched brow, and brightness of their eyes. “Luke is a wonderful kid, Ella. You should be really proud. Not only is he respectful, but he’s a hard worker. Seems to have Connor’s talent for woodworking.”
“Thank you. Connor’s great with Luke. They seem to have bonded.”
Nate nodded, his gaze a bit foggy, like an absent-minded professor. “And with you,” he said. “I’ve never seen my brother so happy.”
She jerked in her seat. Trying to cover up her emotion, she jumped up. “Umm, I’m going to go check on them. Be right back.”
“Take the side door,” Kennedy said.
“Thanks.” Ella headed down the hallway and out to the back deck, making her way down toward the newly framed shed. Her boots made no noise on the steps, and she heard the mingling of voices as she drew nearer. She was about to raise her voice and yell their names when she stopped cold, ears straining to hear more.
“Dad doesn’t really care about me,” h
er son was saying. Ella pressed her hand against her mouth, wishing she could teleport and kill her ex-husband for hurting Luke. “He’s got this new woman now, and a new kid on the way. He doesn’t need me anymore.” His tone reflected an acceptance and bitterness a ten-year-old shouldn’t have to know.
“That sucks, Luke. There’s really nothing I can say to make it better either. I learned that myself when my own mother left me.”
“What? Your mom left?” Luke asked in disbelief.
She heard the clanking of tools and then a deep sigh. “Yeah, it was pretty bad. I was only fourteen. She packed up her suitcases, and when I got home, she was gone. Never came back. Never called. It was like she decided she didn’t want that type of life anymore so she left it behind. Along with me and Nate.”
She blinked away the sting of tears and concentrated.
“What did you do? How—how did you get over it?”
“I didn’t. But I needed to take care of my brother, and when my father began drinking and checked out, we were alone. Life went on. Even though I was sad and I missed my parents, I had Nate. I had friends. I had hope for a great big life I wasn’t going to let anyone take from me. Does that make sense?”
Silence. Then a small voice. “Yeah. It does.”
“Your dad may come back and ask for forgiveness later. He may not. But you have your mom, and with her on your side, you have more than a lot of kids today. Now, that’s not going to make every day better, and you’re still going to do stupid stuff like listening to the wrong boys or making huge mistakes. That’s okay. You’re a kid, you’re supposed to screw up. The good news is your mom will be there to catch you every time. Just give her a break once in a while, okay? She likes that touchy feely stuff like hugs and it makes her happy.”
Luke chuckled. She heard the shift of weight and another rattle behind the freshly formed shed wall. “Okay. I guess I can handle that.”
“Cool. You did an awesome job, kid. Let’s head back inside and see if we can wrestle up some sugar.”
Ella backed slowly away, retreating into the shadows as they began to clean up.
Her hands shook, and her heart seemed to expand in her chest, breaking out of its limits and bursting in a frenzy of light prisms. She had done a terrible, awful, ridiculous thing.
She had fallen in love with Connor Dunkle.
Chapter Eleven
“I am not an angel,' I asserted; 'and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself. Mr. Rochester, you must neither expect nor exact anything celestial of me - for you will not get it, any more than I shall get it of you: which I do not at all anticipate.”—Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
Connor checked his watch and hurriedly snapped the book closed. Damn, he’d lost track of time. Shoving the book under a pile of papers, he told himself it was completely acceptable to think Jane Eyre did not suck. To his horror, he found it kind of hot. At least Brontë didn’t ramble on nonstop about being stuck in a room as a metaphor for her life.
He’d never be a Woolf fan, no matter how hard Ella tried. But over the weeks working on the paper, and being forced to research the lives of the three authors she’d picked, he began to understand the limits placed on creative females. A man could break the rules and be called heroic. A woman was locked up in a mental institution or told to shut up.
Heavy stuff.
He quickly brushed his teeth, changed his shirt, and headed next door. Ella had her first big date set up by Kinnections and he was on his first official babysitting night. He figured they’d order a pizza and play some video games. Or maybe he’d let Luke rent the new Marvel movie out on Pay-Per-View. He loved a good kick-butt superhero movie.
He hadn’t seen Ella since her makeover. Besides extra work shifts, he’d finally scored a meeting with management for an interview. With his solid reputation on the construction site and degree almost in hand, he’d exhibited confidence and felt good about his performance. All his hard work and preparation was finally paying off. He wondered if this was how Nate felt when he was hired at NASA. It was a heady feeling.
Connor didn’t bother to knock. He let himself in and found Luke already playing his Wii. “Hey, dude. You up for pizza tonight?”
“Yeah! You up for me demolishing you in Super Smash Brothers tonight?”
He laughed. “You can certainly try. But I’ve been practicing. Where’s your mom?”
“Upstairs getting ready. She even smells different. Perfume, I guess.”
Unease trickled through him but he shrugged it off. He’d talked to Luke about his feelings seeing Ella dating, but the kid seemed solid. He hoped Kennedy had taken away the orange lipstick. It was easy for Connor to see past the surface and appreciate how amazing Ella was, but guys were still stuck on physical appearance. He hoped this guy treated her nicely and made her feel good about herself. She deserved it.
He headed to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of lemonade and turned around.
Then almost dropped the glass.
“How do I look?”
He stared. Speechless, his voice died in his throat and he could only look at the woman before him that was no longer Ella.
She was stunning.
Her hair had been cut and was finally out of the constricted bun. Glossy black waves tumbled over her shoulders and half covered one eye in a flirty manner. Where were her glasses? Instead, wide, dark eyes peered at him with a wariness he’d never seen before, almost as if she was vulnerable, waiting for his opinion. Without the thick frames, her eyes gleamed with gold, giving off an intensity that made shock waves tingle through him. Her face glowed in the low light, and her lips were full and lush, painted a deep, sexy red that contrasted dramatically with her dark hair and eyes.
But her body. Dear God. Her body...
A clingy red tank dipped low in the front and emphasized the full curves of her breasts. A trendy black jacket skimmed the lean lines of her body. Her skirt halted just short of her knee, showing off a tantalizing strip of bare skin before the leather of thigh high black boots began. His gaze dropped to her feet. The boots held a wicked heel that made him imagine all sorts of naughty things. A musky, earthy scent danced in the air and surrounded her, urging him to move closer and bury his nose against her skin.
Blistering heat surged through him. He was hard in seconds, aching to cross the room and touch her. This was not his Ella. This was some other woman bent on seduction and naughty games. What had Kennedy done to her?
She tugged at the jacket and clasped her arms nervously across her chest. The red tank slipped a bit lower, giving him a teasing glimpse of olive skin. “You don’t like it. Oh, my God. Do I look like a slut? Kennedy told me to go in bold so I thought I’d take a chance. She helped me pick this out.”
He tried to speak but he still hadn’t found his voice. She waited, but when he was unable to utter a response, she gave a deep sigh and shook her head.
“Forget it. Just like a man to give no feedback. I’m not going to change. I spent a lot of money on this stupid outfit, and I can handle this. Listen, thanks for watching Luke tonight. I better go. I’m running late.”
Finally, words emerged from his throat. His head spun like he’d gotten clobbered and little birdies were circling him. “You look, you look—great. Umm, maybe you’d be more comfortable in flats, though?”
She waved a manicured hand in the air. He caught the flash of scarlet red nails. “I practiced, I can handle it. Luke, sweetie, I love you. Listen to Connor and don’t go to bed too late, okay?”
“Mom! You look beautiful!”
Her face lit up with pleasure. Why hadn’t Connor told her that? Why was he acting so frikkin weird?
“Thanks, honey. That means a lot to me. Text me if there’s any problem. See you later.”
Her heels clicked on the floor and he followed. “Wait a minute. You’re meeting him somewhere? Why isn’t he picking you up? Don’t you think that’s kind of rude?”
Her red lips curved in a grin that was sexy as
hell. “Come on, Dunkle, you’ve never picked up any of your dates, have you?”
He blanched. “That’s different!”
“No, it’s not. I feel safer meeting him at the restaurant, anyway.”
She opened the door but he kept talking. “Be careful. He’ll probably invite you up for a drink, but that’s code for him trying to make a move.”
She gave him a naughty wink. “Oh, goody. Maybe I’ll be later than I thought.”
“Ella!”
“Kidding, just kidding. Geez, calm down, Dad. I have done this before, you know.”
“If you feel uncomfortable, call me. I’ll come pick you up.”
“I have my car, remember? Have you been working too hard? You’re losing it.”
His palms began to sweat. He fought the overwhelming urge to beg her not to go and stay home with him. They’d do their usual and hang out in sweats and play games and argue over Woolf. What if this guy tried to touch her? Was he kidding himself? What guy alive on the face of the earth would not want to touch her looking like this?
“Ella—wait—I—”
“Sorry, I gotta go. Have fun and thanks for this!”
She banged the door closed and left.
He stared through the window and watched her get into her car. The fabric of her skirt slid up even more, revealing a delicious path of skin that led all the way up to heaven. He should’ve told her to change. No, he couldn’t do that. She needed to boost her confidence. But holy shit, that outfit should be illegal.
“Connor! Come on, let’s play!”
Shaking off the fog, he sat next to Luke and grabbed a controller. He had no idea what he was doing, and at this point, he wasn’t going to relax until she came back through that door.
This was going to be a long night.
* * * *
Ella sighed and counted down the minutes till she kicked off her shoes.
Being sexy was a lot of work. She’d been out of practice for a while, so maybe her body needed more time to adjust. Her toes were pinched by the high heels, and the leather snugly clasping her leg was making her itch. Her hair kept sliding into her face until she wished she had a few bobby pins to jam it up and forget it. The contacts she’d put in caused her eyes to dry, and she couldn’t wait to pop them out and put on her glasses. And as usual, her lipstick had slid off within the hour, along with the rest of her makeup.
1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Nine Page 27
