But his dander was up now. “No, it wasn’t. You said you wanted to sleep late. So, you slept late. I did what you asked me to do.” How many times did he have to say it?
“One morning! I asked for one morning!” she exclaimed in return.
“So, you’re getting better value for your money.” He leaned closer and touched Mandy’s cheek. “Mandy and I are a good team, aren’t we, baby?”
“Well, that’s certainly a change of attitude from last night,” Melissa grumbled. “You didn’t know which end was up then.”
“He spent the night with you?” Mrs. Tuttle asked, shock on her face.
Melissa sent him a look that said, This is all your fault.
He couldn’t hold back a grin. It wasn’t often, he’d guess, that Melissa was accused of being a scarlet lady. And all because she wanted to sleep late. Alone.
“Uh, yes, he— It’s not what you think,” Melissa assured her neighbor. “He’s going to do some modeling—”
“He’s a model?” the lady asked, running her gaze over his body.
Russ hadn’t been so thoroughly checked out in a long time. He smiled at Mrs. Tuttle, but he felt his cheeks heating up.
“No!” Melissa protested. “He’s not—this is ridiculous.”
If it had been left up to Russ, he might have suggested that her neighbor mind her own business and ignored the questions. But Melissa had to live in the neighborhood. She wouldn’t want her neighbors thinking she was a—he grinned at the thought—loose woman.
“Look, why don’t we go inside,” he suggested. “I’m dying for a cup of coffee. Maybe Mrs. Tuttle could join us and we could clear up all the confusion.”
Melissa’s look of gratitude was a big improvement over the accusing glares she’d been sending him. She turned to Mrs. Tuttle. “Come on in, won’t you? This is all a little bizarre, but perfectly innocent. Russ was trying to help, even if he did go about it the wrong way.”
“Hey!” he protested again, but both ladies were already on their way to the front door, completely ignoring him. With a shrug of his shoulders, he hurried after them.
Once they were inside, Mrs. Tuttle reached out for Mandy. “I’ll change the little dear and give her her breakfast while you put on coffee,” she said to Melissa.
Russ cleared his throat. “Look, I didn’t mean to alarm you. I really thought I was doing something that would make you happy.”
“I know,” Melissa confessed with a sigh. “You’re the last person anyone would suspect of kidnapping a baby. You don’t even like them.”
Twenty-four hours earlier, Russ would have been in complete agreement with that statement. It surprised him at the protest that rose up in him today. But he didn’t say anything.
“I panicked,” Melissa explained. “Mandy and I—we do everything together. I didn’t know what had happened.” She sighed. “I suppose I should confess that I’m not at the top of my game when I first wake up.”
The thought of Melissa, all rumpled and warm, in the middle of a big bed was so enticing it took him a minute to respond. “Uh, yeah. You said you weren’t a morning person.”
Those big brown eyes of hers blinked several times, and he caught himself leaning closer, his gaze dropping to her lips, her rosy, kissable lips.
“Um, I’ll go put on a pot of coffee. Would you like some breakfast, too?”
Breakfast? His head was spinning with thoughts of tasting her, not food. And his body was rapidly responding in ways he couldn’t control...or hide, since he was wearing those thin jogging shorts. “Uh, yeah, great. I’ll go catch a shower,” he added, backing away. A cold shower.
* * *
MELISSA HEADED for the kitchen, taking a deep breath. What had just happened? She didn’t want to put a name to it, but if she did, it would be sexual attraction.
Why? She’d been around attractive men before. Maybe no one quite as handsome as Russ, but in the end, looks didn’t matter all that much. So why was this man so dangerous to her peace of mind?
His smile certainly rated him at the top of her list of sexy men. It enticed her to smile back, to share his amusement. To enjoy life.
His caring for Mandy was another point in his favor. A big point. Even though he’d arrived knowing nothing about babies, he hadn’t hesitated to bond with her baby daughter. So much so that Mandy had been perfectly happy with him this morning.
But her body wasn’t responding to his solicitousness over Mandy. Her body was revving up its engine every time he drew near. So much so that she feared losing control. That hadn’t happened in a long time.
Mrs. Tuttle came out of Mandy’s room. “This little lady is ready for breakfast. Shall I make her cereal?”
Melissa managed a smile. “Of course.”
Before she could turn away, she saw Mrs. Tuttle look around her as if searching for something. Then she asked, “Where is that man?”
Melissa shrugged her shoulders. The answer wasn’t going to reassure her neighbor. “He’s taking a shower. He’ll join us in a few minutes.”
The routine of preparing breakfast soothed Melissa’s jangled nerves. Normally she grabbed a bowl of cereal or a piece of toast to start the day, but she couldn’t offer that to Russ.
When the coffee had perked, she poured Mrs. Tuttle a cup, then one for both herself and Russ and carried them to the table, along with some bakery cinnamon rolls she’d warmed in the oven. “Help yourself, Mrs. Tuttle. I’ll wait and scramble the eggs when Russ gets out of the shower.” She scooped Mandy up from her high chair, then sat down to give the baby her bottle.
“Such a sweet child,” Mrs. Tuttle said before she took a bite of cinnamon roll.
“Yes,” Melissa agreed, grateful for the small talk. She wasn’t anxious to start the explanations. What had seemed to her a simple arrangement had suddenly become complicated. And she didn’t want Mrs. Tuttle to think she was behaving irresponsibly.
“You know, dear,” Mrs. Tuttle began, her gaze fastened on the cinnamon roll in her hand, “there are a lot of diseases out there these days. You are being careful, aren’t you?”
Melissa thought she would die of embarrassment. “Mrs. Tuttle, really, there’s no need—I mean, if I were—I know about the diseases, but I’m not.”
“Oh.”
“You sound disappointed,” she exclaimed, thinking she must be mistaken.
Mrs. Tuttle’s faded blue eyes twinkled. “Well, you’ve been alone for a while now. And a little excitement wouldn’t go amiss, would it?”
“Mrs. Tuttle!” Melissa said, staring at the sedate little lady she’d lived next to for a long time.
Russ stepped into the kitchen, dressed in jeans, a knit shirt and running shoes. “Has Mrs. Tuttle done something she shouldn’t?” he asked with a teasing grin.
The older woman smiled at him. “No, but I was hoping you had.”
Melissa wanted to hide her face. Instead, she jumped to her feet and thrust her baby back at her neighbor. “Will you hold Mandy while I scramble the eggs?”
She abandoned the others while she cooked, keeping her back to them, but she couldn’t shut out their conversation.
Russ introduced himself, adding, “I think I’m going to like you, Mrs. Tuttle.”
Melissa knew Mrs. Tuttle was thrilled with Russ. It was in her voice as she asked him a dozen questions about why he was there. His patience amazed Melissa.
When she came to the table with freshly scrambled eggs and bacon, the two were getting along famously. “So now you know nothing was going on?” Melissa asked.
“Unfortunately, yes,” her neighbor said with a sigh. “But I don’t understand why you didn’t ask me to keep Mandy so you could sleep late. You know I would be happy to do so.”
“Oh, Mrs. Tuttle, you already do so much for me. I was afraid it wou
ld tire you out. Besides, I’d already paid for Russ’s services.” She sighed. “It was a crazy idea, and it went too far before I realized it. Anyway, I’m going to ask Russ to do some modeling for me and let that be the end of it.”
Melissa noted that the other two exchanged a look, as if they had a conspiracy between them. But that couldn’t be possible. They’d only just met, and Melissa had been present the entire time.
Russ offered her the plate of eggs and bacon he’d dished out.
“Uh, no, thank you,” she responded, setting it down on the table.
“Now, dear, you need to eat something. I know you haven’t had breakfast yet.” Mrs. Tuttle nudged the plate closer to Melissa.
“I’m not very hungry.”
“We don’t want you to faint from lack of food,” Russ said with a smile. “If you did, we’d have to call an ambulance and I think this neighborhood has had enough excitement for one morning.”
Which reminded her of something she had to say. “I’m sorry I accused you of—of not doing the right thing. I realize you were only trying to help.”
He grinned, seemingly pleased with her words. “I guess I don’t know enough about mothers or I would’ve realized you’d be worried if you woke up and found Mandy gone.”
Relieved that he was handling this so well, Melissa relaxed a little. “Well, at least it’s all over. I’ll take you to a hotel and—”
He interrupted her, smiling at Mrs. Tuttle. “She keeps trying to get rid of me. Look, Melissa, you paid for my company for the whole weekend—Friday to Sunday. You’re going to get what you paid for.”
“Russ, I’ll be delighted for you to model for me. That will help me a lot. But I was wrong to include Mandy in my plans.”
“Well, I’m not willing to repack. I hate packing, and I’ve already taken everything out of my suitcase. So I guess I’ll have to stay.”
She wasn’t falling for that ridiculous line. “You only had a small suitcase. Don’t make it sound like you packed for a month on the Queen Mary.”
He turned back to the woman Melissa was beginning to think was his staunchest ally. “See? She keeps trying to get rid of me.”
“I don’t understand it,” Mrs. Tuttle said, her eyes twinkling again. “A fine-looking man like you doesn’t come along all that often.”
“Mrs. Tuttle!” Melissa protested.
Russ just grinned, as if he’d won a prize.
“Maybe you should go back to Chicago, instead, and forget about modeling for me.” She realized she was cutting off her nose to spite her face; she really wanted to do some cards based on Russ. But she had her sanity to think of.
“Oh, no, I can’t leave without seeing my friends. I haven’t even talked to Lindsay.”
“I think she’s out of town.” Melissa kept her fingers crossed under the table. Lindsay had talked about being away for the weekend. Melissa hoped she was right.
He acted as if she hadn’t spoken. Looking at Mrs. Tuttle, he said, “Did I tell you I’m thinking about moving back to Wyoming?”
“Now, that’s good news!” the older woman responded.
“It is?” Melissa asked, surprised. “Why would you—”
“Because I don’t want you and Mandy to move to Chicago,” Mrs. Tuttle replied.
Melissa had thought she might die of embarrassment earlier, now she was sure of it. “Mrs. Tuttle, Mandy and I are not moving to Chicago. Can I get you some more coffee?” Maybe Russ wouldn’t realize what her neighbor was implying by her crazy response if Melissa didn’t say anything.
“I’ll get it, dear. Eat some eggs now. What are you going to do today to entertain Russ?”
Melissa shook her head. “Entertain him? I thought I’d offer one last time to take him to a hotel or the airport, whichever he’d prefer. Then...I don’t know.”
Russ took another bite of eggs, then smiled at her. “I’m not going to a hotel. The food wouldn’t be nearly as good as yours. I’m a sucker for a home-cooked meal.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“No, I’m not. Hotel food is so unappetizing.”
“That’s true,” Mrs. Tuttle chimed in. “Once I stayed at a motel in Denver and the coffee shop there burned my eggs. Oh, it was terrible. Of course, they offered to fix me some more, but what would be the point? I mean, they’d probably be burned, too.”
Melissa covered her eyes with one hand. She would never do anything to hurt Mrs. Tuttle’s feelings, but she suspected her friend was deliberately trying to keep Russ right where he was.
“See?” Russ said, a grin on his face.
The man was actually smiling.
“How can you sound so cheerful? I accused you of snatching my baby!”
Mrs. Tuttle chuckled. “Think what a great story it will make to tell your grandchildren. I bet the other kids won’t have a good story like that about how their grandparents met.”
Melissa’s eyes almost popped out of her head as she stared at the sweet little lady from next door. “Mrs. Tuttle! What are you talking about? We’re not—I mean, Russ is not—”
Even Russ’s sangfroid had disappeared. “We’re not dating, you know. I’m just here for the weekend. Then I go back to Chicago.”
“Oh, of course, silly me. I don’t know what I was thinking of. Do you like Chicago better than Wyoming?”
Russ shrugged. “I’ve liked it all right, but as I said, I’m thinking of moving back. So I guess I have to say I prefer Wyoming.”
Mrs. Tuttle smiled at him. “Do you have family in the area?”
Russ filled her in on his background at the boys ranch. Normally he didn’t talk about it to anyone, much less a stranger. But then, he could hardly count the motherly Mrs. Tuttle a stranger anymore.
“Oh, you poor thing,” she cooed.
“I made it,” he muttered, looking away from the two women. The last thing he wanted was pity, especially Melissa’s.
“Oh my, yes. And I expect your mother knew you’d be better off there. That’s so hard on a young girl, especially back then. The world was cruel to single mothers.”
Lindsay’s mother had expressed the same sentiment once, but Russ hadn’t been willing to listen. Now Mrs. Tuttle’s words struck him hard.
“Mrs. Tuttle,” Melissa interrupted, “would you like some orange juice?”
Had she realized how much Mrs. Tuttle’s words had affected him? Russ wondered. He was amazed at how intuitive she seemed to be to his feelings. It had never happened with a woman before.
What was going on with him?
“Why, no, dear, I believe not,” Mrs. Tuttle said. “I’d better get back home. I haven’t fed my kitty yet, what with all the excitement.”
“Thank you for helping with Mandy this morning,” Melissa said softly.
“You know I love her,” Mrs. Tuttle assured her. Russ could see there was a real bond between the two women. They hugged, then Melissa headed toward the front door.
As the elderly lady walked by Russ’s chair, she patted him on the shoulder. “You’re a nice young man. Welcome to the neighborhood.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Tuttle,” he said, standing.
She paused and looked him up and down. “Oh my, yes. You two will make wonderful babies.”
Then she walked out of the house, leaving Melissa and Russ gaping at each other.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE SOUND OF THE DOOR closing behind Mrs. Tuttle signaled a release of the tension. Both Melissa and Russ burst into laughter simultaneously.
Melissa collapsed into her chair, holding her sides, and Russ joined her at the table, warm chuckles filling the room.
Finally, wiping away the tears that had escaped her eyes, she said, “I promise I’ll explain to her...again. She’s really not as dotty as she see
med.”
“It’s okay. What she thinks won’t hurt me.”
Melissa sobered. “I’m really sorry about what happened earlier. I accused you of—”
He shrugged and grinned. “Get over it, Melissa. You got upset because you care about your child.”
Sighing, she leaned back in her chair. “I still think you should cut your losses and head back to Chicago.”
“Nope, the subject is closed. I’m staying right here. Besides, I’m learning a lot.”
She hesitated to ask for clarification, but she couldn’t help herself. “About what?”
“Babies,” he responded promptly. “As you pointed out, I didn’t know anything about taking care of a baby until I got here.” He took a sip of coffee and grinned at her. “When I go home, I’ll probably pick up some extra money baby-sitting on the weekends.”
“Yeah, right,” she returned, not believing him for a minute.
Then he surprised her, his face turning serious. “I’m not sure I want to—or can—explain, but I need to stay. I’m working through something, and being around Mandy will help me. I think I’ve got to deal with my past so I can—can prepare for the future.”
She knew he must be talking about his childhood at the ranch and maybe the years before. He hadn’t mentioned much about his mother, though he must have some memory of her since he was four when she left him. And, darn it, after what he’d said, she couldn’t ask any questions!
“I’ll do anything I can to help you, but didn’t Mrs. Tuttle’s implications send panic through your veins? You’re a career bachelor if I ever saw one. Aren’t you afraid I’m trying to trap you?”
He grinned. “As many times as you’ve tried to shove me out the door? I don’t think so.”
“Reverse psychology?” she offered with a grin.
“Too risky,” he assured her. “I might take you up on it.”
With an exasperated look, she repeated his words. “I don’t think so. You’re too stubborn.”
He gave her a superior look. “It takes one to know one.”
Even as she shook her head, she started to laugh. And wondered again how she was going to keep this man at a distance. She had to accept his decision to stay in her house. After all, it had been her idea in the first place. But life would be easier if she could put some distance between them. She didn’t like the response her body, or her emotions, had to this man.
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