“Of course. Do you have a favorite one?” she asked as she remembered seeing several books on Lindsey’s nightstand. Lindsey told her which book to get, and Piper returned a moment later with the book in hand.
She didn’t feel right about sitting on the bed to read the story. The recliner next to the bed would have to suffice. Scooting it a little closer to the bed, she picked up the blue dress shirt and tie and caught the spicy scent of Gabe’s cologne. She had the strongest urge to bring the fabric to her face so she could get a better whiff. She resisted the temptation and draped it on the end of the bed. Hanging it up in the man’s closet seemed far too intimate an act.
After settling into the chair, she started to read the story about a precocious kindergartner named Juni. As she turned the next page, Lindsey suddenly climbed off the bed and Piper was worried she needed to throw up again.
“Run for the bathroom,” Piper said, standing up.
Lindsey stood in front of her and tilted her head to the side. “I just want to sit on your lap.”
“Oh.” Piper took her seat again. “Okay.” Tentatively, she held out her arms. Sweet warmth filled her as Lindsey settled onto her lap and rested her head against Piper’s shoulder. The slight weight of the child stirred up motherly instincts. It also stirred new desires, like the possibility of holding this little girl on a permanent basis.
“Are you going to read?” Lindsey asked.
Piper cleared her throat and started reading. The storyline was engaging and made her chuckle a few times. When she finished the last line, she was just about to suggest getting the next book in the series when she glanced up and met the startling blue eyes of Gabe Wesson.
Chapter 8
Gabe stared at the sight before him, trying his best not to show any of the feelings rushing through his body. He’d known she was at the house— Doreen had texted him to let him know a few minutes earlier— he just hadn’t expected to find Piper in his bedroom tenderly holding his daughter.
“Hi.” She licked her lips. “I was just reading to Lindsey.”
“So I see.” He pushed off from the doorway and crossed the floor, eager to talk to his daughter. “Hey, baby girl, Daddy’s…” His words trailed off when he saw Lindsey was sleeping.
“Oh, she fell asleep,” Piper said. Her eyes darted down to the little girl and then back up to Gabe. “I wonder how long I’ve been reading to myself?”
A smile formed on Gabe’s mouth as he watched a blush color his pretty neighbor’s cheeks. “Don’t worry, I’ve done the same thing.”
“When did you get home?”
“About five minutes ago.”
Her eyes went wide. “Why didn’t you stop me?”
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, unwilling to admit he’d been too enthralled with the cozy scene before him and it had rendered him momentarily speechless.
“You looked like you were enjoying the story.” He smiled and lifted one shoulder up into a shrug. “Besides, last night I read that book to Linds so I knew you were almost to the end.”
Nodding, she glanced away, and he followed her gaze to his sleeping son. “I hope you don’t mind him sleeping in your bed.”
“I don’t mind.” He waited for her to look at him again. “Thank you for taking care of them. I’ve been in meetings all day and had left my phone in my briefcase or I would’ve come home sooner.”
Their eyes held, and Gabe wished he could express how grateful he was to her for volunteering to stay with the kids since his young nanny seemed to be a member of the sympathetic vomiter’s club. Gabe had once been a member of the same club, but single parenthood had forced him to develop a stronger constitution.
“You’re welcome.” Piper gave him a shy smile before she glanced down at Lindsey. “Where do you want her?”
She made a move to get out of the chair, but wasn’t very successful. “Let me get her.” Gabe slipped his hands under Lindsey’s body, feeling Piper stiffen as his fingers slid across the top of her thighs. Avoiding her gaze, he lifted his daughter and carried her to his bed.
“Hey, sweetie,” Gabe said when Lindsey’s eyes opened. “How are you feeling?”
“Good.” Her face lit up when she spied Piper. “I throwed up all over the floor and Miss Piper didn’t get mad. She let me have a bubble bath and washed my hair and it didn’t hurt when she combed it.”
Wow, he really owed Piper more than a thank you for all she had done. He should do something nice like send her flowers or maybe take her out to dinner.
Gabe smoothed a hand over Lindsey’s damp braid. “That’s good.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Go back to sleep, honey. Daddy’s home now.”
Glancing across the bed, he saw Shane was awake. “You feeling okay, bud?”
“No.” The little boy shot up off of the bed and bolted toward Gabe’s bathroom.
Gabe quickly followed his son and was grateful the kid made it to the toilet before he emptied his stomach. He felt so bad about not being here for his kids. His ex-wife may not have been the most sympathetic mother, but at least she’d been home for the kids if they got sick. Now he was the only parent his kids had. The weight of the responsibility pressed down on him. Turning, he caught sight of Piper hovering in the doorway. The concern expressed in her hazel eyes lifted his spirits. Thanks to her, he wasn’t alone right now.
The sound of the toilet flushing brought him back around to his son. “Feel better?” Gabe asked, handing him a washcloth.
“A little.” Shane wiped his mouth and dropped the cloth onto the floor. “But can I just lay down again?”
“Sure.” As soon as Shane was tucked back under the covers, Gabe sat on the edge of the bed. Worried the kid might have a fever, he touched the back of his hand against the child’s forehead and detected enough heat radiating there that he got up and found a thermometer. The digital numbers weren’t alarmingly high, which made Gabe feel a little better. “A little medicine will bring your temperature down. Think you can swallow a couple of tablets or should I give you the liquid kind?”
“I hate the pink stuff,” Shane said.
“I’ll see if we’ve got something else.” Gabe got up and came around the bed to check Lindsey’s temp. It was slightly above normal. “No fever,” he said, smoothing a hand over her hair. “I’ll go get both of you something to drink.”
“Do we have to go to school tomorrow?” Shane asked.
Gabe’s spirits sunk low again. Unless they made a remarkable recovery, both kids would be staying home tomorrow. Out of all the days for his kids to be sick, tomorrow was the worst day. He was scheduled to close a deal he’d been working on the past four months. One of the parties was flying in from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and the meeting couldn’t be rescheduled with such short notice.
“Probably not,” he finally answered.
Gabe expected his son to show a little enthusiasm about skipping school. Instead he watched as worry entered the intelligent blue eyes. “But who will stay home with us?”
The kids knew Doreen had morning classes at a nearby community college. But even if she didn’t, Gabe doubted she’d be any better equipped to care for sick children than she had been today. The Snow Valley daycare wasn’t an option with the kids being sick. Truthfully, he had no idea what he was going to do.
Not wanting to distress his children further, Gabe offered them both a smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll figure something out.”
“I have an idea, Daddy,” Lindsey said brightly. “Miss Piper can babysit us.”
As desperate as he was, Gabe was tempted to consider the suggestion. But it didn’t seem fair to put that kind of pressure on her. “Miss Piper is too busy, Linds.”
His daughter’s lower lip jutted out. “You didn’t even ask her.”
Sighing, Gabe knelt down next to the bed. “Hey, Daddy will take care of it, okay?”
“But…”
“Would you like to watch a movie on the laptop?” he asked, hoping to divert
his daughter’s thoughts.
Her eyes lit up. “In your bed?”
“You bet.” He got back on his feet. “I’ll be right back with your drinks and the laptop.”
Piper had moved into the hallway. She appeared mildly distressed, probably having heard Lindsey’s request to have her babysit.
“Thank you again for all your help.” He nodded toward the stairs. “I’ll walk you to the door.”
He indicated with his hand for her to proceed before him and followed her down the stairs. Suddenly, she whirled around. “She’s right.” She stood directly in front of him, crossing her arms over her chest. “You didn’t even ask me.”
“Ask you what?”
“To babysit.”
He tried to gauge her mood to see if he was reading her correctly. Right now she seemed peeved with him. “I don’t want to impose on you anymore than we already have.”
“It’s not an imposition, Gabe. I’m home all day and I really don’t mind.”
He stared at her, wondering why this woman wasn’t married with children of her own. She was amazing and kind and so unbelievably beautiful it overwhelmed him. He quickly dropped his chin and looked at his feet before she read any of this in his eyes.
“Never mind.” Her voice sounded stiff— not angry, but hurt. “I’m sure you probably have someone else more qualified to help… I’ll just head home.”
She started to walk away from him, but he reached out and snagged her hand. “Wait a minute.” A more powerful emotion rushed through him from the feel of her skin against his. “It isn’t that I don’t think you’re qualified, I just don’t want to take advantage of your kindness.”
“You aren’t.”
Peering into her eyes, he didn’t let go of her hand. It felt too good. Slowly, he circled his thumb across her palm and felt her tremble. At least he wasn’t the only one feeling this way. “You’re really amazing, you know that?”
Her lips tipped up on the ends. “You think so?”
“I do.” He wanted to pull her close and kiss her. Without overanalyzing things, he gently tugged on her hand and felt his breath catch when she took a step closer. He leaned toward her and was encouraged when she did the same.
“Dad?” Shane’s voice made Piper drop his hand and step away from him.
Disappointed by the interruption, while concurrently feeling guilty, Gabe released a pent-up breath and turned to look at his son. “Hey, bud, you feeling sick again?”
Shane’s blue eyes darted to Piper and then back to Gabe. “No, Lindsey is thirsty and wants the laptop to watch a movie.”
“Okay, I’ll be right there.”
The ten-year-old studied him, like he knew something was up but wouldn’t be able to name it. “Do you want water or Gatorade?” Gabe asked.
“Gatorade.”
“All right, go on back to bed.”
Shane trudged back up the stairs, making Gabe feel like the worst father. His kids were sick and he was putting the moves on his next-door neighbor.
“What time should I be here?” Piper asked as she slipped on her coat and zipped it up.
“I have to be to work at eight, but the kids should still be asleep.”
“All right.” She wouldn’t quite meet his eyes. “I’ll be here at quarter to eight.” She twisted the knob, and a gust of cold wind hit him in the face.
“Do you want me to drive you home?”
“I’m okay.” She waved goodbye and hurried across the frozen ground. Gabe waited until he couldn’t see her anymore before he stepped back and closed the door.
Even though he hadn’t actually kissed Piper Jensen, he’d crossed a line— a line he’d vowed to never venture near again. But now that he was here, it didn’t seem as frightening. Not with Piper.
She was so different from MaryEllen in so many ways. He was certain she didn’t have a selfish bone in her body. And knowing she wasn’t selfish reassured him that she wasn’t the type of person to ever have an affair.
He really hoped his children recovered quickly from the stomach virus, because he wasn’t just taking Piper Jensen to the sledding party as his neighbor— he was taking her as his date.
Chapter 9
The Wesson’s house was quiet. Too quiet for Piper’s racing mind. The brief interaction with Gabe this morning had left her with more questions than answers. He seemed different today. Much less reserved and almost flirtatious as he’d thanked her for taking care of the kids last night and staying with them today.
She sank into the overstuffed chair across from the piano and wished she could play something to help her forget about Gabe Wesson. He had looked so handsome in a crisp white shirt and tie, a look she’d always found sexy. He’d smelled good too. So incredibly good it had made coherent thinking next to impossible.
At least she’d comprehended most of what he’d said just before he left. Enough to know the kids had done well through the night and if they got sick again she could call Cole Taggart, the family’s doctor. He must also be a personal friend because Gabe had left her the man’s cell number and said she could text the doctor if she had any concerns or questions.
So far the children seemed okay, but she wondered if she should wake them up soon. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked the time. It was almost nine-thirty. If they didn’t wake in the next fifteen minutes she would do it.
Unlocking the home screen, Piper noticed she had several new messages waiting for her. Lately, reading email was like playing a game of chance. After so many rejection letters, the odds had to be in her favor to get something positive. She tapped the icon and her stomach dropped when she saw Emma had replied to her email.
Tears filled her eyes as she read over the message. While Emma was deeply disappointed with the news, she had decided not to hold Piper financially responsible and asked her not to make what had happened public so it didn’t damage her reputation as a breeder. Moreover, Emma loved Piper’s mother and didn’t want her reputation sullied either. Wiping her eyes, Piper finished the letter.
This doesn’t change the other terms, sweetheart. I know you’ve had a rough couple of years. Juliette wants you to stay at her house until she returns in April. I wish you all the best with the puppies. I’m sure you’ll find loving homes for them all.
“Miss Piper?” a little voice said. “I’m awake.”
“Good morning, Lindsey,” Piper said, spying the little girl at the base of the stairs. “How are you feeling?” She popped up from the chair and crossed the floor.
“My tummy’s hungry.”
“What does your tummy feel like eating?” Piper asked, crouching down before her. The braid had come loose, and she pushed some of the wavy strands out of the little girl’s eyes. “Maybe some toast and juice?”
“I like cinnamon toast.”
“So do I,” Piper said, grateful the sickness was short-lived. She got to her feet and held out her hand. “Let’s go see what we can find.”
Lindsey took a seat at the bar, hugging her stuffed horse and watching Piper make the toast. She sprinkled a small amount of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the toast and placed it in front of the little girl. “Do you want apple or orange juice?”
“Apple.”
While she poured the juice into a cup, Shane padded barefoot into the kitchen. “Good morning,” Piper said, offering him a smile.
He studied her for a few seconds, like he wasn’t sure if he wanted her to be here or not. Finally, he slipped onto the barstool next to his sister and mumbled a hello.
“Do you want the same thing as Lindsey?” Piper asked.
He shrugged. “I guess.”
Piper popped the bread into the toaster and asked him which juice he wanted. “Orange, I guess,” he said, sounding a tad on the resentful side. When she placed the toast in front of him, he scowled. “My mom always puts more cinnamon on than that.”
“Okay.” Piper retrieved the container and sprinkled a little more on. “Better?”
“I guess,” he said for the third time that morning.
Sensing he wasn’t a morning person, Piper didn’t try to make small talk with him. Besides, she suspected he was resenting her for not being his mother. She understood that. When she’d spent summers with her dad, she’d resented Maggie at first. Her stepmother was so sweet, though, it hadn’t taken long for her to lose her bad attitude.
The kids ate the toast, requesting more when they were done. Hoping the food wouldn’t make a second appearance later on, she made them each two more pieces. Shane didn’t complain about his toast this time.
Once they were done, they both went into the family room to play. Shane got out his Legos while Lindsey set up her Barbies to play rodeo again. It appeared that their stomach virus had moved on as quickly as it had set in.
Leaving the kids to play, she let Rascal outside and loaded the dishwasher. The dog whined a few minutes later and Piper let him back in. In a few hours, she’d have to run over to her house to let Anastasia out. Maybe then she could grab her laptop. She hadn’t planned on having any downtime today and had left her computer at home.
Since the kids were content playing, she wandered over to a bookcase and frowned at Gabe’s selection of books. Most of them were law books he’d probably used in college. The rest were children’s picture books with a few scattered magazines in between.
Turning away from the bookcase, she eyed the piano in the corner of the room. It beckoned to her, and she couldn’t resist the temptation any longer. A thin layer of dust covered the bench, letting her know it had been a while since anyone had played. Hoping the piano was in tune, she sat down, opened the lid and positioned her hands on the keys.
Without any music to read, she played a song from memory. The melody worked like magic, easing the stress she’d been living with for months. Her fingers flew over the keys, and she lost herself in the moment.
“That sounds pretty,” Lindsey said from beside her. “Like a princess song.” The little girl sat down next to her. “Can you play another one?”
Winter in Snow Valley (Snow Valley Romance) Page 36
