by Natalie Ann
Considerable suds flowed over them, covering her chest and streaming down Caro’s back. Elli had never experienced having a bath with a child. In fact, she’d never had a bath with anyone since her mom and found her own shyness disappearing until the worst thing she could imagine happened.
Beau poked his head around the door and stopped dead.
Devasted by the sound of the door opening, Elli whipped her head around to see the man’s eyes grow huge and an animated smile fill his face.
One hand covered her chest while the other splashed water all over the floor as she whipped her pointing finger to the door. “Out!”
One word simplified her order. His head disappeared, but his cheeky words remained. “Pancakes are ready, my lovely mermaids.”
Chapter Nine
At first, Beau couldn’t believe his eyes. At that moment, two of the prettiest females he’d ever seen were in his bathtub, bubbles everywhere, smiles lighting their faces, and his heart lifted so high, it almost broke through the walls of his chest.
As cute as Caro looked grinning up at him, the woman behind her had captured most of his attention, making him wish he had the right to be in the room with them, having fun as they appeared to be doing.
Naked, Elli’s beautifully ripe wet breasts raining with bubbles were a huge draw. Stimulated, his body woke up, and having a mind of its own, made it uncomfortable to carry on as normal when all he wanted was… nope don’t go there. She’s not for you. You hired her for Caro.
Realizing that Caro had no clothes in the bathroom, he went to her sad pile of belongings and rooted through them, trying to find her clothes to wear for the day. So many of them were too small for her or were in such bad shape, it embarrassed him to see her wearing them.
When his brother finally turned up again – and he had no doubt the asshole would when he needed something – he’d have a tough time not putting him up against the wall and teaching him a lesson. What was he thinking? Leaving his responsibilities, his child – expecting a woman like Carrie, who showed her unsuitability to be a mother, to step up. It made Beau furious when forced to think about it.
Better still, maybe Roger should just stay away for good. Beau would take care of his niece. She’d be a hell of a lot better off with him than with either her mother or her father. He just needed to make the courts see that and to give him the right by law to keep her with him.
Hearing laughter coming from the hall, he grabbed the least of the ugly rags and put them on the bed. Without any choice, he decided one of their chores today would be to shop for Caro.
Considering he hated going into the mall, and it would torture him to do so, there was no choice. The kid needed clothes and the responsibility to buy them fell directly on his shoulders.
***
Watching the girls dig into their pancakes, Beau smiled. He’d approached Elli when she led Caro into the kitchen and watched as she lifted a finger as if to say don’t say a word. He loved the way her finger did her talking for her… and it worked. He knew exactly what she meant without having to ask.
But it wasn’t in him to ignore such a perfect torment. He watched her face and asked in an actor’s voice that dripped with fake interest, “Do you have anything you’d like me to throw in the dryer?”
The dirty look she shot him said it all. Rather than answering his question, she gushed about the food. “Caro, aren’t these the best homemade pancakes you’ve ever eaten?”
Caro looked at her and then at Beau. She nodded so enthusiastically, her pretty, soft curls fell around her shoulders, almost hiding her small face.
Beau’s satisfaction lasted until Elli added, “My dad always uses Aunt Jemima’s pancake mix too.”
Busted! He followed her gaze and saw he’d forgotten to put the box back in the pantry. “I had to mix the ingredients, so in my mind, that makes them homemade.”
“Considering you probably cook more than I do, I’m not complaining. Truly. These are wonderful.”
Was she pulling his chain? The way she’d empathized wonderful made him check her expression.
She looked down but kept up with the compliments. “And putting the blueberries in the mix was brilliant.”
She was messing with him. Pretending he didn’t know her tricks, he answered, “Caro likes blueberries. In fact, she loves them. After so many days of lackluster appetite, me begging her to eat, I stumbled on the fact that she’ll eat a lot better when I use them. So, they go in her cereal, her yogurt, her—”
She looked slightly uncomfortable, and he figured he’d made his point. Wondering what she’d say next, he waited. She didn’t apologize, but she did say, “Got it. I’ll remember that. It’s important to get her to eat. She’s slight for her age and can afford to gain a few pounds”
“When you arrived, you mentioned you had made plans for the day with her. Can I ask what you decided to do?”
“Oh, just getting used to her surroundings and maybe going for a walk. I’d like to take her shopping for some new clothes at some point.”
“We’ll go today. Her wardrobe situation is desperate. If I knew her size, I’d have gone online and ordered stuff for her.”
“And have to wait for days before your purchases got here only to find they weren’t the right size? It’s best to have her there to try things on. Then we’ll know for sure what fits her and what she likes.”
“Right. That’s true. The clothes her mother brought with her aren’t even decent and most are too small. I’m thinking we could hit the Chandler Mall. With you along, my sanity might survive. I’m a shopping disaster. Big stores make me hyperventilate. The whole time I’m wandering around inside one, I’m planning my escape.”
“Seriously. What a male way of looking at something that makes most females happy.”
“I know. One of my girlfriends broke up with me when I refused to take her shopping.”
“Well, that’s just silly.”
“That’s what I thought. We’d already gone twice that week.”
“I was referring to your behavior, not hers. If it made her happy, why would you refuse?”
Beau felt his ire rise, and he spoke with no thought of what secrets he shared. “Because her go-to stores were full of jewelry. And I’m no girl’s sugar daddy. Besides, losing her wasn’t so hard. She wasn’t that intelligent. Her favorite topics to discuss related directly to reality shows on TV. I can’t begin to tell you how sick I got of watching the Bachelor and then having ridiculous in-depth discussions about the contenders. She’d spend hours trying to figure out the winner. Finally, when I told her the truth about what I thought of the whole stupid set-up, she was incensed.”
That made Elli laugh, and he watched as the smile lines around her mouth creased and the dimple on her left cheek exploded. His study included her sparkling blue beauties and satisfaction overwhelmed. He liked watching her having fun.
Not wanting her to catch him staring, he checked to see if Caro had finished her meal and felt pleased to see she’d eaten it all. Then, as she’d done since she’d moved in, he watched her lift the plate and begin to lick it clean. Choking back his comment, he turned to Elli and saw her distress.
Wanting to see how she’d handle the situation rather than gently removing the dish the way he’d begun to do, he waited.
Elli picked up her own plate and said with a smile. “Beau, thank you for breakfast. It was delicious.” Then she also cleaned her plate like a dainty cat and all he could do was watch her tongue delicately licking the surface while wishing his body was made of china.
Chapter Ten
The three of them entered the busy mall, Caro excitedly holding both their hands. Elli watched as Beau’s expression settled into a frown of displeasure. Deciding to take pity on him, she suggested they go straight to where she knew they would find a large selection of kid’s clothes that would fit any child.
The mall had a specialty store she’d passed many times, so she headed in that direction. Within minutes, the
saleslady approached and was able to make suggestions as to Caro’s size and where to find the apparel that would fit best.
As she lifted hanger after hanger, each with a pretty dress, Caro pulled her hand and let Elli know she wasn’t liking them. Then she pointed at Elli’s jeans.
“I think we’re looking for more casual styles. Maybe jeans and tops.”
Soon they were led to the racks full of outfits from jeans and vests, to pants and sweaters and every color that any little girl would love. Even Beau seemed to be invested in choosing the outfits he liked, and he held up one after another in front of Caro, saying, “You like this one? How about this one?” The little girl, taking this seriously, would look over each set he put in front of her and would either nod enthusiastically, or apathetically with her lips turned down, or shake her head back and forth with gusto.
She obviously knew what she liked, and it was very little. Once she’d found the one outfit she wanted, she lost interest and left Beau and Elli with the saleslady to figure out what else to get.
They moved from one casual rack to another, and then to where they had pajamas and slippers, even little housecoats. At first, Elli would include Caro in these choices, but when she saw the little shoulders shrug with indifference, she became involved with Beau who was now into shopping for the child and seemed to be having the time of his life.
Considering he would have bought everything in the store, she firmly put her foot down. “Beau, she’ll grow out of these clothes very soon. It’s best not to buy too much now. As it is, a few of the outfits we chose are in the next size on purpose, and it won’t be too long before she’ll be wearing them.”
The salesgirl nodded in agreement and Beau shrugged. “Works for me. As long as she has choices she likes.”
Deciding on buying shoes next, Elli looked around for the child so they could fit her properly. There were more customers milling around and another salesgirl going back and forth to help each one.
After searching everywhere in the store, Elli couldn’t find Caro anywhere. Heart thudding, she unintentionally spoke loudly. “Beau, where’s Caro?”
Still deciding on what color housecoat his niece would like best, he didn’t look up. Not until she called him the second time.
“Beau? Did you see where Caro went?”
Now she got his attention. “What are you talking about, she was here a minute ago.”
“Not now. She’s gone!”
Frantic, understanding that a three-year-old can move faster than one would think, Elli again looked all over the store, calling loudly for her charge. “Caro! Come to Elli. Please, baby. You must let me see where you are.”
The shopkeeper stated firmly, “there’s nothing here to hurt her.”
Elli whipped around and said, “She’s not in the store.” Then she added loudly, getting everyone’s attention. “Did any of you see a little blonde three-year-old girl with long hair wandering out of the store?”
No one answered but they all started checking under racks and in corners.
The other salesgirl approached and spoke calmly, “She’ll be fine. It happens more than you think, kids taking off and ending up by the food court or by the child riding machines. She’ll be calling for you in no time.”
Beau, now as frantic as Elli, turned to the young woman and groaned, “She doesn’t talk.”
Concerned, the other woman specified, “you mean she can’t speak words properly. That’s not uncommon.”
“I mean she doesn’t say any words and never speaks. Ever.”
Worried and showing it, she added what Elli and Beau already knew. “Then she couldn’t tell anyone where her mommy and daddy are or who they are. We’ve often had children found by others, and they take them to the office where they have a loudspeaker. They make an announcement throughout the mall, calling the names of the parents to let them know that the child is safe and where they can be found.”
Beau cut her off and said, “You mentioned children’s rides. I remember she seemed interested when we first came into the mall. They were by the food court, right?”
“Yes. In the middle, against some pillars.”
Elli cut him off and added, “I know where they are. You stay here in case she returns, and I’ll go check it out.”
***
Elli ran, her stomach queasy and her head pounding from a sudden migraine. Anytime she experienced fear so debilitating, a headache would suddenly begin a vicious attack, and the pain could bring her to her knees.
People parted when they saw her expression. She couldn’t stop thinking of all the what-ifs. Never one to suffer stress well, she began picturing all the crazy terrible things that could happen to a tiny girl wandering alone, and the sudden visions made her sick. She sped to the riding machines, the little train, and the pony and others, that for a small amount would give a child a few moments of fun. They were all empty, and her hope died.
Then, because she was close enough, she made a quick dash to the entrance, calling Caro’s name and making sure she hadn’t wandered outside by the ponds and benches.
Not seeing any sign of the blonde child, questioning everyone she passed, she hightailed it back to the store hoping Beau’s luck had been better. Trying not to cry, she stopped in each store’s doorway interrupting the shoppers and asking, “Have you seen a little three-year-old girl with long blonde hair wandering alone? She’s wearing blue pants and a white t-shirt.”
Getting only negative responses, she finally made it to where she could see the children’s store and the group of solemn people milling at the doorway.
Oh no!
Chapter Eleven
Beau, agreeing to wait in the store as Elli directed, turned to the salesgirl. “Shouldn’t we put out an appeal over the loudspeaker in case someone has already found her? Can you call the office?”
“Already tried, but the line is busy. Don’t worry, sir. She’ll be fine.” The young woman tried to soothe him, but it wasn’t working. He’d never felt so scared in all his life. Maye he wasn’t cut out to be Caro’s father after all. Losing her on his first week as her guardian wouldn’t go over well with the childcare worker and it sure as hell didn’t impress him. He should have known she wasn’t used to being in public places, that she wouldn’t know the rules.
“They’ll find her, sir.”
“Right. You’re saying if it was your child,” then he pointed to an interested bystander whose baby sat safely in her cart, “and you, ma’am, you wouldn’t be worried?”
Their expressions changed, and the mom said, “Look, I’ll stay here in the store and watch for her to return. I have an idea where you can search. We just passed a bungee-jumping amusement ride in the mall, where a lot of parents were waiting for their kids to be hooked up to get their turns. The young ones seem totally taken with it. Your Caro might have heard their excitement. When we went past, a little guy was screaming with delight and getting all kinds of attention.”
Beau caught on to her enthusiastic idea and pointed right. She nodded, “Yes go right and around the bend. You’ll see it very soon.”
“Thank you. If she’s there, we’ll be back in a jiffy.”
***
Maybe three minutes after he left, a woman’s voice could be heard from inside one of the dressing rooms. “She’s here. I found her. She’s sleeping under the pile of clothes in here.”
She stepped out from the small cubical and stopped the others from going to see for themselves. “It’s best not to wake her up. She’ll be scared without her mama or daddy nearby. We should wait until one of them returns.”
Seeing the sense in her suggestion, a few of the shoppers milled around the entrance to keep watch. When they saw the distraught woman, hair flying everywhere, eyes shooting in all directions, and her hands clenched, every single one of them felt her distress.
The woman who’d mistakenly sent Beau off on the wild goose chase stepped toward Elli. “Are you the child’s mom?”
Elli’s
voice shook. “I’m her nanny.”
The shopper smiled, relief obvious. “You can stop worrying. They found her asleep in one of the dressing rooms. We didn’t wake her up, figured she’d be frightened without someone she knew there with her.”
“Thank God!” Elli felt her knees give and was quickly supported by the other mother.
“Let me help you inside. Here, sit.”
Taking deep breaths to stop from fainting, Elli let the adrenaline settle back to normal and finally looked around at all the smiling faces. Smiling back, her soft voice full of relief, she asked, “Where is the little devil?”
The woman who found her chuckled. “She must have felt cold from the air conditioning, so she pulled some sweaters over herself. All I saw was the blonde hair and her tiny hand. I lifted the sweater carefully, and she was in dreamland, sucking her thumb. I didn’t disturb her. She’d have been afraid not seeing anyone she knew.”
Elli, agreeing with the thoughtfulness of the stranger, said, “Bless you. Which room is she in? I’ll go and get her.”
Sure enough, Caro had wandered into the empty room at the farthest end of the shop, probably laid down as she was apt to do and fell asleep. Elli pulled the sweaters from her and standing, she lifted a sleepy Caro in her arms.
A ruckus in the other room let her know that Beau had returned. Voices calmed him immediately, informing him his daughter was fine. She’d been found. More sentiments followed, explaining how she’d fallen asleep.
Beau, a complete mess, obviously unused to having his insides put through a wringer, appeared in the doorway in time to see Caro waking up. When she looked around at all the people now interested in her, she cringed. Pushing back, she stared at Elli for a second, then her hands reached for Beau.