She didn’t need to worry? Was he absolutely insane!? “You put Cade on an airplane all by himself?” Her voice shook with anger.
Thomas swore. “Get over it, Ellie. Kids fly without parents all the time. I made sure he was fine.”
Her hand tightened around the small cell phone. “I can’t believe you. How could you do this without even consulting me?”
“I don’t need to ask your permission.”
She felt emotion clogging her throat. “He’s not even five.” She could barely choke out the words. All she could imagine was Cade frightened and wondering where his mother was.
“Look, I’m not going to discuss this further. Do you have the flight information or not?”
“Yes.” She glanced at her watch. “If I leave now I might make it in time.”
“Stop being so dramatic. You’ll make it.”
She swallowed back an angry retort and ended the call without saying goodbye. Something was seriously wrong with Thomas. She grabbed her purse and rushed out to the car, trying to focus on being reunited with her little boy.
An hour and a half later, Ellie stood at the base of the escalator, keeping her eyes peeled for a little blond head. Finally, she spotted Cade, holding the hand of a cute flight attendant and wearing a lime green T-shirt from SeaWorld.
Cade’s blue eyes lit up when he saw her. “Mommy!” he shouted, trying to tug his hand free from the flight attendant.
When they were close enough for the attendant to let him go, Cade launched himself into her arms. All the loneliness vanished as she held onto him tightly. “I missed you.” She pressed a kiss to his forehead and vowed to never be separated from him again.
* * *
Nick turned into the cul-de-sac and his eyes strayed to Ellie’s house, hoping for any signs of life. The house was dark with only the soft glow of a nightlight in one of the upstairs bedrooms. It was close to midnight and the neighborhood felt eerily quiet. Obviously, she would be asleep.
Yawning, he pulled into his driveway. He felt exhausted, both emotionally and physically. At the last minute, Alec had scored an invite to an A-list party that seemed to have as many stars as there were plastered on Hollywood Blvd. The party started Friday evening and went well into Saturday morning. It was sad, but most of the people he talked with about his foundation seemed to be more concerned about the environment and animals. Yes, those issues were important, but over the life of a child? He couldn’t understand that line of thinking. Kids should always come first.
The alcohol bill alone would have sponsored one of his camps, maybe two. At least as the night went on and the more intoxicated people got, the looser their purse strings became. Having one of the only clear heads in the room did have its advantages. So at least the night wasn’t a total bust.
As the evening progressed, Nick had more passes made at him than he’d completed in a single football season. None of the women were his type—his type happened to be back in Colorado with a little boy and an annoying ex-husband.
An annoying ex-husband who represented shady clients that even Alec had said to stay away from.
The thought that Ellie might be taking her cheating ex-husband back hurt, but if that’s what Ellie wanted there was nothing Nick could do about it.
Entering his house, he went straight to bed. Nick was dead on his feet, but it was Sunday tomorrow and he didn’t want to sleep in and miss church. He planned on seeking Ellie out and letting her know how he felt about her. She needed to make an informed decision. If there was a chance she thought he didn’t want her, then he would set her straight.
* * *
“Cade, we need to go to church, sweetie,” Ellie called. She looked in the mirror one more time, checking her appearance. The aqua-blue shirt made her eyes pop, contrasting well with her skin tone. She felt pretty with the feminine floral skirt and a pair of white open-toe stilettos.
She needed the confidence, especially to face Nick. His Denali had been in his driveway this morning, but now the driveway sat empty. Hopefully he would be at church. She just hoped he would be willing to give her another chance.
Somehow having Cade home put everything into perspective. No matter what Thomas had said, she felt like Nick had been genuinely interested in her. If Thomas would have never come, she wondered what could have happened between her and the handsome football player.
The sparks she felt whenever he touched her had not been her imagination, and he had made the effort to be with her on more than one occasion. She had to remind herself about the romantic dinner he had planned, even after spending the previous day with Miss Colorado.
She knew Nick was a good man. His former playboy reputation was not who he was now. She had to believe he wasn’t just toying with her. She just had to believe that, because otherwise her future seemed so bleak. When she saw him again, she hoped to find out if there was still something between them.
Arriving at church a few minutes late, Ellie and Cade took a seat in the back of the chapel. The opening hymn started and Ellie scanned the pews in front, hoping to spot Nick. It wasn’t hard to see where he sat. It was like a halo of women surrounded the bench he was on.
Ellie had a difficult time focusing on the meeting. Her eyes kept straying to Nick, noting the way his broad shoulders filled out the dark suit coat he wore. Even from a distance, he made her heart pound.
Just as the closing hymn ended, Ellie watched as a gaggle of women swarmed Nick. She stared at him longingly and then reluctantly took Cade’s hand to take him to his class. He loved his Sunday school teacher. Literally. The young college age girl had stolen Cade’s heart. On more than one occasion Cade had announced his intention to marry Deidre.
The minute Cade spotted his teacher, he rushed off, excited to tell her all about his week in California. Ellie had to force herself to keep walking toward the nursery when all she wanted to do was go and find Nick. But talking with him surrounded by so many women would be futile. Besides, she had responsibilities in the nursery.
Parents were already waiting for her to arrive. They always seemed very eager to drop their kids off and a few got impatient if they had to wait on Ellie. “Hello,” she said to Megan, a cute little red-haired spitfire. The little girl glared then buried her face in her mother’s shoulder.
Opening the supply closet, Ellie pulled out the large plastic tote filled with paper, crayons and Play-Doh. Stan and Nora Howard, the older couple who usually helped out each Sunday, were coming down the hall and Ellie gratefully waved at them.
The Howards immediately started getting the toys and books out. Suddenly, Megan’s mother transferred the toddler into Ellie’s arms. “She seems to be doing better today. Thank you.” The woman waved and was out the door before Ellie could utter one word.
Please let Megan be good today, Ellie prayed. For a few blessed seconds, the little girl was quiet. Then Megan let out a wail just as a man stepped inside the nursery. Ellie nearly dropped the screaming child as her gaze connected with Nick’s blue eyes.
“Hey,” he said in a low voice. “I thought I’d volunteer to help in the nursery today.”
Chapter Fifteen
Nick tried to gauge Ellie’s reception of him. She looked stunned, and he wasn’t sure if it was because of the ear-piercing cry from the little red head she was holding, or if it was because he was offering to help her in the nursery.
Every muscle in his body was tense as he waited. Man, Ellie was even more beautiful than he’d remembered. The exclusive party he’d attended Friday night had been filled with super-models and actresses—but they couldn’t hold a candle to the beautiful woman standing in front of him.
Finally a slow smile flickered at the corners of her mouth. “You’re home.”
“Yeah, I got in late last night.” The welcoming tone of her voice loosened the tension around his chest and he felt like he could breathe a little easier. Now if he could just find out if Thomas was back in the picture. He looked around the room, glad her ex-husband was
n’t anywhere in the vicinity.
A gray haired gentlemen caught his eye and walked over to Nick with an outstretched hand. “I’m Stan Howard.” He pointed to a plump woman with unnaturally dark hair for someone her age. “This here is my wife Nora.”
“Nick Coulter.” He gave the man a firm handshake and offered his wife a smile. “It’s nice to meet both of you.”
Stan released his hand and patted Nick on the back. “Ever take care of kids before?”
Not unless he could count the sporadic times he’d held his niece and nephews over the past few years. “Not really.”
Mrs. Howard smiled. “You’ll do just fine.” Then she went to the corner and started a CD of soft piano music.
The nursery filled up fast, prohibiting any further dialogue. Parents seemed to be in a hurry to get to Sunday school. Shoot, most of them didn’t stick around long enough for the children to even know they’d been left alone.
One woman rushed in and thrust a whimpering little boy in Nick’s arms. “Be a good boy, Dawson.” She blew the toddler a kiss and winked at Nick. “Bye.”
The woman almost sounded as if she was leaving…the church house. Feeling panicked, he turned to Ellie. “What do I do?”
She still held the screaming red-headed child, gently patting her on the back. “Have him help you get the toys out of the cupboard. He likes to play cars.”
The next thirty minutes were pandemonium. Nick thought he would have time to talk to Ellie, but he was far too busy. Mr. and Mrs. Howard were nice, but only seemed to handle one child at a time. Ellie held Megan who would forget she was supposed to be crying and start to have fun, and then she’d remember and start wailing again.
Nick sat on the floor surrounded by half a dozen kids, playing cars with them. Dawson stood up and sat down on his lap. From the pungent smell emanating from the kid, Nick was ready to call it quits.
He turned to find Ellie watching him, her lips tipped up into a soft smile. He’d like a moment to analyze that look, but the little boy took priority. “Uh, Ellie? I think…this one is a little ripe, and I have no idea how to change a diaper.”
Her eyes twinkled, and she laughed. “You’re not going to learn how to in here.”
“I’m not?” He swallowed hard.
She stood up, keeping a hold of Megan. “This is where we play can-we-find-mommy-or-daddy. Hopefully they haven’t ditched and gone home for an hour of free babysitting services.”
A bead of perspiration formed across his forehead. “What if I can’t find them?”
Megan started crying full bore again as Ellie walked toward him. “I promise, Nick, you will not have to change a diaper. I don’t want you quitting on your first day.”
He cast her a grateful look. “Thanks.”
Ellie smiled coyly then handed over the screaming child. “I’ll take Dawson to his parents. Just hold onto Megan until I get back.”
Huh? Then the scent of Dawson wafted past him and he nodded his head. “Okay.” He patted Megan’s back soothingly, peering at Ellie over the child’s head. “You’ll come back, right?”
She grinned and picked up the little boy. “I’ll be back.”
As soon as she left, Nick realized Megan had stopped crying. He looked down into her bright blue eyes, wondering if she was just taking a break. Then she stuck her thumb in her mouth and laid her head on his shoulder. The warmest feeling enveloped him, making him want a little girl of his own. But the child he imagined holding had blonde ringlets, blue-green eyes and a smile just like her mother’s.
When Ellie returned, Megan sat nestled in his arms, listening to the book being read by Mrs. Howard. A few times, Nick caught Ellie watching him with the same thoughtful expression as before. It gave him hope and he couldn’t wait to talk to her.
Watching her teach the children cute little songs along with the actions increased his resolve to be with her. When Ellie announced it was time for the lesson, he was skeptical. However, it was truly miraculous when she taught them a simple story about Jesus. Who would have thought he would have a spiritual experience in the nursery?
* * *
Ellie covertly watched Nick as he held Megan close. The little girl hadn’t even so much as whimpered, unless he tried putting her down. She didn’t blame the little girl. Who wouldn’t want those arms around them?
Although Ellie tried being stealthy, Nick managed to catch her staring at him multiple times. It embarrassed her, she probably had desperately available written all over her face. Her eyes had a will of their own and kept straying to watch as the big, broad-shouldered football player held a little girl and played make-believe with the other children.
Someday Nick would be a great father. She knew the cut of his suit was expensive, but he didn’t seem to mind the sticky little hands and faces that would certainly require the suit to be dry cleaned. He was a really good sport about it all. By the time church ended, Ellie was hopelessly in love with the man.
As soon as the parents came to get their children, Ellie started to clean up. An obnoxious, sports fanatic father started talking loudly to Nick.
“Hey, man, it looks like you had a nice time in L.A. I can’t believe the women you get to meet.” The man pulled out a piece of paper and showed it to Nick.
Ellie saw Nick stiffen. He grasped the paper and then folded it in half. The man started to protest, but stopped when Nick sent him an icy stare. “Don’t believe everything you read. That particular shot was taken when she asked me if I could introduce her to a former teammate of mine.”
The man laughed nervously. “Yeah, well at least that must be nice to have someone that gorgeous even talk to you.”
Nick didn’t reply, but handed the guy a picture his daughter had colored. The man left in a hurry while Nick moved to the back of the room to gather up his suit coat. “I’ll be right back,” he said, briefly looking at Ellie.
She could see the tension in his face. “It’s okay. You don’t need to come back. I only have a few things left to do.”
He looked at her for a few seconds and then nodded his head. Without saying a word, he left. The folded piece of paper fluttered to the floor and Ellie picked it up, slipping it into her bag. Whatever was on that paper had upset him. She would wait to look at it when she got home.
On the way home, Ellie asked Cade all about church and what he had learned. The paper in her bag made her uneasy, making it hard to concentrate on what Cade said. When Ellie pulled into her driveway, she didn’t see Nick’s car. He rarely parked his car in the garage: Where could he be? Part of her had hoped he would be waiting for her to come home.
“Mom, can I watch a movie?” Cade whined as they entered the house. He sounded tired and she needed a second to think.
“Yes, but only one.”
While Cade watched his movie, Ellie picked up her church bag and pulled out the folded piece of paper. Her eyes skimmed over Nick, looking really good in his tux and standing close to a model Ellie recognized. The woman wore a low cut evening gown and had her hand on Nick’s arm, leaning close to him and whispering in his ear. Nick looked attentive and had a small smile on his lips. The caption read: Is Nick Coulter going from Super Bowl to Super Model?
If she hadn’t heard the explanation about the photo, she would have believed they were a couple, or at least interested in each other. Still, how could she not to compare herself to the beautiful woman? Ellie came up lacking in so many areas. Why would Nick want someone like her?
* * *
Nick drove around for nearly half an hour, trying to get his thoughts together. The picture had upset him, mainly because it reminded him of what his life was really like. Maybe if he had his wife by his side it would be different. But how many times had he seen the front page of a tabloid depicting a Hollywood couple looking unhappy with each other and then a caption about them fighting again and rumors of divorce?
The woman he imagined by his side was too innocent for that kind of bad press.
He groaned and
dragged his hand through his hair. Still, he couldn’t see himself letting her go. What if Ellie was willing to weather the tabloids and gossip? Shouldn’t she at least be allowed to make that choice?
He remembered the tender look in her eyes whenever he caught her watching him. Those were looks from a woman who was attracted to him. It had to mean she and Thomas hadn’t worked anything out.
Nick loosened his tie as he turned onto his street. He had always been the type to go after what he wanted—and he wanted Ellie. One way or another he would find out where he stood, and if he even had a chance.
Once inside the house, he yanked off his tie and tossed it onto the couch. As he removed his suit coat, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
Glancing at the screen, he concluded his neighbor must be back in town. “Hey, Betsy.”
“Hi. Are you running? You sound out of breath.”
Nick loved how Betsy never treated him like a celebrity. “As a matter of fact, I’m just running out the door.”
“Where are you going?”
Nick could hear Owen in the background reprimanding his wife for being so nosy. “I’m on my way to talk to Ellie.”
“Oh. I’ve been dying to know what’s going on between the two of you.”
Nick smiled. “That’s what I intend to find out. We haven’t really talked since you left.”
Betsy gasped, then told Owen to drive a little faster. “We should be home in about ten minutes. If you need time to talk to her, we can have Cade come over here.”
Nick tried not to laugh and thanked her for the offer. He purposely left his phone on the table in the entryway. No more phone calls until he talked to Ellie. He jogged across the street and bounded onto her porch. Raising his hand, he rapped his knuckles against the door.
Nick waited for a few seconds before pressing a finger to the doorbell. He wasn’t leaving until he talked to Ellie. A moment later she pulled open the door, her eyes wide with wonder. “Nick.”
“Hi.” He tucked his hands in his pockets. “I wanted to thank you for making my first time in the nursery so nice.”
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