He grunted. “Wow, you’re pretty much perfect, then.”
In the dim dome light of the pickup cab, he could see her cheeks turn pink. Man, if he could just affect her like that all the time, it would be awesome. Even if she didn’t want to date, she needed a friend. He’d been in that zone more than once. It wasn’t the most desirable position to be in, but he could handle it. Ellie needed it too. Maybe he’d babysit from time to time so Molly could take a break and go out.
“Come on. Maybe Bandit’s baked some cookies.” Josiah shut the door, pulled the back door open, and grabbed the luggage. After slamming the door, he rounded the back of the pickup bed and stopped next to Molly.
Once they were inside the house, Josiah said, “I’ll show you—”
“Hey!” Carrie Anne said softly as she walked into the living room. She must not have seen Molly and Ellie at first because her eyes widened as she stopped a few feet from them. “Mom is going to want an explanation.”
Josiah set the luggage down. “This is a friend of mine.” He paused, trying to find a way to phrase Molly’s family situation. “Her family couldn’t make it into town, and I invited her to ours.” Smiling, he turned to Molly. “Carrie Anne, this is Molly, and the baby she’s holding is Ellie.”
His sister narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, and inwardly, Josiah cringed. The meddler-matchmaker had just set her sights on him. He’d have to make it clear that Molly didn’t want to date. They were just friends.
Carrie Anne stepped closer, taking a peek at Ellie. “Oh, she’s beautiful.”
Molly smiled. “Thanks. I think so too, but I’m biased.”
Ellie gurgled and wiggled a little. Man, he loved that. Well, he loved her. It hadn’t taken much. Not only did he want kids, but he cared about Molly, and they were a package deal.
“You might be biased, but you aren’t wrong,” Josiah said. He paused before asking, “I guess you guys weren’t playing cards?”
Carrie Anne nodded. “We were until about an hour ago. I couldn’t sleep and just came down to get something to drink really quick.”
In a way, Josiah was glad everyone was in bed. Giving Molly a chance to get settled before they descended on her seemed like a good idea. Picking up the luggage, Josiah yawned. “I think sleep sounds like a great idea.”
Molly nodded. “Yeah, I need to get Ellie changed and fed.”
They followed Carrie Anne up the stairs. When they reached the second floor, she whispered just loud enough that they could hear, “Israel and I are here on the right. Mom and Dad are across the hall. Gabby’s parents are staying with her and Wyatt at the orchard. Hunter and Reagan are in the room next to Mom and Dad. Bear built on to the house this past year, so he’s downstairs.”
Josiah’s eyebrows lifted to his hairline. “Added on?” He’d had no idea Bear was doing that, but he could kind of see Bear wanting to. While he loved having the family over for the holidays, he also loved his solitude. Plus, he woke up pretty early to take care of the animals. “Wow.”
Nodding, Carrie Anne replied, “Yeah, I was a little surprised, but not much. I kinda think he’s still mad at me for putting him on that dating website.”
“It’s like you have ESPN or something.” Josiah laughed.
Carrie Anne’s expression was blank. “What?”
He sighed. “Never mind.”
By the wide-eyed looked Molly was giving him, Josiah knew he’d need to tell her what happened. “I’ll explain later,” he said, leaning in.
“You’re so weird.” His sister yawned again. “Night. I’ll see you guys in the morning.” She slipped into her room and left Josiah and Molly in the hallway.
He knew his sister didn’t mean the little remark as a real dig at him, but it was late, and he was tired after driving.
He tipped his head toward the rooms down the hall. “I say we take those at the end of the hallway. It’ll keep down some of the noise.”
She nodded and walked with him. “Your sister put your brother on a dating website?”
As he reached the room on the right, he said, “Yeah, and he was ticked. It was one of those things that was funny as long as it wasn’t happening to you.” He paused. “Left or right?”
“Uh, right is fine.”
Josiah set his luggage down and took hers into the room, setting it on the chair near the window. “If you want, I’ll go make Ellie a bottle while you change her. I bet she’s hungry.”
“Actually, that sounds like a good plan,” Molly replied as she laid Ellie on the bed.
He slipped the diaper bag off his shoulder onto the bed and handed Molly a diaper before fishing out the formula and bottle. “I’ll put my stuff in my room and then be right back.” He smiled.
Molly touched his arm. “I don’t know if I’ve said this yet, but thank you.” She slightly lifted on her toes and kissed his cheek. “You’re a really great guy.”
Really great guy. The worst three-word combination ever, aside from let’s be friends. It wasn’t like he could say anything. She’d been clear, and he wasn’t about to challenge her on it. Ellie was priority, and he understood that. From Molly’s perspective, dating would be challenging. It wasn’t just her heart that could get broken anymore; it was Ellie’s too.
“Sure.” He smiled and walked out of the room.
At least now he had a picture of exactly what he wanted: a wife, some kids, and all the adventures that entailed. The only downside was that Molly pretty much fit his mold of perfect. Again, he’d just have to settle for friendship. Not great, but better than nothing.
Chapter 6
Resting her head against the back of the tub, Molly closed her eyes. She’d kissed Josiah on the cheek. It had happened before her brain even kicked in, but he’d deserved a kiss on the cheek. No, he’d deserved a real kiss for being…him.
He’d offered to feed Ellie and let her take a bath. As far as gifts go, this had to be her favorite. It had been forever since she’d taken a real, relaxing bath. Her babysitter was awesome, but Molly couldn’t justify paying for an extra hour just to be leisurely.
How was the man still single? He was kind and caring and compassionate. He seemed to use his whole heart when it came to people. She’d seen the little downturn of his lips when his sister had called him weird. If Molly hadn’t just met her or known she was family, she probably would have said something. Even if it was just being playful, it hurt him, and Molly didn’t like that at all.
The world needed more weird guys like Josiah. The kind who changed a baby’s toxic poopy diapers and let their moms take baths. All without complaint or begrudging the inconvenience. He just…offered. It was genuine and sweet, and her rule was being challenged every minute she spent with him.
Groaning loudly, she wiped her face with her hands. How many times had her mom cried when a relationship ended? Then she would pick up the pieces of her broken heart and start the dating process all over again. That was not going to be Molly’s life. It was definitely not going to be Ellie’s.
With the water cooling off, she decided it was time to get out. Once she was dressed, she walked across the hall and stopped in the doorway. Based on the soft snores she was hearing, he’d fallen asleep on the bed, and she guessed by the fact that he was now wearing a dark gray t-shirt and that his button-up shirt was piled on the floor next to the bed that Ellie had spit up on him.
She quietly crossed the room and peeked over his shoulder. A man had never been more attractive to her than in that moment. Josiah was curled around Ellie, and she was just as sound asleep with her hand wrapped around his finger. He’d changed her clothes, which confirmed her suspicion that Ellie spit up not only on him but herself as well.
Now she was in a quandary. Should she try to take Ellie and risk waking her or both of them up, or did she wait until Ellie woke up later, wanting to be fed? If she waited, the baby would wake up Josiah, so Molly leaned over as easily as she could and went to lift Ellie. The moment she tried, Josiah curled around her tighter.
&
nbsp; She set her hands on her hips, chewing the inside of her cheek, trying to figure out a way to pick up Ellie without waking him up. Again, she leaned over, and Josiah stirred.
“Hey,” she said. “I was going to take Ellie so you can sleep. She’ll wake up in a few hours, wanting to be fed.”
“Oh.” He rubbed his eyes. “She’s okay. Why don’t you take the night and rest? I don’t mind getting up with her.” Like it was instinct, he looked back at Ellie and kissed her forehead.
It took work for Molly’s jaw not to hit the floor. It had been more than six weeks since she’d had the luxury of a full night’s sleep—encompassing the week leading up to Ellie’s birth and the entire time since she came home. “Are you sure?”
Without looking up, he took Molly’s hand. “You’re a great mom. You deserve some rest. I’ve got her, and I promise I won’t let anything happen to her.”
Tears pooled in her eyes, and she paused before answering, “Okay. Thank you.” She turned, walked to the door, and took a quick look back before walking across the hall.
If she didn’t watch it, before this trip was over, she’d fall for him. She’d known he was kind and generous, and now he was adding to her growing list of things she liked about him.
Charming, funny, sweet, and loving. Unfortunately, many of the guys her mom had dated fell into that category too. Molly would get attached and then be crushed when they left, never to be seen again. Oh, they always promised to keep in touch, but none of them had. That’s not the life she wanted for her daughter. Molly didn’t want Ellie to ever question the adults in her life and their love for her. Having to question that had made Molly grow up too quickly. Her plan for Ellie’s future was for her to be a kid for as long as possible.
Molly liked Josiah, but she loved Ellie. Making the choice to adopt her meant putting her first, and that was exactly what Molly was going to do too.
* * *
Sunlight hit Molly’s face as she turned over, facing the window. It was enough of a shock that she bolted upright. How long had it been since she’d seen the sun when she woke up? The better question was, what time was it? She quickly grabbed her phone, and her eyes widened.
Noon.
Noon? It was a good thing Josiah’s family ate Thanksgiving Dinner later in the day, or she’d have missed it. She dropped her phone and scrambled out of bed, rushing out of the room and into Josiah’s…empty room. Where was he? Where was Ellie? She raked her hand through her hair, and just as she started to race out of his room, she paused. Josiah had Ellie. If there was one thing Molly was confident about, it was that Josiah would keep her safe.
Closing her eyes, she sucked in a lungful of air and let it out slowly. It was so strange to have someone helping her that it took her brain a second to catch up. Sheesh, not only did she need to keep her wits when it came to Josiah, but she needed to remember that all this help wasn’t going to last. The start to the new year was going to be hard on her.
“Hey, Happy Thanksgiving!” Josiah said as he strolled into his room with Ellie. “Did you sleep well?” His eyebrows knitted together, and he tilted his head. “Are you okay?”
She nodded and cast her gaze to the floor. “Yeah, it took me a second to realize Ellie was with you. I haven’t had her long, but I guess I’m used to taking care of her alone.”
He stepped closer and held Ellie out to her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about that.”
Molly took her and smiled down at her. “Hi.” She nuzzled Ellie with her nose and kissed her. When she looked up, Josiah’s shoulders were sagging.
“I should have…left you a note or something. I’m really sorry.”
Unlike her last boyfriend, Josiah meant it when he said he was sorry. It was completely endearing. “It’s okay. Really. Thank you for letting me sleep in. How was she last night?”
“She was awesome.” A smile lit up his face. Not only was he bad at keeping secrets, but she’d wipe the floor with him if they ever played poker. He was just so cute. It must have been a long night. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ve noticed you looking a little tired for a while. I thought you could use the rest.”
Molly grinned. “I did, and it was amazing. The bed is out-of-this-world comfortable. I don’t even remember my head hitting the pillow.” She handed Ellie back to him. “I think I should grab a shower, and then maybe you can introduce me to some of your family.” She was eager to meet the people responsible for the incredible guy who made her knees weak.
His eyes sparkled as he took Ellie from her. “Sure. Mom has an extra stroller, so if you want, we can go for a walk. Or we can just hang out inside. I’m open for whatever.”
“Okay.” She raked her hand through her hair. “Maybe I can do a little cleaning or help with the food before eating.”
“Uh.” He winced.
She narrowed her eyes. “You had no intention of letting me work, did you?”
Josiah smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “No.”
Groaning, Molly took a deep breath and palmed her cheek. “Josiah. You are…sweet. Thank you for inviting me.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied. “I was going to change Ellie and go back downstairs, but I can wait for you.”
Shaking her head, she said, “That’s okay. You’re home to visit with your family. I think I’ll be able to find you.”
He caught her gaze and held it. “I want you to know that I respect you as her mom, so if I’m doing something you don’t like, just tell me.”
Every time she thought Josiah couldn’t get any better, he did something else that just blew her away. She stepped closer to him, placing her hand on his forearm. “I know you do. Except when it comes to car seats.” She chuckled.
“I was right about that, though.” He gave her a cheesy grin.
“You think you’re so funny.”
Their laughter tapered down, and suddenly it was hard to breathe. This adorable guy holding her little girl was the hottest thing since grilled cheese, and he was looking at her like the world had disappeared. “Molly…I…” He stepped back. “I should let you get ready. No rush, okay?”
Just as quickly as the moment started, it was over. If Molly was a betting woman, she’d have bet the farm he was about to kiss her. And if she was sincere, she’d have let him. Which meant it was a good thing he didn’t.
“Thank you for helping with her.” Molly curled her fingers around his hand and squeezed. “I can’t tell you how much it’s meant to me to have a little break.” She hung her head. “That makes me sound horrible.”
He tipped her chin up with one finger, and the normally funny, goofy guy was looking at her with such intensity she nearly gulped. “No, it doesn’t. You’re a great mother, and she is blessed to have you. You didn’t have to step up and adopt her, but you did. I think you deserve a Mom of the Year award.”
Tears pooled in Molly’s eyes, and Josiah gave her a one-armed hug. “I like helping, okay? If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have invited you. I wouldn’t have offered to watch her. You’re awesome…and I thought that before I knew you had Ellie. Now you’re awesome with a cape.” He smiled.
“‘No capes!’” She laughed.
His shoulders bounced as he laughed and took his finger from her chin. “I should have known you’d come back with that.”
“I think I could hold an entire conversation using movie quotes.” She grinned. “Thank you.” She looked down. “That barely scratches the surface of how grateful I am.”
“My surface feels very scratched.”
She jerked her attention up and snickered as his entire head turned beat red.
“I’m going to go now before I choke on my own foot.” He walked to the door, and she followed him.
“Josiah?”
He turned, and his gaze didn’t quite meet hers. “Yeah?”
“I’ll see you downstairs in a few.”
“Okay.”
She walked into her room, shut the door, and groaned. That man. He crossed her
t’s, dotted her i’s, and made her winded. She’d been in trouble before they got to Caprock Canyon. Now she was white-knuckling the side of a cliff, tempted to just let go.
Her head and her heart were in a mud-wrestling contest, and neither knew which end was up.
No dating. No dating. No dating. Maybe if she repeated it enough times, she wouldn’t forget it.
Chapter 7
She’d scratched his surface? Inwardly, Josiah groaned. He was an idiot. Who said stuff like that to a woman? Apparently, he did because he liked the taste of leather. Or, well, whatever his house shoes were made of. Maybe terry? He looked down and then wanted to smack himself. It didn’t matter how the shoe tasted, just the fact that he’d stuffed it in his mouth.
Add to it the near-kiss. If he hadn’t stepped back when he did, he would’ve kissed her. Talk about blowing it. They still had weeks left of the holiday, and the last thing he wanted was her upset with him.
Ellie gurgled in his arms as he sat in the recliner in the living room. He smiled down at her. Every minute he spent with her, he only wanted more.
“I see you're using your baby powers,” Carrie Anne said as she took a seat on the couch adjacent to him. “She’s beautiful.”
“Yeah, she is.” He smiled.
“And you like her mom too.” Carrie Anne wagged a finger at him. “A lot.”
He couldn’t deny that. “I do, but as a friend. Molly doesn’t want to date, and I need to respect that.”
Besides, he didn’t want to start a relationship with Molly—if he could start one—unless he told her about the money. No, it didn’t change him as a person, but what if it changed her?
Plus, his real estate career was his first priority. He’d helped his latest commercial client narrow down the properties that would work. When he got back to Dallas, he’d be focusing on that for a while. Not that he didn’t want to help Molly—he would do that—but full-time care was something he couldn’t do at the moment.
His sister lifted an eyebrow. “Doesn’t want to date? Why?”
The Housekeeper's Billionaire Boss (Caprock Canyon Romance Book 3) Page 4