Secretly Smitten (9 page)

Isabelle smiled, though it was more of a grimace. “How about I take Sophia with me? You can join us after you’ve showered.”

“Have you looked at her? She’s in worse shape than I am.”

Sophia’s red-and-white shorts outfit was muddy and her hands were filthy. A black smudge ran across her right cheek where she’d swiped her palm. Tess wanted to sweep the child away before Isabelle could wrinkle her nose, but it wasn’t her place.

Sophia stared up at her aunt. “I can take a bath at Grandma’s house. I don’t mind.”

“You don’t have clean clothes there,” Ryan said. “We’ll get cleaned up at our house. It won’t take long,” he said quickly when her face started to pucker. “The sooner we get to it, the sooner we get there.”

“Want me to help?” The words had spilled out before Tess could stop them. Her cheeks burned and she wanted to run.

“That would be great,” Ryan said even as Isabelle shook her head.

Isabelle’s lips flattened and she glared at Tess before recovering her composure. “That’s nice of you, Tess, but really, it makes more sense for me to bathe Sophia. I’m her aunt, after all.” She put her hand on the little girl’s head. “Wouldn’t you like me to help you get a bath?”

Sophia’s lips quivered and she shook her head. “Tess can help me if we’re going to my house. You’ve never been to my house. Tess knows where my bathroom is.”

“Fine,” Isabelle snapped. “See you in a little while.” She wheeled and rushed to her car, a white Mercedes convertible. The tires squealed as she drove off.

“Sorry,” Ryan said. “You sure you want to help Sophia get ready? I can do it.”

“I want Tess,” Sophia said, grabbing Tess’s hand.

“The princess has spoken,” Tess said. “I can meet you there.”

“No, ride with us. I’ll be coming right back past the train station on the way to the Morgans’ place.”

Tess was dying to know what the situation was between Ryan and his in-laws. It was clear he thought they didn’t pay enough attention to Sophia. What a shame. The knowledge made little Sophia even more endearing.

There was nothing more precious than a freshly bathed child with damp hair and skin. Tess toweled off Sophia’s hair, then helped her don a frilly lavender dress. She pulled the top and sides of the little girl’s hair back and put it in a big matching bow. The white tights were still in a package, and the patent leather shoes didn’t appear to have been worn either.

“You look beautiful,” Tess said, standing back to admire Sophia.

Sophia’s smile didn’t match her somber eyes. “You think Grandma will like me?”

Tess knelt and hugged her. “I’m sure she loves you very much.”

“She doesn’t like me to get her carpet dirty. But my shoes are new. I’ll be careful not to mess up anything. And I need to not be loud.”

It was all Tess could do to keep the reassuring smile on her face. What kind of woman wouldn’t want to spend as much time as she could with a granddaughter as precious as Sophia? It was clear the child desperately wanted her grandmother’s approval. Even though Ryan was a devoted father, a little girl missed a mother’s touch and attention.

Tess kissed the smooth cheek scented with soap. “Just be yourself, sweetheart. Anyone would be lucky to have you as a granddaughter. You’re kind, loving, and a hard worker. Look at all you got done today.”

Sophia’s expression was still troubled. “Daddy doesn’t like going there.”

Tess didn’t want to pry. Well, she did, but she wasn’t going to. She released Sophia and rose. “I’m sure you will both have a great time tonight.” She glanced at her watch. “Let’s go find your dad. It’s time to go.”

She took Sophia by the hand, and they found Ryan in the hall running a comb through his damp hair. He looked good too. He wore a blazer over tan slacks and his shoes looked freshly shined. No tie, though. She couldn’t imagine Ryan in a tie and wished she could peek into his closet and see if he owned one. The spicy cologne he wore made her suppress a sneeze. It was stronger than the usual light scent. Had he put it on for Isabelle?

Tess wanted to believe he had no interest in Candace’s sister, but she’d seen the Morgan girls in action for years. They usually got what they wanted. And Tess had no doubt that Isabelle wanted Ryan.

Sophia ran to him. “Daddy, you smell nice.”

“Thanks, honey. Shoo-ee, aren’t you gorgeous!” He took her hand and twirled her around. “Like a princess.” He went down on one knee. “May I escort you to the ball at Grandma’s house tonight?”

Sophia giggled. “Okay, Daddy. Can I sit in the front with you?”

Ryan’s smile vanished. “Oh, the prince must make sure the princess is safe in the back. She is much too precious to risk. But we’ll be to Grandma’s in a f lash, and the princess can be escorted with style to the front door.”

“Yay!” Sophia glanced at Tess. “I want Miss Tess to come with us.”

Ryan glanced at Tess and their eyes locked. His were so warm, almost caressing. For a moment, Tess could almost believe he held tender feelings for her. She told herself it was a trick of the light, but he continued to stare. A shiver played up and down her spine. She couldn’t look away, and her mouth went dry at his expression.

Sophia tugged at his hand. “Daddy! Can Miss Tess come?”

“I can’t, sweetheart,” Tess said, saving him the explanation. “I’m a mess too. There’s no time for me to change, and you wouldn’t want me to get in trouble with your grandma, would you?”

“No-o.” Sophia’s expression went from doubt to displeasure. “You should have taken a bath.”

“I didn’t have clean clothes, and I needed to get the princess ready for the ball.”

“Can I take Grandma some of the peanut butter cookies I made?” Without waiting for a reply, Sophia darted down the hall and across the living room toward the kitchen.

“Sorry our evening got derailed,” Ryan said.

Tess’s pulse pounded in her ears. “Our evening?”

“I’d hoped we’d spend it together. Maybe going through the attic some more.”

“Oh. Of course.”
Idiot. Of course he was talking about the attic.

“Want to come over after church tomorrow?”

“I have a family dinner with my mom and sisters at Grandma’s house. If I skip out again this soon, I’ll be in big trouble.”

His expression fell. “Oh.”

An invitation to dinner hovered on the tip of her tongue, but she didn’t dare speak it. They were friends only, and he might mistake the invitation for more. She couldn’t face that embarrassment. “I could come over late afternoon, though, if that’s okay.”

“We always have popcorn and hot fudge sundaes for Sunday supper.”

“Then I’ll definitely be here.”

“I thought so.”

The banter between them lifted her heart. If nothing else came of this search for her grandmother’s lost love, at least she had made a friend. And that’s
all
he was. A friend. She couldn’t compete with the likes of Isabelle Morgan.

He took her hand. “What would you think about going to dinner one night? Just you and me. I can get a sitter, and we could go to Stowe.”

Her heart stuttered, then resumed its even thump. His thumb traced a lazy circle in her palm that did something funny to her stomach. “That sounds lovely.”

“Friday?”

“I’m free.”

“Do you close on Friday?”

“No, I get off at five.”

“Six okay, then? Will that give you enough time?”

“Perfect.” She was barely able to push the word out with what little breath remained in her lungs.

She told herself not to assume too much. Maybe he just wanted to talk to her as a friend. But if he wanted to ask her advice about Isabelle, she didn’t know if she could handle it.

CHAPTER NINE

T
he atmosphere in the Morgan home was always so formal that Ryan found it easier to watch quietly. Ursula had managed not to shudder when Sophia proudly gave her the cookies. And to be fair, she’d even eaten one after dinner. Owen was warmer than Ursula. Round and bald, he had Sophia on one knee as often as he could. Ryan suspected that he would have had his granddaughter over to visit more often if he had his way. But Ursula ruled the roost.

Ryan had been seated next to Ursula at the table out on the deck, and she had chattered away until his unease dissipated. After Candace died, he’d longed for a closer family. Maybe they were actually going to try now. His own parents had moved to Florida after he took over the creamery, and he’d stopped by his in-laws’ several times with Sophia in the weeks and months after his wife’s death. Though Ursula had been cordial, he could see her mentally ticking off the minutes. And he’d suspected she blamed him for her daughter’s death. Sophia too. If Candace had never given birth, she wouldn’t have suffered the brain aneurysm. Ursula had even said as much in the first hours after Candace died. She’d apologized, but now that Ryan knew how she felt, it was difficult to maintain the front of one big happy family.

The sun had set, but they still sat on the deck listening to the music waft over the treetops from the festivities going on downtown. Every Friday and Saturday night the Garner sisters performed. They were excellent too. A couple of them—he forgot which ones—had even played professionally. He thought it might have been Tess’s grandmother, Rose. His heart warmed at the thought of her.

And she’d said yes to his invitation. When he got home later, he intended to replay every flicker of her lashes and every smile. Surely she felt a little something for him, didn’t she?

He realized Isabelle had been talking to him. “Sorry?”

“You were in a faraway place,” she said, smiling.

“I didn’t mean to be rude. How are you liking being back in Smitten?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Small-town life is so boring. We don’t even have a Macy’s. Though the spa in town is topnotch.” She twisted a lock of lustrous hair around her finger. “And I found the most unique spa down the road. Mocha Day Spa. Carly Westlake’s place in Spring Creek. I had a dark chocolate wrap. The aroma was to die for.”

He couldn’t imagine anything worse than being wrapped up in sticky chocolate. “Chocolate for your skin?”

“It’s a wonderful antioxidant.”

Was he seriously having this conversation? “Have you found a job yet?”

She fluttered her lashes his way. “Are you offering me one?”

“No, I’ve got plenty of workers. And I don’t think you’d like dipping ice cream or working on the line to get the cheese out the door. You might chip your nails.” He smiled to take the sting out of his words. There would be much wailing in the land if she ever wrapped her long, slim fingers around an ice cream scoop.

Her smile faded and she shrugged. “I’ve looked around a bit. In a town the size of Smitten, there isn’t much demand for a life coach.”

“A life coach? That’s what you do? What is that?” He knew his tone had been wrong as soon as she tipped her chin up and glared at him. He spread out his hands. “Sorry, I’ve never heard of it.”

“I help people determine and achieve their life goals.”

“Sort of like a personal cheerleader?” No wonder she couldn’t find a job. It sounded like a lot of psychology mumbo-jumbo. His motto was just to plunge in and do what needed to be done.

“Not exactly.” She pressed her lips together. “Let’s talk about something else.”