Ella caught her bottom lip between her teeth. Cody’s gaze automatically followed the movement, but he snapped it back up to her eyes. There was no reason for him to look at her lips. Ever.
“My father will try to find me, Travis. If I’m married, he’ll have no hold on me.” She lifted her chin. “This is not a selfless offer. I need that protection Mr. Brooks mentioned as much as he needs a mother for his children.”
Cody frowned, wondering yet again what happened to make Ella leave her home. Not just leave home but offer to marry a near stranger to escape her family for good.
“Hmm.” Travis leaned back in his chair. His glance flicked between them. A slow smile spread over his face as he settled on Ella. “That’s a good idea. I’ve been wracking my brain for a solution to your problem. This fixes everything.”
“Well, perhaps not everything, but it would be mutually beneficial.” Ella glanced at Cody before returning her gaze to Travis. “You trust him, right?”
Travis gave a firm nod. “With my life.”
Ella relaxed into her chair. “That’s all I need to know.”
Travis turned to Cody. His brows quirked. “You haven’t said anything, my friend. What’re you thinking?”
Cody pursed his lips. “I don’t know what to think. This would help, but it could also be a terrible idea.”
Ella’s cheeks reddened.
Travis crossed his arms. “What do you mean?”
Though his friend asked the question, Cody directed his answer to Ella. “I mean, being a rancher’s wife isn’t easy. The house is a decent size, but nothing compared to what you must have known. It’s hard work from dawn to dusk. You’d be responsible for all the household chores and cooking, not to mention watching the children. I don’t know how you were raised, Miss Mountbatten, but I’m betting maids and cooks were involved.”
She stared down at Jonah. “They were.”
Her hands trembled. Blast it, he’d frightened her again. He forced himself to take on a soothing tone. “Ma’am, it’s not that I think you can’t learn. I’m worried that you’ll find yourself overwhelmed.”
Ella squared her shoulders, meeting his eyes. “I assure you, Mr. Brooks, a life on your ranch would be preferable to what’s waiting for me in Boston should my father find me. And he will. Travis had a telegram from him yesterday. I’m running out of time.”
Cody studied the little boy curled up in Ella’s arms. Jonah had fallen asleep, much like Addie had earlier. It was clear both children trusted her. That was miraculous. If he sent for a mail-order bride, there was no guarantee the children would like her. With Ella, two out of three did. And Isaiah hadn’t been outright rude to her—at least not yet.
Travis chimed in. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is a decision that needs to be made fast. The preacher leaves tomorrow morning, and we have no idea when he’ll be back. It’s been two months since he was last here.”
Dread crawled through Cody’s gut. Things were moving far too quickly. Ella’s face had gone white. On impulse, he rounded the table to sit in the chair beside her. She looked up at him, eyes widening. “Miss Mountbatten…”
“Ella.”
Surprised at her interruption, he stared for a moment. “What?”
“Call me Ella.” Her mouth turned up in a faint smile. “If we’re going to marry, we might as well be on a first name basis.”
“All right…Ella.” Her name felt strange on his tongue. “Are you certain this is what you want?”
She swallowed. “It’s not so much what I want. It’s what I need. It’s what you need. What other option do we have?”
She was right. Their options were limited. This opportunity had presented itself in a providential way. But to commit the rest of their lives together? That would be stepping into unknown territory. He knew as much about being a husband as he did about being a father.
What do I do, Lord? Is this the answer?
No audible answer came, but peace settled in Cody’s soul. Maybe that was answer enough. He didn’t like that there was no time for discernment, but Travis knew Ella and wasn’t objecting. That spoke to her character.
“I can’t promise you love.”
Now where had that come from? It was the truth, but to blurt it out like that?
Ella didn’t flinch. “That’s fine. Neither can I.”
At least they were in agreement. He nodded slowly. “We’re actually doing this?”
