His horse didn’t look convinced.
“I suppose I need to face her, don’t I?”
Preston nickered.
Cody chuckled. “Thanks, boy. Leave it to me to get a scolding from a horse.” He patted Preston once more, then hoisted Ella’s carpetbag and carried it to the house.
Utter silence met him as he walked inside. He climbed the stairs with a growing sense of trepidation. When he reached the top step, he heard someone singing. The sound was so foreign, he stopped in his tracks. Moments later, reason caught up. It was his new wife singing. He crept toward the children’s room and peeked in.
Ella stood by the crib, rocking Addie back and forth. Her voice tapered off as she lowered the baby onto the mattress. She tucked a blanket around the girl, then softly ran a finger down her cheek. Ella then went to the bed, leaning down to kiss both boys on the forehead. She lingered by Isaiah, holding a hand over his forehead. The little boy murmured in his sleep. With one more light, maternal caress, Ella turned for the door.
She stopped cold when she saw him watching.
Cody held up a hand. “Sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Ella studied him for a moment, then resumed her walk to the door. “It’s all right.” She gestured toward the children. “They’re asleep.”
“Good.” Cody beckoned for her to follow him. “I’ll show you our room.”
He said it as casually as he could, but even so, Ella released a sharp gasp. He dared not glance back lest he catch a horrified expression on her face. He should turn and give some kind of reassurance, but he couldn’t muster the courage. Instead, he increased his pace until he reached the room, where he plunked the carpetbag on the bed.
The only bed.
Ella’s footsteps sounded behind him. Well, if she hadn’t run screaming for the hills, maybe that was a good sign.
Cody faced her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about the room arrangements…”
She stepped forward, shaking her head. “It’s not your fault. That’s not something I thought of either.” She looked at the bed, and her throat contracted. “I suppose we will be sharing that?” Her voice sounded small and nervous.
He shook his head before realizing what he did. “I can bunk on the floor.”
Ella’s teeth sank into her bottom lip. She stared at the planks beneath her boots. “I don’t want to be the reason you can’t sleep in your own bed.”
“I’ll be fine.” Cody squared his shoulders. It would be freezing on the floor, but she didn’t need to know that. “I’ll just grab an extra blanket while you get ready for bed.”
He slipped from the room before she could reply. The only extra blankets he had were old horse blankets in the barn, so he’d need to make another trip outside. Frigid air surrounded him as he dashed to the outbuilding and retrieved the blankets. His nose wrinkled at the smell, but it was better than spending the night cold.
Well…less cold, at least.
He trudged back up the stairs and walked through the open door to his—their—room.. Ella squeaked. Something clattered to the floor. Cody was rendered mute, transfixed by the sight before him. His wife stood beside the bed in a modest nightdress. Auburn waves cascaded over her shoulders and fell to her waist. Her beauty smacked him like a physical force. The strangest urge to reach out and feel whether her hair was as soft as it looked overwhelmed him.
He cleared his throat, cheeks warming. “I…uh…sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”
Ella twisted her fingers together. She looked anywhere but at him. “It’s fine.”
Cody dumped the blankets on the floor at the foot of the bed. He reached for the hairbrush that had fallen from her hands when he barged in. “Here.”
“Thanks.” She all but whispered the word.
They stood in awkward silence for a few moments. When Cody couldn’t take the tension any longer, he rubbed a hand over his jaw. “You should sleep.”
Ella fidgeted with the brush. Her mouth opened, then closed. She put the brush on the small nightstand before crawling under the bedcovers. Cody arranged the blankets on the floor. Without bothering to change his clothes, he lay down on the hard wood. Cold nipped against him. He bit back a sigh and closed his eyes.
It was going to be a long night.
Ella chewed on her lip. Cody grunted and moved yet again. Would he be able to fall asleep at all? It felt like hours had passed since they went to bed, and he still hadn’t settled.
Guilt smothered her. He would be exhausted come morning. She drew in a breath.Can I invite a stranger into my…his bed?Her heart thumped hard. Fear clutched her, and in that moment, she wasn’t sure if it was stronger than the guilt.
