And that terrified him.
Ella paced in the parlor. No lights glowed at such an unearthly hour, but she’d been restless and unable to sleep. Not wanting to disturb Cody, she’d made her way downstairs, releasing her nervous energy with constant movement.
So far, it hadn’t helped.
The visit with her father’s lawyer impacted her more than she cared to admit. Mr. Blackwell had been to their Boston home a number of times. Ella always avoided him. Maybe it was his roaming eyes or his condescending tone. Whatever the reason, she didn’t like him. When he came through the café door, she’d known they were in for a fight.
Ella shivered in the chilly room. Spring might be coming, but for now, a bitter chill hung on through the nights. She turned once more and made her way across the dark room. Moments later, pain exploded in her leg as it hit the corner of a chair.
“Ouch!”
She hopped backward, only to trip over the carpet. A little shriek escaped as she fell to the floor. Her grunt coincided with a light entering the room.
“Ella? Darlin’, where are you?” Cody called.
Mortification joined her pain. Though tempted not to answer and save herself the embarrassment, Ella forced herself to speak. “Behind the chair.”
Within seconds, her husband appeared beside her, his face illuminated by the light of a single candle. He placed it on a table, brows furrowed. “What happened?”
She accepted the hand he offered her. “I had a run-in with the carpet.”
“Why are you here? In the dark?” Cody pulled her up in one fluid motion.
Ella dropped her gaze, staring at the offending carpet. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Sit.”
The order sounded gruff, but she knew him well enough by now to know it was sleep-roughened. His voice was always deeper and raspier in the mornings. For some reason, it made a tingling shiver dance down her spine. She obeyed his one-word command, lowering herself onto the settee.
He sat beside her and reached toward her head. “Are you hurt?”
His fingers connected with the back of her skull. Ella jumped, not from pain, but from the electric jolt that coursed through her at the touch.
Cody froze. “Did I make the pain worse?”
“No. It’s just sore. Nothing major.” Nothing other than her heart beating as fast as Preston at a full gallop.
His fingers prodded her head. Ella closed her eyes. She shouldn’t be enjoying it so much, but in the dim light and with the turmoil of the past day, she didn’t want to think. She simply wanted to feel.
“No bumps.” Cody lowered his hand. Ella almost protested before biting her tongue. He took her hand. “What about your back?”
She shook her head. “It’s fine. The only other place I felt any pain was my leg. I hit it on a chair before you came in.”
Cody reached for the hem of her nightdress before jerking himself upright. “Sorry. I meant to see if it was bleeding. Probably should have asked before trying to look.”
Ella stretched her leg out, lifting her nightgown enough to expose her shin. Her cheeks flushed hot at such an intimate gesture. She focused on her leg, trying to see it in the dim light. “I don’t think there’s blood.”
Her husband leaned forward, taking her calf in hand before lifting it to rest across his lap. Ella sucked in a breath. His fingers moved tenderly over the sore spot. The calluses on his hands, evidence of how hard he worked, left behind goosebumps.
“A bruise is already forming.” Cody frowned. “It looks like it’s going to be a nasty one.”
Ella slid her leg from his lap, letting her nightdress fall back into place. “I’ve always bruised easily. It’s probably not as bad as it looks.”
“Hmm.” Cody stood, extending his hand again. “Why don’t you walk for a minute to see how it feels?”
Ella let him pull her up. She paced the room after releasing his hand. Her shin stung, but she could walk fine. “See?” She came to a stop in front of him. “It’ll heal soon enough.”
Cody’s eyes flickered in the candlelight. “Why couldn’t you sleep?”
