That night, when Elise changed for bed,a light smile touched her face. She had played cards with Mr. Cade most of the morning, until it was time for luncheon. She was running low on eggs, so he offered to trek out to the cellar for her. While she was still a bit anxious around him, the story he’d told her had touched her heart. Granted, it could have merely been a tale meant to dupe her into letting her guard down, but she’d seen the pain behind his dark eyes, even if the boy in the picture didn’t look exactly like his father.
She took the box of tokens and lovingly tucked them back into her hope chest. Before she shut the lid, she stroked a hand over the delicate material of her mother’s wedding dress. There had been a time when she’d imagined she might have worn it on her own special day when she married someone who loved her as her father had adored her mother. But when it became obvious that most of the boys she’d grown up with in Charming looked at her as though she was some sort of oddity to be shunned, and without any other opportunities to meet someone new, she had resigned herself to a lifetime of solitude.
For two years, she had spent endless days and even longer nights in this isolated cabin, never thinking that life could be any differentfromthis.
All it took was a single night in a blustery snowstorm for her to imagine that what she’dalwaysthought had been acceptable might no longer be an option. As much as she loved her flowers, perhaps it was time she moved on, away from Charming. Maybe she should leave Texas altogether and headbackEast. There was no rule that said she had to stay here, other than it was the place her parents had decided to settle all those years ago because it had been quaint and…well,charming.Just because this happened to be their path didn’t meanhers had to followthe same.
And she wouldn’t be young forever. Whatwouldhappen when she got to be Grannie’s age? The idea of dying alone without anyone to check on her for days wasn’t appealing in the slightest. She didn’t want to just…disappear without anyone around to celebrate that she’d been alive. If Mr. Cade’s arrival had taught her anything, it was that she had to live without regret. He was carrying around the burden of the loss of his wife and son.
What did she have to show for herself?
Chapter Five
The snow was still coming down rather heavily the next morning when Elise awoke. She stared at the large, crystalized flakes and wrapped her woolen shawl more tightly around her. It had been quite some time since she’d stared out at such a continuous, silent blanket of white. She didn’t think there had been such a storm of this magnitude since she was a child.
At this rate, who knew how long Mr. Cade would be forced to stay.
She shivered, butit wasn’t due to the cold.
She hastily washed from the chilled water from her pitcher and dressed for the day in a light blue dress, complete with a rabbit fur collar. It was her favorite, and not only because it was one of the last things that her mother had made for her. It was warm and perfect for a brisk, winter’s day. She needed to check on her flowers again, for during the winter months they needed continual care.
She brushed her hair and braided it into the same, single plait that she favored for it was the most practical, and opened her bedroom door.
The first thing she noticed was the wonderfulcurl of warmth that enveloped her, followed by the enticing aroma of coffee and crackling bacon.She saw Beau sleeping by the fire, and when sheglanced toward the cooking stove, shesaw that Mr. Cade was standing over it. For a moment, all she could do was stare. It was just so…strange to see a man actually cooking in her kitchen.
Or anywhere in her cabin at all.
With his back to her, she couldn’t help but notice how his shirt hugged those wide shoulders and the way his trousers fit so snugly around his hips and muscular thighs…
She quickly averted her eyes, as her heart began to pound. Her father had been gone for five years. Had it truly been so long since she’d felt the comforting touch of a man’s strong arms around her?
“I hope you don’t mind that I started breakfast.”
Elise opened her eyes, not even realizing that she had closed them. She met Mr. Cade’s direct gaze and then turned away. “It’s fine. Thank you.”
She moved to the other side of the room and sat down in a chair as far away from her guest as possible. She picked up her nearly forgotten mending and kept all of her concentration on each painstaking stitch. Out of all the chores she had to do as a single woman on her own, sewing was the one thing she detested the most. She didn’t mind doing the wash, or even chopping wood in the autumn. She’d just never quite found a particular talent for sewing.
She jumped as she suddenly pricked her finger, instinctively bringing the wounded appendage to her mouth to suck the small bead of blood away.
“Let me see that.”
Elise gasped as Mr. Cade knelt before her. She hadn’t even heard him cross the room. He gently removed her hand from her mouth and inspected the damage.
Tears stung her eyes, but it wasn’t because of the brief pain she’d felt. It was because he was holding her hand, acting as though he caredwhat happened to her. She stared at the top of his darkhead, her eyes roaming over thatstrong, bearded jawline.
And when he lifted his eyes, her breath caught. She could almost drown in those dark orbs, and for a brief instant, she thought she saw a similar reaction in his gaze, but then hestoodand released her hand.
“I think you’ll be fine,” he said huskily, and then returned to the stove.
It was only when he was some distance away that Elise was able to breathe again.
***
Chauncey grasped the handle of the cast iron skillet with a white-knuckled grip. However, since he didn’t wish to break Miss Erindelle’s things, he forced himself to relax. He exhaled slowly. He didn’t know what was wrong with him this morning. Perhaps it had been the easy companionship that they’d shared the day before, or the fact he had missed mornings like this, with someone to share them with.
But things were different here. He had to rememberhis place becauseElise Erindelle wasn’t his wife, or even his intended. She was merely someone who had shown him a bit of friendly, Texas hospitality.
After gathering his thoughts and filing them back where they needed to be, he turned and said witha friendlygrin, “Breakfast is served.”
