A Moment To Dance (13 page)

She shook her head. “I stopped at the Green Chile Cantina on my way here, but thank you.”

“They do have some of the best food around.” He should know, since he ordered takeout from there on a pretty regular basis.

“I overheard some interesting conversations, too.” She took a seat on the couch and stared directly at him as he perched on the arm of the chair. “They were talking about you.”

His chest tightened to the point he could barely take in a breath. Why in the world would people be discussing him?

Ms. Sorkin continued staring at him, as though waiting to catch an unguarded moment. Well, she’d be waiting a long time. He schooled his features into what he hoped was a neutral expression. If she was waiting for some sort of confession, she’d be waiting a very long time.

“You aren’t even going to ask what they were saying?”

“Doesn’t much matter. If those busybodies run out of things to say, they invent something. That’s why I don’t pay them any attention.”

Ms. Sorkin’s dark brows rose beneath her bangs. “So you’re saying you aren’t taking part in the dance contest?”

“Oh, that. Yes, I am.” The tension in his chest eased. Ms. Sorkin had been pressing him to get involved in the community, so this had to be a plus in his column.

She opened her leather binder and poised her pen over the paper, ready to take notes. “And your dance partner is?”

“A friend.” He didn’t want Ella involved in this discussion. “I’m helping her out.”

“How so?”

He resisted rolling his eyes. No matter what he said, he’d ended up receiving more uncomfortable questions. Seeing no easy way out, he started at the beginning, explaining Ella’s need to win the prize money.

“What sort of relationship do you have with this Ella Morgan?”

“We’re friends. Nothing more,” he said quickly, perhaps too quickly.

“I see.” Doubt rang out in the woman’s voice as she jotted something on her pad of paper. “Now, as far as Johnny’s grades, have they improved?”

He immediately thought of how they’d taken a distinct nose dive since they’d last talked, but that was changing for the better, thanks to Ella.

“His grades are picking up. In no time, they’ll be where they should be.”

A flicker of surprise, followed by approval, gleamed in the woman’s eyes. “That’s wonderful. How did you manage this turnaround?”

He swallowed, not wanting to reveal that Ella was the driving force behind the improved grades. “In addition to sitting down with him each evening to go over his classwork, I’ve hired a tutor.”

“Good.” She wrote some more in her notebook, and he was dying to read her notes. “And the tutor’s name?”

Tony pressed his lips firmly together. He didn’t want to say Ella’s name. The woman would read too much into Ella’s presence in their lives, and now was not the time to analyze the tangled web of emotions he had for Ella.

“Mr. Granger, I need the name for my notes.”

“Ella Morgan.”

The woman’s eyes rounded. She set to work writing note after note. He didn’t even want to imagine what she was jotting down. He had to say something to turn this meeting around, to keep them on track for the final adoption proceedings next month.

“She’s just a friend—of the whole family. My mother enjoys when she stops over and joins us for lunch.”

He stopped. That revelation had Ms. Sorkin scribbling even faster. Why, oh, why did he have to open his mouth and insert his size-twelve boot?

“Uncle Tony, I found my hat,” Johnny yelled from the kitchen. “I’m ready to go to Miss Morgan’s.”

Ms. Sorkin shot him a you-are-so-busted look.

Tony’s entire body tensed. He didn’t say a word. No matter what he said, it’d just make things worse. All he could do now was appease Ms. Sorkin and hope for the best.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

S
team rose from the dark brew as Ella poured her second mug of coffee that day. She proceeded to drop an ice cube into the mug. Immediately, a pop and a fizzle followed. After a bit of milk and sweetener, she pressed the mug to her lips, taking a long swallow. Mm…

She carried the mug into the cozy living room, wanting to straighten up prior to heading outside to work on the yard. Patch, lying on the end of the couch, lifted his head and eyed her before lowering his chin to the couch cushion.

In between sips of coffee, she grabbed a throw pillow and fluffed it. Next, she aligned two recently purchased gardening magazines on the coffee table. The glossy covers promised landscaping suggestions on a budget. She hoped they’d give her some ideas for what to do with the yard once it was cleared.

One last glance around the room revealed that everything was in order. She grabbed her cell phone from the end table and noticed she had a voice mail. She retrieved it. A male voice came across the line. It was a contractor getting back to her with a quote for the new roof. The price he mentioned was even higher than the ones she’d already gotten. Her stomach churned. What was she going to do if she and Tony didn’t win the dance contest?

Return to Albuquerque? But that wouldn’t help her in the least. She still wouldn’t have anywhere to live.

Ella dropped down on the couch next to Patch. She repeatedly ran her hand over his back, finding that it relaxed her. She leaned back on the couch and let her gaze meander around the room, taking in the changes. For the first time, she felt truly at home here. Could she turn her back on this? Forget all about the amazing friends she’d made? Or walk away from a certain sexy cowboy she couldn’t get out of her head?

Besides, there was nothing left for her back in Albuquerque. She could only keep putting one foot in front of the other, and she preferred to do that right here in Whistle Stop.

Anxious to make use of what was left of the morning, she grabbed her newly purchased gloves, hoping to keep the blisters to a minimum. She considered where to start in the yard. Her one major obstacle was finding a way to dispose of the debris. Creating a burn pile would be the most logical solution, but with the drought, fires were strictly forbidden. Besides, a fire was the absolute thing she wanted anywhere near her home—or herself.

She needed someone with a truck to haul everything away. Immediately, Tony’s image came to mind. He had offered to help… No, she couldn’t impose on him. She’d find another solution.

A knock at the door caused Patch to bark excitedly. Fully expecting it to be Tracey stopping by while out for one of her strolls, Ella rushed to the door. She yanked it open. “Good morning.”

“Hi.”

Ella’s gaze lowered to find Johnny, all by himself. Flashbacks of the boy’s antics the prior weekend came rushing back to her. The thud of a closing door had her glancing down the driveway, finding Tony headed in their direction. A sense of relief washed over her.

“Johnny, I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Uncle Tony said we had to come be neighborly.”

“He did, huh?” She arched a brow at Tony, wondering what he was up to. “You’re in time for some coffee. I just brewed a pot. Would you care for a cup before we start? And, Johnny, I have some blueberry muffins on the counter.”

The boy turned a pleading look to his uncle. “Can I have one? Please?”

“I thought you were full.”

Johnny glanced away and shrugged.

“Okay. Go ahead.” Tony turned to her. “Thanks, but I’ll pass on the coffee.”

Ella set the puppy on the kitchen floor before retrieving a muffin. She handed it to Johnny, who sat down on the floor to devour it while Patch danced around him.

Turning her attention back to Tony, she found him as appealing in the morning as he was in the evening at their lessons. His hair appeared to have just been cut, and it was now spiked a little on the top while clipped short on the sides. She wondered if a cowboy like him used styling products. She struggled to hide a smile at the image of him fussing over his hair.

She followed Tony to the porch. She clearly remembered the last time they stood on this porch together. He’d held her in those strong arms he was now using to brace himself against the railing. He leaned forward, looking out over the wooded property. Her heart raced as her gaze moved to his face. Her lips tingled as she recalled the pressure of his mouth touching hers.

She swallowed hard. “So what’s this about being neighborly?”

“I thought I’d give you a hand with the yard.”

She leveled a hard stare at him. “And if I refuse your help?”

“Why would you? You could hardly move this past week at our dance lessons after you insisted on going it alone. Face it, we all need help from time to time.”

She didn’t like his implication that she wasn’t up to taking care of this place on her own. She knew she was letting her pride stand in her way. And it would be so nice to have someone to shoulder some of the load. To top it off, Tony did have the one thing she really needed—a truck.

“Would you mind hauling some of the debris away?”

“My pickup is at your command. I’ll go pull around back.”

Not about to let him do the bulk of the work on her property, she said, “I need to put on my shoes, and then I can show you where I want to start.”

“Okay.” His gaze lingered on her clothes.

“Is something wrong with what I’m wearing?” She tugged at the sleeves of her long-sleeved T-shirt. Sure, she was dressed a little warmer than he was, but she’d be fine.

“Uh, no.” He turned to the cabin door.

“I’ll be out in a minute.”

“No rush.”

Certain that she must be a mess, she rushed to the bathroom to run a brush through her hair and redo her ponytail, powder her face, and add some lip gloss. She knew it was ridiculous, considering she was going to work in the yard, but she couldn’t help herself. She wanted to look decent.

Not wanting to appear to be a slacker, she rushed to put on her shoes. By the time she grabbed her gloves, Johnny had finished his muffin. Together, they headed outside to join Tony. Ella rounded the corner of the cabin in time to spot Tony extracting a chain saw from the truck bed.

He turned to Johnny. “I need you to pick up the broken twigs and small limbs over there, away from the tree I’m going to cut down.”

“Wait,” she said. “I thought we’d start over on the other side.”

Tony’s brow crinkled. “Why would you want to do that? We’d have to work our way through all of the undergrowth to get over there. We’ll start here near the driveway.”

“No, we won’t.” Her hands settled on her hips, meeting his steady gaze. “This is my land, my choice.”

She trudged through the mess of weeds, dried vegetation, and fallen limbs. She didn’t stop until she reached her bedroom window. “This is where we’ll start.”

“But why?”

She glanced back at the window. “It’s my fire-escape route.”

He shook his head. “You’re either the most cautious woman I’ve ever met or you’re trying to impress me.”

“Impress you?”

“Sure. I’m a firefighter, and you’re showing me that you’re on top of your fire safety. I’ve got to admit, no woman’s ever taken this approach.”

“I…uh…” She thought of correcting his misconception, but feared it’d lead to questions—questions she refused to answer. “What do you want me to do?”

“While I rip out these dead plants, can you and Johnny haul them over to the truck bed?”

She nodded, and they set to work.

“So how’d practice go Friday night?” Tony asked, digging at the roots of a particularly large weed. “Did you get stuck with a real dud?”

She shook her head. “Wait until I tell Cord what you called him.”

Tony’s eyes lit up at the mention of his buddy from the fire station. “I was wondering who Josie got to dance with you.”

“You were curious, huh?”

Color tinged his face. He turned his back to her to continue digging. “Maybe. A little.”

She hid a little smile as her stomach fluttered with excitement. This gentle giant had been jealous of her two-stepping with someone else. Her smile widened. Well, he didn’t have to worry, because from what she’d witnessed, Cord was very happy with Alexis.

They continued until there was nothing but dirt beneath the window. Her mood lightened because they’d accomplished a very important task.

“Now that we’ve got that taken care of, I’m going to cut down that tree.” Tony pointed to the one directly behind the cabin. “Would you mind raking the dried leaves and pine needles into a heap?”

She retrieved the rake from the porch, glad to have something to do besides appreciate his fine muscles stretching and contracting beneath his navy blue T-shirt. She glanced over her shoulder, catching a glance of his flexed biceps as he started the chain saw. She swallowed hard, turning back to her task.

Sure, he made her heart race every time they danced together, but the pressure to get their footwork just right helped her maintain her composure. But here in the wilderness, it was so much harder to cage her meandering fantasies. She kept wondering if he’d try to kiss her again.

A loud crack caused her to jump. She glanced up as the tree hit the ground. The scent of tangy pine mingled with the fresh mountain air. The chain saw’s buzzing ceased, and she turned away. The last thing she needed was to be caught staring.

“Not that way,” Tony called out.

Realizing he’d noticed she hadn’t been paying attention to what she was doing, she paused and turned. “Excuse me?”

He approached her. Taking the rake from her hands, he asked, “Didn’t your parents teach you how to do this?”

His pointed question poked at a tender spot in her heart. She had never known her father, and then her mother had died when she was ten years old. But she didn’t want to go down that gloomy path.

And she did know how to rake, but she didn’t mention that either. Otherwise, she’d have to explain why she’d been distracted. With Tony and Johnny here, it was so easy to imagine having her very own family. What would it hurt to indulge in the fantasy for a little longer?

A lump clogged her throat. Her one true wish was to someday have a family of her own. She swallowed hard. That wouldn’t happen—she didn’t deserve a family after what had happened to her mother and brother. All she had were these precious moments with Tony and his nephew. She had to make the most of it.

Tony started raking. “Watch how I do this.”

Her attention zeroed in on the sweat glistening on the back of his tanned neck. Her gaze leisurely traveled down over his bulging biceps. Oh yeah, she was watching him. She couldn’t think of a thing she’d rather be doing.

“So did you grow up in Albuquerque?” He handed her back the rake.

“I was born in Ohio. My mother followed my father there. He didn’t stick around long, and then it was just Mom, Timmy, and me. One summer when I was little, my mother dropped me off to spend the summer with my grandparents here at the cabin, and come August, they drove me back to Ohio.”

“Your family must have loved you a lot to make such a long drive.”

“I guess they did.” The thought had never occurred to her. The knowledge was a balm on her battered and bruised heart.

“Is your mother still in Ohio?”

“No. She died.” Dreading where this conversation was headed, she turned her back to him and moved to the other side of the cabin to work.

By the afternoon, she was hot and tired. They’d been working nonstop. You’d think there would be a marked difference in the yard, but as she looked around, she realized there was far more work here than she’d ever imagined. Tony was right. It was more than she could accomplish on her own.

“I’m tired. Can we take a break?”

She turned to Johnny. “Sure. Would you like some ice water?”

The boy nodded.

“Have a seat on the steps, and I’ll get you a glass.”

After getting Johnny situated and leashing Patch to a post on the porch, she joined Tony, who was standing by the wood rail. Enjoying the peaceful silence between them, she sipped at her drink and looked out over the mess that loosely resembled a yard.

“Are you always cold?” For once, Tony’s voice was soft and soothing.

“Cold?” Her body’s reaction to him was flaming hot.

“Every time I see you, you’re wearing long sleeves.”

“Um…I find them comfortable. So how much of this land do you think we’ll be able to clear today?” She hoped to divert the conversation.

“Not much, if I don’t get back to work.”

“I can take your glass for you.” She held out her hand.

“Thanks.” His gaze held hers a few seconds longer than necessary and sent her heart rate soaring before he handed over the glass. “By the way, I know someone who wants to meet you.”

“Me? Who’d want to meet me? And why would they mention it to you?”

His face grew serious. “The thing is, I had a visit today from the court investigator.”

Her stomach plummeted. This was not going to be good.