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“Why would anyone want to take revenge on you for your grandfather’s sins?”
Esme’s chin dipped, her long hair falling forward to hide her face from view. “I don’t know. But Freya invited us here to make amends for Edgar and Elias’s behavior. There could be people who think my siblings, cousins and I don’t deserve the help we’re getting. We have a direct connection to a tragedy that in so many ways defined this town.” Her chest rose and fell with a shaky breath.
“This is not your fault,” he said, shifting closer on the sofa and wrapping his arms around her. If there was anything he knew for certain, it was that Esme had nothing to do with the situation they found themselves in now.
She sagged against him like she needed his strength to bolster her own. He would gladly offer that to her. He wanted to provide more, which made no sense. After all, this arrangement wasn’t about him. It was for the benefit of the two innocent boys sleeping upstairs.
“Thank you for everything you’re doing, Ryder.” She pulled away slightly, and her pale green gaze crashed into his. “I’m not sure what I’d do without you.”
Her body was soft and warm against him, and once again, the smell of vanilla wafted through his senses, making him feel like they were in a world all by themselves. Awareness clutched at his chest, and her eyes darkened.
He wanted to kiss her so damn badly and would have given in to the desire, except at that moment, Esme’s beautiful mouth widened into another yawn, breaking the spell that had him tangled in its grasp. It must have had the same jarring effect on her because she popped up from the couch like she’d just been stung by a bee.
“There’s only one bathroom upstairs,” she announced, folding her arms over her chest. “I’ll leave clean towels on the sink, and there are fresh sheets on the bed in the spare bedroom. If you need anything before tomorrow...”
“I won’t,” he said definitively because he couldn’t very well tell her that the one thing he needed was her in his arms. He motioned to the baby monitor sitting on the coffee table. “I’ll take tonight’s shift,” he offered. “You don’t have to worry about a thing.”
Esme looked like she wanted to argue but then nodded. “Good night,” she whispered and hurried up the stairs.
He stayed on the sofa for a long time after she’d gone to bed, reminding himself over and over that he couldn’t give in to the unexpected yet overwhelming attraction he felt for Esme. She was important to him and his son—both of his sons—and he wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize that.
He climbed the stairs slowly, and after checking on the boys, got ready for bed, although sleep didn’t come quickly. His thoughts were far too consumed by the beautiful woman sleeping across the hall.
“They’re claiming someone switched your baby for another child?” Freya Fortune asked the question with no small sense of incredulity.
“And now, instead of raising one kid,” Esme’s brother, Asa, added, “you’re going to play mom to two of them?”
Esme gripped her coffee cup more tightly and frowned at her older brother. She’d invited Freya and Asa to breakfast at the diner in the heart of downtown so she could explain the situation with Chase and Noah before they heard it from someone else.
It had been a week since her world had been turned upside down, and although she was content to remain in the tiny bubble she and Ryder had created to get to know each other and the boys, who held both of their hearts, it couldn’t last. Chatelaine was a tiny town, and word traveled fast in the tight-knit community.
They’d fallen into a routine like it was the most natural thing in the world. He seemed to want a real partnership and pitched in with everything from diaper changing to laundry to housework and meals.
He’d also started ticking off small projects around the house, like her squeaking back door and the bathroom faucet that dripped. But as helpful as the practical side of their arrangement was turning out to be, getting to know Ryder was pure magic.
She’d finally gotten to a point where her breath didn’t catch every time he walked into a room, but the butterflies in her stomach were becoming a real issue. Despite repeatedly reminding herself that they were doing this for the benefit of the boys, she wasn’t sure how to stop herself from falling for him.
“I’m not playing at anything,” she told Asa. “Ryder and I both love Chase and Noah. I’m honored to be their mother.”
Her brother shared a look with Freya, setting Esme’s teeth on edge. She understood the situation was unique, but she wanted her family to trust that she was doing the right thing.
“What do you know about Ryder Hayes?” Asa demanded, pointing a slice of bacon in Esme’s direction before taking a bite. “Did you do a background check on this stranger before inviting him to live with you?”
“Your brother is right,” Freya said gently. “We wouldn’t want anyone to take advantage of you or your situation as a single mom.”
“Maybe he’s after your money,” Asa suggested, running a hand through his dark hair. At thirty, he was four years older than Esme and four years younger than Bea. A classic middle child, he was charming and confident in his ability to make friends and go after his dreams.
At the moment, Asa’s dream involved buying a dude ranch, although the current owner, the widow Val Hensen, wasn’t making it easy for him. Unlike Esme, Asa seemed to have no doubt things would work out the way he wanted in the end.
“I’m not rich,” Esme reminded him. “Do you think he’s interested in stealing my extra diapers?”
“You are a Fortune,” Freya insisted. “There are a lot of people who have strong thoughts about our family, especially in this part of Texas.”
The older woman’s tone held an unexpected edge, and not for the first time, Esme wondered about her great-uncle’s widow and what she’d been through. Freya didn’t like to talk about herself, instead focusing on how she could help Edgar’s and Elias’s grandchildren.
She was in her eighties but appeared decades younger with smooth skin, an ash-blond bob and bright green eyes. While she’d been extremely generous with her time and financial support, there was still a bit of distance there, as if Freya wanted to be part of their lives but wasn’t exactly sure how to truly open up.
“Ryder is successful in his own right,” Esme said, wondering at her fierce sense of protectiveness toward him. “He’s vying for the CEO position of his family’s company.”
