lips. If she leaned a little closer—
“You still owe me an answer about tutoring.” His voice jolted her from her fantasy. When she didn’t immediately respond, he added, “Don’t forget, I’m springing for dance lessons, too.”
Ella’s mind swirled with conflicting thoughts. Agreeing to spend more time with him—time in his arms—was dangerous. But very tempting. However, she was already having very vivid daydreams about him, and that spelled trouble.
She had to keep her mind on the competition. And at this point, Tony was the only available ticket in town. She smothered a groan.
The lessons he proposed would be the key to taking home the cash prize. Winning the competition would no longer be just a fantasy but a serious possibility. “You’re really serious about the lessons?”
He nodded. “Do we have a deal?”
CHAPTER FIVE
H ad she done the right thing?
After a delicious lunch with the Granger family, Ella drove home, all the while rolling around the events of the day in her mind. Memories of Tony’s lopsided grin and the twinkle in his eyes throughout lunch kept coming to the forefront. There was definitely a lot more to him than the intimidating, protective side she’d witnessed at their first meeting. And this other side of him appealed to her in a way that no other man had. She groaned. Why was she letting him get to her?
He was just a cowboy. Nothing special.
Except he was tall, muscled, and had a sweet side that was utterly irresistible.
All of this had her wondering if she’d given him the right answer. Her stomach quivered as she recalled how Tony’s eyes had gleamed for the briefest second when she’d told him that she’d tutor his nephew…as long as he gave his best effort to help her win the dance contest.
However important the prize money was to her, there was something more important—Johnny. The little boy had been the ultimate deciding factor. How could she live with herself if she didn’t help the troubled boy? Maybe in some small way this was her chance to pay penance for the wrong she’d done years ago.
Ella pulled into her rutted driveway on Roca Mountain and climbed out. She paused, taking a moment to appreciate the tranquil sound of birds singing as a gentle breeze rustled through the trees. She inhaled a breath of fresh mountain air mingled with the slightest scent of pine and smiled. Even though the outside was overgrown with brush and dead vegetation, she could still envision the beauty lurking in the shadows.
The thought of turning her back on this place and letting Mother Nature have her way with it saddened her… No, she wouldn’t let that happen. At last, she felt at home. For years, she’d moved through her grandmother’s house like a visitor, afraid to break one of Gran’s many rules. But here on Roca Mountain, Ella could unwind and be herself without all of the stress.
When someone called her name, she turned, finding Tracey Romero, her childhood friend, strolling down the road. They’d spent a number of their summers together, hiking all over this area, collecting pinõn nuts and using their imaginations to make up games. Ella hadn’t realized how moving here would truly feel like coming home.
The young woman waved with one hand while the other rested protectively over her belly, rounded with her first child. A longing for her own family swept over Ella with such unexpected force that it stole her breath. There was no point hungering for something she’d never have. She didn’t deserve a family, not after what she’d done. She swallowed her yearning and ignored the empty spot in her heart.
Ella moved to the end of the drive to meet her friend, whose long, dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail and whose cheeks were a dusty pink. “Nice day for a walk.”
“The doc told me I had to slow down. No jogging until the little one makes its big appearance. But Doc Willard agreed to one leisurely stroll a day.” She gently patted her
“You still owe me an answer about tutoring.” His voice jolted her from her fantasy. When she didn’t immediately respond, he added, “Don’t forget, I’m springing for dance lessons, too.”
Ella’s mind swirled with conflicting thoughts. Agreeing to spend more time with him—time in his arms—was dangerous. But very tempting. However, she was already having very vivid daydreams about him, and that spelled trouble.
She had to keep her mind on the competition. And at this point, Tony was the only available ticket in town. She smothered a groan.
The lessons he proposed would be the key to taking home the cash prize. Winning the competition would no longer be just a fantasy but a serious possibility. “You’re really serious about the lessons?”
He nodded. “Do we have a deal?”
CHAPTER FIVE
H ad she done the right thing?
After a delicious lunch with the Granger family, Ella drove home, all the while rolling around the events of the day in her mind. Memories of Tony’s lopsided grin and the twinkle in his eyes throughout lunch kept coming to the forefront. There was definitely a lot more to him than the intimidating, protective side she’d witnessed at their first meeting. And this other side of him appealed to her in a way that no other man had. She groaned. Why was she letting him get to her?
He was just a cowboy. Nothing special.
Except he was tall, muscled, and had a sweet side that was utterly irresistible.
All of this had her wondering if she’d given him the right answer. Her stomach quivered as she recalled how Tony’s eyes had gleamed for the briefest second when she’d told him that she’d tutor his nephew…as long as he gave his best effort to help her win the dance contest.
However important the prize money was to her, there was something more important—Johnny. The little boy had been the ultimate deciding factor. How could she live with herself if she didn’t help the troubled boy? Maybe in some small way this was her chance to pay penance for the wrong she’d done years ago.
Ella pulled into her rutted driveway on Roca Mountain and climbed out. She paused, taking a moment to appreciate the tranquil sound of birds singing as a gentle breeze rustled through the trees. She inhaled a breath of fresh mountain air mingled with the slightest scent of pine and smiled. Even though the outside was overgrown with brush and dead vegetation, she could still envision the beauty lurking in the shadows.
The thought of turning her back on this place and letting Mother Nature have her way with it saddened her… No, she wouldn’t let that happen. At last, she felt at home. For years, she’d moved through her grandmother’s house like a visitor, afraid to break one of Gran’s many rules. But here on Roca Mountain, Ella could unwind and be herself without all of the stress.
When someone called her name, she turned, finding Tracey Romero, her childhood friend, strolling down the road. They’d spent a number of their summers together, hiking all over this area, collecting pinõn nuts and using their imaginations to make up games. Ella hadn’t realized how moving here would truly feel like coming home.
The young woman waved with one hand while the other rested protectively over her belly, rounded with her first child. A longing for her own family swept over Ella with such unexpected force that it stole her breath. There was no point hungering for something she’d never have. She didn’t deserve a family, not after what she’d done. She swallowed her yearning and ignored the empty spot in her heart.
Ella moved to the end of the drive to meet her friend, whose long, dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail and whose cheeks were a dusty pink. “Nice day for a walk.”
“The doc told me I had to slow down. No jogging until the little one makes its big appearance. But Doc Willard agreed to one leisurely stroll a day.” She gently patted her
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