There Goes My Heart (The Sullivans #20) - Bella Andre Page 0,58
board if you’re up for a ride.”
“I’d love that.”
And amazingly, when he smiled, she felt warm from head to toe…even in the innermost parts of her heart that she’d been afraid would always feel cold.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
After a great bike ride and a stop for ice cream in town, they drove to Cassie and Flynn’s cabin. Zara hadn’t had a chance to explore Bar Harbor nearly as much as she wanted to during the past year, and as they drove through the forest, she was wowed yet again.
From the backseat, Ruby’s snores were surprisingly loud considering her size, and Zara and Rory shared a smile as they drove.
“Thanks for spending the day with us.” Rory spoke softly so he wouldn’t wake the baby.
“I had a lot of fun.” Zara turned to look back at Ruby’s sleeping face. “What a great kid, huh?”
“Ruby’s the best. My nephew, Kevin, is a really cool kid too. Have you met him?”
“Your sister—Ashley, right?—brought him to the last warehouse art show. Remind me how old he is.”
“He’ll be eleven soon.”
“Let me guess—he idolizes his Uncle Rory, doesn’t he?”
“What kid wouldn’t?” Rory joked. “Seriously, though, we all spent so much time with him when he was little that he’s super close to everyone in our family.” Before she could ask why, he explained, “Ashley got pregnant as a senior in high school. Kevin’s dad—” Anger flashed across Rory’s face, and his hands tightened on the steering wheel. “The guy is a total waste of space. Anyway, we all pitched in with babysitting when he was little.”
“I knew it!” Zara poked him in the shoulder. “You were playing me earlier when you acted like you didn’t know how to change a diaper.”
Rory had the nerve to grin. “Hook, line, and sinker.”
She poked him harder. “What else have you been faking?”
He pulled off the road into the cabin’s driveway, then hit the brakes, though they were still at least three hundred yards from the house. “Nothing.” He reached for her hand. “Everything I’ve said, everything I’ve done, since Friday—it’s all real, Zara.”
She couldn’t look away from his intense gaze…and didn’t know what to say apart from, “Okay,” in a voice that made it clear just how difficult she was suddenly finding it to catch her breath.
Ruby woke up with a mini-roar, and Zara let go of Rory’s hand to tend to her while he drove the final stretch of the long driveway. Flynn and Cassie, who were waiting for them on the front steps, jogged out to the car. But when Flynn opened the back passenger door to get Ruby out, Zara was surprised when the little girl turned to look for her, then reached out.
As Flynn obligingly put Ruby into Zara’s arms, Cassie said, “I was going to ask how she did, but I can see that the answer is absolutely fantastic.”
Zara nuzzled the top of Ruby’s head. “She’s such a sweetheart—so much fun, and so happy. We laughed nonstop today.” It was exactly what Zara had needed. To giggle with a sweet little girl, and her equally sweet babysitter. And as she walked toward the house with Ruby on her hip, Zara knew she’d miss the baby’s soft weight, her fresh scent, and her innate joy.
“Come inside,” Flynn said. “Cassie has made you both special thank-you baskets.”
“You’re giving us candy?” Zara asked in a hopeful voice.
Cassie smiled. “What better way is there to say thank you?”
“Chocolate cake can be a pretty good way,” Rory suggested with a slow smile meant only for Zara.
Zara couldn’t prevent a blush. Because despite the wild careening of her emotions since last night’s confession, she’d never forget the super-sexy way they’d eaten chocolate cake for breakfast this morning.
What’s more, even though her hair was tangled from the bike ride and her clothes were stained with a mixture of Ruby’s soft food and Zara’s own meal, Rory was looking at her not only with heat in his eyes—but also with so much affection.
She’d been sure he was a shallow, self-obsessed player.
How much more wrong could she have been?
Cassie and Flynn’s cabin was gorgeous inside and out, from the flower boxes beside the front door, to the brightly colored cushions and rugs and artwork inside, to the beautifully varnished wood walls, ceiling, and floorboards. “I love your home.”
“Thanks so much. We love it too.” Cassie shot Rory a fond smile. “Rory is far too modest to admit it, but he’s the one who did most of the renovation work on it.”