CHAPTER ELEVEN – LILY
“Mom, why is Agent Ripcord sitting on our porch?”
I blink away the dream I’m having about pushing a broken cart through an empty grocery store, and focus on Leo’s puzzled face.
He’s standing beside my bed, picking at the scrape on his cheekbone while also munching on a banana.
I immediately see the issue with his new multi-tasking abilities. “Where’s your sling, Leo?”
“I took it off.” He shrugs and tosses his banana in the air. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. See?”
“I see.” I take his hand and gently lower the airborne fruit. “But unless you got a medical degree while I wasn’t looking, that decision is up to Dr. Burns.”
“Ew. Not him, Mom. He smells.”
I push back the comforter with a huff, trying to will some life into my heavy legs.
Dr. Burns is an elderly alpha who likes bathing in Old Spice aftershave, but that’s not my main concern about our upcoming clinic visit.
Since Dr. Munster and Rosie have had the longest unofficial mateship in Knotty Falls, I always get the family discount for checkups, but Dr. Burns has no reason to cut me the same deal.
“We can stop at Kaysie’s for a cherry sundae after your checkup.”
“Choc-wat?” he wheedles, shoving the rest of the banana into his mouth.
“Ugh. I guess it’s all one big sugar rush.”
“Yes!” He does a happy dance while I check my alarm clock, only to realize I hit the snooze button about an hour ago.
“Damn,” I mutter, running my fingers through my riotous curls.
I went to bed without drying my hair last night, and I’m paying for it this morning.
Thank the heavens for bandanas, I think as I grab a clean one from the pile in my dresser and hustle into the bathroom.
This one has tiny cupids on it, because I couldn’t find a print with just bows and arrows.
I make a mental note to take it off before I see Kaysie, in case she gets any big romantic ideas, and then quickly pull on a Rosie’s Blooms polo and fresh jeans.
Even though Marion is covering the farm while we’re in town, it never hurts to do a little free advertising.
When I’ve slapped on my usual sunblock-lip gloss combo, I hurry downstairs, wondering how I’m going to compress my morning routine into the next ten minutes. “Leo, have you taken care of the chickens?”
“About time, Mom,” he grumbles from the window. His sling is back in place, although a baseball is clutched in his hand as he hops from foot to foot. “He said I can’t let him in until you get up.”
“What?” I stop abruptly halfway across the room. “Who are you talking about?”
“Agent Ripcord,” Leo clarifies with a heaving sigh. “I told you, Mom. He’s waiting on the porch.”
Oh. My. God.
“Ellis is on the porch?”
You don’t have to be a fan of the franchise to know that Agent Ripcord was the role that launched Ellis Castle into mega movie star status.
Leo is still impatiently hopping from foot to foot. “Can we let him in now, or what?”
I press a calming hand on his shoulder, then open the door, blinking at the sight of Ellis sitting on the top step with a snoozing Bloomer and two takeout coffees beside him.
He’s wearing dark gray trousers and a sheer navy tee that matches his eyes and would be better suited on a New York catwalk than my old porch.
With his caramel and cloves scent and stunning good looks, it takes me a moment to find my voice. “Hello, Ellis.”
“Lily.” He scrambles to his feet, running a nervous hand through his hair as his glance bounces between me and a squirming Leo. “Sorry to be here so early, but I just couldn’t…”
Stay away.
A flash of ice-cold fear slices through me, along with a good dose of irritation. I asked for time, and this is all he can give me? But on the other hand, it’s not hard to put myself in Ellis’s shoes. If I found out I had a son I’d never met, wild horses couldn’t drag me away from this porch.
“Okay,” I say quietly, trying to loosen my stranglehold on the door. “It’s okay. But we’re just heading out. I need to get Leo to the clinic for a checkup.”
Ellis’ gaze settles on his son, a mixture of awe and concern shining from his very familiar green eyes. “I thought maybe I could invite you both to breakfast.”
I glance over at Logan’s place, but his truck is gone. “He went to the gym,” Ellis tells me helpfully. “He said he’d meet you at the clinic if you need him.”
“That’s not necessary,” I murmur, especially since his father is with us now.
But that’s a completely skewed – and dangerous – way to view this situation, and I give myself a mental shake.
“Please let me come with you,” Ellis says quietly. “I have a car here, and I could take you for brunch afterwards.”
“We’re going to Kaysie’s for chocolate sundaes,” Leo informs him, jutting out his chin like it’s not up for debate.
“He already had a banana,” I mutter, like Pop Tarts didn’t feature heavily in his breakfast routine until Logan converted him to granola. “But if you want to come to the clinic, you can follow in your car.”
Ellis nods, although I can see the disappointment in his eyes as he hurries towards the black SUV in the parking lot.
Ignoring a tiny stab of guilt, I lock up the house and buckle Leo into my truck, distracting him with questions about his trip until we’re on the main road into town.
He twists around a couple of times to make sure Ellis is following, but I can’t seem to find the words to explain why a Hollywood heartthrob is coming to his doctor’s appointment.
Thankfully, he’s too excited by the prospect of having a chocolate sundae with Agent Ripcord to fret over the details.
The clinic visit ends up being short and uneventful.
It takes Dr. Burns less than five minutes to decide that Leo only needs to wear his sling another couple of days, and then declare that the wound on his cheek is little more than a scratch.
He’s either too near-sighted or too disinterested to notice Leo’s resemblance to the famous actor in the corner of his exam room, and after a quick but painful stop at the reception desk to pay the bill, we’re back out on the pavement.
Ellis must sense my irritation because he immediately puts his hand on my arm.
“I could get my doctor out here if you like. And if you’re worried about scarring, I have a great plastic surgeon on speed dial. ”
I can’t resist peering at Ellis’ perfect features. “Seriously?”
He bites his lip, pointing to the edge of his left eye where there’s a tiny laugh line. “Crow’s feet, and not the cute kind I saw hopping around your farm this morning.”
I can’t resist smiling at his forlorn expression. “They must have thought you were a kindred spirit with those crinkles.”
“Ouch.” He clutches his heart, which just gives me a better view of all those ridges and valleys under his sheer shirt.
I have no idea if plastic surgeons can craft a body like a Greek god, but Ellis’ might as well be the prototype.
“But it’s true,” he goes on, squinting his eyes some more.
“I’m amazing with animals. Your dog gave me the slobber test, and I passed with flying colors. ”
“Bloomer slobbers on everyone,” Leo tells him, dragging on my arm until we start towards Kaysie’s store. “He once had a cold, and when he sneezed, booger ropes shot out of his nose like he was Spiderman.”
Ellis chokes out a laugh and I shoot him a sideways glance. “See what you missed?”
His face loses some of its glow and I wince at the careless comment. But he just tucks his hands into his trouser pockets and sighs. “So much. And I’m sorry I wasn’t here for all of it. But if you let me buy you those sundaes, I’d love to hear more stories.”
“We have lots about Bloomer,” Leo assures him as we approach Buds, Books & Brews.
“This one time he caught a hornet. Not a bee, or a wasp, but like this humungous bug the size of a helicopter. It bit him on the lip, and his mouth swelled up. It was so awesome. But when he drank water, he sprayed it everywhere, exactly like a firehose. Logan said we didn’t need to upgrade the irrigation anymore.
We could just stick Bloomer in the fields with a horse trough, and he could water all the flowers for us… ”
Leo is laughing so hard his shoulders are shaking, and I shrug at Ellis’ rapt expression. “Wait until he’s full of sugar, and he’ll really put on a show.”
Ellis grins like he can’t wait, then hurries ahead to pull the door open before I can reach for it.
It’s only as we step into Kaysie’s store that I realize there’s a security guy on our heels, and another pair inside waiting for us.
One is standing at the counter talking to my best friend, while the other hovers near the back door and mumbles into his jacket cuff.
The coffee shop is mostly empty, but Kaysie’s face is flushed right up to the roots of her blue fauxhawk.
“Hey, Lily.” She peels herself away from the security guy to give me a quick hug. She’s usually got a great poker face, but right now her pupils are blown wide as she studies Ellis. “So, it’s a table for three this morning?”
“Yeah. Kaysie, this is Ellis. Ellis, this is my best friend, Kaysie Montgomery.”
He takes her hand, flashing his dimples as he says, “The famous Kaysie. Tristan raves about this place and swears your cherry pie is the best he’s ever tasted.”
Kaysie shoots me a dazzled smirk. “Well, Lily definitely seems to think so.”
She doesn’t mention that all her baked goods come from Sarah at the Krusty Kob Bakery, and I’m not about to unmask her. “Could Leo get a chocolate sundae, Kaysie? I’ll grab a latte.” I glance at Ellis. “Do your security guys want something?”
Kaysie waves a hand. “I’ve already asked, and they don’t drink on the job. But Cooper said you’re a Starbucks fan, Ellis. I hope you’re not serious about that, Mr. Americano.”
At her injured look, Ellis splutters and glares at the bodyguard near the counter. “That was a one-off dawn emergency. It was coffee or a coma.”