Chapter 5
Ella snuck glances at Cody throughout the meal.
Their interaction in the church yard had been surprisingly amiable.
She’d seen the vulnerability in his eyes while he tried to calm his new daughter.
There’d been no hint of the gruff demeanor from before.
It had put her enough at ease to share things with him that she hadn’t intended to.
“Hey! That’s mine!”
The childish shout was piercing. Ella’s gaze turned to Isaiah. He had a spoon clenched in his fist, his eyes shooting daggers at his brother. Jonah quivered under Isaiah’s anger, a light whimper indicating his distress.
Cody heaved a sigh. “What’s the matter?”
“He took my spoon!”
“Your spoon is in your hand.”
Frowning, Isaiah stared at the utensil. Jonah whimpered again. Ella slipped an arm around him. “It’s okay. There was just a misunderstanding.”
The child blinked at her for a moment, then crawled into her lap. She froze. Jonah laid his head against her chest and stuck his thumb in his mouth.
Hesitating only a moment, Ella wrapped her arms around him. Her gaze met Cody’s.
He gaped a full thirty seconds before collecting himself. “Jonah never goes to strangers.”
With a chuckle, Travis mopped up some stew with his bread. “Ella has always been good with children. It’s one of her God-given gifts.”
Warmth surged through her cheeks. “It’s nothing, really.”
Cassie touched her arm. “That’s hardly nothing, Ella. Children have an intuition about people. I’d say Jonah’s trust in you is a great sign of your character.”
A rush of warmth went through her as Jonah looked up at her with big brown eyes.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” she murmured. He rewarded her with the smallest of smiles.
Adorable. She’d always loved children, always wanted to be a mother.
Not that that was likely anymore—but the maternal instincts remained.
She pressed a soft kiss to Jonah’s head.
Cody still stared. Ella fought the urge to fidget. The rest of their meal finished in an uneventful manner, the attention finally diverted from her and Jonah. When Cassie brought out dessert, Cody’s eyes lit up. “Is that caramel cake?”
His sister smiled. “It is indeed. Ella helped me make it.”
He darted another look at Ella. Her cheeks grew warmer. Cassie served the cake. Between bites of her own dessert, Ella couldn’t help peeking at Cody. His genuine smile softened the rugged planes of his face. “Thanks, ladies. This is delicious.”
Isaiah poked at his cake in a listless manner. Ella’s gaze traveled over a flush on both his cheeks. They seemed unusually bright. She discreetly elbowed Cassie and nodded toward the child. “Is he all right?” she whispered.
Cassie studied Isaiah, then stood. “Isaiah, would you like to lie down in our guest room?”
Eyes drooping, the little boy nodded. He didn’t put up a fight when Cassie took his hand and led him from the room.
Cody’s shoulders slumped. “He’s sick, isn’t he? And I missed the signs.”
Travis clamped a hand on his arm. “Don’t beat yourself up. You’re new to parenting.”
A struggle tightened Cody’s forehead and jaw. His gaze flitted from the doorway to Jonah to Addie. He swallowed hard. “Trav, I think you’re right. I need a wife.”
Jaw dropping, Ella stared between the two men.
Travis, however, looked unfazed. Her friend nodded with a sympathetic smile. “That couldn’t have been easy to admit.”
Cody shook his head. The gruffness returned to his voice. “I don’t like it, but I have to think of the kids. Can you help me place an ad for a mail-order bride?”
A stifled shriek came from the door. Cassie stood there, eyes wide and arms akimbo. “Cody! You can’t possibly be serious!” She came into the room, sinking into the chair beside Ella without removing her eyes from her brother.
He ran a hand through his blond hair. “I don’t have any other choice, Cass.”
“But…a mail-order bride? You could end up with anyone.”
Travis reached for her hand. “Cassie, we’ll make sure he finds a good woman. Cody can correspond with potential candidates for however long he feels necessary.”
Cody shifted, fiddling with his fork. “That’s the problem. I don’t have much time. These kids need care now. I have to be on the range. A few women are able to watch them now and again, but every day?” He shook his head. “The kids need stability. They need a mother.”
Cassie bit her lip, staring between her husband and brother before turning abruptly to Ella. “Will you please talk some sense into these men?”
Ella reared back. “Me?”
“You’re a woman. Explain to them that a marriage of convenience is not something we want.” Cassie’s gaze begged her to comply.
“Well, actually…” Ella cleared her throat, pulling Jonah closer. “That doesn’t sound all that bad.”
Cassie’s mouth fell open. “What?”
Ella strove for a calm she didn’t feel. All eyes were fixed on her.
She took a sip of her tea to fortify herself.
“Mr. Brooks is in dire circumstances. He’s right that his children would benefit from a mother.
I’ve heard mail-order brides are common here in the west. Maybe it would be good for everyone involved. ”
Cody jerked his head in a nod. “That’s my hope.
Thanks for your opinion, Miss Mountbatten.
” He turned to Cassie. “Whoever I marry would gain some benefit as well. While the loss of cattle this winter set me back, I make a good living, and my wife would have the protection of my name.” He continued, his voice fading into the background as his words danced in Ella’s mind.
The protection of my name.
That was an option she’d never considered in her flight from Boston. If her father came to find her, he had every right to take her back…unless she was married. Then he would have no power over her. Neither would Howard.
Her gaze darted to Cody again. For the first time, she saw deep lines etched on his face, signs of exhaustion and stress. He needed help as much as she did.
Travis’s voice broke into her thoughts. “It’s settled, then. We’ll write up an ad this evening, and I’ll send it to the papers tomorrow. With any luck, you’ll be married within a few weeks.”
Cody’s shoulders fell further. “Great.”
The look on his face—at complete odds with his comment—touched a deep part of Ella’s heart.
Instead of relief, he seemed defeated. A cry split the silence from the other room.
Addie must be up from her nap. Jonah snuggled closer to Ella, wrapping one arm around her neck.
The warm feeling returned, pushing away some of her fear.
The children needed a mother. She needed protection.
There was a solution that would help them all.
Cody pushed up from the table, likely to get the baby, when words came tumbling out of Ella’s mouth.
“What if you married me?”
He couldn’t have heard her right. Cody stared at the young woman across from him. She looked like a deer caught in a hunter’s trap. Even so, she held his gaze without flinching.
Addie cried again.
Cassie shot up from her chair. “I’ll get her.” She smiled at Ella, and Cody thought he saw relief on his sister’s face. Was she pleased with Ella’s shocking question?
Travis considered the woman in question steadily. “Are you sure about that, Ella? I don’t want you to make a hasty decision you’d later regret.”
Cody agreed with Travis. While he needed a wife, that didn’t mean the skittish Ella Mountbatten had to volunteer for the job.
Ella caught her bottom lip between her teeth. Cody’s gaze automatically followed the movement, but he snapped it back up to her eyes. There was no reason for him to look at her lips. Ever.
“My father will try to find me, Travis. If I’m married, he’ll have no hold on me.” She lifted her chin. “This is not a selfless offer. I need that protection Mr. Brooks mentioned as much as he needs a mother for his children.”
Cody frowned, wondering yet again what happened to make Ella leave her home. Not just leave home but offer to marry a near stranger to escape her family for good.
“Hmm.” Travis leaned back in his chair. His glance flicked between them. A slow smile spread over his face as he settled on Ella. “That’s a good idea. I’ve been wracking my brain for a solution to your problem. This fixes everything.”
“Well, perhaps not everything, but it would be mutually beneficial.” Ella glanced at Cody before returning her gaze to Travis. “You trust him, right?”
Travis gave a firm nod. “With my life.”
Ella relaxed into her chair. “That’s all I need to know.”
Travis turned to Cody. His brows quirked. “You haven’t said anything, my friend. What’re you thinking?”
Cody pursed his lips. “I don’t know what to think. This would help, but it could also be a terrible idea.”
Ella’s cheeks reddened.
Travis crossed his arms. “What do you mean?”
Though his friend asked the question, Cody directed his answer to Ella.
“I mean, being a rancher’s wife isn’t easy.
The house is a decent size, but nothing compared to what you must have known.
It’s hard work from dawn to dusk. You’d be responsible for all the household chores and cooking, not to mention watching the children.
I don’t know how you were raised, Miss Mountbatten, but I’m betting maids and cooks were involved. ”
She stared down at Jonah. “They were.”
Her hands trembled. Blast it, he’d frightened her again. He forced himself to take on a soothing tone. “Ma’am, it’s not that I think you can’t learn. I’m worried that you’ll find yourself overwhelmed.”
Ella squared her shoulders, meeting his eyes. “I assure you, Mr. Brooks, a life on your ranch would be preferable to what’s waiting for me in Boston should my father find me. And he will. Travis had a telegram from him yesterday. I’m running out of time.”