Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
“Marmalade, enough already,” Essie scolded the cat. After the late night at the fairy ball, she’d barely staggered to her office two hours later than usual. Now, slogging through the invoices, Essie was trying to get her books in order. She hated accounting.
This racket wasn’t helping her concentrate. Marmalade had jumped on her desk and howled at her for the last five minutes. Essie had no clue what was going on with the feline. “What do you want?”
Marmalade stomped over to Essie’s cold cup of coffee she’d never had a chance to drink and lifted one paw. He glanced at her over his shoulder.
“Don’t do it, Marmalade. Do NOT knock that over.”
His foot descended menacingly. Essie leaned forward to snatch up the cup. “Got it.” She looked triumphantly at the noisy creature.
Marmalade blinked at her and used that raised paw to knock the papers below the cup, onto the floor. Her carefully organized expenses now decorated the carpet. He stared at her as if suggesting that this was her fault. Marmalade couldn’t have budged them if she hadn’t lifted her coffee.
“Ugh! Marmalade. I think this is a good time for you to go out.” Standing up, Essie picked up the triumphant cat and headed for the front door.
The cat relaxed against her, not bothered at all by his eviction.
Essie twisted the handle open and froze at the sight of a gorgeous redhead hugging Zander.
The woman laughed up at him with a delighted expression on her face.
The sight of Zander’s hands wrapped around the visitor’s trim waist made her stomach lurch.
Easing back inside, she quietly closed the door and leaned against it. Her heart pounded. Marmalade’s squeak alerted her she was hugging him too tightly. “Sorry, fuzzy guy.”
She set Marmalade down. Immediately, the cat resumed rubbing against the door. “I’m not going out there. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I’m positive she’s nothing more than an old friend.”
An old friend or a lover?
Essie shook her head to push that thought from her mind.
Zander had never given her any sign he would even look at another woman.
She should have said something. He would have explained that the person visiting had stumbled or had gotten dizzy.
There were perfectly logical reasons why he held her.
That sick feeling in her stomach didn’t respond to logic.
A prick of claws made her jump. She glanced down at the orange tabby and shook her head. “Sorry, Marmalade. How about if I open the kitchen door? I could steal some kitty treats from the stash there for you.”
At the mention of the T-word, Marmalade marched toward the pantry where Sara kept them. Trying not to replay the image of another woman in Zander’s arms, she followed the fluffy tail down the hall.
“Hi, Essie!” Sara greeted her warmly. “What a splendid party last night!”
“It was fun. I think everyone enjoyed the ball.” Even to herself, Essie’s voice sounded flat.
The housekeeper’s eyebrows drew together in concern. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Of course. Just frazzled by the late evening and the aftermath of the flurry of preparations.”
“I can see that. Thankfully, no one has booked the ballroom for the next few weeks, so you can rest for a couple of days to recover before taking the decorations down,” Sara suggested.
“Thank goodness. I’m going to make a new policy to leave two weeks between large ballroom events,” Essie declared.
Marmalade yowled again, drawing her attention.
“This cat! He’s driving me crazy. I promised him treats if he came with me to go out the kitchen door.” Essie dashed into the pantry and grabbed a few crunchy morsels from the pack before returning to set them on the floor close to Marmalade.
“Why didn’t you let him out the front door?” Sara asked.
Essie couldn’t come up with a lie fast enough, so she opened the back door and pretended she hadn’t heard. “There you go, Marmalade. Have fun.”
Marmalade chewed slowly, sitting with his tail flicking between them.
“Was there a commotion in the drive?” Sara asked. “Marmalade doesn’t like a lot of traffic or activity.”
“Zander was out there.”
“And?” Sara let the question hang in the air.
“He was holding a pretty redhead. I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“Holding her how?” Sara asked sharply.
“I’m sure his embrace was completely innocent,” Essie said.
“Of course,” Sara agreed. “You’ll have to ask him.”
“Hey! Is anyone home?” Zander called from the front of the house.
“We’re back here,” Sara answered for her when Essie didn’t respond.
Marmalade stood and sauntered toward the open door. The cat disappeared without a word, a split second before Zander reached the kitchen, leaving Essie holding the door handle.
“It smells amazing in here, Sara. Are you making cookies?” Zander asked. “Essie? Are you leaving?”
“Just letting Marmalade out,” Essie answered breezily and closed the door.
“The cookies over on the rack have cooled if you’d like to help yourself,” Sara said helpfully. “Maybe your guest would like one too.”
“My guest? Oh, you mean Cynthia. My stable workers sent her over when she stopped by my place,” Zander explained.
“That was nice of them.” Essie wasn’t thinking happy thoughts about his staff at the moment, but she wouldn’t admit that. Why had that floozy stopped by his place? Was she an ex? “It’s great to run into old friends, isn’t it?”
“Sure. She’s waiting outside for me to show her the barn. Cynthia’s considering buying a horse and wondered if she could stable one on my land. I’d take her a cookie, but she’ll never eat it.” Zander grabbed one and headed back to the front of the house with a wave.
“Cynthia’s old news, Essie. Zander dated her for a while but dropped her like a hot potato when he found out she was dating two guys at the same time,” Sara told her.
“Oh, of course.” Essie acted as if finding out that Cynthia was an ex hadn’t set off an earthquake under her feet. No wonder they’d seemed so natural together. “I’d better get busy.”
“Want a cookie for brain fuel?” Sara asked.
“Thanks, Sara.” Essie picked up two. She’d eat Cynthia’s as well. Chomping a big bite out of the first one, Essie headed for her office. Those accounts better balance, or she was going back for two more.
“Where are you, Essie?” Zander called from the front foyer.
She didn’t answer. Deliberately.
Essie had escaped from her office after finally reconciling the books.
Their suite had seemed eerily quiet, so she’d wandered through the mansion with her e-reader to find a comfortable spot to hide.
She’d tried not to notice that Zander had been gone for hours, but she’d reread one chapter repeatedly.
“I’m sure she’s here somewhere.” Sara’s voice drifted to her.
“Thanks, Sara. I’ll search for her.”
Ignoring Zander as he yelled her name, Essie pretended to enjoy her book. She’d chosen a good place to hide. He was having trouble finding her. A floorboard in the hallway creaked close by. Shucks! He’s here. She forced herself not to look up as he walked into the room.
“Hey! Didn’t you hear me calling you, Little girl?”
“I must have missed that. I was reading,” Essie answered, lifting her reader.
“That must be an excellent book,” he commented, walking into the small sitting room that Esther had enjoyed. “Why are you in here?”
“I like this room.”
“Okay.” He studied her intently before asking, “Is something wrong, Essie?”
“What could possibly be wrong?” she asked, shrugging.
“I don’t know. Did you get bad news about an event?”
“No. Everything is fine.”
“No cancellations?”
“No.” Essie lifted her reader and pretended to read.
“Okay, Little girl. Talk to me. What’s going on?” Zander demanded.
“Nothing. Did you have a pleasant visit with Cynthia?”
“Oh, I guess Sara told you I dated Cynthia years ago?” Zander asked.
“Did you? I bet you enjoyed getting caught up with her. Or maybe you’ve always stayed in touch?” Essie tried not to glare at him and failed. If she’d had laser beams for eyes, he would be toast. That thought cheered her up a bit.
“Cynthia hasn’t lived in town for several years. She’s recently divorced and is trying to land on her feet. Riding horses has always been a passion of hers. She’s living in an apartment now, so she would need somewhere to board a horse if she bought one.”
“You did have a great visit, didn’t you?” Essie snapped.
“Watch the attitude, Little girl. Why are you mad at me? Would you like me to tell Cynthia I don’t want her coming to my estate?”
“Yes. I would like you to tell your ex to jump off a steep cliff!” Essie set down her reader and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Both relieved she’d gotten that off her chest and worried about how he’d respond, Essie watched his face carefully.
“Okay. I’ll do that.” Zander smiled at her when her jaw dropped open in shock.
“You will?”
“Of course. Cynthia is nothing to me. You, on the other hand, mean everything. If she bothers you, I’ll stay far away from her.”
Zander walked forward. He scooped Essie up in his arms and sat down in her spot, holding her on his lap. “I love you, Little girl. Not anyone else.”
Tears gathered in her eyes as she blinked at his declaration. Cynthia’s appearance had completely rattled her. Now hope swooped in to replace her fright that she’d lose Zander. “You love me?” she repeated. Did he really mean that?
“I love you, Essie. I knew you were special when we were kids. Thank goodness, we navigated through that silliness from our mothers. I can’t imagine not having you in my life.”
She shook her head. “I can’t either. I got so angry at Cynthia because I was sure I fell harder for you than you could have.”
“Does that mean you have something to tell me?”
“Oh! Yes! I love you, Zander Templeton.”
Zander pulled her close and kissed her with scorching heat. They both breathed heavily when he leaned back. “Could you say that again, but call me Daddy?”
“I love you, Daddy,” she told him with a big smile. His big grin showed his enjoyment at hearing her say both names.
“And I love you, my precious Little girl.”
Essie pressed a kiss to his lips to reward him. She felt like an idiot for having gotten pissed off for no good reason. “I’m sorry I doubted you.”
“I’d like us to make a pact.”
“About what?” she asked.
“How about if we promise each other to talk through anything that’s bothering us? Like if I believe you’re working too hard, or you think I’m interested in someone I knew wasn’t right years ago.”
“I didn’t want to make you mad. Or worse yet, put the idea into your brain.”
“One, I promise to never get angry if you’re worried about something. A Little girl shouldn’t waste a moment fretting. And two, I hope you realize I’m not that easily led that bringing up a topic would make me turn my back on you and our relationship.”
“Well, if you put it like that…. My reasons for being upset are silly.”
“I’m definitely not saying that. Emotions are funny that way. When you talk about them, sometimes they seem laughable. The problem is that feelings aren’t logical. So if you’re upset, I want you to talk to me. Can you promise me that?”
“Yes, Daddy. I promise.”
“There’s my good girl. Now, it’s almost dinnertime. Shall we go join Sara in the kitchen?”
Essie played with the top button on his shirt. “I had a lot of cookies earlier.”
“You did, huh? So, you’re not hungry now?” he asked, lifting one eyebrow quizzically at her.
“No, Daddy. Maybe we should have a quiet evening together?”
“You’re not quiet, Little girl,” he teased.
“I could practice?”
“I think that is an incredible idea.”
She wiggled at his deliberate use of that adjective. Incredible had become a code for hot sex in her mind.
Zander shifted slightly to pull his phone from his pocket. He contacted Sara to inform her they’d skip dinner and perhaps come down later for a snack. She shouldn’t worry about them. Then he disconnected the call and lifted Essie into his arms, heading for the stairs.
“I forgot my tablet,” she said, looking back over her shoulder.
“You won’t be reading tonight, Little girl.”
She giggled happily as he walked up the stairs. Essie had hidden in a book enough for one day. Now, she got to play.