Leah came into the front room. “Hi,” she said. “We missed you.”
She said the words without thinking, and then almost winced—just like this morning, that sounded so very, very domestic.
But it was true. As much as it had been nice to just sit around all day, napping and reading with Emily, it would have been even nicer if Jeff had been there with them.
There was a smile spreading over Jeff’s face, and he set down the bags he was carrying and took off his winter gear—and put it all neatly away, Leah noticed. Then he came right over to her and kissed her on the mouth, lingering for a minute. Leah closed her eyes.
When he pulled away, he dropped another kiss on Emily’s head. The baby sobbed, waving her fists.
Jeff raised his eyebrows. “Wow, not everything’s sunny in Emily’s world today, is it? What’s up, kiddo, are you mad about something?”
Leah shook her head. “She’s just fussy. Maybe she’s coming down with something, or maybe it’s just all of the strange places she’s been lately. She took a heck of a nap earlier, but she’s due for another one soon, isn’t that right?” She jounced Emily, who sobbed harder. “That’s right.”
“Well, I hope she doesn’t sleep through dinner,” Jeff said. “I’ve got plans. Actually, I should get started soon if we want to eat before bedtime.” He went back to pick up the bags he’d brought in, and Leah realized they were groceries.
“Well, let me see if I can put her down, and then I’ll come help out however I can.”
“No, no,” Jeff said. “I’m cooking for you. You can’t help.”
Leah smiled. “I’ll come keep you company in the kitchen?”
“That sounds perfect,” Jeff said. “Goodnight, honey.” He touched Emily’s red cheek.
Leah took Emily back into the spare room and closed the door, so the kitchen sounds wouldn’t distract the baby as she was trying to sleep. “Come on, Emily,” she said. “Time for a nap.”
Emily was very annoyed at the prospect of napping, and it took two stories, a couple of songs, and some rocking and back-rubbing before it seemed like she’d consider it, and then another fifteen minutes of staying completely still as her eyes almost closed...and then jerked open on another sob...and then almost closed again...and on and on.
When Leah finally slipped out the door of the spare room and into the kitchen, Jeff was well underway with dinner. There were knives and cutting boards out on the counters, a pot was bubbling on the stove, the oven was going, and he was washing dishes, his sleeves rolled up.
His forearms were tanned and strong, muscles moving in them as he picked up bowls and pans. His feet were bare, too. It was strange that his forearms and his feet were suddenly so interesting to Leah when she’d seen the whole naked package yesterday, but she guessed it was like the days when a lady’s ankle was scandalous—because Jeff was otherwise completely covered by his clothes, these little exposed parts were somehow the sexiest thing she’d seen in a while.
She watched him doing the dishes for a minute before she came in. A man willingly doing the dishes—now that was possibly the sexiest thing she’d ever seen.
Finally, as he was turning the water off, she stepped up behind him, hesitated, then slipped her hands around his waist.
“Hey,” he murmured, and she could hear the open pleasure in his voice.
“Hi,” she said, resting her forehead between his shoulder blades. “Can I help with anything?”
He shut off the water, dried his hands, and turned around to pull her in for a hug. “You can hang out right here and keep me company.”
“It smells amazing,” she murmured into his chest. “What are you making?”
“Thanks. It’s beef chili. I thought we could have the perfect dinner for a snowed-in evening, because we missed our chance back at the cabin.”
She smiled. “Are you knocking my peanut butter and trail mix?”
“Never.” He kissed the top of her head. “It kept us from going hungry, and when stranded in the wilderness, that is the number-one most important factor. You were really well-prepared out there, Leah. Like I said, I was impressed with how you managed to pack exactly the right supplies, even with no survival training.”
She was glad her face was hidden, because it was starting to heat up with a blush. “It was just common sense. I’m sure anyone else would have brought the same things.”
“No,” Jeff said seriously, “they wouldn’t. I’m a park ranger, remember. I deal with stranded or lost hikers all the time, and you’d be amazed at how many people don’t have the most basic survival equipment with them when they’re out in the wilderness. No food, no medical supplies, nothing to keep them warm...it happens all the time. You were smart. You were prepared. And that helped both of us.”
Leah broke away from his hold, turning away. “Jeff...you seem to have this picture of me in your head. Like I’m some kind of—I don’t know. But you’re wrong. I’m only out here because I screwed up.”
Jeff came up behind her and laid a hand lightly on her shoulder. “Screwed up how?”
“In every way.” Leah knew she should turn around and face him, but she didn’t want to look into those endless grey eyes while she said these words. “I couldn’t keep my fiancé, I couldn’t support my daughter, I couldn’t even make plans for the future with any realism. I’m on my way to stay with my mom, who doesn’t need or want any extra mouths to feed, but it’s my only option. And now my car’s broken down, and I don’t have the money to get it fixed, and I’m imposing on you because I also don’t have the m