hostage situation?”
He had a point. And she had agreed to his terms. “Thirty minutes. Starting now.”
“Let’s go. At the rate you move it’ll take that long to get to the front door.” The man’s grin was positively wicked.
Annie considered punching him again. Harder this time. “I’ll get you for this.”
“I expect you will.”
Trent opened the door to Babyland, and they stepped into a children’s paradise. Annie had never been inside the store. At first her grief had kept her away. And as the grief eased, her limited budget took over.
She gazed around the showroom with a sense of wonder. “Have we stumbled into Oz?”
“Rosa said it was fantastic. And Rosa’s never wrong.”
They strolled up and down the aisles till they reached the crib department. “What style do you like?”
“I want cribs made of oak. But I’ll buy mine secondhand.”
“Let’s see if anything’s on sale.”
As Annie watched Trent stride through the aisles, she thought he looked out of place in the sea of baby furniture. Cowboy to the core, the man should be shopping for saddles or bridles or hay.
Certainly not baby beds.
But Trent’s loyalty to Brad was unquestionable. He would do anything to honor his friend’s request. Including driving lessons and crib shopping.
“Over here, Annie. These are oak. How about this one?”
She joined him and felt a rush of delight. “It’s perfect. Just the style I want.” She glanced at the tag and gasped. “Did you see the price? I didn’t pay this much for Eloise!”
“They’re on sale. Thirty percent off.”
Annie suddenly felt faint. The tension of the driving lesson and the unexpected trip to Babyland had overwhelmed her. She swayed to one side, and Trent noticed. “Are you OK?”
“I feel dizzy.”
“Here. Sit down.” He guided Annie to a rocking chair and she dropped into it. She closed her eyes to stop the room from spinning.
Trent knelt beside her and grasped her hand. Annie tried not to think about how good his fingers felt wrapped around hers. She couldn’t
afford
to think about it.
“Should I take you to the hospital?”
Annie shook her head. “I need to go home and put my feet up. I’ve had a few dizzy spells, but Doc Newsome’s not concerned.”
“Maybe she ought to be.” Tension edged Trent’s voice.
“Just give me a minute. Would you get me a water bottle? A drink sounds good.”
Trent seemed torn on whether to leave her but finally headed for customer service. While he was far too pushy and controlling, Annie felt more for the man than annoyance. She felt attraction. An attraction that was both inappropriate and out of control.
Don’t see him as a stand-in husband
, her conscience warned. While Trent took his assignment seriously, he’d only be around long enough to fulfill his obligation. If Annie let these feelings grow, she’d set herself up for more sadness.
Tears welled in her eyes and several brimmed over. She swiped at them with the back of her hand. Great. She was having a breakdown at Babyland! She pulled a tissue from her purse, blew her nose, and watched Trent approach with water and a concerned expression.
There it was again. Another stab of attraction. Trent knelt beside her, unscrewed the cap, and handed her the bottle. “Here, Annie. Take a drink.”
The deep resonance of his voice and his kind tone touched her heart. “Thank you.”
“How do you feel?”
“Better. The world stopped spinning.”
“Shall I take you home?”
“Please.”
Trent gripped Annie’s arm and helped her stand. She liked to think he was showing compassion, but maybe he figured she couldn’t get up on her own. Maybe he was right. If she got any bigger, they’d have to lift her out of the crib department with a crane.
As they drove along, the stress of the afternoon hit hard. And Annie’s burgeoning feelings for Trent made everything worse. Surely this wasn’t love, was it? She shivered at the possibility.
“Are you
He had a point. And she had agreed to his terms. “Thirty minutes. Starting now.”
“Let’s go. At the rate you move it’ll take that long to get to the front door.” The man’s grin was positively wicked.
Annie considered punching him again. Harder this time. “I’ll get you for this.”
“I expect you will.”
Trent opened the door to Babyland, and they stepped into a children’s paradise. Annie had never been inside the store. At first her grief had kept her away. And as the grief eased, her limited budget took over.
She gazed around the showroom with a sense of wonder. “Have we stumbled into Oz?”
“Rosa said it was fantastic. And Rosa’s never wrong.”
They strolled up and down the aisles till they reached the crib department. “What style do you like?”
“I want cribs made of oak. But I’ll buy mine secondhand.”
“Let’s see if anything’s on sale.”
As Annie watched Trent stride through the aisles, she thought he looked out of place in the sea of baby furniture. Cowboy to the core, the man should be shopping for saddles or bridles or hay.
Certainly not baby beds.
But Trent’s loyalty to Brad was unquestionable. He would do anything to honor his friend’s request. Including driving lessons and crib shopping.
“Over here, Annie. These are oak. How about this one?”
She joined him and felt a rush of delight. “It’s perfect. Just the style I want.” She glanced at the tag and gasped. “Did you see the price? I didn’t pay this much for Eloise!”
“They’re on sale. Thirty percent off.”
Annie suddenly felt faint. The tension of the driving lesson and the unexpected trip to Babyland had overwhelmed her. She swayed to one side, and Trent noticed. “Are you OK?”
“I feel dizzy.”
“Here. Sit down.” He guided Annie to a rocking chair and she dropped into it. She closed her eyes to stop the room from spinning.
Trent knelt beside her and grasped her hand. Annie tried not to think about how good his fingers felt wrapped around hers. She couldn’t
afford
to think about it.
“Should I take you to the hospital?”
Annie shook her head. “I need to go home and put my feet up. I’ve had a few dizzy spells, but Doc Newsome’s not concerned.”
“Maybe she ought to be.” Tension edged Trent’s voice.
“Just give me a minute. Would you get me a water bottle? A drink sounds good.”
Trent seemed torn on whether to leave her but finally headed for customer service. While he was far too pushy and controlling, Annie felt more for the man than annoyance. She felt attraction. An attraction that was both inappropriate and out of control.
Don’t see him as a stand-in husband
, her conscience warned. While Trent took his assignment seriously, he’d only be around long enough to fulfill his obligation. If Annie let these feelings grow, she’d set herself up for more sadness.
Tears welled in her eyes and several brimmed over. She swiped at them with the back of her hand. Great. She was having a breakdown at Babyland! She pulled a tissue from her purse, blew her nose, and watched Trent approach with water and a concerned expression.
There it was again. Another stab of attraction. Trent knelt beside her, unscrewed the cap, and handed her the bottle. “Here, Annie. Take a drink.”
The deep resonance of his voice and his kind tone touched her heart. “Thank you.”
“How do you feel?”
“Better. The world stopped spinning.”
“Shall I take you home?”
“Please.”
Trent gripped Annie’s arm and helped her stand. She liked to think he was showing compassion, but maybe he figured she couldn’t get up on her own. Maybe he was right. If she got any bigger, they’d have to lift her out of the crib department with a crane.
As they drove along, the stress of the afternoon hit hard. And Annie’s burgeoning feelings for Trent made everything worse. Surely this wasn’t love, was it? She shivered at the possibility.
“Are you
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