Ella—no, you’re not conventional.”
“But I’m Miss Independent
and
Ella,” I protested. “Where’s the real me in all of that?”
“Apparently the real you is in Houston,” he said. “And I wish you’d come back.”
“I’d like to bring the baby home for just a few days, until I figure things out.”
“That doesn’t work for me,” Dane said promptly.
I scowled. “It’s my apartment, too. I want to stay in my half.”
“Fine. I’ll crash somewhere else until you and the baby are gone. Or I’ll move out and you can have the whole place—”
“No.” Instinctively I knew that if Dane were forced out because I had chosen to take care of Luke, I might lose him for good. “Never mind, you stay there. I’ll find a temporary place for me and Luke.”
“I’ll help any way I can,” Dane said. “I’ll assume your share of the monthly rent for as long as you need.”
I was annoyed by the offer. And I was as irate as a flank-strapped bull because of his refusal to accept Luke. But most of all I was frightened by the revelation that we were in a relationship with no rules and no promises. Because it meant I was no longer certain of him.
Or of me.
“Thanks,” I said sullenly. “I’ll let you know where we end up.”
“The first thing we have to do, ” I told Luke the next day, “is find a nice place we can rent or sublet. Should we focus on the downtown area? Montrose? Or would you be open to finding something close by in SugarLand? We could always go to Austin, but we’d have to take care to avoid you-know-who. And it’s a
lot
more expensive to rent in Austin.”
Luke looked contemplative, sucking slowly on the bottle as if he were mulling the possibilities.
“Are you thinking it over?” I asked him. “Or are you working on another dirty diaper?”
I had spent the previous evening doing a lot of Googling, mostly on infant care. I had read pages on diapering dos-and-don’ts, milestones for the first month of life, and schedules of pediatric visits. I had even found directions on how to trim a baby’s nails. “It says here, Luke,” I had reported, “that you’re supposed to be sleeping fifteen to eighteen hours a day. You need to work on that. It also says I’m supposed to sanitize all the stuff you put your mouth on. And it says you’re going to learn how to smile by the end of the month.”
I had spent several minutes with my face right over his, smiling at him and hoping for a response. Luke had responded with such a solemn grimace that I had told him he looked like Winston Churchill.
After bookmarking a dozen baby-care sites, I had started to check out available furnished apartments in the Houston area. The ones I could afford looked cheap and depressing, and the ones I liked were astronomical. Unfortunately, it was difficult to find something in a decent location and nicely decorated that was also offered at a mid-range price. I had gone to sleep feeling anxious and depressed. Perhaps out of mercy, Luke had only woken three times during the night.
“We’ve got to find something today,” I told him. “And get out of this expensive hotel room.” I decided to spend the morning targeting possibilities on the Net, and going to see a few places in the afternoon. As I wrote down the first address and telephone number, my phone rang.
Travis,
the display read. I felt a little tumble of nerves and curiosity as I picked it up. “Hello?”
“Ella.” I heard Jack’s distinctive baritone, fluid as molten pennies. “How are you?”
“Great, thanks. Luke and I are apartment-hunting. We’ve decided to move in together.”
“Congratulations. You looking in Houston, or are you heading back to Austin?”
“We’re staying here.”
“Good.” A brief hesitation. “Do you have lunch plans?”
“No.”
“Let me pick you up at noon.”
“I can’t afford to have another meal with you,” I said, and he laughed.
“This one’s on me. There’s something I want
“But I’m Miss Independent
and
Ella,” I protested. “Where’s the real me in all of that?”
“Apparently the real you is in Houston,” he said. “And I wish you’d come back.”
“I’d like to bring the baby home for just a few days, until I figure things out.”
“That doesn’t work for me,” Dane said promptly.
I scowled. “It’s my apartment, too. I want to stay in my half.”
“Fine. I’ll crash somewhere else until you and the baby are gone. Or I’ll move out and you can have the whole place—”
“No.” Instinctively I knew that if Dane were forced out because I had chosen to take care of Luke, I might lose him for good. “Never mind, you stay there. I’ll find a temporary place for me and Luke.”
“I’ll help any way I can,” Dane said. “I’ll assume your share of the monthly rent for as long as you need.”
I was annoyed by the offer. And I was as irate as a flank-strapped bull because of his refusal to accept Luke. But most of all I was frightened by the revelation that we were in a relationship with no rules and no promises. Because it meant I was no longer certain of him.
Or of me.
“Thanks,” I said sullenly. “I’ll let you know where we end up.”
“The first thing we have to do, ” I told Luke the next day, “is find a nice place we can rent or sublet. Should we focus on the downtown area? Montrose? Or would you be open to finding something close by in SugarLand? We could always go to Austin, but we’d have to take care to avoid you-know-who. And it’s a
lot
more expensive to rent in Austin.”
Luke looked contemplative, sucking slowly on the bottle as if he were mulling the possibilities.
“Are you thinking it over?” I asked him. “Or are you working on another dirty diaper?”
I had spent the previous evening doing a lot of Googling, mostly on infant care. I had read pages on diapering dos-and-don’ts, milestones for the first month of life, and schedules of pediatric visits. I had even found directions on how to trim a baby’s nails. “It says here, Luke,” I had reported, “that you’re supposed to be sleeping fifteen to eighteen hours a day. You need to work on that. It also says I’m supposed to sanitize all the stuff you put your mouth on. And it says you’re going to learn how to smile by the end of the month.”
I had spent several minutes with my face right over his, smiling at him and hoping for a response. Luke had responded with such a solemn grimace that I had told him he looked like Winston Churchill.
After bookmarking a dozen baby-care sites, I had started to check out available furnished apartments in the Houston area. The ones I could afford looked cheap and depressing, and the ones I liked were astronomical. Unfortunately, it was difficult to find something in a decent location and nicely decorated that was also offered at a mid-range price. I had gone to sleep feeling anxious and depressed. Perhaps out of mercy, Luke had only woken three times during the night.
“We’ve got to find something today,” I told him. “And get out of this expensive hotel room.” I decided to spend the morning targeting possibilities on the Net, and going to see a few places in the afternoon. As I wrote down the first address and telephone number, my phone rang.
Travis,
the display read. I felt a little tumble of nerves and curiosity as I picked it up. “Hello?”
“Ella.” I heard Jack’s distinctive baritone, fluid as molten pennies. “How are you?”
“Great, thanks. Luke and I are apartment-hunting. We’ve decided to move in together.”
“Congratulations. You looking in Houston, or are you heading back to Austin?”
“We’re staying here.”
“Good.” A brief hesitation. “Do you have lunch plans?”
“No.”
“Let me pick you up at noon.”
“I can’t afford to have another meal with you,” I said, and he laughed.
“This one’s on me. There’s something I want
Similar Books
