heart squeezed. This was his family. He’d missed them a whole lot more than he’d acknowledged. He should have come home a long time ago, been here for the holidays, been here where William wouldn’t have had to rely on the multitude of family photos all over the house to remember who his long-lost uncle Ty was.
But he knew the moment his father got home he’d recall all the reasons he’d left, that within seconds he’d most likely be ready to hop on the first plane back to New York.
“Ellie.” His mother used the name she’d heard Ty call her by, concern in her voice. “Is your food not to your liking, dear? I’d be happy to cook something else for you if there’s something you’d prefer.”
Ty’s mind jerked to the present, stunned to realize that he’d demolished every scrap of his mother’s delicious home cooking but Eleanor had barely touched her food.
Looking a little pale, she shook her head. “Everything is delicious. I just wasn’t that hungry. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, child.” His mother’s eyes softened as they regarded Eleanor. “If you’re not hungry then you’re not hungry.”
William nudged his mother’s arm. “See, Momma, I shouldn’t have to clean my plate when I’m not hungry. Grammy says so.”
Leaning forward, Harry winked at his son. “You’re a growing boy and need your meat and potatoes to make you grow up strong like your old man.”
“What he means is like your uncle Ty,” Ty corrected, but his eyes never left Eleanor. Her skin had grown pasty, almost a pale gray. “You okay, darlin’? Is your stomach acting up again?”
Bright red color splotched her cheeks as she lifted pleading eyes to him. Eyes that begged to get her somewhere private pronto. Purplish smudges darkened beneath them, almost as if her skin was bruised, and guilt hit him. He’d been so self-absorbed that he’d totally missed that she still wasn’t feeling up to par.
“A little,” she admitted. “I’ve never traveled well. Sorry.”
His mother must have read her look accurately, too, because before Ty could do more than reach for her hand, she jumped in. “Ty, take this poor girl to your room and let her rest for a bit. She looks exhausted.”
His and Ellie’s gazes met as realization dawned. He hadn’t really thought about where his brother had put her bags. Not in one of the guest rooms as there would be more family coming in for the rodeo and the house would be at full capacity, as would the guesthouse and the bunkhouse. Harry had put her belongings in Ty’s room.
Because everyone had assumed she was his girlfriend and that that was where he’d want her sleeping.
That was where he wanted her sleeping. With him.
Of course, if Ellie was in his bed, neither of them would be doing much sleeping.
Then again, with how frail she looked at the moment, he should keep his hands to himself. And other wayward body parts that had a predilection for her.
As much as he wanted her, at the moment he just wanted to take care of her.
“Come on,” he said, standing from the table and taking her hand. “Let’s get you upstairs for a nap. It’s been a long day already since we left LaGuardia this morning.”
“I...” she started to argue. He knew that was what she was about to do because her phenomenal etiquette would think it rude to disappear so quickly. But she stopped, which told him just how poorly she felt. Another wave of guilt hit him. How could he have been so lost in his own homecoming misery that he’d been oblivious to her exhaustion and just how much effort she was making to hide how ill she really felt? He felt a grade-A jerk.
He was a grade-A jerk.
Because when he’d not been lost in the past, he’d been thinking about the night they’d shared and how he’d been wanting a repetition ever since.
“After our trip this morning, resting for a short while would be heavenly. Thank you.” Still, she turned to his mother. “Can I help you clear the dishes before I go?”
His mother beamed at her perfect manners, shot Ty a thumbs-up, I-like-this-girl look. “No, Carmelita has already taken care of everything else so there’s only these. She and I will get everything cleaned up in a jiffy. Nita will help.”
Watching the conversation curiously, Ty’s sister-in-law nodded her agreement.
“You go and rest so you will be refreshed for the rodeo this weekend and meeting the rest of the family. They’re all looking forward to meeting the first woman Ty’s ever brought home to meet us.” As if she couldn’t stop herself, his mother pulled her into her arms for a big hug. “We are so glad to meet you, Ellie, and to welcome you to our house and family. This is just wonderful.”
* * *
Eleanor bit back both her wince at Ty’s mother’s use of “Ellie” and the nausea she’d been fighting from the moment she’d smelled food. What was wrong with her? Usually her bouts of nervous stomach didn’t last so long.
Then again, usually her bouts of nerves weren’t triggered by a trip to Texas with a gorgeous hunk she’d spent a night naked with several weeks ago.
Ha, it had never been triggered by that until Ty and this trip. She’d truly believed he’d have invited someone else or have gone alone.
Not that he’d been linked to anyone since her.
Or if he had, she hadn’t gotten the gossip memo.
Since Ty seemed to be Linda’s favorite topic of conversation these days, Eleanor was positive she would have heard if Ty had so much as looked in another woman’s direction. He hadn’t.
Why hadn’t he?
He led her up a majestic curved gleaming oak staircase to the second story of the sprawling Texan mansion that spoke of wealth, functionality and family.
Because unlike the magazine picture-perfectness of her parents’ various homes, the Donaldson mansion was filled with love, with family photos and knickknacks that, without asking, Eleanor knew had special meaning. The house was lived in and full of love.
“I like your family,” she said when they were almost to the top of the stairs.
Holding her hand tightly in his, Ty snorted. “You may want to withhold judgment until you meet my father. He’s the scary one, remember?”
Eleanor’s heart squeezed at the pain she heard in his voice. All her life she’d lived knowing that she didn’t quite fit in with her family, but never had she doubted that they loved her in their own way. Even Brooke had her loving-family moments such as when she’d insisted upon helping Eleanor pack yesterday and had given Eleanor a pair of bright red designer boots for her trip to Texas. Ty’s voice didn’t convey that same knowledge of love. Not where his father was concerned.
“You want to talk about it?”
He shook his head. “No, I just want to get you into bed.” He waggled his brows and grinned. “For once not so I can take your clothes off you. Seriously, Ellie, you should have told me you still
