the quickening pulse at his throat, felt the slight unsteadiness in his hand. His answer revealed a vulnerability in him that made her feel protective, as if she wanted to shield him from anyone who dared to treat him with less than the utmost love and respect.
Which really was crazy.
Ty was a six-foot-four Texan hunk. Not some wallflower who needed her to run interference.
Despite him rescuing her at the ribbon-cutting, the time they’d spent together at the hospital, the fund-raiser and afterward, well, really, they barely knew each other.
Yet she did feel as if she knew him. That he knew her. Really deep down knew each other.
Which was even crazier.
She fought leaning over and taking him into her arms. It was what she wanted to do. She doubted he’d welcome her sympathy, her comfort.
She settled with giving his hand a gentle squeeze and saying quietly, “Then your brother must be an exceptionally amazing man.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
THANK GOD HE’D brought Ellie with him, Ty thought for the hundredth time since they’d arrived in Texas. Everyone was so busy falling over themselves to meet the woman he’d brought that no one had mentioned the last time he’d been home.
His mother’s welcoming arms squeezed him tightly.
“I’m so glad you’re home, son.” Her voice broke just a smidge, causing his chest to constrict more than a little. Then she pecked his cheek and turned to the quiet, elegant woman standing at his side. “Eleanor, that’s the prettiest skirt I think I’ve ever laid eyes on. Wherever did you find it?”
First looking at him as if to gauge how he’d responded to his mother’s hug and to make sure he was okay, Eleanor turned to his mother and smiled.
“There’s this fantastic shop just a couple of blocks from the hospital. It’s owned by a family I met when their son was born a couple of weeks early. We’ve stayed in touch.” Her face became animated as she launched into a tale of some of the other bargains she’d found there.
Ty couldn’t help but think how pretty she looked. Beautiful, actually. Ellie was beautiful.
He was so glad she was at his side.
From the moment they’d arrived at the airport and been greeted by Harry, Eleanor had been truly wonderful. Despite her bout of travel sickness on the plane, she smiled at all the right times. She asked questions at all the right times. Surprisingly, his shy, quiet Eleanor had even kept up the conversation during the few short, awkward moments that had passed between him and his brother when their father had come up in the conversation.
By the time his brother had helped load their luggage onto the small private twin-engined plane in which Harry would fly them to the ranch, they’d been conversing like, well, like long-lost brothers.
“I’ll have to fly up to the city for a shopping trip with you,” his mother suggested, still going on about Eleanor’s skirt.
Harry and Ty both laughed. Their mother shopping in New York City? She was the most no-nonsense woman they knew, rarely even made it into Houston to shop, and that was only a couple hours’ drive away. She rewarded them with a motherly frown.
Ellie glanced back and forth between them, obviously confused by their laughter. She smiled politely at his mother. “That would be nice, but if you do, I’ll introduce you to my sister. She’s the expert shopper.”
Based on the dress she had told him that Brooke had arranged for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Ty couldn’t argue. That dress had accented Eleanor’s curves superbly, but the truth was it didn’t matter what she wore.
Over the past six weeks, seeing her at the hospital in her shapeless scrubs hadn’t helped one bit. He knew what she hid beneath and just the memory of her curvy body had his hands itching to touch, had him wanting to beg her to reconsider.
Ty’s mother hustled them toward the large eat-in kitchen. When Ty stepped into the room, he breathed in the smell of being home. The room held a lot of memories. Good memories of sitting in here with Harry and his mother while she cooked their breakfast on school mornings. Not-so-good memories of the last row between him and his father, which had also taken place in the room.
Odd, but most of the major conversations of his life had taken place in the Donaldson kitchen.
As if his mother knew exactly what he was thinking about or, more aptly, who, she patted his shoulder. “Your father hated not being able to be here to welcome you home, son, but he had to go to the rodeo to make sure things are coming along on schedule. He’s swamped with last-minute details.” Her eyes didn’t quite meet his, but she pasted another bright smile on her face and hugged him yet again. “Now, let’s get the two of you fed. I’ve left lunch out because I know you must be starved.”
Ty’s gaze went from his mother to Eleanor. Her thick lashes swept her cheeks. She probably was starved after her bout of travel sickness on the plane. She’d disappeared into the ladies’ room at the airport long enough to freshen up and to put her contact lenses in. That had surprised him, but he’d been grateful because nothing blocked his view of her face.
Plus, seeing her without her glasses reminded him of the night of her father’s fund-raiser. Which was really a reminder of what had happened after the fund-raiser.
Which made Ty realize he was starved.
But not for food.
Ellie was all he hungered for.
Despite the awkwardness between them since the night they’d spent together, he hadn’t stopped wanting her. He missed her and wanted her in his life. And not just at the hospital. Seeing her face light up with a smile did odd things to his insides and he wasn’t in denial now.
He wanted her, was going to thoroughly enjoy the next few days of her company, and use the time to convince her they’d shared something special.
“Come along, Ellie. Let’s see what my mother has rustled up for us.” Ty took her hand in his and grinned at her surprised, pink-cheeked expression at his use of her nickname. Along with the entourage of family who tagged along behind them, he led her to the long solid oak table that matched the cabinets and woodwork.
Harry’s son, William, had taken an instant fascination with Eleanor and climbed into the chair opposite hers, staring at her as if she were some big-city goddess. The four-year-old had almost doubled in size since the last time Ty had seen him.
Nita, Harry’s wife, chatted a mile a minute about the one time she’d visited New York and how she’d like to come along for his mother’s suggested shopping trip, too. His mother busied herself with hostess duties. His brother had kicked back and was watching all the commotion with a lazy grin on his face. Their eyes met and they shared a grin.
Ty’s 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
