Aurora's Cowboy Daddy. Melinda Barron

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      Chapter 4

      His chest felt so strong and comforting that Aurora wanted to stay in his arms forever. She sniffled, then whispered, “I’m sorry.”

      He stroked her hair again and said, “Don’t ever feel sorry for your feelings. They are yours and yours alone and they make you who you are.”

      Holt’s words wrapped themselves around her heart and gave her comfort. She pushed back just a little and looked at his shirt.

      “I got makeup, and snot, all over your shirt.” She put her hands on his chest. He’d loosened his hold on her just enough so she could look up at him. Never had she felt so safe, and comforted.

      “It’ll wash out,” he said. “You were brave to tell us your tale. You could have refused, you know.”

      “You’re my new boss and you told me to tell you.”

      He stroked her hair, and she couldn’t help but pull away. His hands were huge, when Ben got that close to her with his hand it was usually to slap her, or even punch her with his fist.

      “I’m not going to hit you, not like your expecting.”

      Aurora could tell he was telling her the truth, but in the back of her mind she wondered if he ever would. But what did he mean by the phrase ‘not like you’re expecting’? Did that mean he would wait until she was doing something else and he would catch her off guard? He didn’t seem like the type to hit a woman, but then again she hadn’t thought Ben would, either.

      “You should go eat,” she said. He released her and she turned toward the mirror. “Austin worked hard on that mousse.”

      “And he will be very upset if you don’t taste it,” Holt said. “Wash your face, then come upstairs. By now one of them has chosen a movie to watch, which is how we spend a lot of our evenings.”

      To her surprise he cupped the back of her head and kissed her on the forehead. He left before she could express her shock, or even tell him he shouldn’t have done that, because it made her feel things she didn’t want to feel. But she didn’t need to dwell on that now. She soaped up her hands and washed her face, taking off every bit of makeup she’d worn. But she was used to going without it, because she hardly ever went out She dried her face, and then went out to the hallway. It took her a minute to find the stairs, but as she climbed she could hear laughter, and the sound of the TV.

      How was it possible she’d found this place? Jake, her friend Dana’s husband, had told her about the job and encouraged her to apply. She thought he’d done it to get rid of her, but right now she felt as if some force had guided him, as if she was meant to be here. She prayed she was right. She finished climbing the stairs and followed the noise to a cavernous room.

      The doors were open to her right, and to her left there were sliding glass doors open to the upper veranda she’d seen when she’d arrived. She entered the room and Austin jumped from his seat and hurried to a table where a large bowl sat. It was half empty, but he still dished up a huge serving of mousse and topped it with a large dollop of whipped cream.

      She hadn’t sat down yet when he offered it to her. “Thank you, Austin,” she said. She took a small bite and sighed in wonder. “You’re a much better cook than I am,” she said before she took another bite.

      “I’ll give you lessons,” he said. He sat back down and Aurora glanced around the room. There was only one seat available, next to Holt on a love seat. She sat down next to him and slowly ate the chocolate treat.

      “Don’t be afraid to get more,” he said. “In fact, Austin would love it if you did.”

      “I will,” she said, her voice low. Yes, she was definitely home.