Elly said gently. Then, unobtrusively, she added several more ounces of whole-wheat pasta to the order. What the heck. Pasta was relatively cheap and the whole wheat was nutritious for little Compass Rose. Elly figured she wouldn't miss the profit on the few ounces of pasta. Sarah Mitchell could certainly use the extra food. Elly thought bleakly about the kind of man who would get a woman pregnant and then leave to "find himself." Jess Winter would never do that. Never in a million years.
"Your Jess is a good man, Elly ."
"Yes." The kind of man who would follow through on his commitment to buy stained glass from an artist who was having trouble making ends meet. The kind of man who would not get a woman pregnant and then abandon her. Yes, Elly thought, Jess was a good man. His fundamental integrity was one of the things that had made her fall in love with him. She just wished he was in love with her the way she was with him—wildly, passionately, head-over-heels in love.
"Well, tell him I'm available whenever he's ready to have me start designing. I'll—" Sarah broke off as the bell over the door chimed cheerfully. "I'll... good heavens," she went on in a low tone. "Where did he come from?"
"Who? Jess? Is he here?" Suddenly tense, Elly turned to glance at whoever had opened the door and found herself blinking in astonishment at the newcomer. Sarah was still staring herself. And no wonder, Elly thought in a rush of amusement. It wasn't every day a man like this walked into The Natural Choice. "Looks like something from a calendar of 'hunks,'" she murmured.
The man who stood in the doorway nodded easily, apparently taking the feminine stares as his due. He strode forward with a nonchalance that told its own tale. This man was accustomed to being the center of attention. He was, without a doubt, the handsomest male Elly had ever seen. Tall, lean, with curly blond hair and perfectly chiseled features, he had a casual, sexy, inviting smile and a promise of excitement in his green eyes.
Green eyes, Elly thought suddenly. But there was no time to dwell on the bizarre notion that had just struck her. The man had reached the counter and with unerring instinct was already making the one move calculated to put everyone at ease. He was focusing the full force of his attention, something a few women Elly had met would have killed for, on Compass Rose.
"Hey, beautiful," he murmured to the wide-eyed toddler. "Where have you been all my life?"
"Her name is Compass Rose," Sarah explained hastily, bemused by the attention the handsome man was paying to her child.
"Compass Rose," the stranger repeated in a soft drawl. "Something tells me she's going to lead a lot of men astray during the next few years." He lifted a finger and chucked the baby under her chin.
Compass Rose's eyes got even wider and then, without warning, she started wailing. Turning her face into her mother's denim shirt, she clung fiercely, her high-pitched cry filling the shop.
"What in the world?" Startled, Sarah cradled the child closer. She cast an apologetic look at the newcomer. "I'm sorry. She's usually very good with strangers. I don't know what could have gotten into her. I guess I better get her out of here. Thanks, Elly . I'll see you later this week. You won't forget to remind Jess that I'm ready any time he is, will you?"
"I won't forget," Elly mouthed above the wails of Compass Rose. Sarah fled from the shop, cuddling the baby.
"Well," the stranger said philosophically as the door closed on the child's cries, "I guess I'm not that good with the younger set." He leaned on the counter and smiled at Sarah. "But I'm hell on wheels with older women."
Elly blinked owlishly and wondered why she felt the irrational desire to do the same as Compass Rose had done and start screaming. "Perhaps you'd like to meet my Aunt Clara," she said instead. "She's in her sixties so I guess she'd qualify as an older woman."
Green eyes flashed wickedly. "I had in mind
"Your Jess is a good man, Elly ."
"Yes." The kind of man who would follow through on his commitment to buy stained glass from an artist who was having trouble making ends meet. The kind of man who would not get a woman pregnant and then abandon her. Yes, Elly thought, Jess was a good man. His fundamental integrity was one of the things that had made her fall in love with him. She just wished he was in love with her the way she was with him—wildly, passionately, head-over-heels in love.
"Well, tell him I'm available whenever he's ready to have me start designing. I'll—" Sarah broke off as the bell over the door chimed cheerfully. "I'll... good heavens," she went on in a low tone. "Where did he come from?"
"Who? Jess? Is he here?" Suddenly tense, Elly turned to glance at whoever had opened the door and found herself blinking in astonishment at the newcomer. Sarah was still staring herself. And no wonder, Elly thought in a rush of amusement. It wasn't every day a man like this walked into The Natural Choice. "Looks like something from a calendar of 'hunks,'" she murmured.
The man who stood in the doorway nodded easily, apparently taking the feminine stares as his due. He strode forward with a nonchalance that told its own tale. This man was accustomed to being the center of attention. He was, without a doubt, the handsomest male Elly had ever seen. Tall, lean, with curly blond hair and perfectly chiseled features, he had a casual, sexy, inviting smile and a promise of excitement in his green eyes.
Green eyes, Elly thought suddenly. But there was no time to dwell on the bizarre notion that had just struck her. The man had reached the counter and with unerring instinct was already making the one move calculated to put everyone at ease. He was focusing the full force of his attention, something a few women Elly had met would have killed for, on Compass Rose.
"Hey, beautiful," he murmured to the wide-eyed toddler. "Where have you been all my life?"
"Her name is Compass Rose," Sarah explained hastily, bemused by the attention the handsome man was paying to her child.
"Compass Rose," the stranger repeated in a soft drawl. "Something tells me she's going to lead a lot of men astray during the next few years." He lifted a finger and chucked the baby under her chin.
Compass Rose's eyes got even wider and then, without warning, she started wailing. Turning her face into her mother's denim shirt, she clung fiercely, her high-pitched cry filling the shop.
"What in the world?" Startled, Sarah cradled the child closer. She cast an apologetic look at the newcomer. "I'm sorry. She's usually very good with strangers. I don't know what could have gotten into her. I guess I better get her out of here. Thanks, Elly . I'll see you later this week. You won't forget to remind Jess that I'm ready any time he is, will you?"
"I won't forget," Elly mouthed above the wails of Compass Rose. Sarah fled from the shop, cuddling the baby.
"Well," the stranger said philosophically as the door closed on the child's cries, "I guess I'm not that good with the younger set." He leaned on the counter and smiled at Sarah. "But I'm hell on wheels with older women."
Elly blinked owlishly and wondered why she felt the irrational desire to do the same as Compass Rose had done and start screaming. "Perhaps you'd like to meet my Aunt Clara," she said instead. "She's in her sixties so I guess she'd qualify as an older woman."
Green eyes flashed wickedly. "I had in mind
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