Today she was dressed casually, in a pair of jeans and a dark velour hoodie with converse, her hair pulled into a high ponytail. He was reminded that she was a good ten years younger than him – a bit more, actually, and tried to use the fact to drum up some sort of guilt. When he found he couldn’t, a low sigh of frustration escaped him.
All he could concentrate on was the alluring slant of her almond eyes, her full mouth, and the way she pressed herself to the window – almost childlike – in an attempt to see as much of the ranch as she could as they drove through it.
The rolling green hills were impeccably groomed, thanks, not to any gardener, but to the constant, carefully controlled grazing of cattle and horses. They were, for the most part, allowed to wander where they would throughout the property. The leaves of trees were appropriately pruned to be beyond their reach, and they were kept away from plants that served to enhance the scenery, but might be harmful to the livestock.
His mother, in particular, liked white roses, and so the last time she’d come up to visit, he’d had over two hundred rosebushes planted on the property. Now, they were all in full bloom, setting off the intense greenery of their surroundings with their stark contrast.
A large fenced yard isolated the main house in the center of the estate and, at the sight of it, and audible gasp escaped Esme.
Daniel had designed the five bedroom manor to be reminiscent of the large country houses he’d grown up in down south. It was a charming building – all brick with a freshly tiled roof and wraparound porch. Two acres of land surrounding the house were landscaped, including the addition of a year-round swimming pool and ample gardens – which his mother loved tending when she came to visit.
“It’s huge.” Esme breathed in appreciation next to him, before fixing him with her excited brown gaze. “And gorgeous.”
Her enthusiasm drew a chuckle from him. “I’m glad you approve.” When they pulled to a stop in the driveway, however, Esme’s face took on a more confused expression. “I’m…going to be living in your house? In the same building as you?”
He arched a brow at her tentative tone, hoping the living arrangements wouldn’t make her change her mind. “You’ll have your own bedroom and bathroom – it’s really almost a separate wing of the house. And I swear to give you your privacy. It’s just…the guest houses are so spread out, and this one has the most amenities…being the main house. I thought you might like it more?”
Despite the constant temptation he faced, he spoke truthfully. This was less about him and more about his unborn child, whose life he would never gamble with. Happy surrogate equaled happy child, and he was more than willing to go the distance. So far, Esme didn’t prove terribly fussy, which, in all honesty, surprised him. In his experience, women offered the world usually took it and ran with it before demanding more.
“I’m sure I’ll like it, Mr. Hartsford…”
“Daniel.” For some reason, he couldn’t stand her calling him by a title. It only served to remind him of the responsibilities he had beyond seeing his only child into the world.
Esme’s response was a slow, small smile. “Daniel. Look, can I be honest with you for a second?”
“Well, I’d hope you would be honest with me all the time.” His low drawl was meant to be teasing and he was relieved when, instead of blowing up, Esme only laughed softly.
“Of course….but what I want to say is…” She sobered quickly, “I don’t want to cause any problems…rifts…between you and Alyssa. If she comes back and finds me in the house..” The young woman bit her lip in consternation before blowing out a breath. For a moment, Daniel was transfixed by the way she drew her lower lip between her teeth before releasing it.
Absolutely intoxicating.
Then, he realized she was worried about Alyssa’s possible return.
He hurried to reassure her. “Let me deal with that. If Alyssa comes back, I’ll speak with her. Don’t you worry. I promise, there will be no trouble for you, Esme.”
And he meant to keep his promise too. While he wasn’t happy that Alyssa had gone, he found himself hoping, for the first time, that she might stay away for long enough for him to actually enjoy watching Esme’s belly swell with the life inside her. The last thing the young woman would need to hear were snide comments and insults.
It could even strain her temperament and harm the baby.
The young woman eyed him skeptically a moment before the door to her side of the car was opened. “If you tell me so, I’ll believe you.” When she finally spoke, her answer filled him with enough relief to leave the car in her wake, gathering some of her personal affects. There were, he noticed, a large number of pots and pans of which he’d never seen the like. But, then again, he never spent much time in the kitchen.