Hidden Gifts (A Castle Mountain Lodge Romance) by Elena Aitken Page A
Authors: Elena Aitken
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It may have been the company, but Bo couldn’t remember ever tasting a better hot dog. He snuck a look over at Morgan, who had also devoured hers. “Good, right?” he asked.
“So good.” Morgan licked a stray drop of ketchup off her finger. The innocent action filled him with an intense longing to be on the receiving end of her mouth. He had to stop. Lusting after Ella’s teacher, or caregiver, or whatever she was, was not even a little bit appropriate. Especially considering his focus had to be on Ella. At least until he decided on a plan. He owed her at least that much.
“I had fun today,” Morgan said. “Thank you for doing this.”
He risked another glance towards her. Fortunately for Bo, her hands were clasped together in her lap and nowhere near her mouth. “You were great, a total natural. Oh,” he added. “I forgot to tell you how much I liked your hiking boots.” He pointed to her feet. “I thought you said you’d never been hiking before.”
She blushed a little and ran a hand through her hair. “I haven’t. These were a gift. Otherwise, I might have been out there in sneakers or worse.”
“Sneakers?”
She nodded. “It’s true. I was that unprepared. But my friend Andi gave me these. She’s actually the one who told me how amazing it was up here. As you can tell, I don’t usually venture very far from the city limits. If it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t be here at all. Thank goodness for friends.”
“Yes,” Bo agreed with a smile. “Thank goodness for friends.”
~ ~
“Thanks for the hike, Miss Morgan.” Zak wrapped his arms around Morgan and squeezed tightly while Bo watched from the side of the Cub’s Club room. It amazed him how good she was with the kids, and how much they loved her.
“I’m glad you had fun, buddy,” Morgan said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She waved Zak and his parents out the door and then it was just the three of them. Lisa had left after the hot dog roast, her shift done for the day, and Zak was the last child to be picked up.
“I guess it’s time to go,” Morgan said, walking toward him. “You didn’t have to stay.”
“Didn’t I?” Bo pointed to Ella, who was fast asleep on the cushions under the treehouse, her clay "horse" in hand. “She looks pretty comfortable. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for ruining what looks like a perfectly good nap.”
“True, but we’re going to have to wake her up.” Morgan shrugged apologetically. “I have to lock up for the day.”
Bo looked again at Ella and took a few steps in her direction. She’d had such a big day hiking through the woods, she needed her rest. All the kids had enjoyed themselves, but it was Ella who stuck close to him all day, hanging on his every word and pointing at plants. She still wouldn’t say much to him, but the fact that she’d enjoyed the time with him outdoors spoke volumes to Bo. He probably shouldn’t be thinking too much about his future as a father, at least not until something was decided, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted to take her on another hike. Maybe a longer one next time. And maybe—he glanced over at Morgan who was stacking books on the shelf—Morgan would come, too.
“Well?” Morgan asked, coming to stand next to him. “Do you think we can wake her?”
“No,” Bo said, “but I’ll carry her. Maybe I don’t have to disturb her at all.” He bent down and slid his arms under her. With a quick motion, he lifted her easily, surprised at how little she weighed. Ella stirred a little and snuggled into Bo’s chest. The feeling was foreign, but nice. In the short time Ella had been with him, she hadn’t hugged him. Surely she would have had hugs from her mother? How long had it been since she’d had cuddles from someone who loved her? He had no way of knowing and the thought made him sad. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her.
“Bo?”
He jerked his head up. Morgan
It may have been the company, but Bo couldn’t remember ever tasting a better hot dog. He snuck a look over at Morgan, who had also devoured hers. “Good, right?” he asked.
“So good.” Morgan licked a stray drop of ketchup off her finger. The innocent action filled him with an intense longing to be on the receiving end of her mouth. He had to stop. Lusting after Ella’s teacher, or caregiver, or whatever she was, was not even a little bit appropriate. Especially considering his focus had to be on Ella. At least until he decided on a plan. He owed her at least that much.
“I had fun today,” Morgan said. “Thank you for doing this.”
He risked another glance towards her. Fortunately for Bo, her hands were clasped together in her lap and nowhere near her mouth. “You were great, a total natural. Oh,” he added. “I forgot to tell you how much I liked your hiking boots.” He pointed to her feet. “I thought you said you’d never been hiking before.”
She blushed a little and ran a hand through her hair. “I haven’t. These were a gift. Otherwise, I might have been out there in sneakers or worse.”
“Sneakers?”
She nodded. “It’s true. I was that unprepared. But my friend Andi gave me these. She’s actually the one who told me how amazing it was up here. As you can tell, I don’t usually venture very far from the city limits. If it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t be here at all. Thank goodness for friends.”
“Yes,” Bo agreed with a smile. “Thank goodness for friends.”
~ ~
“Thanks for the hike, Miss Morgan.” Zak wrapped his arms around Morgan and squeezed tightly while Bo watched from the side of the Cub’s Club room. It amazed him how good she was with the kids, and how much they loved her.
“I’m glad you had fun, buddy,” Morgan said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She waved Zak and his parents out the door and then it was just the three of them. Lisa had left after the hot dog roast, her shift done for the day, and Zak was the last child to be picked up.
“I guess it’s time to go,” Morgan said, walking toward him. “You didn’t have to stay.”
“Didn’t I?” Bo pointed to Ella, who was fast asleep on the cushions under the treehouse, her clay "horse" in hand. “She looks pretty comfortable. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for ruining what looks like a perfectly good nap.”
“True, but we’re going to have to wake her up.” Morgan shrugged apologetically. “I have to lock up for the day.”
Bo looked again at Ella and took a few steps in her direction. She’d had such a big day hiking through the woods, she needed her rest. All the kids had enjoyed themselves, but it was Ella who stuck close to him all day, hanging on his every word and pointing at plants. She still wouldn’t say much to him, but the fact that she’d enjoyed the time with him outdoors spoke volumes to Bo. He probably shouldn’t be thinking too much about his future as a father, at least not until something was decided, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted to take her on another hike. Maybe a longer one next time. And maybe—he glanced over at Morgan who was stacking books on the shelf—Morgan would come, too.
“Well?” Morgan asked, coming to stand next to him. “Do you think we can wake her?”
“No,” Bo said, “but I’ll carry her. Maybe I don’t have to disturb her at all.” He bent down and slid his arms under her. With a quick motion, he lifted her easily, surprised at how little she weighed. Ella stirred a little and snuggled into Bo’s chest. The feeling was foreign, but nice. In the short time Ella had been with him, she hadn’t hugged him. Surely she would have had hugs from her mother? How long had it been since she’d had cuddles from someone who loved her? He had no way of knowing and the thought made him sad. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her.
“Bo?”
He jerked his head up. Morgan