Josie glanced up from her small, even lettering in Cord’s ledger to rest her eyes. She smiled, watching him stock the far wall with more canned goods. He faced each label out, dusted, straightened. He took pride in the appearance of his store.
But he hadn’t always cared. When she came there, he hadn’t given a care to appearances, cleanliness, even his own hygiene. But now he wore a clean shirt and shaved every day. And he hadn’t gotten drunk in a long, long time.
Cord turned, smiling when he caught her looking at him. When had he become so handsome? His clothes fit him in a way that made Josie’s eyes linger, his dark hair, once again a bit long, framed his face and made the golden flecks in his eyes light up. When he gave her one of his lopsided smiles, the kind that made the tiny dimple in his left cheek, Josie wanted to melt.
He was happy. Cord really was happy. He was a different man from the one who had chased her down the street almost two months ago.
Over the last weeks, they had fallen into a comfortable pattern of family life that Josie loved. She made breakfast every morning, sent Matthew off to school, then spent the morning with Lacy, either at Grace’s kitchen, or out in the garden they were clearing and planting. Already, the peas were putting on tiny white blossoms, loving the cool, rainy weather.
When Lacy napped or played upstairs, Josie helped Cord in the store, painstakingly copying his scribbled figures into the book. His arm had healed finally, but she liked being able to write and wanted to do it as much as possible. And she liked to spend time with him.
When Matt came home, he helped her and Lacy plant seeds in the garden, or they would watch him fish by the creek. After supper, the four of them--sometimes five with Jackson--sat in the parlor and took turns reading or telling stories.
Family.
For the first time in her life, Josie was a part of a family, a real family. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t the children’s mother, or that she and Cord weren’t married. The looks of disapproval they got from Leticia and her crones didn’t matter. They had become a family. Josie was happier than she could ever remember.
Cord never said anything, but Josie knew he enjoyed her company, even liked her. Neither of them mentioned the single kiss they had shared, but it seemed to hover in the air between them, a living, breathing, thread of energy.
Cord’s lazy smile entered her field of vision as he approached her. Josie couldn’t help the answering smile that tugged at her mouth.
"What do you say we clean up the kids and go over to Grace’s for dinner tonight? I haven’t had her cooking in ages." Cord’s face reddened. "Well, what I meant was... Oh, hell, that didn’t come out right at all. I didn’t mean to make it sound like I missed her cooking or anything. You’re a fine cook, Josie."
She clamped her teeth together to keep from laughing. Cord didn’t know that the biscuits he ate regularly came straight from Grace’s oven, not Josie’s. She’d been able to cook a passable imitation of most of Grace’s dishes, with a great deal of instruction, but biscuits failed her every time. Either she burned them, or they were hard as rocks. Usually, she slipped the biscuits she’d made into her apron and fed them to the ducks down at the creek.
"That sounds like a fine idea. I’m nearly finished copying this morning’s receipts." Josie smoothed back a strand of loose hair. "I should clean myself up as well."
Cord watched her, his amber eyes taking on a sensual cast. "You look just right the way you are," he said softly.
Josie’s cheeks grew hot. She looked down, embarrassed. "I do not. I have dirt under my nails, my apron is stained, my hair is falling down, and... What are you laughing at?"
Cord let out a chuckle, then grew serious. "You. There’s not a thing wrong with you." He reached out and gently grazed her cheek with his thumb. "You’re beautiful, Josie."
Cord thought she was beautiful. Her mouth was so dry suddenly. She looked away, smoothing back her hair again.
"Hasn’t anyone ever told you that before?"
She looked into his eyes, into the heat that radiated deep within them. "No," she whispered.
"I should have a long time ago." The bell rang out, and Cord pulled his hand away. She immediately missed the warmth of his touch.
Josie turned back to finishing her receipts as Cord greeted the lady who’d walked in. She needed to concentrate on something, anything. When he stared at her like that, it unnerved her.
And it excited her.
She watched him as he talked with the customer, reaching on one shelf, then another, to fill her order. He scribbled the items on a piece of paper in his barely legible handwriting so Josie could copy them into the book. He used to write purchases in the book directly, until he’d broken his arm. But it had healed well, and he only complained of pain once in a while. Josie wondered if he had changed the way he’d always handled orders just to have her work with him.
The thought made her smile. At first, she’d wanted to hide from the customers, but they had gotten used to seeing her, and some even greeted her when they came in. But not all. Some of the townspeople frowned on Cord having an unmarried woman in his home, even if she was his housekeeper. Many were the same people Leticia Morgan congregated with at church on Sundays.
Cord glanced over at her from across the store and smiled. Josie quickly looked away, her cheeks heating. She hadn’t meant to stare.
A small, dark head bobbed behind the counter in front of her. Josie peeked over the surface and smiled at the girl ogling the row of jars filled with brightly colored candies. All the children ended up there, staring intently with round eyes at the gum drops, licorice and peppermint sticks. She had to chase Matt away from the jars almost daily. That boy would rot his teeth if she let him.
"Hello there," Josie said to the child. The little girl started and turned wide eyes to her.
Josie’s heart nearly jumped to her throat.