Wow. Someone went all out. And because she hated seeing good food go to waste, she was sure she would eat way more than she should. She would have to ask Cedric or the cook or whoever to take it easy on her portions or she was going to wind up gaining one hundred pounds. With a body like hers, eight pounds of baby would be pushing the capacity.
On the table beside the tray lay a large white envelope with her name scrawled across the front. She picked it up and grazed her fingers over the letters, wondering if Cedric had written it. She bit off a piece of bacon, grabbed the envelope and ripped it open. Inside she found a set of keys that did not belong to her car and a shiny new Visa card. The attached note read:
For whatever you and the baby need.
It was signed simply, C.
Wow. So she was back at Haerton and he was still giving her money? She should have figured he would do something like this, yet the gesture of generosity still shocked her a little. He had an uncanny way of anticipating her every need. The polite thing to do would be to thank him. If her father had taught her nothing else, he’d instilled Anna with good manners.
She quickly finished her breakfast, showered and dressed and headed down the stairs to Cedric’s office. She rapped on the door several times, but he didn’t answer. Would it be okay to open the door and enter uninvited? He’d come into her bedroom uninvited. Of course, that had been because he thought she might be maimed. Or dead.
Besides, this was his office, not his bedroom. So going in was probably just fine. She reached for the knob and opened the door but he wasn’t in there. Probably already left for work, she told herself, and decided to go for a walk around the house.
As she walked she began to notice that some work had been going on in the house. As if Cedric was planning to stay in Haerton more… Or permanently. She wondered why, knowing how much he hated being here.
“So what do you think?” Cedric’s voice asked behind her.
Anna jumped, clearly surprised to see him, “Oh Cedric, you scared me!” she said
“I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to,” he said, but he was smiling. Man, did he like having her around. “How was your night? I take it you slept well.”
“Like a baby.”
“Did you enjoy your breakfast?”
“It was good. Although there was an awful lot of it.”
“Sorry. I wasn’t sure what you would want.”
“That’s what I figured. But as you know, I’m not picky. I’ll eat pretty much everything. And in slightly smaller quantities next time, please.”
“I’ll let the cook know.” He pushed off from the wall. “Do you like the changes I’m making to the house?”
“Yes I do, but I wanted to discuss something with you first.” She stepped over to him. “You don’t have to do this.”
She handed him the envelope he’d left for her.
“I got it for you,” he said. “I want you to have it,”
“And I appreciate the gesture. Really I do. But you and I know that when it comes to money, you’ve given me a lot and you still are,” she told him. He’d given her more than they agreed in the contract, but she didn’t mention that as she didn’t want to start another argument.
“No, I haven’t, Anna.”
“Yes. You have. You’re doing too much already.”
“You can’t tell me you don’t need things. Just take it.” He held out the envelope and she pushed his hand away.
“And the new car too? What was that about?”
“When the baby comes, you’ll need a better, more family friendly car so I decided to handle it now.” He said casually.
“Well, you didn’t have to,”
What was he, a magnet for stubborn women? She was so damned proud. It annoyed him almost as much as he admired her for it. He took her hand in his and pushed the envelope back into it. “Keep it, Anna, please. It will make me happy if you do,” before she couldn’t say anything else he added, “I’ve sent for your things to be brought from the cottage today,”
But Anna wasn’t easily distracted, “Is there anything else? A pony maybe?” she asked with a smile.
“Would you like a pony?”
She gave him that stern, squinty-eyed look. “You would, wouldn’t you? You would actually buy a pony just to spite me. You would probably build a stable, too. And hire a trainer, all because I dared you to.”
Yeah, he probably would.
He just smiled. “Come on, Anna, will you drive it, or do I have to buy that pony?”
“Fine, I’ll take the car.” she told him, “Thank you, Cedric. I really appreciate it,” She stuck the envelope in the pocket of her gown. “Now, why don’t you show me what you have been up to around here,”
Cedric readily agreed, grateful for the change in topic, and after touring the house, Anna came to a conclusion.
Cedric Blackwood had way too much money.
Each room he led her into had been as dark and gray and depressing as the next. Until she hit a light switch or opened the drapes, revealing life and color and all of the subtleties and warmth that made a house a home. The house he hated so much, that he never cared about… And now he was making efforts to make it better. To make it a home, and Anna was proud of him. He was healing from his childhood trauma, and that made her happy.
But as interesting as the tour proved to be, Anna had been even more enthralled watching Cedric as he led her from room to room. She found herself mesmerized by the casual yet confident way he carried himself. Sleeves rolled, hands dipped loosely in the pockets of his slacks. She’d never known a man who seemed so comfortable in his own skin. She was pretty sure he was oblivious to how gorgeous he looked at the moment, or if he knew, he didn’t care. Maybe that was part of what made him so attractive. She found herself hypnotized by the sound of his deep voice, drawn to his energy as he seemed to put his whole heart into everything he said and did.