Country Love

Chapter Eleven

Isabelle woke up the next morning and was disappointed to find herself alone in the bed. She laid her hand on the pillow beside her and realized it was still warm. She smiled. Bradley had held her in his arms all night. She could remember his gentle kisses to her shoulders and neck and the way they had made her tremble but that was as far as he had attempted to go.

She could not begin to explain how much it meant to her that they had shared that kind of intimacy without him making her feel as if she had to give him more. She would have gladly given him anything he had wanted but he had not asked for it.

She stood up and realized she was still wearing her clothes from last night. She pulled off the jeans and tank top and pulled on a pair of Bradley's drawstring shorts and a t-shirt that he had given her to wear. She pulled her messy hair up in a pony tail and opened her door. She was surprised to hear Bradley and Sara's voices coming from the kitchen.

"Badley, you did it! You didn't break the runny part!" Sara said happily. Bradley laughed.

"Only the best for Princess Sara." he replied. Isabelle smiled as she walked into the kitchen doorway and looked at her daughter and Bradley. She felt her heart swell with even more love for Bradley when she saw the way he was smiling and laughing with Sara. A stranger looking at the scene would think that they were father and daughter sitting together cooking breakfast.

Isabelle could not believe how quickly she had lost every bit of her heart to this man. He was so different than any other man she had ever known. He was strong and he made her feel safe but at the same time he was gentle. He had held her when she cried and genuinely seemed to care about her and her daughter. She wondered if he was falling as hard as she was. This caused a moment of panic and alarm to set in.

What if he wasn't? What if one day he walked away from her the way so many had before him? Not only would that break her heart but it was clear from the bond that Sara had formed with him that it would break her daughters heart as well. Their relationship had moved so quickly that they had not ever talked about what each of them wanted from it.

"Mommy!" Sara yelled jerking Isabelle from her thoughts. Bradley lifted Sara from the counter and sat her on her feet on the floor. Isabelle scooped her up in her arms and twirled her around several times before propping her on her hip.

"Mrs. Willis brought her back about a half hour ago." Bradley said smiling happily at Isabelle. She looked damn cute in his clothes that were five sizes too big, her face all red from sleeping and her auburn hair up in that sloppy pony tail.

"Did you have fun with Mrs. Willis?" Isabelle asked. Sara gave a happy smile.

"We played cards and watched movies! She has a doggie. Mommy I want a doggie." Isabelle looked over at Bradley but he had his back to them as he put food on three plates.

"We have to find our own house before we can get a doggie baby girl." she said. Sara frowned.

"But I thought we lived in Badley's house?" she pouted. "I really really want a doggie!" Isabelle gave her a stern look.

"No whining Sara." she scolded. "We'll talk about getting a doggie later okay? We can't have one right now."

"Okay." Sara said with a loud sigh. "Badley made breakfast! And he didn't break the runny part!" Isabelle laughed.

"Good! I'm starving." she said. Sara patted her belly.

"Me too." she said. Isabelle sat her down in a chair as Bradley sat three plates of food on the table and then he filled a glass with milk for Sara and sat a cup of coffee in front of Isabelle.

"Thank you." Isabelle said. She tried to make eye contact with him but he looked away quickly and sat down in his own chair. Isabelle found that she lost her appetite as breakfast went on and he ignored her presence and focused all of his attention on Sara.