Page 49 of Make Her Mine
“For how long?” I asked. “And why?”
“To help her cousin with a daycare she’s opened.” She looked up as if thinking how long she’ll be gone. “My sister told me Sherry would need Ella’s help for a month or so.”
“A month?” My heart stopped. “Why so damn long?”
The way her mother looked at me with disapproval told me she didn’t like my cussing. But she didn’t have to say a word. I got it.
“I suppose she needs Ella sodanglong because of the number of kids versus the amount of workers, Brandon.” She walked toward the kitchen. “I need to do the inventory for the kitchen. If you need anything, just let me know. Tasha’s aunt will take over Ella’s job in the morning.”
Standing there, my mind rushing with all kinds of questions, “How’d she go to Dallas? When did she leave?” Might I be able to catch her? She hadn’t even said goodbye!
Stopping her retreat, she turned to look at me. “She left about an hour ago on the bus.”
“I would’ve let her take the private jet.” I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Had she told me, I would’ve accompanied her on the trip to make sure she made it there safe and sound.”
“Her cousin will pick her up at the bus station in Dallas.” Mrs. Finley turned to walk away again. “Sherry will take good care of Ella. Don’t worry one bit.”
“At least she can come home on the weekends if she wants.” I couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing her for an entire month. “The jet is still at her disposal. I’d like to tell her that myself. Can I have her cell number?”
Stopping again, she turned around and wiggled her finger at me. “Come here, Brandon.” She pulled her cell out of her pocket.
I hurried to her. “It’s just that she’s so innocent. If anything happened to her…”
She chimed in, “It would devastate you.” She showed me the number, and I typed it into my contacts. “The flowers you sent her… They’re gorgeous. Sorry she didn’t accept them. She’s not one to be doted on, I can tell you that much.”
“I won’t dote then. Thanks for the advice.” I walked away to make the call to her in private.
Shaking her head, she muttered something about me ending up with a broken heart.
What lay ahead of me now? I’d already begun preparing myself for a hard road ahead, but like anything worth having, it took some work and patience.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ella
Sitting on the bus, I played a game on my cell to distract me. Then a call came in from a number I didn’t know. Refusing the call, I swiped the screen, then got back to playing my game of shooting balls at bricks.
A text came in after that, and I saw it pop up, then disappear too quickly for me to see more than a name. “Brandon?”
He didn’t even have my number, so why would he be texting me? I checked and saw it was him indeed; my mother gave him my number, and he asked me to call him back.
My heart pounded with the thought of talking to him. What could I say? But I called the number back anyway.
He answered immediately, “Ella, you left without saying goodbye.”
“Did that upset you?” It appears so!
“No.” He got quiet. “Okay, some. You could have taken our jet to Dallas if you would’ve told me. I would’ve ridden with you, made sure you got to where you’re going safely. But you took off without telling me a thing.”
He would’ve let me go on the jet? It kind of made me mad that I hadn’t told him goodbye. “Looks like I made a mistake, huh?”
“It looks like it,” he said. “But you don’t have to worry, Ella. I can come get you and bring you home for the weekends if you want. It only takes about twenty minutes to get to Dallas.”
He wants me to come home on the weekends?“Um, why do you want me to come back home, Brandon?”
“Obviously, I will miss you, Ella.” He laughed lightly. “Did you not understand what I meant when you got the flowers?”
“Brandon, I know what you meant. We talked, you know,” I reminded him. “I know exactly what you want. And I’ll become the woman you need me to be.”
