Wounded Hearts

Chapter Thirteen

That Saturday morning Laura was getting caught up on her housework and was in the middle of mopping the floors when the phone rang. She ran quickly to the phone and checked the caller ID, which she had finally invested in, and smiled when she saw Ronan's number.

"Hello handsome." she whispered huskily. Ronan chuckled on the other end of the line.

"I'm guessing you finally got caller ID?" he asked.

"Oh shoot, it's you… I thought it was somebody else." she teased.

"Very funny." Ronan replied with a snort. "I was actually hoping that you would do a favor for me." he added.

"Anything." Laura replied sitting down on the back of the couch.

"I got a call from somebody on the other side of town that needs me to come out today and fix their water heater and I don't have anybody to watch Penelope. Do you think you could come over and sit with her? I won't be gone more than a couple of hours and then I'll take you girls out to eat." Laura smiled happily.

"Of course I will." she said. "Any excuse to hang out with Penny."

"Thanks, Laura, I'll owe you one." he said and she could hear the mischievous tone in his voice.

"Just give me an hour or so and I'll be there." she replied and hung up.

It was nearly one hour, on the dot, later when Lauren walked into Ronan's house. Penelope jumped up from where she was eating her breakfast of French toast and eggs and ran to her. Laura hugged her tight and patted her dark hair.

"Are we going to play today?" Penelope asked. Laura nodded.

"Of course we are. Now go finish your breakfast." she said. Penelope laughed and ran back to the table with her princess sleeping gown whipping around her ankles.

Ronan walked into the kitchen then wearing only a pair of jeans that were riding low on his hips and his boots. Laura stared in awe at him as he walked over to her and she fought the urge to bury her fingers in the chestnut hair covering his sculpted chest.

"I promise I'll hurry." Ronan said, not noticing the fact that Laura's chin was practically resting on the floor. She managed to nod and he gave her an odd look as he kissed her temple.

"You okay?" he asked. Laura forced herself to look up at his face but of course he was smiling and so she was greeted by the sight of that dimple.

"Yeah I'm fine." she squeaked. Ronan shrugged and pulled his shirt on.

"Come give daddy a kiss, sweetpea." Ronan said and Penelope ran over from the table and Ronan scooped her up in his arms. She kissed his nose and he hugged her tight.

"You and Laura have to decide where you want daddy to take you out to dinner at when I get back." he said.

"I like the Dairy Barn." Penelope replied. Ronan chuckled.

"Laura might want to go somewhere fancier then the Dairy Barn." he said. Penelope made a face that clearly said she was worried about her father and Laura's sanity.

"But they have tubes and slides and balls and everything!" she said matter of factly. Laura laughed.

"Dairy Barn sounds good to me." she said earning her an ear to ear smile from Penelope. Ronan chuckled and nodded.

"Okay fine but if we take Laura to Dairy Barn we have to make sure to get extra fries or else she'll eat all of ours." he said in an exaggerated whisper to Penelope. Laura laughed and slapped his arm playfully.

"Why don't you hush and go fix a water heater, Bob the builder." she said.

"I like that show!" Penelope exclaimed. Ronan laughed and sat Penelope down on her feet.