23. Ella
TWENTY-THREE
ELLA
E lla practicallybouncedacross the compound, barely able to contain the excitement bubbling inside her. She had to tell someone. The news was practically exploding from her.
She spotted Remi, Harper, Carlee, Ivy, Molly, and the rest of the Littles gathered near the dessert table, setting out trays of cookies and cupcakes, chatting animatedly as they worked.
“I have big news,” Ella practicallyshoutedas she skidded to a stop in front of them.
The girls turned to her in surprise before their eyes widened in anticipation.
“What? What is it?” Remi shrieked, immediately grabbing her hands.
Ella grinned so hard her cheeks ached. “I’mmoving inwith King.”
A split second of silence—then chaos .
The Littlesscreamedexcitedly, jumping up and down, clapping their hands, and bombarding her with hugs.
“Oh my gosh!” Harper practically tackled her in a hug. “You get tolivehere now? Like, for real? We’ll be able to hang out and have slumber parties when our Daddies are on shift!”
Ella giggled, hugging her back. “Oh my gosh, it’s going to be so fun.”
“This is the best news ever,” Ivy beamed. “We were hoping you’d stay forever.”
Ella laughed, overwhelmed by all their love and enthusiasm. She couldn’t believe how much her life had changed—howquicklyshe had found not only a Daddy who adored her, but a group of best friends who made every day feel brighter, too.
“Iloveyou guys,” she gushed, squeezing them all again before stepping back. “But Ihaveto get back to work. The party’s starting soon, and there’s still so much to do.”
The girls all hurried back to their tasks.
As Ella double-checked the sign-in table, making sure the donation bins were properly labeled, she noticed King talking to an older couple near the clubhouse entrance.
Her heart skipped.His parents. He had mentioned they might come, but she’d been so busy planning that she hadn’t thought much about it. Shoot. What if they didn’t like her?
Before she could fully worry about it, King turned and motioned for her to come over.
She took a deep breath, smoothed out her sundress, andforcedherself to walk over at a normal pace, even though her limbs suddenly felt tangled.
“Mom, Dad,” King introduced as she reached them, his hand settling possessively on her lower back. “This is Ella.”
His mother, a beautiful woman with soft eyes and a kind smile,immediatelyreached out and pulled Ella into a hug. “Oh,sweetheart,” she said warmly, holding her tightly. “It issogood to meet you.”
Ella blinked in surprise before melting into her embrace. “It’s so nice to meet you, too.”
When King’s mother pulled back, his father stepped forward, giving Ella a firm but gentle handshake. “King’s told us a lot about you,” he said kindly. “We’re glad to see him so happy.”
Ella felt a wave of warmth rush over her.
“He makesmereally happy, too,” she admitted shyly, glancing up at King.
His mother beamed, squeezing her hands. “We’re thrilledyou’re moving in with him. That boy hasnever looked at anyone the way he looks at you. I can already tell you two were made for each other.”
Ella blushed furiously. “I feel really lucky.”
King squeezed her waist and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Webothare, baby.”
The moment was so sweet and perfect until a small ache settled in her chest.
Her parents weren’t there.
She loved King’s family already, and their kindness made her feel so incredibly welcome, but she couldn’t help the small pang of sadness that herownmom and dad weren’t here to meet King, to see her success, and to see the life she was building in Shadowridge.
She wondered what they would think of all this. Ofhim. She suspected her mother would blush at how handsome he was.
Before she could get lost in those thoughts, a commotion from the parking lot caught her attention.
She turned, and her breathhitched.
A long line of cars was steadily pulling into the lot, people stepping out with bags and boxes of food. Some carried stacks of canned goods, while others rolled in carts packed with dry goods and supplies. Families, couples, local business owners—so many people were here, all eager to help.
Ella felt her sadness dissolve aspure joytook over.
“They came,” she whispered, almost disbelieving.
King chuckled beside her. “Told you, baby. This was all you.”
Ella turned to him, eyes shining. “ We did this.”
He grinned and winked at her. “Damn right we did.”
The party was more than Ella ever could have imagined.
People filled the compound, mingling beneath the twinkling lights strung across the lot. The air was filled with laughter, playing, music, and the comforting hum of community spirit. The food trucks were a hit, their delicious aromas mixing with the scent of barbecue from the grill station, where Steele and Doc flipped burgers like they were competing for a championship title.
But it wasn’t the turnout that had Ella feeling like she was floating—it was the sheeramountof donations.
Everywhere she looked, there were bins overflowing with canned goods, boxes of pasta, baby supplies, hygiene products, and so much more. Every table was stacked high with bags of food, and volunteers from the food bank were busy sorting everything, their smiles wide and their voices full of excitement.
They hadcrushedtheir goal and then some.
Ella stood near the welcome table, staring in awe at everything, her heart swelling so much she thought it might burst.
“I can’t believe this,” she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.
King’s warm arm wrapped around her waist, snuggling her against his side. “Believe it, dollface. This is what small-town living is all about. Community.”
Ella turned, looking up at him, her eyes shining.
King cupped her face in his warm hands. “Be proud, Little one. You’ve done an amazing job here.”
She was.
She was so unbelievably proud.
And happy.
The entire time, King stayed by her side, his presence steady and reassuring. He made sure she was drinking water, bringing her small bites of real food between conversations so she wouldn’t get distracted and forget to eat. Everyone at the party wanted to talk to her, even briefly, to tell her what a great success it had been and that they hoped it would happen again. Ella was more than overwhelmed, and her heart was so full that it was impossible not to smile all night.
“Three bites, baby,” King instructed as he held up a plate in between her chatting with guests.
“But—”
“No buts. Eat.”
She giggled and obeyed, unable to deny how much shelovedthat he took care of her, even in his own bossy way.
And truly, she couldn’t imagine amoreperfect night.
Until she heard them .
A familiar voice behind her—warm and loving.
“Darling!”
Ella froze.
Slowly, she turned around.
And there they were.
Her parents .
Standing a few feet away, watching her with equal parts pride and overwhelming emotion.
Ella’s hands flew to her mouth. “Mom? Dad?”
Tears welled in her mother’s eyes as she smiled. “Ella,” she whispered, already stepping forward.
Ellalaunchedherself into their arms, tears spilling down her cheeks before she could stop them. “You’rehere,” she gasped, clinging to them as they wrapped her up in a tight hug.
Her father chuckled. “Of course we are, kiddo.”
Ella pulled back just enough to look at them, still in completeshock. “But… how? When?Why didn’t you tell me?”
Her mother cupped her cheek, smiling softly. “We wanted to surprise you. King called us.”
Ella blinked. “King?”
Her father nodded, glancing past her. “He said you’d been working so hard on this and that he knew how much you were missing us. He wanted us to see what anincrediblejob you’ve done here.”
Ella’s chest ached with emotion.
She turned slowly, her gaze findinghim.
King stood a few feet away, arms crossed over his broad chest, watching the reunion unfold with a small, satisfied smirk.
Ellaracedtoward him, throwing herself into his arms.
He caught her with ease, letting out a low chuckle as he wrapped her in his arms tightly. “Hi, Little one.”
Ella buried her face against his neck. “Youcalledthem?”
“Figured you’d want them here.”
She pulled back to cup his face, her eyes shimmering. “Iloveyou. I can’t believe you did this.”
“I’d do anything for you, baby. I love you.”
A second later, her parents approached them, and Ella made introductions. Just as she suspected, her mother’s cheeks turned pink as she shook King’s hand, and when the men weren’t paying attention, her mom winked at Ella as if to say good job .
The four of them got lost in conversation quickly, her father asking King all about the MC and his motorcycle. When her dad mentioned possibly getting a Harley of his own, Ella nearly spewed her water all over him.
“Dad? A motorcycle? Really?” Ella asked.
Her mother tilted her head and smiled. “I don’t know. I think your father would look pretty sexy on a bike.”
King grinned as Ella’s face flushed. Good Lord, she’d forgotten how gooey her parents were with each other. They were so cute together, though.
When her father asked to see King’s bike and the two men disappeared, her mother linked arms with her as they headed inside to get a drink.
“Darling, that man is head over heels in love with you. Don’t ever let him go, or I might have to leave your father and snatch him up myself. I could be one of those panthers or whatever you call them.”
Ella burst out laughing. “A cougar, Mom?”
Her mother giggled. “Yes, one of those.”
“Well, unfortunately for you, I’m never letting King go.”
“Well, pooey. I guess I’ll have to get your dad one of those leather cut things that King’s wearing, and we’ll have to role-play then.”
Oh, dear God. She loved her parents.
“I’ll see what I can do about getting Dad a cut… But only if you promise never to mention role-playing with my father ever again.”
Her mom huffed out a laugh. “Deal.”