11. Ellie
Chapter eleven
Ellie
Ilove living here. It’s peace like I haven’t known in years. Not since living at home with my parents. And even then, I’m not sure I’d call our life peaceful. I always knew they loved me. It was more that they didn’t really know what to do with me.
My family tried, and while I miss them and know they would come home if I asked, I’m glad to be here with Hunter. Life here is warm and comforting. Maybe it’s nostalgia, or something else. I’m not sure.
It’s Saturday, and I’ve never been happier to see a weekend. No long drive to work. No sitting bored for hours. Just a day filled with possibilities ahead. Thankfully, they didn’t need me at Mom’s boutique, because I need this slow day in the worst way.
I sip the coffee I made, then narrow my eyes at it like the pampered princess I’m becoming. My coffee used to suffice until I got used to Hunter’s every morning.
I’m waiting for him in the sunroom. He never sleeps in. Maybe he had a rough night. The room feels a little empty without him, but I’m still enjoying the view.
I’ve grown up here, so the mountains aren’t exactly new to me, but there’s something about looking at them from a new place or a different angle that makes you appreciate them all the more.
I snuggle into the couch, watching a big cloud float past the ridgeline.
I sigh. I love the mountains. They’ve been the background for most of my life, and often I’ve taken them for granted, but I love them.
Despite being able to see snow dusting the tops of the more distant mountains, it’s warm for mid-November.
My drink makes me hot, so I pull off my sweatshirt and stare down at my protruding belly.
This might be the last time I wear this tank top for a while.
My belly’s hanging out the bottom, and it barely contains my boobs.
I look down, admiring said blobs of fat I’ve never really had before.
I’m heading to the fridge to pull out some butter to soften for the cinnamon rolls when I hear someone banging on the front door. I hadn’t heard tires on the gravel, nor a car door closing.
Dylan.
Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.
I waddle-run to Hunter’s room. “Hunter!” I call out, my heart pounding in my ears.
There’s no answer. With no time to waste, I burst into the room. At first, I keep one eye closed, as if it’s somehow less intrusive if I see him sleeping with just one. “Hunter!”
In a flash, he’s up. Gun in hand—apparently he sleeps with it quite nearby—and he’s somehow vaulted between me and the door.
He sleeps shirtless. If my heart weren’t already pounding …
“What’s wrong?” He keeps his eyes trained toward the hall.
“There’s someone banging on the door.” Both of my eyes are open now and staring at the muscles in Hunter’s back. Who knew back muscles could make a girl drool?
I blame the baby.
Or, rather, the hormones caused by the baby.
“What time is it?”
“Somewhere around nine.”
“I slept until nine?” Hunter relaxes his stance. “Wyatt said he’d bring his multi-tool by this morning. It’s probably just him.” He moves two steps to the window and opens the blinds. “That’s his truck.”
He takes the clip out of his gun and sets both pieces on his nightstand, then turns around and steps toward the door, looking at me for the first time. He freezes with an indecipherable look on his face.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, having to work hard not to stare. His years in the military have done him quite a few favors. Back and front.
And then there are the tattoos. He’s been mostly covered up since we’ve been reunited, but now I can see the markings of home and history drawn across his flesh. The effect is … striking. To say the least.
“Uhh … nothing.” His eyes dart over me, then he’s staring very hard at my face. Like he’s trying to stay there and not … someplace else. “You just look more … pregnant than usual.”
“More’s the right word, that’s for sure.” I pull down my tank top to try to cover my belly, but that only serves to expose more cleavage.
Hunter clears his throat, averting his eyes. “I’m gonna go see about Wyatt.”
“Okay. I’m sorry I woke you like this. I was scared to look out the window in case it was Dylan.
I didn’t want him to see me.” I look down at the carpet, embarrassed.
Dylan doesn’t know where I am. Hunter has assured me countless times that I’m safe, yet a knock on the door sent me running in here like my tail was on fire.
“Hey.” Hunter grips my shoulders, then wraps his arms around me. “Don’t apologize for protecting yourself and the baby. You did the right thing.” He presses a quick kiss to the top of my head just as more knocking sounds from the door.
Hunter leaves, and after putting my sweatshirt back on, I follow, the sound of loud knocking still filtering down the hallway. I step into the living room in time to see Hunter fling open the door.
“You idiot. You scared Ellie to death.”
“Good morning to you too, brother.” Wyatt grins, then upon seeing me he adds, “I’m really sorry I scared you. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I say, pulling my hands through the sleeves.
Wyatt is so likeable, always has been. It was a surprise to exactly nobody when he announced he was going to medical school to be a pediatrician.
I’m certain that his compassion, along with his ability to connect with kids and parents, makes him a wonderful doctor.
I’m so glad I’ll have him for Sweetpea.
Wyatt hands Hunter a box containing the multi-tool. “I’d stay and help, but Georgia wants me to go somewhere with her, so I’m gonna go on.”
“Where are y’all going?” I ask, joining Hunter at the door.
Wyatt glances at his brother, hesitating. “She wants to go to the craft store in Cypress City to look for Christmas decorations.”
Hunter gives him a knowing look.
“Friends can shop for Christmas decorations together,” Wyatt says.
We’ve all been sworn to secrecy, but there’s a betting pool including Hunter, his siblings, their parents, and me. We’re betting on when Wyatt and Georgia will admit their feelings for each other. I have next July through September, so I’ll not be saying a word of encouragement right now.
Monday has Mondayed in a big way. I was late to work because my breakfast decided to make a reappearance.
Then I spent half my day calling people for missed payments.
Those calls were about as fun as you’d expect.
And it was par for the course that my commute home was twice as long as usual, thanks to construction in the narrow pass between Cypress City and Starlight Valley.
My feet ache as I stumble into the living room, my pocketbook still slung over my shoulder, when I collapse on the sofa and close my eyes.
I’ve never been more grateful for Hunter making dinner than I am right now.
It smells like spaghetti sauce. That’s a new one for him.
“Hey Ells,” he calls from the kitchen, then walks into the room. “Are you alright?”
My eyes open as I turn to look at Hunter striding toward me, and my day brightens. “I’m just tired. It’s been a super long day.”
He comes to a stop when he gets close and crosses his arms. He clearly wants to say something. I can see the war behind his eyes.
“Yes?” I ask because I have to know what’s going on.
“You should quit your job.” His words come out firm and confident. The thing about Hunter is, once he makes a decision, he sticks to it. He’s clearly decided on something.
“Hunter, you know I can’t. I need the money and the insurance.” If only. I hate that place.
“You come in here every night exhausted like you’ve been working in a mine all day. Your feet and legs are swollen from the work, or the long drive, I don’t know, but you can’t keep going like this. Not to mention, you hate it.”
“It’s not that bad.” It is, but I can’t have him thinking he needs to rescue me from that too. He’s done that enough already. Plus, I’m not the first pregnant woman to need to work.
Hunter steps toward the sofa, reaches down, pulls my foot toward him, takes off my shoe and points at my foot. “It looks like a balloon.”
“Rude,” I scoff. “Still, there’s nothing I can do about it.” It’s time for a change of subject. “Did you know pregnant women have crazy dreams?”
“No, but we’re not finished talking.” He sits on the sofa, putting my feet in his lap.
“I had a dream last night that I was with a bunch of mermaids, and they didn’t wear shell bathing suit tops.
They wore scoop-necked bathing suit tops, like athletes.
Which made me wonder what sports, besides swimming, a mermaid would play.
I remember thinking they could come to the surface and play basketball.
” I let out a truly indecent moan as Hunter puts just the right pressure on the ball of my right foot.
I’m beyond caring about my embarrassing sounds at this point.
“I can help you, Ells.”
Maybe I should have picked a better subject change.
“You are.” I lean up on my elbows to look at him. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you. I’ll never be able to repay your kindness.”
“You’ll never need to repay me. It’s more than simple kindness. I care about you. I always have. You know that.”
I smile at my sweet friend. Not everyone would see him as sweet, but I always have. I drop my head back onto the throw pillow and close my eyes. “I do know that.”
“I have money and good insurance.”
“I’m not taking your money, Hunter. And you can’t just add people to your insurance.”
He pauses, keeping his hands on my feet. He looks at me, his eyes filled with sincerity. “I could if we got married.”
Time slows to a stop, and everything freezes. Because … what did he just say?