19. Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Emelie
“ Y ou have had a smile on your face since you got back from the bakery,” Axel says once we are in the truck and heading home.
Our son, Noah, is in his car seat in the back and almost out. Something about the car and the diesel engine rumbling puts him to sleep almost instantly.
“I had a great time with the girls. Calista brought her friend Kaylee, and they both fit in so well.”
“I’m glad, little one,” he says, placing a hand on my thigh.
His one goal is to make me happy and he will move heaven and earth to make it happen. In return, I would do the same and I know these little meetings in town with his friends mean more than he would ever admit.
“I think Calista and Evan have something going on,” I say. Though my husband appears shocked, he smiles at me.
“I’m not too surprised. Good for him. He deserves to be happy.”
“I think so too, but he’s her brother’s best friend, and they have known each other since high school. Though I don’t know if they will act on their feelings,” I say, chewing on my lip.
“Whoa! I know that look. Stay out of it. I know you want to make friends and want them to be as happy as us. But we don’t know these people as well as we know the rest of the men. We need to let it be.”
“We can always get to know them.” I say it with a smile and a puppy dog look on my face.
Over the years, I’ve slowly built this big family around us. After my ex broke up with me, I had no one. He was the only friend I had, and his parents were my foster parents and the closest thing to family I had.
Then I found Axel naked in the river, literally in the woods. I was lost and there was a storm rolling in. He took me to safety, and over the weeks, we feel in love.
When his friends met me, they were protective and welcomed me into their group. As the men fell in love, one by one, my friends’ group grew. I never thought I’d have the life I do now.
“Well, I’m just going to be there for her. I get the feeling she needs friends. Yes, she has Kaylee, but it’s hard moving from a big city to here. Add in everything with Evan, and it’s a lot. His cabin is fairly isolated and she might need more people around her. She didn’t choose this life, not like I did,” I say.
“You didn’t choose it either at first. The storm locked you in with me. If it hadn’t been for that, you have been right back to your old life,” he says, angry at just the thought.
“Fate stepped in for us just like it will for Calista and Evan. I can feel it. They just need a little push,” I say.
“More of a push than her living with him and taking care of him?” Axel smirks.
“Yes,” I say firmly, because I can just feel it.
“Give it time, and let’s see how things go once he’s feeling better,” Axel says.
“In the meantime, I think it’s time one of the other women goes down and takes some food and checks in,” I say.
We make the turn up the driveway, and neither of us says anything as we take the long, slow drive up.
As soon as Axel found out I was pregnant, he got the other men together and built the driveway so we could get the truck right up to the cabin. When I met Axel, we had to take the four- wheeler down to the gate where the truck sat. We did that for a few years. I had no problem with it and rather liked it.
Once I told Axel I was pregnant, it was one of the things he insisted on. He wanted everything to be as safe as possible for me and our little one.
Putting in the driveway was a long process. It had to be level in order to make it easy for the truck to get up and down. It involved some paving in certain places, and many trees had to be cut to make the driveway wide enough.
Then he insisted on building the addition to the cabin, so we had more space. Fortunately, the wood from the trees was used for the cabin add-on. Though I have to say, when my husband is determined to do something for his family, he gets it done.
Once inside, I head straight for the radio that the guys and I use to communicate since cell phone service isn’t available this far up on the mountain. We all want to see Evan happy, so I know the girls will be on board in case we have to help it along.