Chapter Twelve #3
“I think it’s pretty clear he’s crazy about you, Ellis,” Presley says, looking at me sincerely.
“I’ve known Brody for five years now. He’s always been polite, professional, and a great teammate.
But I’ve never seen him look at a woman the way he looks at you.
Like he would take on the entire world just to keep you safe. ”
My throat tightens, a sudden prickle of tears threatening to fall. Pregnancy hormones are no joke. But the truth of Presley’s words hit me square in the chest.
“Honestly, he really would,” I whisper, looking down at my hands. “He’s been incredible. With me, the baby, my family … everything.”
“Which brings us back to the most important topic of the night,” Alie says with a mischievous grin, pulling out her phone.
“The baby shower. Ellis, we are hosting. End of discussion. We’ll coordinate with your mom so Molly feels included and gets to pick out the floral arrangements, but we’ll do it at my house or here at Presley’s. ”
“Alie, you don’t have to—”
“Shh,” Presley cuts me off gently, reaching over to squeeze my knee. “We want to. You’re part of our family, Ellis. You and this baby boy. We’re going to spoil you with so much love you won’t know what to do with it.”
Eva is already typing rapidly on her phone. “I’m creating a shared mood board right now. Neutral tones, soft sage greens, cream cashmere, and tiny leather football booties.”
“No more football booties!” I laugh, covering my face. “Brody already bought three pairs of tiny Nike sneakers. If we add more football gear, the nursery will look like a locker room.”
“Too bad,” Eva smirks. “He’s a baby baller. It’s required by law.”
I just shake my head and laugh.
“I’m so excited about this baby, Ellis. He’s going to be spoiled rotten by his Auntie Eva!” She claps her hands excitedly.
I have a feeling he’s going to be spoiled by a whole lot of people, especially Brody.
Around eleven o’clock, the snow stops, so we say our goodbyes, with one last round of hugs from the girls and bro hugs from Saint, Liam, and Aston. By the time we pull out of the driveway and onto the quiet night roads, the silence in the truck is comfortable.
I lean my head back against the leather headrest and let out a long, exhausted, but completely happy sigh.
Brody glances over at me, his hand immediately reaching across the console to rest on my thigh, his thumb brushing in slow circles.
“You good?” he asks softly. “They didn’t overwhelm you, did they?”
“No,” I say, turning my head to look at his handsome face illuminated by the green glow of the dashboard lights. “They were amazing. Truly. The girls are planning a baby shower.”
Brody smirks. “I heard. Aston said he’s planning to buy the baby a motorized mini-truck.”
“Oh God,” I laugh, reaching over to wrap my fingers around his forearm. “Brody … thank you.”
He glances at me with a soft, questioning look. “For what?”
“For tonight,” I say, my voice dropping into an emotional whisper. “For holding my hand. For how you look at me. For … making me feel safe and wanted.”
Brody pulls the truck up to the gated entrance of his estate and hits the remote on the visor. The gate swings open to the lit driveway leading up to his house.
He parks the truck, turns off the engine, but doesn’t make a move to get out.
Instead, he unbuckles his seatbelt, turns his body toward me, and reaches out to frame my face in his warm hands. He strokes my cheeks with his thumbs, his dark eyes searching mine with an intensity that makes my heart hammer against my ribs.
“Ellis,” he rasps, his voice thick. “You never have to thank me for taking care of you. You’re with me now. That baby boy in your belly is my son, as far as I’m concerned. I don’t give a damn about how we got here, and I’m sure as hell not going to explain us to anyone. It’s our business.”
Tears prick my eyes. “I know,” I say, pressing my cheek into his hand. “And I know you mean that.”
“I mean every word,” he murmurs, leaning forward to press a soft, lingering kiss to my lips. “Now, let’s go inside, take care of these pups, and crawl into bed. You need some sleep, and so does our boy.”
I let out a laugh, leaning my forehead against his cheek as he wraps his arms around me.
“That sounds good to me.”
He releases me from his hold, gets out of the truck, and walks around to the passenger side to open my door.
When we walk into the house, Buck and Oshie greet us, tails thumping against the floor.
“Hey, you two. Did you miss us?” I lean down and scratch them both behind the ears, making them wiggle even more.
“I bet they did. They haven’t had treats for a few hours now. Spoiled dogs.” Brody laughs, walks over to the kitchen and gets them … treats.
“You’re such a sucker.”
“Well, I mean, come on, look at those faces,” he says, pointing to the dogs.
He tosses the treats to the dogs, then walks over to me, helps me take my coat off, and bends down to take my shoes off my feet. When he lifts me into his arms and carries me up the stairs, I realize that something fundamental has shifted inside me.
My entire world is right here, wrapped in the arms of a man who has claimed me, and my son.