Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
Eloise
“You’re knitting your friend a wedding dress?” Stevie’s hands drop to her hips. “Hold on, Eloise. Just wait a minute.”
I exchange knowing glances with Astrid. Stevie is about to make a big ask of me. I anticipated as much when my cousin asked if I had any news to share, and I answered by telling her about my Penny project.
“Eloise, can you please…”
“Stevie?” Astrid interrupts her daughter with a soft brush of her fingers over Stevie’s cheek. “You don’t need a wedding dress.”
“Mom!” Stevie drops both hands into her palms. “Why would you say that? I’m way too young for that. Everyone knows I’m not getting married until I’m thirty. That’s forever from now.”
“It’s not that long,” Astrid says with a melancholy note in her tone. “Look how quickly you’re growing up.”
Stevie peeks at her mom from between two spread fingers. “I wish I was older. I want to drive and go to college.”
“You have plenty of time for that,” I tell her. “Being grown-up isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
Stevie finally drops both hands. “I guess not. I fell on my way to school last week, and you fell… where did you fall?”
I thought I could brush off all further discussion about the bandage on my head when I walked into the brownstone and greeted not only Astrid and her little family but Berk’s siblings and their partners.
I announced that I had tripped on a grate on the sidewalk when I was wearing heels and hit the pavement headfirst.
Astrid had rushed toward me, as had Maren, her sister-in-law, and Stevie.
They all offered hugs, and when I entered the main living room, everyone else in attendance did, too.
Astrid not only landed a wonderful husband and daughter, she’s part of the Morgan family.
Berk’s younger brother, Keats, and Maren have a sweet baby boy named Weber.
Sinclair, Berk’s sister, is expecting her first baby with her fiancé, Jameson Sheppard.
They are an incredibly kind and welcoming group of people.
My cousin has told me more than once I fit right in. I feel I do.
“It wasn’t close to home,” I answer Stevie’s question as vaguely as I possible. “I took a cab back to my apartment.”
Astrid smiles at my description of the place she used to live. She has made it very clear that I can live there forever if I choose to. One day, I’ll leave the security of it behind and venture into an apartment meant for me.
“That’s rough.” Stevie blows out a burst of air. “Are you sure you’re okay? Gaines is coming. He’s a doctor. He can check your head.”
“I’m fine.” I tap her hand. “I think you were about to ask me a question. Is it related to the dress I’m knitting for Penny?”
“Yes.” She steps closer to where I’m sitting on a stool next to the kitchen island.
I offered to help Astrid with meal preparation, but Keats dove into that before he wandered off to tease his brother about the apron he found in a drawer that had ‘Big Berk’s BBQ’ stamped across the front of it.
I knew it was a birthday gift from his wife, but apparently, Keats hadn’t seen it until today.
“What would you like to ask me?” I lean closer to her. “I’m pretty sure I’ll say yes to whatever it is.”
That brings a bright smile to her face. Her blue eyes light up. “There is a school dance in two months. A knitted dress would be divine.”
I smile at her choice of words. “I can knit a divine dress.”
“That’s light blue?” she questions, her hands moving in a diagonal downward slice in front of her. “Maybe it could have a white stripe from my shoulder to the bottom.”
She emphasizes that with a tug of the bottom hem of the red dress she’s wearing.
“I can see it now.” I nod. “Maybe a crocheted whale on the belt and a white cape to go with it?”
“A cape?” She jumps up and down. “You’re serious? You can do that?”
“Eloise,” Astrid whispers my name in a tone I’m all too familiar with.
She’s about to tell me not to indulge every fanciful whim her daughter comes up with.
“I’ve been thinking about extending the branch of my business that focuses on kids’ items,” I half-life.
It’s been an idea smoldering in the deepest recesses of my mind for months, but I haven’t given it the level of thought it deserves.
“I’ll snap a few pictures of it without Stevie’s face in view, of course.” I wink at Stevie. “Privacy is important.”
Stevie nods. “Very important.”
“I can post it on my Etsy store and take some custom orders.”
“That’s smart,” Stevie adds her two cents. “Keats would say it makes good business sense.”
“You’re sure?” Astrid asks with skepticism edging her tone. “A dress like that is a huge commitment.”
“I’m sure.” I shift my attention to Stevie. “We’ll work out a time for you to come over for a measurement session, okay?”
“I’ll be there.” Her gaze wanders over my shoulder to the entrance to the kitchen. “He’s here! My interview subject is finally here!”
I don’t need to turn to know who is standing behind me. I can sense he’s near. My nipples harden under the green cardigan I’m wearing. I run my palms over the denim covering my thighs and then I finally glance over my shoulder.
“Hey, Astrid,” Gaines greets her first. “It’s good to see you again, Eloise.”
The warmth that was in his voice last night is gone, but it’s there in his gaze as he locks eyes with me.
“You brought me flowers again?” Stevie asks with genuine surprise in her tone. “I wrote you a thank you card for the last time you did that. I’ll run and get it.”
She takes off in a sprint, and with a last glance in my direction, Gaines turns and follows her.