Chapter 35 #2
“Do you know how hard it was to stay out of it when it was so obvious that you guys were right for each other?” my dad says, laughing.
“We knew how Rhodes felt and thought we might know how you felt, Elle, but he made us swear we’d leave it alone.
Bloody hell, I thought I might be on my deathbed saying, ‘Can I please just say one thing before I go…’”
We all laugh.
“This has made me the happiest mama ever,” my mom says.
“I have wanted this from the time he called home and said ‘I met a girl named Elle.’ I wrote your name in my journal that same day, and next to it I said: I think we will be hearing more about her.” She reaches out and squeezes Elle’s hand.
“And when I met you, there were no doubts. I saw the way he looked at you, and that’s never changed, not once in all these years.
Well, I take that back. What is the word for… the longing...”
“He’s been pining for her,” my dad helps clarify.
I groan and Elle laughs.
“I’ve been pining too,” she says.
“I wish I’d been clued in to that pining.” I roll my eyes, laughing.
“Have you told her just how much you were pining?” my mom asks.
I shoot her a look. “I have been on tenterhooks trying not to scare her off. One thing at a time.”
My mom tilts her head like get after it. “We’re not getting any younger, son.”
Elle looks up at me with curious eyes and a bright smile, and I kiss the side of her head.
“Isn’t he so cute?” I ask, changing the subject.
My mom snorts, but everyone lets me get away with it for now.
“He’s the cutest. Levi is going to freak when he sees him.”
“Where is our boy?” Dad asks.
“He got up at four and had the time of his life…before crashing next to the train.”
“I’m sad that we missed that,” Mama says. “Once we started driving, we just wanted to get here. But now, we need a nap.”
“I’m so glad you’re here.”
I don't get the love fest I wanted with Elle or a nap.
We start cooking. My parents lie down for a while and then my mom gets up and helps.
Later that evening, when Levi gets up, he meets Bogey, his new puppy, and he's in love.
He kisses his nose and can't stop laughing every time he looks at him.
Bogey has so much personality. He's clumsy and sweet. I've taken a million pictures already.
Weston, Sadie, and Caleb arrive first and then Bowie and Becca. When Becca sees the dog, she falls in love too.
“He should be ours. His name is like yours, Dad,” she says.
Becca has Down Syndrome and you never have to guess what she’s thinking. We all adore that about her.
Bowie looks at me. “Yeah, what’s with naming your dog Bogey? You have a Bowie in your life, isn’t that enough?”
“Never enough. You know you’re my favorite, man. But this guy might turn out to be a close second,” I tease.
“Great,” he says dryly. “And I’m never going to hear the end of this now. First, it was a cat because of Earl.”
Tru and Henley have a cat and the kids all love him, but the rest of us haven't succumbed to pets yet. Until now.
“Looks like we're going to be getting a dog,” he says when Becca starts singing to Bogey.
Henley, Tru, and the girls come in next, and Penn and Sam are right behind them. Elle’s parents weren’t able to make it and neither were Calista and Javi, but we talk about doing dinner with them next week.
It’s loud and boisterous as we eat, and afterwards, we take dessert into the living room. While the kids are playing in the other room, I take Elle’s hand and clear my throat.
“I’d like to say something,” I say.
The little side conversations slowly come to a stop and everyone turns to look at me.
“You’ve been our friends for a long time and some of you have known more recently exactly how I feel about this girl, but I just want to say…it's official. This is not a fake dating relationship. This is not best friends only.”
Everybody laughs and there is whistling and cheering.
“This is my woman. She knows it. And I am her man, and I know it. We have established it.” I hold up my hand to emphasize my words and Elle leans in, laughing at me.
There’s a scurry of hugs and cheers as everyone congratulates us. Finally, I clear my throat.
“There’s more. I’m going to say something and it probably should just be between me and Elle, but because I tell you guys everything and I have had a reputation of being a player, I want to set some things straight.
Penn, you're my man and I have been your wingman since the day we met and realized we could draw in the women.”
I look at Elle apologetically. “Sorry, baby. But this face is pretty and we all know it.”
She shoves me away, but she’s laughing.
“It’s my parents’ fault,” I say, pointing at my parents. They roll their eyes and laugh.
“Don’t bring us into this,” Mama says.
“Anyway…my parents are also the only ones who know that I haven't slept with another woman since Carrie got pregnant.”
Everyone looks at me in shock.
“Sorry, ladies, you didn't ask for this,” I say to Sadie and Tru.
“But I am so here for it,” Tru says and we all crack up.
Elle looks at me, eyes wide. “I am in shock,” she says.
“I feel so deceived,” Penn says.
We all laugh…even Penn.
“So, the times we were out and you walked a girl out of the bar or wherever we were…” He frowns.
“Once you were out of sight, I would send them home in a cab. I’d also tell them while we were chatting that I only wanted a conversation.
Most were fine with that. I wanted you to have fun.
I’d learned my lesson after getting Carrie pregnant and thought I had lost my chance with Elle forever.
” I look at Elle, and her eyes are filling with tears.
“The day I told you…” I shook my head, overcome with emotion.
“It was the darkest day of my life, knowing I had ruined our chance for good.”
She wipes the tears falling down her cheeks.
“Anyway…I just wanted to clear that up because I’ve let you all think one thing about me and it's not been the case at all. I’m not sorry about Levi, but I wish I had changed my ways a lot sooner. Took me a while, but I got there.”
“Wow,” Penn says. “So it turns out I'm the only man whore here.”
We crack up.
“Well, more like reformed man whores,” Weston says, as he laughs and makes a face at Sadie.
“There's no shame,” Henley tells Penn.
“When you meet the person for you, you'll be reformed too,” Bowie says.
“Well, let's get you situated first,” I tell Bowie. “You’ve never been a player and you deserve to have someone in your life.”
“Oh God,” Penn says. “Here he goes.”
Bowie groans. “I know. Don’t start on me. I'm happy. I'm just fine as I am. I have a full life.”
“You are fine as you are, but you could be even happier,” I say.
“Yeah, Dad.” Becca walks in and comes straight for the puppy. “You could be happier.”
Our phones start dinging and Penn is the first to check his.
“Hey, guys?”