Chapter 31
Joel
Joel:
Meet me at Sweet Serenity Bed & Breakfast at nine.
I sent that text to Ellyn this morning right after I woke up. Today is Christmas Eve, and it’s been days since I’ve had any real alone time with the woman I love.
Between her girls being back home and my kids all of a sudden popping up all of the time, taking me out to lunch or dinner, insisting I come over to their place for this holiday party or that one, we’ve not had any time to spend just me and her.
What’s the occasion?
Let me give you your Christmas gift early.
I’ll see you then.
Now, as I pace the room’s suite, with breakfast set up on the table, I wonder if I shouldn’t have gotten the larger room for the both of us. I only have it for the day since I know there’s no way Ellyn would dream of spending Christmas morning away from her kids.
Not to mention, all of my children and their families are coming over this evening to spend the night to wake up on Christmas morning together.
“Mr. Townsend has reserved the Grande Suite,” I hear Sheila, the co-owner of the B&B, say through the door.
Anxious to see Ellyn, I yank the door open, startling the both of them. Ellyn’s face soon relaxes into that dazzling smile.
My heart knocks against my ribcage, and I know this spur-of-the-moment decision was the right one.
“Thank you for showing her up, Sheila, but I’ll take it from here.”
I take Ellyn’s hand in mine and pull her into the room, shutting the door without a backwards glance.
I pull her to me right before covering her lips with mine. She sighs into the kiss, and I indulge into the sweetness of her lips.
No. This wasn’t a mistake at all.
“I missed you,” I say against her lips.
She wraps her arms around my neck, her hand cupping the back of my head. Tremors of delight course through me at the feel of her fingertips massaging my scalp.
“Miss you more,” she responds, dreamily.
I shake my head. “Not possible, love.” I kiss her again but decide to let her up for air so we can eat.
“I hope you haven’t had breakfast yet,” I say, leading her over to the spread on the glass table at the center of the room.
“Your text told me not to.” She places her purse on one of the empty, high back chairs, her eyes roaming over the food.
I hold a chair out for her.
“I’m glad you know how to listen.” I chuckle when she snaps my thigh with her cloth napkin.
“Are these the famous apple maplewood chicken sausages you were telling me about?” She points with her fork to the two sausage links I’ve put on her plate.
“The one and only. Sheila makes them here by hand.”
Taking a seat next to her, I watch as she cuts into the first link.
Her eyes go big as she covers her mouth with one hand, looking at me.
“Right?” I nod.
“So good,” she moans and then quickly cuts off another slice to eat.
I get so lost in watching her eat and enjoy her food that I lose track of time and space.
“Eat,” she encourages, nudging me with her elbow.
I do as I’m told. The food, as usual, is delicious, but it’s Ellyn that holds my attention.
She looks amazing in the cream, cowl-neck sweater and black tights that she’s paired with calf-high riding boots.
For once, the temperatures have dropped here in Texas this morning, so her outfit fits the weather. But no matter how beautiful she looks with clothes on, I want to see her out of them.
“How’s Shanice?” I ask out of true concern, but also to get my mind off of devouring her while she’s trying to eat her breakfast.
Ellyn pauses to wipe her mouth and sighs. “Some days are better than others. I think Christmas has distracted her from the bulk of her sadness, though. Meghan coming into town really upped her spirits.”
She smiles over at me.
“Randy and Charlotte love their aunt. And she’s so great with them. She says her only goal in life is to be the ‘cool, rich auntie’.”
We both chuckle at that.
“They’ve been spending a lot of time together, though. Meghan and Shanice. I overheard them late last night talking. I didn’t want to intrude on their alone time, so I just went to my bedroom and closed the door.
“But later, Meghan came bounding into my room and climbed into my bed.”
I chuckle at the incredulity in her voice.
“She refused to get out even after I reminded her that she was a grown woman. I told her there was no way I was letting her sleep in the bed with me.”
I roll my eyes skyward and then look at Ellyn. “Which means you let her stay, and by the time you left this morning she was still in your bed snoring away.”
“Of course,” she grumbles.
We both laugh.
“It’s not like I’ve had it easy myself. I’m sure there’s an indent in my ribcage from Amelia falling asleep on me while I tried to introduce her to the joys of A Charlie Brown Christmas yesterday. Little thing kicked me in her sleep.”
Ellyn covers her mouth with her napkin as she guffaws at my pain.
“Isn’t she a little too young for that movie?”
I furrow my brows. “You’re never too young.”
She holds up her hands in defeat. “If you say so.”
“Thank you.” I give a confident nod.
“I’m not the one with a toddler-sized footprint in my ribs so what do I know?”
My eyes go wide as I watch her lips twitch. “You think you’re funny, don’t you?”
“No!” She shrieks when I begin tickling her ribs. “I’m not finished eating,” she says, through her laughter.
“Fine. I’ll let you finish first.”
She nods. “Thank you. Because this chicken sausage is too good to leave sitting on my plate.”
Ellyn pops another piece of sausage into her mouth and chews, savoring the flavor. I turn away to keep myself from pouncing like a damn wild animal.
I have to remind myself that Ellyn is not the first woman I’ve dated since my wife died. There have been more than a handful. But none of them held my attention the way she does.
Just last night, I laid in bed missing her, so I pulled up my phone and spent an hour watching her YouTube videos to see her face.
“What are you staring at?” Ellyn begins wiping her mouth and face with her napkin, as if thinking I’m staring at crumbs on her face.
“You,” I answer honestly. “I can’t stop staring at you.”
She dips her head, grinning.
“I almost forgot.” I reach over and pull the lid off of the last covered plate on the table.
Ellyn covers her mouth.
“Sheila makes a hell of a coconut cake. I know it’s breakfast and all, and dessert should be saved for last, but—”
She cuts me off when she throws her arms around my neck and pulls me into a kiss.
“How did you know I was craving coconut cake?”
I smirk. “Because it’s your favorite.”
Immediately, her eyes water. My heart starts to hammer inside of my chest.
“What? What’s wrong?” I glance over at the slice of cake sitting untouched. “Is it not the right—”
“It’s perfect,” she whispers, but then rises to her feet and begins pacing the room. Ellyn swipes at the tears streaming down her face.
“Darlin’, you’re breaking my heart,” I say as I move to her.
I take her wrists into my hands. “What did I do wrong? Tell me so I can fix it.” The desperation in my voice can’t be hidden.
“Nothing,” she blurts out through tears. Then she laughs but it’s filled with a kind of awe or confusion. “You did absolutely everything right.”
“Then why are you crying?” Panic laces my tone.
She chuckles and then wipes her eyes. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. It’s …” She pushes out a breath. “I was married to a man for twenty-six years, and he never bought me coconut cake.”
Giggling, she shakes her head.
“Did I ever tell you about the moment I decided it was time to end my marriage?”
“You said because he didn’t know you,” I remind her.
She nods and her eyes go over my shoulder toward the table, staring at the cake.
“How can you be with someone for so long and not even know their favorite fucking cake?” She rolls her eyes. “I’m glad I cursed him out when he called the other day.”
“What did you just say?”
Ellyn’s eyelids flutter and she takes a pause as if needing to remember what she’d just said.
“He called you?”
“Looking for Shanice.” She proceeds to tell me about the conversation between her and her ex over their daughter.
“I doubt I’ll hear from him anytime soon.” She shrugs. “Anyway, he’s not the point.” She moves closer to me, her hands going to my chest.
“What is the point?” I murmur.
Her lips spread, her smile turning sensual. “You,” she answers, breathless. “You are the point. The love of my life that I had to wait fifty-five years to find. I know it’s only been a short while, and who knows where this is going, but—”
“I know exactly where this is going,” I murmur before cutting her off with a kiss. Words are no longer sufficient for all that I want to say.