Chapter 11
ELI
It’s Monday, and I’m at my girl’s house. I smile. My girl. Fuck. Life sure has changed.
I always used to think of change as something bad. Reed leaving for the military and coming back a different man. My own life not turning out how I’d planned. But damn if I’m not embracing change now.
With Stella by my side, I feel invincible.
Like we could tackle anything life could toss our way. We’re a team. A damn good one.
I drink my water as I pretend to be paying attention to the TV in front of me, when all I can hear is the clicking of Stella’s keyboard as she works in the second bedroom she’s set up as a home office.
I ordered her a desk she had saved on some wish list online, and some office equipment Camila suggested. Everything will be set up and ready for her new home office at my place, our soon to be home.
But for now, this is our homebase.
As cool as this place is, we’ll need the space when kids enter our life in the future.
Yup. Kids.
One day. Maybe not now or as soon as I wish, but when my girl is ready, I will work triple time to give her the big family she always wanted.
Oh yeah. Change is good. Somehow, our schedules seem to work, and now that I’m hiring a couple more employees to help out, I’ll have even more free time to spend with her.
We’re at her place, or I guess Camila’s old cabin.
I’m working on talking her into moving in with me.
Not that we’ve spent a night without one another.
I have already pushed so much on her that I’m giving her a little time.
Like, two weeks, until I make my big move to have us and all our things under one roof.
I look around the living room, and even though I know Reed and Camila won’t have a hard time finding a new tenant for the place, I contemplate chipping in and painting the walls.
Giving the place a refresh as a thank-you for being built, so that one day, when my girl found herself in a need of a new place and change, it was there for her.
A harsh knock sounds on the door, and I frown as I stand up.
“I got it,” I call out to Stella as I make my way to the door. I open it wide, scowling at who the hell is about to drop kick the place down, not recognizing the man in front of me.
“Can I help you?” I ask the guy standing there. Just by looking at him, I know in my gut he isn’t from around Moonlit Pines or any of the small towns around us.
“Who are you?” the little pipsqueak asks. I straighten myself to my full height, completely aware of the bad vibes this guy is tossing. By the way he eyes me, I know he didn’t expect me here.
“Excuse me?”
“I, I, I…” he stutters. I hear Stella walking around the house, but I don’t have time to stop her before she reaches me and wraps her arm around me.
I look down as she smiles up at me, the smile on her face still there as she turns to look at who is at the door. I don’t miss the way her soft and easy smile changes as she goes rock solid in my arms.
“Jake.” His name changes the mood completely. I know exactly who this asshole is. I look at him, and I’m not sure if I want to punch his lights out or fucking thank him. Thank him for not seeing the precious gift he had when he had his chance with Stella.
But then I remember how she told me about him.
How he didn’t make her feel safe. How he bullied and pressured her.
How she basically had to run away from where she lived because of this little prick and the way he just wouldn’t leave her alone.
I stand taller, broader, as I step forward and put her behind me.
“You’re Jake?” There is no hiding the anger in my voice, and I can tell he doesn’t miss it either when he puffs up his chest.
“Man, I don’t need any problems—"
“No. What you do need is to fuck off this mountain and never return, you hear me?”
“Look, Hulk, I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care,” he spouts off bravely. I say bravely because I’m at least six inches taller and have about twenty pounds of muscle on him. “This is between Stella and—"
“I’m her man. That’s who I am.” I step forward again and push the guy off the stoop. “I’m the man who makes her feel safe.” I keep moving, and this time, he gets the point because he takes a step back and puts his hands up in front of him.
“Okay, fine! I get it. Jesus. Thanks for not calling your watch dog off, Stella,” he spouts off, trying to look around me, but I don’t give him a chance.
“Don’t talk to her,” I clip. “You better get going.” I turn and hear him mumble some bullshit about her not being worth it, and I don’t think.
I just react.
I move toward the guy, lift my fist, ready to hit him, when the sound of a chainsaw roars to life. We both shift our attention across the street to where Reed is, the chainsaw going in his hand. His eyes lock with mine, and I know he’s telling me he’s got my back.
“You see him?” I point to my older brother.
“He has skills you don’t even want to know.
Shit so bad your pathetic excuse of an imagination couldn’t come close to thinking up.
By the time we would be done with you, not even the birds would be able to find the scraps of what would be left of you,” I threaten.
I know he’s taking every word seriously.
The guy pales and swallows hard. “Tell me you get me,” I whisper lethally, leaning forward, caging him against his car.
“I get it. Fine. I shouldn’t have come!”
“You’re right. You shouldn’t have,” I confirm.
My lips hover at the side of his face. “You ever think to raise your hand to a woman, disrespect a woman, try and take something that isn’t wholeheartedly given to you, I’ll know.
I’ll know, and me and him and my other two brothers will follow through,” I vow. “And trust me, I’ll find out.”
“Fuck you!” He pushes me away, but I’m quicker and step to the side. He stumbles forward, falling onto his knees on the graveled ground.
“Now, get the fuck out of here,” I demand, not moving from the spot I’m standing until he’s long gone.
I force my hands to unclench from the fists they were in and look across the street. My brother is still there. I nod at him, and he salutes back before he makes his way back toward the workshop he has in the back of his property.
Exhaling slowly, I look at the door and see my girl, my beautiful girl, standing there with an expression I can’t seem to read. Fuck. In my blaze of anger, I didn’t think about her watching. I reach the stoop and shove my hands into my front pockets, fully prepared for her to tell me to go home.
“I love you,” she blurts out. It takes me a moment for her words to process through my head.
She moves to me, wraps her sweet arms around my waist, and shoves her face into my chest. I hold her tightly.
“I love you so much, Eli Woodman.” she says against the fabric of my flannel shirt. I pull back to look at her.
Finally.
Fucking finally, I got the words back from her.
I knew she loved me, but I also knew she wasn’t ready to share that with me for whatever reason.
“Thank you for taking care of him,” she says softly as I stroke the back of her head, loving that her hair is down. She looks up at me and smiles a smile I feel deep in my heart.
“I’ll always take out the trash, baby girl.” I wink, trying to lighten the mood, and when she looks up at me, my hand cups her face. “Move in with me.”
“Eli—”
“I love you, and you just admitted you love me. We know where this is going. This isn’t a fling. This thing between us is for forever.”
“But what about my stuff?” I laugh at what worries her and thank whatever higher power that these are the issues we get to tackle together. Easy shit we can get through.
“It will fit great with mine. Just like you fit with me.”
“What about Camila and Reed? I can’t just leave them without a renter.
” I knew this would be an issue for her, and even though helping them find a new person to rent the cabin will take some work, I fall deeper in love with her.
The way her heart and mind work, not only thinking about herself but worrying about others.
“I’ll help them find someone,” I promise and watch as she chews on her lower lip until she gives in, making me the happiest man on the face of the earth for the second time within a couple of minutes.
“Okay. Yes. Let’s do it!”
“Thank fuck,” I growl, and she laughs as I sweep her up in my arms.
I make quick work of taking her back into the house, locking the door behind me, and go on to take my time showing my gratitude.