Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-On e
Thayne
I was stunned as to how Emberli’s surprise baby shower had stayed just that. A surprise. Shadow Peaks wasn’t the finest in the secret department but I was glad it had managed to break the curse for today.
The bitter air from outside hit me as Emberli returned from her walk into the town. She claimed that Willow recommended listening to podcasts and they’d proved helpful, which was why every morning at around eleven, Emberli would leave for an hour. It was the perfect time to put in arrangements for the upcoming baby shower and I had put Willow in charge of making sure everything went to plan. As predicted, everything did.
“What’s this?” Emberli’s hand picks up a book I bought a few days ago about pregnancy. “This isn’t one of mine.”
“Nah. I bought it a few days ago.” I turn just as Emberli leans on her tip-toes, her smooth and cold lips collide with my cheek before she sets down on her heels.
“What was that for?” Not that I minded one fucking bit.
“A thank you. ”
Note to self: Get more thank yous from Emberli.
“I have a surprise for you.”
Her eyes widened. “You do? What is it?”
I gesture for her to follow me into the dining room, where she looks over at me and then the wrapped box on the table. “For me?”
“For you.” I confirm and watch her edge towards the box before she begins unwrapping it. A small gasp leaves her mouth before she turns around to me, throwing her arms around my neck.
“Thank you.”
“I thought it would help you sleep better.” I gesture to the U-shaped pillow I had Odessa help me find.
“This is perfect. I love it.”
“I hope you love your next surprise.” I wink.
“What is it?”
“Well if I tell you, it will no longer be a surprise.Will it?”
She groans. “When do I get to see this surprise?”
“In approximately three hours.”
A smirk crawls onto her lips and she wriggles her eyebrows at me.
“What are you thinking?”
She giggles before running over to the couch, launching herself onto it and setting her feet up on the coffee table in front of her.
I don’t even have to ask as she switches the app on the television to Disney+ to know for sure that we were about to rewatch The Lion King.
“I wonder if the baby will recognise the film when they’re here.”
“With the amount of times you watch it? It’s definitely a strong possibility.”
** *
“You did this for me?” Emberli asks, her eyes wide in shock as she looks around the town hall I had decorated for her baby shower. “Thayne…”
Balloons fly and party blowers sound around us from every corner.
My eyes find Mack, reminding him to take more photos of her special day.
He raises my camera and sets it on the two of us. He’d helped me make sure this event pulled together just how she deserved, just as the rest of my family had.
Aca even managed to make time to come back for a few nights from his training.
“I can’t believe you’ve done this.”
“You deserve it.” I tell her, planting a kiss on her forehead as she leans into me, overlooking our friends and family who jump out to surprise her.
“I look horrendous.” She looks down at her sundress. She looks perfect. But she’ll always doubt that because she was her own worst critic.
It was as if she desired to be something else, completely unaware that she was more than enough.
“You look beautiful.”
No matter how many times I tell her, she still looks at me the same. Like she isn’t sure she believes me, but her widened pupils still stare at me in awe.
“I do?”
“Very beautiful.” I correct myself and she laughs, leaning her head into my chest with a whisper. “I love this.”
A gasp leaves her throat as Odessa comes over, Emberli’s parents and her siblings in tow.
“Mom? Dad?”
Emberli pounces into her parents’ arms. “How did you - Ebs! Buck! You’re here!”
“Thayne invited us,” Georgia grins .
My palms have never sweated harder. Seeing Emberli’s family in person was a lot different to speaking to them over the phone. And I knew how much they meant to her.
I could not fuck this up.
Emberli glances over her shoulder at me, a thankful look paints her face before she bites her lip, turning back to her family. “Come on! I want to introduce you to everyone.”
“You did good bro.” Mack comments as he stands beside me, holding my camera out for me to take. He took a few shots of us when we walked in and I'm staring down at her, grinning like a fool at her shocked expression before she looks up at me with appreciation.
There’s a few more photos, one where my lips meet her head, and her eyes close as she smiles, and another where she leans her head into my chest. She’s captivating and I could look at her for hours.
I look up to her laughter and grin. She’s happy here, with us. With me.
“So when are you going to tell her?”
“Tell her what?”
“That you may or may not like having her around.”
“That you love her.” Colton sings.
“Don’t you dare deny it you idiot.” Flint murmurs from the other side of me.
“I want to see you do it before I leave again.” Aca says.
“Then you may never leave.” Mack snorts and I roll my eyes.
“Will you all quit it? I’ll tell her soon.”
“Thayne!” Emberli gestures for me to join her. I hand my camera back to Mack and make my way over to her. She holds a balloon out to me, an excited yet nervous look on her face as she does.
“I want you to find out with me.”
She shifts closer, holding out a sewing needle for me to take. It’s a simple gesture yet it means so much more as I take the needle from her.
“Okay! Ready?” Odessa calls and Emberli looks at me. I look back at her, seeing the complete trust and admiration that she directs towards me.
I don’t think I could.
“You ready?” I ask.
Her head bobs. “Are you?”
“For you? I’ll be anything.”
Her lips thin into a smile just as Odessa counts us down. The two of us admiring the blue confetti that pours from the balloon between us. Once it’s dropped, I scoop Emberli in my arms. She squeals excitedly as she buries her head into my chest, her arms locked around my neck. It’s as if it’s only the two of us here despite the loud cheers and commotion that takes place around us. One thing was for certain, this little boy was going to be very loved.
The rest of the baby shower runs smoothly with the wholesomeness of family being all around. Emberli looks as if she’s having an amazing time and that’s all that matters to me.
She chats away to Odessa with her mom and sister beside her.
She looks happy. Genuinely happy.
“Thayne.” I turn my attention away from my camera as I take a few photos of the women in front of me, and see Des, Emberli’s father, standing there. He extends his hand out to me.
“I just wanted to say thank you for looking after my girl.”
“Always.”
His grip is firm as I shake his hand and he nods before inhaling. “She’s not had it easy.”
“I know.”
Words seem to be at a loss for him and I fill the silence between us. “I’m not going to hurt your daughter, sir.”
“Call me Des, please.” He pats at my back as he leaves, heading over to Buck who has his face in his phone just as Colton does beside him. They both tap furiously before Buck jumps up from his seat in celebration.
I turn back to Emberli, who I find looking straight back at me with a smile that needs no words.
I know just how she feels because I feel exactly the same.