Chapter 53 Ellie
FIFTY-THREE
Ellie
Life was settling down in Woodstone, the kind of slow, quiet rhythm I didn’t know I needed until I had it. For so long, I’d measured my days by red carpets and call times. Now, it was the chirp of birds in the morning and the hum of the coffeemaker in his—our—kitchen.
Sawyer had finished the last round of renovations on the house, and every now and then, I caught him standing in the middle of a room, arms crossed, like he couldn’t believe it was real.
Sometimes, I couldn’t either. He brought that place back to its original glory and added a few new elements to enhance it.
The exposed beams. The creaky floorboards he refused to replace because they had character.
The living room couch we definitely broke in the night it arrived.
Everything was coming together perfectly.
I’d called it his house once, and he’d gone full offense about it, acting like I’d insulted him.
“It’s our home,” he had said, dead serious, holding my face in both hands.
I hadn’t called it his since.
For the Super Bowl champion party I’d promised him, I even made sure the invitations read ‘Ellie and Sawyer’s house’—just to keep him happy.
Leaving San Francisco was bittersweet, but not a single part of me regretted it. Rachel landed a job faster than I expected, probably thanks to the glowing letter I wrote about how she could organize international chaos in heels. She swore she’d visit soon, and we still texted daily.
My parents were off on their long-overdue retirement trip somewhere in Greece, sending me blurry selfies and photos of every meal they ate.
Sawyer had asked me what kind of decorations they liked and then went out of his way to put together a guest room with framed photos of me as a kid, a lavender candle my mom used to burn, and the fluffiest pillows on Earth.
It was all so simple and kind. So…him.
Tonight was the first full James family dinner in a while. I’d ditched my security team a few weeks ago, which had been liberating, and left my safety in the capable, broad hands of my six-foot-five boyfriend.
When we stepped inside the ranch house, Gracie was on a step stool at the counter, flour on her nose, while Dorian and Noah supervised the baking as if it were a science experiment.
Dotty and Trent were curled up on the couch, both in sweats, the kind of comfortable love that made you believe in forever. David was in the kitchen, finishing up dinner with a dish towel slung over his shoulder. Colt was already at the table, spinning his glass slowly between his hands.
He looked up and cleared his throat as we walked in. “Hey, so I have an announcement.”
Dotty squinted at him from across the room. “Since when do you make announcements?”
Trent leaned forward from the couch. “Yeah, what’d you do? Knock someone up? Get married?”
Colt went pale. His jaw clenched, lips pressing into a tight line.
Dotty’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit, you did.”
I kept my mouth shut, not revealing anything I knew from the call I got from Lilah last week.
Trent stood. “No way. Who’d you knock up?”
“I didn’t knock anyone up,” Colt said, rolling his eyes.
The front door creaked open, and Lilah and Caleb walked in, as if it was perfectly normal to waltz into a room moments after that kind of accusation.
Everyone turned at once.
“No fucking way,” Dorian said.
Trent pointed between them. “You knocked Lilah up?”
I turned toward Sawyer, whose eyes were glued to Lilah now, jaw slack.
“Mommy, what’s knocked up mean?” Caleb asked, looking up at Lilah.
Lilah froze. “Uh—hello, everyone.” She glanced around. “Not knocked up. Just…married.” She winced.
Caleb looked around and spotted Gracie at the counter. “I want a cookie!”
Sawyer let out a stunned laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. I wasn’t sure if it was disbelief or the chaos unfolding at full volume. Probably both.
Dorian peeked out from the kitchen. “We’re still baking, buddy. Only a few more minutes.”
Lilah stepped farther inside, slipping a hand into Colt’s. His grip tightened around hers.
“So,” she said, lifting her chin. “Surprise?”
Dotty flopped back on the couch like she needed a second to reboot. “You’re married?”
Lilah smiled, small, a little nervous, but sure. “Yeah. We are.”
There was a beat of silence.
Then, Noah shouted, “I knew there was something going on!” from the kitchen, and Dorian pulled a bill from his pocket and slipped it to her.
David clapped a hand over his mouth, shaking his head. Noah gave Gracie a high five.
Sawyer shook his head and muttered, “This family, man.”
I looked between Colt and Lilah, my chest softening. Something about the way he stood next to her—not just close, but anchored—made me realize this wasn’t sudden. Maybe the news was, but not the bond. Not the choice.
He was in love with that woman. I had no doubt.
“You okay?” I whispered, mostly to Lilah.
She met my gaze and nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.”
Sawyer moved behind me, his hands landing gently on my shoulders. He leaned down and murmured in my ear, “You think if I announced something this crazy, it’d go over half this smooth?”
“Depends,” I whispered. “Wanna knock me up and see?”
He huffed a laugh, kissed the side of my head, then said, “I could make that happen.”
I didn’t say anything for a second. I just stepped into him, wrapped my arms around his waist, and pressed my face against his chest.
“I love you,” I whispered.
Life was different now. Slower, steadier. For the first time in a long time, it was mine.
And I wasn’t living it alone.