Текст книги "Cherished"

Автор книги: Kelly Elliott

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 17 (всего у книги 24 страниц)

“Trey, will you please just pull over, and let’s talk about this, okay? Your driving is really making me sick, and—”

“Jessie, I just need you to be quiet. Just be quiet. I need to think,” Trey said, his voice cracking.

I sat there, looking down at my purse. Scott. Why didn’t I listen to him? What if we never see him again?

I began crying, and Trey looked over at me.

“Why are you crying?” he asked.

I just stared at him. “Really? Are you really asking me that? Why are you kidnapping me?” I practically shouted.

“I’m not. We belong together, Jessie. I knew it the moment I sank my fingers into your body. You belong to me.”

Oh god, I feel sick. I let this man touch me. I let him kiss me and—

I shook my head, and more tears began to fall. “No, we don’t, Trey. That was a mistake. I was lonely and scared. I wanted Scott that day, and I just used you to help me forget, but it didn’t work because I love him and only him. I’m having his child, Trey. This baby is his.”

Trey looked at me and smiled. He went to put his hand on my stomach, and I knocked it away. He looked stunned and looked back at the road.

“I can raise the baby just fine. We don’t even have to tell the baby about Scott. Our kid will never know about Scott.”

I sat there, in shock. I couldn’t even talk. “Have you lost your mind? What in the hell makes you think I would ever do that?”

I noticed Trey’s jaw tighten up. I need to get out of this car, and I need out fast.

“Trey, please stop the car. I don’t want to go with you. I don’t love you.”

“You do, Jessie. I know you do, deep down inside.”

Jesus Christ. No wonder his fiancée left him at the altar. She was smart.

“Trey, I don’t love you, and I’m so sorry if I ever gave you the impression that I did. I thought we were two friends just trying to help each other through a hard time.”

“You sat and slept on my lap that whole night. Even after you found out you were pregnant, you held on to me all night.” He smiled.

I slowly shook my head and whispered, “No.”

He nodded and let out a laugh. “Yes! Yes…you love me.”

“No, I was scared, and it was in the middle of a damn storm, Trey! I thought you were my friend. You’re acting crazy.”

He slammed his hand down on the steering wheel, causing me to jump. “No! Friends don’t fucking crawl onto their friends’ laps and hang on to them all night. They don’t kiss their friends good-bye, like you kissed me. You want me, Jessie. You’re just scared, but once you feel what it’s like to have me inside your body, you will see how much I love you. You will feel how much we love each other.”

My heart began beating faster. Oh god. Please, God, don’t let this happen. The baby…

“I’m not having sex with you,” I barely said as I began sobbing.

Scott…please come get me. Please…find…me.

Trey slowly turned and looked at me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him. “Yes. You. Will. And you’re going to see how much you like it, you bitch. You dick-teased me for weeks, Jessie, with all your fucking friends bullshit. I thought I could be patient and let you realize on your own how that damn pussy isn’t meant for you. I’m meant for you.”

I tried to pull away from him, but he was holding on to my arm so tight.

“Trey…you’re hurting me!” I said.

“Kiss me, Jessie. Lean over here and kiss me. Feel the love from my body as it goes into yours.”

I tried to pull away harder. “No. Trey, please…oh god, please don’t do this. Why are you doing this? This is not the Trey I came to know and care about in Belize.”

He let out a gruff laugh. “Care about? Care about? Is that what you call it, Jessie? You know…that other girl…what was her name? Chelsea. I bet if I called her right now, she’d fuck me again. Want to watch us, Jessie? It was pretty hot with her.”

I sucked in a breath of air. “What?”

I pushed my arm away from him, and he let it go. He threw his head back and laughed.

“Yeah, I called her up and told her I was going to be hanging around for a few extra weeks. She came to Fredericksburg, and it didn’t take much to get the bitch up to my hotel room. She’s a kinky bitch, too.”

I put my hand up to mouth. I felt like I was going to be sick from the way Trey was swerving.

“What’s wrong, baby? The idea of me fucking Scott’s ex make you sick?” he said with a laugh.

“No, you asshole. It’s your driving,” I said.

He slammed on the brakes, and I felt the seat belt jam into my stomach.

The baby!

“Trey! I’m pregnant, and your driving is scaring me. Please…please just stop this craziness now.”

He held up his hand as he gunned it. “We’re being followed.”

What? “What? Why in the world would you think we are being—”

Lark…Lark is still with Scott. Maybe they found out that Trey had forced me out of the hotel, and they figured out a way to track him.

I tried to turn around, but Trey reached over and pushed me back. He swerved into the other lane, and I let out a scream as he whipped the car back into our lane.

“Shit! Trey…oh god, please…I’m begging you to just pull over. Please think of the baby I’m carrying. This isn’t her fault. Please just pull over. You can just drop me off, and I promise, I won’t press charges or anything.”

I began crying harder as he pressed on the gas. I glanced over to see that he was going over ninety miles an hour.

“Shut up, Jessie! I need to concentrate. I think that’s your fucking boyfriend behind us.”

My heart dropped to my stomach. Scott! I closed my eyes and just prayed to God that Trey would stop.

“Oh, he thinks he can track me down and bully me…fuck no. You’re mine, and I’m not giving you up.”

As I cried uncontrollably, all I kept thinking of was that this was my fault…again. I was going to lose the baby, and it was all because I had gotten on that damn plane, running away from my own fears.

Trey turned and looked behind him. I turned, too, and I could see that Lark was driving…and I saw Scott. They were so close behind us.

“Scott!” I called out. For some reason, I turned back around. “Trey!” I screamed.

He was drifting into the other lane, and a truck was coming right toward us. Trey turned the steering wheel so fast and hard that we spun around as he lost control of the car. All I heard were horns and screeching tires, and then it felt like I was in the air.

I closed my eyes, thinking of only two things—Scott and the baby.

Lark slammed on the brakes as we watched Trey’s car flip over twice before it came to a stop up against another car. For a good fifteen seconds, I couldn’t move. I heard Azurdee scream out Jessie’s name, and I saw Lark get out of the car and start running.

I snapped out of it and yelled for Azurdee to call 911. I jumped out of Lark’s truck and started running behind him. The car was in an upright position, and as I got closer, I saw Jessie.

No…God, please no.

Lark was trying to open up Jessie’s door as I heard someone behind me yelling not to move her and that an ambulance was on the way.

Lark kept repeating, “Fuck,” over and over as he tried to open the door.

I pushed him out of the way and tried. I took one look at the blood covering Jessie’s face, and I almost fell to the ground.

“Jessie!” I screamed out as I tried harder to open the door.

The next thing I knew, I was being pulled away from the car.

“Let me go! That’s my fiancée, and she’s pregnant. Let me go!” I yelled out as I fought to get back to the door.

Then, I saw firefighters everywhere. I tried harder to get out of the hold I was in. Lark stood in front of me, blocking me from seeing them cut out Jessie’s door.

“Scott, you need to calm down, dude. Please…calm down,” Lark said as he grabbed my face to look at him. “Scott, they are going to arrest you if you hit a cop. Dude…please calm down.”

I looked around, and two police officers were holding on to me.

I shook my head and began sobbing. “I just want to be with her.”

Then, I felt my legs going out. Lark reached out and grabbed me.

“What hospital will they take her to?” Lark asked as he walked me over to a police car.

“Please,” I whispered, “just let me be with her.”

“Sir, please let the paramedics get to her first, and then you can go to her. Please just try to stay calm.”

I slowly nodded my head as Azurdee walked up to me. She threw herself into my body, but I couldn’t even get the strength to hug her back. She was crying so hard. She pulled back and looked at me. Then, she turned and looked like she was going to pass out. Lark reached for her and held on to her as she cried harder.

She kept saying, “Lark…please tell me she is okay. Is she okay?”

As he looked me in the eyes, he began stroking her hair as he said, “Shh…it’s okay, honey…she’s going to be fine. I promise, she’ll be fine.”

I watched as they removed Jessie from the car. Two paramedics were on Trey’s side of the car, but then they came around and started helping with Jessie.

Is Trey awake? I am going to kill that motherfucker.

I got up and started to make my way over when I felt someone grab on to my arm. I turned and looked at the police officer. “He kidnapped my fiancée, and she’s pregnant. I’m going to kill that motherfucker, and if you want to arrest me, go ahead, but I’m going to get to him even if I have to fight off ten of y’all.”

He looked toward the car and then back at me. When he shook his head, I just stared at him.

“I don’t think we will have to do that. The driver is…he’s dead, sir,” the officer said.

All the air left my body at once. “What?” I snapped my head back toward the car and then back at the officer. “Jessie…is she…”

“Sir, she is breathing, and they are about to get her on a stretcher and into an ambulance. You will be able to ride with her if you stay out of the way while the paramedics attend to her.”

I nodded my head. “Yes, of course. Can you let them know she is pregnant and…” I felt tears burning my eyes as I looked back at the paramedics lifting her onto the stretcher. “I feel sick,” I whispered.

The officer grabbed my arm and practically dragged me to the other side of his patrol car. I felt like I was about to throw up my spleen.

“God, please don’t take the baby. Please don’t…please…”

I leaned against the car and tried to stay calm, but the moment I heard Azurdee’s voice, I lost it and started crying.

She grabbed on to me and hugged me. Now, it was her turn to comfort me. “Scott, she’s going to be okay because she is the strongest person I know. She’s going to be okay…Lark promised.”

I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh when she said that. I pulled back and smiled. “So, because Lark promised, it makes it so?”

She nodded and barely grinned. “He seems to know everything…so I’m going with it.”

The officer called for me to follow him, and the next thing I knew, I was sitting next to Jessie in the ambulance. I held her hand and just stared at her.

I looked up at one of the paramedics and whispered, “The baby?”

She didn’t answer me, but she gave me a weak smile. I slowly looked back at Jessie and thought about Trey.

The driver is…he’s dead, sir.

“The driver, did he…instantly?”

Fuck me. Why would he try to take her? What in the hell was he thinking?

“I’m not sure, sir,” she said.

I shook my head and held on to Jessie’s hand as the ambulance raced to the hospital. I closed my eyes and prayed like I’d never prayed before.

The moment her hand moved through my hair, I felt that familiar feeling zip through my body. She’ll always have this effect on me. Even when we are eighty, I’ll still feel this way when she touches me.

I slowly lifted my head and smiled when her stunningly beautiful green eyes met mine.

“The baby?” she whispered.

“She’s perfect. I got to see her,” I said. My smile grew bigger.

“You did?” she gasped. “That is so not fair!” She went to move and grimaced. “Oh god…I’m so sore everywhere.” She lifted each arm and then wiggled her toes. “I feel sore, but…I’m not in a whole lot of pain.”

I smiled. “Yeah, you were so incredibly lucky, baby. You didn’t break anything. You’re just battered and bruised.”

I watched as a tear rolled down her beautiful face. I reached up and wiped it away.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t listen to you. I should have turned around or waited for you to get there before I met him. I just…I just never imagined Trey would ever hurt me…but…” She began to cry harder.

I grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. “Shh…baby, it’s okay. Please don’t be upset. You need to relax and try not to get stressed out, okay? Just take a deep breath and blow it out. You couldn’t have known he would do something like that.”

She quickly wiped away her tears.

I reached for a Kleenex and wiped her nose. “I’m practicing. Ari said I’m going to have to wipe a lot of runny noses,” I said with a wink.

She let out a giggle and shook her head. “Where am I?”

“Brackenridge, but I think they said you could go home tomorrow if you felt good and got some fluids in you.”

“Tomorrow? Oh, I want to go home now, Scott. Can’t I go home now?” she said in that cute whiny voice that drove me mad with love.

There was a small knock on the door, and it slowly opened. I turned to see Azurdee and Lark both walking in.

“How are you feeling, honey?” Azurdee asked with a smile.

“I’m okay…just really sore,” Jessie said.

Azurdee walked to the other side of the bed and took Jessie’s other hand. I glanced up at Lark and shook my head, letting Lark know Jessie didn’t know about Trey yet.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Jessie,” Lark said.

Jessie flashed that smile of hers at him, and I knew what was about to come.

“So, now, are you going to tell us what you do? Because I would love to know how in the hell you caught up to us like that. How did you know where we were?”

Lark shrugged his shoulders. “I just needed the license plate number, and after one phone call to a friend at the Department of Public Safety to check the traffic cameras, bam, there ya go.”

“I’m never going to get it out of you, am I?” Jessie asked.

I peeked over at Azurdee, who was looking at Lark.

“Nope. Nothing really to tell,” Lark said as he quickly looked at Azurdee and then back at Jessie before he turned and sat down.

“We just wanted to make sure you were okay before Lark and I took off. We left all our stuff back in Mason,” Azurdee said as she pushed a piece of Jessie’s hair behind her ear.

Jessie tried to sit up, but she stopped when she realized how sore she really was. “Oh no. I’m so sorry y’all have to drive back to Mason and then turn around and come back to Austin.”

“No big deal, honey. It just gives me more time to grill Mr. Tight Lips here,” Azurdee said as she gestured toward Lark.

Jessie let out a small laugh and then looked back at me. Her smile faded a bit as she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Is Trey okay? Did they arrest him?” she asked.

I looked up at Azurdee and then quickly back at Jessie. “Baby, um…Trey died in the car accident. He broke his neck and died instantly,” I said.

I watched the tears build in her eyes before she closed them.

“So stupid. Oh my god. If I had just waited for you, none of this would have happened, and…and…maybe you could have just talked him into leaving, and he would…” Jessie began crying.

Azurdee said, “No, Jessica, this is not your fault. You had no idea that Trey would do something like this. You can’t sit here and play what-if. It doesn’t do anybody any good. What happened, happened. There is nothing you can do about it.”

Jessie looked at me, and my heart broke at the hurt I saw in her eyes.

“I’m so sorry that I didn’t listen to you, Scott. I’m so sorry I didn’t just wait for you.”

She began sobbing, so I crawled onto the bed and took her in my arms. I saw Azurdee wipe a tear away from Jessie’s face. I closed my eyes and just held the woman I loved more than the air I breathed.

Once she finally stopped crying, I gently laid her back down and kissed her lips. I whispered, “I love you, Jessie. I love you so much.”

She looked into my eyes, and I had to catch my breath.

“Scott,” she whispered, “I love you so much, and I don’t deserve your love after the stupid shit I’ve done.”

I laughed and kissed her nose. “Get some rest, baby. I’m going to walk Lark and Azurdee out.”

I got up as I looked over at Lark and winked.

Azurdee gave Jessie a hug and kissed her on the cheek. “Call me if you need anything. I’m just a couple of hours away.”

Jessie smiled. “Okay, will do. Thank you so much, Azurdee, for coming to visit and for all the yummy food. The baby is going to miss your French toast.”

Lark laughed. “Shit, I already miss it!”

I walked Lark and Azurdee outside. I shook Lark’s hand, and then I hugged and kissed Azurdee.

“Lark, I don’t even know how to thank you, dude,” I said.

“I’m just glad that we were able to catch up to them and that Jessie is okay. That wreck scared the shit out of me. It’s a miracle that she’s just sore and didn’t get hurt.”

I nodded my head and looked at Azurdee. “She’s going to miss you.”

She grinned. “I’ll come visit more often. The coffee shop just keeps me so busy, but I want to help with the baby’s room and the wedding,” she said with a wink.

“Sounds like a plan.”

“You’re sure that y’all got a ride home tomorrow?” Lark asked.

I nodded my head. “Yep. My parents are already in Austin. They were on their way to the hospital earlier, so they should be here any minute.”

“Alright. I’ll be out of town for a bit, but you know how to get a hold of me if you need me, right?”

I laughed. “Yeah, I know. Thanks, Lark, for everything. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Later, dude.”

I watched as Lark and Azurdee walked into the parking garage. I smiled, wondering how the two of them were going to get along by themselves during the drive back to Mason. Lark would never admit it, but I knew he liked Azurdee.

I turned and headed back into the hospital. When I walked into Jessie’s room, she was sleeping peacefully. I quietly sat down and watched her sleep as I said a silent prayer, thanking God that Jessie and the baby were okay. I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes as I thought about Trey. I thought about his family and how devastated they would be about his death.

Senseless…it was all just so senseless.

I felt myself drifting off into sleep. Images of Jessie standing before me with her hands on her swollen belly filled my body with a warm sensation.

I will always love, cherish, and protect them both until the day I die. Always.

I watched as Alex walked up ahead of me and stopped every five minutes to bend down and look at either an ant or a flower. I smiled, thinking how she was about to become a big sister to Colt. The moment I’d found out I was having a son, I’d wanted to shout for joy.

Alex watched a butterfly as she sat down on the ground and laughed. My heart couldn’t be filled with any more love right now. I looked over toward the garden and saw a very pregnant Ellie with Grams. Ellie took to country life like she had grown up on a ranch her whole life.

It was May seventh, and Ellie was four days past her due date. I knew she was miserable as hell in this heat. She glanced over and smiled at Alex, and then our eyes met. My heart melted every time this girl looked at me with that smile. I would never get tired of seeing her look at me with so much love.

Alex squealed as Brian, Ellie’s father, came walking up to her. He bent down, picked her up, and spun her around. I noticed Ellie as she watched her father playing with our daughter.

Brian had been battling lung cancer, and things finally seemed to be going well with him. His health was improving more and more every day, and Jeff, Ellie, and Sharon were well on their way to healing completely. Brian had retired from his position of CEO of his company, and he’d bought a little house in Mason. At first, Ellie had felt upset about it since her mother and Philip had just moved here. She had been terrified that her mother would slip into old habits, but when Sharon and Philip got married on Valentine’s Day, that had put all of Ellie’s fears to rest.

Then, of course, there was the fact that Brian had met Carol here in town, and they had gone out on a few dates. That had helped to put Ellie’s mind at ease even more. Brian was being careful though as he didn’t want to fall in love with someone, knowing what his situation was, but Carol was a sweetheart, and she loved Alex, Luke, and Grace.

“Gunner, how are you today?” Brian asked as he held Alex in his arms while she hugged him around his neck.

“I’m doing good. Did you talk to my dad about that horse?” I asked.

He nodded his head and laughed. “I sure did. Looks like I’m going to be taking some roping lessons from your old man. He wasn’t kidding when he said he wanted this ranch to be run by family and only family.”

I let out a laugh. My father and Brian had really hit it off, and they had become good friends over the last few months.

I thought back to the other night in the barn up by Grams and Gramps’s house. Just me, my father, Gramps, Drake, Brian, Jeff, Josh, and Greg had all been sitting there—drinking while talking about cows and horses and the women who made up our world. It had been like a dream come true. Even Jeff had seemed to be so happy and content. It had been months since we’d had any drama, and I was planning on keeping it that way.

“Gunner?”

I glanced over toward Ellie, who was standing next to the garden gate with her hand on her stomach. I slowly walked up to her, and leaning down, I gently kissed her on the lips.

“You look so beautiful, do you know that?” I asked with a wink.

She smiled and then grimaced.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Then, I saw Grams walking up to Brian and Alex. She put her hand on Brian’s arm and said something to him that caused him to look up at Ellie in a panicked way.

I slowly turned and looked at my breathtakingly gorgeous wife. “Ells?”

She smiled. “My water just broke.”

I shouted out, “Yes! Finally!”

I took her arm and looked back at Grams and Brian. “Do we all know what to do?” I asked.

Brian let out a laugh. “My god, Gunner. Just get her suitcase and take her to the hospital. Emma and I clearly know our roles.”

“Daddy?” Alex called out.

I stopped and turned back to look at her. She was staring at me with those beautiful blue eyes of hers.

Damn. She is going to break a lot of hearts.

“Hey, Little Bear, Mommy is going to have your little brother, Colt. Bandpa is going to get Grammy, okay?”

When she nodded, her little pigtails moved back and forth, and my heart swelled up with so much love.

I looked at Brian, and before I could even say it, he said, “I’ll call your parents right after I call Sharon.”

Grams laughed as she walked by me. She had her cell phone in her hand and was texting Gramps. “I’m going to warn Garrett not to share the story of the last time Ellie went into labor.” She threw her head back and laughed.

Ellie giggled and peeked up at me. She shrugged her shoulders and said, “You gave them the cell phones and showed them how to text.”

After I helped Ellie into my truck, I turned and gave Alex a kiss good-bye. “I love you. Be a good girl for Grammy and Bandpa, okay, pumpkin?”

She nodded her head and reached out for me. She grabbed around my neck so tightly that I almost found it hard to breathe for a second. The hold this little girl had on my heart sometimes scared the shit out of me.

She pulled back and said, “Ice cream?”

I laughed and looked at Brian. “Good luck!”

When I ran around the front of the truck, I looked over and could tell Ellie was having a contraction. I jumped in and looked at her. “Deep breaths in and—”

“Gunner! That shit doesn’t work. Just get me to the hospital, so they can give me an epidural, and we can get this kicker out of me.”

I smiled as I started the truck and made my way down the driveway.

I knew better than to talk to Ellie, so I just stayed quiet until we got to the hospital. Her contractions were getting closer together. By the time they got Ellie into her room, I thought she was going to pull her hair out and then go after mine.

“Where is Pete?” Ellie asked the nurse.

“Dr. Johnson will be in at any moment, Mrs. Mathews.”

“Gunner, Ellie, how are y’all?” Pete asked as he walked in. He shook my hand and then turned to look at Ellie. “Ellie, how are you feeling?”

Ellie shot him the dirtiest look. “I’m in pain—a lot of pain. I want an epidural—like yesterday.”

Pete laughed as he began to examine Ellie, and then he quickly looked over at me.

“Ugh!” Ellie called out as she grabbed on to the sheets and threw her head back.

I knew by the look in Pete’s eyes that Ellie wasn’t going to get an epidural.

“Um…if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to use the restroom,” I said as I started to make my way out of the room.

He quickly stood up in front of me and laughed. “Oh no.” He leaned in and said quietly, “You bastard, you are not leaving me alone to tell her.”

“Damn it, come on, Pete. We’ve become good friends. Do a guy a favor. I’ve invited you to my house on numerous occasions. You know how strong these pregnant women are. She’s not going to take it out on you. It’s going to be me who will pay for this!” I whispered.

“What in the hell are you two whispering about over there? I want this baby out! It feels like he’s coming out!” Ellie yelled.

Pete grabbed me and pushed me over toward the nurse. “Get him ready.”

I heard Pete talking to Ellie. “Ellie, honey, you’re at ten centimeters, and the baby is about to start crowning—”

“What?” Ellie called out.

“Uh…Dr. Johnson…” one of the nurses said.

The other nurse was putting a gown on me. She smiled and nodded at me when she was done, and I turned back to hold Ellie’s hand.

“Ellie—” Pete started to say.

Ellie cut him off with another contraction.

I’d never seen Pete move so fast, not even in our flag football games. The next thing I knew, he was telling Ellie to push, and she was squeezing the hell out of my hand.

“Um…Ells, can you let up just a little bit, baby? It’s kind of hurting,” I said.

She snapped her head over to me, and her eyes turned dark gray.

Holy shit.

“You. You did this to me. You want to know what hurts? Oh god!”

Another contraction hit her as Pete told her to give him a good push.

Ellie flopped back down and started shaking her head. “I can’t…I can’t do it anymore. I’m so tired, and it hurts so bad, Gunner. Just…just cut him out.”

Pete chuckled, and I looked at him. He shrugged and smiled at me.

He said, “Come on, Ellie. I see his head. Just a little bit more, honey, and then I promise, you can rest.”

Ellie looked at me, and the tears rolling down her face about dropped me to the ground.

“Gunner…” she whispered.

“Oh, baby, I know. Squeeze the hell out of my hand. Break it if you have to. Baby, just one more time. I know you can do it.”

Ellie pushed two more times before the cries of our baby filled the room. The nurse took him, cleaned him up, and did a few things with him before she wrapped in a blanket, brought him over, and placed him in Ellie’s arms.

“Meet your healthy eight-pound-two-ounces baby boy,” the nurse said.

Ellie looked up at me as the tears flowed down cheeks, and she smiled. Her eyes lit up, and I couldn’t help it. I let the tears fall as I looked at how happy she was.

I leaned down and kissed her. “Good job, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you.”

She laughed. “Thank you.” Then, she looked down at our baby boy. “Hey, big boy,” she whispered as she gently moved her index finger along his face.

She glanced up at me and wiped a tear away from my cheek. I grabbed her hand and kissed her palm.

“He’s beautiful,” I said. “Just like his mother and sister.”

Ellie grinned so big and looked back down at him. “I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you, Colt Hunter Mathews, my precious baby boy.”

After Ellie and I spent some time alone with Colt, everyone started coming in. First, it was Jeff and Ari, then Heather and Josh, and then Scott and Jessie. I swore Jessie was getting bigger every time I saw her. She was due in July, and she looked beautiful.

“Brad and Amanda are on their way, sweets,” Ari said.

I smiled as I watched Ellie. She couldn’t take her eyes off of Colt.

I leaned over and asked, “Are you hungry, baby?”

She laughed. “Yes! I want a chopped beef sandwich and sweet tea.”

I went to kiss her but stopped short of her lips as I smiled at her. “Are you happy, Mrs. Mathews?”

The love in her eyes told me her answer even before she opened her mouth. “Drew, I can’t even begin to tell you how I’m feeling right now. I love you so much, and…I feel…” Her voice cracked, and she closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, she looked into my eyes like she was looking into my soul. “I’ve never been so happy in my life. Everything just feels so right. It all feels…perfect.” A single tear moved slowly down her face.

I kissed her gently on the lips and then whispered, “Yeah, sweetheart, I know how you feel because I feel the same way. I’ll never be able to tell you how happy you’ve made me, how much I’m in love with you, Ellie, and how that love grows more and more every day.”

“Drew…” she whispered as she reached up and wiped away a tear from my cheek.

“You’ve made me so happy by just loving me, Ells…and by…by giving me Alex and Colt…” My voice cracked as I tried to hold back the overwhelming love I was feeling for this woman. I smiled at her as I pushed a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “It’s…it’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of and wanted.”