says. “I have my own. And I had no idea about his conditions.”
Bentley looks sternly at Luke. “Shall I continue?”
“By all means,” Luke says snidely.
Bentley clears his throat and reads from another paper. “This is from an email your father sent to me. ‘Because I want my sons both to experience the joy of fatherhood and I’m not sure whether his marriage is real, Luke will now receive his sum after the birth of his first child. He will be an incredible father, more than I ever was to him, and while I know he can and will provide for his family, I never want him to worry about their futures. I ask that he either use this money for his family or, if he doesn’t want my money, which I would certainly understand, that his portion is donated to the charity he recently started.’”
Luke keeps his eyes trained to the ground.
Is this when we’re supposed to tell everyone gathered that I’m actually currently growing that first child? That Luke’s inheritance is a mere six months away?
“As you can all see, these are simple conditions made in the interest of the kind of life he thought you each wanted from what he knew of you. And I think he knew you all better than you gave him credit for.” He looks around at everyone gathered as he speaks until he gets to that last sentence, when his eyes train on Luke. “I’m the executor of the will, and as soon as you have met the conditions, please call me and we’ll immediately start the transfer.”
Bentley excuses himself after no one in the room has further questions, and Carol walks him out. When she returns, the four of us are still sitting silently in the office as each of the siblings works through their own reaction to their individual conditions.
“He knew exactly what I wanted,” Kaylee says to her mother through her tears. “Exactly what I needed to start my life.”
“I’m not really sure he knew me at all,” Jack says, a hint of surprise in his tone. “I don’t want to get married.”
“Ellie’s pregnant,” Luke murmurs.
CHAPTER 25
“She’s what?” Carol asks.
“Pregnant,” Luke repeats.
“Oh, Lord,” Carol mutters. “Are we absolutely sure it’s yours?”
If we didn’t just go through the same thing with Michelle and if I was a little less understanding of Carol’s personality, I’d be totally insulted by that comment.
But this is the Dalton family. That’s all the explanation necessary to see that her question makes perfect sense.
“We are one hundred percent sure,” I say pointedly. “No other possibilities.” I nearly go so far as to say he’s the only man I’ve had sex with since Todd dumped me back in May, but I leave that part out.
Carol stares at Luke for a few beats, and then her eyes edge over to me. I see the skepticism written on her face, and Luke must catch onto it as well.
“This is real, Mom,” he says. He glances at me, and I nod. He grabs for my hand. “It didn’t start out that way. It started as a way to get Michelle off my back.” He glances at Jack, who nods his encouragement for Luke to continue. “But something changed along the way, and Ellie is the woman I’m going to spend my life with. I’ve never been with someone who put me first. Who cared about me more than herself. Who cared about my future more than my present.”
He says the last part thickly, and it’s a stark reminder that both Savannah and Michelle and probably countless others cared more about the fact that he’s a pro football player than anything else. And that strikes me as incredibly sad.
I’ve gotten to know the man beneath the shoulder pads over the last few months, and he’s a star in more ways than just on the field. Simply put, he’s the Prince Charming I’ve been searching for.
And I’m glad for his past relationships. They helped make him into the man sitting beside me right now. The man I love.
“She takes care of me,” he says. “She changed my bandages after my surgery and she makes sure I’m doing my exercises. She keeps up my social media and makes sure fans know I’m okay. She loves me fiercely, and she’s taking such good care of the baby by eating right and learning everything she can. She’s not just the woman I love. She’s the best friend I’ve ever had, and she’s going to be a