Oxford for her, but I had no idea the full extent of it.”
“I would’ve felt the same way she did. My God, what an awful thing to do to someone you’re supposed to love and protect. It makes me sick.”
“Me, too.”
“I’m glad you’re going with him so his family can see what came of their love.”
“That’s what Hunter said when he suggested we go.”
“The twelve of you will make quite a statement.”
“That’s the idea, but I’ll hate being away from you and Chase for even a night.”
“You’ll be back before you can miss us.”
He shook his head and tipped her chin up to receive his kiss. “I miss you the second I leave you. And I miss you every second that your feet aren’t wrapped around mine under the desk at work.”
As they kissed again, Will pushed the coffee table away to make room for them to stretch out in front of the fire. He always wanted her, but recalling how tired she was, he slowed the kiss before withdrawing.
“What?” she asked as she ran her fingers through his hair.
“You’re so tired.”
“Not too tired to kiss my sexy husband.”
“Kissing usually leads to other things that you’re too tired for.”
“I’m not too tired for what kissing leads to.”
“Are you sure?”
“Very sure.” To make her point, she wrapped her legs around his hips and pressed her heat against his hard cock.
Will laughed at her not-so-subtle message. “Well, all righty, then.”
Chapter Ten
“There’s nothing you can know
that isn’t known.”
—John Lennon
Ella was already home and enjoying a cup of decaffeinated tea when Gavin came in from work, his face flushed from the cold and his thick dark hair tousled. He was, without any doubt, the sexiest man she’d ever met, and some days she still wanted to pinch herself to believe he was actually hers.
“What’s up with your parents?” he asked, his brows furrowed with worry that reminded her of how he’d often looked before she made him fall in love with her.
“How do you know something’s up?”
“I saw Lucas.”
“Where’d you see him?”
“I can’t tell you that because it involves Christmas presents.”
Gavin came over where she was seated on the sofa, kissed her and took a long studying look at her face, as he did every night to make sure she was all right. She teased him about treating pregnancy as if it were a potentially fatal illness. But after what he’d been through losing his brother and closest friend, she indulged him in whatever he needed to find the peace of mind that had been so elusive for him since Caleb died.
“Luc said there was a family meeting, but I should get the deets from you. So give ’em to me.”
She reached for his hand to bring him down to sit with her.
“They’re okay, right? I’ve been in a panic trying to figure out what’s wrong. We just saw them, and they were fine.”
“I love you so much for the way you love my family.”
“Of course I do. They’ve been part of my life for a long time.” His family had moved to Butler when he and Caleb were in middle school. They’d been friends with her brothers from the start, and she’d been in love with Gavin for almost as long as she’d known him. She could barely remember a time when she hadn’t been in love with him. That she got to be with him every day now was the greatest blessing in her life.
“My parents are fine, but something happened with my dad’s family.”
“I don’t remember ever hearing much about them.”
“Because he never talks about them, and now we know why.” She shared the story she’d heard for the first time earlier, still finding it hard to believe even after having had a couple of hours to process it. “We’re going there with him tomorrow so he can see his father and show him what’s come of the marriage he was so opposed to.”
“Wait. You’re going where?”
“Philadelphia.”
“You can’t do that, El. You’re nine months pregnant.”
“We’re not flying. We’re taking the same bus we used to go to Boston. Hunter said it’ll be just as long as it would be to fly from Burlington.”
“That’s like six hours or something.”
“Seven. I checked online.”
“Ella… Fourteen hours on a bus when you’re nine months pregnant? You can’t do that. What if you go into labor or something happens or…”
She put her finger over his lips. “I’ll be fine. I’m not due for three more weeks.”
“Neither was Cameron, but she went weeks early.”
“That’s very rare with