Nic laughed as he placed his hand on the small of my back. About ten family members walked us out, each one having to kiss someone goodbye at least three times. By the time we got to my car, my parents were whipping out their antibacterial wipes and passing them around to us.
The rest of Christmas Eve was spent with my small family in our cozy little blue house that I gave up and Nic bought. After spending so many years apart, it felt amazing to be with my family again, especially with Nic by my side.
“How is the wine bar addition going?” Antonio asked with a smile.
Grinning, my father replied, “They’re thinking by this spring it will be ready to open.”
The look of pure happiness on my father’s face was like a dream come true. When I told him about the wine bar, he immediately took over with the plans. I was happy to let him take on the project.
“That’s awesome. I’m glad to see you have something to do you’re enjoying, Papá.”
My mother laughed. “So am I.”
Antonio stood. “I’m exhausted, sis. I think Kate and I are calling it a night.”
Standing, I kissed him on the cheek.
“It’s all set up. You’re lucky it’s warm here right now,” he whispered.
I squeezed his arm and smiled. “I know! Thank you.”
“Mom, Dad? Are you bugging out as well?”
They both stood. “Yes. I think so, darling. It’s been such an amazing Christmas. All those years I wished I could see your beautiful face and now . . . well now . . .”
She started to cry. Wrapping her in my arms, I held her tight. “I know, Mama. I know.”
Once everyone was gone, I turned to Nic. “Are you tired?”
He laughed. “A little, but I’m thinking we should probably not be doing the nasty with your family in the house.”
Hitting him on the chest, I shook my head. “No. I have a gift for you. But we have to go outside.”
Nic pinched his eyebrows together. “Okay.”
As we headed outside, I walked backward to face him. “Do you remember back in September when I got stuck on the roof?”
He laughed. “Yeah.”
“Well, the whole reason I went up there was because Charity said it would be a romantic place to tell you that I no longer had to testify against Dante. But things kind of got ruined, and I ended up telling you that night before we left for Reno.”
“Why tell me on the roof?” Nic asked.
I took his hand in mine and lead him over to the ladder Antonio had put out.
“If I go first, you’ll make sure I don’t fall, right?”
Nic laughed. “Gabi, what in the hell is going on? You want to go on the roof and what? Wait for Santa Clause?”
My teeth sunk down into my lip. “Maybe,” I softly said. The excitement was building more and more as the seconds ticked by.
His eyes intensified. “All right. Let’s go up on the roof.”
Taking in a deep breath, I gradually made my way up. When I got up on the roof, I quickly walked to the middle of the roof. Looking up, I gasped as the endless stars in the sky.
Nic walked up to me and wrapped his arms around me. “Why is there a blanket up here, Gabi?”
Glancing down, I grinned when I saw the blanket and small basket sitting to the side of it. There were only two people who knew I was pregnant. Charity and my brother. It was her idea to try the roof thing again and my brother thought it would be a pretty cool way to tell Nic, so I decided to give it another try.
I looked up at the stars again. “Antonio put it there.”
Cupping my face in his hands, he asked, “Why?”
The hope in his eyes had my heart beating so loud I was sure he could hear it.
Slowly starting to sit, Nic followed me. We sat on the blanket and I tried like hell to steady my shaking hands.
“I wanted to give my gift to you up here. Under the stars.”
He smiled that brilliant smile that made my body ache for his.
“Lay back,” I said with authority.
“Yes ma’am. I like it when you’re bossy.”
I opened up the basket and saw the two bottles of grape juice and the small box.
Charity. She thinks of everything.
“What do you see?” I asked as I reached in for the box.
“Stars. Endless stars.”
“They go on for eternity.”
“They’re beautiful,” he said so softly I barely heard him.
“When I was little, I used to lay out in our backyard and look up at the stars,” I said as I laid back and looked up with him. “I would pretend they were wishes.”
He chuckled. “Oh yeah? How did that work out for you?”
Taking his hand in mine, our fingers curled together. “I’d say it worked out pretty damn nicely. I wished for my own bakery.”
“You got that wish,” Nic softly said.
“Yes, I did.”
“What else did you wish for?”
“A man to love me like my daddy loved my mommy.”
Nic’s head turned to face me. I could feel the heat from his stare. “I hope that wish has come true.”
Meeting his stare, I nodded. “It has.”
He smiled and my heart melted.
“Any other wishes?”
Tears formed in my eyes as I looked away and back up at the stars. “I wished I would be a mom someday.”
Nic was still staring at me.
“Look up at the stars, Nic. Do you see it?”
He did as I asked. “Do I see what?”
With my free hand, I reached around and held the pregnancy stick out in front of us. “My wish coming true.”
Nic stared at the test for the longest time before he sat up. My heart started to race. Maybe he wasn’t really wanting a baby as much as he thought.
When I sat up, I was about to ask him when he looked up at the sky and said, “Thank you.”
His head dropped back down and he wiped his tears away. Turning to face me, I could see the starlight reflecting in his hazel eyes. Cupping my face within his hands, he shook his head then pressed his lips to mine. Our kiss was filled with so much love it left me feeling breathless.
“Gabi, I’ve been wishing since that night before our wedding for this.”
Warmth radiated through my body.
“You’re happy?”
He kissed me again. This time he filled it with his answer.
“Don’t you get it, Gabi Drivas? My love for you flows from the bluest of blue sky’s to the deepest of deep oceans. I can’t breathe without you and what you have given me has made me the happiest man in the world.”
A sob slipped from my lips. “It’s always been you, Nic. The moment I met you I knew I could only live this life with you in it.”
He smiled. “Only with me, huh?”
Nodding, I clutched his shirt in my hands and pulled him closer to me as I whispered, “Only with you. My love for you will never stop, no matter what.”
Nic’s eyes searched my face. “The day you married me, I thought it was the most amazing moment of my life.” He chuckled. “Now I see that was just a stepping stone to so many more amazing moments.”
Dropping my head to his chest, Nic wrapped me in his arms.
“We’re having a baby,” he softly spoke.
I looked back up at him and our gaze locked. “Yes we are.”
He furrowed his brows. “I wonder how long we can keep it from my mother?”
With a smile so big and bright, I brushed my lips against his as I replied, “She already knows.”
Nic closed his eyes and said, “God help us.”
ONE YEAR LATER
KATERINA AND MY mother stood in the kitchen, both of them with their hands on their hips facing each other off.
“She likes the rice cereal,” my mother said.
Katerina shook her head. “She doesn’t. Look at her. She wants the Greek yogurt.”
My mother sighed. “Katerina, yo
u’re only saying that because it has the word Greek in it. If I were to tell you this is Greek cereal, you’d be all over it.”
I attempted to hide my smile. My mother and Katerina had become the best of friends. Competitive as hell in the kitchen, but best friends none the less.
“So glad your parents decided to move here,” Charity said as she handed her son, Mick, a cracker then watched him wander back over to the pile of toys on the floor.
When my parents found out I was pregnant, they decided they had missed enough in my life. Three months later they sold their place in New Jersey and moved to Colorado Springs. They loved it here and my brother Antonio and his wife Kate weren’t too far behind. They lived in Denver though, since the FBI office was there.
“Me too,” I said with a chuckle.
“Why don’t you mix the yogurt into the cereal?” I said with a smile.
Both of them looked at me like I had lost my damn mind.
“I know the idea of compromise is something neither of you know, but my daughter is hungry.”
Morgan was opening and closing her mouth each time the spoon came within reach of her.
“Oh, my sweet baby girl. Let Nonna feed you your yummy cereal.”
Katerina reached over and dumped the Greek yogurt into the cereal, causing Morgan to laugh. She then leaned over and said, “Morgan, your Yiayia will not let you starve.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as they both took turns spooning food into Morgan’s mouth.
Nic and Cole walked in and both stopped to look at the sight before them.
“Since when does she need two people feeding her at one time?” Nic asked with a chuckle.
“Hush,” Katerina said.
Cole leaned down and gave Charity a kiss. “Hey,” he softly said as she gave him a warm smile.
I couldn’t help but smile every time I looked at how happy the two of them were. They’d gotten married this past summer in a beautiful wedding up in the mountains. Phoebe had been itching to get back into cake decorating and had done Charity and Cole’s cakes. I loved the Italian cream cake so much I offered her a position at the bakery as our cake decorator. For years I’d had people asking me if I did cakes for weddings and showers. I never had the time. But with how well the bakery was doing, and Phoebe’s desire to get back to work, she jumped on it. She could bring Michael to work with her anytime since we had turned half of the office into a playroom slash nursery.
Nic walked up to Morgan and bent down. Her smile grew so big my heart nearly leapt from my chest.
“Hey, agapiméni.” Morgan kicked her feet and reached for Nic.
“No! She is eating!” Katerina said as Nic lifted Morgan out of her highchair.
“Well, right now she wants her daddy.”
Morgan pressed her face against Nic’s, covering him in yogurt cereal.
“Well, at least I won’t have to worry about you being a good kisser with the boys.”
I watched as Nic walked out of the room with Morgan. Softly talking to her, he held her attention like he always did. It was as if she was as mesmerized by him. Just like I was.
“You know what she is thinking, don’t you?” Charity asked.
Shaking my head, I said, “No, what?”
“Damn, my daddy is one good looking Greek bastard.”
Turning, I hit Charity on the arm.
“So, when are we going to introduce her to Liv?”
Groaning, I looked back over to where Nic was holding Morgan close to him as they danced. She leaned her head against his chest and smiled. Like everything she ever wanted in this world she had right there. My heart melted on the spot.
“Don’t act like you don’t have mad love for Olivia. Spread it to your daughter.”
“The only thing I want to do right now is soak in this moment.”
Charity stood and bent down to pick up Mick.
“Fine, but this conversation is not over. I will have my niece loving ONJ by her first birthday.”
I ignored Charity as I got up and made my way into the living room where I leaned against the wall and watched my husband and daughter get totally lost in each other.
When his eyes met mine, he smiled and my stomach dropped. He then motioned for me to join them. As I walked up to them, I froze the memory in my brain. My stomach fluttered, and I never felt so happy in my entire life.
Nic pulled me to him as Morgan lifted her hand and put it on me. It was as if she knew how special this moment was.
Nic brushed his lips over my forehead and whispered, “Se agapó, Gabi.”
“I love you too, Nic.”
Morgan pulled her head back and looked up at Nic. He laughed. “Se agapó, baby girl.”
When she rested her head back against his chest, our eyes met.
Placing my hand on my stomach, I took in a slow deep breath.
“So, what are you doing later?” I asked.
He kept his eyes on mine when he answered. “Whatever you’re doing.”
My teeth caught my lip as I fought to hold back my emotions.
“I’ll be on the roof. Looking at stars and finding more wishes.”
Nic’s eyes lit up as he said, “Just when I didn’t think we could top this moment.”
The End
Thank you to everyone who helps me do what it takes to make a book happen! Your hard work is never unnoticed and much appreciated.
Thank you to my readers. I couldn’t do this without y’all. Love you to the moon and back.
Kelly Elliott is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author. Since finishing her bestselling Wanted series, Kelly continues to spread her wings while remaining true to her roots and giving readers stories rich with hot protective men, strong women and beautiful surroundings.
Kelly lives in central Texas with her husband, daughter, and two pups. When she’s not writing, Kelly enjoys reading and spending time with her family.
To find out more about Kelly and her books, you can find her through her website.
www.kellyelliottauthor.com
COMING SOON
Lost Love (Book One Cowboys and Angels Series) Coming June 27, 2017
Love Profound (Book Two Cowboys and Angels Series) Coming September 19, 2017
Seduced (Book One Seduced Series) Coming in 2018
Tempting Love (Book Three Cowboys and Angels Series) Coming early 2018
STAND ALONES
The Journey Home
Finding Forever (Co-written with Kristin Mayer)
Who We Were (Available on audio book)
Stay With Me (Available on audio book spring/summer 2017)
Searching For Harmony (Available on audio book)
Made For You (Avaliable on audio book spring/summer 2017)
WANTED SERIES
Book 1–Wanted
Book 2—Saved
Book 3—Faithful
Book 3.5—Believe
Book 4—Cherished
Book 5 Prequel—A Forever Love
Book 6—The Wanted Short Stories
Book 7—All They Wanted
Entire series available on audio book except Believe, The Wanted Short Stories and All They Wanted
LOVE WANTED IN TEXAS SERIES
Spin-off series to the WANTED Series
Book 1—Without You
Book 2—Saving You
Book 3—Holding You
Book 4—Finding You
Book 5—Chasing You
Book 6—Loving You**
Entire series available on audio book
**Please note Loving You combines the last book of the Broken and Love Wanted in Texas series.
BROKEN SERIES
Book 1—Broken
Book 2—Broken Dreams
Book 3—Broken Promises
Book 4—Broken Love
Book 1–3 available on audio book
THE JOURNEY OF LOVE SERIES
Book 1—Unconditional Love
Book 2—Undeniable Love
/> Book 3—Unforgettable Love
Entire series available on audio book
SPEED SERIES
Book 1—Ignite
Book 2—Adrenaline
BOSTON LOVE SERIES
Searching for Harmony (Available on audio book)
Fighting for Love (Available on audio book)
YA NOVELS WRITTEN UNDER THE PEN NAME ELLA BORDEAUX
Beautiful
Forever Beautiful
HISTORICAL
Guarded Hearts (Coming in 2018)
(contains spoilers)
Tied Up—Olivia Newton-John
Gabi cooking for Nic
Magic—Olivia Newton-John
Nic kisses Gabi for the first time
Body Say—Demi Lovato
Nic and Gabi’s first date
Landslide—Olivia Newton-John
Gabi getting ready for hiking
Never Got Away—Colbie Cailat
Nic and Gabi hiking
Queen of Swords—Idina Menzel
Gabi meeting Nic’s mom
There’s a Girl—Trent Harmon
The girls stuck on the roof
When a Heart Breaks—Ben Rector
Nic following Gabi in Italy
Cry A River—Amy Grant
Nic breaks up with Gabi
I Won’t Let Go—Rascal Flatts
Gabi and Charity when she gets home from Italy
The Fighter—Keith Urban
Nic stopping Gabi from leaving
Yours—Russell Dickerson
Nic and Gabi getting married
God Gave Me You—Blake Shelton
Christmas Eve Gabi and Nic on the roof
Only With Me Page 27
