February—Two months later
THE SOUND OF laughter filtered through the door as I walked up to it. Unlocking the door, I stepped into the kitchen to see Kaelynn and Morgan sitting at the island.
“You two sound like you’re having fun.”
When Kaelynn lifted her eyes to meet mine, my heart fluttered in my chest. She smiled the most beautiful smile and rushed over to me. She did it every single day, and it made me feel like the most loved man in the world. I could be gone for an hour or twelve; she greeted me the same way every time. Since Morgan’s practice was growing, Kaelynn was doing more volunteer work with another company in Austin that helped widows of veterans. She was passionate about the work, and I loved to see her doing something she loved.
“Hey! How was your day, babe?” she asked, kissing me on the lips and then giving me a hug.
“Long. How about yours?” I asked, kissing her on the forehead before she slipped away and went back to the stool.
“Amazing! Morgan and I have been searching for a playpen for the new baby.”
I pulled open the refrigerator and sighed. “We talked about this, Kaelynn. This place is too small.”
“Don’t be a party pooper.” Morgan chuckled.
Leaning against the counter, I stared at the two women. Both of whom were giving me puppy eyes.
“This place is too small for a puppy, and especially for a playpen for a puppy.”
Kaelynn jutted her lower lip and pouted. She looked so damn cute; I couldn’t help but smile. The moment she saw the boxer puppy two weeks ago on the hike and bike trail, she had been begging me for a puppy. It was something I could actually get on board with, if we lived in a house.
After coming home from Utah, I waited until after the holidays and the first of the year before moving in. Kaelynn had gone to the doctor within days of us returning to make sure she hadn’t gotten pregnant. I had to admit, when the test came back negative, I was disappointed. Kaelynn seemed to be, as well, but we decided it was for the best. We needed to be with each other before we added a baby into the mix. I put my house on the market, and we had started talking about moving farther out and building a house. Things were moving fast, but neither one of us wanted to waste a moment.
“Don’t give me that look,” I stated, then looked at my sister, trying to give me her best sad face. “No.”
Kaelynn sighed. “Okay, well, what if we looked at getting a bigger place? Maybe even a condo with a yard. They have some.”
Taking a sip of beer, I nodded. “Maybe.”
“Ugh, you are such a jerk!” Morgan said, closing her laptop. “We even found a puppy who would have been perfect.”
I groaned. “You’re looking at puppies, Kaelynn?”
She bit into her lip and gave me a little shrug. God, I loved her. She had no idea the surprise I had for her. Two months of living in her little condo had proven to be the push I needed to make this happen.
The knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. “That’s Blake.”
Opening the door, Blake walked in, dressed in a suit and carrying a briefcase. Morgan whistled at him while Kaelynn fanned herself.
“Like what you see?” he asked, walking over and giving Morgan a kiss on the cheek and then doing the same with Kaelynn.
“You look hot in a suit. Why aren’t guys my age dressing in suits? Ugh, it’s so unfair.”
Blake and I both laughed. “Morgan, you’re two years younger than us, not ten. It’s not like the generation gap is big.”
“Still,” she stated, packing up her laptop and grabbing her coat. “I don’t know when the last time a guy made my girl parts all hot and bothered until just now.”
Blake stopped looking at his phone and stared at Morgan. “I make your girly parts hot and bothered, do I?”
I shot him a dirty look as Morgan blew him a kiss and said, “Sad, isn’t it? Later, y’all.”
Laughing, Blake shook his head and dropped onto the leather chair in the living room.
“Love you, Morgan,” I said, walking her out of the condo.
Once she was out into the hall, she leaned in and whispered, “When are you telling her?”
“Tonight.”
Her eyes danced with excitement. “I can’t wait. The weather is perfect.”
I nodded. “Yeah, thanks for helping Charlie and Terri plan it all.”
“Of course. I loved doing it for her. She is my best friend and the woman who happens to love my brother. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for either of you.”
Laughing, I leaned down and kissed her. “Right. Be careful and let me know when you get home.”
“Will do, but I have a date tonight, so I might be late getting home. I’m meeting him for dinner.”
“Who is it?” I asked, trying to use my best brotherly tone.
“Rich.”
I smiled. “Y’all are dating again?”
She shrugged. “Yeah. I mean, he’s a good guy, and I thought maybe we were better off as friends, but we’re giving it another go.”
Morgan’s eyes were saying something different from her lips. She looked lost and confused, but I decided to let it go. She was a grown woman. Her blonde ponytail bobbed on her head as she laughed.
“You’re trying to read into it, Nash. Don’t. I like him a lot. I may even love him. We’re taking it one day at a time, so please don’t worry.”
“I won’t. Is work going good?”
“It’s going great!” she said, walking backward. “Stop stalling and go! Love you!”
“Love you, too!”
After shutting the door, I walked into the condo and found Blake arguing with Kaelynn about which channel to put on the TV.
“Why are you here, and why are you arguing with my girlfriend?”
Blake shrugged. “’Cause it’s fun.”
“Are you ready to go, idiot?” I asked, giving Blake a look that said I wasn’t in the mood.
“Where are you guys going?” Kaelynn asked.
“We’re all going somewhere,” I replied.
“Who’s driving?” Blake asked, pulling out an envelope from his briefcase and handing it to me.
Kaelynn looked between the two of us. “The last time you two exchanged an envelope, things didn’t turn out so good.”
I laughed then kissed her on the cheek. “I have a feeling this time things will be different. Grab your coat, baby, it’s cold outside.”
“Are we going to see Charlie and Tucker? I wish I would have known. I had a little gift for Hannah.”
Blake and I exchanged a quick look. “No, sorry, babe, not going to see them.”
Kaelynn’s phone rang. “Crapola, I have to take this really quick. It’s a client in New York.”
Blake pulled into the gravel driveway as Kaelynn busied herself on the call. She was assisting a small company setting up a fundraiser to send boxes to military men and women overseas for the Fourth of July.
Coming to a stop, Blake and I got out of the truck and started down the path a little ways. I had purchased this land last fall and hadn’t told anyone until last week when I told Charlie and Tucker. Blake had been helping with the design of the house for the last month when I stopped by his office and asked him for his input.
“She has no idea?”
“None.”
“Think this will be enough land for her?”
“Oh yeah. Kaelynn is a simple woman who doesn’t need much. That’s one of the things I love about her. She can afford a mansion on Lake Travis, but she’ll prefer a country house on fifty acres.”
Blake smiled. “You still have those plans for the log cabin in Utah?”
My stomach dropped at the mention of Utah. Kaelynn and I had spent the most amazing week there. One I would never forget. We had talked about building a log cabin on the land that was to be given to her by her parents. Kaelynn said she knew the perfect building site that would overlook the same exact mountains we had looked at day after day when we were stuck fr
om the snowstorm. That was the week that I learned I would never be able to live without this amazing woman in my life.
“Sorry about that, you guys. Lindsey is a bit of a difficult client and thinks I need to drop everything and . . .”
Her voice trailed off as she saw the view in front of us. It wasn’t anything like the view she grew up with, but it was beautiful, nonetheless. It faced the west and the sun was starting to set.
“Wow. This is stunning. Blake, did you buy this land?” Kaelynn asked.
Blake laughed. “Kaelynn, do you honestly see me living in the country? There isn’t a Starbucks for miles. Where would I go for a quick piece of ass? Not a club in sight.”
She giggled and turned to face me. I handed her the large envelope and watched as something in her eyes changed. Her hands shook as she opened it and pulled out the smaller scaled version of the house Blake and I had designed together. It was almost the exact version of the house I had doodled on a piece of paper back when we were in Utah. Kaelynn had added a wish list to the side of the drawing with things she would like in the house, like a mudroom, a laundry room with a big sink, a dog-wash station, as well as a rooftop terrace for us to watch the sunset.
A small sob slipped from her mouth before her hand came up. She stared at the drawing and then looked up at me. “Is this our house?”
I nodded. “I bought this land last fall. You always talk about how much you love the hill country. If you want the house bigger, we can go bigger.”
A tear slipped free and she shook her head. “It’s perfect. It’s beautiful; please don’t change a thing.”
Throwing herself into me, I wrapped my arms around her and held on to her.
“I love you so much, Kaelynn.”
Her body shook as she cried harder. When she finally drew back, I wiped her face dry.
“Nash, I love this so much. And the fact that you designed it makes it all the more special. Will Barrett Construction build it?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ve already got a crew on standby waiting. There’s just one other thing I need to do before we can move forward. Two, actually.”
The truck and car pulling up behind Blake’s was right on time.
“Perfect timing,” Blake said, making his way over to Tucker’s truck. He opened the back door and Morgan jumped out of the truck.
Then Kaelynn’s parents got out of the car and made their way over to us.
“Mom? Dad? What’s going on?” Kaelynn asked in a half-sob, half-laugh as her parents walked up and hugged her.
Reaching out my hand to Kaelynn’s father, I said, “It’s great seeing you again Mr. and Mrs. Whitaker.”
“Thank you for asking us to be a part of this darling. It’s great to be back in Texas.” Mrs. Whitaker said. Kaelynn and I had both flown back up to Utah after Christmas so I could meet her mother and father. They had been to Austin twice since then and had met my parents. I was shocked how well our folks got along. My father and Kaelynn’s hit it off instantly, as did the moms.
Turning to face Kaelynn, her mother smiled. “Nash asked us to be here. I’m only sorry to hear his mom and dad were out of town and couldn’t be here.”
Kaelynn looked confused. “Be here for what?” She turned back and looked at Tucker’s truck.
Tucker reached into the back and took out Hannah as Charlie fumbled with something inside the truck.
“I have little surprise for you,” I whispered.
“How’s it going, y’all?” Tucker said, walking up with a smiling Hannah.
“Hey there, little sweet pea!” Kaelynn cooed to Hannah. She was so wrapped up in Hannah, she didn’t even see the puppy in Charlie’s arms.
A small bark made Kaelynn jump and then spin to look in the direction of Charlie.
“Oh my gosh! Did you get a puppy?” Kaelynn cried out. “You so suck right now if that is your puppy.”
Charlie laughed and handed the puppy to me. Kaelynn looked confused as she watched me drop down to one knee and hold out the puppy. Attached to her pink collar was a white bow with my grandmother’s engagement ring tied to it.
Kaelynn broke down and started crying again.
“Kaelynn Shae Dotson Whitaker. . . .”
Everyone laughed, including Kaelynn.
“Would you do me the honor of helping me raise this little puppy as her mother and father, and would you be willing to change your last name to Barrett and be my wife?”
She nodded frantically as she took the puppy from me and hugged her as she pressed her mouth to mine.
“Yes. I will help you raise this puppy. But only if you share poop duties with me.”
Smiling, I cupped her face within my hands and kissed her again. “It’s a deal.”
I took the ring off of the ribbon and slipped it onto Kaelynn’s hand as the rest of the gang yelled out in celebration. Even little Hannah got in on it.
“What are you going to name the puppy?” Charlie asked, scratching her under her chin.
Kaelynn glanced down at the puppy, and then back up at me as I shrugged. “It’s totally up to you.”
Chewing on the corner of her lip, she smiled. “Faith.”
Warmth spread though my entire body as I stared into her beautiful, hazel eyes.
“It’s perfect,” I whispered.
“No, this is perfect. Everything about this moment is perfect.”
With a smile, I leaned in and asked, “So, who is in the lead for the romance competition? Me or Jack?”
Kaelynn’s eyes beamed with nothing but happiness and love. “Without a doubt you. I’m pretty sure it was the puppy that pushed you into the lead.”
“I knew it would,” I replied with a wink. “Now, tell me where you want me to build our future.”
With a slight twist to her mouth, Kaelynn reached into her back pocket and pulled out an envelope and handed it to me.
“How about we start here?”
Drawing in my brows, I opened the envelope and took out a pregnancy test. Snapping my eyes back to hers, I felt my eyes build with tears. I thought I had experienced pure happiness only moments ago. I was knocked on my ass and proven wrong by this amazing woman.
“A puppy and a baby?”
With a laugh that made my knees weak, she nodded. “The plans may need to be changed to include a nursery now. How fast can you build that house?”
The End.
Look for Adore Me, coming May 2019!
Morgan Barrett is off limits.
Why?
Because she’s my best friend’s sister and insists that she isn’t interested in a relationship.
That didn’t stop us from sharing one incredibly passionate night together. However, one night was not enough for either of us.
I want more. She needs more.
When we give in to the desire, something amazing happens. But can I keep my secret from her? The secret that could possible have her hating me, and worse yet, hating herself.
Look for Play Me, coming March 2019!
She has a head for business and a body for sin.
He is a coach who knows how to use his equipment.
Neither is looking for love.
Should be easy, right?
Wrong.
This might be the most important game Kendall Wales and Hunter Owens have ever played where everything is on the line.
With one wrong play, they could lose it all.
Hopefully, the game clock doesn’t reach zero before it’s too late
Stand Alones
The Journey Home
Predestined Hearts (co-written with Kristin Mayer)
Who We Were*
The Playbook*
Made for You*
*Available on audiobook
Cowboys and Angels Series
Lost Love
Love Profound
Tempting Love
Love Again
Blind Love
This Love
Reckless Love
Series available on au
diobook
Wanted Series
Wanted*
Saved*
Faithful*
Believe
Cherished*
A Forever Love*
The Wanted Short Stories
All They Wanted
*Available on audiobook
Love Wanted in Texas Series
Spin-off series to the WANTED Series
Without You
Saving You
Holding You
Finding You
Chasing You
Loving You
Entire series available on audiobook
*Please note Loving You combines the last book
of the Broken and Love Wanted in Texas series.
Broken Series
Broken*
Broken Dreams*
Broken Promises*
Broken Love
*Available on audiobook
The Journey of Love Series
Unconditional Love
Undeniable Love
Unforgettable Love
Entire series available on audiobook
With Me Series
Stay With Me
Only With Me
Series available on audiobook
Speed Series
Ignite
Adrenaline
Boston Love Series
Searching for Harmony
Fighting for Love
Series available on audiobook
Austin Singles Series
Seduce Me
Entice Me
Adore Me (coming May 30)
Series available on audiobook
YA Novels written under the pen name Ella Bordeaux
Beautiful
Forever Beautiful
Historical
Predestined Hearts by Kelly Elliott and Kristin Mayer
Guarded Hearts by Kelly Elliott coming winter 2019/2020
COMING SOON
Southern Bride Series
Play Me (co-written with Kristin Mayer) coming March 25, 2019
Love At First Sight coming August 2019
Thank you to Elaine, Hollie, Callie, and Christine for helping make this project the best it can be! I adore each of you.
Entice Me Page 24
