An obviously emotional Declan handed her a handkerchief he pulled from his pocket. “I brought this for Ella, but I think you and I probably need it more right now.” His joke lightened the mood and everyone chuckled before he turned serious again. “Thank you, Amy, for coming. I . . . I’m sorry I never came to see you after . . . but I just . . . didn’t know what to say truthfully. I let you both down.”
Amy started shaking her head, “No, you didn’t. Craig talked about you all the time. He was always telling me how you looked out for him. He wouldn’t have been the man I loved if he hadn’t tried to save someone he thought was in trouble. My husband died a hero, and that is what I will always remember. My husband was a hero, Declan, and neither of us can take that away from him.”
Ella clasped Declan’s hand as she saw some of the weight visibly leave his broad shoulders. Knowing that Amy didn’t hate him for Craig’s death was something that would make this day even more memorable. All of the guilt and self-hatred was falling away and the wonderful man beneath it all was starting to shine through. Ella had always known he was there and her heart melted as she saw Declan realizing it as well.
Mac stepped forward looking pretty emotional, but trying to hide it. “If you two are finished with all of the crying, it looks like we’re missing a great party.” He gave Amy a quick hug and escorted her and Renee to a table.
Declan turned to Ella and pulled her into his arms. “Thank you for that, baby. I don’t even have the words to tell you how much it means to me.”
She pulled back and tenderly stroked his handsome face. “I know. You don’t need the words. I’m just glad you aren’t mad at me for not telling you. I talked to Amy last week, Mac gave me her number. She doesn’t blame you, she never has. She is so happy that Craig had you. He thought of you as a brother.”
Declan kissed her nose before nuzzling against her neck. “I could never be mad at you. You are the only one in my life who has ever understood what I need. You saved me, baby. Your love has made me the man I never thought I could be.”
“Oh, Declan,” she whispered, “You were already that man. That’s why I fell in love with you. I saw the real you, I always have.”
* * *
After dinner and a toast from Suzy that had everyone laughing, the brides cut the cake and the floor was cleared for dancing. Suzy had booked a band that she often used for special events at Danvers.
Ella laid her head on her husband’s shoulder and sighed in pure bliss. She smiled as Claire and Jason passed by in each other’s arms with Suzy and Gray not far behind. Julie and Graham gave them a happy smile when they danced by. Ella was happy that they seemed to have worked out their problems and she figured that another wedding was right around the corner. When Beth and Nick got near, she reached out and clasped hands with her best friend, both of them still emotional. When Beth gripped Ella’s hand with all her strength, both couples came to a halt.
Nick patted her on the back and joked, “Princess, you need to let go. I’m all for a little girl-on-girl, but at our wedding and you pregnant, it just seems a little wrong.”
Declan chuckled. For the most part, he had gotten used to Nick’s sense of humor.
Ella looked closer at Beth’s face, finally noticing the pale color. “Beth . . . ?”
Nick suddenly jumped back, looking down in horror. “Honey, did you just . . . pee on me?”
All of the dancing in the vicinity came to a halt and Nick’s voice seemed to echo off the walls. “I think my water just broke!” Beth squeaked out.
Claire and Suzy rushed over, while Nick paled an even lighter shade of white. “Oh, shit, the suitcase is in the car. Let’s go.”
They all gaped at him as he took off toward the exit without Beth. Suzy put her hands on her hips, “Where is that fool going? Unless you two are playing switch the baby, he kind of needs you in the car.”
Jason smirked, “Yeah, hopefully that will hit home before he actually leaves.”
Ella put her arm around Beth and Suzy took the other side. Claire cleared a path. The men followed behind, clearly at a loss as to how to help. Gray stepped around saying, “I’ll, um . . . go find my brother.”
They had almost made it to the door when Gray came back in with a harried-looking Nick. “Princess, I’m sorry. I lost my mind there for a minute.”
Gray shook his head. “He was actually backing out of the parking space when I found him. I think he would have continued on to the hospital.”
Suzy rolled her eyes and stepped back for him to take Beth’s side. Nick was trying to be calm, but still looked ready to pass out. Suzy and Beth’s parents walked up behind them with Beth’s mother stepping forward. “Your father and I will take care of your guests here, if you need to leave now.”
The whole conversation felt a little awkward to Ella, but she had mother issues of her own so she couldn’t really throw stones. Beth nodded her head, adding a quick “Thanks,” as they separated and went to their cars.
By the time they made it to the hospital, Beth was gasping in pain and Nick was in danger of losing his mind while he tried to do breathing exercises with her. Gray and Nick’s mother planned to be in the delivery room. She had also invited Ella, but Ella felt like it should just be their families. Brant and Emma were the last to arrive at the hospital. They came down the hallway arguing. Brant was shaking his head saying, “Where on God’s earth did you learn to drive? You almost killed us three times.”
“Well, you should have driven yourself, Mr. Dictator,” Emma huffed. “Oh wait, your car was blocked in so you couldn’t. Wow, it seems like I did you a favor.”
“You call almost killing me a favor,” Brant said incredulously.
“Please tell me you aren’t staying,” Emma moaned.
“Fuck me,” Declan whispered, “What’s wrong with them?”
Jason shook his head while Claire smiled. “I think they’re kind of cute.”
Ella nodded in agreement.
Suzy raised a brow, “I think it’s some kind of redneck foreplay.” Gray patted her shoulder and rolled his eyes. John, Gray’s father, looked amused as he studied the bickering couple.
Beth and Suzy’s parents came to the hospital a few hours later and, after exchanging a few words, they retreated to the waiting room across the hall. Ella knew things were strained there, but she was glad they had come to the hospital to support their daughter. She looked around at the rest of their group. No wonder people were staring at them as they walked by. She was sitting here in her wedding dress, while the rest of them looked like they were going to the prom. The women still had on their long bridesmaid dresses and the men were in their tuxedos.
They had been waiting almost three hours when Nick’s mother walked into the waiting room crying softly. Everyone jumped to their feet and her husband walked to her side, lovingly embracing her. With tears still rolling down her face, she said, “We have a new baby. Henry John Merimon was born twenty minutes ago and weighs seven pounds and ten ounces. He’s . . . perfect.”
Ella saw tears in John Merimon’s eyes. He had looked surprised and touched to find out that Beth and Nick had named the baby after him and his wife’s father. Suzy was wrapped in Gray’s arms and they looked a little teary over the new Merimon family addition.
A few minutes later, Nick walked out with the baby. A nurse was hovering behind him to take the baby to the nursery for his first checkup. Ella felt her own tears gathering as she looked at Nick with his new son. The look of awe and happiness was enough to have everyone in their group a little misty eyed. She couldn’t help but imagine Declan standing there showing off their baby. She must have been pretty transparent, because she felt his hand slide across her flat stomach and rest there. Maybe in the near future, Evan would have a new brother or sister to play with. Between her and Declan, and Julie and Graham, that was bound to happen sooner rather than later.
Epilogue
It was her first Christmas as a married woman and Ella was giddy with exci
tement. She had been married for four months and she still had to pinch herself to make sure it was all real. On Christmas Day they would be having lunch with her parents and dinner with Declan’s family including Julie, Evan, and Graham. They had all become a family unit and had even double dated with Julie and Graham a few times. Understandably, Graham had been thrown when Declan entered their lives. He had been afraid of losing Julie and Evan. When he finally understood that there was nothing romantic there, he had been happy that Evan would have two father figures in his life.
Beth and Nick were settling into their roles as new parents. The first few months had been a little rocky for them and they still looked terribly sleep deprived, but Beth had never looked happier. Unlike Claire and Jason who were happy to have anyone hold Chrissy, Beth and Nick were just the opposite. They were terrified of someone dropping Henry or giving him some kind of illness. Beth joked that Nick had turned into a major phobic about germs and was driving her crazy with his constant nagging about her hand washing. Suzy had even overcome her aversion to kids for her new nephew. Nick had grudgingly allowed her and Gray to babysit one evening so that he and Beth could have some time alone. Gray had snapped a picture with his cell phone of Suzy’s reaction the first time Henry spit up on her. In one word . . . it was priceless.
Declan walked in as Ella placed the last wrapped present under their tree. She could still remember how choked up he had gotten as they had decorated their first tree together. He hadn’t had a tree since his parents were alive and it was an emotional moment for him. He helped her to her feet and pulled her into his arms. “Hello, wife.”
Smiling she said, “Hello yourself, husband. Where have you been?”
“Getting your Christmas present.”
She looked around, not seeing any bags on the floor. With a mischievous smile, she lowered her hand to his crotch. “Should I start by looking here?”
He groaned, giving her a sexy laugh. “Um . . . there is definitely something in there for you, Ellie. But right now, we need a car to go get your first present.” Pushing his hardening cock against her hand, he added, “You can have that present when we get back.”
She rubbed her body against his, teasing him. “The car, huh? I think the seats recline—”
Declan pushed her away from him saying, “Ellie, behave yourself or we’ll never make it to your present tonight.”
Intrigued, Ella let him bundle her into her coat and settle her in the car. They appeared to be heading toward Gray and Suzy’s. Surely a visit with their friends wasn’t on the agenda for tonight. When they passed Suzy and Gray’s she asked, “Where are we going?”
“Just a little further, baby.” After a few more miles, Declan turned into the driveway of a two-story colonial house.
Confused, she asked, “Who lives here?”
Tweaking her nose, he said, “We do,” before leaving her in the car with her mouth hanging open.
She was still stunned when he opened her door and helped her out. “We do?” she repeated weakly.
“Yep.” He took her hand and led her up to door. “Apparently, when you work at Danvers, you get married and buy a beach house. Claire and Jason are a few miles further down the road and I think you saw Suzy and Gray’s house on the way. I have some insider information that Nick and Beth will be moving into the neighborhood very soon as well.”
Ella was still in a state of shock when he put the key in the lock and opened the door. He picked her up in his arms and carried her over the threshold. “Welcome home, Ellie.”
“Oh my,” she whispered.
When he lowered her to her feet, he took her hands in his and, with his voice full of emotion, he dropped to his knees and said, “Ella Stone, love of my life and woman of my dreams, will you live with me in our house, make it a home? Will you be the mother of our children and teach them to love just as you do? Will you love me every day as you do today even when you want to kill me? Will you—”
Ella put her fingers across his lips, whispering, “Yes. The answer to all of your questions is yes.” She moved his hand lower, placing it over her stomach. “I have a present for you and I brought it with me.”
He looked down at her and it took a moment for her meaning to sink in. He reverently lifted her shirt and looked in awe at her still-flat stomach. When he looked up at her, she nodded her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. He placed his lips against her stomach and she ran her fingers through his hair, holding him against her. Pulling back he gave her a wicked grin, “I guess it only takes one time, huh?”
She burst out laughing thinking of the night they had been out of condoms. She stopped taking the pill after they were married because they wanted to start a family in another year or two.
One night when things were hot and heavy, Declan reached for a condom. They were horrified to find the box empty. Declan’s famous words at the time were, “Just one time isn’t going to hurt, right?” She was so hot for him at that point, that she would have agreed to anything.
Ruffling his hair, she said, “Sometimes, once is all it takes.”
Then Declan pulled her into his arms and they started christening every room in their new home.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A huge thank-you to all of you who have embraced the Danvers series and continue to support it so enthusiastically. I am so touched by your letters and your comments on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks for keeping me going and not letting me slack off!
A special note of thanks to my dream team. My agent, Jane Dystel, who has been a constant source of invaluable information and support and my editor, Kerry Donovan, who turns my vision into a work of art. It is always such a pleasure working with you both.
Now that you’ve enjoyed the latest book in the Danvers series, don’t miss WEEKENDS REQUIRED, where it all began for Claire and Jason! Keep reading for a special preview.
WEEKENDS REQUIRED is available now from Signet
“Holy smoking buns, a butt like his should be illegal.” Claire looked up in time to see the object of her coworker and best friend’s admiration walk past their table in the cafeteria. Jason Danvers truly did have a butt to admire. At well over six feet tall with dark brown hair that tended to curl up at the ends, compelling ice-blue eyes that looked right through you and a rugged and tanned, athletic build, Jason Danvers was very hard to ignore. His presence always seemed to dominate a room. His every movement impatient, Jason never seemed to relax. Every lady in the cafeteria was craning her neck to get a better look.
“Suzy, keep it down before Mr. Smoking Buns hears you.”
“Oh, puleeze. Don’t tell me the drool isn’t pooling in your mouth as we speak.”
“Suz, you’re too much—what’s Jeff going to do with you?”
“Well, I don’t know what Jeff has in mind, but I’ve got thoughts of handcuffs and whipped cream, myself.”
Claire had met Suzy on her first day at Danvers International, and it hadn’t taken long to form a bond with the outspoken, flashy, and hopelessly sex obsessed wisecracker. Suzy was what every little girl wanted to grow up to be: gorgeous and confident. With long dark red hair, a tall, slim build with curves in all the right places, Suzy loved pushing the fashion envelope at the office. She handled special events for Danvers International and, as she often told anyone who would listen, she was damn good at her job.
Her boss had long ago given up trying to stress the importance of the professional dress code to her and now suffered in silence when Suzy showed up for work in various forms of leather and lace or neon-colored T-shirts with catchy slogans. Claire suspected that Suzy was so beautiful that no one actually cared what she wore, as long as they could admire her every day.
Claire considered today to be a subdued day for Suzy, wearing only a blue-jean miniskirt and a rainbow-colored shirt with a peace sign on it. She often wondered how they’d bonded so quickly. Suzy had a colorful and sexy fashion style, to say the least. Claire preferred a more tailored look. Classic slacks and tops or penc
il skirts in neutral tones were her usual work attire. Whereas Suzy favored I’ve-just-had-hot-sex hair, Claire’s tresses were long, auburn, and tended to curl when loose, so for the most part she kept her hair pulled back from her face in a discrete ponytail.
Suzy also loved the tanning salons, even though Claire often lectured her on the dangers of that particular pastime. Wherever they went, men stopped to stare at Suzy, and Claire might as well be a picture on the wall or a potted plant for all the attention they paid to her. Suzy always begged Claire to let her do a makeover. Claire shuddered at the thought.
“I don’t know how you work so closely with him without attacking him.”
“I value my job, and I just don’t think of him in that way—or any man for that matter right now.”
“You’re way too uptight. Live a little, Claire. You might actually enjoy it.”
Thankfully, Suzy seemed to run out of steam in a relatively short time with her “live a little” pep talk, and packed up her tray. “Want to catch a movie later or check out the new bar on the corner?” Suzy asked.
“I’ve got to run over to mom’s to pay her bills for the month.”
“One day you’re going to have a wild moment, and I hope I’m still young enough to appreciate it,” Suzy said with a dramatic sigh. “Okay, catch ya later—and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do with Hot Buns.”
No matter what the differences between them, Suzy was a breath of fresh air in Claire’s otherwise dull daytime routine. She laughed under her breath and thought to herself, If Suzy had any idea what I was doing last night she would probably die of a heart attack on the spot. She hoped that would be over before anyone ever knew the lengths she was forced to go through to pay her mother’s medical bills. She gathered up her own tray and headed to the front to drop it off.
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