by Kari Lemor
“We have a lovely Moscato that has lower alcohol content.”
“We’ll take two glasses,” Luke said. He wasn’t much of a wine drinker, but he wanted to join Elle in celebrating their first night out without the baby.
Sara and TJ ordered iced tea. TJ was a recovering alcoholic, and Sara never wanted to tempt him. It had been almost ten years since he’d been dry, and he claimed he was fine when others indulged in a drink. At least they were at different tables, so Luke didn’t feel so bad.
He and Elle examined the menu, asking TJ if he’d had any of the dishes before and what he recommended. It was all good, apparently.
Elle’s fingers stroked his forearm. “They have a lazyman’s lobster, but there’s no price. Is that because it’s too expensive and people wouldn’t get it if it was on here?”
“It probably changes with the daily market. If that’s what you want, you should get it. Don’t worry about how much it costs. We’re celebrating being out alone, and the fact Dawn will have two new cousins to play with come November.”
“Oh, my gosh. I can’t even imagine having two. Then again, if anyone can handle them, with his schedules and charts, it’s your brother, Alex. And Gina’s so laid back, I’m sure she’ll be fine. Unlike your mess of a wife.”
“Hey.” He tugged her hand closer and stroked her skin. “No talking about my wife that way. She’s the best thing to ever happen to me, and I don’t think I could live without her.”
Elle pulled her lips together as tears filled her eyes. “Thank you, Luke. That’s so sweet. I love you.”
The words swam over him like a wave pulling him out to sea. But the panic he used to get when any woman got close to admitting her feelings wasn’t there. He loved Elle and was so thankful she felt the same.
“I love you, Ellie. So much it’s impossible to describe.”
Her eyes gleamed, and her smile made the rest of the room fade away. “Maybe you can show me later…without words.”
Elle hadn’t been sure how this trip to Cape Cod would play out. Their stay at Erik and Tessa’s a month earlier had almost sent her over the edge. Of course, she’d still been bleeding, and Dawn hadn’t been sleeping longer than two and a half hours at that point. Now, a month later, finally Elle felt clean again, and their daughter used her thumb to soothe herself. Not that she got it in her mouth every time, but now and again the digit managed to lodge itself between her lips.
The romantic dinner last night had been heaven. After a few hours, her milk had gotten heavy and uncomfortable, but until that point, she and Luke had spent some quality time together. They’d discussed his job and the projects he was working on. She had a few more weeks of her maternity leave before she needed to make a decision about her job. She hadn’t brought it up, and Luke hadn’t mentioned it either. She would have hated to ruin the beautiful night.
After dinner, she and Luke had strolled along the shore hand in hand, stopping to kiss every few minutes. It kind of felt like being on a first date. Except they’d already had sex and a child together.
The best part was when Luke had expressed his feelings again. Said he loved her. She’d finally gotten up the nerve to say it back. The joy on his face had let her know it meant something to him.
Now, they were sitting in church listening to the priest talk about the sacrament of baptism. They should all be listening to him, but Elle couldn’t keep her eyes off TJ’s parents. Neither could anyone else. It wasn’t every day you had two of the rock world’s biggest icons sitting near you.
Abe Bannister and Celia Muñez had made an effort to tone down their persona, but Abe’s long shaggy hair and abundance of tattoos stood out, even against his white Zoot suit. Celia wore a stunning dress of lavender chiffon with matching spike heels. Her jewelry alone most likely cost more than their house.
As Elle stared at the gorgeous rings she had on her finger and the matching band on Luke’s hand, she didn’t care what anyone else was wearing. She was Lukas Storm’s wife and the mother of his child. There was nothing better, in her opinion, than that.
Thankfully, she and Luke were only spectators today as Erik and Tessa were godparents to Mary Sonata Bannister. Once the babies were all baptized, they gathered up their own darling and drove back to the house.
The afternoon was lovely with people swimming in the pool and the guys playing basketball in the driveway, then diving into the pool to cool off from the hot sun.
After eating, they brought out a cake and sang happy birthday to Kiki. It wasn’t until tomorrow, but with the whole family here today, they’d decided to celebrate it now. The almost four-year-old twirled around doing a birthday dance. She and Matty were indeed fortunate to have been adopted by Erik and Tessa after the bombing they’d been in, the one that had resulted in Erik’s injuries.
The kids were adorable, and Elle felt so grateful that Dawn would have fabulous cousins to play with her once she got old enough. And more were on the way.
The party was mostly Molly and Pete’s children, but Darcy, Nathaniel, and their kids had all shown up, too.
“Darcy used to work for TJ at the store. It’s where she and Nathaniel met. Well, they were partnered up in Sara’s wedding first, but then Nathaniel spent some time down here and ended up with Darcy. They’ve since bought a vacation house in town to be closer to Hope.”
Elle had almost fallen over when she’d learned Hope was the daughter Darcy had given up as a teenager. Recently, due to an open adoption, she’d reconnected with her child and even took her on weekends up to New Hampshire. She loved that their girls’ names were Hope and Faith.
“Since you’ve just fed her, why don’t I rock her and see if she’ll sleep for a bit?” Molly offered after Luke had jumped in the pool again. Elle wore her bathing suit but had kept her cover up on, not wanting to show off her still bulging belly fat.
Glancing around, she saw that most people were in the pool, kids and adults. Maybe she could have a little fun while cooling off. It was a long drive back north, and the traffic would be terrible.
“Thank you, Mom.” She tested out the name and found she liked calling her mother-in-law that. The woman was a great role model for what motherhood should be. Elle could only hope she’d be as good of a mother as Molly. “Are you staying with Sara much longer?”
The woman held Dawn tenderly and kissed the baby’s forehead. “Another few days perhaps. I’m sorry I’ve neglected you. I’ll check in on you when I get back.”
“Oh, no worries. I didn’t mean to imply any neglect at all. I was just wondering.” It had been lovely having Molly stop in at least a few times a week to check on her and either run errands or watch the baby, so Elle could get out of the house. Or just take a few minutes to herself.
Elle kissed Dawn’s head, then tossed her cover-up on one of the deck chairs. Her bathing suit had a skirt that hid most of her belly, so she tried not to be too self-conscious. She sauntered over to the pool. After checking out everyone’s location, she dove smoothly into the deep end. When she surfaced, Luke swam over to where she was.
“Nicely done. Where’d you learn to dive so well?”
Luke took her hand and tread water until they touched the side.
“Summer camp. Aunt Sharon thought it would be great for me to go every year for most of the summer. You know, get new experiences, make new friends. That type of stuff.”
Luke’s face darkened as he realized exactly why Elle got sent to summer camp every year. Pulling him closer, she tangled her legs with his.
“It’s okay. I did make new friends and got to be outside, away from my cousins. So, all good.”
Cupping her face, he pressed a kiss to her lips, then kept his forehead touching hers. “You have such a great attitude, babe. It’s one of the reasons I love you so much. You’re a Storm now, and this is your family. From this moment on, everything is going to be perfect.”
As her husband kissed her again, she thought of this family and the man in front of her helping h
er raise their adorable daughter, and she finally believed it.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Luke gazed down at his precious daughter resting in his arms and gave thanks for everything that had happened in the past six months. He and Elle may not have planned this little excursion, but he couldn’t be happier that they’d wandered down this path.
Elle sat on the couch next to him, eyes on the TV screen. It had become their ritual every night after supper. They took turns cleaning up, then he held Dawn until she needed to eat again. It was hard to believe she’d be three months old next week.
“Who is Harry Truman?” Elle trumpeted at the Jeopardy question. They loved watching the reruns and trying to outgeek each other. Luke honestly didn’t care if he got more answers than her. He only wanted to be here with his wife and daughter.
When Elle got it correct, she did a little couch dance, wiggling her shapely butt back and forth. He could find another place for her to wiggle it, but unfortunately Dawn seemed to object to that far too often. It didn’t matter. He still got to hold Elle each night, and every now and then they’d luck out with some intimate time together.
“You are on fire, babe. You know how much that massive brain of yours turns me on.”
“You love my massive brain, huh?” Shifting on the couch, she pressed her chest against his arm. “That’s it?”
Giving her a quick kiss, he said, “I love all of you, Ellie. Every little part.”
“Love you, too.” She planted a kiss on his cheek, then shifted back to focus on the game show.
God, she was so adorable.
Every now and then, he threw out an answer worded as a question, just to make sure he wasn’t completely trounced by his wife. Dawn stirred in his arms, making her tiny mewling sounds. It still astounded him. It also meant she’d want to eat in a short while.
Just as Alex Trebek was wrapping up the show, Luke’s phone buzzed on the coffee table at his feet, but he wasn’t ready to hand over his daughter quite yet.
“Hey, babe, can you see if that’s my mom? She wanted to know about this weekend.”
Elle shifted on the couch and reached over for his phone. She swiped across the screen and then froze. Her mouth tightened into a thin line.
“What’s the matter? Is it Mom?”
She swallowed, and pain filled her eyes. “Nope, definitely not your mom.”
What was wrong? He’d never heard Elle sound like that before. “What is it? Who’s it from?”
Her hand squeezed the phone, and she plastered on a fake smile. “It’s from Jade.”
Shit.
“She says, ‘Lukey, I’m in town all week and wanted to know if you need my special kind of attention. Anything you want. You know I’m always ready and able.’ Yep, she looks ready all right.” Elle’s voice cracked on the last few words.
Elle lowered the phone into her lap, her face a mask of anger and despair. Glancing at the screen, he glimpsed a picture. Double shit. Jade always liked to send him incentive.
Holding the phone up again, Elle continued reading. “‘If you need someone to get you all hot and bothered, let me know, babe.’”
Elle’s face crumbled, and she held out the device. “Babe? She calls you babe? Maybe you should read the rest yourself. It’s definitely not for me.”
She tossed the phone on the couch, then lifted Dawn from his arms.
“Wait. Babe, it isn’t—”
She whirled on him, her eyes hardened and nostrils flared. “Don’t you call me that ever again.”
“She’s an old friend. I haven’t seen her in almost two years.”
“You can see quite a bit of her there, and with what she’s wearing—or not wearing—I think there might have been a little more than friendship happening.”
Luke glanced at the screen and felt like puking. Jade, wearing a few scraps of lace, stared into the camera from a large bed. Her tits popped out of her top as she leaned over her very open legs. How the hell did he explain this?
“I don’t want her, Ellie,” he said to her retreating back. “I haven’t even thought of her since the last time I saw her.” Well, maybe a few times, but he sure wouldn’t tell his wife that, and certainly not since he’d been with Elle.
“Yet she still contacts you.” She’d stopped but didn’t turn around. Dawn fussed in her arms.
“I never told her I got married. I haven’t heard from her in almost two years. I don’t want her, Ellie.”
Slowly twisting toward him, she said, “She obviously still wants you. And those boobs…they look way better than the saggy ones I use to feed your daughter. Which is what I need to do now.”
A sob drifted toward him as she rushed through the kitchen and up the back stairs.
Damn it all to fucking hell. Why did this have to happen now? It seemed Elle had finally gotten to trust him and love him, and he loved her back.
He took another look at Jade’s selfie, one she’d most likely posted to her social media accounts. Yes, she was a strikingly beautiful woman, but the sight of her did nothing for him. Really? He stared harder seeing if he could get any enthusiasm for his former lover. Nothing.
He didn’t want her. Not when he’d had Elle. Her love, her sweetness, her intelligence, they all surpassed any physical need he had for any other woman. Elle was the perfect woman. Perfect lover. Perfect mother.
She was everything he wanted in a partner. Jade never would be. God, he hated to even admit it, but Jade had been great for sex. That was it. He’d never have considered her, or any of the other women he’d been with, as his wife and life partner. Certainly not the mother of his child.
Trudging up the back stairs, he knew he had to make this right with Elle. She had to trust him. Why didn’t she trust him? He hadn’t even looked at another woman since their night together at her cousin’s wedding.
As he stood in the doorway, his heart crumbled into little pieces. Elle sat in her comfortable chair, their daughter suckling furiously at her breast. A sight he loved watching. But today, tears streamed down her face. The hole inside his chest grew larger.
“She doesn’t mean anything to me, Ellie. I’m sorry she contacted me. If I had known, I would have told her not to, told her I’m married.” Except Jade didn’t care about things like marriage. He did. He took his vows seriously.
“I’m sorry.” The word “babe” almost slipped out. He clipped it off as Elle closed her eyes and her lip trembled. She remained silent.
“You still don’t believe me.” His voice rose, and he tried to keep his anger in check, but his control was shot. “Haven’t I done enough to prove to you that I love you? That you mean everything to me? I don’t plan to cheat on you. With Jade or with anyone else. You still don’t trust me.”
She raised eyes filled with sorrow and tears toward him. But instead of saying anything, she lowered her glance to the phone he still held in his hand.
With a sigh, he backed out of the room, and leaned against the wall in the hallway. His fingers punched at the buttons, deleting phone numbers and contacts. Something he should have done ages ago. The sound of Elle’s sobs dug deep into his soul and ripped the rest of his heart to shreds.
Elle finished feeding Dawn, then propped her on her shoulder to burp. The baby was getting so big and lifted her head to study the room.
Standing, Elle said, “Let’s see if we can’t tidy up in the den a bit. You can sit in your swing while Mommy picks up all the crap your father left out.”
Sure enough, there was a coffee cup on the end table, an engineering magazine on the floor next to the couch, and one of Luke’s sweatshirts draped over the chair. What was he doing with a sweatshirt in August? It hadn’t been here before.
As she settled Dawn in her little seat and got it rocking, Elle thought about the six days since Luke’s friend, Jade, had texted. She’d tried not to dwell on it, but the image of the gorgeous woman in barely anything, with her graphic description of what she wanted to do to Luke, was burned in her min
d.
To say their time together had been awkward would be an understatement. Luckily for her, Luke had been at drill from Friday night until late last night. Then, he’d shuffled off to work before she’d gotten out of bed this morning. She was ashamed to admit she’d been faking sleep, but she couldn’t talk to him yet. Not about Jade.
The first night, Luke had slept in one of the guest bedrooms. Elle had cried herself to sleep. Yes, her husband had apologized, and it was hardly his fault he had old flames chasing after him, but all her old insecurities had flooded back to her and pulled her under like a riptide.
The night after that he’d come to bed, but they hadn’t said more than a polite good night. That was pretty much how it had been since. Polite but distant. They’d been married four and a half months and already had issues.
During the short time he’d been home Friday between work and leaving for drill, she could tell he hadn’t wanted to go. She hadn’t wanted him to either, but she didn’t know what to do or say to make it less strained.
He’d only made the mistake of calling her babe once, though a few times she could tell he’d been about to but had stopped himself short. After seeing what Jade had written and calling Luke “babe”, Elle never wanted to hear that nickname again.
When she grabbed the glass on the table, water swished out and splashed her. Seriously? This wasn’t the first time she’d gotten a bath, because Luke had left a water-filled glass out.
“Be right back,” she cooed to Dawn, who was happily watching the dangling toys on the swing.
After placing the glass in the sink, Elle pulled off her top and dumped it in the hamper next to the washing machine. The load in the dryer was done and mostly her clothes, so she dug through and slipped on a new shirt.
Back in the den, she picked up the magazine and tossed in on the shelf in the closet. A box sat there that her aunt had given her shortly after she’d gotten married. It had been stuff she’d apparently left at the house. Pushing it aside to make room for the magazine, she spotted an envelope with her name on the front. She took it, then picked up Luke’s sweatshirt and tossed it toward the laundry. At least he’d picked up his video game crap.
