It's Only Love(19)

“I won’t do that.”

“Promise?”

“Yes, Ella,” Hannah said, smiling. “I promise.”

“We’re . . . giving it a try, I guess you might say.”

“I’m happy for you. I know that’s what you’ve wanted for a long time.”

“Yes, it is.”

“The only thing I’ll say . . .”

“Ugh, I knew you’d have something to say.”

“Just be careful, El. That’s all. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

“Does anyone think I want that? Honestly?”

“No, but . . . Sometimes love is blind. This is no time to put blinders on.”

“I know that. My eyes are wide open where he’s concerned. I’ve seen him at his best—and his worst.”

“I’m not sure that you have seen his worst.”

Ella wanted to ask her sister what she meant by that, but more than anything she wanted out of this conversation before Gavin returned. “You’ve done your job as the big sister. You’ve warned me.”

“Ella—”

“How’s the new house? All moved in and settled?”

Hannah hesitated before she took the hint that Ella wasn’t willing to talk about Gavin anymore. “Getting there. We’re setting up the baby’s room this week.”

“Did you decide on your colors?”

“Since we’re not finding out what we’re having, we’re going with yellow and beige.”

“That’ll be nice. Did you fill out the registry yet?”

“Last night. It’s so hard to decide on everything.”

“Make sure you send me the link so we have it when we throw your surprise baby shower.”

Hannah laughed. “I’ll do that.” She finished placing cloth napkins at each place on the long dining room table. “Hey, El?”

“Yeah?”

“I only said what I did because I love you so much. I love him, too. I’ll be pulling for you guys to make it work, and you know where to find me if I can help at all.”

“Thank you,” she said, genuinely touched by Hannah’s love and concern.

The rest of the family began arriving a short time later, filling the house with noise and chaos that was reminiscent of when they’d all lived at home. Noise was the one thing Ella remembered most vividly from those days. It was happy chaos, but chaotic nonetheless.

She looked forward to seeing everyone at their weekly Sunday dinners but was always happy to go home alone to her quiet apartment. Gavin’s hand on her shoulder was a reminder that this week she wouldn’t be going home alone. She smiled up at him. “How was your walk with Dad?”

“Interesting.” He leaned in closer to her. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

Ella wanted to purr from the satisfaction of knowing they’d have time alone together later to talk, among other things. Her sister Charley came into the kitchen, her eyes widening when she saw Gavin standing so close to Ella.

Charley and Hannah were the only two who knew how much Ella had suffered over Gavin, so Charley’s wide smile was a welcome relief.

“Hey, guys,” she said. “Gavin, nice to see you here.”

“Nice to be here.”

“Someone has been keeping secrets from her sister.”

“It’s a relatively new development,” Ella said, leaning into Gavin because she could.

“I’ll expect a full report at work tomorrow, if not before.”

“I see how this is going to be,” Gavin said, his tone inflected with amusement.

“You have no idea,” Charley said before moving on to greet her parents.

“She scares me,” Gavin whispered.

“She scares all of us.”

That made him laugh, and Ella discovered that she quite liked the sound of laughter coming from him when he was usually so somber. He hadn’t had a lot to laugh about lately. She would make sure he had plenty to laugh about going forward.

Elmer Stillman came in, his face red from the chill of the mid-November air, his smile stretching from ear to ear as usual. No one loved Sunday dinner more than Ella’s grandfather did. The tradition had begun with him and his wife, Sarah, and their daughter Molly had carried it on after her mother died.

“I brought wine,” Elmer said. “One of every kind.”

Molly greeted her father with a kiss to his cheek. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Hey, Gramps,” Ella said, returning his hug and kiss. “How are you?”

“I’m wonderful, and you?” He eyed Gavin suspiciously, and that was when Ella knew for certain that he too was fully aware of her ongoing affection for Gavin.

“I’m fantastic.”

“Gavin.” Elmer extended his hand.

Gavin shook hands with him. “Mr. Stillman.”

“Elmer. ‘Mr. Stillman’ makes me feel old.”

“We can’t have that,” Gavin said.

“No, we can’t. Nice to have you here.”

“Nice to be here.”

Ella’s aunt Hannah and cousin Grayson Coleman came into the kitchen next. Hannah closely resembled Ella’s mother, but Aunt Hannah wore an air of bitterness about her that anyone who knew her well could plainly see. According to Molly, Hannah had never gotten over the heartbreak of her husband leaving her alone to raise eight children. Who could blame her?