It's Only Love(35)

A few minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom looking fresh-faced and put together.

He pulled himself up and out of her comfortable bed and then let her tug him along behind her as they headed for the door. “If I fall asleep in my mashed potatoes, will you rescue me?”

“Of course I will. I’m your ICE, after all.”

Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he nuzzled her neck. “Yes, you are.”

Ella turned and looked up at him. “Why did you make me your ICE anyway?”

“Because I knew you’d come no matter what. You’re always there for me when I need you most, even when I was pushing you away.”

She went up on tiptoes to kiss him. “Thank you for having such faith in me.”

“I do have faith in you, and I want you to be able to have faith in me.”

“I do, Gavin. Why do you think I never gave up on you, even when I probably should have?”

“Thanks for not giving up. I would’ve hated to miss out on this.”

Her warm, sweet smile filled the darkness inside him with badly needed light. It also filled him with even more determination to be what she needed, to not let her down. If he ever hurt her . . . He couldn’t even think about what it might feel like to have her look at him with disappointment rather than adoration. The fear of that sent a shudder through him as he followed her down the stairs.





CHAPTER 11




A whole stack of memories never

equal one little hope.

—Charles M. Schulz



As Gavin drove them to his parents’ home in his truck, Ella thought about what he’d said about why he’d made her his emergency contact and how he’d known he could count on her. It was humbling to think that while she’d been nursing her broken heart, he’d been clinging to her like a life raft in a storm.

Ella wanted to be his safe harbor, to lead him from the darkness back into the light. She burned with love for him—the forever kind of love that wouldn’t end until the heart inside her chest stopped beating. Even then, well into her next life, Ella would still love Gavin. It was just an irrefutable fact of her life.

They pulled into the driveway at his parents’ well-kept home, and an attack of nerves assailed her. Of course she knew Bob and Amelia Guthrie well and had for years, but she was coming here tonight as Gavin’s girlfriend or whatever she was now. It was different.

She hadn’t been here since the awful weeks that followed Caleb’s death when she and her mother and Charley had cooked for Bob and Amelia, delivering food weekly for a few months. It had seemed like a small thing to do in the face of such utter devastation.

Gavin’s hand squeezing hers drew her out of her contemplation. Ella sent him a small smile.

“What’s wrong?”

“I feel a little nervous, which is silly in light of how long I’ve known your parents.”

“No need to be nervous. You know they love you, and they’ll be thrilled to see us together.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so.”

His assurances went a long way toward allaying her nerves.

“Wait for me.” He got out of the truck and came around to the passenger side, opening the door and extending his hand to her.

Ella took his hand, loving the smile on his face, the happiness that danced in his tired eyes and the excitement he seemed to feel at bringing her here.

He helped her out of the truck and kept his grip on her hand as they walked into the house and as his parents came out to greet them, only letting go so he could help her remove her coat.

“What a wonderful, wonderful surprise,” Amelia Guthrie said, blinking rapidly as if trying not to cry. She hugged Ella. “This makes me so happy.”

“Thank you,” Ella said softly, relieved by the warm welcome and the obvious joy her presence had brought to Amelia.

Amelia released Ella and went on to hug her son. “You know how to keep some big secrets,” she said.

Gavin’s smile stretched from ear to ear when he looked at Ella. “It’s something we’ve both wanted for a long time. We finally seem to have gotten the timing right.”

“Nice to see you, Ella,” Bob said when he hugged her. “And nice to see you smiling, son. It’s been a while.”

“Yes,” Gavin said with a sigh, “it has.”

Ella took hold of his hand and gave it a squeeze, hoping to keep the bad from invading the good. The bad would probably always be right there, lurking below the surface trying to get out, but Ella would do everything in her power to keep the bad where it belonged. In the past.

They enjoyed a delicious dinner of barbecued ribs, mashed potatoes, homemade coleslaw and corn bread. Gavin ate like he hadn’t seen food in a year, something his mother said happened every time she made ribs for him.

After dinner, Amelia suggested they take their dessert into the den to enjoy the fire.

“I need to bring in some more wood,” Bob said. “Give me a hand, son?”

“Happy to.” Gavin squeezed Ella’s shoulder on his way out the door behind his father.

“I just have to say,” Amelia whispered, the second they were alone, “this makes me so, so happy. I haven’t seen him smiling like he has tonight since before . . .” She didn’t have to finish that sentence. Ella knew what she meant. “You’re perfect for him, Ella. You’re just what he needs.”