It's Only Love(54)

Ella let him go just as reluctantly. They had a long day ahead before they could be together again later. Thinking about that would give her something to look forward to today. “That sounds good.” She got out the ingredients and left him to start their breakfast while she went into her bedroom. In the closet, she found the sweater she had knitted for him during the long months she’d spent wishing for what she had now.

She held up the gray fisherman’s sweater that she’d poured her heart and soul into making for the man she’d loved from afar. It had seemed like such a silly thing to do at the time, but throwing herself into the project had given her an outlet for the yearning that had taken her over.

What would he think when she told him she’d made it for him? She’d planned to save it for Christmas, but that was too far away. She wanted him to have it now. She wanted it to keep him warm today. So she summoned her courage and returned to the kitchen, sweater in hand.

He looked up from the griddle he was watching over. “What’s that?”

“It’s for you.”

Gavin turned down the heat on the burner so the pancakes wouldn’t burn. He took it from her and held it up. “Wow, that’s nice.”

“I made it for you.”

“You made this? Seriously?”

“Uh-huh.”

“When?”

“Um, well, over the last couple of months when I was busy being frustrated with you and our, um, situation. I could either knit you a sweater or stab you with the needles. I chose the former.”

His low chuckle made her smile. “It’s beautiful. Truly. A work of art. I had no idea you could knit, let alone make something like this.”

“My grandmother taught me to knit when I was eight. I’ve been doing it ever since. It’s my stress reliever.”

“I’m very impressed.”

“Try it on.”

He flipped the pancakes and then pulled the sweater over his head. It was a perfect fit, as Ella had known it would be. She’d spent years studying his sexy body and had felt like an expert on all things Gavin Guthrie long before this week’s master class.

She adjusted the collar of his denim shirt and patted his chest. “Looks great. Very sexy.”

Hooking an arm around her neck, he drew her in for a kiss. “I’ll never take it off.”

“Yes, you will,” she said meaningfully.

“Well, I suppose I could be convinced for the right incentives.” He kissed her again and then released her to deal with the pancakes.

They sat together at the table to eat, sharing the butter knife and the syrup. It was all so domesticated and comfortable, and Ella would be perfectly content to start every day this way for the rest of their lives.

“Hey, El,” he said, putting down his fork.

“Yeah?”

“I want to you know . . . It means so much to me that you thought of me this way.” He rested his hand flat against the sweater. “When we weren’t together and I’d given you every reason to believe we never would be. That you had faith in me and us . . .”

“I didn’t always have faith, not after our last go-round. I’d started to accept that it wasn’t going to happen.” She offered a wry smile over the top of her coffee mug. “But I finished the sweater anyway. I told myself I was done with you after that.”

He reached for her hand and linked their fingers. “And yet you still came when they called you that night.”

“Old habits die hard.”

“Thank God for that. I’m so glad you came when they called, that we decided to give this a try.”

“Me, too.”

“I hate to say I have to go, but I have to go.”

Ella stuck out her bottom lip.

“We’re staying in bed this entire weekend, you got me? Don’t make any other plans.”

“Christmas tree farm Saturday afternoon, and family dinner on Sunday.”

“I might let you out for those things, but otherwise, you’re all mine after your deal tonight.”

“Okay then. Will you do me a favor and not make any plans for next weekend?”

“Why? What’s up next weekend?”

“If I tell you, then it won’t be a surprise.”

“I suppose I can be persuaded to go along with a surprise from you. So about tonight . . . Is it okay if I come by after work or is it only for employees?”

“Oh, you can definitely come. We do the meeting part between five and six and then we have dinner and dancing with a DJ at the Grange. I’d love for you to come by. I should’ve asked you before now, but I didn’t think you’d want to.”

Holding both their plates, he stood and bent to kiss her. “I want to.”

Suddenly, Ella couldn’t wait for tonight.


*

Though her day was frantically busy seeing to the final details for that night, she took the time to call Gavin’s mother. She couldn’t delay this call any longer if she was going to pull off the big surprise next weekend.

“Ella,” Amelia said, “this is a nice surprise, and I’m so glad you called. I was worried about Gavin last night.”

“He had a couple of rough moments, but we got through it. I think.”

Amelia’s deep sigh came through the line. “I didn’t know Cindy was going to talk about the day she found out. I feel like I owe Gav an apology for that.”