Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Hadley

Elijah sold his old parlor to the guy that ran it since he’d moved. Apparently, Ked, which was the guy’s name, had been hounding him about buying it from him, but Elijah hadn’t been ready to give it up.

Until a certain lady and her kids came along.

A flourish of happiness hit me as I thought back to all the things Ked mentioned. Stuff that Elijah had told him about not having the time for a lot of shit—Ked’s words—anymore. He had new priorities, aka, us. Ked was really adamant about making sure how much I knew that this wasn’t like Elijah. The new owner said I’d made a man out of Elijah. That fact pleased Ked—a man who was happily married with four kids.

To say that I was glad we went with Elijah was an understatement. Eli didn’t care much since he was so little, but he was well-behaved the entire time. Lucy, however, loved it. She thought it was cool. Elijah was already convinced she was destined to be a tattoo artist. I told him her stick people had a long way to go.

We stayed Friday night in a pleasant and clean hotel with two beds in one room. I wasn’t ready for Lucy to see me cozied up to Elijah just yet, so I slept in the bed with her and Eli until they fell asleep then slipped in with Elijah and snuggled with him until daybreak.

Early Saturday morning we left, after stopping at the Devil’s Lair one last time. Lucy was ecstatic since she got two quarter machine tattoos on each of her hands—a pony and a dog. She wouldn’t stop talking about them the entire drive back to Sassafras. It made me smile remembering how much I liked getting those when I was younger.

“Do you care to stop at Walmart? I need to grab some groceries before we head to the apartment.” I took a sip of the soda Elijah purchased for me earlier.

“Yeah.” Elijah used his signal and turned off the intersection.

“Why can’t we stay at Elijah’s tonight?” Lucy grumbled in the back. “I want to bring my nightlight over there. Can I, Mommy?”

I glanced at Elijah who chuckled. “I don’t care where we go. As long as we’re together.”

“Elijah’s!” Lucy screamed.

“Lord, no need to yell,” I winced. “I guess we’ll stay at his house.” I leaned over the middle console and smirked back at her.

A couple of minutes later, we parked and climbed out of Elijah’s giant truck. “Want me to carry him?” Elijah asked me as I opened the door to get Eli.

“I was going to put the carrier on and carry him that way.” I glanced over at Elijah coming toward me.

“I’ll carry him.” I stepped aside as Elijah took my spot and picked up Eli, and then went over to help Lucy. Elijah finally caught me staring at him as we grouped together in front of his truck and began walking inside. “What?”

I tilted my head, giving him an appreciative bat of the eyes. He was holding my child in his arms—arms in which were inked and muscled. At that moment, the ease of being with Elijah finally hit me. Was this wrong? Why was it so natural?

“Why are you staring at me like that?” he asked with impatience in his voice.

I sniggered. “I like seeing you with my baby. Why? You got a problem?”

He arched a brow and tugged me closer. Lucy giggled as she hopped as we walked hand in hand. “Then keep looking.” I shook my head at his flirty words. “That’s why I can’t see you not having another one. Or two.”

I froze, eyes widening as I gaped at him. With a deep laugh, he jerked me forward and out of the traffic I was holding up. We hadn’t discussed anything about kids even after his mom brought it up two Sundays ago. Of course, I knew we’d talk about it eventually, and I was a little surprised he hadn’t brought it up sooner. It was clear he wanted to, especially after he admitted to wanting them with me.

My mother was right about one thing with guys. She always said that when a man knew what he wanted, he was persistent in his pursuit. If a man didn’t do that for Olivia or me, Mom said he wasn’t worth the time. I hadn’t listened to that advice as a teen, but I finally understood her words.

The thrill of Elijah’s affections zipped through my stomach, lighting me up with a flush glow of nervousness and happiness. I’d grown confident in myself again. Honestly speaking, I knew I was a capable mother and adult despite the times I let Scott’s family create doubt in myself. I knew I could take care of me and my mine just fine. Life had been hard, but it became much easier. I didn’t need Elijah in my life, but he fit in all the same because he made it so. And that effort he made? What reason did he have for it? There was no reward other than us. Stepping into my world changed Elijah’s life, and he welcomed it with open arms. His lifestyle was vastly different than mine yet in all these months of getting to know each other, he slowly meshed our worlds together with no apologies. He wanted this with me.

I thought I was gradually heading toward the scary place of needing him in my life. In fact, I might have been there already. I’d never depended on anyone other than my family. Needing Elijah scared me to death. How did I get to be so reliant on him? And why did that feel safe like I honestly trusted he’d do anything for me?

And that was the thing, wasn’t it? I had total faith in Elijah.

I let my mind run rampant with images of our future together with the possibility of more kids. The only scenario I couldn’t see was the one where Elijah wasn’t with us. He belonged with me and my little family. He was our family.

“I think I’ve gone and broken your mother, Lucy,” Elijah mumbled beside me. I heard Lucy giggle. A grunt came from Elijah. “Earth to Hadley. Will you stop staring at me like that and grab a buggy?”

“I’ll grab one!” Lucy piped in as she ran in front of me and grabbed a shopping cart.

I finally snapped out of it and focused on the man I ogled. He smirked as I peered into his dark, dreamy eyes. “We need to have this discussion eventually without you fading away on me.”

“I didn’t fade away.” I rolled my eyes with a smile on my face as I walked up behind Lucy and helped her with the cart. “I find this a curious topic for someone who was adamant about showing his dislike for kids.”

“I’ve had a change of heart,” he murmured behind me as we strolled through the store. “I think I just like the ones you birth.”

I laughed, momentarily lost to his touch as his palm splayed against my lower back. I liked that he didn’t mind staying close even in public. “I think you’ve never given one the chance until Lucy,” I informed him.

“He’s not allowed to. I don’t want him to like others. I like it with just us.” Lucy glared up at me. Her bright-blue eyes caught me off guard with how serious she seemed to be.

I glanced over at Elijah and could tell he was way too pleased as he beamed down at her. I liked how much she adored him too, but I didn’t want her to be hateful about it. “What about when your cousins meet him? Or if you ever bring friends home? They won’t like him if he’s mean.”

Lucy frowned and turned away gripping the handle on the shopping cart. “I don’t want anyone to steal him away. Can we not show him to cousin BeeBee, please?”

At the mention of Briana, the blood drained from my face. “Who’s Briana?” Elijah smiled completely unaware until he caught my expression and it faded from his face. He sensed it then. The sourness in my stomach didn’t come from the betrayal. I no longer felt any sort of thing for that moment in my life. The bitterness came in the realization that night still lived in Lucy’s mind, and the way she perceived it was heartbreaking.

“Lucy, want some bananas?” Elijah stepped over to the bananas and grabbed some. He watched me carefully. He didn’t say anything about it, but those deep-abyss eyes revealed the promise of words later.

“Can we get some apples, too?” she piped in, letting the subject drop.

“Should I cook so your mom doesn’t have to today?”

Lucy stuck out her tongue and gagged. “You suck at cooking.”

“I saw you picking your nose yesterday,” he deflected. I fought a smile as I grabbed the shopping cart that Lucy left in the middle of the aisle since she was too worried about arguing with Elijah now.

“I don’t pick my nose!” She did, but by her clenched fists, she was very embarrassed about it.

“Don’t lie. It’s unbecoming,” said Elijah.

“What’s unbecoming?” Lucy asked.

“Guys!” I hollered and all three heads turned along with a few passersby. I pointed toward the chips.

“The last melon,” Lucy mumbled slowly as her eyes took in the last bag of Funyuns.

“Melons? You mean Funyuns, nose-picker,” said Elijah.

She huffed at him. “It’s Ice Age, the movie.” When his brows furrowed in confusion, she palmed her forehead like it was the end of the world. “You haven’t watched Ice Age?” When he shook his head, she continued, “We have to watch it!”

I snorted a little as I watched Elijah and Lucy hustle toward the last bag like an angry mob. Eli grinned. He didn’t have a clue why he was being bounced around in Elijah’s arm, but Eli liked it all the same. Probably getting a kick out of the two he was stuck with.

Lucy tossed the chips in the cart once I reached them. Dragging the cart around made me feel like the fourth-wheel.

“You know what we need?” Elijah glanced at Lucy.

She smiled. “Ice cream?”

He shook his head. “No, but that sounds good too. Chocolate milk.”

“Let’s go get it!” Lucy bounced.

Yep, I was the extra. The only one grabbing real food as they tossed in a lot of junk we didn’t need, but those donuts Elijah tossed in made me salivate, so I wasn’t going to complain.

“What is this?” I recognized Lilly’s hateful voice.