Page 135 of The Lucky Heart (Jamison Valley 3)
I leaned to the side, bent down and brushed my lips against hers. “Anything else?”
She smiled and my heart skipped. “I’m sure I’ll think of something.”
Yeah, she would. Life would never be dull or boring with my Lis.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
One year later . . .
“Don’t overdo it today,” Elliot warned.
“Uh-huh,” I muttered.
“He’s right,” Silas said. “Take it easy.”
“Leave her alone.” Olivia came to my rescue. “She’s just sitting there.”
“No, she’s not. She’s cooking,” Elliot argued.
My lip curled. “She is just peeling potatoes. I’d hardly say what I’m doing is strenuous.”
“You’ll get carried away,” Elliot said. “I think you should go sit on the couch. Watch TV or read a book.”
I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. I was about ten seconds away from throwing a potato at his face.
“Come on, Dad,” Silas said. “Let’s get out of here before she maims you with that peeler.”
“Fine,” Elliot muttered and kissed Olivia good-bye. He came to me next and kissed the top of my hair before going outside.
“See you in a bit.” Silas’s arms wrapped around my stomach as he bent over my chair. “Love you.”
“Love you too, baby. Good luck out there.”
He kissed my cheek and followed Elliot outside. I enjoyed the view of him leaving almost as much as him coming. If I could move faster, I would have hustled after him and given that sexy butt of his a good squeeze before he’d left. As it was, it would take me ten minutes just to stand from this chair.
“Finally, they’re gone,” Olivia sighed. “You’d think you were the first woman to ever have a baby.”
“It’s a good thing she’ll be here any day,” I said, rubbing my belly. “I don’t think I can take more of his smothering. I’m peeling potatoes here, not running a marathon. Me, of all people, should be able to tell when I need a break.”
I sighed and took a drink of my herbal tea. God, I miss caffeine.
Olivia sat beside me with her rich, black coffee. “He’s just hovering because he cares.”
“I know. It’s actually quite sweet.”
If someone had asked me a year ago if I thought Elliot and I would have a loving father/daughter-in-law relationship someday, I would have said, “Fuck no.”
But the night of Derrick’s attack had changed everything.
Since that night, Elliot and Silas hadn’t had a single disagreement about the ranch, and Elliot had made it his personal mission to become the positive father figure I’d never had. He’d even asked to do the father-daughter dance with me at my wedding.
Silas and I had gotten married in a one-room country church, surrounded by family and close friends. Silas, wearing a simple black suit, had been waiting at the end of the aisle as Jess had given me away. Since Sabrina couldn’t be there, we had decided not to have attendants, with the exception of Rowen as my flower girl. She’d led the way down the aisle, wearing a simple plum dress with matching flowers in her hair. I had followed in my cream gown with a delicate lace bodice and billowing chiffon shirt.
Just as he had wanted, Silas and I had hosted a huge reception at the ranch after the ceremony. The white tent that I’d rented had taken up nearly all of the Grants’ backyard. The party had been in full swing when Elliot and Olivia had asked us to pop inside for a minute. Waiting for us in Elliot’s office had been their wedding gift.
The Lucky Heart.
That night, they’d deeded the entire place over to Silas and me.
