What it Takes to Fall

by Ellis, C. R.

  I turned toward the bar, pulling El’s hands into mine at the same time I caught Xander’s attention. He lifted a brow and smirked at the sight of us. I nodded my head toward the back to let him know we were commandeering his office for a while.

  As soon as the office door clicked shut, Elliot began pacing the small space while giving me a play-by-play of everything that happened after she left my house.

  By the time she got to the part about confronting Greg at Serenity, she was practically shaking.

  I gripped her shoulders mid-turn and steered her toward the couch, settling her into one side of the loveseat while I took the other.

  “What was I thinking? I practically gave him a cheat sheet for how to fool my grandparents into thinking he was the perfect buyer. I should’ve known better than to get involved. Then again, making mistakes seems to be par for the course these days.” For maybe the first time since she started talking, she stopped and took a breath, turning to me with guilt lacing her delicate features. “Bryce, I put you in an impossible situation back then; my judgment was beyond clouded, and you were thinking clearly. Then, yesterday, I should never have run out like I did. If I had stayed, we could’ve pieced things together and avoided the hurt. I hate that I let you think I was walking away for good. I wouldn’t do that to you, Bryce. To Peyton. Not like she did. I’m so—”

  Now it was my turn to swallow her apology. Slipping a hand around to cradle her head at the base of her neck, I pulled her in and pressed a kiss against her lips that I hoped would smother the flames of regret raging inside her head.

  “El, it’s okay. We’re okay. I hate that you had to go through so much at once, but as far as us? We’re good, Uno. We’re so much better than good. Couples fight—they say and do the wrong things, they act impulsively and sometimes it manifests in pain. But it’s how you bounce back from the fights and the hurt that makes or breaks a relationship.”

  “Is that what we are? A couple?”

  “Well, ’two overly friendly competitors who have amazing sex and enjoy each other’s company as much as they enjoy winning against each other’ is kind of a mouthful, don’t you think?”

  She laughed and smacked my chest. “You make a good point, Bowser.”

  “Finally! A character nickname I can appreciate,” I said, pumping my fist.

  “Don’t get used to it…I’m thinking about circling back around to Toad, since you said yourself it’s more accurate.”

  “You know damn well that’s not the one that’s accurate,” I argued, trailing my fingers down her side and under the hem of her shirt to squeeze her hip.

  She sucked in a breath at my touch and licked her lips. I grazed the pad of my fingers over her soft curves, smiling at the trail of goosebumps that greeted my touch.

  “I forgot; which one was it that’s accurate? McHotBody? Or is it McMagicDick?” she asked, pushing up to throw one of her legs over me. She settled onto my lap and leaned in, her breath tickling my ear. “I’m gonna need a demonstration…for research purposes.”

  “It’s important to be thorough,” I huffed, already pulling off her shirt.

  She pulsed forward until her jeans rubbed against mine to create a torturous friction, making me groan. I gripped her hips and flipped her onto her back, balancing on my knees while we each raced to get the others’ jeans off. I peeled hers down just enough to grant me access and wasted no time pulling her thong to the side.

  “Mmm, I missed this magic pussy, Uno,” I said, slipping two fingers into her with ease.

  “God, Bryce,” she cried, flexing into my movements. “Wait,” she huffed, pushing up to her elbows a second later. “Should we…here?” she asked, gesturing at our surroundings.

  I nearly laughed. “Xander isn’t going to care.” Though the knowledge of what had most likely just gone down on this couch earlier tonight made me hesitate.

  “But, uh, not right here. Hang on,” I said, shucking my clothes in two seconds flat. There was a pretty good chance Xander already knew what was happening in here, but that didn’t mean I’d risk being interrupted by someone else.

  Plus, fucking in Xander’s office was one thing.

  But sex on his little workplace fuckpad was a hard pass.

  Elliot’s heated gaze fell to my cock, banishing any trace of uncertainty from her features.

  I pulled her into my arms and carried her across the small room, pinning her body between mine and the door.

  She smiled, arching into me and tugging on the ends of my hair. “Two birds, one stone. So smart.”

  I pushed my hips forward, rubbing myself against her hot center. “Fuck, El…the way you feel, the way we fit together…I won’t be able to hold back right now, which means you’re gonna have to be quiet if you care about people hearing,” I warned, pushing into her slow enough to draw a moan.

  She bit her lip and looked up at me from under her long lashes. “Let them hear,” she said, digging her heels into my ass and urging me forward. “I want everyone to know I’m yours.”

  I groaned against her lips and thrust into her at the same time.

  Chapter 26

  Bryce

  One month later

  “Is she asleep yet?” Elliot whispered, giving me the signal to check so as not to disturb Peyton.

  In the background, Olaf was singing about summer.

  I carefully leaned forward from my spot on the other side of the couch and nodded after confirming that Peyton’s eyes were in fact closed. “I’m surprised she even made it fifteen minutes into the movie. You guys were playing with those building blocks for a while.”

  El smiled, lifting a hand to brush the hair off of Peyton’s face. “I know. The girl loves to build. A lot. Maybe she’ll grow up to be an architect like Daddy.”

  “True, but she also loves to destroy. At this rate it’s fifty-fifty between becoming an architect or becoming Godzilla.”

  She laughed, shaking her head and giving me a kick. “You did not just compare this sweet, precious angel to a freaking monster, Bryce!”

  She turned to Peyton, and I felt my chest constrict from seeing the love in El’s eyes. “Don’t worry, Pey, I’ll make sure he pays for that,” she whispered, just loud enough for me to hear.

  “Don’t threaten me with a good time, Uno.” I arched a brow and gave her a wink. “She’s been out for a while. Want me to take her to bed?”

  “No, let me. Maybe just…be on standby,” she said, nodding toward the baby monitor on the coffee table.

  I nodded, and El carefully pushed off the couch and scooped Peyton’s little sleeping body into her arms.

  I turned on the monitor as soon as they disappeared into Peyton’s room. She was already changed and in pajamas, so I expected Elliot to lay her in the crib and duck out. Instead, El cradled Peyton against her chest and swayed back and forth, pressing her lips against the side of Peyton’s head. She pulled away enough that I could tell she was saying something, but the monitor’s mic didn’t pick up her whispered words.

  After a minute, El leaned over the crib and put Peyton down, tucked the little pink pig under Peyton’s arm, and crept out of the room.

  “What did you tell her?” I asked, nuzzling against her neck after she crawled over my body to get into the little spoon position on the couch.

  She shrugged, twisting around to face me. “Top secret. Not sure if you’ve got that kind of clearance, McKnight. Maybe someday, if you play your cards right…”

  “Uno, I’ll give you all my cards.” Kiss. “Starting now.” I sucked in a breath and wrapped my hands around her waist, keeping her body against mine. “When Peyton was born, the doctors didn’t know anything about her health because Bridgette hadn’t been going to regular checkups. She told them she had been drinking off and on during the first months of her pregnancy. By some miracle, Peyton didn’t have any physical characteristics of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Other than her low birth weight and size, she was physically perfect. But she was at risk for a long list o
f other possible symptoms—everything from congenital malformations of the kidneys and heart, to hearing loss, to things like a delay in developing motor and language skills. Problems with hyperactivity and impulse control were also a possibility, and difficulties with social skills. Peyton has defied the odds since day one, though, and she continues to surprise her doctors at every appointment. As a preemie, she needed a certain kind of eye exam to check the development of her retinas.” I paused with a sigh, thinking back to that terrifying day. El’s arms snaked around my neck, urging me to continue. “We found out that she had retinopathy of prematurity, which is a disease that can cause blindness if severe and untreated. Fortunately, her case wasn’t severe. But she did have surgery to fix the issues with her retinas.”

  “Bryce, oh my god,” Elliot whispered, shaking her head and tightening her grip around my neck.

  I brought one hand around to swipe a tear off her cheek and continued, “The point of all this isn’t to scare you about Peyton’s health complications. It’s just…me laying out all the cards in my deck. Bridgette left, mostly because she’s selfish and irresponsible, but also because she couldn’t handle the fact that life with Peyton wouldn’t be black and white…”

  Elliot’s hands left my neck to cup my face. “I don’t need black and white, Bryce. I need you. I want a life with you and with Peyton—no matter what that life entails. That secret I told Peyton? I told her I didn’t know it was possible for a heart to fall for two people in two different ways at the same time. But that’s the only way I can explain this feeling. It’s the realest thing I’ve ever felt. I’m pretty sure I’ve loved her since the second she crawled into my arms at the zoo, tiny pig costume and all. And falling for you…” She paused on a hiccup and used my shirt to wipe a stray tear. “I should’ve realized that was inevitable.”

  I grinned, pressing my lips against hers. “Knew you wouldn’t be able to resist the glasses for long.”

  She laughed and pushed against my chest. “Well it definitely wasn’t the awful Mario Kart skills or dance moves that did it.”

  I pulled her face into my hands and held her in place. “I love you, Elliot Kincaid. Enough to overlook the fact that you just insulted my dance moves.”

  * * *

  I shoved open the doors of Hey, Baker Baker and squinted into the bright sunlight, peeling off my sports coat and slipping on my sunglasses. Gotta love Texas in November. I’d just finished my consultation with Bob and Laura Baker, the owners of a popular bakery in the downtown Austin area. Their shop was small—too small for the rate at which their business was growing, which was where I came in. I’d never designed a bakery before, but the two dozen snickerdoodle cookies tucked under my arm made me wonder why the hell I hadn’t gone for more food-related projects.

  I walked in the direction of my SUV and fished my phone out of my coat pocket, smiling at the lock screen photo of El and Peyton from last week, curled up on the couch together while they watched Frozen.

  Elliot wanted me to meet her and Peyton for lunch at Zilker Park after my meeting since the weather was nice, so I texted her that I was through at the bakery and heading to the park. She sent a photo of Peyton blowing a kiss and said they were already there.

  Over the last few weeks, we managed to find our way into a comfortable routine. El had fewer weddings in the winter months, which meant we were able to finalize both the renovation plans for the inn and the designs for Forget Me Knot’s wedding venue. Work on the inn was scheduled to start in January, and the venue would hopefully follow soon after that. Our working relationship wasn’t all smooth sailing—we had disagreements and argued over the merits of certain aspects of the designs, but we always found our way through it.

  Then, after work hours, we either took turns cooking, depending on our schedules, or cooked together while Peyton watched a show. El practically spent every night at my house. At this rate, she was pretty much wasting money on rent. For someone who had never really given parenthood much thought, the role certainly fit her. Elliot did it all—everything from early morning wake-up calls to bedtime book reading sessions.

  I spotted Elliot’s car in the parking lot and pulled into the spot next to hers. A follow-up text from her said to find them at our ‘regular’ spot, so I grabbed the picnic blanket from the trunk and headed their way.

  When I found them, Elliot was blowing bubbles and Peyton was running in circles, giggling and frantically popping them.

  “I spy Potatoes and Eggs!” I called, jogging toward them.

  El’s head whipped around in my direction and she flashed me a grin. “Look, Potatoes, there’s Bacon!” she told Peyton. “Also known as Daddy!”

  Yeah, we’re now those people who give ourselves silly nicknames. Bryce-Elliot-Peyton…Bacon-Eggs-Potatoes.

  Xander would permanently revoke my man-card if he ever found out.

  Peyton ran toward me, and I threw her into the air, living for the little squeals of delight she gave me.

  “Hi, beautiful,” I said, setting Peyton down and leaning into El for a kiss. “What’s the occasion? Are we celebrating something?”

  She nodded and pulled out her phone, showing me a photo of George and Millie with a couple who looked to be in their forties. “Meet the Johnstons; they just made an offer on Serenity! They’re going to finalize the deal after the holidays.”

  “Really?” I asked, already pulling her into a hug. “That’s fantastic!”

  “Mrs. Johnston’s family used to vacation at a Serenity in Vermont each summer when she was young, so when she heard the sale fell through, she said she knew it was a sign. She wants to keep it exactly the same; no layoffs, no major changes. I haven’t met her, but Nana and Pops are really happy, and that’s enough for me.”

  “El, that’s incredible. I’m so happy for them.”

  “Me too,” she said, nodding and handing me a panini from our favorite sandwich spot.

  We dug into our lunch, and I told her about my plans for the bakery since she knew the Bakers through work, and she told me about the fun she and Peyton had at the zoo this morning.

  Eventually, Peyton got restless, so I caved and pulled up the PBS app on my phone before handing it over.

  With her content and occupied, I pulled out the bag of Starbursts and started moving them into a specific pattern on the blanket, swatting away Elliot’s hand when she tried to snag one.

  When I finished, it said ‘B <3 E’ with various shades of pinks and red.

  She looked down and smiled before leaping into my lap. “That goes both ways, y’know. I love you, Bryce. So much. With you, the what ifs…fade away. If I lost the inn or if things fell through with the plans for the venue, I’d still be as happy as I am in this moment, as long as I had you two to come home to.”

  “Funny you should mention home—”

  “Wait!” she yelped, practically jumping up and down in my lap. “There’s actually another reason I wanted to celebrate. Do you know what today is?”

  “Uh…should I?”

  She turned toward Peyton. “Did you know the seventeenth of November is ‘World Prematurity Day’? I was doing some research and found that out last week. I found a couple organizations that do really great work for families with premature babies and made a donation to both in Peyton’s name. I also thought maybe we could start a tradition for this day, even if it’s just lunch or dinner or playing a game or something. What…uh, what do you think?”

  “I think…” I wrapped my arms tighter around her waist and crushed her body into mine. “El, I think that’s the sweetest, most thoughtful thing anyone’s ever done for me—for her. And I love you even more for it. You really are one of a kind; you know that?”

  “And here I thought you always called me Uno because that’s the first thing I ever beat you at.”

  “El, I call you Uno because it was the first word you ever said to me, and because I’ll never forget how happy you were that day. I think I loved you then, too; I just didn’t know it wa
s the once-in-a-lifetime kinda love.”

  She smiled, but her response was cut off by Peyton’s pleas for more bubbles. She climbed out of my lap and swung a laughing Peyton into the air. “Ooooh, Peyton, let’s go down the slide,” Elliot said, pointing toward the playground. I was confused about the random suggestion, but realized what she was doing when I picked up the empty bottle of bubbles.

  Distraction.

  Peyton clapped eagerly and immediately forgot about the bubbles.

  “Bryce, there’s nothing I’d change about our history. Even if it did take us nineteen years to get to this part.” She winked and offered a hand to help me up. “Now come on, we’ll race you to the playground!”

  We took off, but my head wasn’t in it, and I slowed to a walk before we made it halfway there. El kept running, and I heard her cheer in celebration as soon as they reached the jungle gym.

  I couldn’t think about anything other than what Elliot had said, about it taking nineteen years to get here. About how crazy that felt.

  By the time I caught up to my girls, Peyton had already gone down the slide once, and El was helping her climb back up to go again. The sight filled me with a happiness I’d never fully be able to explain. It just felt…right.

  It felt like forever.

  “Are you okay?” Elliot asked, giving me a concerned once-over as I walked up to meet her at the bottom of the slide. “If I didn’t know any better I’d think you let us win.”

  She knelt down to greet Peyton when she came out, but I knelt down for an entirely different reason.

  “Elliot, you mean more to me than I’ll ever be able to express. When I was eight, you became my best friend. Fast forward nineteen years, and now you’re my everything. You’ve become Peyton’s mom in every way that counts, and I’ll forever be in awe of the bond you share with her. There’s never going to come a day when I don’t want to wake up and see you, to make you laugh, to watch the way you love Peyton, to play you in every game known to man. It doesn’t have to be today, or tomorrow, or even a year from now, but please, make me happier than I ever thought possible by marrying me.”