But he had to prove that now. He had to stand up and be the man he knew he could be, the man she truly needed. Not some ideal left over from the last century, but the man that would confess his loyalty, his love, but also stay true to it.
‘I promise I will always be here. I will always take care of you. No matter what. I will never leave you. I will never push you out. I love you.’
Ellie blinked quickly, quelling the tears that were forming. For a long moment, she looked into his eyes. ‘You really mean that?’
‘I know that.’ He reached for her hand and brought it to his chest, letting her palm rest over his fast-beating heart. ‘Feel that?’
She nodded.
‘That’s all for you. Because of you. You’ve shown me how to love, Ellie.’
She crawled onto his lap and kissed him hard.
He inhaled a sharp breath in. Forehead against hers, he whispered, ‘I’ve missed you so much, it nearly fucking killed me.’
She drew away, frowning. ‘Me too.’
‘I love you, Ellie. You hear me? I love you.’
She stilled, staring back at him, her eyes glossing.
‘So much.’
‘I love you too.’
‘Forever,’ he whispered before pressing his lips to hers and showing her how deep that love within him ran. How deep it always had and how deep it always would.
Chapter 38
Ellie’s heart stuttered when she heard the bell ding at the front door of In Bloom. It was Olivia’s first day of school, and Ellie didn’t know if she was more nervous or Sam was. But it certainly wasn’t Olivia suffering from nerves. She had been up and dressed by seven-thirty, school bag packed, ready to go.
She had chatted the entire way there in the car from the back seat, telling them about her old school and what she hoped was the same at the new school and what she hoped would be different.
By the time they had dropped her in at her classroom before they’d finished speaking with her teacher, she had run off outside to play with another little girl, smiling and giggling. The relief that filled them both then was unsurpassable.
Sam was holding the door open for Olivia with a smile on his face. Again that relief blossomed in Ellie’s chest. Olivia’s day must have gone well.
Olivia marched in wearing her grey pleated skirt and red polo shirt, a unicorn cupcake in her hand, a little of the icing around her mouth. Amy had promised her unicorn cupcakes after school; she hadn’t failed to deliver.
‘Good afternoon,’ Ellie said, beaming.
‘Hi,’ Olivia said, gaze flickering around the store unable to focus on everything at once. Her store amazed Olivia—all the little trinkets and beautiful, colourful arrangements.
‘How was school?’
Olivia walked along the side wall, staring intently at the arrangements overflowing from the vases. ‘Good.’
Sam grinned at Ellie and shook his head as if to say, ‘you’re not going to get anything more than one syllable answers while she’s distracted’. Then he came to her, gripped her hips, drew her closer until their chests touched, and he kissed her. ‘Hello to you.’
Her breath vanished, her body pulsing with desire from that one simple move. When he looked at her, he winked, knowing the exact effect he had on her.
Over the last week, they’d fallen into a workable routine. Ellie would drive out to Sam’s place most afternoons, where they would cook—well, Sam would cook—and share a meal together, then watch a little television until it was Olivia’s bedtime.
Then they’d spend the rest of the evening doing more grown-up activities, which amounted to reacquainting themselves (aka having hot sex, as quietly as they could, with the bedroom door locked).
That’s what her body remembered right now with him so close to her—those nights.
Ellie cleared her throat and took a step back.
‘How are the Sweethearts selling?’ Sam asked, offering a well-timed distraction.
‘Wonderfully. They were this week’s bestseller. Even outsold the Cupid packages.’
‘Ah, see, that all comes down to your marketing skills.’
She grinned. ‘People go crazy for anything unique.’ She drew closer to him, magnetised, and slung her arms around his neck. She had never been able to resist this man. ‘Plus you’re an incredibly talented gardener.’ Then she kissed him.
‘I’m a good gardener too,’ Olivia said.
Sam and Ellie laughed. Olivia certainly had the ability to make you think she wasn’t listening until something of interest arose, and she demonstrated that quite the opposite was true.
Ellie lifted onto tiptoes and whispered in his ear, ‘Talented in other areas too.’
When he met her gaze again, he grinned. ‘Nice to know.’
‘Hmmmm,’ she agreed.
‘Anyway,’ he said with a sigh. ‘We better get home. Day one and Olivia already has homework.’
‘I love homework,’ Olivia said.
Ellie laughed. ‘I’ll ask you that again in about five years.’
Sam crouched so he was at eye level with Oliva. ‘You love homework, do you?’
She nodded. ‘Yep.’ He held his arms out to her and she fell into his embrace, head on his big shoulder.
‘And I love you,’ he said into her neck.
A current of warmth and emotion swelled in Ellie’s chest to see this exchange. It was totally unexpected, but she could see how genuinely it had occurred.
Olivia pulled back and looked at her father, a big grin on her face. ‘I love you too, Dad.’
‘I’m so proud of you for doing well on your first day at school, and I’m so happy you’re here with me.’
Olivia’s grin grew wider, bashful. ‘And you love Ellie, too?’
He nodded, looking up to meet Ellie’s gaze. ‘Very much. I love my two beautiful sweethearts more than anything.’
Ellie’s heart sung with such a sweet melody then. Everything she had been striving for by coming to Alpine Ridge clicked like a puzzle piece into place. Her life had been like an arrangement of flowers; she just had to weed out the flowers that didn’t quite fit, didn’t feel right, and add others that did complement until she was left with all that she needed.
That intuition in her soul hummed with the accord that she felt in this moment, of this time in her life. And she was grateful.
Of course, she wasn’t naïve enough to know that being in a relationship with a man that had a mental illness would present challenges, but she was in this for the long haul. And, for now, everything was perfect.
Sam stood and took Olivia’s hand. ‘I’ll see you for dinner?’ he asked.
Ellie nodded. ‘Wouldn’t miss it.’
Olivia grinned. ‘Daddy said to ask you if you could cook me a curry.’
Ellie laughed. ‘Did he just?’
‘Yep. He said you’re extra good at cooking them. I love curry.’
Ellie met Sam’s cheeky gaze. ‘I’m never going to live that down, am I?’
He shook his head, winked. ‘Nope. That joke’s got legs for days.’ He kissed her cheek. ‘See you later.’
Yes, he most definitely would.
Bestselling Titles by Escape Publishing...
Bittersweet
Jacquie Underdown
A vineyard, a family in pain, and the healing magic of cupcakes...
Amy Jenkins, a talented and ambitious chef, is left humiliated and debt-ridden, after her city restaurant fails. When her best friend calls asking for help in her small town cupcake shop, Amy jumps at the chance to hide out in the small town of Alpine Ridge while her shattered ego mends.
The youngest Mathews brother, Tom feels over-looked and under-appreciated. His brothers remember every mistake, but never give him the responsibility or opportunity to take his place in the family business. So, he spends three weeks out of every month working at a mine in the back-end of nowhere. But then Amy moves to town to help run his pregnant sister-in-law’s bakery, and suddenly home seems to
be where his heart is.
Amy’s move was only ever meant to be temporary, but when tragedy strikes the Mathews family, Amy finds herself unable to move on. As she and Tom get closer, Amy finds every excuse to stay: first, she claims it’s for the family, then she claims it’s for the shop. But maybe, it’s for her own heart...
ISBN: 9781489255235
Title: The Sweetest Secret
Copyright © 2018 by Jacquie Underdown
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