by Janice Lynn
Or maybe he was just being nice because of the baby.
Either way, she didn’t want his pity. She wanted his heart.
“I know you didn’t intend me to fall in love with you. I just did.”
As Ty’s words registered, the room spun around Ellie and she worried for a brief moment that she might pass out again. “You fell in love with me?”
He gave an ironic laugh. “As I said, how could I not? You’re wonderful, Ellie.”
“But I thought …” Her voice trailed off, a thousand thoughts hitting her at once. That Ty loved her was the foremost one. Ty was in love with her. “You really love me?”
“It’s okay, Ellie.” He shrugged off her question. “I heard what you told my mother. It’s not a big deal.”
He started to turn away but she grabbed his arm. “Ty Donaldson, it’s a very big deal. If you love me, it’s the biggest deal of my entire life.”
Facing her, he searched her eyes, his soft and vulnerable as understanding dawned. A lopsided grin lifted one corner of his mouth. “Oh, really? The biggest deal, eh?”
“Really,” she said, hope building higher and higher within her at how he was looking at her, at what she saw shining brightly in his eyes.
He stood, pulled her to her feet. “I love you, Eleanor Aston.”
Her heart burst with joy at his words, but she shook her head. “Not acceptable.”
His smile fell.
“Tell me again,” she demanded, staring up at him. “Only this time get it right.”
It only took Ty a second to realize exactly what she meant. Taking her hands in his, he stared straight into her eyes, straight into her heart. “I love you, Ellie Aston.”
She smiled. “Much better.”
“Agreed.” He grinned, pulling her into his arms. “I’ve never understood why you protested so much anyway. Ellie fits you.”
Knowing the past no longer mattered, she told him about “Jelly Ellie,” watching as anger darkened his expression.
“Whoever called you that has a lot to answer for and had better hope like hell they never have the misfortune of crossing my path.”
She smiled. “The name doesn’t bother me anymore, Ty. When you called me Eleanor earlier, it …” Her voice broke and she shrugged helplessly. “It tore me to bits because I’m not Eleanor anymore. I’m Ellie and I like who that woman is because she’s your woman.”
“Always, Ellie. You’re always going to be mine.” With those words, he kissed her. The sweetest, most possessive kiss Eleanor had ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
“Tell me,” he breathed against her lips. “Say the words to me.”
Placing her palms on each side of his face and staring directly into his beautiful eyes, she smiled. “I love you, Ty Donaldson. Always and forever.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“Ahem.”
Both Ty and Ellie spun at the sound of his father clearing his throat.
“Dad.”
Ellie didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to hear the relief in Ty’s voice.
No wonder. His father’s normal robust color was back and he looked fit enough to take on the world. Thank God.
“They tell me they are going to keep William overnight for observation but that he’s going to be just fine.”
Ty nodded. That’s what Harry had told them earlier, too.
An awkward silence filled the lobby as the three of them stood there, no one saying anything.
“Perhaps I should step out. Get a cup of coffee.” Remembering her pregnancy, she changed it to, “A glass of juice or something.”
As she went to step past Ty’s father, he grabbed her arm. “No, young lady, you need to hear this. Have a seat.”
Young lady? Ellie winced. Was Ty’s father really going to start in while they were in the emergency room waiting area?
Ty glared at his father’s hands on Ellie’s arm. He wasn’t one bit surprised when she failed to sit, though. Ellie was developing quite a backbone.
But she didn’t need it.
Because if his father thought for one minute that Ty was going to let him say one negative thing to Ellie, one negative thing to him, he was wrong.
Not today. Not ever again.
“Calm down, son,” Harold ordered, apparently reading Ty’s expression correctly. “And have a seat because I have something I need to say and you need to hear this. Both of you need to hear it.”
A war waged within Ty, but he sat, taking Ellie’s hand as she sat in the seat next to him. He couldn’t say he liked his father towering over them, but he’d had a long day so Ty would give him that advantage.
“I know we’ve had our differences.”
To put it mildly.
“But what you did today …” His father paused, looked every one of his years as he met Ty’s gaze. “Son, I was wrong.”
Ty’s breath caught. Ellie’s hand squeezed his. Was his father saying what he thought he was?
“My whole life I’ve thought I knew what was best for you boys, what was right, but today you proved to me what a fool I’ve been.”
“I just did my job.”
“Exactly. A job that I’ve never given you any credit for. Just as I never told you I was proud of how well you did with your studies and medical school.”
From the corner of his eye he saw Ellie dab at her eyes. Ty clenched his teeth, determined he would not let his father’s words get to him.
“But I was always proud of you, Ty. Proud that no matter what anyone said you went after your dreams and the rest of the world could take it or leave it. I was proud that you were your own man with your own mind and that you aced everything you did.”
Ty wanted to hit the side of his head to clear his ears, because he was certain he hadn’t heard correctly.
“Today, what you did, Ty, son, I can’t begin to tell you how in awe I am of what you do, of how proud I am of the fine doctor you are.”
A tiny sob escaped Ellie. Her fingers dug into his.
“I …” He glanced around the empty lobby. “Well, that’s all I came to say. That I am proud of you and I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”
He turned to leave the lobby but Ty stopped him, wrapping his arms around his father’s stiff body.
But after just a second Harold took over the hug in true Harold Donaldson fashion and hugged Ty so tightly that he could barely breathe.
When his father had left the lobby, Ty turned Ellie and pulled her to him.
“Did you say something about being mine for always and forever, darlin’?” he asked, holding her close to him.
“Seems like I recall saying something along those lines.” Ellie smiled, knowing that always and forever with Ty sounded about as close to heaven on earth as one could get.
EPILOGUE
“YOU READY for this?”
Checking to make sure his tuxedo was straight, Ty grinned at his brother. “I’ve been ready for this for months.”
“Yeah, a shame it took you that long to convince the bride to make an honest man of you.”
It had taken him way too long to convince Ellie to marry him. “Stubborn woman wouldn’t agree until after Levi was born.”
“Yes, because every woman wants to be pregnant in her wedding photos.”
Ty could have pointed out that he’d have marched Ellie down the aisle on the day he’d first told her he loved her, on the day that she’d first told him she loved him.
He’d known he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. In the months that passed, he’d not changed his mind or his heart. The way he felt about Ellie just kept growing, getting stronger with each day that passed.
Ty and Harry joined the rest of the wedding party on the lawn of the Triple D. Row after row of white chairs were filled with Texans in their best Sunday duds and New Yorkers in the latest European fashions.
His father held Levi in the front row. Ty grinned at the tiny white Stetson that his dad had insisted the six-month
-old wear. William fidgeted next to Harry, toying with the ring pillow he held.
The live band began to play the wedding march and all eyes, especially Ty’s, went to where Ellie rode up in a white carriage with crushed red velvet seats. Her beaming newly reelected to the Senate father stepped up to the carriage and assisted his lovely daughter down.
Ty’s breath caught at the beautiful woman who would officially become his during this ceremony. In reality, she’d been his from the moment they declared their love and he’d been hers.
He took in her long dark hair in a mass of curls about her neck and cascading down her back. Her gown was strapless and accented her beautiful curves and nipped-in waist. Never had a bride been more beautiful.
Never had a woman been more loved.
Her gaze met Ty’s and she smiled.
A smile that told him everything words never could convey.
A smile that told of a love that would last always and forever.
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.
All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II BV/S.à.r.l. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
® and TM are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.
First published in Great Britain 2013
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited.
Harlequin (UK) Limited, Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road,
Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR
© Harlequin Books S.A. 2013
Special thanks and acknowledgement are given to Janice Lynn for her contribution to the NYC Angels series
eISBN: 978-1-472-00294-5
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
Copyright