The medical technician made adjustments and switched on the implants so the electrodes would begin transmitting to Colton’s cochlear nerves.
“Colton? Can you hear me?” the technician asked.
Colton’s body stilled and his eyes widened. His face went blank save for the intense concentration from the new stimulation.
“Say something, Mom,” the doctor said to Elise.
“Hi, baby. Can you hear us?”
By the look on his round little face, she already knew he heard something. The lump in her throat broke and spilled forth through her eyes. She couldn’t hold back the flood this time. A tear slid down her cheek as she watched his face.
“Colton?” Now she signed and spoke. “How are you, mijo?”
His smile broke like a brilliant yellow sun appearing over the horizon and warming everything in its path. His hands started flying. “Say it again,” he signed.
“How are you?”
Colton listened intently and forgot to answer. Rob squatted down next to Elise and in front of Colton.
He said and signed, “Is it good? Do you like it?”
Colton watched Rob’s lips instead of his hands. His little fingers rose to Rob’s face and he placed his palms on Rob’s cheeks.
Rob kept talking. “Pretty awesome, right? Do I sound different than your mom?” He glanced at Elise’s face and Colton’s gaze followed his lead.
“What do you hear?” she asked and signed.
“You are speaking,” Colton signed back then touched her lips. Before she could say anything else, he wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her tight.
Elise’s sensitivity and empathy were wide open with Colton. Gratitude, wonder, and the purest love she could ever feel poured out of him, or maybe out of her, but more likely, it was both of them radiating joy. She held on and let the happy tears stream down her face. They were moving forward. Everything she envisioned for her future was happening right before her eyes, but living in the present was a million times better than any dream or vision.
They left the hearing center and returned to Granite Lake. Before the appointment, Rob invited them to stay the night. Because of the anticipated long day, Rob had already arranged to leave Maisie with his parents for an overnight stay. Neither of his brothers were at the house and she appreciated having the day and night to themselves.
When they entered the kitchen, she found an enormous bouquet of red roses, tiger lilies, and baby’s breath in a crystal vase on the island.
“I think you have an admirer,” she said.
“Not me, woman. Those are for you,” he said.
“What? Why?” she asked.
He took her into his arms, planted a kiss on her lips, and said, “Because you need flowers.”
They kicked off their shoes, settled in, and let Colton listen to anything and everything he wanted.
Later, after Colton was tucked into bed, she and Rob stood on the deck, watching the last rays of sunlight sink somewhere over the Pacific Ocean far to the west. The lake glistened dark and dreamy. Small lights from town could be seen twinkling through the trees on the distant shore. The scents of charcoal, grilled beef, peppers, mushroom, and onions lingered in the air from the dinner Rob had grilled for her and Colton.
She sipped her sangria, then set the wineglass on the table. “It’s been such a good day,” she said.
“It has,” he agreed. “What do you think was Colton’s favorite sound today other than your beautiful voice?”
“I think it’s a tie between honking the horn on your truck and flipping through the channels on the satellite music,” she said.
“It was so interesting watching him as he switched stations.”
The music, a squawking crow, his own footsteps as he ran across the wood deck of the house, and the phone ringing had gained his full attention. But there was so much for him to take in. She could only imagine how he would absorb it all in the days to come and she wanted to be with him as he did.
There would still be challenges ahead of them. Noisy situations, large groups of people, making sure the implants didn’t get wet, and the upcoming therapy came to mind. She wasn’t disillusioned about any of it, but today was a win in her book. An important chapter in her son’s life had come to a close, but the rest of the story had so much possibility that it made her heart ache to find out what would happen next.
“He’s going to be exploring every sound for a long while. I’m so excited for him that I want to go to bed right now so we can wake up and discover new things together tomorrow,” she said.
“Colton’s so lucky to have you,” Rob wrapped his arms around her waist so they stood toe to toe.
“And I’m lucky to have you,” she said, staring into his incredible pale eyes.
“I feel the same.” He bent down and brushed his lips over hers, once, twice. He moved to the side of her neck, sucked gently, tickled her skin, then pulled his mouth away.
“Elise, I know you’re still getting used to living in the mountains, and you’ve only been in the apartment for the summer, but what do you think about moving in with me?”
She dropped her gaze and hid her eyes from Rob while she considered what he’d just offered. Her reaction wasn’t to hide, run away, or dismiss the feelings that rose within her. She was learning to allow and accept every emotion she felt and not be scared of them. This time, she looked down to take a second for herself. To process and remember this moment and experience the joy and gratitude that she had for Rob and for her life.
“Do I get to rearrange the kitchen the way I like it?” she asked after she met his gaze.
“Are we negotiating a deal before you’ll answer me?” he asked, a smirk tugging at his lips.
“Of course. I can’t just move in and not have complete control of the kitchen,” she said, holding her poker face in place.
“I don’t know about complete control. I like cooking occasionally.”
“I think that warrants you about ten percent.”
“Deal,” he said without hesitation.
Elise began to smile, but then thought she better conclude negotiations before committing to moving in. Not that she wasn’t already one-hundred-and-fifty percent committed to Rob in every way, but she couldn’t let him know that until after she talked about another important matter.
“I need space for my books. Is this going to be a problem?”
“How much space are we talking about?” Rob asked, his brow creasing as he pretended to have reluctance and concerns.
“I don’t know. Maybe a corner of the downstairs living area?”
“Hmm...” He frowned and shook his head. “There’s a lot of space down there, but it’s pretty full of Bodie’s belongings. I don’t know if one corner filled with books will look quite right.”
She backed up an inch to make room to smack his chest with the back of her hand. “This house is enormous and all I ask for is a bookcase in the corner. What is the matter with you? And you like books. I’ve seen your own collection. I ask for maybe six feet of wall space.”
Rob’s facade cracked when the corner of his mouth lifted. He interrupted her rant. “Did I tell you Bodie’s moving all of his stuff out next week? Including the workout equipment and the weights. The downstairs will be practically empty, but I was thinking I’d like to...” He paused for dramatic effect and to see if she would continue arguing.
A fiery temper simmered behind her eyes. Elise’s hand rested on his chest. She slid her fingers to his nipple and teased the skin until it peaked. She held his nipple tight between her fingers and waited for him to finish.
She broke the stalemate. “You’d like to what?” she asked. She applied a little more threatening pressure to his captured nipple. Elise loved negotiating with Rob, especially when he was being cheeky and impudent.
“Turn it into a man cave... for me and Colton,” he said. “It’ll be perfect for when my brothers come over to watch a game.”
She twist
ed just a little, not enough to make him pull away, but enough so he definitely felt it. The muscles of his chest constricted. And he probably likes it. “Are you sure that’s what you want to do with that room?” She squeezed and angled the sharp tips of her fingernails into him.
He let out a small groan, gripped her hip, and held his ground. Oh yeah, he’s definitely enjoying this.
“The guys need their own space. If I’m giving up the rights to my kitchen, you could at least surrender the downstairs. Books aren’t going to fit it with my television and sound system.”
Elise grabbed the waistband of his pants and yanked him forward, fist clenched onto the fabric. “So, do you have a better suggestion for where I can put my books?”
“At your store,” he suggested.
She dropped him with a huff. “You really want a man cave? That’s... ” She blinked. Took a deep breath and extinguished the urge to say ridiculous. “I thought you were different than the typical beer drinking ball watching baboon. I’ll keep my apartment, thank you very much. Then you can watch all the sports you want.” Elise rolled her eyes toward the lake and stared at the distant horizon.
“Baboon?” Rob laughed. “Is that what we are?”
“Apparently.” She didn’t actually care if Rob wanted to watch sports in his basement. But not agreeing to let her bring one bookcase full of books into the house could be a sticking point. What if she wanted to make other changes?
“Elise,” Rob said her name, trying to get her to look at him.
She stared at the darkening sky and the midnight blue water.
“Elise,” he called her name again. Rob’s finger traced down her spine. “I love when you’re irritated with me. You get so feisty and heated and irrational. Then I have to touch you and kiss you until you apologize to me.” His fingers circled and traced over her low back, then moved to the curve of her ass.
“I’m not apologizing. I want to cook for you in your beautiful kitchen and then, maybe, once in a while sit down somewhere and read my book in a quiet space without a million interruptions. It’s not like I want to bring a truckload of furniture and redecorate the place. I left everything behind when I moved here. I barely own a thing. All the furniture in my apartment belongs to Autumn.”
Rob pulled her tight next to his body and held her pinned against him. Elise gasped at the suddenness of his movement. Instead of a rebuttal, his lips landed against hers. When he finished plunging, possessing, and turning her insides to mush, Rob pulled back.
The lust and desire she saw in his eyes was like every time after he kissed her that way.
“I was kidding about the man cave. I already have a T.V. upstairs. And I do want you to decorate my house. Anything you want is fine with me. My only stipulation is, I want to do these things with you. And the best part about your request is that I was already considering turning the downstairs living room into a study and library.”
Her eyes narrowed to haughty slits. “Cerdo enfurecido,” she said with exasperated frustration. She pursed her lips to hold back the grin at their fake fight.
“There it is. That sexy, hot mouth of yours,” he said, kissing each corner of her lips then pressing one to the middle. “I am an infuriating pig and I’m so in love with you. Does this mean you’re moving in with me... and with all your books and anything else you want?”
“Maybe. Do I have to share the garage with your beer making supplies?”
“You’re really pushing me, woman.” Rob growled and squeezed her ass. Hard.
It was her turn to squeak. “I guess as long as my car fits in there, I’m okay with the beer supplies. Let’s move on to the subject of the master closet.”
“Oh, let’s. I can’t wait to give up my closet next,” Rob said with a dose of sarcasm and a dash of humor. He bent forward, gripped the back of her legs, and hitched her up.
She started and another embarrassing sound escaped from her throat. Elise’s legs wrapped around his waist. “What are you doing!”
“I think it’s time we move these negotiations to the bedroom where I’m better equipped to deal with you.”
“By fucking me senseless so I’ll stop taking over every inch of my new home?” she said and nibbled his earlobe.
“Exactly. Any objections?”
“None at all.”
Afterward they lay spent, sweaty, and in a blissful haze of post orgasm bliss. Three times for Elise. Twice for Rob. He rolled over and opened the drawer of his nightstand. Elise listened as he rustled inside the drawer. The table lamp clicked on and Rob sat up. She eyed him sleepily. His bare chest glowed golden in the lamplight and the sheet pooled around his hips. He was gorgeous, sleek, and so handsome. She wanted to stare at him forever. We should leave the light on more often, she thought.
“Elise. I know it’s late and we should be trying to get some sleep, but I can’t quit thinking.”
He stared at her in a way no one had ever looked at her before. Soft eyes, caring, concern for her well-being, accepting of who she was. She saw all of this in his look and so much more. Elise sat up and faced him.
“What is it?”
“Today was a good day. A perfect day. Like we talked about earlier on the deck. I can’t imagine it being any better. You’re moving in and we’ll have more days like today, but tonight I want to give you something. I kept trying to think when we might have a night out without the kids. When it could be just the two of us. I wanted to take you out for a nice dinner and time alone, but right now is our alone time. This is when I get to love you in every way I can imagine and you’re all mine. I don’t have to share you and I can devote every minute to loving only you. That sounds selfish, but these nights have been the most incredible moments for me. I’m going to give you something important, and if you want to wait, just say wait.” Rob lifted his hand and held out a ring.
She had been so entranced with his eyes and they way he watched her, she didn’t notice he’d been holding anything.
“This isn’t an engagement ring. Not yet. There’s no doubt in my mind that I want to marry you, Elise, but we shouldn’t move too fast. I want to take our time and not skip any of the steps. Every moment should be savored as we build our lives together. But I saw this ring and I knew it was yours. You’ve told me your intuition guides you to make decisions. How you trust your inner voice to lead you in the right direction. That’s how I felt when I saw this ring. Giving this to you is my way of saying I’m committed to us, and if you choose to wear it, that you’re promising yourself to me. Will you wear my ring, Elise?”
Elise stared at the ring made of yellow, white, and rose gold woven together to form a band that circled infinitely. Before answering, she created a memory of this moment, and like Rob said, savored it. Her heart couldn’t be any fuller as she slid forward, their knees touching. Elise raised her hand and placed it over Rob’s fingers and the ring.
“I would be honored to wear your ring, Rob. And I promise we’ll do all the things you imagined with and without kids. And I love our nights together, too, because I’m with you. I don’t need the fancy dinners out, but I do need this time with you, right here, right now, and always.”
He slipped the promise ring on her finger and curled his hand around hers. Rob leaned forward, their joined hands tucked between their chests as he kissed her long and slow and full of passion. They snuggled down into the bed, their limbs entwined, and their hearts content. Elise fell asleep and dreamed about a church and a gorgeous ivory satin dress. Bells rang and flowers scented the air and she knew this was her future wedding. The wedding of her dreams that would one day be real. And the day would be perfect because the universe had delivered the perfect man at the exact perfect moment of her life and she would never doubt again.
~ Thank you for reading ~
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Acknowledgements
To John and Nancy. My books would not exist without the two of you. I want to thank my family and friends for their continued support. Thank you to my beta readers and proofreaders—you know who you are. Lastly, I want to thank my readers. I appreciate every one of you.
More From Jody A. Kessler
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Divining Elise Page 28