He pulled out more plans and rolled them out. Off the back of the studio was a huge room marked Drake’s gym. I looked at my brother in stunned silence as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.
“Dude, you did this for me?”
Anson and I exchanged a look, and he winked. “I did it just for you.”
I thought Drake was going to tackle-hug my fiancé.
“Great, now we’ll never be able to get him to leave,” I mumbled as Drake shot me a dirty look.
Anson went through the rest of the plans and, we discussed things that should be tweaked or added. Once we were finished, Anson put steaks and veggies on the grill while Mindy and I made a fresh salad from everything in my garden.
Of course, I took photos as we went along. I was planning an Instagram post for an easy dinner on the grill, featuring the veggies from my garden and the steak from a cow off of Anson’s family ranch.
“Are you nervous?” Mindy asked.
I looked up from chopping tomatoes and smiled. “Not a bit. Excited and anxious. I know eventually it’ll come out that we were pregnant before we got married, but right now I simply want to enjoy all of this.”
Mindy went back to making the lime vinaigrette I also planned to feature in the post tonight. She even took a picture of it in the glass bottle I had found while shopping with my mother at a vintage store in Fredericksburg.
“What about you? Are you nervous about making your relationship with Drake public?” I asked with bit of a teasing in my voice.
Her cheeks blushed as she looked down at the engagement ring my brother had given her a few nights back. It was the most precious proposal I had ever seen. Ida had been in on it, of course, and planned on having my parents, as well as Mindy’s, over for dinner. Anson’s folks were there too. We sat on the back porch, and Anson pulled out the guitar I had given him so many years ago and started to play it softly. When I saw it sitting in his house in Nashville back in April, my heart soared. He told me every song he’d written had first been played on that guitar. When he started to play one of Mindy’s favorite songs, she smiled and stared off into the fire pit. I didn’t realize Anson was in on the surprise too until he started to sing “To Make You Feel My Love.” When he looked at me and sang, I had the suspicion he was singing not only for Mindy and Drake but for us as well.
“I want to shout it from the rooftop,” Mindy said. “I honestly never thought I could be this in love.”
I couldn’t stop the grin on my face if I wanted to. “He loves you and the baby so much.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I know he does. It’s so strange to have someone love you so fiercely. I hadn’t realized someone could love another person like that. And could love a baby who wasn’t his. Drake is absolutely amazing.”
“Have y’all…you know?” I asked. “Done the deed.”
“No. I mean, he’s taken care of my…urges…but we haven’t had sex. We want to wait until after the baby is born. It feels right to wait.”
“Fair enough. At least he’s taking care of you in other ways.” We both started laughing as I waggled my eyebrows at her.
“What all do we need to do for the wedding this weekend?” Mindy asked, clearly ready to change the subject.
“Nothing. Everything is done. Ida, my mama, and Pearl have pretty much planned this entire wedding.”
“I really love that y’all are keeping it simple.”
With a sigh, I replied, “I sort of didn’t mention something.”
Her brow rose. “Oh, Lord. What?”
“So People magazine wanted get the first look at our wedding. Anson talked to me about it, and we both agreed to do it if they made a sizeable donation to a charity Anson started back in Nashville to help kids from low-income families take music lessons.”
“Will they be there at the wedding?”
“No, the photographer who’s shooting the wedding and the editors of People have worked out an arrangement to publish some of our wedding photos. I honestly don’t mind. I feel like I’ve stolen Anson away from his fans, so this is the least I can do.”
“Well, your Instagram has gone up to what, over five million followers? And it’s growing every day.”
I groaned. “Yes. Some of the comments are so mean!”
She laughed. “Some make me laugh so hard. Especially when you post pictures of Anson.”
I rolled my eyes but chuckled. “Well, Anson and I talked it over, and we’ll share bits and pieces when we’re on the honeymoon. He figures if we give them a small glimpse into our world, they won’t feel a need to poke around.”
“That makes sense,” Mindy said as she carried the salad and dressing over to the table. “Well, this will be the last meal we have with you being a single, knocked-up woman.”
“It sucks neither one of us can even drink a glass of champagne,” I added.
The door to the back opened, and Anson walked in with the tray of steaks. Drake followed with the veggies.
“Perfect! Let me get it all set up on the table and take a picture! Mindy, grab the flowers.”
Drake groaned. “Seriously, Sis? I’m starving—why can’t we just eat?”
“It’s one picture, Drake.”
“Or six,” Anson mumbled as he placed the tray of steaks on the table. I took the veggies from Drake and set them down as Mindy placed the flowers beside them. I stood back, got my angle right and snapped a picture.
Or six.
Anson’s deep voice whispered into my ear, “Hey, Baby, wake up, we’re here.”
With a yawn and a deep stretch, I opened my eyes to see the most beautiful view I’d ever seen in my life.
“I’ll never get over how heavy you sleep. I carried you off the plane and into the limo and you didn’t even wake up.”
I smiled dreamily at him and then looked back at the view. “Well, if someone hadn’t kept me up the whole flight making love to me, I wouldn’t have been so tired.”
“There was no way I wasn’t making love to my wife until we got here. No way in hell.”
The private plane we had taken to fly from San Antonio to Italy was beyond amazing. That was our wedding gift from Robert and Jane.
Anson got out of the limo first and then held my hand as I stepped out. A five-story white stone hotel sat on the banks of a lake. Not just any lake—a beautiful blue lake surrounded by mountains and lush green trees. The lake was so blue that if it hadn’t been for the mountains, you wouldn’t know where the lake ended and the sky began. It was breathtaking, and I knew Anson would be inspired by this view.
“It’s even more beautiful in person,” I said softly as I pressed my fingers to my mouth to keep from crying.
“Mr. and Mrs. Meyer, it’s such a pleasure.” A man approached us with a wide smile on his face. He spoke perfect English, with a thick Italian accent. “Your suite is ready for you. We’ve got a private entrance you can use, or you may walk through the lobby.”
“The lobby is fine,” Anson said.
“Yes, yes. Follow me, please.”
The next thing I knew, I was standing on a sun porch, a glass of water in my hand, a smile so wide my cheeks ached, and my husband holding me in his arms as I leaned against his broad chest.
“I never dreamed I could be this blessed.”
He kissed the top of my head. “I think I like this destination you picked to start our lives together as a married couple. You know this used to be a resort for European royalty.”
“Really?” I asked as I took a sip of my water. “I heard they have a beautiful garden here. I cannot wait to explore every inch of this place.”
I felt his chest rumble with a slight laugh. “What should we do first?”
“First?” I asked as I let my eyes settle on the crystal blue water that reminded me of my husband’s eyes. “First, I think my husband needs to make love to me in that amazing king-size bed.”
Anson turned me around and used his finger to tilt my head up. Our gazes locked, and he stare
d into my eyes for the longest time.
“Thank you,” he said.
“For?” I asked with a chuckle.
“For forgiving me. For loving me. For being my partner in so many different ways.”
He placed his hand on my little baby bump and said, “For giving me our son.”
“Or daughter,” I countered with a raised brow.
Anson laughed. “Or daughter.”
He leaned down, his mouth a breath away from my own. With a blinding smile and a spark in his eyes, he whispered, “Now, about that king-size bed.”
Anson
“DUDE, YOU’VE GOT to stop pacing. It isn’t like you haven’t been through this before when y’all had Millie,” Drake said as he held his three-year-old daughter, Brianna, in his arms.
With a sigh, I ran my fingers through my hair and nodded. “I thought the second one was supposed to move along faster. I feel like she’s been in labor forever.”
Drake laughed as Emmie walked over holding Blake—Drake and Mindy’s 1-year-old son—in her arms. “Brianna gave Mindy hell when she was born, and Blake followed suit.”
“I just want her to be okay.”
Emmie gave me a reassuring smile. I knew she was worried as well. It was her daughter giving birth to our second child. Hugo, Bristol’s father, was also a basket case of nerves.
This past weekend had been insane. I had co-written four songs with two people during a weekend-long songwriting session. When Bristol walked into the studio with a smile on her face and said, “I think it’s time,” I had nearly jumped over the tables to get to her.
“Where is Millie?” I asked as I glanced around.
“She’s with her grandfathers and great granddad. They took her to see the gift shop since all the Christmas items are out,” Emmie said.
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, great. She’s going to come out of there with bags of goodies knowing those three. If Hugo buys another ornament with her name on it, we’re going to need a tree just for them.”
Emmie laughed. “At least her birthday didn’t fall on the Christmas due date. Can you imagine what he would be like every Christmas morning?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Millie had decided to come a couple of weeks early and give us all the best Christmas gift we could have ever asked for.
“Anson, you might want to step back in.”
Mindy’s voice caused me to spin around.
“Why? Is she okay?”
She grinned. “The nurse just called for the doctor. It’s time to push.”
I nodded and quickly made my way down the hall to Bristol’s room. I had stepped out so that she and Mindy could chat, and I could check up on Millie.
When I walked into the room and Bristol’s eyes met mine, I saw the mix of excitement and fear in her gaze.
I rushed over to the bed. “Hey, I’m here. Millie is with all her granddads. Down at the gift shop.”
“Oh, Lord,” Bristol said with an eye roll.
I chuckled. “I said pretty much the same thing.”
“Does she have her big sister T-shirt on?”
“Your mom brought it.”
Bristol drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out.
“Another contraction coming?”
She placed her hand on her stomach and nodded. “All I can say is thank God for modern medicine. Those contractions were hardcore.”
I leaned down and kissed her sweat-dampened forehead. “I love you.”
With a smile and a squeeze of my hand, she replied, “I love you more.”
Slowly, I shook my head. “Impossible.”
A bit of fear moved into her eyes, and then she smiled. “Me and you?”
I nodded. “Always, Bri.”
The door opened, and the doctor walked in along with two nurses.
“I hear it’s time to push! Shall we see if we have a boy or a girl today?”
Bristol nodded. “Yes. Let’s do that right now, please!”
Everyone laughed, and the doctor sat down. Her eyes went wide and she looked up at Bristol and said, “Well, this little one is ready. Give me a good push, Bristol.”
After pushing for ten minutes, the sounds of our baby’s cry filled the air. Bristol instantly broke into tears, as did I when the doctor held up our son.
A son.
The nurse took him from the doctor and placed him directly on Bristol. I could hardly see him through the tears in my eyes. Bristol whispered and kissed him as I leaned over and kissed my wife and then my son.
“He’s beautiful, Bri.”
She nodded and let out a sob. “He is, just like his big sister.”
I reached over and wiped her tears away then looked down at another beautiful child my wife had gifted me with. Leaning over, I placed a gentle kiss on him. His deep sea-blue eyes pierced mine, and the most overwhelming sense of love hit me in the chest.
“Welcome to the world, Brax Meyer. I have to warn you now, your mama is going to be taking a dozen pictures of you a day, and I’m most likely going to write a song about you.”
Bristol laughed. “I won’t take that many pictures, sweet boy. Maybe one or two.”
She turned and our eyes met.
“Thank you for loving me like you do,” she whispered as more tears slipped free and rolled down her face.
I was overcome with emotion and unable to talk.
With a smile, Bristol said, “You’re totally thinking that would make a good song title, aren’t you?”
“Like you weren’t thinking the same thing for your Instagram post!”
Brax let out a little cry to let us know he wanted in on the conversation.
The door opened, and Mindy let go of Millie’s hand as my daughter gasped at the sight before her.
I bent down and scooped her up, putting her next to Bristol and Brax.
“Meet your baby brother,” Bristol said.
Our 3-year-old daughter looked down at Brax, then up at Bristol, then over to me. Then the most amazing thing I’d ever seen happened. A single tear slipped free and trailed down her sweet little face as she looked back down at her brother.
Millie kissed her brother lightly on the cheek and looked at Bristol. “When can we take him home to Zeus?”
The end.
Thank you ~
A huge thank you to Elizabeth at Hotel Faust in Comfort, Texas. I was the only guest at the time and her kindness and company meant the world to me. A large portion of this book was written while I stayed at the historical hotel, which makes this book even that more special to me. I’ll never forget sitting in the main room of the hotel while writing and seeing residents of Comfort meet at five in the afternoon to chat across the street from the hotel. Rocking chairs were set up for folks, and it all simply screamed small town. It is one of the reasons I adore writing southern romance novels. There is nothing like the charm of small Texas towns. If you’re ever in Comfort, Texas, I highly recommend staying at Hotel Faust! Oh, and you have to eat at High’s Café and get the B.L.A.T!
Thank you to Kristin Mayer who wrote the song lyrics used in this book, with the exception of Railroad Tracks. To watch her come up with these songs in one conversation was inspiring, to say the least. I’d be lost without my brainstorming bestie!
Other Books by Kelly Elliott
Coming Soon
Good Enough – Meet Me in Montana #3 (October 6, 2020)
Take Me Away – Southern Bride #6 (December 22, 2020)
Strong Enough – Meet Me in Montana #4 (February 9, 2021)
The Butterfly Effect – Boggy Creek Valley #1 series (April 2021)
Fool for You – Southern Bride #7 (June 2021)
Stand Alone
The Journey Home
Who We Were*
The Playbook*
Made for You*
*Available on audiobook
Meet Me in Montana Series
Never Enough*
Always Enough*
Good Enough
Strong Enough
(February 9, 2021)
Southern Bride Series
Love at First Sight
Delicate Promises
Divided Interests
Lucky in Love
Feels Like Home
Take Me Away (December 22, 2020)
Fool for You (April 2021)
The Right Moves (September 2021)
Cowboys and Angels Series
Lost Love
Love Profound
Tempting Love
Love Again
Blind Love
This Love
Reckless Love
*Series available on audiobook
Boston Love Series
Searching for Harmony
Fighting for Love
*Series available on audiobook
Austin Singles Series
Seduce Me
Entice Me
Adore Me
*Series available on audiobook
Wanted Series
Wanted*
Saved*
Faithful*
Believe
Cherished*
A Forever Love*
The Wanted Short Stories
All They Wanted
*Available on audiobook
Love Wanted in Texas Series
Spin-off series to the WANTED Series
Without You
Saving You
Holding You
Finding You
Chasing You
Loving You
Entire series available on audiobook
*Please note Loving You combines the last book of the Broken and Love Wanted in Texas series.
Broken Series
Broken*
Broken Dreams*
Broken Promises*
Broken Love
*Available on audiobook
The Journey of Love Series
Unconditional Love
Undeniable Love
Unforgettable Love
*Entire series available on audiobook
With Me Series
Stay with Me
Only with Me
Feels Like Home Page 28