Ella and the Alien Gamer (Intergalactic Brides 10)

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  “Then why don’t we play for a little while and then we can either order in or if you want to go out for dinner, we can go anywhere you want.” He mentally winced. “Except Puck’s Pizza Palace.”

  Connor pouted.

  “Come on, buddy. We can play whatever game you want, as long as it’s mom approved. I thought maybe we could go to The Pasta Bowl for dinner. You like spaghetti and they have some with huge meatballs.”

  “Really?”

  “I promise. Biggest meatballs I’ve ever seen,” Valero said.

  “I guess that could be cool.”

  Valero hid a smile as they pulled into the garage at home. Connor unbuckled himself and scrambled out of the truck and ran inside. Valero had barely gotten inside before he heard the TV turn on and the Xbox start up with Connor’s favorite game. It was a good thing Valero liked gaming so much, considering he’d already played for several hours.

  They settled in with drinks and snacks. And Valero let Connor take the lead, showing him tricks that even he didn’t know about yet. Every time they played a game, it just astounded Valero that someone so small could be so awesome. They played for a few hours, until Connor’s stomach started growling.

  “Come on, buddy,” Valero said as he stood. “Let’s save the game and turn it off for now. Time to eat.”

  Connor pouted.

  “It’s dinnertime. Besides, your stomach is growling and mine is too. When we’re done with dinner, we’ll come home and you can take your bath and get ready for bed.”

  “Can I stay up late?”

  “I promised your mom I would have you tucked in at your regular time. But we can play some more before it’s time for you to lie down. Or we could find something to watch on Netflix.”

  “I guess that would be okay.”

  Connor saved the game and they turned everything off. Valero took Connor’s hand as they walked out to the truck, then he buckled him in. The Pasta Bowl was on the other side of town, but it wasn’t a far drive. Nothing in their small town was a far drive. Their town only had a population of fifteen thousand, not including the Terrans who had made their home there.

  The Pasta Bowl was packed, but they managed to get a decent parking space. Connor reached for Valero’s hand on the way in. The hostess smiled, her gaze raking over Valero like he was a prime piece of steak. He’d seen that look before, but now that he was determined to make Ella his, it made him uncomfortable. Being mated wasn’t enough. He wanted wedding rings like Zwyk and Rory had, something to show he was taken. Too bad he couldn’t wear one now.

  “Just follow me,” the hostess said. She seated them at a small table in the middle of the restaurant. “My name is Mandy, and please let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”

  He nearly snorted. “Thank you, Mandy. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

  Her smile slipped a little as she handed them their menus and excused herself. Connor, thankfully, didn’t seem to understand what was happening. The last thing Valero needed was for Connor to tell his mom that the hostess had been a flirt.

  Chapter Six

  Ella looked around the empty salon and frowned at Rory. “Are you sure this is the place?”

  “Zwyk booked the entire place for us. The chemicals aren’t good for me right now.”

  “Are you sick? You said you were going to the doctor this morning.”

  Rory grinned. “I was going to the OBGYN. I didn’t tell you before, but I’m pregnant!”

  Ella hugged her tight. “That’s awesome! I’m so happy for you.”

  “Maybe one day you and Valero will decide to have a baby. Or are you practicing already?” she asked with a sly smile.

  “We’ve only… I mean, it was just the one time. Last night.”

  Rory’s smile slipped from her face. “Are you on the pill?”

  Ella shook her head.

  “Then you used a condom?” Rory asked.

  “No. I know we should have, but… I just didn’t think about it and Valero had been drinking. I’m sure it’s fine.”

  “Only one way to find out.”

  “Rory, it’s been one day. I’m sure I’ll have to wait several weeks before I find out if I’m pregnant.”

  “The clinic at the Terran Station has a test that will tell you within hours of conception. They used it on me and they’ve used it on all the mates I’ve met since hooking up with Zwyk. If you want to rest easy, then after this appointment we’ll go to the clinic and find out for sure. Then we’ll decide if we’re keeping that massage appointment or doing something else.”

  Ella placed a hand over her belly. “You really think I could be pregnant?”

  Rory shrugged. “I have no idea, but if it were me, I’d want to know.”

  Ella had to admit that she did want to know. At least, she thought she did. What if she was pregnant? If Valero found out, would he insist that they get married? She didn’t want a baby to be the deciding factor. She wanted to get married because it was what they both wanted, not because it was needed. Not that she thought a baby meant you had to get married, but she really didn’t want to raise another child on her own. Connor had turned out great, and she was certain this baby would too, but it had been such a hard life for them. She wanted more for her children than struggling to get by.

  “Come on. We’ll blow off the salon appointment,” Rory offered.

  “No. I can wait until we’re finished here. Will there still be someone at the clinic though?”

  She nodded. “It stays open twenty-four hours now that they have two doctors.”

  They got manicures and pedicures, then Rory talked Ella into getting her hair trimmed and styled. It took two hours before they were finished, but Ella had to admit she felt better than she had in a long time. The last time she’d gotten her nails and hair done professionally had been in high school, before she’d found out about Connor.

  Rory paid for the visit, refusing any money from Ella, and then they drove straight to the Terran Station. Rory’s phone rang partway there. She pushed a button and answered through the car.

  “Hello.”

  “Why does my phone say you’re driving away from the spa and toward the Terran Station?” Zwyk asked.

  Rory growled. “Did you seriously just track me like a wayward pet?”

  “I told you I was syncing our phones. Now that you’re pregnant I need to know where you are in case I need to reach you quickly.”

  “Zwyk, I’m seriously going to shove my foot up your ass. I’m taking Ella to the station because she needs to make a stop there for something. Nosy, much?”

  “Sorry.” He did sound contrite, at least to Ella. “I’m just worried about you.”

  “The baby is fine. I’m fine. Now back the hell off and let me enjoy my night with Ella. I’ll call you when I’m heading home.”

  Zwyk sighed. “Fair enough. Enjoy your time together.” He paused. “Just don’t enjoy it too much.”

  Rory smirked, blew him a kiss, and ended the call.

  “Sorry about that,” Rory said. “He’s been a bit overprotective since we found out about the baby. I’d like to say that he’s unique in that way, but all the Terrans I’ve seen are super protective of their mates and it seems to be amplified by pregnancy. So be warned, Valero could become a possessive freak.”

  Ella laughed a little, having a hard time picturing Valero that way.

  Butterflies rioted in her stomach as they entered the station and made their way back toward the clinic. A male in a white lab coat was escorting a human woman out as they neared the place.

  “Rory, I hope everything is all right,” he said.

  “Vyrex, this is Ella. She’s been staying with Valero and she needs to take a pregnancy test. That one that shows almost immediate results.”

  He tipped his head. “And does he know you’re here?”

  “No,” Ella said. “Until Rory mentioned it a few hours ago, I didn’t even know it was possible to find out so soon. It just happened last night, so
…”

  He nodded. “Very well. Come back and I’ll need a little blood from you.”

  They walked back into the rear part of the clinic and he ushered them into a room. Ella was glad that Rory was with her. The doctor pushed up her sleeve and placed a weird looking metal cylinder against her skin. She felt a pinch and almost as fast, he was finished and backing away. He watched the vial and then looked up at her with a conflicted expression.

  “I’m not sure what news you were hoping to hear, but I’m going to assume so you and Valero aren’t mated you are hoping for a negative result.”

  Ella bit her lip. “Negative would make things easier, but if I’m pregnant I would never wish away my child. It will just mean having a serious conversation with Valero to see where we go from here.”

  “You’re pregnant,” the doctor said. “I’m going to give you a cocktail of vitamins, but I’ll need to see you back in the next few weeks.”

  She winced as he gave her the injection and then they were on their way.

  “Still want that massage?” Rory asked.

  “Do you think we could just have dinner somewhere and talk?” Ella asked. “I don’t think I could relax right now if I tried.”

  “The Pasta Bowl?” Rory asked.

  “I could eat Italian.” Ella smiled.

  The drive was short, but not so short that Ella didn’t worry the entire time. She had no idea what to say to Valero, or how he would react. Would he demand that they get married now? And should she seriously consider it? She didn’t want to keep the baby from his or her father, not even if things didn’t work out between them, but…

  She blew out a breath as they pulled into a parking space. Rory looped their arms together as they walked inside, and Ella felt a sense of belonging. It had been a long time since she’d had a friend to do things with. She’d missed it, and hoped she would get to see Rory more often. It had been nice doing some girly things today.

  Inside, they were seated at the front of the restaurant in a booth that looked out over the entire place. She was just perusing her menu when she heard a waitress commenting about a Terran and his human son, and how hot the guy was. Her brow furrowed. It couldn’t possibly be Valero, right? She put her menu down and looked around, almost immediately spotting her baby-daddy and her son. She nearly snorted. Figured they’d end up at the same restaurant.

  “Should I make my presence known?” Ella asked.

  Rory looked around then smiled. “I say sit back and enjoy the show. They get tons of attention everywhere they go, usually of the female variety. Unless you’re the jealous type.”

  “I don’t think I am. They were calling Connor his son.”

  Rory put her menu down. “Will he be?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The two of you are having a baby together. Are you going to let him mate-claim you? Or go through with a human wedding maybe?”

  “I don’t know. He wants to claim me as his mate, but…” Ella sighed. “I didn’t think I was ready for that step.”

  “Are you sure that’s it?”

  Ella turned her startled gaze toward Rory. “Why do you ask that?”

  “Ella, it’s obvious the two of you had instant sparks when you met. Everyone in the room felt it. And you’re living with him, letting him take care of your son while you take a night off. You’re already acting like a family. All that’s missing is the official agreement between the two of you. So what’s holding you back?”

  “I thought it was because I didn’t have anything to contribute to the relationship, but Valero insisted that I did more than enough, even if I don’t have a job right now.”

  “You know what I think?” Rory asked.

  “What?”

  “I think you’re running scared. I think you love him and it scares the shit out of you. So, you’re coming up with excuses to not commit. I know you loved Connor’s dad in high school and he stomped all over you heart, but not all men are like that.”

  Ella shrugged. “I thought I loved him, but I didn’t really. I wasn’t brokenhearted for myself so much as Connor. But this is different. I think if things didn’t work out with Valero, I wouldn’t be able to walk away without some pain.”

  “I tell you what. I’m going to call Zwyk to come meet me for dinner, and you’re going to march your ass over to your lover and son and have dinner as a family. And then when Connor goes to bed tonight, you’re going to tell Valero about the baby and the two of you are going to have a very adult conversation. And you’re not going to doubt yourself or his feelings for you.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Ella smiled a little. “Thanks for tonight, Rory.”

  “You call me anytime you want and we’ll hang out. Now that we’re starting a family, Zwyk talked me into staying home, so I’m going to have some time on my hands until the baby arrives. And maybe after that, we can have play dates and stuff with the kids.”

  Ella stood up and hugged her friend before hurrying across the restaurant to Valero’s table. It only took a minute for her guys to look up. Connor didn’t look nearly as excited to see her as Valero was.

  Valero stood and offered her his seat. There wasn’t enough room for both of them to fit though, so he ended up standing until he could get someone’s attention.

  “I thought you were eating with Rory,” he said.

  “I was. Then we saw the two of you here and she offered to have Zwyk meet her for dinner so the three of us could have a meal together.” Ella smiled as she looked from Valero to Connor.

  Connor glared at her from across the table.

  “But I can eat elsewhere,” Ella said. Obviously, her son didn’t want her to interrupt his time with Valero, and she couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t like he’d ever had one on one time with a man before.

  “We’re thrilled to have you with us, aren’t we, Connor?” Valero asked with a pointed look at her son.

  Connor huffed but nodded. “Do I still get spaghetti with the huge meatballs?”

  “You can have whatever you want,” Valero said.

  “May I help you?” a waitress said with a bit of a simper.

  “We need a larger table. And Ella needs to order.”

  Her gaze went to Ella and the warmth in her eyes cooled a bit. “I see.”

  “Or we can eat elsewhere,” Valero said.

  That seemed to snap the waitress back to reality. She took Ella’s order and then hurried off to find them another table. When they were seated once more, it was near Rory. Her friend gave a little wave and then her smile broadened when Zwyk claimed the seat across from her. If the restaurant was excited over one Terran, Ella could only imagine the chatter now that there were two.

  “Did you have a nice time with Rory?” Valero asked. “Your hair looks nice.”

  She fingered the slightly shorter strands. “Thank you, and yes I did. She said we could get together again sometime.”

  “Mama, will you be at school tomorrow?” Connor asked. “Everyone else has brought cupcakes or cookies for their birthdays.”

  Ella opened her mouth then let it snap shut. In all the chaos of everything going on, she’d completely forgotten Connor’s birthday. Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment, but Valero came to her rescue.

  “What kind of cupcakes and cookies?” he asked.

  “The kind you get at the store bakery.”

  Valero nodded. “Any particular time we should bring these treats to your school?”

  Connor’s eyes lit up. “You’re coming too?”

  “Why not?” Valero winked at him. “I’ve always wondered what a kindergarten room looked like.”

  “You’ll really bring something?” Connor asked.

  “We’ll be there, honey,” Ella said. “Valero and I will go out tomorrow and pick up some treats for your class.”

  “And goodie bags?” Connor asked.

  Valero frowned a bit. “I’d think something like goodie bags would take a bit of planning. Why don’t we see if the party store is
still open after we eat? We can let you pick out what goes into the bags and then your mom and I can stay up tonight and put them together.”

  Connor let out a whoop, which ended with a gleeful squeal as a huge platter of spaghetti was placed in front of him. Ella’s eggplant lasagna was placed in front of her. When a massive platter of huge sausage links and spaghetti was placed in front of Valero her eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

  “You’re going to eat all that?”

  He looked at his plate, a puzzled expression on his face. “Is there something wrong with it?”

  “It’s just… huge. There’s no way I’ve been feeding you enough if that’s how much you like to eat.”

  He laughed. “Ella, whatever you fix for me is fine. If I want more, I can always go back for seconds. I’m just especially hungry today for some reason.”

  “What did you do with your friend, Mama?” Connor asked.

  “We went to a salon where we had the entire place to ourselves. We had manicures and pedicures, then had our hair cut and styled. It was fun. And after that we decided to get a bite to eat.”

  Valero’s brow furrowed. “No spa day?”

  “It was getting late. Maybe next time.”

  He didn’t look convinced, but he let it go. They finished their food, paid the check, and then went to the party store, where Connor was allowed to pick six things and a bag of candy for his goodie bags. By the time they got home, Connor was yawning. Ella got him into his bath then dressed and into bed.

  She collapsed on the couch and stared at the sacks from the party store knowing her night was just beginning. Making twenty goodie bags was going to be tiring work for someone who was already exhausted. Valero took a seat next to her and reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together. She had to admit, it had been nice being together and going to the party store. Being a family felt really incredible, and she only had herself to blame for not grabbing on to Valero and holding on tight. He’d made it no secret what he wanted, and now that she knew she had feelings for him, feelings that had her running scared, then she could face things head on.