Fierce-Ella (The Fierce Five Series Book 5)
Page 21
“He laughed at me. Told me I was crazy. That I was too cold, too rough for him, almost like I was too strong in some ways. Then he said I had too many bodyguards. I thought for sure Cade had said something to him, but Cade swears he never did. Even now I don’t think it happened. It was just Cade and Brody—who visited often—that were always around me.”
“In this case it was probably a good thing. You got to see the type of person Tyler was.”
She pushed her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. It was a vulnerable move she didn’t do often. “Yeah. But I was hurt. All those years my brothers warned me and like an idiot I let myself fall for it. Tyler had said when he realized I wasn’t going to sleep with him, he decided to get his grades out of it and move on. That hot chicks were lining up to be with him and he didn’t need to waste his time to work for it. Of course those words were never said until I was done getting him ready for his finals.”
“Asshole,” he said, wishing the prick was in front of him right now.
“He is that. But the worst part is, I let that cloud my judgment of all men going forward in my life. Even women to be friends with. I locked myself up even tighter than before. I’m to blame for that. I’m to blame for being alone so much in my life.”
“You’re not alone, Ella.”
“Not now, I’m not. Anyway, that’s the backstory with Tyler and why I’m the way I am. You were right to recognize there was more going on and I should have just told you parts of it, but I was ashamed and embarrassed to be labeled as one of those stupid women who fell for something like that.”
“There is no reason to be embarrassed or ashamed over it. And if we’re airing out dirty laundry, I shouldn’t have done what I did either. I should have just asked you.”
“I wouldn’t have told you if you asked.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better about your apology right now,” he said, narrowing his eyes.
A few more tears trickled down her cheek. “I know. I’m a horrible person for saying that, but I wanted to be honest.”
“Then I’m glad I did what I did.”
“You have every right to say that. But I’m going to tell you right now that I won’t lie to you again. That I won’t try to shoulder it all. And I won’t keep it in.”
“What is making you say that and how do I know to believe you?”
“Because I didn’t know what true love was until I met you. And last night I was so lost in my own anger that I didn’t realize that you’d said you loved me. That you’ve put everything on the line for me and I haven’t done the same.”
“You’re being harder on yourself than you need to be,” he said, reaching for her now and putting his arm around her shoulder. He didn’t want her hurting over the fact she didn’t repeat those words to him, even though he’d thought she would have. “You had to say what you needed to and my words were a distraction.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that it had to be a blow to your ego to say it and not have them returned.”
“My ego has suffered a lot of blows in my life,” he said.
“Yet, you keep trying and bouncing back. I need to learn from that.”
“So, are you saying you love me right back, Ella?” This time he was holding his breath. If she didn’t say it now, he’d be devastated.
“I do.” She wrapped both of her arms around his neck and held on tight. “If you’ll forgive me, that is. Even if you won’t, I’ll work on you. I’ll get you to believe me. I don’t want to lose what is probably the best thing that happened to me because of my own foolish words and careless actions.”
“You won’t lose me, Ella.” He kissed her on the lips. “I’m never letting you go.”
“That’s good to know.” She laughed. “Now I don’t need to cancel my interviews today.”
“What interviews?”
“For an assistant at work. One just for me that I and the family can trust. One to lessen my load a bit.”
“Now I know how much you love me!” See, it was better than asking for it!
Epilogue
“Did you get the fireworks?” Ella asked Travis when he arrived at her parents’ house for a Fourth of July party. In the past few months Jessica and Mason had gotten married, Cade and Alex were deep into wedding plans and she and Travis were getting closer.
She was the last one out of the womb and it looked like she might be the last one to get the family she always wanted.
Though she was happy with all her brothers’ wives, she was wondering if she’d ever have her own husband.
Travis didn’t seem to be holding onto the sorrow like he had before. He’d actually brought her to the cemetery last month to introduce her to his daughter. It took a lot for him to do it, especially when he’d said it was the first time he’d been there since they’d buried Violet.
“I did. They’re in the truck. I’ll just go grab some of your brothers and get them unloaded and secured somewhere safe for now. Looks like the weather is going to hold off on us.”
“I hope so,” she said, walking toward the back of the house holding hands with him.
The party grew, but not as big as her parents’ annual summer party. This one was filled with close friends and family. A lot of her extended cousins had shown up and Travis got to meet them again in a less formal setting than all of Mason and Jessica’s wedding activities. He’d laughed at just how outnumbered Ella and her cousin Jade were.
Even her Uncles Garrett and Grant came with her Aunts Carolyn and Diane. It was almost like a huge celebration rather than a summer picnic.
As daylight faded, Travis and Brody set up the fireworks while she kept his place on the lounge chair they’d been sharing.
Before the first one was set to go off, Travis said he’d be right back and walked out front.
He returned with a box in his hand, then sat down next to her. The backyard was lit up with lights and everyone could see what was going on.
“What’s this for?” she asked.
“Just a gift. Open it up,” he encouraged.
No one was saying a word and many seemed just as curious as her. She ripped the plain brown paper off and lifted the lid, and rather than scream at what was inside, she reached down and pulled out the clown and started to laugh. It was a girly clown in a princess dress.
“Not funny,” she said.
“But you’re smiling and laughing, not screaming or crying.”
“Very true.” She looked around at the shocked expressions on her family’s faces. “I’ve conquered my fear of clowns, thanks to Travis. He just reminded me it’s only Cade in a mask and, well, Cade has always been the clown of the family and since I love him, I should love clowns.”
Jessica laughed. “Can you convince Mason of that? I really want the boys to have a clown.”
Mason snorted. “We’ll see,” he said. “But don’t count on it.”
“This was very sweet of you,” Ella said, turning to kiss Travis on the cheek.
“The present the clown is holding opens. Lift the lid.”
She frowned over the tiny box in the clown’s hand and lifted the lid, then gasped. She almost dropped the doll, but Travis reached forward and steadied it, then tipped the doll upside down to get the prize out.
“I can’t believe you did it this way,” she said as she burst into laughter. There might be some tears in her eyes in front of everyone too and she didn’t care one bit. She no longer thought of tears as a weakness.
“If you were afraid of the clown when you opened this box, then I figured you wouldn’t think badly of them again after this.” He didn’t get on his knees and she didn’t expect him to, but he did grab her hand. “I know you said you’d never wear my name on a shirt, but how about taking it as yours? Will you marry me, Ella?”
“Yes,” her mother shouted before Ella could. She’d been surprised her mother was being so quiet.
“Yes, I will,” she told Travis, then leaned forward to kiss him soft
ly. “I don’t need you answering for me, Mom.”
Travis pulled her into his arms and held her tight, then turned to Jolene. “Sorry to spoil your plans, but I hope I’m good enough just the same.”
Jolene laughed. “Of course you are. I still think I gave her the push to make a move on you.”
Gavin started to laugh. “You guys are all a bunch of fools.” Ella looked over to see Ken, Travis’s father, standing next to Gavin now.
“Dad? What did you do?” she asked slowly. There was a look in his eyes that she hadn’t seen much in life, but often enough to know he was up to something. She’d always felt her father was the real sneaky one in the family, not her mother.
“Gavin!” Jolene shouted. “You didn’t.”
“What’s going on?” Ken asked everyone around the yard.
“Let me explain,” Gavin said. “We needed security several years ago. I came to you and you sold me on your son and I got to thinking how that is the type of man I’d love my daughter to end up with and I wanted to see if I was right. So I put him in front of you. It took you long enough, but I was right. You and I think a lot alike more than anyone else.”
“Nooooo,” Ella said. “No way. That was years ago. Long before Mom started finding the boys wives.”
Her father laughed. “Now, Ella. I didn’t pick him per se. You did that all on your own.”
Cade jumped in first. “Ella, I’m so disappointed in you. I thought you knew everything. How could you not have seen this? That Dad put someone in your path and you didn’t even know. For years!”
“Screw Ella,” her mother said. “I want to know how the heck you pulled this off, Gavin. I’m both annoyed and impressed.”
“You’ll get over it, Jolene,” he said, winking at her mother. “So, Travis? Thoughts on this?”
She looked at her future husband to see his reaction. “I guess I should feel honored that you feel I’d be the perfect mate for your only daughter.”
“That you should,” her father said.
***
After all the fireworks had gone off and the kids were all talking with their cousins, Gavin was in the kitchen with Jolene still laughing that she’d never figured it out after all this time.
The back door opened and his younger twin brothers walked in with their wives. Grant asked, “Did you guys really set all your kids up?”
“We did,” Jolene said. “I took care of the boys. Gavin only had to deal with Ella.”
He shook his head. “She was the hardest nut to crack and took the longest. I thought for sure she’d be the first to fall, not the last. Shows just how stubborn she really is.”
“She must take after her father,” his brother Garrett said. “Here’s the deal. We all want to see our kids settled down. Right?” he asked looking around the room.
“Yes,” Gavin’s sisters-in-law Carolyn and Diane said.
“Are you asking for our help with our nieces and nephews?” Jolene asked, rubbing her hands together.
“Yes,” Grant and Garrett said.
“Bring it,” Gavin said.
To be continued for...The Fierce Family
The Road Series-See where it all started!!
Lucas and Brooke’s Story- Road to Recovery
Jack and Cori’s Story – Road to Redemption
Mac and Beth’s Story- Road to Reality
Ryan and Kaitlin’s Story- Road to Reason
The All Series
William and Isabel’s Story — All for Love
Ben and Presley’s Story – All or Nothing
Phil and Sophia’s Story – All of Me
Alec and Brynn’s Story – All the Way
Sean and Carly’s Story — All I Want
Drew and Jordyn’s Story— All My Love
Finn and Olivia’s Story—All About You
The Lake Placid Series
Nick Buchanan and Mallory Denning – Second Chance
Max Hamilton and Quinn Baker – Give Me A Chance
Caleb Ryder and Celeste McGuire – Our Chance
Cole McGuire and Rene Buchanan – Take A Chance
Zach Monroe and Amber Deacon- Deserve A Chance
Trevor Miles and Riley Hamilton – Last Chance
The Fierce Five Series
Brody Fierce and Aimee Reed - Brody
Aiden Fierce and Nic Moretti- Aiden
Mason Fierce and Jessica Corning- Mason
Cade Fierce and Alex Marshall - Cade
Ella Fierce and Travis McKinley- Ella
Love Collection
Vin Steele and Piper Fielding – Secret Love
Jared Hawk and Shelby McDonald – True Love
Erik McMann and Sheldon Case – Finding Love
Connor Landers and Melissa Mahoney- Beach Love
Ian Price and Cam Mason- Intense Love
Liam Sullivan and Ali Rogers- Autumn Love
Owen Taylor and Jill Duncan – Holiday Love
Chase Martin and Noelle Bennett- Christmas Love
Zeke Collins and Kendall Hendricks – Winter Love
Troy Walker and Meena Dawson- Chasing Love
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