by Kari Lemor
Luke sighed and pointed to the plate. “Share some dessert with me.”
Elle plopped into a chair and huffed. “Why not?”
As they nibbled on the delectable food, Elle made comments about some of the people milling around.
“So, the bitch with the blue hair. Did you ever go out with her?”
Luke squinted across the room. “I can’t even figure out who she is. She’s not wearing a name tag, and I don’t remember her from any of our classes.”
“Holly Jenkins. Hung out with Taylor and her friends.”
“That’s Jolly Holly? Wow, she’s changed.”
Elle laughed. “She’s had her boobs done and a nose job. Cut and color on the hair. Jolly Holly? I didn’t know kids called her that.”
Luke cringed. “Well, some of the guys did. She was backup for when Taylor was busy, if you know what I mean.”
That got a grin on Elle’s face. Spooning in another piece of chocolate cake, she glanced around and waved.
Janine Broussard waved back. “Were you friends with Janine?”
Elle shrugged. “Not really, but she just talked me off the ledge in the ladies’ room.”
God, he hated that Elle was anywhere near a ledge.
“Did you sleep with her?”
Luke froze. Shit. Was she going to ask that of every woman in the room? It was a question he didn’t want to answer and didn’t think she’d appreciate knowing. He’d been a scum. Until recently it had never bothered him, but now the shame dripped over him like a bucket of slime.
“Janine? No. She had too much class for that.”
“Oh, that was good.” Elle set the spoon down and licked her lips. He wanted to be doing that. Maybe he should. It might help improve things a little.
Standing, he cradled her hand. “Let’s dance, babe. I need to hold my gorgeous wife in my arms. Maybe she’ll even let me steal a kiss if I’m real good.”
Elle smirked but allowed herself to be led to the dance floor. A soft, slow number was playing, so he circled his arms around her and swayed to the music.
“You are so beautiful, Ellie,” he whispered near her ear.
A tiny chuckle slipped from her lips. “Like a beluga whale.”
He pressed a kiss to her lips. “A beautiful beluga whale.”
She snorted and slapped at his shoulder. Luke laughed along with her and noticed a few others glancing their way. If they wanted to look, then he’d give them a show.
With one hand caressing her back, he smoothed a strand of hair away from her cheek with the other. He kissed her again, this time with a little more passion.
“Luke, we’re in the middle of a crowded room.” Still, she didn’t pull away.
Another kiss. “I don’t give a shit. I want my wife to know how much she excites me. How much I need her and care for her. How much she means to me.”
Elle softened in his arms, and a genuine smile warmed her face. “You know we’ll be the topic of conversation, right?”
His lips nipped at her ear, then skimmed her jawline. “If that’s the case, let’s give them something good to talk about.” His mouth closed in on hers.
Chapter Eighteen
The knock sounded on the front door, and Elle groaned. She wasn’t quite finished picking up. Luke had been so sweet to her, but the man didn’t know how to clean up after himself.
“Hey, Ellie. You ready?” Alandra called from the front hallway.
“In the kitchen.”
Soft heels clicked on the wooden floors, and Elle took a last swipe of the counters, Hopefully, she’d gotten most of the crumbs from the toast Luke had made before he’d left for drill this weekend. The bread had been left out and the bag open. The cover of the butter dish had still been on the counter, while the dish and butter itself abandoned on the kitchen table. The jar of peanut butter had somehow ended up in the sink, the dirty knife stuck in the jar.
When Alandra entered the room, Elle frowned. “Sorry. I’m running late. Trying to tidy up a little.”
Alandra glanced around. “The place looks great. Greg and I have two kids running around, leaving toys everywhere. It’s never this clean.”
“They’re at your mom’s, right?”
“Yep. She takes them once a week if Greg has to work, so I can have a little time to myself.”
Alandra and Greg had only been married since December, but it was a second marriage for both of them.
“Does Greg help pick things up or do you do it all?”
“We try to get the kids to clean up a good portion of their mess. Jillian’s only four, though, so she needs help at times. Since Greg lived on his own with Ryan for years, he’s pretty good at picking up after himself.”
“That’s great. Maybe he can give Luke some lessons.”
Alandra laughed. “Luke lived with Alex for a lot of years. I don’t think Alex lets anyone else clean, because no one does it as well as he does. I know Gina has said how much she loves not needing to do it. Speaking of…we should head over if you’re ready.”
There was still so much to do, but she’d promised to spend some time with the ladies. After a week of work, she could use some downtime.
After grabbing a sweater, she followed Alandra to Gina’s. It still seemed strange that she had a sister-in-law who lived next door. And Alandra was a cousin-in-law, kind of. She wasn’t sure what to call her. Certainly, she could call her friend. Both women had been godsends in dealing with the Storm family. While every last one of them was nice down to the core and would do anything for you, when you’d been raised like Elle had been, it took some getting used to.
Gina waited at the front door for them and gave them hugs as they entered. She led them into the kitchen and motioned for them to sit.
“I made a one-dish meal. Well, Alex put it together, stuck it in the oven, and set the timer. But I took it out when I was supposed to. I think that counts for something.” Gina plucked oven mitts from a hook on the wall, then carried over a steaming casserole dish.
“That counts for everything,” Elle agreed, drooling. The food smelled delicious.
Once they’d filled their plates and taken a few bites, Gina cocked her head at Elle.
“Have you recovered from the class reunion? Luke told Alex what that bitch, Taylor, did and how he was pissed.”
Elle’s heart hurt that Luke shared what had happened with others. “That he had to marry his one-night stand? Yeah, kind of sucks.”
“No!” Gina yelled and dove in for a hug. “Luke was pissed that Taylor was being her usual bitchy, mean-girl self. This baby may not have been planned, sweetie, but Luke is so excited about it. He and Alex had a heart-to-heart last night when he stopped in, and he couldn’t stop yapping about how he can’t wait to hold his new baby.”
“So he didn’t tell you that Taylor poked pinholes in a bunch of condoms at my cousin’s wedding?”
Gina smirked. “He mentioned that, too.”
“Wait,” Alandra said. “This bitch poked holes in condoms and people haven’t pummeled her yet? What a jerk.”
Elle’s face heated up, so she took a sip of her water.
Alandra reached over and patted her hand. “I have to say I’m glad you had the condom mishap. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gotten to know you or been related to you. Although I have a feeling Luke would have gotten around to being with you, anyway.”
Elle gave a fake smile, not wanting to deny what Alandra suggested. Even if she knew better.
Squeezing her hands, Alandra said, “I love having you next door, Ellie. You and Gina and our little get togethers has been so essential to keep me from going crazy. You ladies balance me out.”
Gina perked up. “I know. Aren’t we great? And if you get pregnant, Alandra, we can all be hormonal together.”
Alandra laughed. “We’re working on it. Only practicing for now, though. Greg and I thought Ryan and Jilly needed some time to get used to having each other as new siblings before we throw another one in the mix.”<
br />
Gina’s eyes gleamed. “But a baby by you and Greg will be the thing that bonds them together.”
“I think Tessa wants another baby.” Elle played with her napkin. “She stares at me and Sara with such longing on her face. I’d think three kids would be enough.”
Gina’s expression softened. “Tessa grew up in foster care and never had any family. Since she’s found her dad, she’s got more, not to mention the million Storms, but I think she likes the idea of having as much family as possible. I bet they’ll have another one soon. I never would have pictured Erik as this Papa Bear, but he’s so great with his kids.”
“I never pictured Luke with kids either.” Elle sighed, wanting so much to be the perfect loving family like Tessa and Erik. “I hope he’ll be like Erik. And Greg.”
Alandra nodded. “Yeah, Greg is excellent with Ryan and Jillian. It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with him. Whenever Ryan came over for piano lessons, Greg would sit at Jillian’s little table and chair set and have a tea party with her.”
Gina clutched her chest. “If that doesn’t hit the old ovaries, nothing will. Of course, Alex will most likely give our kids lessons on how to properly clean and organize the house.”
All three women laughed, knowing what Gina said was accurate. Maybe Alex could teach her kid to clean and organize too, since his father wasn’t likely to do it.
Since she’d moved in five weeks ago, she’d been running herself ragged attempting to keep the house spotless. But it was such a huge house. Even though they didn’t use all of the rooms, Elle still felt like she had to go in to dust the furniture and clean the floors. Then, picking up Luke’s clothes, washing, drying, folding, and putting them away took time. His dirty clothes were always on the floor, which wasn’t as easy to pick up from with her ever-increasing stomach.
They used the downstairs room more often, especially the kitchen, living room, and den. Elle wanted to make sure those rooms were presentable at all times, since any one of the Storms could drop in at any time. Normally that would be lovely, but with still working her full-time job and needing to get in bed early, she spent much of her free time cleaning.
She’d also been attempting to go through all the boxes she’d brought from her apartment. For the moment, they were in an extra bedroom, but Luke had suggested they host some of his family at times so Alex and Gina didn’t have everyone, and they’d need those rooms ready for guests.
“What time does Alex get back from working at the Community Center tonight?” Elle asked, trying to get her mind off all she had to do at her house.
Gina dabbed her face with a napkin. “Tonight is a carpentry class with teenagers to help them fix stuff around the house. I think it’s a full class, which means a bunch of them will have questions and want extra help afterward. I doubt he’ll be home until close to eleven. Is Greg off at eleven, Ali?”
Alandra’s eyes twinkled. “He is. And we’ve got no kids at home. Hmm, wonder what we’ll do.”
They all laughed. Gina said, “If you don’t know, then we need to talk.”
Elle sipped at her water, aware that her doctor had told her she was a bit dehydrated at her last appointment. It might be the reason she always had a headache lately.
As they finished up their meal, they chatted about the party coming up in a few weeks for the thirtieth anniversary of Storm Electric.
“Molly has everything organized already. Still, I’m sure we’ll all be called in to help out that week and during the party.” Gina grabbed her plate and silverware and placed them in the sink.
Elle and Alandra helped clear the table and wrap up the leftovers, then wiped down the table and counters. It wasn’t so much work when you had others helping her. The last thing she wanted was to nag Luke to clean up after himself, even though it sounded like Alex had done it for years. And Molly for years before that.
“Let’s go sit in the parlor,” Gina said, making the last word sound fancy. “You probably need to put your feet up.”
Elle nodded, and Gina and Alandra took the couch. Elle got the Queen Anne chair with the cushy foot stool. She sighed as she elevated her feet.
“Your ankles look so swollen.” Alandra frowned when she gazed at Elle’s feet. “Has the doctor seen them like that or is it just because it’s Friday night and you’ve been on them all week?”
“She mentioned it at my appointment yesterday. Edema, she said, then told me I should try and stay off them if I get a chance.” Dr. Chaudhri had also noticed the swelling on her hands, as well, and hadn’t been happy. If it got worse, she wanted to know. Elle still had five weeks to go in her pregnancy if the baby was on time.
“Can I do anything to help you?” Gina asked, tucking her feet under her on the couch, something Elle hadn’t been able to do in months.
“You’re pregnant, too, Gina. And I know how tired you get in those first months, to say nothing of the nausea and aversions to food. I’ll be fine.”
“If you need anything,” Alandra said, “Greg and I are home all weekend.”
“You have the kids to take care of. There’s no need to worry about me.”
“We do worry,” Gina said, “because you’re family now, and we love you bunches. Alex is home all weekend, too. Luke doesn’t get back until late Sunday night. I remember his drill schedule.”
Alandra shifted in her seat. “Greg’s planning to drive to Portsmouth and pick up the kids tomorrow afternoon, and he’ll most likely stop to let them run along the beach on his way home to give me some extra time. Is there anything you still need to do in the baby’s room? I know the shower isn’t until next weekend and you’ll get tons of stuff then, but I can help in any way if you need me. Take advantage.”
Tears filled Elle’s eyes, and she blinked them back. They came too often these days with the increased hormones. “You’re both so sweet. And Ali, you don’t have to have the shower at your place. I feel bad that you’ll need to clean it and host. I can do it at my place.”
Alandra waved her hand in the air. “Don’t even worry about it. Our living room is huge and open and perfect for a shower. Molly, Luci, and Anna have plans to come in Thursday and Friday and sweep through the place for me while I’m at work. They’ll have the house cleaner than it’s been since Luci and Nick lived there.”
Gina laughed. “And if the party is at your place, maybe you get to keep a few more of the leftovers.”
Laughing, Alandra placed her forefinger in front of her lip. “You aren’t supposed to point that out. The key is knowing where to hide it in the fridge so no one else finds it.”
Elle sighed, picturing the mess Luke consistently left in the kitchen. “As long as I don’t have to clean it all up, I don’t care who takes it home.”
Luke hefted his huge pack out of the car, then grabbed the smaller duffel. After closing the car door with his hip, he hoofed his size ten tactical boots up the rest of the driveway and onto the porch. Juggling his bags, he fingered the front door key and inserted it in the lock. Even though Squamscott Falls was a safe town, he’d instructed Elle to lock the doors if he wasn’t here. No need to tempt fate.
He dropped the packs on the floor in the hall, reminding himself to sort them out later. There’d been lots of mud at the training camp this weekend, and most of his fatigues were covered with it. He wanted to see Elle first. He’d hated leaving her by herself all weekend, but there hadn’t been much choice. Alex had promised he’d check on her, and Gina mentioned the three ladies on the street would be getting together for a gab session Friday night.
Checking his phone, he frowned that Elle hadn’t responded to his earlier text. As he tromped down the hall, he unbuttoned his jacket. He needed a shower desperately but wanted to see where his wife was first.
His wife. Wow, that word still knocked him over. In a good way. Who would have thought Luke Storm was happy being shackled to one woman? Not any of the guys in his unit, that’s for sure. They’d given him shit all weekend. He’d just grinned, know
ing Elle was waiting at home for him when he got back.
Glancing at his watch, he wondered where she was. It was barely seven.
The kitchen was spotless. No surprise there. Elle seemed to be as neat and tidy as Alex. Luke opened the fridge and searched for something he could snack on quickly. He took out the package of cheese and snagged a few pieces, tossing one in his mouth immediately. It had been hours since he’d had anything to eat.
A strange sound drifted from the den. He tossed the package of cheese on the counter and shoved the rest in his mouth as he marched in that direction. Elle lay on her side on the couch, a pillow wedged under her belly. She was snoring lightly. The TV played some news show. Doubtful that’s what she’d been watching. Elle hated news shows. How long had she been asleep?
It was still early for bed, but she’d been exhausted lately. He could carry her up. Then, he glanced down at his fatigues and shook his head. Nope. Shower before that. No way he’d want Elle rubbing up against him in this.
First, he needed to kiss her. Even if she didn’t know. Pressing his lips to her forehead, he tucked her hair behind her ear.
“I’ll be back soon, babe. Get some rest.”
She didn’t even stir, and Luke frowned. Not that he wanted to wake her up, but he kind of did. He’d missed her this weekend. Missed sleeping next to her at night and waking up next to her in the morning. Missed rubbing her belly and feeling their child press back against his hand. God, he still couldn’t get over how that felt.
He trotted up the stairs, shucked his clothes, and jumped in the shower. The barracks he’d stayed in this weekend had been damp and musty, making him want to stay in the shower for longer. Knowing Elle was downstairs spurred him into moving faster. After toweling off, he slipped into a pair of sweats and darted back down the stairs.
Elle hadn’t changed position at all. His stomach rumbled, reminding him the small amount of cheese hadn’t filled him up. He threw together a grilled cheese sandwich and plucked a soda from the fridge. He set them on the side table in the den, then gently shifted Elle, so he could slide onto the couch and rest her head on a pillow in his lap.