“I don’t care, now eat your food and return to your room.”

Grace stomped off towards the kitchen, leaving Shea with the kids.

“Why do you have to go back to your room?”

“I said I wanted to come live with you.”

“Man, Ryan! Don’t bring me in this!” Ryan gave Shea a goofy smile before finishing his food right as Grace came back to the table. He excused himself and ran off to his room.

“Sorry I’m cooler than you,” Shea teased when he heard Ryan’s door shut.

“Shut the hell up,” Grace basically growled as she fed Amelia some more eggs.

Shea chuckled.

“So what brings you by?”

“Just wanted to see you before I head to the arena for practice. You guys coming to the game tomorrow?”

“We are. Ryan doesn’t miss home games.”

“So he’ll be off grounding tomorrow?”

“Probably.”

“Cool.”

“So are you sure your shoulder is okay?”

“Yeah, no big deal, just a deep cut.”

“Good. I was worried when I saw it.”

“I’m fine, sis.” Grace gave him a big smile and started eating herself. “James at work?”

“Yup, he left early.”

“Thought so.”

“How’s Elli?”

“Fine, she spent the weekend with me. I think she might come back tonight, I’m not sure.”

“That’s good, so everything’s solid?”

“Yeah,” he said with a shy grin, “I almost told her I loved her the other night.”

Grace dropped her fork and shook her head.

“It blows my mind, Shea. I mean you guys together is amazing, don’t get me wrong, but first you drop the girlfriend bomb on me, and then I see you guys together and it’s so surreal. The sparks fly when you’re near each other.”

“I love her.”

“Good, I want you to, Shea. I love her too, but it’s only been a month, and she’s skittish, so let it be for a little bit.”

Shea thought for a moment, “You don’t think she loves me?”

Grace shrugged her shoulder, moving around her eggs, “I don’t know, she likes you a lot that’s for damn sure, but I don’t share a connection with her the way I do with you. So I don’t know.”

“Sometimes I think she does, but I don’t know if it’s just wishful thinking.”

“Just wait, don’t tell her yet.”

“Okay,” he said before he started eating.

They ate in silence before he looked up at her and said “I’m meeting her family the week before the first road trip.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, will she meet mom and dad when they come in for the first home came in November?”

“She said she will as long as we’re still together.”

Grace made a face, looking up at him, “Why wouldn’t you guys be together?”

“She’s convinced that when I meet her family, I’ll dump her.”

“Oh no, are they scary?”

Shea laughed, while she grinned.

“She thinks so.”

Grace nodded before picking up their plates and Amelia’s to take them over to the sink.

“Are you nervous about meeting them?”

“No, not at all.”

“Have you ever met parents?”

“No.”

“Oh. Well, good luck with that.”

What the hell did that mean?

Chapter 14

“And why did I have to come in to cover you this morning?” Harper asked with a teasing grin when Elli came in two hours late, two weeks later. Elli sent a text to Harper the night before asking her to cover for her that morning. The only time Elli’s gynecologist would be able to see Elli was first thing this morning, unless she wanted to wait another five weeks. So she did the only logical thing, which was to call Harper.

“Did you have to go get some Xanax for your big night?”

Elli stood there for a moment. Hell, instead of getting birth control, she should have gotten Xanax instead. Her nerves were shot to hell!

“Why didn’t I think of that?” she asked, throwing her arms up in the air. Harper giggled as Elli came around the desk, looking at the appointment book. She was booked until 3:00. She had to close early today so she would have time to go home and get ready before Shea picked her up at 6:00. The dinner at her parent’s house was at 7:00, and she was not looking forward to it one bit.

“So where were you?”

“Doctors,” Elli answered simply as she turned from the desk and headed for her office. Of course, Harper followed. Elli threw her purse on the couch, and sat behind her desk, turning on her computer.

“Why did you go to the doctors? You okay?” Elli looked up at Harper.

She was sitting in one of the teal chairs in front of Elli’s desk, her legs pulled up so she could rest her head on her knees. Her hair was still her natural color, brown. She hadn’t dyed it since and Jakob had started dating, which Elli thought was weird.

“I’m fine, Harp,” Elli said to reassure her as she typed in her password, “I needed a check up, and I got…birth control.”

Harper was out of the chair, jumping up and down before Elli even had ”control” of out her mouth.

“So y’all are gonna do it!”