Shekisses me again. “No, Maverick, I’m not that type. Trust me, ask mybrothers, I tell them straight up if a gift is lame. Thank you. Ilove it. It’s…been a long time since I got a gift outside of theusual occasions. You’re very thoughtful.”
“I’m glad.” I say, watching her put the necklace on. It looksperfect on her.
“What did your mama say?” she asks.
“She’s being real about it, Ellie. She knows how hard thismust be for you.”
“I appreciate that. Your mama seems like a fantasticperson.”
“You bet she is. And she’ll be kicking any of my brothers’asses, too, if she finds out that any of them are spreading thenews. Mama’s the type to shoot first and then takenames.”
“I bet she is. Raising all boys…she must besomething.”
“I can tell that she’s real happy, too, Ellie. And if y’allever need anything, she’d be there for you, darlin’.”
She justsmiles warmly. “Thank you.”
“So, tell me about this Denice. She sounds real nice.” I say,changing the subject.
“She is. She…um…saw the onesie that I stupidly left out. SoI’m not much better at keeping things under my hat,Maverick.”
“How was she about it?”
“Fine. She’s not all biased because I’m divorced from herbrother or anything like that. No, Denice and I knew each otherlong before I got together with Will. She’s a good girl. I loveher. We’ll always be friends. Plus, she’s not thrilled with the waythat Will’s behaving, or has behaved.” A chuckle. “I think shelikes me more than him.”
I can’thelp but chuckle.
Elliepicks up the photo frame and looks at the picture. “God, this issure going to be one screwed up family, isn’t it.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, we’re not together, I’m best friends with myex-sister-in-law, I’m not talking to my biological sister, andyou’re ready to tear the heads off your brothers if they open theirmouths about this.”
I grinat her. “That’ll all change, darlin’. Well, except the part aboutyour ex-sister-in-law, I suppose.”
Shegives me a strange look, but then she looks at the photo again. “Isuppose everyone’s going to find out sooner or later, huh. Might aswell leave this out now.”
“There’s a magnet on the back, too, love, if you want to justput it on the fridge.”
“Maybe that’s a good idea, actually. That way it’ll encourageme to eat when I go near the fridge.”
“There you go.”
Sheyawns as she hangs it on the fridge. “Y’all had a long day,huh.”
“Every day is a long day when you’re pregnant.” She says onexhale, but I hear the soft chuckle in her voice.
“You want me to hang around or head out so you can get somesleep?”
Aftershe hangs the photo on the fridge, she swallows and looks at me, asif taking time to consider her answer. The dinner plate eyes shegives me tells me all that I need to know.
“I brought a change of clothes, darlin’. I’ll be right back.”I say, answering her expression.
***
Ellie
WhenMaverick told me that his whole family knows, strangely, it wasn’toverwhelming. I figure a pregnancy is pretty difficult to hide, andI’m not much of a secret keeper myself. Most of the time I’m moreguilty of telling too much. So I couldn’t be angry with him. Infact, I find it difficult to think of ever being angry with him.Maverick is far too sweet. We lay on the couch together, and itfeels so nice, just cuddling. It’s so strange to think about howdifferent our relationship is now. It used to be that he wasn’teven one foot in front of me, and we were ravaging each other. Notenderness. No closeness. It was all physical.
