“I hear you, and you have every right to be angry.” He pulled me closer to him. “I suggest you take time to think about your response. This situation is delicate and could affect your relationship with your father for the rest of your life.” He furrowed his brows. “Please talk through your feelings with your therapist when we get home.”
As my chest relaxed, I said, “Yes, I will.” Eli was right, asusual. “Let’s enjoy a nice dinner and forget about it for now.” It seemed I was doing a lot of this lately, but it was the damn holidays.
On Christmas Evewe had a wonderful time with both our families, reliving traditions, eating mounds of delicious food and enjoying ourselves. There’d been no talk of trusts, only happy memories, even when Mom called Aunt Nadine.
On Christmas Day, Mom had made a ham with mashed potatoes, and she’d invited a few of her single friends to join us. We ate with them, opened presents and then left for Eli’s house in his father’s truck.
As we approached his family home, a modest two stories with the bedrooms all upstairs, he said, “Wren, before we go in there, I want to give you my present.” He stopped the truck in the driveway, cut the engine and turned to me. “It’s private.”
“Okay…” What the hell had he gotten me into? Would my present of a spa day look stupid compared to his? I held my breath for a moment. Wait a minute… “It’s not something sexy, is it?” I snorted.
“No, it’s not.” Chuckling, he gave my arm a soft backhand. “It’s…here.” Reaching into the back seat, he pulled a box from a bag, wrapped in green foil paper with a red ribbon on top, and then he handed it to me. “It’s sort of for both of us.”
“Yeah? Good. My present is for both of us too.” And thank God for web purchases. I rotated the container, attempting to shake it near my ear.
“Stop it.” He snatched my hand. “Just open it.” He scoffed a laugh.
“Fine.” I tore the paper open, and underneath was clearly a white jewelry box. What the hell? A bracelet maybe, like I’d given him that time in high school? “Jewelry, I like that.” When I opened the box, two silver rings shone at me, one smaller thanthe other. My heart bloomed with emotion, and I held my fingers to my mouth. “P-promise rings?” My eyes stung.
“Yes.” He pulled the smaller one out. “Wren, I want you to come with me to whatever city I end up in with my NFL contract. I’m not leaving you behind. This is my promise, and if you’ll have me, I’ll promise to propose properly when the time comes.” As his gaze found mine, his eyes glittered in the afternoon sunshine.
“Hell yes, Eli. I’ve been so consumed with my father’s bullshit, we haven’t had time to discuss what comes next.” As I showed him my finger, he slipped the ring on it. “I can find work wherever you go. As long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy.” I threw my arms around his neck and gave him a fierce kiss. “I love you, babe. So much.”
“I love you. This makes me so happy.” He hugged me tightly, sniffling again.
As he freed me, I said, “Can I give you my gift now? It’s only fair.” Fluttering my lashes, I gave him my most charming smile.
“Sure, why not.” He beamed at me.
I twisted into the back seat and pulled my envelope for him from the bag and then held it out to him. “Here. It’s for both of us too, but in a different way.”
“Okay.” He turned the envelope in his hands.
“Open it.” I pushed on his forearm. I was dying with anticipation.
He tore the envelope open and slipped a piece of paper out. As he read it, a broad smile swept his lips. “A spa day for two with massages? I can’t wait for this.” His gaze found mine. “After we play in the Sun Bowl on New Year’s Eve, let’s do this. My aching body thanks you in advance.” He leaned in, pressing his forehead against mine.
“You’re very welcome. I figured you could use a bit of pampering before you head to the combine.” I planted a deep kiss on his mouth.
Rapping filled the car. “Hey, are you coming in or what?”Harper stood outside the truck on Eli’s side, her arms crossed over her chest.
“Yeah, we’re coming.” Huffing a sharp laugh, Eli climbed out, and I followed him.
“Well? What were you doing in there?” Her gaze caught mine as I rounded the front of the truck. I held up my hand with the ring and wiggled my fingers. Might as well show it off.
Covering her mouth with her hands, she said, “He didn’t. I wanted to see it when he gave you the ring.”
“It was private.” Eli opened the cab’s back door and pulled out our bag of presents.
Slapping him on the ass, she said, “But I was there when you bought them.”
“It does not diminish the fact that it was a private moment.” Eli shut the door of the truck and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Come on, I’m looking forward to Mom’s turkey.”
As I fell in line with Eli and his sister, I gazed at the sun hanging low in the sky. This was the best Christmas ever, and no matter what happened with my father next year, I’d have Eli beside me, and he was all that mattered.
A few days after Christmas,we flew home to prepare for the bowl game in Texas. We’d spent more time with our families and Ethan, and I’d put the trust out of my mind. Having returned, the damn thing weighed heavily on me. Mom was pressuring me to talk to Aunt Nadine and to decide on a response.
I’d let Eli make me his special spaghetti dinner at my place, while Grace was out with friends. After we’d eaten, we settled in for a movie under blankets. The weather had turned pleasantly cold.
