Page 80 of Holding Ground

CHAPTER

THIRTY-TWO

Elliott

Ipin Emelia in as she dries the pan I used to make dinner tonight, my hands on the counter on either side of her hips.

Normally, she would do the dishes right after dinner, but Baylor convinced her that the two of them had to go for a walk after dinner so that she could show Emelia how the leaves are starting to change.

All the more reason for me to have the conversation I need to have with Emelia tonight, now that I’ve put Baylor down for bed.

“You just about done?” I drag my nose up the column of her neck, and she shivers.

“Last one.” She runs the towel over the bottom of the pan and sets it on the other side of the sink, where the rest of the dried dishes rest.

“I want to show you something.” I press my hips forward, and as I knew she would, she presses her backside into me. She’s only wearing leggings, but even through my jeans, I can feel the curve of her.

“What is it?” She turns in my arms and plays with the back of my hair.

“A surprise.”

A smile spreads across her face. “What kind of surprise?”

“The kind I’m not going to tell you about until I show you. Now, close your eyes, and I’ll lead you there.”

“Seriously?”

I nod. “Yup. Close them, and don’t peek.”

“Okay.”

She does as I ask, and I lead her toward the sliding glass door. When I open it and the cool air blows past, she stops.

“Should I go get a sweater or a coat?”

“You’ll be fine. I promise.”

“If you say so.”

I lead her out of the house, down the steps of the deck, and onto the dock. She’ll know by now where I’m taking her, but she won’t know why. Once we come to the end of the dock and are standing near the loungers, I tell her to open her eyes.

She does. It takes her a minute to recognize what’s different here, but when she does, she brings her hands to her mouth. “You got one of those heaters like at the pub.”

“I did. Now we can sit out here and stay warm until you have to leave.”

She flinches at the mention of eventual departure but quickly buries her reaction. “This is great.” She walks forward and sits on a lounger.

“You were right. I can’t believe I didn’t think of getting one of these before now.” I settle beside her, and she places a hand on my chest.

The warmth from the heater seeps into us. Normally, when we come out here at night, we’re huddled under a thick blanket and wearing thick sweaters. But I only have on a long-sleeve shirt and athletic pants, and Emelia is wearing black leggings and a thin sweater.

We’ve had some of our best conversations out here, which is why I wanted to be out here when I bring up what we need to talk about. Not that I think she’ll be upset—it was always part of the plan—but things are different now, so I’m not sure where her head is.

“I haven’t gotten a chance to tell you yet, and I didn’t want to mention it at dinner in front of Baylor until we had a chance to talk, but the bunkie repairs are done. I finished the last of them today.”

“That didn’t take quite as long as you thought. That’s great.”

I nod. “It is, but…well, I’m not sure how to say this, so I’m just going to say it. I know things between us are different than they were when you first arrived here. And I’ve loved having you stay with Baylor and me, but⁠—”