Page 17 of Ella’s Data

“Okay, I’m nervous so I need you to give me some grace, Data, but what if… what if I told you that I wanted to be more than friends. I know we’re both older, and some things might have changed, but I’m ready to take a chance.”

The smile that crosses his face is the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen as he reaches over and clasps my hand in his. “I was hoping you’d come to that conclusion,” he replies. “Never stopped loving you, Ella, so when you said you only wanted to be friends, I was willing to accept that just so I could be close.”

“Data, we’ve seen each other every single day since our talk,” I remind him. “But it took Fee speaking some truth to me that made me really see what was right in front of me. I’m only worried about one thing, though.”

“What?” he questions.

“I don’t want to work at the hospital like Fee does,” I admit. “How will that work if I’m off taking assignments?”

“I’ll go with you, like Prophet does with Phoebe when she takes on an assignment,” he replies.

“Won’t that cause a problem with the club?” I query.

“Not really. One of the other brothers would monitor our security system, and as long as I have my laptop and internet access, I can do anything else anywhere in the world,” he advises. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to be gone for years at a time or anything like that,” he warns.

“Now that I realize why I’ve been busting my ass all these years, I don’t anticipate taking back-to-back assignments like I’ve been doing,” I tell him.

“Then it’s settled. Don’t think we’re going to drag this out indefinitely, Ella. You’re now my ol’ lady and as soon as I can figure out a way to do it, I’m putting my rings on your finger. Congratulations, you’ve now got a huge-ass family who’ll always have your back,” he states.

“Warp speed, I see,” I tease.

“No other way to travel,” he fires back, grinning at me. “Now, let’s finish our lunch because I’ve got a few more hours of work left at the haunted house.”

“I’m going over to Fee’s because we’re bringing everything there to stuff the goody bags for the kids after they go through the little haunted house,” I reply.

He pulls out his wallet and tosses some cash down. “Go buy some more candy and maybe some small toys to put in the bags.”

“Data, Esther’s been collecting stuff from her church friends, and Holly already brought it over to Fee’s. We should have plenty.”

“The haunted house opens on the fifteenth and closes after Halloween. That’s over two weeks of people going through so you’re going to need more,” he advises. “I’ll put in an order online and have it sent to Prophet’s house with more stuff, as well. Whatever we don’t use this year, which I expect won’t happen, we can put up for next.”

“If you’re sure,” I say. At his nod, I grab the money, unsurprised to see there are several hundred dollars, and pull out my wallet to put it inside. “I’ll stop before I go to her house, then. Thank you.”

I’m still buzzing with endorphins when I pull into the parking lot at Sam’s Club. Data’s kiss was searing and far too short, despite the fact I was breathless by the time we pulled apart. Grabbing my purse, I get out of my car and lock it before heading inside to spend his money on candy and toys for the kids.

“Holy shit, how much did you buy?” Fee asks when I walk in with my arms laden with bags.

“There’s more, I’ll be right back,” I reply before turning and going to get the last of the stuff.

Once I’m back inside, I walk straight to the kitchen, open the fridge and grin when I see a six-pack of Diet Coke. “You should’ve seen Eli’s face when I added those to the grocery list,” Fee says, giggling. “Since I switched over to non-caffeinated stuff while I was pregnant, I’ve lost the taste for them. Plus, I’m nursing so I don’t wanna fill her belly with artificial sweeteners. He calmed down once I told him they were for you.”

“Don’t blame you,” I reply, breaking the seal so I can take a long, satisfying drink. Who knew shopping was such thirsty work? While I love retail therapy as much as the next girl, most of mine is done online because of my job. Yet here, I’ve made a point to physically go to the store and discovered how much I’ve missed doing just that. “I added loaded teas to my morning, so I have cut down significantly on what I drink. I think they have a few flavors that are caffeine free, you should check them out.”

“Now, where should we start?” Fee asks, clapping her hands. “Both girls are down for their naps, so we’ve got a good two hours at least before I turn into a milk station.”

“Where’s the rest of the stuff?” I question.

“In the family room,” she replies.

“Then let’s move all of this there because knowing you, you’ve already got tables set up and a plan of attack,” I tease, putting my drink down and loading up my arms with bags.

“It’s scary how well we know each other,” she muses, grabbing the last few as well as my drink.

“Ma’am, we were roommates for a number of years, remember? In the trenches together when we first started out? I’d say you know me just as well,” I retort as I walk through the archway into the family room and gasp. “Holy crap, Fee, this is going to make it so easy!”

“Right? Esther’s ladies brought over the buckets. The blue ones are for kids who are autistic or have sensory processing issues, so those tables have fidget toys and candies appropriate for their situation. The turquoise ones will be for those with peanut allergies, and we’ll do those first to avoid cross-contaminating anything. She made a sign that asks the parent to advise if their child has a peanut allergy or is autistic. We’ll keep the turquoise ones separate as well just to be safe.”

“So well thought out,” I muse as I begin emptying the bags and putting the items inside on the appropriate tables.