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Chapter Thirty-Six
Walking through the double doors of the Valentine Bay high school gym with Ella on his arm felt like he was leading a triumphant parade down Main Street, a hero returning from war. He grinned looking around at the decorations. The entire gym was swathed in red and white batting and bunches of balloons in the same shades were tied to everything that stood still. The place even looked like it was decked out to host a hero’s return.
His gaze moved to Ella’s face. A hero. That’s what he felt like with her, and that’s what he wanted to be.
This was, Donovan thought, quite possibly the proudest moment of his life. All of his other accomplishments—graduations, first day of duty, etc.—had been colored by grim determination. He’d felt that he was obligated, somehow, to achieve those milestones, and each one was only a step on the never-ending road to somehow, someway, finally being good enough.
This was different. This wasn’t something he’d earned. Hell, when he looked at Ella, how beautiful she was inside and out, he didn’t even feel worthy of her. But that was why he was so proud: she’d chosen him. Against all reason, she’d decided that he was her man.
Just the thought of it made him want to be better, stronger. For her. But it was a world apart from the kind of compulsion he’d felt to do more and go further in his career. That had been like a gnawing black hole that would never be filled. What Ella made rise up in him was a soaring inspiration to be worthy of her, and with her by his side, he had full confidence that he could do it.
The best part was that when she looked back at him, into his eyes, he saw those same feelings mirrored in her. They were two halves of the same whole, and they each spurred the other one on to greater heights.
Together, they could conquer the world. When he looked into the future now, he saw it sprawling out in front of them, shining with possibility and light. It was going to be great!
“Donovan Valentine, you were not raised to arrive late to events. What’ve you been doing, young man?” Donovan startled by his grandmother’s voice, turned and saw her walking up to him, accompanied by Troy.
“Yes, young man, what’ve you been doing?” his brother mimicked, a grin plastered across his face. Donovan shot him a glare then turned to his grandmother.
“Sorry, Gran. It won’t happen again.” He hoped the apology alone would be enough to satisfy her. He definitely didn’t feel like describing what he and Ella had been doing to make them so late.
Unfortunately, Genevieve chose that moment to approach the group. “Hey, Ella! Girl, I left you ages ago. What’ve you two been getting up to? A little bow chicka bow wow?”
Troy burst out laughing, and every visible inch of Ella’s skin was instantaneously engulfed in red. “Genevieve!” she growled, and then inclined her head toward Donovan’s grandmother.
“She isn’t suggesting anything that I didn’t already suspect,” the old woman said severely.
Donovan squeezed Ella’s hand. Time to end her misery.
“What exactly we were doing is no one’s business,” he said firmly, and Genevieve gave a little smirk, as did Troy. To his surprise, so did his grandmother. He continued, “But I should let you know that Ella and I are together. We’re making a real go of it.”
Genevieve squealed with delight and threw her arms around Ella, and Troy clapped his hand on Donovan’s shoulder.
Mrs. Valentine said, “I suppose that means you’ll be staying here in town, then, Donovan?”
“Yes. I haven’t really worked out all of the details yet. This is all still very new. But, yes, definitely. I’ll be staying here in Valentine Bay.”
His grandmother nodded in approval. As Ella pulled back from her hug with Genevieve, she turned toward his grandmother. Her voice quiet and reserved, she said, “I realize this must be a little disappointing for you. I do hope that you can get used to the idea, though. I love Donovan with all my heart, and I promise that I’m going to do everything I can to make him happy.”
The older woman drew back, her brow crinkling as she did. “Why on earth would you think that, girl?”
Ella tilted her head to the side. “Well…I mean, because it was really obvious that you wanted Donovan to get together with Vicki. The way you were pushing them together at the dinner…”
His grandmother snorted and shook her head. “I didn’t want him with Vicki Blair, that little social climber. She has no real interest in my grandson. She simply sees him as a means to an end. She wants to join the founding family. No, I was merely using the dinner as an opportunity to light a fire.”
“Light a fire? Grandmother, what are you talking about?” Donovan asked, not quite able to believe what he was hearing.
“Between the two of you. It’s been obvious since you were children that you were meant for each other. I thought perhaps you needed a little nudge to realize it yourself. And as it happened, it nudged you both right into the high school swimming pool not fifty yards from where we’re standing. So, while I don’t approve of your lack of decorum by any means, I do believe my methods were effective.”
“Gran, that was over the line! And totally unnecessary!” Donovan blurted. God, potential assassins of high ranking government officials couldn’t knock him off balance, but his grandmother? That was a different story.
“Over the line is debatable,” she replied airily, “but unnecessary? The twenty-odd years that you failed to take action when left to your own devices would say otherwise. I knew you were in town for only a short time and felt it was incumbent upon me to act. Now, we’ll say no more about it.”
He had another retort already prepared but snapped his mouth shut at those words. When his grandmother said that a subject was closed, it was closed. End of story.
“Oh, look,” Genevieve said, nudging Ella with her elbow, “there’s the little social climber now, climbing right up onto the stage.”
Vicki grabbed the mic. “Hello, Valentine Bay High School alums. Thank you all for coming out tonight!”
