It's About Time (Blossom Peak #4)(115)

Carol reaches out for my hand. “Of course. You deserve someone who can appreciate you, and knows how incredible you are, sweetie. And well, Elliot Thorne threw a punch for you and has never been hard on the eyes, if you catch my drift.”

Nick holds up the bread basket. “The garlic toast catches your drift, honey.”

She swats at him playfully. “Oh, stop it.”

I m eet her eyes again. “I’m in love with him.” Saying the words out loud makes them all the more real, even though I know this thing between us is anything but fake anymore.

“Oh, honey! I’m so happy for you!” Tears cloud her eyes. “But why didn’t you invite him tonight then?” Carol prods. “You know he would have been welcome.”

“Elliot just took over his father’s practice this week, so he has plenty to keep him busy at the moment.”

Carol frowns. “I heard about his father. Such a shame.”

“Yeah, well, karma is a bitch, right?”

I still can’t believe that a father would do that to their own son, but then again, I didn’t have the best parents either.

I certainly do now though.

“Besides, I wanted to talk to Henley without Elliot here.”

Carol rolls her eyes. “Your brother has come a long way in the past year, but he still has that protective instinct when it comes to you. Deep down I think he always will because of your childhood. But even if he has a problem with you and Elliot, he will get over it if that’s what is going to make you both happy.”

Thinking back over the past five weeks, I can’t remember a time when I’ve been this content and yet terrified at the same time. I know that Elliot said he and Henley already talked, but there are things I need him to know too.

“Has Elliot tried talking to Henley? Maybe that will help,” Carol suggests.

“Yes, actually. They talked before we went to Motorlux, which I didn’t know until after I admitted that I had fallen for Elliot.”

Carol squeals. “Oh my God, Nick. Our daughter has fallen for a boy!”

“ Jesus,” my brother mutters as he walks through the door, Remy on his hip and Elodie trailing behind him with a bag from Bites & Bliss. “This would be the conversation I walk in on.”

“Oh, knock it off, Gorilla Man,” Elodie says, slapping him on the arm as she walks past him and straight over to the empty chair next to me, sliding onto it. “Did I hear that correctly? That you’ve fallen for Elliot?” She’s practically bouncing in her seat, and probably with good reason. The only person I’ve spoken to about mine and Elliot’s relationship status since we got back from California is Laney, so Elodie and Vienna are still in the dark, as far as I know.

My eyes meet Henley’s just as Carol stands from the table, reaching for Remy. “Why don’t you and your brother go talk in the garage? Elodie, are you hungry, honey?”

“Just for cake,” she says, moving to take the bag from the bakery into the kitchen. “But Dilynne, you need to see the cake before you run off with your brother.”

Standing from the table, I follow Elodie into the kitchen and watch as she lifts the lid on the dessert. I fucking knew it! is written in dark blue frosting, with a capital C underneath.

Shaking my head, I mutter, “Freaking Carolina.”

Elodie bounces on her toes. “She was very excited to send you a message on a baked good this time.”

Henley pushes a hand through his hair. “Come on, Dil. Let’s get this over with.”

“God, you’re such a joy to talk to. Makes me wonder how the hell you scored Elodie.”

“He’s a big softie, Dilynne!” Elodie shouts from the kitchen as Henley and I head toward the garage. “Don’t let him fool you.”

Onc e my brother and I take our seats in the rocking chairs Nick has out here, he lets out a heavy sigh. “Elliot already talked to me, you know.”

“I do know, but there’s something that I need to say to you too.”

His brows draw together. “Like what?”

Clearing my throat, I adjust myself in the rocking chair. “I told myself after being with Vinnie that I would never settle again, that if I let myself fall for someone a second time, I’d be smarter, more intentional, but the thing is…I never thought I’d fall for Elliot Thorne.”

He huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, you and me both.”

“But I love him, Henley.” My voice doesn’t waver. “And he loves me in a way that I’ve always wanted from a partner.”

He pushes a hand through his hair. “I’ve known Elliot for nearly twenty years now, right?”

“Yes…”

“And if there’s one thing I’ve always known about him, it’s that he loves hard, just like you. My reservations about the two of you were never about him, they were about you, Dilynne.”

“Wow. Okay. Uh, not sure how to take that.”

He shakes his head. “The only reason I was worried to begin with is because I didn’t want to see you get hurt again.” He reaches up and rubs the center of his chest. “I can’t handle watching you go through something like that for a second time, and watching Elliot go through it has been tough too, but you’re my sister, you know?”

“And I love you for that, but I have to live my life, and you can’t protect me from everything, Henley…”