Kelly and Grace nodded. Forrester helped Grace into the booth, offered a hand to Kelly, and then lifted Elle up off her feet and put her down on his side of the booth, getting in next to her.
“A bottle of champagne, Harry,” Forrester said.
“Not for me,” Elle said.
“Oh, sorry, love. I totally forgot. And some sparkling water too, with lemon.”
Elle smiled. Forrester looked at her and couldn’t take his eyes off her. She drove him wild now. If someone had told him a month ago that he could be even more attracted to her than he had been at that point, he’d have laughed and told them it wasn’t possible. Now, he knew just how real his love for Elle was, and it was deeper and stronger than he’d ever have imagined possible. The knowledge that she was giving him a baby, it almost made his heart burst. She was going to do all that, just for him. She was going to allow her body to be transformed, she would carry his child, go through all that physical change, and then go through the pain of childbirth, all out of nothing but love for him. It was overwhelming. He prayed he was worthy of all that love and sacrifice. And he prayed that he could somehow repay Elle for that gift, through the love he gave her in return, and the effort he would put into ensuring her happiness, every single day of his life.
He smiled at the girls. They were talking about what they were going to order and when Harry came over they gave him their orders. Forrester ordered a steak and fries.
“Kelly,” he said, when Harry left, “can I ask you something a little personal?”
Kelly looked at Elle. “I’m not sure, Forrester. That depends on what it is.”
Grace laughed. “I know what it is,” she said.
Forrester nodded at her. In his experience, Grace was usually right when she had a hunch.
“He’s going to ask what a beautiful girl like you is doing, being single,” Grace said.
Kelly blushed. She was shy. Forrester felt bad for embarrassing her. “You don’t have to answer,” he said.
“No,” she said. “It’s fine, it’s just, it’s complicated. It’s a very long story, Forrester. I’m not sure I could get into it tonight.”
“I totally understand,” he said.
“Maybe one day, when we have more time, I can tell you my whole story.”
“I’d like that,” Forrester said.
Elle smiled. Forrester was pretty sure he’d just put his foot in it. There was more to Kelly’s situation than he’d realized. It was painfully obvious to him that all three of the women knew far more about it than he ever would.
Elle came to his rescue, dispelling the awkwardness he’d created.
“So, Forrester, husband to be?”
He smiled when she said that. It made his heart beat harder. It also made his cock stiffen for her.
“When are you going to take me to meet your family?”
“Really?” Forrester said in surprise.
He wanted nothing more than to take her back to the Socorro Valley, but he’d been afraid she wouldn’t want to go. He wasn’t sure why he’d thought that. Maybe because Elle seemed so happy at the diner.
“You really want to go meet them.”
“Silly, I’m dying to meet them. They’re going to be my new family.”
“Yes they are,” Forrester said, and put his arms around her and pulled her in close.
Chapter 49
Elle
ELLE’S EYES GREW WIDER AND wider as Forrester drove her through the Californian mountains and down toward the coast.
“This is so beautiful, Forrester.”
He put his hand on her lap and smiled at her.
“You’re not nervous, are you?” he said, reassuringly.
She shook her head. She should have been nervous, but the truth was, Forrester was so protective of her and so attentive, that she felt perfectly comfortable.
“I had no idea you were from such a nice place,” she said.
“Well, I’m from Stone Peak. But this is where I learned how to be a man, thanks to Lacey and her father and the rest of the Brotherhood.”
Elle smiled. “Forrester,” she said, “what exactly is the Brotherhood.”
“Well,” Forrester said, “I know that’s a question that I’ve been dancing around for the past few weeks, and I know it’s something that you need to know about, but I want Jackson to be the one to tell you about it.”
“Why Jackson?”
“Because his path crossed with yours once before. Not that either of you knew it. But he and Faith were once involved in something that I think you’d be interested to hear about. They’re going to be the best people to explain the Brotherhood to you.”
Elle nodded. It was all very mysterious but she didn’t mind. She trusted Forrester. She knew he was a good man. He wasn’t an angel, and she had no illusion that the Brotherhood was something sweet and innocent, but she could tell it wasn’t something she needed to worry about.
When the truck came to the crest of the mountain pass and she saw for the first time, the immense and startling beauty of the Pacific Ocean in front of her, it took her breath away.
“Forrester, this is beautiful,” she said.