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Taking Shots

Page 137

   


Shea looked over at Elli. She was looking out the window at the houses as they passed by.
“Did you want to get a house together?”
Elli looked over at him, “The condo’s fine, don’t you think?”
He shrugged his shoulders, “I guess, but you have a lot of stuff. Your piano isn’t going to fit in the condo.”
“I was thinking that I was just going to bring my clothes over and shoes.”
Shea thought for a moment, before saying, “So you’re not truly moving in?”
“Well, I am, just I’m leaving my stuff at my house.”
“Why? Why don’t we get a bigger place? I don’t want you to sell your house because I was thinking we could live there when I retire.”
“Retire?”
“It will happen,” he said with a laugh as he turned onto the exit for Nashville.
“I’m not going to play forever.”
“I know, but I didn’t think you were thinking that far ahead, or even including me in that equation,” Elli said.
He looked over at her; she was biting her bottom lip, her face flushed. How could she think he wasn’t including her in the equation?
“Of course I am.”
“Oh,” Elli said, a delighted smile on her face, “I don’t know if I want people living in my house.”
“Fine. It’s paid off, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright, so it’s not like we’ll have to worry about that mortgage payment and a new one, so why don’t we look into getting something bigger? I think Grace knows a good realtor, or maybe we can use the one Jakob and Harper are using.”
Elli was quiet for a moment as Shea drove. He didn’t know if he should take her silence as a good thing or not, but he didn’t want to say anything. Plus, he didn’t know what to say. He said his peace; all he could do was hope for the best.
“A house?” she finally asked.
“Yeah. I mean my condo is on the big side, the only thing to add is more bedrooms, you know?”
“Yeah, but we aren’t married, what if we split up? Who gets the house?”
Shea thought about it for a moment, “Well, I doubt that will happen, but if it does, we can sell it, split the profit. Or if you want it, you can have it because if I’m not with you, baby, I’m not staying in Nashville.”
“You’d really leave?”
Shea shook his head, “I don’t know, baby, I don’t like thinking about it. In my mind, we’ll be together forever.”
“I like the way you think,” she said after a moment with a grin. He smiled back.
“So what do you say?”
“I say,” she bit her lip again, taking his hand in hers, “yes.”
The biggest, brightest smile crossed his face. Shea felt on top of the world, as if nothing or no one could touch him. They were going to buy a house together. Could life get any better?
Elli had been wearing the same grin for the past two days. Not only was she with the most amazing man in the world, one that plans amazing birthday parties and makes her scream something crazy in the bedroom, but she was moving in with him.
Really moving in, they had gotten the number of the realtor from Harper and Shea called Grace for the number of the one she knew. Everything was in the works, and Elli couldn’t be happier.
Only thing left to do was tell her daddy and Papa.
Lucky for her, they were both at the home game the following night, so Elli made her way up to Papa’s box decked out in her Adler gear. Shea had said he was going to get her a jersey that said “Adler’s Woman” on the back along with his number, but Elli said no. Call her superstitious, but she had had the same jersey since Shea became her favorite player. She was scared if she changed it something would happen or he would get traded. He, of course, laughed when she told him that. But she didn’t care, she was happy with her jersey. She wasn’t ever going to wear anything else.
Elli entered Bryan’s box, finding her father and uncle drinking it up as they talked hockey. When the door shut behind her, they turned with grins forming on their faces when they saw her. She doubted they would be smiling when she left, but oh well.
“It’s about damn time you came and sat with us!” Bryan said in his booming voice as he got up, hugging her tightly.
“I’m not staying up here to watch the game. I love my seats, these are too far up,” she said as she kissed her daddy’s cheek, “I came up to talk to y’all.”
“What’s up? You alright?” Michael asked, concern covering his face.
“I’m fine, Daddy. Why don’t we sit down?” she asked, pointing towards the bar. They didn’t move. Not that she expected them to.
“What’s going on, Eleanor?” Bryan asked sternly.
“Um, well, Shea wanted to come up here, too, but you know he’s getting ready and all but, um,” she stuttered.
“Eleanor, spit it out already, what’s going on?” Bryan asked, crossing his arms, “He knocked you up, didn’t he?”
“God no! Never! I’m on the pill!”
Michael and Bryan cringed, as Elli turned beet red. Shit, this was not going the way she wanted it too.
“No, I’m not pregnant.”
“Then what it is? I know that boy has enough sense to come to me first if he is trying to put a ring on your finger,” Michael said, as Elli cringed. This was not going well.