“That’s my house. I want to live a simpler life than the other heirs, but I have always had a certain weakness for beautiful things. Like that house.” His lips brushed her ear. “I live alone there. There has never been anyone but you, not since Paige, and I hope never again. You are everything I’ve ever wanted. I’ve kept secrets from you, and I don’t know that I deserve your forgiveness. But if you could just, maybe let me try to make it up to you—I’m willing to sacrifice everything that I am for who you are. Even if you do just want to use me for my money, I would take it, just so that I don’t have to be away from you for another day. Elly, you are the one….”
Elly spun around, wrapping her arms around his neck. The garden and everything around them faded into a blurry, watercolored background. There was only Keith, his eyes apologetic and honest, and Elly, her lips inches from him. “Keith….” She leaned her forehead against his, trying very hard to keep her breathing steady. She raised her eyes to meet his. “You can’t hide anything from me. Not ever again.”
Keith’s eyes met hers, wide and unflinching, and Elly knew in that moment that she would never have to worry about him again. “I won’t. I swear.”
Elly leaned forward. “Then hear me out: I want you. I want to be with you, more than I’ve ever wanted anything. I know that if I just gave myself over to you, everything would be perfect, but….”
“What? What is it?” Keith’s eyes were alarmed.
Elly felt his breath on her face. Keith, the thing she desired above all others. “I need you to know that I will never get a DNA test for Dennis. Never. And if that’s something that you can’t live with, then …,” a look of fierce determination came over her face, “then I can’t be with you, even if it would break my heart every day. Dennis is an essential part of my life now. He comes with the package. All of him.”
Keith Carcelo leaned forward and pulled Elly’s face against his. “I don’t care if Dennis is a Russian assassin. He is part of your family, and I can’t even breathe without you. I swear that I will never ask, or care, again.”
Elly felt relief sweep through her, a relief that burned like a forest out of control, lighting up every part of her. She opened her mouth to speak, to tell him how it felt to be his, but Keith beat her to the punch. They almost said it at the same time: “I love you.”
Then there was just kissing, and Keith, and Keith, and Keith. They fell solidly into each other, awash in new love in front of the house that Keith owned, as Cadbury barked his approval joyfully to the stars.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
“I need you to come. Now. The cooler is broken and everything is horrible.”
“What do you mean, the cooler is broken and everything is horrible? What is everything?”
“I don’t know, just come right now!” Snarky Teenager hung up the phone.
Elly groaned and crawled off the couch. It had been a long day, with a late-autumn wedding at the Coronado Ballroom, and her arms were achy and sore. Cadbury gave a groan. She slipped on her flip-flops and pulled her hair—getting so long!—into a loose bun on the top of her head. PJs were okay, right? They would have to be. It was after hours. Store B would be closed, so it’s not like she would have to see anyone. She shuffled over to the kitchen table, trying to find her keys in the dim light. Her purse knocked over a stack of Dennis’s community college brochures onto the floor and Elly decided she’d pick them up later. She grabbed her keys and wandered down the hall to knock on Dennis’s door.
“Come in!” He was lying on his bed, reading Lord of the Rings for the eleventh time since Keith had given him a rare signed edition of the book.
“Hey, I’m running over to Store B. Some drama with Snarky Teenager. Want to come? We can grab Mexican on the way home.”
Dennis looked down at the bed. “Naw. I’m reading.”
“Really? Okay. I guess you should probably make it an early night. Do you have the early shift at the deli tomorrow?”
“Ugh. Thanks for reminding me.”
“Okay, see ya.” She paused. “Love ya.” Dennis didn’t even look up from his book, but she saw the tiniest of smiles.
“You, too.”
Elly zipped up a pale-blue fleece and headed out to the car, grumbling the entire drive over about Snarky Teenager. Sure, Store B was doing awesome and was already on track to be solidly in the black in a few months. Sure, she was the talk of the town with a new article about her appearing in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as a (very) young manager, and sure, Elly was constantly being asked about Store B, but there were also these moments every week; moments where she called in a panic. Kim called them “growing pains.” Elly called them annoying, but understandable.
She pulled into the parking garage under the office tower and used her keycard to enter through the back. The building was eerily dark at night, and it gave Elly the creeps, glad that she didn’t have to close up here every night. Looking down at her phone, she made her way into the store, unlocking the door, noticing a strange glow emanating out from the glass walls. Stepping inside, she had to refrain from yelling. Candles! Candles everywhere!
“Really?” She called out in the darkness. “Candles again? Seriously?” This was not the first time that she had come in to candles burning in Store B, and she always lectured Snarky Teenager about how dangerous it was to have an open flame near very flammable wooden boxes, chemically treated flowers, and endless twine. “Arrrggh….” She began blowing them out, one by one, until only one remained, planted firmly in the middle of the room. As she stalked across the room, she noticed that there were some petals on the ground. Really? She can’t even clean up now?
“Hello?” she called out, annoyed. “Where are you? What is wrong with the cooler?” There was a heavy silence in the air.
“Elly?”
She practically leapt out of her skin at the sound of a male voice. “Keith?”
“Yes?” The voice was coming from below her. Her eyes traveled from the steel beams of the ceiling down to the floor. In the light of the remaining candle, she could see Keith kneeling on the floor in a sea of white petals. He was holding out a small teal box. A small box with a huge antique diamond ring in it. Oh. OH.
“You blew out all my candles,” he said.
“All except one.”
“All except one.”
She had never been happier.
See the conclusion to Elly’s journey in Elly Inspired, coming soon from SparkPress.
Acknowledgements
The success and excitement of the Elly in Bloom series is owed to many people, without whom I would still be just thinking about writing a book. My utmost and sincere gratitude goes out to all of you. I am blessed with you in my life.
Ryan and Maine Oakes: the best reason to rise every morning.
My parents: for their constant stream of emotional provision. The well overflows.
Cynthia, Cyndi, Cindy: Your work ethic, stoic heart, and love of traveling continues to inspire the best in me.
My devoted beta readers—Jen Lehmann, Erika Bates, Karen Groves, Maureen Carpenter, Jennifer Mullet, Katie Hall, and Ryan Oakes: thank you.
Friends who lent their ears and opinions: Sarah Glover, Cassandra Splittgerber, Nicole London, Elizabeth Wagner, Jordan Powers, Kimberly Stein, Lynette and Katie Oakes, Terri Miller, Jen Hein.
Writing partners, dear friends, and fellow fancy-coffee addicts, Mason J. Torall and Emily Kiebel: I can’t wait for the world to discover your amazing imaginations.
Story editor Erin Armknecht: a strong thread of Elly runs directly from your heart to hers.
The copyediting team: Jeni Miller, thanks for your patience when this was in and back out and then in your hands again. Beth Kendrick, your sharp eye for language and motivation helped this story blossom in the most impressive of ways.
The BookSparks/SparkPress team: Crystal Patriarche, thank you for your unflagging belief in what I do. Every time I talk to you, I glow with the pride you have lent
me. Heidi Hurst, your encouraging spirit and determined emailing have changed my career.
Laura Murray, for being so ridiculously talented that I just had to put your photograph on the cover.
Julie Metz, for taking Laura Murray’s photo and creating a cover that simmers in the St. Louis spring.
Thank you.
James 1:17
About the Author:
Colleen Oakes is the author of both the Elly in Bloom and the Queen of Hearts series. She received her B.A. in Creative Writing at Concordia College in Bronxville, New York. A proud member of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Oakes lives in Denver with her husband and son, where she reads, swims, and blogs.
Connect with Colleen at:
www.colleenoakes.com
Twitter.com/colleenblooms
Facebook.com/authorcolleenoakes
About SparkPress
SparkPress is an independent boutique publisher delivering high-quality, entertaining, and engaging content that enhances readers’ lives. We are proud of our catalog of both fiction and non-fiction titles, featuring authors who represent a wide array of genres, as well as our established, industry-wide reputation for innovative, creative, results-driven success in working with authors. SparkPress, a BookSparks imprint, is a division of SparkPoint Studio, LLC.
To learn more, visit us at www.sparkpointstudio.com.
Colleen Oakes, Elly in Love (The Elly Series)
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