Everyone laughed at that, but Elli just smiled, moving around some of the amazing three cheese mac and cheese Grace had made. Like Shea would ever marry her. It had taken him eleven years just to get a girlfriend. Shit, he would probably never get married.
“We aren’t that bad,” Grace said with a shake of her head, “but he is my twin, and I do love him a lot. So we tend to go into our twin mode.”
“I think it’s cute,” Elli said with a smile, taking another bite of steak.
“Yeah, well you just wait until you meet the rest of the Adler clan. Their mom, jeez, she’s a hoot, and their dad is amazing, the best father-in-law ever.”
Grace leaned over to kiss James’ cheek as Shea nodded.
“My dad is pretty awesome,” Shea agreed. Grace nodded her head, taking a sip of wine.
“How about your family James, do they live here?” Elli asked.
James shook his head, “My parents died when I was nineteen. I have Grace and my kiddos, that’s it.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine. Thank you, though. When I found Grace, everything fell into place, so I’m good now.” Elli smiled as Grace leaned over again and kissed him loudly on the cheek.
“How about your family Elli, do they live here?” Grace asked.
“Not in Nashville, but in Clarksville,” Elli said with a smile.
“Both your parents?”
“Yup, they are still married after 32 years.”
“That’s nice, you said you had three siblings?”
“Yup, my brothers, Liam and Noah, then my sister Victoria. I’m the youngest.”
“Are they all married?”
“Victoria isn’t, but Liam and Noah are, and they both have three kids.”
“Does Victoria have children?”
“Jesus, no, she hates kids.”
“Wow,” Grace said with a laugh, while Shea chuckled.
“I, on the other hand, love kids. I take my nieces and nephews once a month to go hang out. I love them so much.”
“That’s so nice!” Grace gushed, looking over at Shea.
“Shea did that for me a couple of weeks ago, and then my son came home talking about open mouth kissing.”
Elli had taken a drink before Grace started to speak and promptly spewed her drink everywhere at Grace’s comment. Everyone died laughing, as Elli wiped her mouth.
“Oh, my goodness!” Elli laughed.
Shea was about to fall out of his chair while Grace held her gut, and James turned bright red with all of them laughing their butts off. The rest of the dinner was awesome; they talked about hockey, about the kids, and about Shea leaving tomorrow, which Elli really didn’t like talking about.
After dinner, Elli helped Grace with the dishes as Shea and James went to play with Ryan outside. Elli was washing a dish and watching Shea slap shot a puck at his brother-in-law when Grace walked up beside her.
“He likes you, you know.” Elli looked over at Grace. Every time she looked at Grace, she saw how much she and Shea looked alike. They had the exact same eyes, and nose, except Grace’s didn’t have a bump, same hair, and same cheek bones, everything was the same. Grace was a beautiful woman, while Shea was a gorgeous man.
“You think so?”
“Oh, I know so. I’ve heard about you every time I call him.”
Elli smiled, looking back down at the dishes.
“I like you, too, Elli, a lot.”
“Aw, thanks, Grace. I just adore you and your family.”
Grace smiled warmly, “I’m glad. But let me tell you, don’t hurt my brother.”
Elli looked up quickly, shaking her head.
“I would never think of it.”
“Good. I didn’t think you would, but he seems smitten with you. And that scares me, considering he has never been smitten with anyone before.”
“Grace, I’ll be honest with you. I haven’t been with anyone in six years, so for me to be with Shea is a huge step. I promise I will not hurt him.”
“Good.”
Just then the guys came in, and Grace put on a huge smile.
“Have fun, big guy?” she asked, kissing Ryan’s cheek.
“I did, Momma! Unky gave Daddy a bruise.”
Grace shot Shea a look while he shrugged, “He got in the way.”
“I did not! You aimed for me!” James complained, showing off a nasty bruise on his bicep.
“Shea!”
“What? Grace, he’s fine. Right, Ryan?”
“Yup, no crying in hockey, Daddy,” Ryan said simply, causing everyone to laugh.
Having Elli at his sister’s house was amazing. Having all the people he cared for under one roof was awesome and fulfilling all at the same time. Leaving tomorrow would suck, but at least he would have this moment to warm him at night when he was alone on the road.
Grace and James walked them out when they were ready to go. When Grace wrapped her arms around Shea, she kissed his cheek before whispering in his ear.
“I think so.”
“Huh?” He asked pulling back, looking down at his best friend, his twin.
“What we talked about earlier? I think so.”
By the time Shea realized that Grace was basically telling him that he was in love with Elli, they were already on the road, going back to his house. It hit him like a ton of bricks, and he actually veered off the road a little, but regained control when Elli let out a screech.
“We aren’t that bad,” Grace said with a shake of her head, “but he is my twin, and I do love him a lot. So we tend to go into our twin mode.”
“I think it’s cute,” Elli said with a smile, taking another bite of steak.
“Yeah, well you just wait until you meet the rest of the Adler clan. Their mom, jeez, she’s a hoot, and their dad is amazing, the best father-in-law ever.”
Grace leaned over to kiss James’ cheek as Shea nodded.
“My dad is pretty awesome,” Shea agreed. Grace nodded her head, taking a sip of wine.
“How about your family James, do they live here?” Elli asked.
James shook his head, “My parents died when I was nineteen. I have Grace and my kiddos, that’s it.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine. Thank you, though. When I found Grace, everything fell into place, so I’m good now.” Elli smiled as Grace leaned over again and kissed him loudly on the cheek.
“How about your family Elli, do they live here?” Grace asked.
“Not in Nashville, but in Clarksville,” Elli said with a smile.
“Both your parents?”
“Yup, they are still married after 32 years.”
“That’s nice, you said you had three siblings?”
“Yup, my brothers, Liam and Noah, then my sister Victoria. I’m the youngest.”
“Are they all married?”
“Victoria isn’t, but Liam and Noah are, and they both have three kids.”
“Does Victoria have children?”
“Jesus, no, she hates kids.”
“Wow,” Grace said with a laugh, while Shea chuckled.
“I, on the other hand, love kids. I take my nieces and nephews once a month to go hang out. I love them so much.”
“That’s so nice!” Grace gushed, looking over at Shea.
“Shea did that for me a couple of weeks ago, and then my son came home talking about open mouth kissing.”
Elli had taken a drink before Grace started to speak and promptly spewed her drink everywhere at Grace’s comment. Everyone died laughing, as Elli wiped her mouth.
“Oh, my goodness!” Elli laughed.
Shea was about to fall out of his chair while Grace held her gut, and James turned bright red with all of them laughing their butts off. The rest of the dinner was awesome; they talked about hockey, about the kids, and about Shea leaving tomorrow, which Elli really didn’t like talking about.
After dinner, Elli helped Grace with the dishes as Shea and James went to play with Ryan outside. Elli was washing a dish and watching Shea slap shot a puck at his brother-in-law when Grace walked up beside her.
“He likes you, you know.” Elli looked over at Grace. Every time she looked at Grace, she saw how much she and Shea looked alike. They had the exact same eyes, and nose, except Grace’s didn’t have a bump, same hair, and same cheek bones, everything was the same. Grace was a beautiful woman, while Shea was a gorgeous man.
“You think so?”
“Oh, I know so. I’ve heard about you every time I call him.”
Elli smiled, looking back down at the dishes.
“I like you, too, Elli, a lot.”
“Aw, thanks, Grace. I just adore you and your family.”
Grace smiled warmly, “I’m glad. But let me tell you, don’t hurt my brother.”
Elli looked up quickly, shaking her head.
“I would never think of it.”
“Good. I didn’t think you would, but he seems smitten with you. And that scares me, considering he has never been smitten with anyone before.”
“Grace, I’ll be honest with you. I haven’t been with anyone in six years, so for me to be with Shea is a huge step. I promise I will not hurt him.”
“Good.”
Just then the guys came in, and Grace put on a huge smile.
“Have fun, big guy?” she asked, kissing Ryan’s cheek.
“I did, Momma! Unky gave Daddy a bruise.”
Grace shot Shea a look while he shrugged, “He got in the way.”
“I did not! You aimed for me!” James complained, showing off a nasty bruise on his bicep.
“Shea!”
“What? Grace, he’s fine. Right, Ryan?”
“Yup, no crying in hockey, Daddy,” Ryan said simply, causing everyone to laugh.
Having Elli at his sister’s house was amazing. Having all the people he cared for under one roof was awesome and fulfilling all at the same time. Leaving tomorrow would suck, but at least he would have this moment to warm him at night when he was alone on the road.
Grace and James walked them out when they were ready to go. When Grace wrapped her arms around Shea, she kissed his cheek before whispering in his ear.
“I think so.”
“Huh?” He asked pulling back, looking down at his best friend, his twin.
“What we talked about earlier? I think so.”
By the time Shea realized that Grace was basically telling him that he was in love with Elli, they were already on the road, going back to his house. It hit him like a ton of bricks, and he actually veered off the road a little, but regained control when Elli let out a screech.
