Weakly at first, then stronger as his lungs cleared the water.
“Oh, Ty, he’s alive.”
At Ellie’s exclamation, Ty’s mother cried out and his father sank to his knees.
“Harold!” His wife sank down next to him.
“Check him,” he ordered Ellie, not willing to leave William’s side but afraid the stress of what had happened might be affecting his father’s heart.
William’s eyes opened, he coughed more. Deep, rattling coughs that shook his tiny frame.
Ty turned him, beat on his back, trying to assist in clearing the fluid.
“Uncle Ty?”
Ty let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
Stepping out of the house, Harry and Nita took in the scene before them.
“What the hell is going on here?”
Eleanor could recall very few times of sitting in a hospital waiting area. At least, from her current point of view as an anxious family member waiting to hear news.
Family member.
She wasn’t really family.
But the baby inside her was William’s cousin, was a part of this family.
She glanced at Ty. He sat slumped over, eyes closed. He’d barely said a word to her since they’d followed the ambulance to the hospital. His mother had sat in the front seat next to him and she and Nita had shared the backseat of the king cab Triple D pickup. Harry had ridden in the ambulance with his son and father.
When they’d arrived, Ty’s mother had been allowed to stay with her husband while he was checked over just to make sure his reaction had only been one of stress. Harry and Nita were both with William. Which left Eleanor and Ty alone in the emergency room waiting area.
Ty opened his eyes, caught her watching him. His expression tightened. “I’m sorry you missed your flight.”
“Really? You think I’m worried about my flight?”
“I thought you were all set to get out of Texas as quickly as possible.”
Eleanor’s eyes closed and she prayed for strength to see her through the rest of this stressful day. “I thought you were upset with me and I panicked.”
“Why the hell would I have been upset with you?”
“Because of what I said to your father.”
“When you defended me? Hell, darlin’, I thought you were great. Brilliant. I didn’t want you to leave.”
“You weren’t upset?”
“At you? Never,” he answered without hesitation. “My father is a different story altogether. Hell, we’ll both just leave. I’ll go back to New York with you.”
“But the rodeo—”
“The rodeo was just an excuse to get me home,” he interrupted, sitting up in his seat. “My mother hoped my father and I would work things out, but that’s never going to happen. We’re too different. He is never going to understand me and I quit trying to make him understand years ago.”
He stood, moved next to where she sat.
“Thank you for trying, though, Ellie.”
Ellie. He’d called her Ellie.
That’s all it took for the dam of emotions to break loose within Eleanor. She’d been holding them at bay so staunchly, trying to be strong during all the afternoon’s drama, but hearing the nickname destroyed all her resolve.
Because when Ty had called her Eleanor earlier, she’d hurt. Deep down hurt.
Because she wasn’t Eleanor.
Not with Ty.
She was Ellie.
Not Jelly Ellie, but Ellie, the woman who stole Ty Donaldson’s breath.
Because when he looked at her, said her name, that’s exactly how he made her feel. As if she really did steal his breath.
Just as he was looking at her right this moment.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He touched her face, brushed away tears that she hadn’t realized had fallen. “I’m sorry, Ellie. Sorry you had to deal with my father. Sorry you want to leave. Sorry you don’t love me.”
The last one had her looking up at him. “Why would that matter?”
He gave a soft laugh. “What my mother said earlier was right.”
He knew she loved him? “But how?”
He brushed his thumb across her cheek. “How could I not?”
She supposed he saw the truth in her eyes every time she looked at him, every time she’d kissed him, touched him.
Because she did love him. Even now the way she felt about him was probably shining in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Ty. I didn’t mean it to happen.”
“It’s not your fault.”
Perhaps not, but she didn’t want him feeling sorry for her. Which apparently was what was happening. He’d overheard what his mother had said and was taking pity on her just as he’d done at the ribbon-cutting.
Or maybe he was just being nice because of the baby.
Either way, she didn’t want his pity. She wanted his heart.
“I know you didn’t intend me to fall in love with you. I just did.”
As Ty’s words registered, the room spun around Ellie and she worried for a brief moment that she might pass out again. “You fell in love with me?”
He gave an ironic laugh. “As I said, how could I not? You’re wonderful, Ellie.”
“But I thought …” Her voice trailed off, a thousand thoughts hitting her at once. That Ty loved her was the foremost one. Ty was in love with her. “You really love me?”
“It’s okay, Ellie.” He shrugged off her question. “I heard what you told my mother. It’s not a big deal.”
He started to turn away but she grabbed his arm. “Ty Donaldson, it’s a very big deal. If you love me, it’s the biggest deal of my entire life.”
Facing her, he searched her eyes, his soft and vulnerable as understanding dawned. A lopsided grin lifted one corner of his mouth. “Oh, really? The biggest deal, eh?”
“Really,” she said, hope building higher and higher within her at how he was looking at her, at what she saw shining brightly in his eyes.
He stood, pulled her to her feet. “I love you, Eleanor Aston.”
Her heart burst with joy at his words, but she shook her head. “Not acceptable.”
His smile fell.
“Tell me again,” she demanded, staring up at him. “Only this time get it right.”
It only took Ty a second to realize exactly what she meant. Taking her hands in his, he stared straight into her eyes, straight into her heart. “I love you, Ellie Aston.”
She smiled. “Much better.”
“Agreed.” He grinned, pulling her into his arms. “I’ve never understood why you protested so much anyway. Ellie fits you.”
Knowing the past no longer mattered, she told him about “Jelly Ellie,” watching as anger darkened his expression.
“Whoever called you that has a lot to answer for and had better hope like hell they never have