The Nurse's Brooding Boss (15 page)

She paused and then added, “For loving you.”

Was she saying what he thought she was saying? “You love me?”

She laughed and threw herself into his arms. He caught her and held her close. “Yes, Brock. I love you. And if you don’t want to have a family right away, that’s fine with me. Because I love you, and I want you to be happy.”

“Elana.” He pulled back enough to look into her eyes. “I love you, and I have realized I do want to have a family with you, more than anything else. Will you marry me?”

She smiled, and this time he thought he might be safe in assuming her tears were full of joy. “Yes. I’d be honored to marry you. I love you so much, Brock.”

Thank God. He kissed her, knowing that together they could do anything. He held her so tight he didn’t ever want to let her go.

“Now my life is complete,” he murmured.

E
LANA
stood next to Brock and Joel, the younger brother holding on to a squirmy one-year-old Tucker as Lacey walked across the stage of the technical college auditorium to accept her high school equivalency diploma.

Elana clapped so loudly her hands ached as Brock whistled through his teeth.

“Did you hear Lacey was accepted into college, starting in the fall semester?” Joel said as he helped Tucker wave at his mother as Lacey completed her march across the stage. “She wants to be a teacher.”

“I think Lacey will make a great teacher,” Elana defended stoutly.

“Me too,” Brock added. He glanced down at her, and they exchanged a secret smile. “I heard she got a great scholarship.”

“Yeah, she did,” Joel said proudly. “All of her tuition is going to be covered, which means we only have to swing the day-care costs. Now that I’m almost finished with my apprenticeship, and will be a full-fledged carpenter, that shouldn’t be a problem.”

Elana nudged Brock, warning him to keep quiet. She wanted the scholarship to be a surprise. She didn’t want Lacey to know where the money came from, at least not until after she was finished with her degree.

Brock lifted her hand and brushed a kiss across her wedding ring. “Your secret is safe with me,” he said in a low tone.

“Oh, really?” Elana said, raising a brow. “And what secret is that?”

Brock simply smiled, putting his arm around her and holding her close. Their wedding had been a small affair, held a few months ago, with only their closest friends and family in attendance. She’d been so thrilled her mother had progressed enough to attend. She’d almost wept when her mother had come to wish them well after the ceremony.

She wasn’t sure it was fair for one person to be so happy.

As the graduation ceremony drew to a close, they made their way back out of the auditorium to wait for Lacey.

“You don’t know all my secrets,” Elana said to Brock when Joel and Tucker rushed over to greet Lacey.

“Sure I do.”

She slowly shook her head. “I have one big secret.” When he rolled his eyes in disbelief, she added, “I’m pregnant.”

For a moment he stared at her in shock. “Pregnant? You’re pregnant?”

“Do you mind?” Not that she could do much about it now. They’d slipped a few times with using protection,
but Brock hadn’t seemed too worried. But maybe he wasn’t ready for this.

“No! Of course I don’t mind. You’re having a baby. Our baby!” He swung her up into a bear hug, sweeping her off her feet.

“Shh, this is Lacey’s day.” She should have waited until later to tell him the news. But his teasing about secrets had made her blurt out the truth.

Now they didn’t have any secrets between them.

“Elana, I can’t believe it. We’re going to have a baby.”

“I’m glad you’re happy about it; for a minute you had me worried. I love you, Brock.” Elana threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. “I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”

“I’m the lucky one,” he murmured. “Because you’ve given me my life. A family.” He glanced at Joel and Lacey, who were heading towards them, holding Tucker’s hands as he walked clumsily on his own two feet between them. “Let’s go home.”