carried fluffy white clouds but dark grey ones hovered off in the distance.
Elijah finished his glass. “Seems nature is telling us we should head inside.” He reached for Charity’s hand. “Coming Angel?”
His mother groaned. “Please don’t call her that.”
Charity couldn’t agree more.
Elijah grinned, scooping Charity up in his arms and carrying her toward the house. “What about ‘Angel of love’?”
“No. Please no.” She couldn’t be happier than this moment. “Maybe you should put me down, you’re going to strain something before we get to the house.”
“Nope. He-man can carry you over the threshold.” He grunted as he reached the small hill before the grass. “Okay, maybe you can walk a bit.” He set her down. “But I’m still carrying you over the threshold.”
She laughed. “Isn’t that supposed to be a tradition for a bride and groom when they are walking into the house they live in?”
Elijah scratched his head. “Maybe. Maybe we’ll live in this house one day. It is ours.”
She smiled and glanced behind her as the others followed them. “Maybe. Who knows? Maybe we’ll have a bunch of rug-rats running around to fill up all the massive empty space.” She meant it as a joke but the thought didn’t seem like such a terrible idea.
“Maybe.” His eyes lit up and he grinned at her. “I love you.”
“Me, too. To the moon and back.”
Chapter 12
When they reached the large interlock patio that led up to the house, Elijah picked up his pace. He glanced up to the darkening sky. “I pity the people who were hired to clean up the beach.”
“I…” Charity paused as she watched Albert race past them in a golf cart with the harpist in the back and the harp beside Albert. They drove around the house to the garage area. The poor girl bounced up and down in the back while trying to keep the harp from falling to the ground.
Elijah watched as well. “That’s something I’ve never seen before.”
“Maybe she has another gig.”
Elijah gave her a look, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. “A plinker in high demand?”
They burst out laughing.
Charity held her stomach. “We are so sad. That’s not even funny.”
“I’m only laughing because you are.”
“Just trying to be polite?”
He snapped his fingers. “Exactly!”
Simon and Julie caught up with them. “I hope your mother paid that poor girl well. She might sue from whiplash,” Julie joked.
“We’re all doctors,” Simon said. “He probably figures it’s all covered.”
Charity had a small flash of jealousy. She shouldn’t. She loved her job. “Not all of us are doctors.”
“Oops, I forgot.” Simon put his arm around her. “Close enough.”
Julie swatted him on the arm. “It’s a good thing for you she’s not.”
“Why’s that?” Simon asked.
“She’d have your job.”
“Uhhhh… that burns.” Elijah clapped his hands. “Especially coming from your wife.”
Simon held Charity tight. “You wouldn’t do that to me, would you?”
“I might,” Charity teased.
Everyone stopped walking to stare at her.
“What?” She looked at their surprised faces.
“Would you seriously consider going back?” Julie recovered first. “If you did, you could have Simon’s job.”
“Hey!”
Julie ignored Simon. “We talk about it all the time. You would be such an amazing doctor.”
They talk about it all the time? Charity didn’t know what to say. “Did my father put you up to this?” She looked over Simon’s shoulder. Her father and Elijah’s mother were making their way toward them.
“No.” Elijah pulled her toward him. “He’s never brought it up since… since before the Diamond Gala.”
“If you’re thinking about it, you have all our support.” Julie tucked a windblown strand of hair behind her ear. “Once you move back up to New York, you’ll have time and the perfect place to finish.”
“I’m still under contract with Forever Hope Hospital in
Elijah finished his glass. “Seems nature is telling us we should head inside.” He reached for Charity’s hand. “Coming Angel?”
His mother groaned. “Please don’t call her that.”
Charity couldn’t agree more.
Elijah grinned, scooping Charity up in his arms and carrying her toward the house. “What about ‘Angel of love’?”
“No. Please no.” She couldn’t be happier than this moment. “Maybe you should put me down, you’re going to strain something before we get to the house.”
“Nope. He-man can carry you over the threshold.” He grunted as he reached the small hill before the grass. “Okay, maybe you can walk a bit.” He set her down. “But I’m still carrying you over the threshold.”
She laughed. “Isn’t that supposed to be a tradition for a bride and groom when they are walking into the house they live in?”
Elijah scratched his head. “Maybe. Maybe we’ll live in this house one day. It is ours.”
She smiled and glanced behind her as the others followed them. “Maybe. Who knows? Maybe we’ll have a bunch of rug-rats running around to fill up all the massive empty space.” She meant it as a joke but the thought didn’t seem like such a terrible idea.
“Maybe.” His eyes lit up and he grinned at her. “I love you.”
“Me, too. To the moon and back.”
Chapter 12
When they reached the large interlock patio that led up to the house, Elijah picked up his pace. He glanced up to the darkening sky. “I pity the people who were hired to clean up the beach.”
“I…” Charity paused as she watched Albert race past them in a golf cart with the harpist in the back and the harp beside Albert. They drove around the house to the garage area. The poor girl bounced up and down in the back while trying to keep the harp from falling to the ground.
Elijah watched as well. “That’s something I’ve never seen before.”
“Maybe she has another gig.”
Elijah gave her a look, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. “A plinker in high demand?”
They burst out laughing.
Charity held her stomach. “We are so sad. That’s not even funny.”
“I’m only laughing because you are.”
“Just trying to be polite?”
He snapped his fingers. “Exactly!”
Simon and Julie caught up with them. “I hope your mother paid that poor girl well. She might sue from whiplash,” Julie joked.
“We’re all doctors,” Simon said. “He probably figures it’s all covered.”
Charity had a small flash of jealousy. She shouldn’t. She loved her job. “Not all of us are doctors.”
“Oops, I forgot.” Simon put his arm around her. “Close enough.”
Julie swatted him on the arm. “It’s a good thing for you she’s not.”
“Why’s that?” Simon asked.
“She’d have your job.”
“Uhhhh… that burns.” Elijah clapped his hands. “Especially coming from your wife.”
Simon held Charity tight. “You wouldn’t do that to me, would you?”
“I might,” Charity teased.
Everyone stopped walking to stare at her.
“What?” She looked at their surprised faces.
“Would you seriously consider going back?” Julie recovered first. “If you did, you could have Simon’s job.”
“Hey!”
Julie ignored Simon. “We talk about it all the time. You would be such an amazing doctor.”
They talk about it all the time? Charity didn’t know what to say. “Did my father put you up to this?” She looked over Simon’s shoulder. Her father and Elijah’s mother were making their way toward them.
“No.” Elijah pulled her toward him. “He’s never brought it up since… since before the Diamond Gala.”
“If you’re thinking about it, you have all our support.” Julie tucked a windblown strand of hair behind her ear. “Once you move back up to New York, you’ll have time and the perfect place to finish.”
“I’m still under contract with Forever Hope Hospital in
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