It's Only Love

Here he was, the Gavin she’d always known lived inside the shell of a man who’d been so lost after his brother’s death. And this Gavin, the Gavin she had loved so much for so long, was saying everything she’d ever wanted to hear—and a few things she hadn’t dared to hope for.

“Ella, baby, you’re making me sweat here.”

“I love you so much. You’ll never know how deeply my love for you runs through me. When I thought we were over, I couldn’t imagine how I’d find the wherewithal to go on without you. And then when you came here and you put your arm around me during the wedding and surrounded me with your familiar scent, I was able to breathe again for the first time since you left.”

“I’ll never leave you again. I promise, even if you turn me down cold today, you’re stuck with me.”

“I’m not turning you down cold.”

“You’re not?”

She shook her head. “I’m saying yes, Gavin. Yes, to everything—the good, the bad and the ugly. I want it all with you. I’m all yours. I always have been.”

“Thank God,” he whispered before he kissed her. Resting his forehead against hers, he stared into her eyes. “You’re really going to marry me?”

“I’m really going to marry you, but only if you let me have a lot of babies.”

“Whatever you want. There’s nothing you could ask me for that I wouldn’t give you if I could.” He picked up the box from her lap, withdrew the ring and slid it onto her left hand. “There. Now it’s official.”

“Not quite yet.”

“What did I forget?”

“Take me back to the room and I’ll show you.” She started to get up from the lounge, but he stopped her.

“Hang on a second.” He got up and pulled the curtains closed, sealing them off from the outside world. “I can’t wait that long.”

“Are you sure no one will see us?”

“I’m pretty sure I can’t wait even five more minutes to make love to my gorgeous fiancée.”

“Who am I to argue with a man in love?”

He smiled then, and the tense uncertainty she’d seen in him all week disappeared. “This dress is crazy sexy, but it’s got to go.”

Ella drew the dress up and over her head, enjoying his sharp gasp of surprise when he saw that she’d worn nothing under it.

“Seems like I’m not the only one who made plans for this evening.”

“You’re overdressed for this party, Mr. Guthrie. Let me help you.”

Working together, they got rid of his clothes.

“This is very risky and decadent,” she said as he came down on top of her, naked, muscular and gloriously aroused. She was still trying to believe that he’d really proposed, that she had forever to spend with him, that her nights of eating Cherry Garcia alone were over. The sparkling diamond on her finger was a dazzling reminder that it had really happened.

“Are you happy, Ella?”

“I’ve never been happier.”

“Neither have I, and that never could’ve happened for me without you.”

“Same goes. No one else would’ve done it for me like you do. It was always you.”

“Tell me you love me. I need to hear it again.”

“I love you, Gavin. I’ll love you forever.”

He slid into her in one deep thrust that had both of them gasping from the sheer magic they created together. “I love you, too, Ella. I’ll give you everything I’ve got for the rest of my life. You can count on that.”

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

EPILOGUE

With George and Ringo in tow, Lincoln headed out to the trees to check on the work Gavin’s men had completed while he and Molly had been in Burlington welcoming their first grandchild. And what a fine, strapping little fellow Caden Lincoln Abbott was. His son had surprised and delighted him with the baby’s middle name. You never knew for sure if you were having an impact on your kids, but at times like that, you felt like maybe you’d done something right.

The older kids were back home now, after a fun trip to the Caribbean to marry off their friend Dylan. He and Molly would’ve liked to have been there, too, but had declined Dylan’s invitation because of the baby’s pending arrival. They’d been where they needed to be to help Max through the first few uncertain days that came with new parenthood.

He was doing a fine job so far. If only the same could be said for Chloe, who had no interest—or so it seemed to them—in their son or their grandson. Max had some difficult days ahead of him. His youngest child had grown up awfully fast this last year, and Linc worried about what was ahead for Max and baby Caden.

“Hey, you’re back!”

Lincoln spun around to see his father-in-law crossing the lawn to him. “About a half hour ago.”

“How’re things in Burlington?” Elmer asked.

“Tense.”

“Ah, damn. How’s our Max holding up?”

“Admirably, all things considered.”

“What’s up with that girl? She’s got the best guy in the world and an adorable son.”

“Max thinks she’s depressed. He’s taking her to the doctor on Monday. In the meantime, he’s taking care of the baby pretty much on his own and doing a fine job of it.”

“You must’ve had to drag Molly out of there.”

“She didn’t want to leave him yet, but I needed to get back to work, and they’ve got to figure out what’s next. They can’t do that with us underfoot.”

“I guess not.” Elmer shaded his eyes for a closer look at the recently thi

“I was just thinking the same thing. Our friend Gavin has stepped up to the plate and hit one right out of the park.”

“I gotta be honest. I didn’t see that coming.”

“Neither did we, but we’re thrilled about it because we know it’s what she wants. He’s what she wants. We could hear the joy in her voice when they called us last night.”

“I could hear it, too. It was so good of them to call me. I must confess, however, I’m a little disappointed that our services weren’t needed in this instance.”

“Right? We’re going to have to call this one a draw.”

“Agreed,” Elmer said with a sigh. “We were no match for Ella after she set her sights on Gavin. Charley, on the other hand, is going to need all the help she can get.”

“How so?”

“Did you see her dancing at the Grange with Tyler Westcott?”

“Yeah, so?”

“That boy has his eye on her.”

“Really? He’s such a nice young man. What does he see in Charley?”

Elmer threw his head back and laughed. “It’s not very nice to say that about your own daughter.”

“Even if it’s true? She’d tell you herself she’s a piece of work. We tease her all the time about pitying the fool who takes her on. She eats it up.”

“If you ask me, Tyler’s the fool who’s going to take her on, and knowing what we do about the challenge he faces where she’s concerned, I think it’s the least we can do to help him along a little.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Let’s take a walk, and I’ll lay out my plan.”

Lincoln whistled to the dogs and followed Elmer into the woods.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you for reading It’s Only Love! I hope you enjoyed Gavin and Ella’s story. To chat about the book with other readers, please join the It’s Only Love Reader Group at facebook.com/groups/ItsOnlyLove5/. Spoilers are allowed and encouraged in the group. To keep up with the latest news about the Green Mountain Series (and Fred the Moose), join the Green Mountain Reader Group at facebook.com/groups