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 the misfortune of crossing my path.”
She smiled. “The name doesn’t bother me anymore, Ty. When you called me Eleanor earlier, it...” Her voice broke and she shrugged helplessly. “It tore me to bits because I’m not Eleanor anymore. I’m Ellie and I like who that woman is because she’s your woman.”
“Always, Ellie. You’re always going to be mine.” With those words, he kissed her. The sweetest, most possessive kiss Eleanor had ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
“Tell me,” he breathed against her lips. “Say the words to me.”
Placing her palms on each side of his face and staring directly into his beautiful eyes, she smiled. “I love you, Ty Donaldson. Always and forever.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“Ahem.”
Both Ty and Ellie spun at the sound of his father clearing his throat.
“Dad.”
Ellie didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to hear the relief in Ty’s voice.
No wonder. His father’s normal robust color was back and he looked fit enough to take on the world. Thank God.
“They tell me they are going to keep William overnight for observation but that he’s going to be just fine.”
Ty nodded. That’s what Harry had told them earlier, too.
An awkward silence filled the lobby as the three of them stood there, no one saying anything.
“Perhaps I should step out. Get a cup of coffee.” Remembering her pregnancy, she changed it to, “A glass of juice or something.”
As she went to step past Ty’s father, he grabbed her arm. “No, young lady, you need to hear this. Have a seat.”
Young lady? Ellie winced. Was Ty’s father really going to start in while they were in the emergency room waiting area?
* * *
Ty glared at his father’s hands on Ellie’s arm. He wasn’t one bit surprised when she failed to sit, though. Ellie was developing quite a backbone.
But she didn’t need it.
Because if his father thought for one minute that Ty was going to let him say one negative thing to Ellie, one negative thing to him, he was wrong.
Not today. Not ever again.
“Calm down, son,” Harold ordered, apparently reading Ty’s expression correctly. “And have a seat because I have something I need to say and you need to hear this. Both of you need to hear it.”
A war waged within Ty, but he sat, taking Ellie’s hand as she sat in the seat next to him. He couldn’t say he liked his father towering over them, but he’d had a long day so Ty would give him that advantage.
“I know we’ve had our differences.”
To put it mildly.
“But what you did today...” His father paused, looked every one of his years as he met Ty’s gaze. “Son, I was wrong.”
Ty’s breath caught. Ellie’s hand squeezed his. Was his father saying what he thought he was?
“My whole life I’ve thought I knew what was best for you boys, what was right, but today you proved to me what a fool I’ve been.”
“I just did my job.”
“Exactly. A job that I’ve never given you any credit for. Just as I never told you I was proud of how well you did with your studies and medical school.”
From the corner of his eye he saw Ellie dab at her eyes. Ty clenched his teeth, determined he would not let his father’s words get to him.
“But I was always proud of you, Ty. Proud that no matter what anyone said you went after your dreams and the rest of the world could take it or leave it. I was proud that you were your own man with your own mind and that you aced everything you did.”
Ty wanted to hit the side of his head to clear his ears, because he was certain he hadn’t heard correctly.
“Today, what you did, Ty, son, I can’t begin to tell you how in awe I am of what you do, of how proud I am of the fine doctor you are.”
A tiny sob escaped Ellie. Her fingers dug into his.
“I...” He glanced around the empty lobby. “Well, that’s all I came to say. That I am proud of you and I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”
He turned to leave the lobby but Ty stopped him, wrapping his arms around his father’s stiff body.
But after just a second Harold took over the hug in true Harold Donaldson fashion and hugged Ty so tightly that he could barely breathe.
When his father had left the lobby, Ty turned Ellie and pulled her to him.
“Did you say something about being mine for always and forever, darlin’?” he asked, holding her close to him.
“Seems like I recall saying something along those lines.” Ellie smiled, knowing that always and forever with Ty sounded about as close to heaven on earth as one could get.
“YOU READY for this?”
Checking to make sure his tuxedo was straight, Ty grinned at his brother. “I’ve been ready for this for months.”
“Yeah, a shame it took you that long to convince the bride to make an honest man of you.”
It had taken him way too long to convince Ellie to marry him. “Stubborn woman wouldn’t agree until after Levi was born.”
“Yes,
