Page 12 of The One Who Got Away (Murdock Brothers #4)

Gus

I checked my phone before I left for work, surprised to see a text from Eloise at two in the morning.

Eloise:

Think you could stop at the house when you get time?

Instead of texting back, I dialed her number.

She picked up on the second ring. “Hello,” her voice was raspy with sleep.

“Shit, sorry. I forgot how early it was. I just saw your text and wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

I heard the rustle of her sheets and inwardly groaned. I wished I was there with her when she was all sleepy and soft. “S’okay. I was up late with Mom.”

“Sounded a bit intense before we left.”

“Yeah, she had a little meltdown.”

“Oh boy.”

She laughed. “Yeah, it was a good one for once. I think she wants to sell the house and start over.”

My breath stalled.

Start over somewhere else?

I reached over for the bottle of water I kept by my bed. I couldn’t let that happen. I took a long swallow. “Okay.”

“Yeah, I was hoping you could check over the house to see if there was anything we needed to do besides some cosmetic updates.”

“Right.” I swallowed down the fire in my throat. “I can definitely do that.”

“Good. Great. I’m off today so whenever you want to stop by is fine.”

“Okay. I have a few jobs this morning but a light afternoon.”

“Sounds good. I’ll take you to lunch. Something without a sandwich.”

I forced a laugh. “Probably sick of them.”

“Yeah.” She sounded drowsy. “Everything okay?”

“All good, love. Get some rest.”

“’Kay. I really like when you call me love.”

I love you.

The words were there. So easy, just like breathing. But I didn’t want to hold her back.

Fuck.

“Gus?”

“I’m here. Sorry. Just a text from my brother for the job this morning.”

“Oh, sure. I’ll see you later.”

“You got it.”

“Bye.”

“Bye, El.”

I shoved my phone in my pocket and grabbed my keys.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I didn’t wish her mother to have another existential crisis, but I wasn’t ready for her to move on again. Indigo Valley wasn’t exactly a hub of video game creators.

I didn’t even remember getting in my truck, but I was on the road and my brain rolling through a million scenarios.

Maybe I could go with her.

I could work anywhere. I had worked anywhere. My brothers could live without me. My mom would probably lose her shit, but she was used to all of us on the roam.

I got a text for breakfast sandwiches, from the morning crew for this job. It was just Sully and me today with a couple hourly guys we had on the payroll. I swung through a fast-food place and ordered food as well as a hot coffee for myself.

October was upon us, and the mornings were a bit chillier.

I popped the address of the job into the GPS, not realizing it was so close to Eloise’s place.

There were tons of little townhouse complexes on that side of Indigo Valley.

I parked on the street and hoofed it up the dug-up driveway. We had a blacktop guy coming in tomorrow, I just hoped the rain would let up or the schedule would be fubared. Sully and Frank were already framing out the pour for the front porch.

“Food!” Frank ran over and took the bag from me. “Thanks, man.”

“No problem.”

Sully looked up from the steps he was measuring. “You good?”

“Yeah.” I sipped my coffee. “Where do you want me?”

Sully frowned a me but pointed to the stack of sandstone. “We’ve got Wyatt for the day so why don’t you knock out the walkway so he can do the plantings?”

“Got it.”

The backbreaking work would be better than letting me stew about going to see Eloise.

Too bad, it wasn’t complex enough to keep me from overthinking everything. By the time we stopped for our late morning break, I was spiraling like a lunatic.

I worked through the break then checked in with Sully. “Hey. Eloise asked me to come over and check her house for something.”

“In her bedroom?” Sully asked with a smirk.

I huffed out a hollow laugh. “No. Her mom’s thinking about selling their house.”

“Oh.” He pushed his ball cap back on his head. “Yeah, definitely. We’ll help her out. I can’t believe Eloise’s dad just split like that.”

“Yeah, me neither. Her mom took it pretty hard. Gotta say, I didn’t see selling the house for my Friday morning text.”

“That why you’re so quiet?”

I shrugged.

“Talk to her. Don’t jump to conclusions about anything.”

“I didn’t.”

“Right. That’s why you look like you swallowed one of Mrs. Miller’s lemons.”

I sighed. “I’ll be back this afternoon.”

“Nah, kick off for the day. We got this. Wyatt’s already done with the shrubs anyway. We’re just pouring the stairs then I’m off for the day too. Danny has a game.”

“Okay, cool.”

Sully slapped my arm. “Breathe, Gus. Don’t go looking for trouble.”

I blew out a breath. “You’re right.”

It was only a five-minute drive to El’s. Both cars were in the driveway when I arrived. I scrubbed my hands down my work pants. No need to be nervous.

I climbed the incline of her driveway to the porch. The pumpkins and gourds were rearranged on the steps with additional fall plants. A new bench sat in the corner with a scarecrow waving hello.

Evidently the ladies had been busy.

I hit the bell and waited.

Eloise swung the door open with a wide grin. “I wasn’t expecting you this early.” She stepped outside with bare toes in hot pink, one of her favorite fuzzy sweaters, and a pair of loose pants.

I hauled her into my arms and swallowed her squeak of surprise at the deep kiss.

She melted into me and part of me felt better.

When I lifted my head, her golden eyes were hazy with happiness. “Well, hi.”

“Hi.” I brushed my thumb over her lower lip with the trio of freckles. “I missed you.”

“Guess I gotta let you miss me more.” Her eyes twinkled as she tugged at my shirt. “Come inside.”

I didn’t want to miss her more.

Just the words made my stomach twist. I followed her, my eyebrows shooting up at all the black bags lining the hall.

The dining room was piled with stuff in various boxes. “Whoa.”

“I know. Mom has been on a tear. She discovered Facebook Marketplace and sold...a lot.”

“I see.”

She dragged me into the kitchen and hopped up on the kitchen island. She opened her legs, drawing me in closer. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”

“I’m not.” I gripped her hips.

“Not that part. That part was amazing.” She draped her arms over my shoulders. “And I can’t wait to do it again.”

“Yeah?” I grinned against her mouth before I kissed her.

“Definitely.” She toyed with my hair. “I’m exhausted, but I’m happy to see Mom so hyped.”

My grip increased and her eyes flared.

“I would really love to drag you upstairs and get you naked.”

I swallowed hard. “Me too.”

Footsteps on the stairs had me stepping back.

Eloise hopped down just as her mom hurried into the kitchen. A large envelope fell on her way down.

I bent and saw the name on the company with Eloise’s name on it.

“Oh, I thought I heard voices.”

I looked up, holding the packet. “Hi, Melody.”

“Eloise told me she asked you to come over. You didn’t have to come so fast.”

“I was actually on a job over in Hunter’s Run.”

“Right next door practically,” she laughed.

“Uh, El. What’s this?”

I shouldn’t have pried, but my stomach was twisting. “Are you going back to Chicago?”

“What?” She frowned. “No, why?”

I turned the envelope around so she could see it.

“Oh, I suppose I should open that huh?” She took it from me and tore open the side. She slid out the papers and skimmed them, then shot them into the recycler.

I frowned.

“What? Was just an invitation to the Video Game Expo. I was supposed to go with my team, but they’re not my team anymore.”

“They’re not?”

“What is going on, Gus?” She wrapped an arm around my back burrowing against my side.

“I’d go with you, if you wanted to go back to Chicago.”

“What?”

My mom looked from me to Gus. “I’m going to let you two talk. My friend Lucy wanted to get a coffee. She’s going to help me get rid of some of this stuff.”

“Do you need help?” I followed her out of the kitchen.

“Nope. You two talk. I’ll be back.” She hefted a box full of books and hurried down the hall. “See you guys later.”

I shoved my hands into my pockets.

“What the heck is going on, Gus?”

I swallowed. “I just wanted to let you know if you needed to go back to your old job, I...” I trailed off. What?

I could scare her getting so intense already.

Fuck it.

“I don’t want you to go anywhere without me.”

She moved in front of me and lightly placed her hands on my chest. “Gus, I’m not going anywhere. In fact, I’m working on an indie game. So, if anything, you have to deal with a crazy girlfriend who might fall on her face.”

Girlfriend .

My heart hammered at the word.

“I’ll catch you.” I hugged her closer to me. “Not that you’re going to fall or fail.”

She slid her hands up until she linked her fingers behind my neck. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, but what brought this on?”

I lowered my mouth to hers for a kiss first. I needed to taste her right then. She drew in a breath and fell into the kiss with me. I tightened my hold soaking in her scent and taste.

“Gus, what is going on?”

“You said your mom was going to sell.”

She frowned, then her face cleared. “Oh. Ohhh.” She went on her toes and held onto me. “No. She just wants to start over.” She pulled back, then hugged me again. “You can’t get rid of me that easy.”

I crushed her to me and lifted her off her feet. “Never again, El.” I twirled her around then set her down. “I love you.”

Her tiger eyes filled. “What?”

“As if that’s a surprise. I’ve loved you all my life.”

She cupped my face. “Angus Murdock, you crazy, wonderful, beautiful man. I love you, too.”

“Good.” I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Really good.”

She drew me forward and out of the kitchen to the stairs. “Want to have wild, crazy sex in my childhood room before we rip the posters off the wall?”

I grinned. “What kind of posters?”

She laughed. “Are you okay with Taylor Swift judging your technique?”

I snickered and followed her up the stairs. When she shot a smile over her shoulder, I felt the zing right down to the soles of my feet.

Life with this woman would never be boring.

And when she pulled me inside her room, my breath caught. There were printed drawings tacked up all around her computer. She wrapped herself around my arm. “Look familiar?”

I frowned. “Is that Indigo Valley?”

“Kinda.” She pulled out her phone and showed me the picture I sent her recently. “Inspired me to draw the opening sequence for my game. You’re always inspiring me.”

“I love you and that amazing brain.” I leaned in to look at all the drawings. “These are amazing.”

Her smile was so brilliant my chest hurt. “Remind me of that when I hate the game in the messy middle.”

“I can do that.”

“And now...” she pulled me away from her desk to the frilly bed. “I would like to introduce you to my lemon chiffon bed.”

I laughed. “It is...frothy.”

“We are going to send this comforter into the great beyond, but first...” She flipped it back and pushed me onto her bed. “First, I’m going to make love to the man I fantasized about in this very bed.”

“Is that right?”

She knelt on the mattress and swung a leg over me. “Yes. No boy -- or man -- has ever been up here.”

“So, I get to be first?” I stroked up her hip and under her sweater.

“First and last, buddy.”

“I like the sound of that.” I rose up to meet her lips.

And when her warm mouth met mine, I knew there would be no more roaming.

She was my home.

Period.