You're all I need

Chapter 3

Hailey's Point of View

It's a beautiful summer day, and I grab a table outside at the cafe where I am meeting Chris. Chris is my ex and the new owner of 'Natural stone and Masonry.' I order us both a large iced coffee, and I answer texts while I wait for him.

Ellianna: I called Grant to give him s**t. You were crushing on his BROTHER! Lean Cuisine is actually Blake! LOL 

Blake Montgomery? Ugh. One of my bosses. That's so cringey. Now that he's back, I know I'll be working with him. What am I going to do?

Me: Well, that's nice. I humiliated myself in front of one of my bosses… I think I even referred to him as an 'All you can eat buffet!'

Ellianna: Oh my gosh. LOL, You're too funny! Blake probably thought it was funny too.

Me: He wasn't laughing. If anything, he looked like he was uncomfortable. 

Ellianna: Maybe you two will look back on this one day and laugh. Maybe you two will end up together? I could see that, and can you imagine how cool that would be? Sisters! Well, sisters-in-law… but I'm taking it!!!

I'm sitting in the cafe, and I start to laugh out loud. 

Me: Ell, I love you, but that's not going to happen. Have you seen that man? He is DROP DEAD f*****g GORGEOUS! He could have anyone he wanted. He is not interested in me. Trust me.

Ellianna is 5'11", she has the most radiant caramel brown skin tone, she is lean but still has an hourglass figure, and she has the deepest darkest brown eyes I think I've ever seen. She's a goddess! To top it all off, she's the sweetest person I've ever met. Blake could have anyone. He deserves the Ellianna's and the Britney's of the world. Sure, Britney’s shitty at her job, but she's a gorgeous leggy blond with pouty lips and big boobs. I do okay with men; I've got a decent ass, and big booties are in now. But I'm on the shorter side, with small boobs, and I'm just too plain-Jane. All that aside, I like myself--I do, but my expectations are realistic. 

Ellianna: What the f**k is that supposed to mean? You're DROP DEAD f*****g GORGEOUS! 

Me: lol I love you, Ell! You're the sweetest, but he's not my type, and I'm not his. He's fun to look at, though. ;)

Ellianna: What do you mean he's not your type?

Me: Oh, G2G. Colleagues walking in.

Ellianna: Drinks tonight? My place? Or Hoppers?

Me: Hoppers! 7?

Ellianna: Perfect!

I look up, and Chris is nearly at the table now. I stand up, and he moves in for a hug.

"Good to see you. You look beautiful, as always!" he beams and gives my shoulder a squeeze before he lets go and takes a seat.

I see the waiter headed to our table with our coffees.

"I ordered for you! I hope you haven't changed too much," I smile.

The waiter places our coffees down, and we thank him. He takes a sip and nods approvingly. 

"You remembered!" he beams.

"Of course! You got me onto iced coffee."

"Oh, I remember," he nods and holds eye contact. Chris is a year younger than me; he's 27. When we dated, we seemed to be in different places in our lives. No hard feelings, of course. We just wanted different things. 

"Have you been working out or something? You look bigger?" I ask. He does. His shoulders look broader, and he has filled out more. He seems more mature, and it looks good on him.

"You'd think being the owner of a brick and masonry company would mean that I sit behind a desk, but I actually get my hands dirty often enough. I enjoy it, and I end up carrying a lot more inventory than you'd think," he chuckles.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it. It's a big change from working at a marketing firm in the city."

"It is, but I think it helped me to grow up a lot," he smiles. He's looking at me with so much… I don't know, but he's studying me. 

"Growing up is good," I nod. 

"So let's get the business out of the way. Make your pitch," he says. He grabs his coffee, and his gaze is less… searing now. So I do. I tell him about how much money "Montgomery Assets Management" has spent on brick and masonry in the last year. 

"We're only growing, too. We have a job coming up, and I priced out the stone. The project is huge; just the stone comes up for more than $250,000. That's one order. If we could cut out the middle man, that would save us a lot of money. The more money we save, the more bricks I'm allowed to buy," I smile, and so does he. 

"Listen, I get where you're coming from. I would want to cut out the middle man if I were you too," he nods.

"So, what's Peter's markup price? Twelve percent?"  Peter is who I'm trying to cut out of this deal.

He scoffs, "More." 

"How much more?" 

"Twenty percent," he admits. 

"Holy f**k!" My mouth falls open.

"Yeah," he nods.

"Listen, I'm not a fan of Peter, so him losing twenty percent is no skin off my back. He tried to make my Dad feel guilty for retiring after his heart attack. Who supplies him the brick is irrelevant. He's a selfish prick. Plus, I am a big fan of you," he smiles, and I smile even wider. 

"I like what I'm hearing," I chuckle.

"BUT, we then have to deliver these bricks all over Denver now, instead of a one-stop-shop at Pete's. We have another account to add to accounting. Another person to deal with. Let's sweeten the pot for both of us. I'll take an extra five percent, you get fifteen percent off, and we both walk away feeling like heroes?" he asks.

My hand shoots out in front of me, "Deal!" I beam.

He shakes my hand, and I see his eyes look down to my lips. 

"Now, enough business. Let's catch up," he smiles. 

Ellianna's Point of View

"You can't go to Hoppers with everything going on, Ell. It's not safe," Grant frowns at me.

"Look what she texted me," I whisper and show him my phone because Blake is in the living room with the kids. 

I show him the text where Hailey states Blake is NOT her type, but he's fun to look at.

"f**k," he rasps. 

"I know. I need to fix it or figure it out," I explain, and he nods, deep in thought.

"I'll send the guys to go and keep guard. I'll send some of the security team I've hired to blend in too," he explains. 

"Thank you. Blake deserves to be happy. He's waited so long, and I don't want her to give up on him. Does he have a plan yet?"  

"Let's go talk about it with him," he shrugs.

In the living room, Blake's lying on the floor reading to Finn, who’s cuddled into his side while Willow crawls over him. He’s the best uncle, and I know he’ll make a great Dad and mate, and Hailey deserves that. Our kind values loyalty and family above all else, and so does she. Plus, she’s fun and funny, and Blake has a good heart, but he’s a little bit less fun and funny. She could lighten him up. Grant has told me about the way they were raised… I think Grant got his mother’s love and affection until he was 10, while Blake was only 8… it shaped them differently. Their father was more than stern; he was cruel.

We sit and wait for him to finish the book, and when he places it down, he looks at us sitting on the couch, waiting to talk to him.

“This suits you,” Grant says. 

“I want this with her,” he admits as he exhales deeply.

“What are you doing, Blake? What’s the plan?” I ask.

He shrugs, “I don’t know. I know I want her. I need her, and I can’t live without her. If it came down to it, I’d run away and leave the pack for her. But she won’t just run away with me unless I build a relationship with her first. She doesn’t understand all of this, so I need to take it slow and hope she falls for me. My first priority has to be keeping her safe. We don’t know how serious this threat with Knox is.” 

“Hope she falls for you?” Grant asks and c***s a brow. 

“Just because I want her doesn’t mean she’ll want me. Sure, she may be attracted to me, but she doesn’t feel the same pull that I do. She’s a human… Will she like me? What if…” he stops and shakes his head.

“I know her. I know you. Hear me when I say you two are perfect for each other. Moon Goddess knows, and so do I. It’s going to work out,” I assure him, and he nods while looking up at the ceiling. He looks so sad.

“I just need to make sure she’s safe. I can’t just jump into this and tell her she now has a bodyguard or 10. I can’t tell her she’s living with me to keep her safe. I can’t demand anything. It’ll only scare her away, and then what? I lose her completely? And what’s the point of any of this if I lose her? I’ve been preparing for her for the last two years. I’ve designed the house I wanted to start a family in. The place I want to fill with our babies. I didn’t know who she would be, but I hoped I’d find her. I can’t mess this up. I need to take it slow, and to take it slow, I need to make sure she’s safe first,” he adds. 

“I get it. I’m going to have drinks with her right now,” I admit, and his head jerks in my direction.

“I want… I… What, where?” he mutters out, causing both Grant and I to bite back our laughter.

“I’ll put in a good word for you,” I smile. “Have fun tonight, guys,” I add, and Grant walks me downstairs to the car.

“I’ve got four pack members waiting at Hoppers, and you’ve got them,” he points to a car in front and behind my driver. He’s so protective and sexy too. 

“Thank you, baby,” I lean in for a toe-curling kiss. The way he holds my face and pulls me into him has me second-guessing my plan to leave. 

“Miss you already. Have fun, sexy mate,” he growls quietly.

“Wait up for me,” I smile, and he’s beaming at me.

“Can’t wait!”

When I make it to the bar, I notice our guys pretty quickly. The slew of human bodyguards follow behind me and scatter to blend in. Hailey is at the bar, and she’s talking to some guy. I don’t know why she implied Blake is too good-looking for her. She gets men’s attention all the time when we’re out. She’s bite-size, beautiful, intelligent, fun, and she carries herself with confidence. She really does attract guys all the time. She’s quick to put a guy in the “f**k boy” category, though, and disregard him. She always says she only dates with purpose. “I’m not wasting my best years on a man who won’t commit, or commit to someone who isn’t husband material,” she always says. 

“Hey, Pretty Lady!” I beam and wrap an arm around her to give her a hug. 

“Hey, Gorgeous!” She smiles and gives me a squeeze. We get a drink and move to a table to chat. Hopper’s is a pub; it’s got kind of a rowdy feel to it, but they play good music, they have excellent margaritas and awesome spicy wings. 

We catch up with some small talk, and when the waitress comes back to get us a refill, we order some wings and some artichoke dip with pita chips. 

“Okay, so tell me about Mr. Lean Cuisine,” I smile. “Why isn’t he your type?” 

“Oh, he’s too good-looking to be my type,” she smiles.

“What? That’s not a thing!” I scoff.

“Yes, it is. Guys like that don’t want to settle down--" but I cut her off.

"Grant wanted to settle down, and they're brothers. Plus, I know for a FACT Blake wants to settle down. He's BEYOND ready. He was just telling me he couldn't wait till he had a wife and kids," I interject. I love them both, and I feel myself getting so defensive at the thought of her dismissing him.

"Yes, but I mean, who wouldn't want to settle down with you? You're gorgeous and literally the sweetest person ever!" she adds.

"And so are you!" I cross my arms, and she starts to laugh.

"Listen, I have some past… baggage, and I don't know… being with a super good-looking man sounds like heartache," she admits and takes another drink.

"Tell me about it... Your baggage," I press. She makes eye contact with me and nibbles on her lip as she thinks about it.

Our waitress interrupts as she puts down our plates. We thank her, but as soon as she's gone, I push.

"Tell me, babe!" I say again.

"Not even Grant. Fort Knox?" she presses, and I nod assuringly. I tell Grant many things, but certain things are 1. Not his business. 2. Fort Knox--Doesn't leave us. 

"I promise!" I nod.

"Okay, well, I used to be engaged," she starts. What? "Oh my gosh, your face! You look so surprised," she laughs. 

"I wasn't expecting that," I admit. 

"You know I'm from Michigan… I started dating this guy, Luke, when I was 21. He was, for our small town, a big fish! He was gorgeous and desired by many, but I felt so lucky he chose me. We fell in love, and three years later, he proposed. I thought everything was great… great enough, anyways. Shortly after our engagement, my Dad passed away. It was obviously devastating."

"I'm so sorry, Hail," I give her hand a squeeze.

"Thank you. Then six weeks later, my Dad's Mom, my grandmother, passed as well. I think losing my Dad, and then Granny… It kinda made me want to have my own family, you know? Like my childhood family was falling apart, and I wanted stability, I guess. I don't know. I stopped making Luke wear a condom, and a few months later, I found out I was pregnant--" 

"What?" I gasp. She nods, but she looks so sad.

"I was six months pregnant, and we were driving, and his phone dinged," she admits, and her glossy eyes close, and she takes a deep breath.

"It read, 'Did you tell her yet? You can't hide this forever,’" she says.

"What?

"Yeah! He was caught, and I wasn't letting it go, so he finally admitted that he cheated on me and got my friend Meri pregnant."

I feel my heart drop, "No! I'm so sorry, Hail!"

"That's not the worst part. I was… hysterical, and we crashed, probably because of me," she admits and wipes a tear from her cheek. "And I lost her. My baby… I lost her," she sniffles, wiping more tears. I'm out of my chair instantly, wrapping her in my arms.

"Oh my gosh, Hailey. I am SO so sorry," I admit. The pub is kinda dark, and it's loud and bustling on a Friday night. No one seems to be paying attention to us, thankfully. 

I hold her until she pulls away.

"Now, they're married with two kids. One, who is only four months younger than my little Annie would have been," she says with a sad smile and another swipe along her cheeks.

"I'm so so sorry, Hailey; I had no idea," I admit. 

"He was a piece of s**t, and I have made peace with the fact that this is how it was meant to be. I'll have children one day, even if it's by myself. I AM going to be a mother one day, and Luke won't be a part of it. Aside from family gatherings, I never have to see him again," she states.

"Family gatherings?" 

"Oh, his sister is engaged to my brother. My mom also took them under her wing after their parents died last year. The kicker--he tries to sleep with me whenever I go home. Meri acts as if she was his first choice. Meanwhile, he tries to cheat on her with me any chance he gets," she grimaces.   

"Did you tell her? Meri?" I ask.

"Nope. She betrayed me. Now, my betrayal is letting her think he chose her. Plus, the last thing I want her to think is that I’m jealous or bitter. I am neither of those things. So I say nothing," she pauses. "Since my Dad had passed, his inheritance from my grandmother ended up getting split between my two brothers and me. It wasn't a ton, but it was my ticket outta Michigan and a nice nest egg. All the loss changed me, though. I live now. Life can be over before you know it, so I dance when I want to. I dye my hair purple when the whim strikes. I laugh more; I let the little stuff go, you know? I try to find joy in the little things and just try to be a good person," she shrugs with a small smile. I feel like I see her more clearly now. 

"All of that could have broken a weaker person, you know that, right? Instead, it made you more joyful. You're incredible!" I admit. 

"Or maybe I'm just scared that one day my time will be up, and I'll have regrets," she shrugs.

"Maybe you'll regret not taking a chance on Lean Cuisine?" I rebut, and she starts to laugh.

"I don't know about that. I feel like you have to live, find your joy, and take chances, but that seems like jumping out of a plane without a parachute. I still weigh risk and reward," she chuckles.

"I'm not resting until you two are shacked up, and you're knocked up! I want a sister-in-law," I admit forcefully. She laughs and then digs into the artichoke dip, brushing off my statement. 

We drink and eat yummy food. As it got later, the pub filled up, and the music got louder. We danced, laughed, and played darts and were our goofy selves together. We called it a night at midnight, and my driver dropped me off and then took her home.

When I open the front door, I expect to see Grant on the couch alone, but instead, he and Blake are in the kitchen having a drink.

"Hey, Babe! Did you have fun," Grant beams as he pulls me into his arms.

"Mmm, I did. I missed you," I smile and lean in for a kiss. "How did my babies go down?" I ask.

"I gave them a bath and bottle after you left, and they've been sleeping ever since," Grant admits and leans in for another kiss.

"Did she mention me?" Blake asks, cutting in. 

"Girl talk is off-limits," I smile, and Blake grumbles. 

"Well… Is she still embarrassed?" he asks.

"She didn't really mention being embarrassed anymore," I shrug.

"I think she's pretty self-assured," Grant adds, and I nod. 

"I want to know her," Blake admits and scrapes his hands down his face. "It drives me crazy that you all know her, and I have no clue who she is. I don't even know if I have the strength to have a conversation with her. I just wanted to… claim her. It takes everything in me not to," he huffs.

"I can't even imagine," Grant admits. 

"Yeah, you didn't hold back when you found me," I smile.

"And neither did you," he whispers into my lips, making me laugh.

"Anyway," he says, and brings his glass to his lips and finishes the last of his whiskey. "I'm going to bed," he finishes and leaves for his apartment that is across the hall from ours. 

"So, what did you find out about why he isn't her type," Grant asks, and I wince.

"I promised her that I wouldn't say. I really can't either. Just know that I think he can get around it," I admit.

"I get it. She's your beta female; you need to protect that relationship too. I love that you two get along so well," he smiles. "Is there anything I can do?" he asks.

"For them? Not at the moment. Me? I can think of a thing or two," I beam.

"Oh, I know a thing or two," he says, and he quickly grabs my ass to scoop me up. Yes, he does!