Declan knew Ella was crying again. It was part of the healing process for her. She had been to hell and back and she needed the release that it brought. “Ellie, baby, let’s get you back in the bed. I’m going to call the nurse and have her bring you something.”

She let him settle her back into the bed, but grabbed his arm as he started to straighten back up. “I want you to help her.”

He stiffened as the meaning sank in. “Ellie—”

She looked at him and then at Mac. “I want you both to help her. I’m alive and, even though she made a horrible mistake, I don’t want her more traumatized than she already is. This will probably haunt her for the rest of her life. What else could I possibly do to her that hasn’t already been done?”

“Ellie, she hurt you. She could have killed you. I don’t know if I can let it go,” Declan pleaded. His heart felt like it was breaking as tears continued to stream down her face unchecked. He felt his thirst for retribution slowly drain out of him as he looked into the anguished face of the woman he loved. For her, he could let it go. If Ella could not only forgive, but try to help the person who had hurt her, could he do any less? He pulled her gently against him, whispering against her neck, “Okay, baby, shhh, I’ll take care of it.” He rocked her for a few minutes until she had settled down and was surprised to see that she was asleep when he finally pulled back. The emotional upheaval had drained her weak body completely. He looked around and saw that the room was empty.

As he suspected, Mac was waiting in the corridor. Declan knocked his head back against the wall once in frustration before saying, “You heard her, find out what we can do to make this as easy for the girl as we can. I only have one stipulation. When this is over, she will come to Ellie and see the person she could have killed. I want an apology, in person, from her to Ellie. She needs to completely understand the ramifications of her actions. That is nonnegotiable to me.”

“Agreed,” Mac replied. “She’s really something,” he added admiringly. “After all she’s been through; she was more worried about that girl than herself. If I weren’t so damn happy for you, I’d hate your guts.”

Declan clapped his friend on the shoulder knowing he was thinking of Ava. “Yeah, she is something and I was about to give up and walk away from her just a few weeks ago. It took almost losing her to kick some sense into me. Loving Ellie helped me to deal with some of my baggage; maybe Ava needs to lose you before she can deal with hers.”

Clearly frustrated, Mac said, “Ava knows I’ve been here for her all along. She doesn’t want the help or, if she does, she doesn’t want it from me.”

“You know Ava had it worse than all of us. That bastard really messed her up.”

“I know that, Dec. I’ll never get the picture out of my head of when she crawled to my door that night. Shit, don’t you think I know all of that?”

As he started to answer, he heard Ella calling his name from the room. “Just think about what I said, okay?”

“Yeah, fine,” Mac muttered.

As Declan started back into Ella’s room, he turned back to Mac who had already started down the hall. “Mac?” When he turned around, Declan took a breath and said, “Let me know when Amy gets into town. If I’m making the girl who hit Ella face her, then I need to step up and meet Craig’s family.”

Mac smiled and said, “Good deal,” as he headed back down the hall. No matter how things went at that next step, Declan felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He was officially facing another major hurdle in his life and he knew he owed it all to the woman smiling at him from her hospital bed. But if she noticed that he held her for just a little longer than usual that day, she didn’t mention it.

Chapter Twenty-One

Declan carried Ella through the door of his apartment and deposited her gently down onto the couch. She settled back against the cushions and moaned in bliss. “I’m so glad to be out of that hospital. I’m sure all of the nurses are going to miss you, though. I felt like I was leaving with Tom Cruise or something.”

He threw her a sheepish smile as he dropped her bag onto the chair next to her. She would swear that he was even blushing. All of the nurses had lined up in the hallway when the pair left and, instead of wishing her well, they had all hugged Declan and told him to stay in touch. She was pretty sure that they had forgotten that she was actually the one that had been hospitalized. He sure had a group of loyal fans there.

“Baby, are you sure you’re up to having Evan here for a few hours? I can get you settled in bed and keep him out here while you rest.”

She grabbed his hand and pulled him down to sit beside her. “Mister, you are gonna have a fight on your hands if you try to put me back in bed.” Giving him a wicked grin, she added, “Well, unless you have something in mind other than me sleeping?”

“Ellie,” he groaned, “Don’t look at me that way.”

“What?” she asked innocently as she trailed her hand over his crotch.

He took her hand and put it back beside her on the couch. He laughed as she pouted. “Behave yourself. I don’t need Evan asking why I’m walking around hunched over. I’m still battling the hard-on I got from carrying you in the door. I don’t need any encouragement where you’re concerned.”

She still had to fight the urge to squeal like a girl and shout, “He loves me!” Unlike her parents who had wanted to make all of her decisions, when Declan took care of her, she felt loved. He was so gentle with her and sensitive to her every need. Even though it went against every instinct he had, at her request, he asked Mac to help the girl who had hit her. Sara had come by the hospital that morning to apologize. She and her parents cried as they apologized and thanked her profusely. Thanks to Mac’s influence with the district attorney, Sara would not do jail time and instead would perform community service at a local children’s shelter. Sara told Ella she had gotten rid of her cell phone, and she never wanted another one. Ella was pretty sure she would change her mind about that later on, but was happy that she realized how dangerous it was to use while driving.

The next thing she knew Ella jerked awake. She couldn’t remember dozing off, but she must have. Evan sat beside his father on the coffee table in front of her. “Do you think she’s okay, Dad?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. I bet she must be hungry.”

“Are we gonna ask her?”

“Yep, you know what to say, right?”

Ella had shut her eyes while she listened to father and son talk. She wondered what plan they were hatching. She felt Evan poke her in the shoulder and opened one eye to look at him. “Yesss?”

Evan giggled. “She’s alive, Dad. Are you hungry, Ellie?”

“I’m starving, Evan. Whatcha got for me?” Evan and Declan moved to the side and she spotted a pink cake behind them. “Mmmm, is that strawberry, my favorite?”

Evan nodded. “We made it for you. Can you sit up ‘cause I got something to ask you.”

Ella smiled. Could he be any more adorable? She looked over at Declan who had been strangely silent through their exchange. He looked a little pale. Maybe he should find something else to do with Evan besides baking. She settled back on the sofa after getting comfortable and said, “Alright, kid, lay it on me.”

Evan cleared his throat and looked at his father. When Declan gave him a slight nod, he said, “We made you your favorite cake so we can celebrate if you give us a good answer.”

Ella lifted a brow. “So what you’re saying is I have to answer the question right or I don’t get any cake?”

“Yeah. Daddy says we can only ‘cept one answer. Can I ask you the question now?”

“Please do, I’m starving.”

When Evan and Declan each dropped to one knee in front of her, she laughed. Boy, this must be something major if they were reduced to this. When Evan asked, “Ella, will you marry us?” It took her a few seconds for the words to sink in. Her head started spinning and her heart was racing. She heard Evan say, “What’s wrong with her, Daddy? She hasn’t said anything.”

“Ellie?” Declan was starting to sound a little panicky.

As the implication of what was going on hit her, Ella started laughing. “Oh my God, yes!” She threw her arms around a nervous looking Declan and an excited Evan. “I’d love to marry you guys. I can’t think of anything in this world I would rather do!”

Evan squirmed out of her hold, running to the kitchen to get some plates for the cake, while Declan crushed her against him. “Is this a real yes?” he asked.

She felt tears running down her face as she said, “Yes. I . . . I’m so happy and surprised.”

With a huge grin, Declan said, “I knew you couldn’t say no to Evan.”

“I couldn’t say no to his daddy either.” When Evan came back into the room, they were lost in a long, drugging kiss. He wedged his way between them holding up a ring box.

He held it out to Declan and said, “I got her ring like I was supposed to.” Then looking confused he added, “We really will need plates though, won’t we?”

Declan slid the beautiful princess-cut diamond ring on her finger and asked her formally, “Ella Marie Webber, will you marry me?”

Her tears continued to fall as she said, “I would love to marry you, Declan, and you, Evan.” Father and son beamed, and the three admired the diamond on her finger.

“Ellie, I only have two more things to ask of you. Please don’t make me wait long and please don’t let your mother hurt me.”

She burst out laughing thinking there was something really wrong with her. How could she be crying one moment and laughing the next. Being in love had shown her one thing, she never knew what to expect, even from herself.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The bride was radiant in an off-the-shoulder, white silk gown. And the other bride glowed in an empire waist, organza dress that clearly showed her advanced stage of pregnancy. Flower petals lined the aisle, courtesy of a handsome flower boy named Evan. The bridesmaids consisted of Claire, Suzy, Ava, and Emma. The groomsmen were Jason, Gray, Brant, and Mac.

Declan smiled at Evan as he fidgeted beside him. On the other side of the altar, Nick fidgeted almost as much. Ella and Beth stood inside the double doors at the back of the church waiting for the wedding march to begin.

Declan had to marvel at the changes that falling in love with Ella had brought about in him. He had led such a solitary existence until he met her. Now he had friends he socialized with, and he was marrying the woman of his dreams, in a double ceremony, no less.

A couple weeks after he asked Ella to marry him, she had come to him with a hopeful expression on her sweet face. Beth wanted to marry Nick before their baby was born. She wanted to prove to herself that she could walk down the aisle while she was pregnant and not give in to her need to lose weight first. He didn’t fully understand it, but Ella did. She knew that her friend badly wanted to carry through with her plans, but was very nervous about being the center of attention. Ella had come up with a plan for Beth to have the wedding she wanted, but not have to be alone in the spotlight.

Declan was helpless to deny her anything when she looked at him with those big eyes. She said she had been fully prepared to beg or bribe him if necessary. He had agreed without any need for begging, but enjoyed her enthusiastic thanks just the same.

In true fashion, the idea of a double wedding with her daughter’s pregnant best friend had appalled Ella’s mother, but faced with the possibility of not being a part of her daughter’s wedding, she had given in and taken over a lot of the planning. Originally, Beth had wanted a beach wedding like her sister, but with her pregnancy and Ella still recovering from her surgeries, they had decided it wasn’t a great idea to walk down an aisle made of shifting sand.

Ella’s mother had surprised everyone when she stepped forward and suggested the family church for the wedding. Declan had expected her to suggest a location in another state to make sure none of their friends attended, but he had underestimated her ability to adjust when it was necessary. He had no doubt she was going to be the mother-in-law from hell, but since she had already busted in on them in bed, what was left, really?

The wedding march started and he felt his eyes start to well up as the best friends clasped hands and started down the aisle. Their fathers had agreed to walk behind them in a nontraditional show of support. At nine months pregnant, Beth waddled a bit, but she was beautiful as her eyes clung to the man beside Declan.

Ella still walked with a slight limp that was hardly noticeable to those who didn’t know about her accident. She was radiant and as always, he felt like he was the only man in the world when she looked at him. He was world-weary and battle scarred, but with her love, he had a fresh thirst for life that he would never have thought possible. He might never forget the traumas he had experienced, but when the shadows came, she was there to push them back with the light.