I Loved You First

Chapter 10: Eloise

AUGUST

"Elle, Will is here!" I hear Mom call from downstairs, immediately followed by the stampeding of little feet.

"Just a minute..." I yell back from my room, knowing that Eli and Emett will keep him busy until I'm ready.

Will and I spend pretty much every weekend together. More at my house than his since there's more to do and it doesn't feel like we're in such a fish bowl here. I guess that's the downside to being an only child, you're the only one to watch.

My parents are more laid back than Will's given they have two built-in hoverers in Eli and Emett. It's hard to get into much trouble with two little boys running around. We have to bribe them with the promise of games or whatever it is that they want that day to get any time alone, but even then it's short lived.

I button and then unbutton the bottom few buttons of my ribbed polo. I settle on two done up and tuck it into a pair of high waisted shorts. They may be a tad shorter than Dad would like, but hey, I buttoned two buttons.

I give my outfit one more look in the full length mirror, spritz myself with the perfume I know Will loves and head downstairs.

"Three, two, one..." Will counts down as Emett shoots a small rubber basketball into the miniature hoop currently attached to the back of our front door.

"He wins! He wins!" Eli yells after Emett sinks the shot over my, all too adorable, crouched down boyfriend.

I laugh, grabbing my Longchamp bag off the kitchen island. "Looks like we need to work on your defense, superstar."

"I'm up for some lessons," Will replies, in a flirty enough tone for me to know my parents must be outside.

I turn and catch him staring at my legs. I think I've made it clear that I wasn't blessed with curves, but at least I got longer legs. Ones that I catch him looking at quite often.

"Ready?" I ask, stifling a smile.

He takes his time moving those wandering blue eyes of his up to mine with a devastating closed lip smirk and I can see the mischief all over his handsome face.

"One more game, pwease!" Emett begs, jumping in an attempt to climb onto Will's back.

"Maybe when we get back. You two get some good practice in while we're gone," I say, smoothing the top of Eli's hair before we walk out into the humidity of the day.

Will rests his hand on the lowest part of my back. "Anyone ever tell you you're a smokeshow, Elle James?" he whispers in my ear, setting butterflies ablaze in my stomach before we've even stepped foot off the front porch.

"There was this one guy..." I counter, sending a sassy smile over my shoulder causing him to chuckle.

"You two be careful!" Mom calls from her flower garden on the side of the house. "We're grilling out tonight if you want to eat dinner here. Probably around six."

"If it's your turkey burgers, Mrs. James, I'm here!" Will says over the buzz of my dad's lawn mower.

Mom beams. "You know it is, Will! Have to make your favorite during football season. Have fun!" she says with a wave of her gardening gloves.

We wave to my dad, whipping around the front yard on his lawn mower and get into Will's SUV.

My parents built this house on my grandpa's farm when I was in eighth grade. White siding and dark green roof with a wide front porch at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. It's the modern farmhouse that Mom always dreamed of.