Page 138 of Truck Up
Amelia looks up at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Think about it, Christian,” she says, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Eleanor Rose. I know how much you love old names.”
I growl and take the mobile from her hands. “Be serious. Nothing like that, please.”
She’s been suggesting names ever since we found out. Most of them are jokes or suggestions she makes out of fun. We have yet to settle on something we both like.
“What about Christina Grace?” she says, her voice soft and more serious this time. “It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
I lower my eyes to meet her gaze, overcome with emotion. The past several weeks have been difficult for both of us. I’ve hardly had time to process the death of my mom with everything that happened with Badger.
“You’d really consider that,” I ask, taking her into my arms, the mobile long forgotten.
Badger is in jail, awaiting his trial. Due to the nature of his crimes, he was denied bail. If Amelia hadn’t been pregnant, the judge might have taken a different view.
But we’re both working through what happened with the help of therapy. We’re happy and healthy and excited about our baby girl. For now, that’s enough.
“Yes.” She presses up on her toes and kisses my lips. “Let’s bring new life to your mom’s name. Give her the happy-ever-after she never got through the life of our daughter.”
“God, you’re amazing.” I cup her cheek and deepen the kiss. Something I will never tire of doing.
It feels surreal, my nightmares replaced by a dream I never dared to hope for. It wasn’t that long ago that I was a solitary wolf, living a life of isolation and self-destruction. Now, I have Amelia, this beautiful, vibrant woman who has brought light and laughter back into my world.
And soon, we’ll have a little girl to fill our lives with even more joy.
A sudden knock on the door startles us both. We exchange a confused look. We weren’t expecting anyone.
“I’ll get it,” I say, releasing her. “I’ll hang that mobile for you later.” I call out as I run down the stairs.
I open the door to find myself face-to-face with a wall of Koch brothers. Linden, Aaron, Tanner, and Jason stand shoulder to shoulder, their faces a mixture of curiosity and … well, something akin to apprehension. Behind them, their parents stand awkwardly beside a moving truck parked in the driveway.
This is something I never thought I’d see in my lifetime. The Koch’s visiting my house.
It’s … weird. Seeing them all here.
My family has been at odds with the Kochs for generations. A blood feud passed down through the years, a legacy of animosity that I supported with every ounce of my being.
And now, here they are, standing on my doorstep.
We haven’t spent much time together since that dreadful day at Williams’ Family Market, but the mood between our families has shifted considerably.
We’re struggling to figure out how to act around each other. It’s hard to forget about a lifetime of hatred and feuding in a few short months. But Amelia is determined to help us figure it out and bridge the gap between our two families. She’s hopeful that our baby girl will be the seed that brings healing and new life that ends this feud forever.
Linden clears his throat, his gaze shifting between me and Amelia, who has emerged from the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes are wide with surprise. “Uh… hi,” he says, his voice gruff.
“Hi,” I reply, unsure of what else to say.
There’s an awkward silence, broken only by the sound of the back door sliding open on the moving truck.
“We … uh … we brought some things,” Ben, Amelia’s dad, says, gesturing towards the truck. “For the house.”
I look at Amelia, who smiles warmly at her father before she rushes toward him. “That was very thoughtful of you, Dad.” She wraps her arms around him in a loving embrace.
Johanna, Amelia’s mom, steps forward, her eyes twinkling as she looks at me. I never thought I’d see Amelia’s parents looking at me like they’re happy to see me. This is weird, indeed.
“We couldn’t let you start your new life empty-handed, now could we?” she says.
I feel a wave of warmth spread through me. They … they actually care. They’re acknowledging our life together, accepting me into their family.
The sound of engines roaring fills the air. Grams’s old pickup truck pulls up behind the moving truck, followed by a convoy of vehicles—Liam, Warren, Garret, Chase, Ash, and even Mac and Sophia. They all arrive with trucks full of furniture.