At noon, she and Charley crossed Elm Street to the newly renamed Green Mountain Diner, run by their future sister-in-law Megan. They ducked into a booth and Megan came over to them.

“Hi there,” she said with a friendly smile. “Do you guys need menus?”

“I don’t,” Charley said.

“Turkey club and a Diet Coke?” Megan asked.

“You got it.”

“Ella? You want your usual?”

Normally, she went for a salad, but she was absolutely famished today. “I’ll have the same as Charley.”

“Coming right up. Any news from Burlington?”

“Nothing,” Charley said. “I’m dying to know what’s going on. We’re heading over there from here.”

“Hunter should be there any time now. I’m so bummed that I can’t get away with the big Thanksgiving dinner here tomorrow.”

“What’s Hunter going to do about Thanksgiving?” Ella asked.

“He’s coming back tonight to give me a hand here,” Megan said, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly. “I told him he doesn’t have to, but he insisted.”

“He wants to be where you are,” Ella said with a smile for the woman who’d made her oldest brother so happy.

“That’s what he said, too. I’ll get your order in and grab your drinks.”

“Thanks, Megan,” Charley said. When they were alone, she added in a whisper, “I never expected to like her as much as I do.”

“She’s really great when you take the time to get to know her.”

“I can’t believe Hunter is getting married next month!”

“When it’s right, it’s right,” Ella said with a sigh.

“Why the sigh?”

“I guess I’m envious of him and Will and Hannah and Colton. They’ve got it all figured out, and I want that, too. I want to know that Gavin and I are together forever and nothing will ever come between us.” The thought of something coming between them filled her with fear, which was slightly irrational in light of what had transpired between them only that morning.

“Earth to Ella. Where’d you go off to?”

“I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

“If I tell you, you won’t tell anyone else, will you?”

“Jeez, I didn’t earn any points by keeping the big Gavin secret for as long as I did?”

“True.” Though she’d prefer not to tell anyone her private business, she was dying to tell someone, and Charley had proven herself trustworthy in recent months. “This morning, when we were . . . together . . . It was just . . . I don’t know how to describe it.”

“We’re talking about sex, right?”

Ella gave her a withering look.

“What? I’m just making sure we’re on the same wavelength. Are we?”

“Yes,” Ella said, exasperated.

“I bet it’s really good with him. He’s got the whole studly, brawny, sexy thing going on like Caleb did, too.”

“It is amazing with him, but this morning it was . . . I don’t have the words.”

Charley fanned her face. “Wow. I’ve never seen you speechless before.”

“I was after that. I was speechless. There’s like this connection between us that defies description.”

“You’re lucky. That’s hard to find.”

“You’re going to find it, Charley. I know you are.”

“I’m not holding my breath, and I’m perfectly happy just the way I am.”

Megan returned with their drinks. “Hunter called from the hospital. They’re saying it could be another couple of hours until your new niece or nephew arrives.”

“Oh, good for us but bad for Chloe,” Ella said. “I hope she’s doing okay.”

“I hope she’s not a dick to Max after the baby’s born,” Charley said bluntly.

“That, too,” Ella said.

“She’ll have the Abbott army to contend with if she is,” Megan said.

“Indeed she will,” Charley said. She perked up and waved someone over to their table, sliding in to make room for Elmer. “Hey, Gramps.”

“This is a nice surprise,” Elmer said. “Three of my favorite ladies all in one place.”

“Coffee?” Megan asked him with a warm smile that was full of affection. Elmer had that effect on people.

“Would love some, honey. Thank you.”

“Are you going to Burlington, Gramps?” Ella asked.

“I’m leaving shortly with Wade. He offered to give me a lift.”

“You can come with us if you’d rather get there alive,” Charley said.

“Your brother is a very good driver, and I already said I’d go with him, but thanks for the invite.”

“Ready to be a great-grandpa?” Ella asked.

“I can’t wait. Have you heard any more?”

They told him what Hunter had reported through Megan.

“This is so exciting,” Elmer said. “It’s been a while since we had a baby in the family.”

“It’s funny that Max was the last baby, and now he’s having one of his own,” Ella said. “I vividly remember the day he was born.”

“I do, too,” Charley said with a smile for her sister. They were eight and nine years older than Max. “And here he is beating us to parenthood.”

“He always was an overachiever,” Elmer said. “And he’s going to be a great dad to that little one.”

“Yes,” Ella said, “he is.” A fierce pang of yearning overtook her. She wanted to be a mom. For so long, when it seemed like it wasn’t going to happen with Gavin, she’d managed to contain the yearning. But now . . . Now the yearning was like a live wire burning inside her.

After a delightful lunch full of laughs with their grandfather, Ella and Charley set out for Burlington to meet their new niece or nephew. They arrived at the hospital shortly after three to hear that Chloe and Max were in the delivery room, and the baby was coming soon.

The waiting room was full of Abbotts, eager to meet their new family member.

“Where’s her family?” Charley asked Ella.

“I don’t know that she has much family. Does she?”

“No idea.”

Molly, who’d been pacing from one end of the small room to the other, dropped into the chair on the other side of Ella’s. “I hope he’s holding up all right in there.”

“I’m sure he’s doing great, Mom,” Ella said. “Charley was just wondering where Chloe’s family is.”

“I’ve had no success whatsoever in getting your brother to tell me what the deal is with her family. Apparently, they were less than thrilled to hear about the baby and haven’t had much to do with her since she got pregnant.”

“Can you imagine being that shitty to your own kid?” Charley asked. “It’s a baby, not a drug bust, for crying out loud.”

“That’s how Dad and I feel, too. Would we have chosen this for him at this point in his life? Probably not, but it’s his life, not ours. It wouldn’t occur to us not to support him.”

“That’s because you’re great parents,” Ella said.

“Don’t make me cry, sweetheart. I’m already a hot mess waiting to meet my grandbaby.”

Ella put her arm around her mother, who laid her head on Ella’s shoulder. “That’s going to be one lucky grandbaby.”

“You’re making me cry.”

Hannah and Nolan arrived a short time later, followed by Wade and Elmer. And with their arrival, the entire family was there when Max came bursting through the double doors an hour later wearing light blue scrubs, a cap on his head and a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

“It’s a boy,” he said with tears streaming down his face. “I have a son!”

Molly and Lincoln rushed to hug him while everyone else waited their turn to congratulate him.

“How’s Chloe?” Molly asked.

“She’s kind of out of it, but she did great. He’s a big boy. Almost nine pounds.”

Ella winced at that news. Ouch!

“What’s his name?” Colton asked.

“Caden,” Max said. “Caden Lincoln Abbott.”

“Oh hell,” Lincoln said, swiping at his tears. “Thank you, son.”

“Thank you. All of you. I can’t believe you’re all here.”

“Where else would we be?” Hannah asked, wrapping her arms around Max when he broke down again.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen now,” Max said between sobs. “It’s all so screwed up.”

“You’ll go back in there and be with your son,” Lincoln said, rubbing Max’s back. “Just be there and you’ll figure out the rest.”