I grinned. “You just remember that next time I bring you a vehicle to work on.”
Everly stiffened beside me, and I knew it was because of my reference to the future. But, what she didn’t realize, was that I was having a hard time imagining a future without her in it.
I watched as she opened the box in front of her, her face lighting up at the sight of the elf with long blonde hair and deep brown eyes that she pulled out. The bells on her feet jingled, along with the ones around her waist.
“What’s this?” Everly whispered, her hand going to the delicate gold necklace I’d hung around the elf’s neck.
I took it from her when she managed to get it loose and held it up for her to see. It was a heart, with a layer of diamonds trailing down one side. Turning it over, I showed her the back where it had the wordsMy Lightengraved on it. Her eyes moistened with tears as I leaned down and whispered for her ears alone, “Because you are my light, Everly Chase. You’ve brightened up my life more than you will ever know.”
Suddenly, I had an arm full of woman. She clutched me tightly as she whispered raggedly, “How am I going to let you go?”
Before I could reply, there was a loud knock on the front door. Everly froze, then gave me a quick kiss before jumping up and running from the room, leaving me feeling more than a little confused about our future. What the hell was I going to do? How was I going to leave her?
“Alex?”
I looked up to see Everly standing in the doorway, her hands clutched tightly together in front of her. Her brow was creased with worry, and she glanced behind her before looking back at me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, rising and taking a step toward her.
“Nothing… I hope.”
“Everly?”
A small smile tilted the corners of her mouth, and she said, “Well, I tried and tried to figure out what to get a guy who already has everything.” She bit her lip and glanced behind her again before meeting my gaze and taking a step in my direction. “Alex, remember when you told me about your brother, Eric? About how he left when you were young, and you never saw him again.”
My heart stopped in my chest and then took off in a thunder. “Yeah?”
“Well, Drew is in the FBI, and he has resources most people don’t. I asked him for a favor, and now I owe him big time, because he came through for me.”
“What exactly are you saying, Everly?” I demanded, even though I had a pretty damn good idea already.
“Eric did come back for you, Alex. Several times, actually. But you were adopted, and social services refused to give out your new last name to him.”
“I went there so many times, little brother. Begged and pleaded with them, but they were tight lipped. The only thing they would let me do was write a note that they put in your file in case you ever went looking for me.”
I swallowed hard, my gaze swinging from the woman who I was beginning to suspect owned my heart, to the man behind her who looked almost exactly like me. My hair was longer, and he was slightly taller and clean shaven, but other than that we could have been twins.
“Oh my God!” I heard Madeline whisper. “You did it, Drew. You found him.”
“Of course, I did,” Drew replied, walking over to hold out his hand to my brother. “Glad you could make it, Eric. I hope you and your family had a nice flight.”
“We actually drove,” a soft voice said from behind Eric, and I watched as a petite woman with short, red hair stepped up next to Eric. “My husband was too excited to wait for a flight, and we thought it would be better on little Alexander if we drove.”
“Alexander?” I rasped, fighting tears. My brother was here. He hadn’t left me and never come back. Hell, he’d named his son after me.
“Alexander Matthew, after you and Dad,” Eric said gruffly, ruffling his son’s dark hair as the little boy raised his head from his mother’s shoulder and looked at me with sleepy, green eyes. Eyes identical to mine and Eric’s.
I swiped at the tears that I couldn’t hold back anymore as I muttered, “You came back.”
“I came back, Alex, so many damn times I lost count.” Eric moved forward and threw an arm around my shoulders, giving me a tight hug. “I couldn’t find you.”
“Alex is famous,” Chloe piped up from where she sat by her mother, combing her new doll’s hair. “He sings on a stage and everything. My mommy told me so.”
“What?” Eric asked in confusion.
“Holy shit,” his wife breathed, her mouth opening wide. “You’re Xander freaking Scott!”
I felt my face redden as I nodded. Pulling back from my brother, I looked over at Everly. Opening my arms, I waited for her to slip into them before I answered. “Yeah, I am, but a part of me will always be Alexander Lucas Covington.” Looking down into Everly’s eyes, I smiled. “Thank you, baby. You’ve given me the best gift anyone could ever give me.”