Jeff threw his head back and laughed. Jeff had surprised Ari with a puppy for her birthday earlier today. Gramps and Grams hid her for two days at their place, and my father was about ready to kill her.
***
The moment Ari saw the little bloodhound puppy, she let out a scream and ran over to it. Ari picked it up and started to kiss it all over. Ellie laughed and held Gus back while Ari got acquainted with the new addition.
“Ellie, let Gus go, and let’s see what they do. ” Ari said with a smile.
“I’ll tell ya what they’ll do. They’ll chase each other nonstop and shit everywhere,” my dad said as he gave Jeff a look.
Jeff shrugged his shoulders. “I know, I owe you one. ”
“Damn right, you owe me one. This dog is nuts. She’s not all there. ”
Ari looked up at my dad and frowned while she covered the pup’s ears.
“Jack! Don’t say that about Abby! Oh my god! Abby! That’s her name. It just came to me,” Ari said as she looked up at Ellie.
They both laughed.
***
“You look lost in thought, baby. ” Ellie said as she placed her hand on my chest and pushed her body into mine.
“You want something to drink?” Jeff asked me.
“I’ll take a Dos Equis. ”
Jeff looked at me and smiled. “Dude, why didn’t you say that in your most interesting man voice?”
Ellie and Ari both started laughing while I just shook my head at him. Fucker.
Jeff turned to the waitress and asked for two Dos Equis beers and two sweet tea. The waitress looked at Ellie and Ari and then back at Jeff, who gave her a wink.
“Ari, we have our fake ID’s. Why don’t you use it to enjoy a beer on your birthday?” Ellie said to Ari.
“No, I only want sweet tea. ”
Ellie stared at Ari in disbelief while she glanced out at the dance floor. Ari looked like she was itching to dance.
“You don’t even want one drink on your birthday? What’s wrong? Are you not feeling good or something?” Ellie asked.
Ari looked back and forth between Jeff and Ellie. She seemed to be at a loss for words. Jeff looked at me and gave me a look.
Motherfucker. “Hey, Ells, you want to dance, babe?”
Ellie smiled and moved closer to me. “Yes, I would love to dance with you. ”
“Give me one second, sweetheart. ” I walked over to Jack and asked him to play a certain song next.
I headed back over to Ellie, and by the time we walked out to the dance floor, Jack was playing the song I’d asked for. I took Ellie in my arms and started dancing to Christina Aguilera’s “All I Need. ”
Ellie put her head on my chest while we danced in silence.
The moment Jeff had looked at me, I’d put two and two together. Ari was pregnant, and they didn’t want to tell Ellie. My heart was breaking for my beautiful girl. All she wanted was a baby, and we’d been trying for months. I didn’t tell her, but I booked a trip to New Orleans in March. Ellie had mentioned once how she’d always wanted to go there, so I thought a long weekend was just the thing she needed to relax.
“Drew?”
“Yes, baby?”