Finding Gavin (Southern Boys #2)

Finding Gavin

Limitless Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734

www.limitlesspublishing.com

Formatting: Limitless Publishing

ISBN-13: 978-1503009752
ISBN-10: 1503009750

No  part  of  this  book  may  be  reproduced,  scanned,  or  distributed  in  any  printed  or  electronic  form
without  permission.  Please  do  not  participate  in  or  encourage  piracy  of  copyrighted  materials  in
violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This  is  a  work  of  fiction.  Names,  characters,  places,  and  incidents  either  are  the  product  of  the
author’s  imagination  or  are  used  fictitiously,  and  any  resemblance  to  locales,  events,  business
establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

Prologue

Maria

I had to believe he came into my life for a reason. Whether to jump start my heart or crush it, there

was a purpose behind our encounter.

Gavin Wyatt Tennison was a cowboy from Savannah with a broken heart. He set forth my

destruction. He had never made any promises. In fact, he made it a point to tell me he wanted no ties
with any woman. Not after what his wife had put him through. Nicole had destroyed him, by sleeping
with his boss. A man he thought to be a friend helped destroy his marriage.

Gavin now believed faithfulness and true love were only a lie—a plan set forth only to make us

feel weak right before the attack, leaving behind its wounded victim, only jagged pieces of someone
who at one time was whole.

So falling for him was all my fault. I let my guard down and let him seep into my soul. Now I was

the one suffering, feeling tattered and bruised. The entire situation left a god-awful taste in my mouth.
An ache so deep it was impossible to reach, unable to be mended.

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, as it appeared to be the story of my life. After all, I was

the girl whose daddy ran off, leaving her behind without thinking twice. I was the mid-life crisis
baby. He had his boys, all four of them—Randall, Billy, Jacob and Colton—my brothers.

When my father left I was four; my youngest brother, at eighteen years old, had been convinced it

was in his best interest to go along too.

The only two brothers I occasionally heard from were Colt, who was the youngest of the boys, and

Jake, who was just shy of a year older than Colt. They lived near my dad and spent most of their time
trying to please the man who has always been impossible to please. It was his way or no way, no
exceptions.

My father was a mean, cold-hearted man; that was the easiest way to categorize him. He was

stubborn and pigheaded and has only ever thought of himself. He never cared who he hurt along the
way, as long as he had what he wanted. I was more than sure he didn’t have a compassionate fiber in
his body.

Because I was the little girl that my own dad didn’t really want, Gavin’s rejection shouldn’t have

been a surprise. It hurt like crazy, though. It wasn’t hard to fall for him, not hard at all. He was mighty
fine to look at; those eyes of his could melt any woman’s soul. That damn adorable grin he sported
made my body weak. His lips were so damn appealing—I could have dreams about them alone. In
fact, I did often, and they were always some of my most favorite dreams.

It took nothing at all for him to capture me, even when he wasn’t trying. Gavin had told me from

the beginning that, if anything happened between us, it would only be for fun. He refused to let me in,
and I just kept hoping that one day he might.

I was just the dumb girl who thought one time with a man like him would be enough to scratch the

itch.

But one time with a man like Gavin only sealed my fate. I was now, and would forever be,

addicted to his touch. No one would ever be able to make me feel what he had. No one would ever
give me the sense of completion the way that man had. And he wasn’t even trying; it was just
uncontrollable.

From the first kiss, I knew that Gavin Tennison would only make every other man feel like a

waste. He had ruined me. Although I thought I had already accomplished that on my own, I was
wrong. I was so wrong.

It has been two weeks since he left. Two very long weeks since he went back to Savannah. Two

weeks since I had gone to his house and gave in to the undeniable temptation.

When I woke up in his bed that last morning, beside a very naked Gavin, I internally cursed

myself. I had once again given in to the desire I felt for him. I had told myself after that first time
together I wouldn’t allow myself to give when I got nothing in return.

But the moment his lips skimmed over my neck and his hands gripped my hips, I was lost in the

heavenly bliss he always brought upon me.

The words he spoke that morning before he left pulled at my heart.

“I wish I could give you more, Maria.” Gavin whispered as he held me in a tight embrace, with

his face buried against my neck and his hot breath fanning out over my chest.

“I wish more than anything that things were different. That this whole mess was behind me.

There are just some things that need to be taken care of, before the divorce goes through. I don’t
want to drag you along. I just don’t know if I have it in me to give my all to you right now.”

Gavin pulled back and tilted my chin upward, looking in my eyes with sadness. “It just isn’t fair

of me to put you through that. It isn’t fair to give you false hope.”

I couldn’t speak, so I only closed my eyes tight as his lips touched mine gently.
I felt his body pull back from mine and I knew he was leaving. I couldn’t watch him leave. It

hurt too much to think of him walking away from me. I didn’t know from this point what to expect
when it came to us, and that was devastating.

Nicole had flipped things on him completely. She was doing everything she could to hold on. She

would call him and text at random times. I could sense the irritation in his voice every time they
talked. She was pulling out all the stops, attempting everything possible to draw him back in, and my
biggest fear was that she would win.

I know he said right now he couldn’t offer me anything, but the last thing I wanted was for that

cheating little bitch to get her claws back into him.

My heart honestly hurt for him; she was playing him so much. I just wished he would wake up and

see what I could see. Gavin was too kind-hearted, in my opinion. He owed her nothing, but she took
what they had and threw it away, and now she just needed to allow him to find happiness with
someone else.

It was because of that bitch and what she had done to him that he was so withdrawn. I don’t know

if he will ever be willing to love again, but I couldn’t stop myself from believing that one day he

Chapter One

“Maria, your phone is ringing again.” My momma called out from the next room.
I made no attempt to rush to answer it. I already knew who was calling. It was Kori. She calls

every day around the same time.

I had done a decent job avoiding her lately. I know she meant well, but damn it, it was hard to talk

about everything. In the end, it only made her mad to see how I was allowing this all to destroy me.

A girl could only take so much rejection before she felt defeated. I had reached that point. I felt as

if I no longer had a fight in me. My feisty go get’em attitude had depleted to a mere nothing. I just
didn’t care anymore.

I was miserable about the fact I could not stomach my best friend’s picture-perfect life. It

disgusted me that I felt jealous of something she deserved so much.

Reed and Kori were perfect together. I wanted a life like that so much. I wanted that undeniable

love, that ‘can’t breathe without you’ kinda love. I wanted a man who would look at me the way Reed
idolized Kori. He was in awe of her—it was written all over his face. There wasn’t a damn thing he
wouldn’t do for her.

“Maria.” My momma stood in the doorway of my room, holding my phone in her hand. I looked up

to find a concerned look on her face. “Sweetheart, are you okay? Did something happen between you
and Kori? Is that why you don’t want to talk to her?”

I shook my head and attempted a smile. “No momma, Kori and I are fine. Really.”
She stepped into the room and took a seat on the bed next to me. Brushing my hair back away from

my eyes, she tucked it behind my ear. “I’m not sure what’s going on with you, sweet girl, but I’m
worried about you. I can tell you’re hiding something. You can’t hide things from me; you know I’ll
just worry. I can tell something heavy is weighing on your mind.”

“Momma,” I said, as my eyes met hers and I took a deep breath. She watched me quietly, waiting

for me to continue. I knew that I needed to provide her with some sort of explanation. She wouldn’t
be happy without something to ease her mind.

“Sometimes I feel like I just don’t deserve happiness. I mean, I guess I look for it too hard or

something. I don’t know what it is, but I just don’t think I was meant to find that happy ending we all
strive for.” I took a deep breath, nervously twisting my hands in my lap. “I’m supposed to be helping
Kori plan her wedding, but instead I’m hiding out.”

I shook my head is disgust. “What kind of person avoids her best friend because she’s jealous of

her? I mean, that’s just awful momma, admit it. I should be helping her, but I just keep avoiding it all
instead.”

My momma was the sweetest, gentlest person I knew. She was also very strong-willed and had

survived some very dark days of her own.

She laid my phone down on the bed next to her and turned back to face me. Taking my hand into

hers, she squeezed it gently. “Sweetheart, we all are tested. Every last one of us is faced with
struggles we must overcome. Kori had some pretty hard times. She fell to the bottom and had to fight
her way back up. You watched as the girl fell apart day after day.”

She wiped the tear from my cheek. “You are stronger than you give yourself credit for. You

deserve everything good; please don’t say otherwise. Your daddy was the fool, and I know that’s
what this all boils down to. You have let that man’s mistakes control your choices. Stop with all that
nonsense. It had nothing to do with you. You were just a child, Maria; you did nothing wrong.”

I looked down at my lap, doing everything I could to avoid the truth. “He was and still is a

stubborn ole’ jackass, and he missed out on an amazing experience. He has missed out on the
beautiful, strong woman you’ve become. You did nothing wrong, please believe that.”

She reached out and tipped my chin upward, forcing my eyes to connect with hers. “One of these

days, you’re gonna find a man who cherishes the love you give him. He’ll realize that a life with you
will be one of the greatest gifts he could ever receive. Don’t for one second think you deserve
anything less.”

All I could do was nod. I needed to snap out of this. This pitiful form of myself wasn’t me at all. I

was stronger than this and I knew how to fight back. I learned from the greatest woman I knew that
you should never let anyone knock you down.

I needed no man to make me feel whole. I was and would forever be the girl who stood tall, and it

was time to stop letting Gavin consume my world. If he was determined to keep me at a distance, I
would stay away. I would move forward without hesitation.

I wouldn’t force any man to love me. I would no longer hold out for the hope that he would realize

I was not like her. I was nothing like the woman who broke him.

***

“Well, it’s about time you stop avoiding me. I’ve missed you.” Kori reached across the table top

and took my hand in hers. “Do you remember when I came back home and you wouldn’t let me fall
deeper than I already had?” I looked up to meet her determined eyes. I must have my mood written all
over my face. She read me so well. “Well, be prepared for payback. I will not sit back and allow you
to lose yourself. I am and will always be here for you. No matter what, I’m in your corner.”

“I’m fine, Kori, really. Okay, so yeah, I fell for a guy who didn’t return those feelings. I fell for a

guy who told me from the beginning he wasn’t ready for anything more than that one night. I was the
one who willingly dove in head first, even though everything inside me screamed not to. It’s my fault,
all mine. Now I just have to move on from it. It’s been two weeks, and all I’ve gotten are a few short
text messages.”

I squared my shoulders and forced back the impending tears. “I’m done pining over it all. Enough

about Gavin and my nonexistent relationship; it’s time for me to move on from it.”

I forced a smile, “I have a date tonight, and I refuse to continue to dwell on the heartache I have for

the blue-eyed cowboy.”

I waved my hand to the side as if to brush the subject away. “Besides, we have a beautiful

wedding to plan.”

With this, Kori’s face lit up. She had it all, and she beamed from the bliss of it.
“Okay,” she smiled big. “But don’t you go thinking I’m not gonna have you filling me in later about

this date. You’ll have to tell me all about it.” She winked before grabbing the folder that held all of
her wedding plans. We were quickly distracted, no longer dwelling on my love life—or lack thereof.

Reed’s love for Kori was beautiful. You could see it in his eyes that she and Rhett were his world.

That man loved her with everything inside him, with no reservations. A love like they share is
amazing and so hard to find.

They got a second chance at love. They completed one another, and the love they shared made me

realize that there were beautiful moments hidden within the darkness. The unhappy darkness that had
lately surrounded me.

It was time I occupied myself with something other than the cowboy I can’t have.
What better way to do that than plan a beautiful wedding, for two people who were made for one

another?

Chapter Two

Kori and Reed would be married in a June, which left less than two months to get everything in

line. I had been dragging my feet, and that wasn’t helping matters much.

Today was definitely one of those days I could live without. We were taking a trip into Savannah

—Leann, Kori, and me.

I had to admit the idea of Savannah only made me think of Gavin. He was there still trying to settle

everything with Nicole. The idea of him and her, together, made my skin crawl.

He had yet to contact me. I had only gotten a couple of random texts from him over the last couple

of weeks. They were very short and to the point. Nothing elaborate or extra special, just ‘how are
you’ and ‘missing your smile.’

He didn’t owe me anything, but it would have been real nice to hear his voice.
When he left, things with him and me were a little strange. He was one confusing man. One

moment he would look at me as if he wanted to throw me up over his shoulder and lock me away for
hours, just the two of us. Then it would all change, and he would barely even make eye contact. It was
as if he would suddenly remember he still had things holding him back. It was a struggle within him I
didn’t quite understand.

I pulled into Kori’s driveway and found both her and Leann already waiting on the porch. Reed

stood at their side holding Rhett in his arms. They all turned to look in my direction as my tires
crunched along the gravel.

Slapping on the best happy face I could manage, I opened my car door and walked toward them.

Leann and Kori had already been texting me to get a move on. The both of them had been waiting on
me for close to an hour.

As I stepped up onto the porch, Rhett let out a squeal and reached out for me. Kori laughed and

Reed shook his head. This little man could take all my hurt and anger and turn it right into smiles and
giggles. He was without a doubt a cure for my current heartache. I was putty in that little boy’s hands,
and I loved him dearly.

I took him from Reed, and he wrapped his arms around my neck tightly. “Hey, buddy, thanks for

the lovin’, handsome.” I kissed his cookie-covered cheek and he giggled. Kori continued to watch me
closely, and I refused to meet her gaze, but I could feel her stare.

After a few minutes of some much needed snuggles from my sweet little man, Reed took Rhett back

into his arms. Kori stood from the chair to give her son a kiss goodbye.

Reed watched, in awe of the two of them, and it made my heart melt. “You girls be careful and

have a good time. Rhett’s gonna go fishing with me and Dad, so we’ll keep busy. Enjoy your day.” He
winked at me and gave Kori a kiss before turning to take Rhett inside.

“I gotta stop by Momma’s place to pick her up, then we’ll head out,” Kori said as she continued to

observe me with an odd look on her face.

I raised my shoulders in question. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
A few silent moments passed before she spoke again. “Gavin got back this morning. I was trying to

weigh it out, see if you knew.”

I fought against the disappointment that was now taking me over. I could only shake my head

lightly as I turned toward the driveway and walked in the direction of the car. What the hell was he
planning on doing, avoiding me? I did my best to appear as if the news had absolutely no effect on
me.

When Kori and Leann climbed into the car, there was an uncomfortable silence. It was really

irritating and only seemed to make it harder for me not to scream. “You do know I’m not gonna break,
right? I’m fine, and if he doesn’t want to talk or see me, then to hell with him. I won’t give him that
control over me. He doesn’t deserve it.”

“Do you want me to call her and tell her to just meet us at the end of the lane?” Kori asked. “Gavin

is there helping with the things that piled up while he was gone.”

I shook my head and forced a smile. “No, I am not gonna hide Kori. I heard from him three times

while he was gone. Three blunt, nothing special text messages were all I was worth to him. But there
has been nothing for the last week, so I got the hint. I won’t force anything from anyone. I am fine with
it all, no need to dwell on it,” I insisted.

“Please just stop worrying about me. I had a really good time with Aaron the other night, and I

plan on seeing him again. I am not sitting around waiting on Gavin. I’m good, really.”

I loved Kori to the moon and back, but she was driving me insane. Her mothering tendencies were

enough to make me want to strangle her at times. I didn’t need a mother hen; I needed a friend. And
right now I needed her to stop pushing.

I think I may have held my breath during the entire drive to her parents’ house. My heart was

racing and my stomach was flipping like crazy.

Yeah, pulling up to her parents’ house and seeing Gavin’s big manly truck sitting in the drive made

my stomach ache profusely. I refused to let anyone know how much it affected me. Instead, I plastered
a smile on my face and waited as Gemma walked down the drive toward us.

Just as she was about to open the car door, Bud hollered out from the barn. I turned to the sound of

his voice, and I swear for a moment my heart stopped.

There stood Gavin, wearing one of his tight fitting shirts and those damn jeans that formed to his

amazing thighs. Damn those thighs.

I bit down on the inside of my cheek and silently begged Gemma to just wave goodbye to Bud and

get in. Of course that isn’t what happened. Nothing ever seems simple in my life.

Gavin leaned the shovel he was holding up against the back of the truck and walked in our

direction. With each step he took, my chest ached more. I gripped my phone so tightly in my hand it
was beginning to hurt. I forced my eyes to focus on a piece of lint on the back of Kori’s car seat.
Taking in a deep breath, I prayed he would just turn around and go back to work.

A light knock on the window made me jump. I took a deep breath before looking to my right,

connecting with his gorgeous eyes. He was so breathtaking it made my body tingle. A slight lift of his
lips only made it worse, as his smile was just as appealing as those damn eyes of his. I rolled the
window down and held his gaze without smiling in return.

“Hey,” he whispered. “Can I talk to you for just a minute?”
“Why? You’ve been just fine the last two weeks without talking. What’s so important now?” I

asked.

“Please Maria, just for a minute.” he pleaded.
I contemplated telling him no, which would have been in the best interest of my already tattered

heart. But instead I gave in to the desire to know what it was he felt he had to say.

I opened the car door and looked up to find Kori watching me closely. “It’ll just take a second,

okay?” She nodded her head, but her eyes were screaming no. I could tell by the look on her face she
was worried about me.

Gavin reached his hand out to help me from the car, but I refused the gesture. I brushed past him

and walked toward the house that used to be his. I could hear his boots on the gravel, as he quickly
walked behind me.

I didn’t want to do this with him, but I refused to do it in front of Kori and the rest of them. I just

needed to get this over with.

Walking around the side of the house, I turned quickly to face him. Crossing my arms over my

chest, I shrugged my shoulders. “What is so important that you need to talk to me right now?”

He stared at me, his lips pressed into a thin line. The silence that stretched out before us was

making me nervous.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he said.
“Like what?” I asked.
He took a step closer, and I took another step backwards. “Like I’m the biggest asshole you’ve

ever known.”

“I never said you were an asshole. You’re the one who dragged me all the way out here. You said

you needed to talk, so talk.” I uncrossed my arms and let them hang at my sides.

I looked away from his eyes. I couldn’t continue to look at him; it hurt that I couldn’t reach out and

touch him.

The feeling of wanting something so badly but being unable to act on that feeling was pure torture.
He had been so hurt by Nicole’s actions that all I wanted to do was show him he deserved more

than what she gave him. I wanted him to allow me to love him.

But he was like an unattainable goal, and it was eating me alive.
He took another step toward me and I backed up even more, my back hitting the side of the house.

He took the opportunity to close the distance between us, and I could now feel his breath on my
cheek.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
I turned my head to look up at him and anger overtook me. “You’re sorry for what? For having sex

with me and then leaving for over two weeks without so much as a phone call? I was good enough to
get laid, but that was all, huh?”

I pushed back on his chest. “I’m done waiting around for you. I am done being here when you need

me, only to be pushed away in the end once again. I am so over this damn game of Yo-Yo.”

I rushed past him and he grabbed for my arm. “There was a lot going on. I know that is no excuse,

but if you would just let me try to explain everything.”

“No, I don’t want to do this with you. I need to go. I have people waiting on me—people who

really care about me, all the time. Not just when it’s convenient,” I said firmly.

“Can we talk later?” he asked.
“I can’t. I have a date.” I replied.
Gavin’s nostrils flared and his jaw ticked with frustration. “A date? With who?”
“That’s really none of your business. I gotta go.” I didn’t wait for anything more from him; I rushed

toward the car without looking back. I had to get as far away from him as possible. I was afraid of
what I might say or do if I stayed by his side.

I was so irritated and angry. He had no right to be upset about me going on a date. Was I supposed

to sit around and wait for him forever? Did he honestly think that playing with my head was okay?

I chose to ignore the looks I received when I climbed into the car. I could feel Kori’s eyes on me

in the rearview mirror, and I was sure I would have to fill her in later.

The only problem was that I was still just as confused as I had been an hour ago. Maybe a little

more, actually, because he once again had made me feel slightly hopeful.

But for now I would just pretend that everything was good and that on the inside my heart wasn’t

longing to rush back to him. I wanted so badly to wrap my arms around his neck and hold him close.

Chapter Three

“Where are you going all dressed up?” Momma asked from the couch as I walked into the kitchen.
“Aaron is taking me dancing.” I replied.
She smiled and I just shook my head. My momma really liked Aaron. He was the grandson of a

lady in her craft group. I think they had been secretly conniving to set us up for months.

I still wasn’t sure about him, though. He was nice, don’t get me wrong, but the poor guy had no

idea what he was fighting against. I found myself continuously comparing him to Gavin, which was so
unbelievably unfair.

Aaron was blond, tall, and lean. He had the cutest dimple in his left cheek and the greenest eyes I

had ever seen. He was so sweet and said all the right things; I would be a fool not to like him.

There was just one huge problem: there was no spark. I was lacking that racing heart and deep

ache in my stomach for him. That feeling of floating whenever he was near. The chills up my spine
with the smallest touch. I was in desperate need of a connection that I just wasn’t feeling.

It irritated me that I couldn’t let go of that need for Gavin. Was I so wrapped up in the thought of

him that nothing else could ease that ache?

There was a light knock on the door and my momma’s grin grew even wider. “Well, you two have

a nice night,” she said. She was smiling from ear to ear, and I just shook my head at her giddiness.

Grabbing my purse from the counter, I waved goodbye and made my way to the door.
Opening it to find Gavin staring back at me made my head spin. I stumbled over the threshold as I

attempted to stop. He instantly reached for me and gripped my waist to steady me. His overwhelming
scent of manliness hit me hard. I closed my eyes and breathed him in, attempting to hide that action.

“You look nice,” he whispered. He was so close I could feel his breath skim over my cheek. “You

smell real nice too.”

Shaking my head to clear the fog, I took a step back and closed the door behind me. I didn’t want

to have to explain to my momma who Gavin is and why he was here. Hell, I still didn’t even know
myself why he was here.

“What are you doing here?” I questioned.
His eyes roamed over my body and damn it all to hell if I didn’t get that warm feeling I lacked

with Aaron.

“I want to talk to you. I was hoping that maybe we could go grab dinner or something.” He paused

for just a moment before continuing. “From the looks of it, you already have plans.”

I nodded my head. “Yeah, I have a date. I already told you that earlier.”
I attempted to walk past him but he stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “Two minutes,

please. Just give me two minutes to explain the best I can. I know you’re mad at me. I know that I’ve

kept you in the dark when it comes to me and my life. I did it because I thought it was best.”

“You thought it was a best to make me feel used?” I asked.
“That was never my intention. I had to figure some things out, and it took longer than I’d hoped.

Please just give me the chance to explain,” he pleaded.

“You better talk real fast; my date will be here any minute,” I replied, and he winced at the

mention of my date.

“Nicole was pregnant,” he said. My heart hammered in my chest. “I found out shortly after I filed

for divorce. The sad part about it was I had no idea if the baby was mine or if it belonged to Alan, my
ex-boss.

"Of course, Nicole strung it along to attract as much attention as she could. She and Alan didn’t

last, so she saw the opportunity to attempt to keep me around. It was the reason I kept going back and
forth. I tried to convince her to get the test early to determine if I was the father.”

The thought of Gavin having a life-long connection with Nicole by sharing a child sickened me.
“Of course, she refused, and we had to wait until the baby was born before having the test done,”

he stated.

My head was spinning as he went on. “So for the last few months, I’ve been fighting against her for

a paternity test. I had to have it court-ordered, because she kept making excuses as to why she
couldn’t get the baby to the hospital. She would miss every appointment we made.” He paused for a
few minutes.

“Here’s this little baby with coal black hair, and I had no idea if I was her father.” He paused once

again. “It messed me up not knowing.”

He took another step toward me, and I looked up to meet his piercing blue eyes. “I thought it was

best not to drag you through that mess with me. I wanted to have everything figured out and then come
to you with all my garbage. Lay it out in front of you and then hope that you still felt the same about
me.”

He lifted his hand to trace my jaw with his fingertips. “You weren’t supposed to happen,” he

whispered.

As I stared up at him, we were now only inches apart. He watched me closely as his eyes trailed

down to my lips. “What do you mean?” I asked breathlessly.

“You were only supposed to be a one-time thing. You weren’t supposed to make me feel

anything.” Gavin’s forehead rested against mine. “Do you understand why it’s so hard for me to do
this again? I can’t fall for you, and you’re making that impossible.”

He was confusing the hell out of me. I had no idea what he was trying to say. “Why are you playing

with my head, Gavin? What’s with all the mixed signals?” I asked, pulling back from him so I could
once again see his eyes. “I can’t handle this up and down stuff with you. My heart can’t take it.”

He closed his eyes tightly and whispered, “I wish I had met you before her.”
I swallowed hard and was just about to speak when I heard a car door shut. Looking past Gavin’s

shoulder, my eyes connected with Aaron as he climbed from his truck. Gavin looked back, and a deep
groan of aggravation ripped through his chest.

Aaron paused when he took in the sight of Gavin and me on the porch. I felt torn between what I

wanted and what I needed to do. Gavin had just poured out his troubles and told me what was holding
him back, but I had no idea what to do with it all.

Before I could make up my mind, Gavin stepped back and grabbed his keys from his pocket.
“I’ll let you get on with your date,” he said, before turning and walking to his truck without giving

me a second glance. He never even took a glance in Aaron’s direction as he walked past him.

My legs felt weak and I could feel the tears threatening to spill over. I took a few deep breaths,

attempting to calm my nerves.

I forced a smile and walked toward Aaron—plastering on my best ‘it’s all good’ smile. His face

held a look of concern. “Everything okay?”

I nodded my head. “Yeah. Just a friend stopping by to say hi.” He opened the door and I took a

chance, looking over in the direction of Gavin’s truck. He sat looking back at us through his side
mirror.

His expression was unreadable as he stared with dedication, never faltering the entire time it took

for me to climb into the truck and buckle my seatbelt. My stomach tensed, and the entire scene before
me just felt so wrong.

Chapter Four

It has been three weeks since I had the very intense conversation with Gavin on my front porch. I

have focused all my time and energy on the wedding.

He has continued to stop by, leaving a rose on my windshield or a simple note saying he was sorry

for hurting me. With each attempt he made, it became even more impossible for me to let go of the
hope I still felt.

Things with Aaron have become strange and distant. I don’t know if it has to do with finding Gavin

and me in the heat of conversation or something else. He has rarely called and, when he did, it just
felt awkward. It was as if he felt he had to attempt contact, but really he just wanted to say to hell
with it all.

Leann helped me to figure things out a little better when she told me that she saw him at dinner a

few days ago with some blonde woman. Apparently the woman had her hands all over him, and he
didn’t look as if he minded at all.

I guess that means he wasn’t only dating me. But if I’m being honest with myself, I’m sort of glad

that whole situation is over.

Things are coming together perfectly in Kori’s case. She and Reed are doing things simply.
Her father had an event planner come in and set the entire thing up. The lady was amazing with all

of her ideas; she really knew her stuff. Kori was in heaven and agreed to sit back and let it all unfold.

Between closing out the year at school and planning for the big event, I had little time to dwell on

the distant feeling within me. Most of the time I just hid within myself, because I found it to be easier.

My two youngest brothers, Colton and Jake, had really been calling a lot lately. I wasn’t sure why

things were changing, as normally it was a rare occasion that we would hear from them.

Momma had spent more than one night with the both of them talking for hours. At times, I found her

whispering when I entered the room, and that had me puzzled. What could they possibly be discussing
that I couldn’t be a part of?

You can imagine my surprise when I opened the door on a Saturday morning to find both of my

brothers standing on the front porch. I stood there staring at them, speechless.

Colt was the first one to come forward and sweep me up into his arms. He lifted me up and spun

me around. “Hey, baby girl, look at you. Are you surprised to see us?”

I could only nod my head as I looked over his shoulder at Jake. The two of them are only ten

months apart, which puts them at thirty-eight and thirty-nine years old. They are my brothers and all,
but I have to admit they’re both devastatingly handsome.

I have always wished that I had the chance to have them around more. Life works in crazy ways.

Because of their loyalty to my father and the business they ran together, they followed him when he

decided to leave Brooklet. My two oldest brothers were just like my father—stubborn and mean as
hell. Jake and Colton at least tried to keep in touch.

Colt lowered me to the ground and chuckled. “I think we shocked her stupid, Jake.”
Jake smiled in return and took a step into the house. “Didn’t Momma tell ya we were coming?” I

only shook my head and stepped aside so they could enter. “Figures,” he chuckled.

“What are you guys doing here? Not that I ain’t happy to see ya, but you do have to admit it’s not

common for you two just to stop by.” I walked toward the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from
the fridge.

“We, um, well, we were in Savannah handling some business and we thought it was time for a

visit.” Colt tried to appear nonchalant, but I could tell he was leaving something out.

“Cough it up, Colt; you can’t hide shit. You’re a terrible liar.” I leaned back against the countertop

and crossed my arms over my chest. “What’s going on?”

Colt started to answer me, but Jake held out his hand to stop him. “I think it’s best if we wait for

Momma to get home.”

“Bullshit, this is my home too. I deserve to know what y’all are hiding,” I said.
Jake watched me closely as Colt just looked back and forth between the two of us. He seemed

nervous as we glared at one another. Jake and I were having a stand-off that was only broken by the
sound of the front door coming open.

“Oh my god, get yourselves over here and give me some lovin’, boys.” I had to give it to my two

youngest brothers; even after my daddy walked away, they always made sure my momma had the
money to survive. Yeah, they did it all behind my asshole of a father’s back, but they did it. They
provided for my momma even when she insisted she didn’t want their money.

Watching her hug the both of them as tears fell down her cheeks only caused my own to surface.

She was a woman who held no grudges, and she loved deeply. Hell, she has even forgiven my father
for being the sorry bastard that he was. I refuse to let go of the fact that he deserted us. What kind of
man walks away from his wife and daughter when he decides he has had enough? No man in my book
would ever be that heartless.

When my momma saw me standing there staring at the three of them, she smiled gently. “Well, by

the looks of Maria, I would say there’s some explaining needed.”

“I’m thinking somebody better start explaining what’s going on. These two wouldn’t show up for

no reason.” The last time I’d seen Colt was last Christmas, for just a few hours as he was passing
through. It had been even longer with Jake; for some reason, he and I had a hard time seeing eye to
eye.

I watched the three of them walk into the living room and take their seats as they motioned for me

to join them. I leaned against the arm of the couch and remained silent.

After a few moments, Jake spoke. “We came to try to convince you to go back to Montana with

us.”

I stood up quickly and looked at him like he had lost his mind. “And why the hell would I do that?”
“Maria, just listen, please. Give them a chance to explain.” My momma insisted.
Jake ran his hand over his face, frustrated at my obvious resistance. He had a very hard time

maintaining his cool when he got pissed off. I didn’t give a shit, because there was no way in hell I
was going back with them.

Colt cleared his throat and moved forward to the edge of the chair cushion. I have always felt a

sense of closeness with Colt. Out of all my brothers, he is the one I have that sibling connection with.

He cleared his throat. “Mar, he’s dying.”

I swallowed hard and looked at all their faces. I could feel the emotion boiling within me. I

continuously blinked to fight back the tears that were trying to spill over. I wouldn’t allow myself to
feel anything for that man. He didn’t deserve anything from me.

I shrugged my shoulders. “What do you want me to do about it?”
Jake stood up and snarled, “He is your father, Maria.”
“No, he’s not, because a father wouldn’t run away with his tail tucked between his legs when

times got tough. He wouldn’t turn his back on a daughter who deserved a father. That man is not my
dad.” The overwhelming sensation to cry was taking me over. Fisting my hands at my sides, I tried to
even out my breathing.

“Please listen to us,” Colt spoke once again. “He has so many regrets. He’s stubborn, though, and

you know he hides behind that stubbornness.”

Colt stood up and took a step toward me. “He doesn’t have much time left. They’ve done

everything they could, but he’s done fighting it. He told us not to say anything, just to let him be. He
said he doesn’t deserve forgiveness, but we can’t allow him to hide behind the guilt of what he has
done. He has reached the end, sis.”

I don’t know why hearing that my father was dying hurt so much. It’s not like I ever had a

relationship with him. It’s not like he ever cared about me. I spent my life wondering why I wasn’t
good enough for him to stick around.

“I’m not going,” I declared, shrugging my shoulders. Turning quickly without allowing any of them

to respond, I turned toward the hallway.

I took the stairs two at a time as I raced toward my room before the tears fell. Once I was inside

and had locked the door, I let my back rest against it. Silent tears rolled down my cheeks as I pictured
my father from all those years ago. I had created this image of him in my head. A dark, angry man with
no sympathy for weakness.

Now all I could picture was a frail, weak form of the man I had grown to hate over the years, and

it pissed me off that I felt like I owed him closure. I didn’t want to feel anything for him but the hate I
had felt for the last twenty-one years of my life.

How would I let go of all the hurt and anger in me? How could I forget the struggles my momma

and I had gone through…or the nights we both cried ourselves to sleep?

I’ve watched my momma struggle to keep her head above water on a daily basis. But we made it

through and are stronger for it. We learned to rely on one another and let go of the man we both had
hoped would return and make things right.

He never looked back, and the hate grew daily.

Chapter Five

“Acute Myeloid Leukemia,” I said, as I looked down at the cup of coffee in my hands. “He, um, he

went through treatment last year. It went well apparently, because he was in remission.” I looked up
at Kori from across the table. “Now I guess it’s back with a vengeance, and the treatments aren’t
doing much for him. He has decided to um…” I took in a shuddering breath. “He’s not going forward
with any other treatments. He has chosen to let go of life and say goodbye.”

Kori stood up and walked around the table, taking me into her arms. I wiped away the tears that

had run down my cheeks. “I don’t even know why I’m crying for that man.”

“Because regardless of what he did, he’s still your dad. You don’t have to be tough all the time;

you know that. It’s okay to cave and lean on someone for a change.” She stepped back and cupped my
cheeks with her hands. “Maria, you are a compassionate, loving person. I know how your father’s
leaving all those years ago has affected you. You don’t think you deserve anything good, but you are
so damn wrong. You deserve the kind of happiness that leaves you feeling like you’re floating. Like
nothing in the world could hurt, because the happiness you feel is too strong.”

I stared back at her, as my throat burned from the intense feelings inside of me. “You need closure

just as much, if not more, than he does. If you don’t take this trip, you’ll regret it later. I know you, and
I know there are things you need to say, things you need to hear. It’s time to go say goodbye and let go
of all the things that hold you back when it comes to your father.”

That was all it took for the tears to spill over. Damn him for making me feel anything for him.

***

The trip to Montana was uncomfortable. I had to miss out on the last two weeks of school. They

called in a substitute to finish out the year.

I shut down and curled into myself, as I dreaded seeing him again. I had no idea what to expect. I

didn’t even know what I would say.

What would he say?
When we pulled up to the rundown property with the shutters weathered and worn, I was shocked.

I had pictured him living in luxury. I figured he’d have sprawling land with a big old beautiful home,
but not this. It almost looked deserted, with tall grass and weeds growing along the garage. There was
a rundown old truck I remembered as the one my dad used to drive when I was a toddler. Some of the
pictures my momma still had of him showed that very same truck. Now it was deserted and rusted.

My eyes immediately connected with Jake’s in confusion. “Everything’s not what it seemed, Mar.

He lost the Custom woodworking business; he lost everything. All the tools, saws and equipment—
it’s all gone.” I was dumbfounded and confused as hell.

My brothers climbed from the truck and grabbed my momma’s hand to help her down. I followed

behind, as all three of them walked toward the front door. With each step my chest grew tighter.

I stood on the front porch even after they had all entered the house. I was suddenly terrified of

what I might see once I entered. It was as if my feet were so heavy I couldn’t lift them.

Randall stepped out onto the front porch and I blinked up at him. He looked just like the pictures

Momma had from when Daddy was younger. He was handsome.

“Hey, little bean,” he whispered cautiously.
The emotions overtook me. It was hopeless to attempt to stop them. Randall took me into his arms

and pulled me against his chest. I cried into his shirt, gripping it tightly in my fisted hands.

The boys had told Momma and me on the way that they had brought hospice in a couple of days

ago. I knew things were bad, but I was still finding it hard to see him face to face. I wasn’t sure now
that I could follow through with it.

“I don’t know if I can go in there,” I said against Randall’s chest.
“You can.” He pushed back and forced me to look up at him. His eyes held a warmth in them that

seemed to calm me. “You’re a Thompson,” he winked. “You got this, Maria. I know you can do it.”

I was not close to my oldest brother, not in the least, but I couldn’t have done this without his push.

I took in a deep breath as he nudged me through the doorway.

I slowly scanned the house and its contents. Everything looked so old and worn out. The furniture

had to have been as old as I am. Torn and faded. The hardwood floor and walls held the same aged
look as the exterior.

Standing in silence, my chest constricted when I heard a raspy whisper. “Maria.”
Squeezing my eyes tightly, I gave myself a mental pep talk before turning to face the man who I had

spent my entire life hating. The frail man lying in a hospital bed in the center of the bedroom, just off
the living room, was not the man I had pictured. He had sunken eyes and dark spots covering his skin,
and it was shattering to find him in this form.

He motioned with his hand for me to come closer, and I swallowed past the emotions. I took a step

into the room and found my brother Billy sitting at the foot of my father’s bed. He was holding in his
arms a young boy who I immediately pinned to be his son, because they were so similar. It was so
strange to discover I had a nephew I didn’t even know existed. I forced a smile, and he nodded his
head.

“You look just like your momma,” my father whispered, causing me to turn my gaze back to meet

his. His eyes appeared glossy and saddened. “Such a beautiful girl.”

I couldn’t speak, because my throat felt like it was on fire. I stared back at him, mirroring his

sadness. For so many different reasons, I felt lost. I had been cheated out of life with him, and now I
had to choke back all the hate I had for him. I had to hold in all the harsh words I wanted to scream at
him. I had to make peace while there was still a chance.

Billy stood from his chair and pushed it to the side of the bed. “We’re going to step out, let you

two talk,” he said. I could only nod my head. He closed the door behind him, and I immediately felt
panic seep into my chest.

“Take a seat, girl. I think I have things to say you may want to hear.” His voice was so weak, as if

it pained him to speak. I listened as I sat down and worried my lower lip, trying to hide the fact that it
was trembling.

After a few silent, uncomfortable moments he spoke. “You and your momma did nothing to make

me leave. That was on all on me. I got in some gambling trouble and began drinking heavy. When you
were born, I’ll admit it drove me further away.” I looked up at him. “Not for the reasons you’re
thinking. I knew that I was in over my head. I was on the verge of losing everything, and I didn’t want
to take your momma down with me. With another child to feed, I lost it. I ran and I lost it. I drowned
myself out for years. I ran from my problems and hid them well from your brothers.”

He took a deep breath and shook his head. “I’m a selfish bastard. I used your brothers to make me

money so I could feed my addictions. In the end, I’ll lose it all anyway. I spent years making the boys
feel guilty, like they caused it somehow. It’s all on me, Maria, and it took being on my death bed for
me to own up to it.” A tear escaped and ran over his cheek, dripping onto the pillow beneath him.
“You deserved better than the man I was.”

“Deserved better? Are you saying that disappearing out of my life and taking my brothers with you

was best for me? I’ve spent my entire life thinking you ran because you didn’t want me. I have tried to
find acceptance in all the wrong places and have forced myself to believe it was all I deserved.” I
was doing everything I could not to get angry.

“I’m sorry, baby girl. I am so sorry I did you and your momma wrong. I know that don’t change

anything but I am sorry. You both deserved so much better than I ever gave you. All of you deserved
better, even the boys. I split our family apart when I should have fought like hell to hold it together.”
There was a light knock on the door just before it came open.

My momma was standing in the doorway, looking on with unshed tears. “Your nurse is here.” My

father nodded, and momma pushed the door open a little more. A middle-aged woman entered the
room, and I excused myself to get some air.

I walked outside and found a tree stump just beside the rundown garage, at the side of the house.
Taking a seat, I pulled my phone from my back pocket. Looking at the screen, I noticed I had three

missed phone calls from Gavin. My heart ached even more, seeing his name on my screen. Opening
up his profile, I ran my finger over his photo with that sweet smile I captured on one of our good days
together. My throat burned, because all I wanted to do was cry.

I didn’t have the strength to call him back at that moment. I was sure that hearing his voice would

push me over the top and crumble away what was left of my aching heart.

Instead I called Kori, because I really needed her. I needed someone who would let me cave and

fall apart without judgment.

I had to get it all out—everything inside that felt like it was tearing me up. In the end, I knew I

could count on her to pick me back up and give me the strength to move forward. She always seemed
to know what I needed to hear. She didn’t sugar coat and say what I wanted to hear. She told me
exactly what I needed to hear.

Kori was sometimes the biggest pain in my ass, but mostly she was the person who reminded me

that I was strong. She helped me face reality and knew that, in the end, I could get through anything.

Kori is one of the strongest people I knew. My soul was in desperate need of a push I knew Kori

was capable of giving me.

Chapter Six

We’ve spent the last four days with my father. With each day, he became weaker and more

disconnected. It broke my heart to watch my father slowly let go. We all sat at his bedside until he
took his last breath.

An unexpected sob escaped me when the flat line stretched out over the monitor. I cried for the

years I had lost. I cried onto my brother, Colt’s shoulder as he held me tightly. I would never get the
image of my daddy, lying helpless, out of my mind.

The funeral was a small service with a few of my father’s friends and his family. He was now at

peace, and I hoped that my last conversation with him had given him peace as well.

“I’m sorry I failed you, Maria. it is one of my biggest regrets.”
I squeezed his hand gently. “I forgive you, Daddy. I need you to know that I forgive you.” His

eyes pinched together tightly as his jaw trembled. He nodded his head lightly, and then he took a
shuddering breath.

The silence of the room was calming, as I continued to hold my father’s hand while he slept. I

sat watching him and listening to his unsteady, strained breaths.

I let go of my anger toward my father that day. I needed to let go of the hurt and move on. It

was time for me to stop blaming him for all my wrongs. I needed to own up to the mistakes I had
made in my life.

I sat beside him until he took his last breath—an image I would never be able to let go of, one

that would forever sit heavy on my heart.

My brothers, Colt and Jake, would be taking care of the house and all my dad’s belongings. There

really was nothing worth any value. Colt actually planned to move back to Georgia once everything
was done. He said there was nothing left here for him. Jake was moving on as well, but he is more
independent. It would be nice to have Colt around for a change.

It was time to get back to Georgia myself. Kori’s wedding was less than two weeks away, and

there were still things to do. I was in need of something new to focus on. For the last week, I have felt
so groggy and tired. The stress was really getting to me.

When I turned onto our road, my heart rate sped up. Gavin’s truck parked out in the street, in front

of our house, was unexpected. I pulled into the driveway and grabbed for my bag. “Who is that?” my
momma asked.

“Just a friend, Momma.” I didn’t offer any more explanation. Because if I were being truthful, I

really didn’t know exactly how to explain who Gavin truly was.

She removed herself from the car and began to reach for her bags in the backseat. “Let me get

those for ya, ma’am.” Gavin placed his hand on her shoulder and motioned toward the car.

She stepped to the side, and he lifted the bags from the car and followed her toward the porch. He

looked back over his shoulder and offered me a gentle smile. I watched from the driveway as he
followed my mom and placed the bags just inside the door.

After the front door closed, he walked back toward me. Coming around the side of the car, he

watched me for a reaction. With him so close, I could smell his cologne on the light breeze, and I
closed my eyes tightly, taking it in.

I hadn’t expected him to take me in his arms, but when he did, I held onto him and buried my face

in his chest. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled him closer. It felt so nice to be held. The
feelings he invoked in me were indescribable.

Gavin lifted me up and placed me onto the trunk of my car as he nestled in between my legs, still

holding me close.

I concentrated on his scent, his breathing. I didn’t want to break. I couldn’t, because if I did, I

wasn’t sure I would be able to stop it.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered.
“Thank you.”
I could feel his lips on my temple as I still held onto him. I didn’t want this to end. This right here,

with Gavin holding me, was something I longed for so deeply.

“Not just for your loss, sweetheart, for everything. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I’ve pushed you

away. I’m sorry for all of it.” His words were sincere.

I leaned back from him. I needed to see his eyes as he spoke. “I didn’t want to fall again. I’ve been

there, and it didn’t end well. I didn’t want to be vulnerable and leave my fate in another woman’s
hands.” Gavin skimmed my jaw with his fingertips and smiled.

“You hit me when I least expected it, and it scares the shit out of me. You’re a smartass and

sarcastic. You test me and push me beyond control.” I narrowed my eyes at him and he chuckled. “But
you also make me laugh, and you’re so damn sweet. Your kindness is genuine, and you make me weak
in the knees. I told myself I wouldn’t do it again. I said no matter what I would never again fall. Then
you had to climb up in my damn truck that night Rhett was sick. You made me forget for a moment
what I had been there to do.”

Gavin’s thumb traced my lower lip and his eyes followed the motion. “I’m fighting with this damn

divorce, and Nicole is being a bitch about the whole thing. You never let me finish telling you; the
baby ain’t mine, she belongs to Alan.” He continued to stare at me with such intensity. “I wanted to
wait it out, and when it was all final, come to you. But I don’t want to keep waiting. This thing could
keep going on and on, and I don’t want to push you away any longer. I just want to see where this
goes.”

He gripped my hips and slid me closer to him, until our mouths were only inches apart. “Can you

give me another shot? Can I please have a chance to make things right? Can we just see what
happens?” he asked.

I nodded my head gently, as he closed the distance between us and our lips meshed together.

Gripping the back of his neck tightly, I held him close. With a sweep of his tongue against my lips, I
whimpered, giving in to his request. Slow sensual kisses, sweet gentle touches, and needy whimpers
were shared.

“Have dinner with me tonight? My place?” He asked, pulling back just enough to look in my eyes.
“Okay,” I agreed, before bringing my lips to his once more.

***

“I can’t believe someone would string another along the way she has—that’s just crazy. She knew

that baby wasn’t Gavin’s, but she played it all out. Then she continued fighting the paternity test after
the birth. She is a cruel bitch, isn’t she?” Kori looked horrified regarding everything I had told her.

After Gavin left, I rushed over to Kori’s place. I had to hear from her that I wasn’t crazy. Giving in

to Gavin’s request for dinner could be just another mistake. I had spent so much time wanting him,
and now that he had decided he wanted me, I was resistant. I didn’t want to believe that he would hurt
me, but he is in fact the one person who could destroy me.

“Yeah, I can understand why he was so leery about attempting any other relationship. She really

screwed with his heart in more than one way.” I said.

Just then Rhett came screeching into the room, followed by Diesel with Reed trailing close behind.

They all looked as if they had been playing in the dirt for hours.

“Momma,” Rhett yelled as he dove for Kori’s legs. Diesel began barking as Reed gripped Rhett’s

waist and began tickling. “No,” Rhett giggled and laughed uncontrollably.

“Boys.” Kori attempted a stern voice, but you could tell she was fighting her laughter. “Momma

and Aunt Maria are sharing some girl talk. You three need to hightail it back outside. You are so
filthy.”

Reed stood tall and closed in on her, pulling her close. “But babe, you said you like it when I’m

dirty. In fact, just this morning you told me to slide my…” Kori placed her hand over his mouth.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Enough, or your chances of getting dirty with me will be slim to

none.”

He grinned and placed his lips against hers for a gentle loving kiss. Pulling back, he whispered he

loved her, just before picking Rhett up and throwing him over his shoulder. “Okay, tank, it’s time you
show me where you hid my hammer.” Reed looked back, winking at Kori, and walked toward the
door. He hollered back a quick hello to me before they exited the room.

I wanted that—a man and a child who held my heart. I wanted all of it, so badly it made my

stomach ache. I felt like such an ass for being so jealous of Kori, but I was. I wanted the happiness
she had found. Yes, there had been a long road of pain until she got there, but what she has now is so
beautiful.

“So back to what we were talking about, dinner. Is he cooking or are you?” She asked, taking a

seat at the bar across from me. She was cutting up chicken for their dinner, and the sight of it was
making my stomach turn uncontrollably.

I shrugged. “Well, I assume he is. He didn’t tell me to bring anything.” I stood from the chair and

braced myself against the counter as dizziness engulfed me, my stomach still tensing from the
nauseated feeling. “Oh wow,” I grumbled.

“Hey, are you okay?” Kori asked with concern lacing her voice. “Sit back down,” she insisted.
“I’m fine. I think I just got up too fast. I haven’t slept much lately, and eating hasn’t really been my

top priority, either. I just need to get some water,” I explained.

“You sit, I got it,” Kori ordered, and I sat back down at the bar, bracing my hands out in front of

me. My head still lightly spinning, I closed my eyes tightly. I was doing everything possible to try to
control the rolling of my stomach.

“Here, drink up.” Kori handed me a bottle of water. I took it from her and brought it to my lips.
I continued to keep my eyes closed as a sudden urge of nausea took over. It only continued to grow

stronger with each passing second. My stomach knotted and my palms began to sweat.

All I once, I jumped from the bar stool and ran for the bathroom, making it just in time. I dry

heaved until it hurt, then dry heaved some more. My eyes watered and my head ached.

I groaned as I sat back on the cold tile and rested my back against the wall.
Kori handed me a wet washcloth, and I took it gladly. Running it over my forehead and cheeks, I

looked up at her. “Great, this is all I need. School’s over, your wedding is just around the corner, and
I get the goddamn flu. Now I’ve brought the shit into your house, and you’ll all be sick too.”

Tears filled my eyes. “I swear I am nothing but a damn black cloud.” Tears ran over my cheeks

and Kori knelt down in front of me. “Are you crazy, woman? I just turned into a walking puke bag and
you’re getting closer. Do you seriously want this shit?”

Kori smiled and brushed my hair from my face. “What the hell are you smiling at, you fool? What

could possibly be funny about me expelling my stomach lining?” Kori’s laughter irritated me. “Listen,
you little bitch, I am not amused.”

Kori only laughed harder with a snort to seal the deal. “Oh, darling. I am not laughing about the

fact that you’re puking. I am, however, laughing about the fact that our kids are gonna grow up
together.”

She was such a freak sometimes; what in the hell was she smoking? “What? You lost me, Kori.”
“You’re pregnant,” she stated, still smiling like a fool.
“Yeah, and you’ve lost your damn mind, woman,” I declared, pushing up off the floor and walking

from the room. She was insane; that’s all there was to it. She was certifiably insane; pregnancy had
overtaken her damn brain, and she had done lost it.

She skipped from the bathroom and trailed behind me. “If I’m so crazy, then when was your last

period?”

I shook my head and turned around to glare at her. “I am not pregnant. You honestly need to stop

already.”

She took on a serious expression and placed her hands on her hips. She was just beginning to sport

the tiniest little baby bump, which was evident now that she had pulled her shirt tighter across her
waist. “Maria, seriously, when was it?”

I threw my hands out to my sides and sighed. “Hell, I don’t know—before my dad. Maybe a few

weeks before that.” I paused, as the passing of time ran through my mind. “I kinda lost track of time,
with everything that has gone on.”

“You do realize that it has been well over a month, don’t you?” she asked.
All I could do was shake my head. I really didn’t know what to say. I know that I was with Gavin

that night before he left, but we were safe. He always wore a condom. So yeah, I had let my shot more
than expire, but we still had protection. I was floored with the possibility that I could be carrying
Gavin’s child. It couldn’t be possible. I couldn’t be pregnant, could I?

***

The first text came through at around 4:30.

Is seven o’clock tonight too late? Got tied up with Bud. I’m just leaving.

My stomach was in knots. I sat on the edge of the tub, staring at the pregnancy test in my hand. Kori

wanted to be with me when I took it, but I insisted I wanted to do it alone. My hands shook, as I once
again lifted it up to observe the two pink lines on display.

I just needed a little time to let it all sink in. I picked up my phone and sent Gavin a return text.

Not feeling well at all. Gonna have to take a rain check.

Within minutes my phone began to ring, as his gorgeous face displayed across the screen. Tears

filled my eyes.

Just when he decides to give us a shot, I now will be giving him yet another obstacle to face. I’m

sure an unplanned pregnancy was the last thing he wanted right now.

“Hello,” I whispered.
“Hey, you,” he replied. “What’s wrong?”
I slid forward down the side of the tub, resting my back against the edge. “My stomach isn’t feeling

well, and my head hurts too. I think I just need to get some sleep. Sorry to cancel on such short
notice.”

“It’s okay. If you’re sick, you need to take care of you. We can have dinner another night. Do you

need anything?” I squeezed my eyes together tightly, suppressing the impending tears. Yes, I needed
him. I wanted him to love me. I wanted so badly for him to want me completely, without something
forcing him. I feared that, with a baby, he would feel he had no other choice but to be with me. I
didn’t want to spend my life wondering if the man I loved returned those feelings for the right reasons.

“No, I’m good. I’m just gonna take a shower and go to bed,” I told him.
“If you need anything, will you call me?” I nodded my head, as if he could see me responding.

“Hey, did you hear me?”

“Yes,” I whispered. “I heard you, and I will, thanks.”
“Take care of yourself. We’ll talk tomorrow,” Gavin said. “If you’re feeling better, we’ll make

plans to do something. If not, then maybe I can come over and take care of you.”

“Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow sometime. I’ve got a lot to do with Kori’s wedding too,” I replied.
“We’ll work it out,” he insisted.

Chapter Seven

Rescheduling our dinner never actually happened. I continued to stay busy with planning the

wedding. Gavin was persistent with his efforts. Every time we were at Kori’s parents’, he managed
to corner me and question my avoidance of being alone with him.

I wouldn’t deny the fact, but the truth was that I was trying to keep my distance. I was completely

terrified. I had no idea how I was going to tell him. I feared his reaction. I knew I didn’t have it in me
to accept any more rejection.

So there I sat, on the day of Kori’s wedding, and I knew I could no longer avoid him. He’d be in

attendance. I would have to face him, and I knew I would have to tell him. It’s time he knew.

All the girls got ready inside Kori’s parents’ house. The guys took over the smaller, one bedroom

home that used to be Gavin’s. They didn’t require as much room as we did. Ya know, being girls and
all, we required a lot more preparation.

Kori looked absolutely beautiful. She was glowing, and her happiness could be felt by everyone. I

watched as her momma awed over her, and she was pampered by everyone around her.

Once her dress was slipped over her head, I don’t think there was a dry eye left in the room. It was

breathtaking, and Reed was going to fall at her feet.

Her eyes met mine and she choked back a sob. “No way, don’t you dare cry. You’ll mess up your

makeup and Leann will kill us.”

Leann had spent close to two hours fixing up her hair and makeup. She was a masterpiece, and if

we smudged it one bit, we would surely be beaten. “You look beautiful, Kor. Reed’s gonna melt at
the sight of you.”

“Thank you, you look pretty stunning yourself,” she whispered as she looked me over.
I wore a long, fitted silk, spaghetti-strapped dress. It hugged low in the back. Every curve was

enhanced by its fit, and it made me feel sexy. It was a light shade of pink, and we all chose to wear
silver accessories. Kori’s dress had a sash with the same shade of pink hugging her mid-section.

“Have you talked to him yet?” she asked. I could only shake my head in response. “You need to

tell him.”

“I know and I will. I just need to figure out how. Not today, though. Today is about you. No drama.

I’m not sure what his reaction will be, and I don’t think your wedding is the place I need to test out
Gavin’s response.” I held her hands in mine. I don’t know if it was the hormones or the fact that I
loved her so much, but I had something to say.

“You know he’s looking down at you, thinking how beautiful you look. He’s happy that you found

your way to Reed. That man adores you, and Blake knows that you and his boy are going to have an
amazing life.” She closed her eyes tightly and nodded her head. “Blake was the one who showed you

an unbelievable love; he gave you a precious gift, and you’ll always hold him dear to your heart. But
if I had to guess, I would say that he approves. If he couldn’t be here with you, I’m sure Reed is the
man he would have chosen for you, had he had the chance to choose.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.
“I love you.” I hugged her, and she replied saying, “I love you too.” “Now let’s go get you

hitched.” She laughed and wiped her tears away.

“Oh my god, is she crying? No. No crying, not yet. She is gonna ruin her face.” Leann gasped as

she spun Kori around, inspecting her closely.

“Oh, stuff a sock in it, Lee. She ain’t gonna last a minute once she sees Reed.” Kori bit her lip and

stared back at Leann. A silent moment passed before all three of us burst out into a fit of laughter.
Leann was such a little drama queen, but damn if she wasn’t funny to get all wound up.

***

Once the music started, one by one we walked down the aisle. Reed looked so handsome, and just

before taking my place on the side of the altar, I winked at him. He smiled in return and immediately
looked once again to the aisle, awaiting Kori’s entrance.

I began scanning the guests, and the moment my eyes connected with Gavin’s, my stomach

fluttered. He was without a doubt the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes on. He had the
sweetest smile, and my insides turned to a pile of warm mush at the sight of him.

He mouthed the word beautiful, and my heart raced. I returned a thank you just before the music

changed.

Kori appeared at the end of the aisle, and all eyes turned to her except Gavin’s. He continued to

watch me, and I swore I could feel his gaze.

Throughout the entire ceremony, each time my eyes shifted to Gavin, he would smile and wink. He

never took his eyes from me, and it made me feel beautiful.

When the kiss was shared, I was a blubbering mess. My emotions were on high alert, and I tried to

contain them. But it was impossible the moment Reed turned around and faced the guests, holding his
hands out toward the front row. Gemma placed Rhett down onto the ground, and he rushed toward
Reed. Once he held him in his arms, he hugged both Kori and Rhett closely. It was one of the most
breathtaking moments I had ever witnessed.

One by one, we followed the new Mr. and Mrs. Jackson as they walked down the aisle hand in

hand.

It was helpful that the wedding and reception were both held on Kori’s parents’ property.

Everyone we passed expressed their form of congratulations, while staring at the couple in awe. Once
again that sense of jealousy set in, as I longed for the happy ending Kori now had.

Standing off to the side, I watched while Reed took Kori’s hand in his and led her to the makeshift

dance floor. They swayed together, staring into one another’s eyes. Mine, of course, were only filled
with tears of happiness. The two of them were perfect for one another.

I felt his hand on my hip just before he leaned in and whispered against my ear. “You look

gorgeous.”

Chills washed over me, and the heat his touch caused within me rushed up the back of my neck.

Gavin brought his body closer to mine from behind and wrapped his hands around my waist. Lacing
his fingers together, he rested them over my lower abdomen and I squeezed my eyes tightly. He had no
idea what rested just beneath his hands. The entire moment was overwhelming.

His hips began swaying behind me, causing mine to move along. He gently began singing the

words to the song in my ear, kissing my neck softly in between each verse. When the song switched to
another, he continued to move behind me.

“You look like you’re finally feeling better,” he said. A pinch of guilt ran through me, I suddenly

felt horrible about lying to him. I only nodded my head in reply. “Maybe we can make plans for that
dinner we never had.”

“I’m actually housesitting for Kori and Reed. I’ll be helping out with Rhett, too, while they’re on

their honeymoon.”

He was silent for a moment. “Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to avoid me?”
With that I turned my head and looked back at him. “I’m not. I want to have dinner with you. After

they return next weekend, we’ll make plans. I promise.”

“What about tonight? Can I spend time with you tonight?” he asked, his breath fanning out over my

face and neck. There was nothing more I wanted than to lose myself in Gavin and forget all about
everything else. I nodded my head, and he kissed me just behind the ear.

I knew I needed to tell him, but I wanted to verify everything with the doctor first. My appointment

was on Monday, so maybe I should wait until then. After that, I would go to him and lay it all out. My
stomach bottomed out instantly with the thought of it all.

As the reception went on, Gavin continued to watch me. Every chance he got, he would touch me

in some way—whether with a brush of his hands against mine or a possessive grip on my waist. Of
course, that only happened when another man approached me. Inside I was warm and fuzzy with the
thought of him claiming me.

Things had finally begun to wind down, and Gavin approached me from across the room. His gaze

held mine until he was standing before me. With a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth, he lifted
his hand out to me. “Can I have this dance?”

Smiling up at him, I whispered a breathy, “Yes.”
He led me to the dance floor, where we joined the other couples. He held me close, and I rested

my head against his chest. I savored the feeling of our closeness.

I melted against him even more when I felt his fingertips skim over the skin of my exposed back.

Tilting his head down closer, he whispered against my ear, “I think it’s about time we stop running
from this, don’t you?”

I couldn’t look at him. I only nuzzled into his chest a little closer. I buried my face in his neck and

kissed him gently.

With the touch of my lips, he groaned and pulled me against him tighter.
“Running from what?” I asked.
I knew what he was talking about; I’m not dense. I just wanted to hear him say it out loud.
“From us, what we both feel. I don’t want to stay away from you. I’ve tried to, but I just can’t

anymore.” He leaned back, forcing me to look up at him. Bracing my face in his hands, he stared
intently into my eyes. “I’ve pushed you away. I know this is all on me. I just don’t want to keep you at
a distance anymore. I have a mess going on in my life right now but, damn it, I want you.” He looked
down at my lips as a grin pulled at the corner of his mouth. “I need you, baby.”

I closed my eyes just before his lips touched mine. A whimper escaped me as his tongue brushed

my lower lip. I let go of everything else and just concentrated on the feelings he invoked in me.

Gavin was my weakness, the one person I lost all the ability to control myself around.
We stood in the center of a dozen different couples, but it felt as if we were completely alone. It

was as if everyone else had faded away, and this had become our moment.

The news I held was on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to tell him so badly, but then again, the fear

of his reaction hit me. I had suffered a lifetime of rejection, and for one night I wanted to feel needed.
I wanted to know what it felt like to have someone want me so badly in return.

So for tonight, I would tuck my little secret deep down and bask in the joy of Gavin’s touch.

***

We stood in the living room of Kori’s old house. Everything looked so different now. Gavin had

made it masculine and rugged. The entire place smelled like him, and it made me smile. Yes, I was
one of those girls who secretly sniffed the yummy man when he wasn’t paying attention.

I watched as Gavin pulled two beers from the refrigerator and walked in my direction, holding one

out. I took it from him, but only held it in my hands as I watched him lift his to his lips. The bobbing
of his throat as he swallowed made my stomach flutter. But when he pulled the bottle away and
trailed his tongue along his lower lip, catching the droplet of beer, I melted. It had been so long since
I had felt his touch, and I was needy. I wanted his hands on me.

I sat my bottle down on the coffee table and slowly ran my hand over his chest, feeling it ripple

beneath my fingers. Gavin was a fit man; he took pride in his appearance and it showed. It was hard
not to become a wild cat when he was shirtless, because he was perfection.

Hooking my finger under the hem of his shirt, I began lifting it upward to expose the ab muscles

that made my mouth water.

I bit down on my lower lip, holding back my whimper. I continued the path, lifting his shirt higher.

He grabbed for it and lifted it up and over his head.

“Damn,” I whispered before I could stop myself. He chuckled and reached out, hooking the straps

of my dress with his fingers. Slowly he began to guide them over my shoulders as the dress slid over
my body.

The material easily slid past my breast and waist and pooled at my feet. I stood before him only

wearing my lacey panties and bra. My cheeks flushed and he tilted my chin upward, locking his gaze
on mine. “You are so beautiful.” I smiled and began working his belt buckle loose.

In no time at all, he was standing before me in only his boxers, while our eyes hungrily scanned

over one another. Taking in every inch, the desire was so thick.

He crooked his finger and motioned for me to come closer, which I happily did. Trailing his

fingertip over the swell of my breast, he then went lower.

I swallowed hard when it skimmed over my stomach, pausing at the top of my panties. Hooking his

finger just inside the elastic band, he pulled outward just enough to slide his finger inside. My breath
hitched, and I began breathing heavier with anticipation.

I moaned just as his finger glided over my clit and down through my needy center. As he thrust a

finger into me, I rocked against his hand. Gavin brought his lips to mine, while he continued to
pleasure me.

Adding a second finger, his movements increased while he flipped his thumb over my swollen clit.

It took no time at all for me to go off like a rocket, screaming out his name.

He quickly wrapped his hands around the back of my thighs and lifted me from the floor. I was still

coming down from the orgasm he had just given me when I felt the bed beneath my back. He lowered
his body over mine, bringing his lips back to taste mine.

I heard a rustling noise to my right before he lowered his hand to the side of my head, holding a

condom. For a split second, I debated about telling him he didn’t need it. But that moment was

definitely not the time to tell him: oh, by the way, I’m carrying your baby.

I watched as he tore it open with his teeth and began rolling it over his hardness.
The moment he entered me, I bit down on his shoulder and groaned. His growl matched mine as

we began to move. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I hooked them over his ass. His movements
picked up and I met him thrust for thrust. I had missed this so much. Gavin was an amazing lover.

“Yes,” I cried, as he rotated his hips, grinding against my most sensitive spot. I could fill the heat

rising and the tingling sensation of my impending orgasm. I was so close my legs began to tremble.

“That’s it, let it go. Let me feel it,” he whispered. “I’m so close, I wanna feel you first.”
The moment I let go, he began to pump into me hard and fast, just before his body began to tremble

beneath my fingers.

He moaned out a deep rumbling growl. Wrapping me in tighter, he lowered himself, holding me

close. We lay together in silence, with only the sounds of our strained breathing.

We stayed in that position for a few minutes before he pulled back. Looking down at me, he

whispered, “I’ll be right back.”

I watched as he walked to the bathroom. I curled onto my side and pulled the sheets tightly against

my chest. I could still feel his touch, and it was comforting.

A few moments had passed when I felt the bed dip behind me as he crawled in next to me. His

hand sliding over my hip, he pulled me back against him. He wrapped me in his arms and buried his
face against my neck.

“Will you stay the night with me?” he asked.
I nodded and relaxed back against his chest, listening to him breathe in and out, his breath fanning

out over my shoulder.

I knew right then that I needed to tell him about the baby. I would let us both get some rest and, in

the morning, I would let him in on our future. I wasn’t sure how I’d tell him, but I would.

I couldn’t wait until after seeing the doctor on Monday.
I just prayed that he wouldn’t be upset. After everything he had gone through with Nicole and still

was going through, I was just adding more. I should have already told him; the minute I found out he
should have been told. He deserved to know.

Chapter Eight

When I woke to find Gavin not in the bed next to me, I immediately felt lonely.
There was a note on the bedside table explaining that Bud needed his help and he had gone to the

farm.

I guess my plan to tell him about the pregnancy would have to wait. Of course, the moment my feet

hit the floor, the nauseated feeling set in. I was darting for the bathroom with my hand planted firmly
over my lips.

There was nothing glamorous about morning sickness, I was left feeling like the living dead. All I

wanted was a warm shower and my bed. Then it hit me; my car was still at Kori’s parents’ house.

My options were limited, but I needed a ride. I called Leann and, when she came to pick me up

with a huge knowing smile on her face, I felt like I was on trial. She sat in the driver’s seat with a
huge smile on her face, watching me out of the corner of her eye.

“What the hell are you grinning at?” I asked, and she laughed.
There I sat in her passenger seat, still wearing my dress from the wedding. My hair was piled on

top of my head, and my makeup was smudged. I had made my best attempt to clean up, but really what
was the point? It didn’t take a genius to figure out what I had done last night.

“You got lucky last night,” she sang out.
I just rolled my eyes and looked forward. I tried to hold back my smile, only to fail miserably.
“It’s a good look for you. I like seeing you smile. If there is anyone who deserves a little good in

her life, it’s you. Getting some of Gavin does a body good, apparently.”

I whipped my head around at her comment. Leann was always so reserved. Her cheeks were

reddened as what she had just said sank in. Then she shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

She dropped me off at home, because I refused to go to Kori’s parents’ house still sporting my

clothes from last night. My car was at their place, but they would just think I had too much to drink
and got a ride home. We would just leave it at that. There really was no need to make them think any
different.

Just as I was climbing out of the car, Leann hollered out, “Hey, what do you say we take the kids to

the park later? I can pick you up, and then we can go get Rhett and give Gemma a little break.”

“Yeah, that sounds good, maybe around two?” I replied. She nodded her head and smiled. “Great,

I’ll call Gemma and tell her to have his things ready.”

***

“Hey, buddy, you ready to go have some fun with me?” I asked, as he lunged for me the moment I

walked into the house.

Rhett was giggling as he squeezed my neck tightly. I sat him back down onto the floor and took a

better look at him. He wore a cute little backpack with tractors all over it. The little dude loved
tractors. Between Reed and Bud, Rhett was a cowboy in the making. He would break the hearts of
many when he was old enough.

The older he got, the more he looked like Blake. Oh, and he was a charmer; he knew how to get his

way with everyone.

“I packed some snacks, and there are some juice pouches in his bag too,” Gemma said as she

hugged me in greeting. “Oh, and just in case, I tossed in a change of clothes too. I’m gonna go run
some errands and then meet Julie to go over some things for next week’s events at the church.” She
then gave Rhett a hug. “You be a good boy for Aunt Maria, and granny will see you a little later.”

I gathered him up and walked toward Leann’s car. Just as I was about to put Rhett into the back

seat, I heard his voice. A warm feeling filled my chest, and the smile that spread out over my face did
not go unnoticed by Leann.

I turned with Rhett in my arms to find Gavin walking in my direction. His shirt was hugging his

chest and arms that were soaked with obvious signs of a hard day’s work. He looked real damn good
all hot and sweaty. There was definitely something good about a hardworking man, with his hair all
tousled and his muscles bulging. The man did things that made my girly parts ache and honestly should
be illegal.

He grinned, and I think I may have whimpered at the sight of him. When he was within a foot of

me, he leaned forward and kissed my cheek, just catching the edge of my mouth.

“Where are you guys off to?” he asked, as he reached out and tickled Rhett’s tummy. Rhett giggled

and wiggled around in my arms. Readjusting him, I turned and placed him in the car seat. The little
guy was growing so fast, and holding him for long periods of time had become a challenge.

Once I had him buckled in, I turned back to face Gavin and looked up into his gorgeous blues. “To

the park. We thought it would be fun for the little ones.”

Gavin looked back toward the barn and then quickly up to the house. Before I could ask him what

he was doing, he turned back to me and placed his lips against mine. What was meant to be an
innocent kiss quickly changed when I swept my tongue out and grazed his lips. He groaned and pulled
my body in tighter against his.

Someone clearing her throat had us pulling away quickly and looking back. Leann sat in the car,

smiling like the Cheshire cat, and I could only laugh. Gavin chuckled and gave me another quick kiss.

“Am I gonna see you later tonight?” he asked.
I bit my lower lip as the memories of last night overwhelmed me. I felt my cheeks flush and my

stomach flutter. Then I remembered that there were some things we need to talk about, and the lust
quickly turned to nervousness.

I nodded my head. “Yeah, um, we need to talk about some things.” He wrinkled his eyebrows and

looked concerned. “Don’t worry. I’ll call you when we’re done and we can make plans.”

He agreed before pulling me in for a gentle hug. Kissing me on the forehead, he slowly backed

away. He winked before turning toward the barn and walking off.

I stood there like a love-sick fool, admiring him. Damn him; those thighs and that ass of his were

hazardous to my hormones.

Taking in a deep breath, I walked around and got into the car.

Chapter Nine

We had been at the park for over an hour. Rhett and Leann’s daughter, Chloe were running around

from one thing to the next, showing no signs of growing tired.

We had decided to take them to the kiddie park at the side of the daycare in town. It had smaller

slides and swings, built more for toddlers.

Leann and I found a small patch of grass at the edge of the fence and tossed a blanket down. We

were both stretched out, taking in the sun, as we watched the two children giggle and chase one
another.

I began imagining what it would be like to bring my own child here—Gavin and I watching him or

her play and laugh. On instinct, I brought my hand up and rested it over my stomach. A smile spread
out over my face as I allowed myself to picture a little boy with dark hair and the bluest of blue eyes.

Tonight I would tell him; there was no backing out. I would just say it, and then we would see

where to go from there.

I knew I was taking the chance that he might freak out. He had so many things going on in his life

over the last year and a half that I feel horrible about adding even more to his long list. But he had to
know, and I couldn’t wait any longer to tell him.

Leann’s voice broke through my daydream, and I turned toward her. “What?” I asked.
“I asked what was going on with you and Gavin. I know he said he didn’t want a relationship. But

from what I just saw between you two, I think he may have changed his mind.” She wiggled her
eyebrows up and down, and I laughed. “So did he finally wake up and see he had a chance at
happiness?”

Smiling, I thought over everything she said. I debated whether I should tell her about the baby, but

then I just felt bad. Kori already knew about it, but Gavin really should be the next person I tell. I
don’t want him to find out about it, knowing that everyone else knew before he did.

“He has had a shitty run of luck. His ex has really made a mess of his life, and I understand where

he is coming from. He is hesitant, and I don’t blame him at all.” I paused, looking out at the kids and
thinking over everything between Gavin and me.

“He has never made promises to me. He didn’t set out to use me, or anything like that. I mean he

told me before our very first kiss that he couldn’t offer me more. I took it all on, thinking I could
handle it.” Looking back over to meet Leann’s gaze, I shrugged. “Turns out I couldn’t. I was hooked
after the first kiss, and I’ve just been waiting for him to want more.”

“It kind of looked like the wait was over.” She smiled.
I smiled in return. “God, I hope so, because it has been killing me. It was so hard to pretend daily

that I didn’t want more. I really just hope I’m not setting myself up for a train wreck, ya know.”

“Yeah,” she whispered. “Ben was a hard one to crack too. I had always thought he was so cute

back in school, but he was one of those guys you admired from afar. If you got too close to those guys,
you were sure to get crushed. It was hard to watch him with other girls.”

She paused for just a moment before continuing. “When I moved away, I dated. There was never

that spark, though, the one you long to feel. Yeah, I liked guys, but I never felt the undeniable
attraction.” A smile spread out over her lips, as if she were remembering something great.

“I came back to visit my grandma for a few weeks, and, um, well, I ran into Ben at the store. One

thing led to another, and, well, let’s just say I felt sparks, among other things.” Her cheeks flushed,
and I laughed.

“So here we are, married, with a daughter. I never thought I would have it, especially with Ben.

He was always a ladies’ man. I wouldn’t change a thing about the way it all played out. We both had
to go out in the world for a bit and experience life. We found our way back to one another, though. I
found my forever when I least expected it, and you will too.”

***

After a few hours of playing and snacks, we gathered up the little ones. They were less than ready

to go, but it had been a long afternoon.

Walking toward the car, I felt a sharp stabbing pain in my abdomen. It was so intense that it had me

hunching over and holding on to my stomach. I grunted and dropped Rhett’s bag to the ground.

Leann quickly rushed to my side and placed her hand on my back. “Maria, are you okay?”
All I could do was shake my head. Gritting my teeth, I slouched down to the ground, as tears

formed in my eyes from the pain.

“Oh my god, do I need to call someone? Can you get up? I can take you to the hospital.” Fear was

evident in her voice as she gathered up Chloe and Rhett and placed them in the car as quickly as
possible.

She helped me from the ground, and I leaned on her as she guided me to the car. The moment I sat

down, I felt a wetness pool in my panties. Panic set in immediately and I began crying. “Please take
me to the hospital,” I whispered in between sobs.

The next ten minutes were filled with Leann making phone calls. She called Ben to have him come

and get Chloe. She said she refused to leave my side. She didn’t want me to be alone, and I was
thankful for that.

She then attempted to call Gemma, but the call went unanswered. Calling Ben back, she directed

him to swing by Bud’s and let him know that they would need to get Rhett.

Everything was a blur; all I could do was hold on to my stomach and pray with everything inside

me that my baby would be okay.

Things happened very quickly from the moment we walked into the emergency room entrance. I

was taken to the back, and the examination took place quickly. Questions were asked, one after
another. All I could do was nod or shake my head. I felt lost.

“I’m pregnant,” I told the nurse who was helping me undress. She looked back at me with

saddened eyes. Nodding her head, she relayed the message to the other nurse beside her.

I focused on a sign, pinned to the wall at the end of the bed. It was some sort of rating system. It

asked how you would rate your pain. It had numbers, and next to them was an explanation of the
comparable level of pain. I focused on the highest number. Nowhere on the list did it say excruciating
or heartbreaking. There was no explanation for what I was feeling.

I wasn’t dumb; I knew what was happening. The moment the nurse helped me to remove my pants

and I found the blood in my panties, I knew. I was losing my baby. I was losing the child that Gavin
and I had created together. My heart was breaking with every second that passed.

When the sonogram machine was wheeled into the room, followed by the doctor, I met her eyes.

She tried to appear hopeful, but I could see it; she already knew what she was going to find.

Silence filled the room as she lowered the wand to my lower stomach. The minutes felt like hours,

as I waited for confirmation of what I already knew.

“The baby.” I paused, taking in a deep breath before I tried to speak again. “I lost the baby, didn’t

I?”

She could only nod her head as she took my hand in hers. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. This sometimes

happens, and there is nothing you could have done to change it. We’ll have to schedule a procedure.
Is there someone I can call to be with you?”

His voice filled the room and my chest tightened. “Maria?”
The doctor turned as I looked past her. Gavin stood in the doorway, bracing himself on the edge.

My tears fell heavily as he took a step in my direction.

“Baby?”
“What baby?” he asked.

Chapter Ten

The darkness set in. I was lost in complete hopelessness. I lay motionless in the hospital bed,

remembering the pain in Gavin’s eyes as I told him about losing his baby.

He had focused on an imaginary spot between us and sat in silence. The distance between us

appeared to grow with each passing moment. I wanted him to say something, anything. I needed him to
hold me and tell me that everything would be okay, but only silence filled the room.

When he looked up as the nurse entered the room, his eyes were filled with tears. I wanted to ask

him if he was okay, but the words were lodged within my throat.

He slowly stepped back away from the bed, while the nurse began explaining what would need to

be done next. I really should have been focused on her words, but instead I stared past her. I wanted
him to look at me; I needed the connection. He only stared at the ground, his lips pressed into a flat
line.

The nurse explained that she would be back to get me once the room was available, and I could

only nod my head.

The silence in the room was maddening. Gavin kept his place at the side of the room, leaning back

against the wall. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets, and he looked down at his feet.

The longer he stood there, saying nothing, the angrier I got. I could feel it boiling within me, and at

any time I feared I would explode.

“Say something,” I said.
Silence once again.
“Damn it, Gavin. Say something or just leave.” I fought back the sob that tried to escape.
He lifted his head and his eyes met mine. “Were you gonna tell me?” he asked.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Yeah, when?” his faced held little emotion. It was a blank canvas and it was killing me, not

knowing what he was thinking.

“Tonight, I was gonna tell you tonight,” I said.
“How long have you known?” he asked. He pushed off the wall to take a step in my direction.

“How long have you known that you’ve been carrying my child?”

I single tear ran down my cheek as I whispered the answer. “Since I got back into town, after my

daddy’s funeral.”

He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair—gripping at the edges and tugging, hanging

his head low.

Once again he was silent, and all I could do was stare at him, pleading for him to understand why I

had waited. I should have told him immediately, I know that. I was scared of his reaction—hell, I was

terrified myself. I had to let it sink in and settle. I had to accept it myself.

“I never meant to hide it from you. I was gonna tell you. I just wanted to go to the doctor first. I had

an appointment tomorrow.” I was rambling, but I was scared he would leave me before I could
explain.

“But then after last night, I realized that I didn’t want to wait any longer to tell you. I planned on

telling you this morning, but you were gone when I woke up,” I explained.

“So it’s my fault I didn’t know?” he asked. “I should have known that day, Maria. I should have

been the first person you called once you found out. I had the right to know.” He looked so lost.

“No, it was my fault. You’re right. I should have told you sooner.”
We were interrupted by the nurse once again, as she and the nurse’s aide came into the room. I was

scheduled for a D&C, and they were ready for me.

My heart broke as I watched Gavin slip from the room. I felt like everything around me had

shattered into a million pieces, and all I wanted was Kori. I needed my best friend; I needed her
support.

“Sweetheart, is there anything I can do for you?” the kind nurse asked as she looked down at me.

Yes, she could chase after that damn cowboy who just left my room. She could chase him down and
explain to him that I needed him. I wanted him to hold me and tell me that we would be okay.

“Could you, um,” I started to ask as my voice cracked with emotion. I took a moment to steady

myself before continuing. “Could you actually call my momma for me?”

She reached out and took my hand in hers, squeezing gently. “Of course I can.”

***

As I was wheeled back into my hospital room, after the procedure, I found my momma and brother

Colt waiting for me.

The moment my eyes locked onto my mother’s, the tears once again began to fall. I was exhausted

and heartbroken.

Colt stepped forward, surprising me by taking me into his arms and squeezing me close.
“You okay, baby girl?” he asked, and all I could do was shake my head.
“We’re here. We ain’t leaving your side. I promise you that,” he assured me.
I wasn’t okay. I wasn’t sure if I would ever be okay again—something that felt like it was

impossible to reach.

I lost my baby, and the man I’m in love with walked out on me when I needed him the most.
I was devastated.

Chapter Eleven

“Come on, let’s take a trip,” Colt said as he sat at the end of my bed, tugging on my leg.
“No, I can’t. I’m supposed to be housesitting for Kori. I guess I failed at that too. I’ve pinned

everything on Reed’s father, and I feel horrible,” I told him.

“Momma said that Reed’s best friend and his wife have been taking care of things. They got it,

baby girl, don’t worry,” he said, and I only felt guiltier. Leann and Ben had their own life; they didn’t
need to be filling in for me.

Everyone had been so kind and caring. Well, everyone but Gavin. I still hadn’t heard from him.

Everybody seemed sort of hush-hush about him when I was around.

“Let’s go, just for a few days. Hell, we can go longer if ya want. I just think getting away would

be good for you. Let’s go somewhere where we can soak up the sun and forget about all the bad for a
little while.”

Colt scooted forward and tilted my chin up. “Let me do this. Let me be here for you. You and I

have never had the chance to really form a relationship. I’d like that to change, Mar. I want be the big
brother who steps up when he needs to. Let me help you begin to heal from all of this.”

Colt wasn’t the sappy type—he was more of the ‘stand back and quietly observe’ kind of man. It

meant a lot to me that he was here. He was right, we had never had that chance.

“Okay, big brother. What’s your plan?” I asked with a small, forced smile.
His face lit up and he stood from the bed. “You just pack. I’ll take care of everything else.” He

walked to the door, and just before he exited the room, he looked back. “Warm weather, beach, and
lots of booze coming your way.”

He chuckled and I just shook my head. What had I gotten myself into?

***

Colt really had taken care of everything. He rented a cute little beach house in the Gulf Shores, and

we spent three days basking in the sun. Over those three days, I learned a lot about my brother.
I found out how hard it was on him while he was living with my dad. He tried to explain why he had
chosen to stay with him for years, taking all his bitterness. He felt like he owed my father to stick it
out.

When my dad began to bury himself only deeper in debt, both Jake and Colt would just work

harder. They would get their heads above water, only to have my daddy once again take them under.
Slowly they watched as everything they had worked for began to disappear.

Colt and Jake went their separate ways and got jobs elsewhere, while they continued to watch my

dad drift away.

I could see the pain in Colt’s eyes as he remembered the years that had passed. I really had no idea

what they had gone through with my dad. I could just see it in his eyes that life was anything but
perfect. In fact, I’m sure at times it was misery.

I learned that Colt had a fiancée once. They were young and in love—promising a future of kids

with a big ole’ house on a hill.

She went off to college and then things changed. She realized she had so many other things she

wanted more.

So she ended things abruptly over the phone, taking the coward’s way out, and leaving my brother

behind, broken hearted, to pick up the pieces alone. After that, he kind of let go of the life he hoped
for.

He said it wasn’t worth the heartache in the end. Staying unattached and just randomly dating kept

his heart safe. The thought of my brother spending his life alone, without love, was sad.

***

Returning home was hard. Kori herself had returned the day before, and I knew I would be forced

to relive my recent devastation. I honestly just wanted to hide away and bury it all so deep. Talking
about it would only bring back the hurt of it all.

So instead of calling Kori, like I told her I would, I crawled into bed and lay motionless in my

dark room.

Chapter Twelve

I woke to the sound of my door creaking open and light spilling into the room from the hall. It had

to be early evening, because the setting of the sun barely showed through my window blinds.

I looked up as Kori crept into my room, closing the door quietly behind her. I never spoke. I just

closed my eyes once again and pretended to be asleep.

I felt the bed dip as she sat on the edge. Her hand pushed the hair back from my face, before she

whispered my name. “Maria.”

A long silent pause filled the room, before she spoke again.
“I know you’re awake, don’t avoid me. You know I’m not leaving until we talk,” she stated.
I slowly opened my eyes, but still chose to continue to avoid hers. I couldn’t look at her, because if

I did, I knew that it would come rushing in. I would have to remember the loss of my and Gavin’s
baby.

We all have those people in our lives that we can’t hide things from. No matter how hard we try,

they can read us like a book. Kori was one of those people, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to pretend
that I was okay. Not with her, because she would see right through me.

“Look at me,” she said.
I shook my head and buried my face in my pillow like some child. I guess I felt that, if I ignored the

entire situation long enough, it would eventually just disappear.

“Please talk to me,” she pleaded. I buried my face even deeper into my pillow, continuing to hide

with the hope that she would just give up.

Kori wasn’t that kind of girl, though, and I knew that. I just wished this time she would be.
“You can ignore me all you want. You can push me away. Hell, you can even run from me,” she

stated, pushing on my shoulder and causing me to finally face her. My lips trembled as her eyes bored
into mine.

“But I will follow you. I will stand by you and force you to face this. I love you, and I refuse to

watch you suffer alone. I’m here for you.” She reached forward, gripping my face in her hands. “I am
not going anywhere, no matter how hard you fall. I will pick you up every god damn day if I have to.”

Tears ran down my cheeks, and I fought back the urge to let it all out. I sniffled and narrowed my

eyes at her.

“Go ahead and get pissed. Yell at me. Scream. When you’re all done and you’ve got all that anger

out of you…” She paused, narrowing her eyes at me in return. “I will still be by your side, holding
you up.”

The tears were impossible to hold back. My body shook, and I tried with everything I had to hold

it all in. I fought until I no longer had the fight in me, and all at once…I broke.

I sobbed and she pulled me close. “Let it out, let it all go.” She soothed my cries by rubbing my

back gently.

“He left,” I cried. “He just walked out and I haven’t seen or heard from him since. He was so

angry about me not telling him. I think he hates me and that hurts so much.” I continued to cry. “I
needed him and he left. I wanted him to hold me and tell me that we would get through it together, but
he left.”

Kori pulled back and looked at me closely. “Gavin?” she questioned me, and I nodded my head in

reply.

“Um, I’ve only seen him once, the day I got back into town. From the looks of it, though, he isn’t

doing all that well, either.” She paused as if she were thinking something over, debating whether to
continue with what she’d planned to say.

“What?” I asked.
“He, uh, he was sporting a pretty good shiner on his left eye,” Kori whispered.
My stomach tensed and my chest burned. “What?”
Kori shrugged, “I didn’t ask, and he didn’t offer any explanation. Daddy said he has been real

quiet and withdrawn. I think he’s hurting too, Mar. Maybe he just doesn’t know what to say.” She
slipped off her sandals and slid back further on the bed. “Maybe he’s having a real hard time with all
this too.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe he has regrets.”

I hung my head and closed my eyes tightly. Could that be true? Was Gavin as saddened by all of

this as I was? Could I have been wrong about why he left?

Kori and I spent the next hour talking and crying. She continued to soothe my overwhelming

sadness, and I continued to put on like I was gonna be fine.

***

After Kori left, I held my phone in my hand, twisting it around nervously. I debated calling Gavin,

but every time I started to dial his number, I hung up before it rang.

Finally deciding that what I needed to say shouldn’t be said over the phone, I jumped into the

shower. After slipping on something comfortable, because I honestly didn’t feel like getting all
fancied up, I forced myself to drive to Gavin’s.

Pulling into the familiar driveway, my stomach began to flutter. I pushed forward, pulling my car

in alongside of the big black beast. Memories of the very first time Gavin touched me flashed through
my mind every time I saw that truck.

One single light glowed in the front window. I sat back for a moment, wondering exactly what he

was doing inside. Was he lounging on the couch, watching TV? Or maybe he was asleep, all peaceful
and relaxed.

Taking in a deep, calming breath, I stepped up onto the front porch and lightly knocked on the door.

I stood there, looking down at my feet and giving myself a much needed pep talk. My heart was racing
with anticipation and complete regret for the way things had been handled between us. It was as if
every time we took one step forward, we were then shoved back ten more.

The sound of the lock on the door caused me to look up quickly. Gavin’s frame filling the opening

made my knees weak, but not because of some overwhelming lust-filled desire. It was the simple fact
that he looked back at me with such sadness. It was written all over his face, and I instantly wanted to
wrap myself around him and comfort him. I wanted to take his sadness away. I wanted us both to heal
these painful feelings we were carrying.

“I’m so sorry,” my voice cracked with my apology. “I never meant to hide it. I’m just so sorry you

found out the way you did. And I’m so sorry that I,,,” he didn’t let me finish. Gavin reached out and
pulled me against him tightly.

His hot breath fanned out over my chest as he buried his face in my neck. “I’m the one that’s sorry.

I was an ass.” His voice was muffled, but I could still make out his words. “I should have been
supporting you, not arguing with you. What you had just gone through was enough, and all I cared
about was that I didn’t know.”

As he pulled his face back away from my neck, I instantly missed his warmth. His eyes looked

back on mine, glossy and pained. “The truth is I was floored; it shocked the hell out of me. I never
expected to walk in and hear that you had lost a baby I didn’t even know you were carrying. Then I
was broken from the news. You were carrying my child, my baby, and there you were in that hospital
bed, looking so lost. I couldn’t fix it and that killed me.”

“There isn’t anything we could have done to change what happened,” I stated, and he nodded his

head. He knew I was right, but it did not dull the pain of our loss.

“I think we have both really made a mess of things. We haven’t really done any of this the right

way.” Our eyes connected, all filled with such hurt. He whispered, “Will you stay so we can talk? I
feel like we have a lot of things we need to say to one another.”

I nodded my head in agreement. Following him inside, I closed the door behind me. He led me to

the couch and I took a seat next to him.

Gavin reached out for my hand and took it into his. “I think it’s safe to say that I have no hope of

walking away from you.” I shifted my eyes from our hands to his face. “I don’t even think I could if I
tried. I’ve thought a lot over this last week. I know that you’re not her. It really is unfair of me to
judge every other woman based on Nicole’s actions.”

Gavin’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, before he continued. “I haven’t treated you right.

I’ve pushed and pulled so much over this last year that I’m surprised you haven’t run in the opposite
direction by now.”

I sat staring at him in silence. Gavin never shared is feelings. He was set in his ways about the

things he wanted and didn’t want. So sitting there before him, listening to him, I couldn’t speak. I
didn’t want to miss a word of what he was saying to me.

“I want to start over, completely. I want us to have a fair shot. I don’t wanna drag all the garbage

from my past along with us. I’m just hoping that I haven’t done so much damage to us that it’s
irreversible.” Still holding my hand securely in his, he lifted it to his mouth. Placing a soft kiss on my
palm, he then brought it to rest over his rapidly beating heart.

“I want to start over too,” I whispered. “You weren’t the only one that did things wrong.”
Lifting me onto his lap, he held me close. He buried his face into the crease of my neck, and we sat

like that, just taking in the feeling.

Chapter Thirteen

“Are you gonna tell me what happened to your eye?” I asked Gavin as my head lay on his bare

chest. He had insisted that I stay the night, telling me that he needed me close. Hearing him say that
felt so nice. He said it was time we start healing, I couldn’t have agreed more.

I lifted my hand up to trail my fingertips across his eyebrow, which held a small cut and a fading

bruise. He closed his eyes with my touch. Leaning in toward my hand, he gripped my wrist and pulled
my hand to his lips, feathering a soft kiss across my palm. I loved it when he did that; it gave me a
warm feeling throughout my body. He then brought it to rest on his chest, holding it in place with his
own.

“It’s not important,” he whispered.
I rose up and kissed his jawline, as I slid further up his body. “You’re wrong,” I replied. “It’s very

important. Please tell me.”

There was a long pause as Gavin looked down at me, with a look of longing written all over his

face.

“Do you promise you won’t get mad?” he asked me.
How in the hell could I promise that? I was pretty damn sure that whatever he had to say would

make me mad.

As I narrowed my eyes, he chuckled at my obvious response. I wasn’t gonna make that promise.
“Okay, darlin’, just listen ‘til the end before you get all fired up.” Gavin’s grin grew even bigger

when I raised my eyebrows. I was trying to tell him to get on with it, because now my interest in the
matter was through the roof.

“After I left your room that day at the hospital, I walked outside. Your momma was walking in and

she recognized me.” He paused, and for a moment I imagined my sweet momma slugging Gavin. The
thought of it made me laugh.

“Now, I know my momma doesn’t have it in her, so who slugged ya?” I laughed at his expression.
“No, your momma didn’t hit me.” He chuckled and then took in a deep breath, before continuing.

“But your brother did.”

I instantly began rising up off of his chest and he gripped me tighter, pulling me back to him. “I

said let me finish it all before you go off half-cocked.” I groaned in frustration and he chuckled, his
chest shaking against my cheek.

“Fine, but when you’re done, I promise you I’m gonna lose my boot in Colt’s ass,” I stated with

aggravation.

“I had no idea he was your brother until later, but, baby he was just being protective. He thought I

was the cause of your being in the hospital. I mean, in a way I was, but not how he was thinking.” He

took a deep breath. “He swung first and then your momma flipped out on him.”

Gavin reached down and tilted my chin up, so we were now looking into one another’s eyes.

“That’s why I left. I thought it would be better if I let things cool down for a bit.”

He traced my cheek bone with his thumb and brought his hand to rest on the side of my face. The

tenderness in his touch caused a warmth to fill me.

“I made Leann keep me in the loop about how you were doing. I also made her promise to keep it

quiet. You didn’t need any more to deal with than what you already had,” he confessed.

That moment, snuggled up against him with his gaze focused just on me, felt surreal. I had been

longing for so long to have a moment like this.

“Don’t be angry with him; he was worried and scared. It happened, and then I could tell he

instantly regretted it. We just need to focus on healing from this.” His voice was just above a whisper
as he continued to stare into my eyes so tenderly. “I need us to move forward, and the past is in the
past.”

I just nodded my head in agreement; I didn’t want to sour the moment. I just wanted to

commemorate every second of it.

***

I walked straight up to Colt and shoved against his chest. He stumbled back a couple of feet, but

not because I was strong enough to move him. He moved backward only to get away from me. Given
the size of the big ole’ knucklehead, my tiny frame was nothing in comparison to his.

“What the hell was that for?” he asked, holding his hand out before him and silently telling me to

back off.

“You punched him,” I snarled.
I could see the moment it all settled in his mind by the expression on his face. “Shit,” he sighed.
“Yeah, shit is right. You’re on my shit list for sure. You big ole’ ass. What the hell were you

thinking, anyway?” I spat and turned around to walk toward the sink. I needed to calm down and just
take a breather.

I had spent the entire night with Gavin. We slept side by side peacefully snuggled together. It was

the best sleep I’d had in weeks. He held me close and kissed me gently, making promises that things
would be different from now on. He promised he would no longer push me away, he would only hold
me close. I, in turn, promised to accept it without questioning his dedication to us.

I left Gavin’s house this morning feeling a little more whole than I had in weeks.
My entire mood shifted the moment I got home and found my brother walking toward me. I snapped

at him and let my anger fly.

“I’m sorry. Damn, I’m truly sorry. I acted out before I knew the truth.” He threw his arms out to his

sides in frustration. “All I heard was you were in the hospital and the guy responsible for the mess
was with you. You know small towns and their damn gossip. When I saw him walking out, I went
off.”

Colt took a step toward me, and I turned from the sink to face him. “Momma already laid into me

about it. She cold-cocked me right there in the damn parking lot of the hospital. I’m a grown ass man
and my momma set me straight; shit, that’s punishment enough.”

“Do you know what an ass I felt like after I realized I had punched the guy for no reason?” he

asked. “Don’t be mad at me, Mar, please, I truly am sorry.”

I knew Colt meant well, and he never would intentionally hurt me. I could tell he was sorry for his

Chapter Fourteen

Gavin

I had been busting my ass for the last four hours, only pausing to grab a drink on occasion. I

wanted to get my shit done as quickly as possible.

Maria didn’t know it yet, but I had plans for her. I told her last night that things would be different

from here on out. I meant every damn word. So getting out of here at a decent time was a must.

“You got a minute?” I heard a deep voice holler from behind me.
I spun around, only to come face to face with Colt, Maria’s brother. If I said I was surprised, I’d

be lying. I knew Maria would lay into him the moment she saw him. No, I never expected him to show
up here, but I did expect to see him eventually.

I nodded my head and dropped the bale of hay I was currently holding.
“It seems I owe you an apology,” he stated.
I stared back at him without giving any sign of forgiveness. “You don’t owe me nothing. I don’t

need an apology.”

“Yeah, well, uh, Maria ain’t gonna let it fly. There was a lot of threatening before I left. Something

about a boot and my ass,” he chuckled.

I found myself smiling too—picturing her standing before her brother, her hands placed on her

hips, warning him about kicking his ass.

“Listen man, I am sorry. Not because my sister told me I had to be, but because I truly made a

mistake. I know that now. I ain’t afraid to own up to my mistakes. I jumped the gun and I hope we can
move past it.”

He held his hand out toward me, and I looked down. I took a few seconds to let it settle before

reaching out mine in return. Shaking his hand, I nodded my head. “No worries, it’s all good. You
were trying to protect her. I respect that.”

He took a step back and placed his hands in his pockets. “So you love her?”
I knew that I cared for her deeply, way more than I thought I ever could care again. Love was a

strong word, though—one that I wouldn’t throw out there until I had no doubts. “I care about her a lot.
Love…well, I know the chances of that becoming a future confession are pretty damn high,” I stated.

Colt just stared at me for a moment, as if he were looking for some fault within me.
“Just do me a favor and don’t hurt her. She has had enough of that in the past. She has built some

pretty high walls around her heart. Maria doesn’t think she deserves happiness.” Pulling his hands
from his pockets and twisting his keys around mindlessly in his hands, he looked back up to meet my
gaze. “There isn’t anything I would like to see more than for her to get that happy ending.”

I grinned just slightly. “I’ll see what I can do,” I said in return.
With a nod of his head, he turned and walked away.
There is no doubt Maria deserves a happy ending. I just hope we can find it together.
Slipping my phone from my back pocket, I scrolled until I found her name.

Can you be ready by six?

I waited, staring at the phone for a response. When my phone chirped, a smile spread out over my

face.

I can, but where are you taking me?

I had no intention of telling her I planned on making her feel adored tonight. She needs a little

happiness, and she deserves to be spoiled.

That all started tonight.

Just be ready. Wear your red boots.

I could imagine her smiling as she read my response. My phone chirped once again but, before I

could read the response, I heard a chuckle to my right.

“Damn man, do you and your phone need a little time alone?” Reed stood in the doorway holding

Rhett.

I shook my head. “No, we’re finished.”
“Well, from the looks of it, you were having a good time together.” I could tell he was fighting

back his laughter.

Reed and I had never really had any form of relationship. I mean we talked, but only if we were

brought together by the girls. I guess it was about time I started letting people back in.

After all, Maria and Kori are best friends. I did work for his in-laws. It was inevitable we would

be in one another’s presence often.

“I was talking to Maria,” I stated.
“Oh, yeah? How’s she doing?” he asked. Reed was also a very important person to Maria,

regardless of Kori. They had known each other for years. I know a lot of people would be more than
happy to put me in my place if I hurt her any more than I already had.

“She’s doing better. We both are,” I replied.
Reed nodded his head, and then his eyes bored into mine. “Listen, I’m real sorry about the baby,”

he confessed.

At the mention of the baby, my chest tightened. No one had really asked me how I felt about the

loss. It killed me knowing that my child was no longer tucked safely in Maria’s tummy. Yeah, the
whole damn thing was unplanned, but I would have accepted it regardless.

“Thanks,” I sighed, turning back to continue with my work.
Bud came in shortly afterward and took Rhett in his arms. The little man would be hanging out

with us today. He was with us often, and I had to admit he was kinda growing on me.

At that moment, though, he made my heart ache. The thought of a little boy running around who

Maria and I had created together kept filling my mind.

Remembering Maria, I grabbed for my phone once more to look at her last text, which I had yet to

Chapter Fifteen

I got a call from my lawyer back in Savannah. The final paperwork is ready. I would have to make

a trip back to sign within the next few days.

The mess with Nicole will soon be left behind.
But for tonight, I won’t think about it all; tonight is about Maria. I want her to feel like she is the

center of my world. By the end of the night, I want her to know that she means more to me than I have
ever allowed her to know.

She stepped from her porch before I could get out of my truck. The smile on her face lit me up. I

stood at the side of my truck taking all of her in, from head to toe. She wore a tan dress and a lacy
overlay with a red belt. Trailing my eyes down to her feet, I found those red boots she loves so much.

I chuckled and walked in her direction. Just before I reached her, she spun in a circle and I gripped

her waist, pulling her up against my body. “I see you decided to take my advice and wear more than
just your boots.”

She shrugged. “I figured spending the night in the county jail wasn’t something on my wish list.”
Wrapping my hand around the back of her neck and feeding my fingers up through her hair, I

steadied her before me. “You look beautiful,” I whispered.

Lowering my lips to hers, I kissed her softly and she whimpered. I loved that sound. It made it

obvious she felt the same things I did. That connection is the one I have fought from the beginning.

Pulling back, I rested my forehead against hers and brushed the tip of her nose with mine. “You

ready to get going?”

“You gonna tell me yet where it is you’re taking me?” she asked.
I took her hand in mine and led her to my truck, helping her up. She giggled when I boosted her up

by placing my hand on her bottom.

“Well, if you wanted to touch my ass, all you had to do was ask, handsome.” She winked over at

me and a grin spread out over my lips. I shook my head and closed the door, chuckling to myself as I
walked around and climbed up to join her.

Once we were on the highway, I placed my hand on her knee and lightly brushed my fingertips

along her leg. The touch set a relaxed tone for both of us.

Arriving at a place just outside of town, I placed my truck in park and looked over to meet Maria’s

smiling face.

I know how much she loves to dance, so a honky tonk restaurant seemed the best place to take her.

We could grab something to eat, and then I could spin her around the dance floor.

When we walked inside her face lit up, seeing all the couples holding each other close. I could see

the excitement in her eyes. “Let’s get something to eat first. Then we’ll dance.” I whispered from

behind before placing a kiss onto her temple.

While we ate, I watched a little boy, about the age of eight or so, who sat to the left of us. He kept

sneaking little glances in Maria’s direction, when he thought no one was looking. I couldn’t help but
smile, as I knew what he was feeling. Maria is beautiful.

“What are you smiling at?” Maria asked, as she looked around the room.
I leaned forward, lowering my voice so only she could hear. “You have an admirer.” I nodded my

head just slightly toward the boy, and she casually looked in his direction.

The moment he saw that she had spotted him watching her, his cheeks reddened with

embarrassment.

Turning back to face me, she winked before sliding from the booth and approaching the little boy’s

table. I sat wondering what in hell she could be doing.

She spoke quietly with his mother, who appeared to be a single mom with two children—the little

guy who was admiring my date and another little boy who is maybe about four.

After a short conversation with Maria, the woman smiled and nodded her head, as she looked over

at her son. Maria changed sides and held her hand out to the little boy. His face lit up and he looked
past her, as if asking me if it was okay. I thought the entire situation was real sweet.

I nodded my head and watched as Maria led him to the dance floor and began showing him how to

do the two-step.

At that moment, she looked so happy and free, like she didn’t have a care in the world. It truly was

an amazing moment—one that warmed my heart to witness. She has an amazing soul, and regardless
of the pain she has suffered in her life, she has the ability to bring out the happiness in others.

After the first dance, the little boy seemed to catch on, and they went on to dance a couple more.

His mother stood from the booth and snapped a few pictures before turning back to me and smiling.

“Your wife’s really sweet. Mikey needed that. After the year he’s had, it’s really great to see him

smile.” She looked back out to watch them once more.

The girl was so young that it was hard to believe she could be old enough to mother these two

children.

“I’m sorry to hear you and your boys have had a run of bad luck,” I said, causing her to turn back

to me.

“Oh no, um, you see…” she paused, as if trying to figure out how to explain what she meant.

“Mikey’s not mine. He lost his parents in a car accident about eleven months ago. This is the first
time I’ve really seen him laugh since then. I used to be his babysitter. I actually try to take him out
once a week, just to get him away from the children’s home.”

The moment she said ‘children’s home’ my heart hit the floor. “Doesn’t he have any other family

that can take him in?”

She shook her head and looked back to the little boy in the booth. “That’s my son, Jeffrey. If I

wasn’t raising him alone, I’d take Mikey in a heartbeat. Most days I find it hard to survive with just
the two of us. I’d only be fooling myself if I tried to take him on. It breaks my heart to take him back to
that place. The look in his eyes crushes me each time I walk away. It makes me feel like I should do
more, ya know?”

Turning once more to look over at Maria and Mikey dancing, the woman spoke as her voice

cracked with emotion. “But what your wife is doing right now is one of the most heartfelt moments
I’ve ever witnessed. A complete stranger taking her time to make a little boy feel special is amazing.
She didn’t have to do that, but she did. It says a lot about the kind of person she is. If you don’t mind
me saying so, you are pretty lucky to have her in your life.”

The lady was right. I was lucky. After all the pushing, she was here with me.
Hearing her call Maria my wife didn’t make me want to correct her. I watched them as the song

ended and they began walking in our direction. They were laughing, and it sent my heart into
overdrive.

“What home is he in?” I asked the lady before Maria and Mikey reached us.
“Joseph’s in Statesboro,” she replied, just before they reached our tables.
I stood back and took in the excitement on the boy’s face as he tried to show us what Maria had

taught him.

***

Maria and I never really got the chance to dance at the honky tonk, so when we got back to my

house, I made sure we got our dance.

Turning on a slow song, I slowly walked toward her and pulled her into my arms. Our bodies

began to slowly sway together.

Making love to Maria was something that was continuously running through my mind. I wanted to

take my time with her, something I had yet to do. With us, it had always been rushed.

Our next time together, I would show her what it felt like to be treasured.
Because of her recent procedure after the miscarriage, we needed to refrain for just a little longer.

So holding one another close would have to satisfy our hunger for each other just a little longer.

Chapter Sixteen

Watching Maria walk out of my room wearing one of my t-shirts was one of the sexiest sights.

Here she was—this cute little thing, long dark hair going in all different directions, sleepy-eyed and
beautiful.

“Good morning,” she yawned. Taking a seat on the bar stool, she blinked up at me and my knees

felt instantly weak.

Something changed last night. Watching her perform such a selfless act for a young boy she didn’t

even know made my feelings for her stronger.

She had no idea that Mikey had suffered such a loss. Hell, she still didn’t know about me. I hadn’t

told her about my life before Brooklet—well, besides the small bit regarding Nicole.

I scooped the scrambled eggs from the pan and placed them on the plate next to the bacon I had

already finished. Taking a seat next to her, I leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on the side of her
mouth.

“Eat up, baby, we’ve got some things to discuss.” I urged her on, as I lifted my fork to my mouth.
She sat next to me, staring back with a panicked look on her face. “Is something wrong?” She

looked freaked out and pretty damn adorable at the same time.

I couldn’t hold back the chuckle that rolled through me. She lightly slapped my arm and pushed me

gently. “Stop laughing, you’re making me nervous. What happened, and why do we need to talk about
it?” She was beginning to have a little breakdown and all I could do was chuckle. “Damn it, Gavin.
Stop laughing. You’re freaking me out.”

I reached out and grabbed her cheeks in my hands. “Stop with the little breakdown. I just want to

tell you about my childhood, things I know you don’t expect and then a couple of other things I wanna
run by ya.” I leaned in to give her a quick kiss before pulling back. “Now eat your breakfast.”

Turning back around to finish my breakfast, I watched her from the corner of my eye. It took her a

few minutes, but she eventually began to eat.

***

“Okay, so is this the part where you tell me you used to be a girl?” She looked at me from the

couch as I took a seat beside her. “Because I won’t believe you. No one would ever believe that.”

I chuckled and gripped her waist, pulling her over onto my lap. “Have I told you lately how crazy I

think you are? Where the hell do you come up with this shit?” I continued to laugh while she reached
out and attempted to twist my nipple. I grabbed her wrist and quickly raised her hand to my lips,

kissing her palm. She calmed almost instantly.

“I love when you do that. I don’t know why, but I do,” she whispered.
I winked at her and brushed my thumb over her wrist lightly, as I continued.
“Now if you’re done acting all crazy, I need to tell you some things.” Raising an eyebrow in

question, I waited for her to agree.

“I wanna ask you to come back to Savannah with me Friday and stay the weekend. We’ll stay at

my father’s place.” The smile that pulled at her lips almost made me laugh. I gripped her thigh and
pulled her in just a little tighter. “It may be a bad idea, but I want you with me.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and waited silently for me to continue.
“The chance of running into Nicole is pretty high. In fact, once she gets wind that I have another

woman with me, I’m positive it will pique her curiosity. I just need to know that you’ll be okay with
the chance.”

She nodded her head lightly. “As long as you’re okay with it. I’m not intimidated by her, if that’s

what you’re asking.”

“I want you to meet the man who raised me.” I didn’t take my eyes from hers as it sank in.
“The man?” she paused. “Not your parents?” she asked.
I shook my head. “That’s the other thing I wanted to tell you. I was the result of a teenage

pregnancy. My mother gave me up after the delivery.”

Maria raised her hand to rest it on my chest, and I placed mine over hers. “I was adopted when I

was one by two of the greatest people I have ever known, Kathleen and Wayne Tennison. They were
older, but that didn’t stop them from taking in an infant.”

I swallowed hard and looked down at her lap. “Kathy died when I was eleven. After that it was

always me and Wayne. I looked for my real mom for a short time, but then I realized I had all the love
I needed from those two. If at some point in time my real mother contacts me, I would agree to meet
her. But I was blessed to have what I had, so there wasn’t a reason to go looking for more.”

“Last night, do you have any idea what you did for that little boy at the restaurant?” She smiled and

bit her lower lip. “You took a heartbroken boy, who had recently lost both of his parents, and brought
joy back to his life, even if it was just for a short time. He now has a happy memory to help him
through his dark days.”

“What?” she gasped. “He lost his parents?” she asked, holding her hand to her chest.
“Yeah, that woman was his old babysitter. He lives in a boys’ home.” Tears fell from her eyes and

I wiped them away.

“But what I did wasn’t enough. We need to do more,” she insisted with determination in her eyes.

“But how do we? We should have asked, Gavin. We should have asked her how we could do more.”

I slipped my hand around the back of her neck and pulled her close, feathering a kiss across her

lips. “I did ask, baby. I know where he lives. I’ve already planned on finding a way to be a part of his
life, even if it’s just in a small way. You saying that you want that too just goes to show what I
already knew.”

She tilted her head, her eyes still reddened from her recent tears. “What’s that?”
“You’re really making it hard for me not to fall further.” I watched as her eyes once again

glistened. “You just got this way about ya. I’m not sure how the hell I fought it this long.” I wasn’t
ready to say the words. The next time I did, it would be forever. The next time I confessed my love, it
had to be forever.

“You better hurry up and catch up, Mr. Tennison. I fell a long time ago. It’s been kinda lonely

without you by my side.” She blinked back her tears, and her confession made my chest tighten.

Chapter Seventeen

My phone rang just as we drove past the sign saying Savannah. I hit the button, and the voice that

filled the car made my head hurt.

“Where are you? I don’t have all day to wait on you. I have a child who is tired and hungry.

You’re late.” Nicole’s bitching had me gripping the steering wheel and grinding my teeth.

“No, actually, I’m early. I have 32 minutes to be exact. So you’ll see me in 32 minutes. Go feed

your daughter.” I hit end just as Nicole started to argue.

Looking back, I had to admit she had always been demanding and high maintenance. But love is

blind and I just took it, without thinking twice. Each day I spend with Maria, I realize more and more
that Nicole and I were completely wrong for one another.

Maria’s sweet voice filled the silence. “Well, she’s pleasant.”
I chuckled at the sarcasm dripping from her comment. “Yeah, if you find a root canal pleasant, then

she’s a gem.” I winked and grabbed for her hand, holding it securely in mine and resting it on my
upper thigh.

The moment we pulled up in front of the place I had grown up in, the sense of home set in. This

place held a lot of great memories for me. I was ready to share some of this place with the girl I had
almost broken. I wanted to let her into my world, my life.

“You ready to meet my best friend?” I smiled, and she returned an excited smile, nodding her head

as we both crawled out of the truck.

Wayne is my best friend, the man who taught me everything. He was the one person who always

stood by my side. Never passing judgment, he always understood and supported me.

I had taken only two steps toward the house before the back door came open. A big ole’ grizzly of

a man filled the doorway and warmed my heart instantly.

“Damn, boy, you said she was pretty, but you sure didn’t do this girl justice,” Wayne said.
All I could do was shake my head and laugh. “I’m pretty sure what I said was, ‘She is so beautiful

she makes my knees weak,’” I clarified and looked over to find Maria with reddened cheeks. She
turned, looking back at Wayne just as he reached out and took her in his arms.

I watched as he held her close and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh. Her eyes

met mine and she smiled. Something in that moment made me realize just how genuine she was.

Maria has one of the kindest hearts, and she deserves to be happy. Standing back and watching her

interact with one of the most important people in my life was enough to make a grown man feel weak.

“How do you feel about entertaining this old man while I go get this mess finalized and out of my

life?” I asked Maria.

Wayne wrapped his arm around Maria and pulled her toward the house, hollering back at me as he

dragged her along. “Oh, son, she’ll be just fine. I have a whole mess of photo albums filled with all
your embarrassing, awkward moments.” He chuckled, and I hung my head with the thought. “We’ll
grab us a good ole’ cuppa sweet tea and sit out on the porch. I’ll give this girl plenty of ammo to use
against ya.”

Maria looked back, shrugging her shoulders and smiling. She was loving this.

I could only imagine the torture of her comebacks after a few hours with my pop.

Turning back to the truck, I climbed up in it and dreaded seeing Nicole.
After today, I would never be forced to be in the same room with her again. I could let go of my

past and all the bullshit that had been dragging me down over the last year and a half.

I could finally face the fact that I was in love with an amazing girl. A girl that deep down I knew

could make me happier than I had ever been before.

Chapter Eighteen

Walking into the conference room and seeing the glare on Nicole’s face almost made me laugh.

Did she think that shit could still work on me?

My lawyer had arranged for us to meet at his office. So I took a seat next to Trevor, my lawyer and

longtime friend.

“Glad to see you made it safe. Did you bring your friend?” he asked quietly enough that I thought

only I would be able to hear. I smiled, nodding my head, and looked up to find Nicole with a sour
look on her face.

“Your friend, huh? Well, you sure moved right along, didn’t you?” she spat with venom.
“At least I waited until the divorce was filed. I could have been like you and slept with one of

your friends.” Tilting my head to the side, I waited for her to make another comment.

“Okay, let’s get this moving along. There’s no need to drag it out any further,” Trevor stated, and I

couldn’t have agreed more. This damn thing had gone on way too long as it was. The sooner my
signature is on that paper, the sooner I can move along with Maria.

“The house is closing next week, and those proceeds will be split between the two of you, once all

fees and commissions are paid.” Trevor began reading through the final agreement.

“As for the joint bank accounts, they have all been unfrozen and closed. I have two checks, one

payable to each of you for equal amounts.” I could feel Nicole’s glare, but I refused to give her any
satisfaction. I watched Trevor as he went over everything from our life together.

“Gavin has agreed that any contents, as far as furniture and so on, go to Nicole. As for his truck

and her Equinox, they are both paid for and the titles have been changed to individual from joint
ownership.”

Nicole jumped in. “Well, what about the boat?”
I laughed before I could stop it. “That so-called boat is titled to Wayne Tennison; therefore you

have no entitlement to it. It is back with its rightful owner.”

“He gave that to you,” she stated.
I held her gaze and refused to back down. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Borrowing

and giving are two completely different things.”

Wayne did give me his boat, but he had yet to change the title. I was grateful right then for his lack

of following through. He had a wandering mind at times and tended to put things off, and this time I
was so happy he had forgotten to change the title on the boat.

Watching Nicole consult her attorney and hearing him agree with me made another laugh rumble in

my chest. This time I held it back, but damn I was throwing one hell of an eat that shit party on the
inside.

The moment the papers were slid before me, I felt like a huge weight was about to be lifted. After

signing my name, I held the pen out to Nicole and offered the smile I knew she would recognize. It
was my go fuck yourself smile, aimed right for the woman who I was more than happy to walk away
from.

She scribbled her name quickly, looking up at me with tear-filled eyes. There was no way I was

falling for that. I didn’t feel one bit sorry for her.

I stood up, shaking Trevor’s hand and nodding toward her attorney, just before I turned and walked

out.

I could hear her movement from behind as she scurried after me. “Gavin, wait, please.”
I stopped just outside on the sidewalk in front of the office and turned around to face her. “What?”
“I know I hurt you. I’m sorry. I’m a terrible person. You were always so good to me and I betrayed

you. I just wish we could have worked it all out, had another shot. I love you, I never stopped.”

I laughed. I stood right there before her and laughed. “You really are a piece of work, you know

that? But, um, thanks for the life lessons. Take care of that baby, Nicole.”

Just as I was about to climb up into my truck, she spoke again. “We were good together once.”
I shook my head and let out a deep aggravated breath. “We were never good together. We were

toxic. It was hell from the beginning, and you know it. Let’s stop lying to ourselves, Nicole. It’s time
to move on.”

“Like you have?” she whispered.
I didn’t turn to face her, as an image of Maria flashed in my mind. I grinned at the thought of her

back at my pop’s house, sitting on the porch and laughing at the pictures of my adolescent stages.

“Yeah, Nicole, just like I have.” I jumped up in my truck and offered her a friendly smile before I

drove away, leaving it all behind.

***

Hearing her laughter spilling from the porch was a beautiful sound. I stood at a distance watching

the two of them pass a set of binoculars back and forth and looked off in the same direction,
wondering what the hell they found so funny. There was only one neighbor within a couple of miles.

“Oh my, he’s going again. This time he’s wearing his football helmet.” She paused, laughter

spilling from her once more before she continued. “He has on a pair of bright yellow socks, pulled up
to his knees.”

She passed the binoculars to my pop, continuing to laugh and holding on to her stomach. “You’ve

got to see this.”

I took a step up onto the porch, causing the board to creak under my shoe. They both turned,

looking as if they had been caught doing something they shouldn’t.

Maria did everything she could to hold back her laughter, while biting down hard on her lower lip.
Raising my eyebrows at them, I waited for an explanation.
Pop and Maria looked back and forth at one another, before looking back to meet my questioning

gaze.

She was the first to speak. “Um, we uh…” She paused, and Pop began to chuckle at her obvious

avoidance.

“She started it.” Pop pointed at her and she gasped at his comment, her mouth hanging open in

surprise. Pop was like a kid at heart, and he was pinning the entire thing on my girl.

“It was an accident. I didn’t set out to seek your crazy neighbor. I honestly just intended to look out

over the land. The shirtless, barrel-riding fool…well, I stumbled upon him by accident.” She tried to
explain, but the only part I caught was shirtless and man.

I walked over to them and grabbed for the binoculars. Looking in the direction of the neighbor’s

house, I tried to figure out what the hell they found so damn entertaining.

At first, nothing appeared out of the ordinary, until he stepped into view. I was momentarily

dumbfounded.

There stood a man with a beer gut. He was shirtless and wore a football helmet, mouthpiece and

all. He had on basketball shorts and socks pulled up to his knees—oh, and a pair of tennis shoes.

I watched as he approached a barrel tilted on its side. Observing it closely, I found that it was

placed upon some sort of springs. At each corner, a bungee cord was hooked and ran out to some
hooks that were in the concrete pad it all sat on.

I heard Maria giggle, but I couldn’t look away. I had to see what this fool was about to do. I now

understood their need to watch.

He slowly climbed up onto the barrel, one leg draped over each side. Hooking his hand around a

rope anchored to the front, he bounced a few times—why, I don’t know.

Then all at once, he began kicking his legs as if riding a mechanical bull.
A deep chuckle escaped me, while I watched him bounce around, throwing his arm up in the air.

“What the hell,” I said as I continued to watch in amusement.

“Keep watching, it only gets better.” Maria’s sweet, amused voiced whispered just to the right of

me.

Suddenly the man swung his leg over the side and jumped off the barrel. He began kicking his foot

in the dirt, punching at the air. He appeared to be pissed off about something. I watched as the grown
man threw a fit. He began kicking the makeshift bull, barrel, whatever the hell you want to call it. It
was the funniest damn thing I had seen in a long time.

Looking over at Pop and Maria, I saw they were both laughing so hard they had tears in their eyes.

I stood there, holding my side and laughing along with them.

“How long has he been at that?’ I asked.
Between bursts of laughter, Maria tried to answer my question. “For at least…” She hunched over.

“An hour, maybe a little more.” She took a deep breath, trying to contain her laughter. “He just now
put on the helmet.” She laughed once more.

“Yeah, things must have been getting out of hand with that mean bull of his. Looks like he was

scared it was gonna buck him off.” Pop tried to keep a straight face, but it was useless.

I watched the two of them carry on about the crazy neighbor and his skills. It was a heartwarming

sight.

In just the hour and half I had been gone, they had become like two souls who had always known

one another. He never once had accepted Nicole that way, but then again, Nicole always acted as if
she were better than him.

Pop looked up at me, catching me staring at Maria, while she laughed and looked through the

binoculars once more.

He winked and shook his head yes. I knew exactly what that meant. He was telling me what I

already knew: she was meant for me.

Chapter Nineteen

I walked up behind her and slipped my hands around her waist. Bending my head forward, I kissed

her just behind her ear and held her close, enjoying her warmth.

Without even thinking, I rested my hands over her stomach. Within seconds, her body lightly shook

against mine and she hung her head.

I carefully turned her in my arms and tilted her chin up. I knew what she was thinking, because the

same thoughts rolled through my mind with the touch. Memories of what we had lost overtook me.

“I wasn’t thinking,” I explained. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. I was just overwhelmed for a moment. It’ll get easier, right?” she whispered.
I nodded my head. “It will one day, for the both of us.” I assured her, before pulling her in close.
We stood there in the kitchen, wrapped in one another’s arms—with the loss of our baby still raw

in our hearts. She may not have been very far along, but it was still a child we had created together. A
child who we both should have had the chance to love.

***

We sat down at the table, surrounded by a meal she had spent so much time creating. She spoiled

the both of us. She woke up early on a Saturday morning to bake and plan.

Pop was in heaven. I was sure it had been years since he had eaten a meal this well-prepared.
I watched in awe as Maria laughed and smiled at Pop. It sure didn’t appear as if they had just met

the day before. You would think they had known each other for years.

I hadn’t realized I was staring until I heard Pop clap his hands loudly. “Snap out of it, boy. I think

you got a little drool on your chin.”

Maria blushed and he chuckled, taking a big bite of his homemade noodles.
I was pretty sure he moaned in pleasure from the taste. “Damn, that is good,” he declared. “Damn

good, girl. I may keep you.”

“Not a chance, old man. Get your own,” I stated, causing Pop to chuckle even more.
The relaxed feeling that filled the room was something I hadn’t felt in a long time. I had lived the

last year with nothing but reservations about everything I did. It felt great to finally let go and enjoy
the moment.

When dinner was finished, I helped Maria clean up. We both convinced Pop to go relax in his

favorite recliner. Something about the domestic actions we were performing side by side made me
smile.

Putting away the last dish, I held my hand out to her, signaling for her to place hers in mine. She

smiled up at me and I pulled her near. “Let’s go for a walk. I wanna show you something.”

I led her out the back door toward the barn just at the side of the house. I stopped to grab two

flashlights, passing one to her. “You’ll need this.” I winked and smiled at the skeptical look on her
face. Whenever she gave me that look, it made my stomach flip. It was the cutest expression.

I pulled her along to a small path at the side of the barn that led to a clearing just beyond the trees.

I pointed toward the wooden swing in the center, and she smiled up at me.

“It’s been here for as long as I can remember.” Holding her hand and helping her up onto its small

platform, I waited for her to take a seat. Climbing up beside her, I pulled her in close to my side.

“I remember little things from my younger years. I was so little, but Wayne used to bring Kathy and

me out here. We would sit for hours looking at the stars. On cloudy days, Momma K would lay a
blanket out, and we would try to create images in the sky made up of clouds.” I paused, looking up at
the stars and thinking back.

“The two of them were so in love. They were amazing together.” I flipped on my flashlight and

pointed its beam toward the treehouse. “That thing is falling apart, but do you believe we used to
camp out inside of it? Those nights hold some of my best memories. They were like two big kids, but
they were the greatest parents.”

She was silent, allowing me to talk and reminisce. We swung gently as I held her close. The night

was clear and quiet. We sat in silence, continuing to rock.

“K, she would’ve taken a broom to my ass, if she were still alive. There is no way she would have

allowed me to treat you the way I did,” I whispered.

She turned in my arms and placed her hand on my cheek. “You didn’t do it on your own. You were

honest with me from the beginning.” Maria traced my lower lip with her fingertip. “I was just dumb
enough to believe I could walk away and not want more from you. That’s on me, not you.”

I shook my head, wrapping my arm around her waist, I lifted her onto my lap. “It’s not all on you. I

should have waited until I was ready for you. I was ignorant to believe a girl like you didn’t need
more than one night. You deserve so much more than what I was willing to give at the time. I should
have waited.”

I firmly grabbed on to the back of her neck and pulled her closer. Our lips were just inches part. “I

just hope that we can overcome the mistakes we’ve made. I wanna make a new start with you.” I
kissed her, softly resting my forehead against hers. “I need to show you that I’m not the man I let
myself become. You’re worth so much more than what I’ve given you.”

“I like the sound of your plan.” She smiled. Leaning toward me, she once again placed her lips

against mine.

We would start here, now. Our pasts would teach us what not to repeat. We both deserved better

than the last year.

Chapter Twenty

Maria and I sat beneath the stars for over an hour. Holding her in my arms, I promised that this

time things would be right. I would no longer hold back. I would no longer delay the happiness we
had both deserved.

I led her back to the house, finding that it was dark. Pop had already gone to bed, so we quietly

climbed the stairs. Placing my hands onto her hips from behind, I guided her to the bathroom.

When I closed the door behind us, she turned and looked up at me. “Is this okay?” I asked.
She nodded, while watching me lift my shirt up and over my head. Her eyes followed my

movements, until it dropped to the floor beside me. Reaching around her, I flipped the handle and
turned the shower on.

She stood in the tiny bathroom staring at me, as if she didn’t know what to do next.
“I can wait until you’re done. I understand if you need to be alone.” She placed her finger on my

lips to quiet me.

She smiled. “No, this is fine, really,” she assured me just before lifting her own shirt and dropping

it beside mine.

Once we were undressed, we stepped into the small shower that really was barely big enough for

both of us. I am sure it was not built for two, but I wanted to be close to her.

I stepped toward her and she stepped back into the stream of water, tipping her head backward. I

watched in awe as she wet her hair before adding the shampoo.

Her hands began to lightly massage her scalp, while her eyes shut from the sensation. It had to be

one of the sexiest things I had ever seen.

I stepped closer, bringing my chest against hers and feeling her breasts press against me. Lifting

my hands to meet hers, I began washing her hair, as her hands dropped away to rest on my shoulders.

The water slowly trailed down between us, washing away the shampoo. At that moment, I had

never felt more connected than I did with her.

I lowered my lips to hers and took her mouth in a heated kiss. I had no doubt that she could feel

what this was doing to me. I wanted her so badly. I was always trying to control my raging hormones
when we were close. I wasn’t sure her body was ready for what I desperately needed.

Her whimpering was only making me harder. I tried to step back, but she gripped my shoulders

and held me close. With her tongue sliding over my lip, I firmly grabbed her hips and pressed my
growing erection against her stomach while lightly biting on her hip.

“We should stop,” I whispered against her lips. “You’re making it really hard for me to control

myself,” I stated.

“Then don’t control yourself. Let go. Stop thinking about it so much.” Maria continued to kiss

along my jawline. She was making it difficult to focus, as her hands slipped down over my chest and
across my stomach. Just as I was about to say something, she gripped my hardness in her hands. My
words were lost at her touch.

“I want you, Gavin. I need you,” she whispered.

***

After quickly finishing our shower and toweling off, I followed her out toward the bedroom.
Backing her up against the bed, I lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. “Are you sure you’re

ready for this?”

“Yes,” she murmured. She was looking at me with eyes full of desire.
Knowing what her body had been through recently, I was more than worried that I would hurt her.
“Slow,” I whispered. “We go slowly, okay?” She nodded her head in agreement. Brushing her hair

back from her face, I leaned forward and left a trail of kisses along her neck. “If at any time anything
feels uncomfortable, you have to stop me.” She once again nodded her head. “Promise me, baby.”

“Yes,” she whimpered. “I promise.”
She crawled up the bed backwards, never once taking her eyes from mine. I stood for a moment

admiring her. She was beautiful, and I was a lucky man to have her here, with me.

“What are you waiting for, handsome?” she asked with a smile on her face. “I’m feeling lonely in

this big ole’ bed.”

Her playful attitude was a breath of fresh air. She had an amazing outlook for someone who had

such a hard run in the past.

“Just admiring the beautiful woman in my bed, that’s all,” I assured her.
“Well, will you admire me from up here?” she asked.
I chuckled. I was a fool. I was also done for—falling was no longer a problem. I was gone, and I

had never been happier than I was in that moment with her.

Crawling over her body, I kissed my way to her mouth, slowly appreciating every inch of her

perfect body and every curve.

“You’re so beautiful. Everything about you is beautiful,” I whispered between kisses.
She parted her legs, welcoming me to settle between her thighs. My hardness rested against her

warm center. It took everything I had not to pull back just enough to enter her warmth.

Before I let my body respond to the desire that was swarming my mind, I reached for my wallet. I

took a condom from the sleeve and tore at the edge with my teeth.

The anticipation of my next move was weighing so heavily on my mind. From the look in her eyes,

she was feeling it too.

After rolling on the condom, I rose up just enough to position myself above her. I nudged her gently

and she squeezed my shoulders tightly. My eyes connecting with hers once more, I kissed her softly.
“Remember your promise,” I stated firmly, reminding her that we could stop at any time.

She nodded her head and I began to sink into her depth. A deep groan escaped me, and I squeezed

my eyes together tightly.

A giggle filtered through the silence of the room, and my eyes shot open. I raised an eyebrow in

question, and she bit down on her lip to hold back her amusement.

“That isn’t really the reaction a guy looks for when he’s making love to his girl,” I explained.
“You just looked like you were in pain. I’m sorry,” she reassured me. Wrapping her legs around

my waist, she nudged me on.

I began to withdraw slowly, followed by another slow thrust. I continued this pace, moving within

her and watching her closely for any sign of discomfort. She continued to encourage me on with her
sweet moans and whispers of yes, Gavin.

When I felt her body began to tense around me, I knew I was close behind. Her head was thrown

back and she whispered my name as she came.

At that moment I let go, burying my face in her neck. “So good,” I whispered.

***

We spent Sunday morning with Pop. He made his famous sausage gravy and a huge pile of

homemade biscuits. It was one of Momma K’s recipes.

I stood in the doorway while he taught Maria the secret he hadn’t even shared with me.
“Now just a small pinch, that’s all ya need,” he told her.
He watched as she placed each item into the mixing bowl. It was one of those moments I wish I

could freeze and replay forever. Pop, in just a couple of days, had been captured by Maria. You could
see the adoration in his eyes as she smiled and laughed.

I loved seeing them together, and I vowed I would bring her back here often.
We stopped in town to get gas before heading back to Brooklet. Just as I was exiting the gas

station, I saw a familiar head of blonde hair. Nicole stood at the side of my truck, talking to Maria.

My heart began to thump within my chest so damn hard. My feet moved with force as I quickly

approached.

I imagined a catfight or some sort of jealousy game. What I never imagined was hearing Maria’s

laughter.

I stopped just at the back of the truck, listening closely.
“I can tell you make him happy, though. I could see it in his eyes. I’m not gonna lie and say it don’t

hurt knowing that he’s moved on and found someone else. It hurts, but he’s right; we weren’t that good
for each other. I just hope he finds the forever kinda happiness with you. He is a really great guy, but
I’m sure you know that already. He has an amazing heart.” Nicole’s kind words shocked me slightly.
Maybe motherhood was changing her, after all.

I stepped around the back of the truck, and her gaze immediately connected with mine. “Hi,” she

said.

“Hey.” I returned the smile and looked at Maria. She was watching my reaction closely.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

Nicole looked back over at Maria and smiled. “Yeah, it’s all good. I just recognized your truck

and stopped to wish you both the best.”

I continued to observe the two of them. It really wasn’t a comfortable feeling having Nicole this

close to Maria. Even though my girl looked unaffected, I knew that Nicole was just taking the
opportunity to size her up. My ex-wife, and I say ‘ex’ with great enjoyment, always has a hidden
agenda.

Pulling away and seeing Nicole waving in my rearview mirror while Maria looked out through the

windshield was an odd turn of events.

I was leaving behind my past, only to move forward with my future.

Chapter Twenty-One

We returned from Savannah a week ago. The relationship between Maria and me had hit a very

comfortable level. The tainted past we had shared had now become something we have grown from.
We actually treasure the moments we have together; they mean so much more to the both of us.

Today I had my first meeting with the boys’ home, where Mikey is currently living. I had called at

the beginning of the week, hoping to get in sooner, but it didn’t go as planned.

It was amazing the number of things you had to provide when attempting to become a mentor for a

child, who was currently a ward of the state. I didn’t let it stop me, I willingly offered every bit of
information they needed. When the background checks came through clean, along with everything
else, I got approval.

I pulled my truck into the parking lot of the brick building, which looked nothing like a real home.

Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the glove and baseball from the passenger seat. I had stopped by the
sporting goods store on the way to pick them up, hoping Mikey would like playing catch. It was
something that Pop and I shared as I grew up, and I wanted to share that with the little boy who
reminded me so much of myself.

Pausing at the front door just before pulling it open, I took in a deep breath.
The lobby was stale and plain—very unwelcoming and slightly depressing.
“Can I help you, sir?” a raspy voice asked from my left. Looking over, I found a gray-haired

woman with cat-framed eyeglasses. She glared at me as if I had just interrupted her most favorite
soap opera.

“Yes, actually you can, I’m here to meet with Sadie Easton. I’m a few minutes early.” The woman

looked down at the items I held in my hand, never once offering a smile or friendly welcome.

She walked over to the desk and hit a button on her phone. The soft voice of a woman filled the

silence. “Yes.”

“You have someone here to see you,” the cranky old lady answered firmly.
“Be nice to him, Elle; he is here to see Mikey. I’ll be right out.” The kind woman assured her, and

then the silence once again set in.

The woman gestured toward the waiting area, and I took a seat without meeting her stare.
I wasn’t sure how long I had waited, but when the familiar sound of heels clicking filled the room,

I let out a sigh of relief. Help was on the way, and I would be free of the cranky woman with the scary
glare.

“Mr. Tennison?” a much sweeter voice questioned. I looked up and found a tall, slender woman

with long dark hair. She was smiling at me in a welcoming manner, and I was instantly captured by
her almost aqua-colored eyes.

“Yes, I’m Gavin.” I stood from the chair and held my hand out to hers. She shook it gently.
“If you’ll follow me, I have just a few forms that need your signature. After that, I will take you

back to spend some time with Mikey.” She led me from the room, and I chanced a glance back at Elle,
who was still skeptically watching me.

“You’ll have to excuse Elle; she actually retired a month and a half ago. We recently hired another

girl for the front desk, but she walked out at the beginning of the week without notice. Needless to
say, Elle wasn’t happy that I begged her to fill in for the next couple of weeks.” I followed her back
to a small office, where I took a seat at the table.

“She wasn’t too bad,” I lied.
“Yeah, and you’re not a very good liar.” Sadie smiled as she pulled a file from her desk drawer.
We spent the next ten minutes going over the rules of the boys’ home. I was not allowed to take

Mikey off of the grounds. I was also told that no pictures of any kind were allowed.

When she led me in to what looked like a generic version of an entertainment room, my heart sank.

I couldn’t imagine having to grow up in a home of this sort, without the love of a mother or a father.
There were rooms off to the sides of the main room, and taking the time to look inside them, I found
bunk beds lining the walls. It looked as if four or maybe six boys shared each room. My heart once
again ached at the thought of it all.

The main room was filled with tables that held board games. The shelves held books and other

sources of entertainment. A large television sat in the corner of the room, playing an animated movie.
A group of younger kids all piled around it, watching it closely. Another television on the opposite
side of the room had some sort of video games playing on it, which the bigger kids watched.

Sadie stopped abruptly and I ran into the back of her, steadying myself by grabbing her arm. “I’m

so sorry,” I said, and she smiled back at me.

“No problem,” she replied, and the tone of her voice was a little too seductive. I forced a firm

smile and nodded my head.

She turned back to face a table of boys, and in the center, I found the sad little boy I had seen just

over two weeks ago.

“Mikey, you have a visitor.” Sadie spoke to him, but I couldn’t remove my eyes from his. “Do you

remember me mentioning a visitor coming to see you yesterday?” she asked and he nodded. “Gavin
came to spend some time with you. Would you like that?” He once again nodded before standing from
the table.

I held up the glove and baseball. “Wanna play catch?” I asked and, if I wasn’t mistaken, a trace of

a small smile touched his lips. He nodded his head, and I followed him to an exit sign across the
room, above a door.

I looked back at Sadie for reassurance, who nodded her head in agreement.
The doorway led out to a courtyard area in the center of the surrounding building. It held two

basketball hoops and a small playground. Running along the side of the basketball court was a long
grassy area.

Mikey stopped just before he reached the grass and turned slightly. Looking back over his

shoulder. “Where is Maria?” he asked.

The fact that he remembered her name made me smile. She had such an impact on him that night

that her name was still very much a part of his thoughts. It made me fall in love with her just a little
more, knowing that she is such a selfless person. I think she still didn’t understand just what she had
done for Mikey with such a small gesture.

“She didn’t come this time. Would you like it if I brought her with me some time?” I asked. “I

could work it out with Miss Easton.”

“Yes,” he smiled and then looked away. “I mean if she wants to, then sure.” He shrugged his

shoulders and his gaze fell to the ground. His sadness pulled at something so deep inside me. I wanted
right then to tell him that he would never be alone again—that no matter what, from this day forward,
I would in some way always be a part of his life.

I didn’t wanna freak the kid out, though. The problem was that I felt so unbelievably connected to

him in some way.

It was like Maria always says. We cross paths with those who are meant to help us in some way. I

honestly believe that Mikey is meant to be in my life in some form.

It was the ripple effect. Because I met Maria and took her out dancing, I met Mikey.
I spent the afternoon with him, playing ball and talking. He shared very little about himself, but I

never let it stop me. I told him how I was raised by two very kind people. I shared stories with him,
even the most embarrassing ones, about when I was growing up. It felt good to make him smile and
laugh, even if it was at my own expense.

For just a short time, I was allowed to see the carefree boy within him—the one who was

saddened by the loss of his parents. I vowed to myself that, no matter what happened and no matter
where life led me, I would continue to remain in his life.

Saying goodbye was hard. It was as if I could see him crawl back within himself, closing off. It

broke my heart. I just wanted to grab him up in my arms and take him away from this place.

Once I was back outside in my truck, I stared at the building before me. I tried to imagine him

happy, maybe playing a game with another boy.

The only thing I kept envisioning was that look on his face as I said goodbye. It was as if he

thought he would never see me again. He stared back at me with a look of blankness on his face.

My feet felt like lead as I walked away and told myself not to turn around. I knew if I looked and

saw the sadness, I would cave.

The weight of his heartache lay heavy on my chest. I wanted to save him from this place. I wanted

to show him that it was okay to laugh and smile. I’m sure his parents would have wanted that for him.

There was such a happy child buried deep within him, and I wanted nothing more than to give him

hope.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Are you gonna meet me here or just leave me hanging?” Maria asked through the other end of the

phone.

It was the Fourth of July and time for the yearly cookout. From sounds in the background, it was

going strong. She had been there since early this morning.

Maria and Kori were on the committee that always set up the event. I could do without all the

people at the moment. I was a little down in the dumps today. The only thing I kept thinking about was
Mikey. I had tried to get approval to bring him out for the day, but I was denied. I wanted more than
anything for him to spend the day with Maria and me, with our friends and those we care about.

It was real hard for me to enjoy my day, knowing that he was saddened and feeling so alone. He

told me last week he felt like he is in jail, like he is being punished for the loss of his parents. He
hated not having his own room with his own things. It broke my heart all over again, each time I saw
that familiar look in his eyes.

“Gavin? Are you even listening to me?” Maria asked, and I was pulled back to the present.
“Damn darlin’, I’m sorry. What did you say?” I replied apologetically.
“I said that Mikey is here. From what it looks like, so is every other kid from the children’s

home.” The moment she said it, I was scrambling for my keys and bouncing around, attempting to put
my boots on.

“I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes,” I assured her and could hear her laughter.
“Oh, I see how it is. I can’t get ya here, but Mikey can.” She tried to come across as if she was

offended, but I knew different. Maria already understood my attachment to Mikey.

My intention was just to be a friend to a boy who looked like he could use one. I never intended to

fall in love with the little guy, but it was something that couldn’t be controlled.

“Hurry up, handsome. I need someone to fight off these hungry cowboys.” She giggled.
“Yeah, I hear ya. You just make sure they all know you’re not on the menu.” I smiled, imagining

the satisfied look on her face that my possessiveness seems to trigger.

***

The drive there seemed to take longer than normal, but I knew it was only from my excitement.

Mikey brought out the best of me, and knowing that I was gonna see him today changed my mood
instantly.

I found Maria and Kori, who were both wearing aprons and serving food. I noticed a few hungry-

eyed men admiring them both. I stood at a distance, observing.

A hand firmly planted on my shoulder surprised me. “You finally get your head out of your ass?

Looks like you figured out you had a good thing all along.” Reed chuckled and I smiled in return.

His eyes wandered over to Kori, full of love. He didn’t try even slightly to hide the fact that she

had him wrapped around her pinky.

“Maria, she is an amazing girl. She deserves to be loved. I hope you can offer that. She has had too

much heartache already.” Reed continued to look at the girls, and I thought over his words.

“I love her, she just don’t know that yet,” I stated. “I know that I am responsible for a lot of the

heartache she has had over the last year. That don’t sit well with me, it eats at me daily.” He looked
over at me, and I did everything I could to make him understand that I meant the next statement with
all my heart.

“I plan on making up for all the things I put her through. One day, I’ll give her everything she has

ever wanted, all she has ever wished for. That I can guarantee,” I stated.

Reed stared at me for a few silent moments, then he nodded his head.
I pushed off the wall and walked over to my girl. Rounding the edge of the table, I slipped up

behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. She giggled when I nuzzled her neck.

“Hey there, handsome. Glad you finally showed up,” she sighed.
Tilting her head back to look up at me, I kissed her lips. I lingered for a few seconds, before going

back for more. “You look real sexy in this apron, “I told her, pulling on the lower edge.

She laughed and Kori stood at her side, observing our actions. She looked back at me, pleased.
“Maybe I’ll wear it for you later,” she winked. “Only the apron.”
I shook my head and groaned before stepping back. It was not the time or place to get excited.

Imagining her with just that apron on was a bad idea.

I excused myself and told her I was going to try to find Mikey.
After about ten minutes, I found all the kids over by the baseball diamond. They had what looked

like a scrimmage game going on.

I took a seat on the bench to the left of the field and watched at a distance. I noticed the staff was a

good mixture of men and women, a lot of whom I recognized.

Mikey was playing second base, but he looked completely lost. He showed very little interest in

the actual game. He looked lonely.

“He does so much better when you’re around.”
I spun around to find Sadie standing a few feet behind me. She looked different out of the office. In

fact, I don’t think the shorts she wore were appropriate for a family-oriented affair.

I looked back to the field and watched the game. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched her take a

seat next to me. She was a little too close and I slid to the side, trying to make it appear casual.

“Mikey really looks forward to spending time with you. It’s one of the very few times he actually

smiles.” She turned to face me, propping one leg up onto the bench between us. This action made her
legs part and me feel even more uncomfortable. “What you’re doing with him is really amazing.”

Sadie placed her hand on my arm. “Not many men would take time out of their day to spend it with

an orphan.”

Her closeness just continued to bother me. I didn’t want to offend her; after all, Sadie is my in with

Mikey. The last thing I want is for something to keep me from seeing him.

I looked up at her and smiled. “He and I have more in common than you know. I care about him,

more than I expected to.” She smiled back at me, her hand still resting on my arm. “Is it all right if,
when the game is over, I spend a little time with him? Maybe play catch or get something to eat?”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Maria continued to stay busy—between the food and the cleanup, she had little time to socialize.

The few times our eyes did connect, she appeared irritated and maybe a little distant.

I hoped she didn’t think I was ignoring her. I just didn’t want to get in her way.
When Sadie approached me with Mikey, Maria glared and my stomach dropped. I’d have to tame

the jealous beast later. She had nothing to worry about when it came to that. I guess I needed to make
that more clear.

I spent time playing catch and talking with Mikey. He smiled when I told him I was planning to get

a dog. I told him maybe one day he could help me pick him out.

“I used to have a dog. My dad got him when he graduated college. Butch was a golden retriever.

He got hit by a car the year before my parents died.” Mikey kicked his feet in the gravel, and I
immediately felt like an ass. I just had to bring up the whole dog thing, didn’t I?

“Sorry about that, buddy.” I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and pulled him up against my

side.

He shrugged his shoulders, and that only made my heartache worsen. I didn’t like it when he

brushed off his feelings. I just wanted to grip his shoulders and force him to feel—force him to let it
out, cry it all out, scream—anything he needed.

***

When darkness began to set in, I gave him a hug and took him back to Sadie. She surprised the shit

outta me when she wrapped her arms around me and kissed my cheek.

“Thank you so much for the smiles you bring him. He deserves someone like you in his life,” she

said, just before stepping back.

She laced her hand with Mikey’s as I watched them walk away. He turned to look back, offering

me a small wave.

I took a few minutes alone before I went to find Maria. Everything in me needed to be tamed or she

would see right through me.

I walked around for nearly fifteen minutes before finding her. She was on a blanket next to Kori

and Reed, with Rhett securely tucked between her knees. That little man adored her.

I took the empty spot behind her and leaned over to place a kiss on her shoulder. She didn’t turn to

face me, and that made my stomach ache.

Scooting in just a little closer, I brushed her hair aside and kissed her just behind her ear.

“You miss me?” I asked, and she leaned forward, pulling herself away.
“Hey,” I nudged her side. “What’s going on?”
There was a crack, and the first of the fireworks exploded in the sky above us.
Rhett scrambled and dove for Reed, wrapping his arms tightly around his neck. Reed curled his

arms around him, tucking him in closer. Kori then leaned in, cuddling up to her boys.

I looked at the sweetest little family. Kori’s hand rested on her tiny stomach. A small sense of

want filled me that I didn’t know existed—the need for a love like that and the desire to have a family
that I could call my own.

I looked up to find Maria watching the same thing I was. My heart instantly ached, knowing that my

girl hurt too.

I brought myself up behind her, placing one leg on each side of her. She tried to fight me, but I

didn’t allow it. Her back rested against my chest. I placed my chin on her shoulder, breathing her in.

“You ever gonna tell me why you’re mad at me?” I asked. I had a feeling I already knew what was

going through her mind.

She only shook her head and continued to watch the fireworks.
I let her sit in silence, but we would be talking this out very soon. I wasn’t about to get her fired up

in the middle of all these people. I would leave it for later, when we were alone.

The fireworks ended and she jumped up, grabbing for the blanket beneath us.
Once I stood, she picked it up and wadded it in her arms, still not looking at me. She gave a quick

wave to Reed, Rhett, and Kori before storming off.

Shaking my head, I tried not to chuckle at her obvious fit. It was hard not to laugh when she got that

way.

I finally caught up with her at her car. She must have heard me approaching, because she spun

around to face me.

“So is she the reason why you haven’t wanted me to go with you, when you go to the boys’ home to

visit with Mikey?” she asked. “She’s pretty, so I can see the appeal.”

The moment my eyes connected with hers, I found them glistening. An uncontrollable rush of

irritation engulfed me. “You’re bullshitting me, right? This is some kinda joke.”

She looked away quickly, and I tilted her chin up once more. I wanted her looking into my eyes,

when I said what I needed to. “I have no interest in Sadie. I haven’t taken you because it has taken me
all this time to get him to trust me. I wanted Mikey to understand that I wanted this with him, not
because you made me want it. You’re the one who befriended him in the beginning. I needed my
chance to break through his walls.”

She stared back at me, with her lip trembling. “Sadie, huh?” she paused. “Well, Sadie looks pretty

interested.”

I hung my head and let out a frustrated breath. Out of everything I had just said, she was only

focused on Sadie.

Before she could say another word, I wrapped my hand around the back of her neck. I covered her

mouth with mine, pressing my body against hers. Her back pushed firmly against her car.

She whimpered against my lips when I rolled my tongue over hers.
Pulling back just enough to rest my forehead against hers and, still holding her body close to me, I

asked, “What is it with the self-doubt? Have I given you any indication that I want something more
than what we have?” Maria shook her head and tried to say something in return. Before she could, I
kissed her once more.

“I guess it’s my fault, I haven’t been honest with you,” I whispered, and her worried expression

made my heart ache.

“I’ve held back with you for so long that you really have no idea what you mean to me.” A tear ran

down her cheek and I wiped it away quickly. “I’m in love with you,” I declared. “I’ve been in love
with you. I’ve just been too stubborn to tell you.”

I placed one hand on each side of her face and made her look into my eyes. “I love you, Maria. I

don’t want any other woman, you are more than enough for me.”

Her lip trembled and I kissed her once more. “I want you, only you.”
We stood there in the parking lot as I held her close. Her sadness was enough to gut me.
“Do you understand how much you mean to me?” She shook her head against my chest. She

whispered ‘no.’ “I told myself I wouldn’t do this, fall in love. I said it was something I would avoid
at all cost. But loving you is pretty much unavoidable. I don’t want to hold back with you, not
anymore.”

“I saw her with you on the bench,” she stated. “She was so close and touching you. I didn’t like

seeing that.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “You being jealous is cute as hell. I ain’t gonna lie.” I chuckled softly. “I

promise you, though, that I am not interested in her. And baby, you can go with me to see Mikey any
time.”

The parking lot was clearing out, and the lights around us were slowly being shut off. Only one

street light lit half the parking lot.

“You coming to my place tonight?” I asked hopefully. That was our original plan.
When she said ‘yes,’ I swear my damn stomach tensed.
“I’ll follow you,” I told her. Kissing the tip of her nose I leaned over and opened her door for her.

***

Pulling in behind her in my drive, I crawled from my truck. She still hadn’t gotten out of her car, so

I walked up to the driver’s side.

I opened her door and looked down to find her eyes full of tears once again. Kneeling down at the

side of her car, I watched her closely.

“Baby, what’s going on? Why the tears?” I asked.
“You love me?” she whispered, and I was instantly confused. “I was so worried about the woman

from the home that I missed the joy I should have felt from hearing you say that. The first time you tell
me you love me, I’m too busy being a jealous girl.”

I tried not to laugh at her. I tried so hard but it was pointless. I grabbed for her thigh and turned her

to face me. When our eyes connected, my stomach flipped.

“How about I just say it again. What if I spend the entire night making sure you understand just how

much I love you?”

“That sounds really good,” she said.
Standing up, I pulled her up to meet me and held her in my arms. “Let’s go inside.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

“Yeah, more please,” she panted. I continued to trail my tongue over her stomach. She shivered

beneath me when I slid a finger inside of her. Waking up to a beautiful, naked Maria was the best way
to start my day.

I continued to slide my finger in and out while my tongue worked her into a toe-curling orgasm,

one that had her shouting my name and digging her nails into my shoulders. That right there was
enough to make me feel like pounding on my chest.

I kissed my way back up her body until I was hovering over her lips. Her eyes were still closed

tightly, and her chest rose and fell as she tried to slow her breathing.

Quickly rolling on my condom, I looked up once more to find her watching my movements. She

smiled and pulled my face to hers, kissing me with force. Her tongue erotically teased mine.

“I want you inside of me, now,” she whispered, and I groaned against her lips.
Entering her slowly, I watched her eyes roll and her back arch. It was one of the most amazing

things to watch, undeniably beautiful.

We found our rhythm quickly as she lifted her hips to meet my thrusts. I grabbed her leg, hooking it

up over my hip and rotating my hips against her.

I could feel her building with the friction of our connection. It was only a matter of seconds before

her inner walls started contracting around me.

Holding off as long as possible, I continued to thrust and roll my hips. My name fell from her lips

and our bodies released together.

I held her tightly, while burying my face in her neck.
“I love you,” I whispered.
“I love you too,” she replied.
Rising up, I rested my weight on one arm and looked down at her. “We need to get in the shower

and get moving. Mikey is expecting us at noon.”

It has been a week since the Fourth of July party. Today would be Maria’s first visit, and Mikey

was more than excited that she was coming too. They spent an hour on the phone last night going over
what they wanted to do. From the sound of it, we were playing battleship. They would be ganging up
on me.

“You gotta get moving before I can.” She pushed against my chest. “You beast.”
Chuckling, I tickled her side. Her body wiggling beneath me was having the opposite effect.
“You keep moving like that and we’re gonna be late.” I stated. She immediately stopped and

smiled up at me. “If I didn’t have a very handsome little boy expecting me in a little over an hour, I
would take you up on that offer.”

I rotated to the side and she slid out from underneath me, earning a tap on the ass as she crawled

out of bed. She squealed and scurried off toward the shower.

I let her start the water and get in before I snuck in and joined her.

***

Pulling up to the home at exactly noon, Maria giggled and looked over at me. “You do know your

shower attack almost made us late.”

I shrugged. “Almost.”
Taking her hand in mine, I led her in the front doors. They had finally gotten rid of the crazy lady

who gave me hives. She was severely scary on her good days.

Now a nice girl in her twenties sat at the front desk with a big smile. She was always so pleasant

each time I came.

“Hello, Mr. Tennison. Mikey has been really excited about today. He hasn’t stopped talking about

it.”

“We’re pretty excited too.” I looked over at Maria, and she smiled back at the girl behind the desk.

“This is Maria. She is approved for today’s visit as well.”

I watched as the girl looked over the list in front of her and offered Maria a return smile. “Yes,

Mikey told me all about your dance lessons.”

“He’s a natural, there really wasn’t much to it,” she replied.
The familiar click of heels against the tile filled the hallway behind us. I looked up to find Sadie

approaching—wearing the tightest pair of black jeans I had ever seen and an even tighter red shirt that
left little to the imagination.

I felt Maria tense next to me and I pulled her in closer. I placed my hand on her hip and kissed the

top of her head.

“Gavin, hi,” Sadie smiled. “Mikey has been so excited about today.” She stopped right in front of

us, never taking her eyes from mine. She purposely ignored Maria, and I knew then she was going to
be a problem.

“I think the excitement of today lies in this beautiful woman’s hands.” I pulled Maria in front of me

and Sadie stepped back. “I’m pretty sure Mikey loves this girl almost as much as I do.”

Sadie’s face fell slightly. Maria rested her body back against mine, and I felt a sense of relief

wash over me.

Sadie still had not acknowledged Maria. It was honestly pissing me off, but I held my tongue for

now.

Sadie led us to the main room, and I heard my name once the door shut behind me. Mikey came

running and leaped toward me. I caught him against my chest and chuckled. “Well, hey little man, how
you been?”

“Better now,” he replied. Turning to find Maria at my side, he let go of my arm and found his way

to her. They shared a hug comparable to the one he had just given me. The image of the two of them
together made my heart fill with love.

That image gave me hope. It gave me a sense of family and completion.
We found two loveseats and turned them to face each other. Maria and Mikey took one, snuggling

up close to one another. I took the one opposite them and put on my best game face.

Narrowing my eyes at Mikey and using one hand, I pointed to my eyes. Then spinning them around

to point in his direction, I nodded my head. “I got my eyes on you, boy. You’re going down. Having a

pretty girl on your side doesn’t intimidate me one bit.”

He laughed and Maria smiled, winking at me.
It had only been five minutes into our game of battleship when Sadie came up to the back of the

loveseat I was sitting on and leaned over a little too far.

Maria’s eyes narrowed, and she scooted forward slightly.
“These teams look slightly uneven,” she stated. “Mind if I join, Mikey?”
Yeah, it was a smooth move asking the kid. “Gavin is losing. I’m not sure there is any hope for

him,” he stated, and I shook my head. He was even able to get a laugh from Maria with that comment.
“But if you want to waste your time, sure.”

Sadie came around the side of the loveseat and sat down a little too close at my side. I was

tremendously uncomfortable and just wanted to get this game over with. Sadie continued to lean in to
get a closer look at my battleships displayed on my game board, when it was our turn.

At one point, she rested her breast against my arm and I shifted quickly. I found her continuing to

smile at Maria, as if there was some hidden game she was winning. The entire thing was making me
angry. I kept my cool for the sake of Mikey

When the game was over, the victorious Maria and Mikey decided to go outside. I directed them to

go ahead without me. There was something I needed to handle.

Maria looked at me with a confused expression. “What are you doing?” she asked.
“There is someone I need to set straight. Someone needs to know my heart belongs completely to

you. I don’t have room for games, baby.” I leaned over, kissing her softly. “I won’t let anyone make
you feel uncomfortable.”

“It’s okay,” she whispered.
“It’s not, but it will be. All I need is five minutes.” I kissed her forehead. Looking over at Mikey, I

pointed to Maria. “You take care of my girl for me, little man. I’m trusting ya.” I winked and he
laughed. Grabbing Maria’s arm, he pulled her outside.

I watched them until the door closed behind them. Taking in a deep breath, I turned back toward

the main room.

Finding the person I was looking for was simple. Her face lit up when she saw me approaching.

“Can we talk for a minute?” I asked.

She smiled and pointed toward a small room to the right. I followed behind, avoiding the fact that

she was shaking her hips a little more than was natural.

She closed the door behind us, and I went to the opposite side of the room. There was something

about the way she was looking at me that was making my skin crawl.

“What is it you need to talk to me about?” she asked.
“What game are you trying to play?” I asked. “And don’t say you’re not, because I’m not that

gullible. I thought at first you were just a friendly person. I let the touch in the park slide.” She took a
step closer and I watched her carefully. I was a grown damn man, and there was no way a 120 pound
woman was gonna make me back down.

“I come here to see Mikey and only Mikey. I would appreciate the flirting, and unnecessary

touching to stop.” This time I took a step toward her. “I am very deeply in love with Maria. I have no
intention of doing anything to jeopardize that. Please respect her. She deserves that.”

I stepped around her and looked back one last time. “Mikey means the world to me, so let’s not let

this interfere. But if for some reason it does come between me and that boy out there, I will fight you
on it.”

I walked out into the garden area, where Maria and Mikey were in the middle of a game of horse.

Standing off to the side, I watched as they laughed with one another. Maria was pretty damn awful at
shooting baskets. Mikey even tried to show her how to hold her hands. With each attempt, he only
laughed harder.

“If we were playing a game of who missed the most baskets, you would be the champ,” Mikey

stated, and Maria wrinkled up her nose and stuck out her tongue at him.

She tried once more, and the ball bounced across the grass and rolled toward the fence. Mikey ran

off to retrieve it, and I took the opportunity to sneak up on my girl.

I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her in close. “I still find you undeniably sexy, even

though you can’t shoot for shit.”

“Ha ha, very funny, smart ass,” she whispered back. She shook her ass from side to side, making

me step back from her just barely. She turned in my arms and looked up at me. “What did you have to
do?”

Looking down into her beautiful eyes, I grinned like a lovesick fool. I kissed the tip of her nose.

“Just had to make sure Sadie knew how in love I am with a certain girl.”

“A certain girl?” She raised an eyebrow.
“A woman, actually—a gorgeous, feisty woman,” I clarified. “She makes my heart race.” I

winked.

Mikey came running back with the ball and I finished out the game of horse, while Maria cheered

us on.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Maria fell asleep on the way back from the boys’ home. I turned to look over at her when I placed

my truck in park. She must have been dreaming, because she would whimper or moan on occasion.

Her hair was fanned out over the back of the seat. Reaching out, I traced my finger along her lower

lip, outlining the curve. Her lip twitched beneath my finger and I smiled.

Leaning in just a little closer, I brushed my lips over hers, attempting to bring her out of her sleepy

state.

When that didn’t work, I pressed a little harder and sucked on her lower lip.
“Mm,” she moaned. I went in again, and she responded by biting mine in return.
She came at me with force, pushing back, crawling across my lap, and straddling me. She gripped

my neck and placed her lips against mine, devouring me. Her hips began to rock, and I could feel
myself growing hard beneath her.

I had only planned to wake her up, but she obviously had other things in mind. Attempting to hold

her hips still, she pulled my hands away. Pulling at the bottom of her shirt, I lifted it up and over her
head.

I palmed her breast in my hands, through her bra. The lacy material hid nothing, as her nipples

grew hard. Leaning forward, I bit down on one, while pinching the other with my fingertips.

Her head fell back, and I lowered my hands to work her pants buckle loose.
Maria rose up off of my lap and pulled at her pants, one leg at a time. I wasted no time pulling off

my shirt and sliding my pants down below my knees. When she climbed back onto my lap, all she
wore were her panties, and I greedily raked my eyes over her body. She was so god damned
gorgeous.

“You do know we could have moved inside for this.” My voice was full of want and need.
“That takes all the fun out of it,” she stated, as she began massaging my erection through my

boxers. I was so hard that the head of my cock was peeking out of the top.

“Do you have a condom in your wallet?” she asked.
I nodded my head. “Yeah, but we could go without.”
Her eyes found mine and she looked shocked. “What?” Panic setting in, she said, “No. We can’t.”
She began to scramble off my lap and I gripped her thighs. “Hey, where are you going?”
“I think we need to go inside.” She never waited for me to say anything more. Once her shirt was

on, she gathered the rest of her clothes and walked to the front door. Pulling my pants back in place, I
gathered my shirt and keys, following behind her.

Before I unlocked the door, I turned her around and pressed her against the door. “What just

happened?”

“Nothing,” she insisted.
“Tell me,” I begged.
“I just don’t want to get pregnant again. I can’t,” she whispered.
My heart hit rock fucking bottom. What an insensitive prick. “Baby, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I

mean, I was…but I guess…shit.” I was stumbling all over the place. “Having a baby with you
wouldn’t be so bad.” She was watching me like I had grown a third eye.

I unlocked the door and helped her in, leading her to the couch, where I took a seat next to her.
After taking a deep breath, I continued. “When I found out about the loss of our baby, I was

crushed. I want kids, Mar. I do. When it was confirmed that Nicole’s daughter wasn’t mine, I felt
relief. But with you, it was different.”

I brushed the tear from her check and pulled her closer. “I sat around here for days after I left the

hospital, picturing a little dark-haired angel running around. Even a little boy with blue eyes calling
me Daddy.” I couldn’t stop a smile from breaking out over my face. “You have no idea how many
times I’ve dreamt of you with a rounded belly, holding my child.”

“Gavin, you are crazy,” she declared with a matching smile.
“Well then, you better hold on because I am about to really blow your mind,” I said. The look on

her face was the greatest.

“Oh yeah, should I be prepared to run?” she responded, sliding away to the next cushion over.
I chuckled and crawled over her, pinning her to the couch with my body. “No, there will be no

more running, from either one of us.” Skimming my nose along the edge of hers, I looked into her
beautiful eyes and went for it.

“I’ve been thinking, and I know what I want. I have seen it play out in my mind. I want it so bad I

can almost taste it. I can promise you I will do whatever it takes to get it, too.” I stated.

“What is it you want?” she asked.
I took a moment to take in every freckle on her cheeks, every curve of her face.
“I want you, completely. I want you to move in with me. One day I want to marry you and raise a

family together.” I paused for just a moment so it could sink it. “I also want to look into adopting
Mikey.”

I watched as her eyes filled with tears and she smiled up at me.
“You have such an amazing heart, Gavin. Why you hid who you truly are for so long still drives me

crazy. All those times I thought you were destined to break my heart, but I was wrong. You are the
one who was meant to heal it.” She skimmed her thumb over my lower lip, and I kissed the tip.

“That gesture shows just how truly kind you are. It makes it impossible for me not to fall in love

with you more than I already am.” She fanned her fingertips over my jaw. “I love you so much it
hurts.”

“Is that a yes? Will you move in with me? Can we start taking the steps to becoming a family?” I

asked with a hopeful voice. I had no idea what I would do if she said no. I was sure I would beg, or
maybe tie her to the couch ‘til she changed her mind. I needed her to say yes.

“Yes,” she whispered. “The babies come later, though,” she stated.
I smiled in agreement and kissed her. The first step to getting the life I wanted more than anything

had just been taken.

I would allow some time for her to accept that I wanted babies, lots of babies. I wouldn’t push, but

I sure as hell was gonna enjoy practicing.

I lowered my body over hers and took my time, kissing every spot that drove her crazy and

caressing every curve of her beautiful body.

Chapter Twenty-Six

A few days had passed since I asked Maria to move in with me. She has been here every night, yet

she still had not moved anything in. I could tell she was dragging her feet, so I let it go. It was like she
thought I would change my mind or something.

I came home from work to find her curled up with her laptop on the couch. She was completely

engrossed in what she was reading. She was biting down on the tip of her pen with complete focus on
the screen before her.

I leaned over the back of the couch and kissed the top of her head. “What are you doing, baby?” I

asked.

I had already read the top of the screen and my heart ached from the love I had for this woman. She

was making notes on the adoption laws of Georgia. She had so many things scribbled down on the
paper and several tabs open across the top of the computer screen. She continuously clicked from one
to the other, making more notes along the way.

“I called your lawyer’s office too. His secretary said he was in court all afternoon. I’m assuming

since y’all are friends, he’ll end up callin’ later.” She still had not taken her eyes from the screen. She
had on her reading glasses, and her hair was piled up on the top of her head in a messy bun.

I walked around the end of the couch and pulled her laptop from her hands. She began to protest,

but I placed my finger over her lips to stop her, grinning as she narrowed her eyes at me. Damn, she
was cute.

Taking her hands into mine, I pulled her from the couch. I let my hands slide down her arms,

coming to rest on her waist. I began backing her down the hallway, and she remained quiet, licking
her lips slowly. I may have groaned at the sight of her wet tongue.

“I think you need a little break from all your research. I’m dirty and I need you to wash my back.”

Reaching the bathroom, I began to undress her. “After that, I’m thinking I need to make love to you.”
She smiled up at me as I dropped my shirt to the floor.

It didn’t go unnoticed that she let her gaze fall down to my chest and bit her lip.
“Then we’re gonna get dressed and go over to your momma’s house.” She lifted an eyebrow,

silently questioning me. “I’m not leaving your momma’s until you pack up at least three boxes full of
your things.”

I backed her into the shower, under the falling water. “You’re stalling, I’ve noticed, and I’m done

waiting. I’m not changing my mind. I’m not backing down. It’s time to start moving you in,” I said.

She wrinkled her nose. “I wasn’t stalling.”
“Liar,” I chuckled, and she laughed in return. “You were waiting to see if I was going to change

my mind. I’m not, so we are moving some of your shit.” I raised my eyebrows, waiting for her to

argue. When she didn’t, I continued.

“I talked to Bud and Gemma already. They have no objections. In fact, Gemma told me she would

run my ass over with the tractor if I hurt ya.” Maria leaned forward and giggled against my chest.

“I told her if I ever hurt you again, she had my permission to do just that.” I looked down at her as

she leaned back. “I love you, baby. I want you here for real, okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered in reply.

***

After returning home from Maria’s momma’s, I got the call from my friend and lawyer, Trevor. It

was just after nine, and Maria was currently in our room, changing for bed.

I watched through the open doorway while she slipped on a red silky thing. It barely covered her

ass, and I was reaching down to adjust myself through my jeans.

“Hey Gavin, you there?” Trevor asked.
“Um, yeah, shit, sorry. I was uh…” I tried to come up with something. I only came up empty as I

looked back to find her smoothing lotion over her legs. She sat on the edge of the bed with her legs
slightly parted. I could see her red panties, and it was somewhat distracting.

“I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know what’s got ya distracted. Penny told me that your girl called

the office. I was supposed to call you when I got a chance,” he stated.

I turned my back to Maria, because there was no way to focus while continuing to watch her.
“I’m gonna need your help. Remember me telling you about Mikey?” I asked him.
“Yeah, sure, the little boy you met at that restaurant, the one who lost his parents,” he replied.
Trevor had been my friend since grade school. He knew that I had been adopted and stood by my

side when others found ways to make it all into a joke.

“I’m just gonna lay it out for ya. I’m twenty-eight years old, and I wasted seven years of my life

with someone I never should have been with.” I took in a deep breath.

“I was lucky enough to have a second chance. Maria is my second chance. I have no doubt about it.

I asked her to move in with me, and one day I will ask her to marry me.” He silently listened to me.
Trevor knew me well, so he knew I wasn’t one to jump. If I was saying this, it was because I had no
doubts.

“I want ya to help me adopt Mikey. I need him in my life. I love that kid; he belongs with me. I

believe it with all my heart,” I stated.

I turned around to find Maria leaning against the wall just next to the kitchen. She looked back at

me with nothing but love.

I wondered how long she had been standing there and how much of the conversation she had heard.
“Gavin, I need to be honest with you,” Trevor began. “Because you are a recently divorced single

man, it’s gonna be hard. Agencies tend to look down upon those things.” He took a deep breath. “You
know that I will do everything I can to help you make this happen. Let me make some calls tomorrow,
and I’ll call you in the evening to let you know what our first step needs to be.”

“Thanks, Trev. I’ll do whatever it takes,” I reassured him.
I hung up the phone and looked up into the eyes of my future wife. She has honestly captured me so

intensely that I can barely believe it. The love I feel for her is overwhelming.

“Come here.” I tapped on the spot in the center of my chest—the place where she would always

rest her head just above my heart, the place I believed now was meant just for her. “Right here,
baby.”

Maria placed her hand on my chest, resting her cheek just beside it. I pulled her in close, wrapping

my arms around her body. She fit within my arms perfectly.

We stood in this position, as I rocked from side to side with my hand gliding over the silk material

that covered her back.

“Trevor’s gonna start working on it,” I told her. “He’ll call me tomorrow.”
Running my hands up through her hair, I softly tugged. She lifted her head and our eyes met. I

smiled down at her and she returned one that melted my heart. I lowered my lips to hers. I kissed her
softly at first, slowly allowing it to build to something more.

I lowered my hands back down her body, cupping her ass. “If I’m not mistaken, I’m pretty sure

there is a matching pair of panties below this nightie.” Finding the edge of her nightie, I began lifting
it higher. “I think I need a closer look.”

She smiled against my lips and parted her legs just a little. I took it as an invite and ran my fingers

over the seam. Her arousal soaked her panties, and I groaned with that knowledge. I didn’t pause, but
continued along the path of her panties at the seam of her leg. Allowing my finger to slip just beneath
the edge, I found her ready.

The moment my finger slid into her from behind, her head fell backwards. Her neck was

completely exposed, and I skimmed my lips over her throat, biting gently before soothing it with my
tongue.

I loved the sounds that this action caused in her. It was one of the most arousing things I have ever

heard.

Slowly kneeling before her, I parted her legs further. Lifting her leg, I placed it over my shoulder.

Pulling her panties to the side, I looked up to find her looking down at me. Her pure, lust-filled eyes
begged me to continue.

The moment my tongue connected with her, she moaned loudly. “Yes,” she said. “Mm, so good.”
As I slid my finger back into her, she gripped my shoulders tightly for support. Within seconds, she

was lost to the pleasure, her hips rocking against my hand.

“Oh, my god. Yes,” she hollered as her body shook.
I quickly scooped her up and carried her to the bed. Removing my pants in record speed, I grabbed

a condom from the nightstand. The moment I entered her, my toes curled with pleasure.

“Home, you’re my home.” I reassured her as I pumped my hips. “I love you so much, baby.”
Her eyes locked onto mine, as she held my face in her hands. “I love you too.
We were lost in the feelings of love and pleasure. This woman held my heart in her hands and had

the ability to destroy me, but I just knew she wouldn’t. I trusted Maria more than I had ever trusted
anyone before.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“I’ve got so many things to do, Kori. I want to shampoo the carpets and paint Rhett’s old room. No

offense, girl, but it still looks like a nursery. Mikey is eight, so I’m pretty sure he isn’t into the cute
tiny tractors on the wall.”

I stood just outside our bedroom listening to Maria talk to Kori on the phone. She was in a state of

frenzy over the impending home visit.

The case manager assigned to us would be here to do a home evaluation. Maria had been running

ragged around the house, cleaning and organizing. She was a nervous wreck, and I couldn’t help
finding the entire thing adorable.

“I’m so worried about something not being right. What if they deny Gavin because of something I

did, or didn’t do? Maybe I shouldn’t be living here right now. What if that messes things up for him?”

That comment made my heart feel as if it had dropped. I stepped into the bedroom and glared at

her.

“Uh, Kor,” she spoke more quietly the phone. “I have an unhappy cowboy giving me the stink eye.

I better go offer him some sort of kinky favor to get out of this one.”

She laughed at something Kori said before saying a quick goodbye.
I stood there in the doorway, crossing my arms over my chest and continuing to glare at her for

even thinking she shouldn’t be here.

“Stop glaring at me like that. It only makes me want to jump you,” Maria said, attempting to make

light of the moment.

“Your cute, smartass comments aren’t working this time. What do you mean, maybe you shouldn’t

be living here?” I stared at her without a smile crossing my face. It bothered me that she thought she
needed to leave.

“I just don’t want to be the one who ruins this. I am so scared that I will hinder their choice to let

you adopt Mikey. I couldn’t live with that, Gavin,” she explained.

I approached the bed and sat down next to her. “This is your home, our home. Baby, we’ve been

going through all kinds of things for the last two and a half weeks. There isn’t a damn thing they’ve
requested that you haven’t passed with flying colors.”

I slipped from the bed and knelt before her. Taking her hand in mine, I lifted it to my lips and

kissed each knuckle, before looking back at her. “You are my future, Maria. You, Mikey and the
children we will one day have.”

Her smile lit up my world—right then in that moment she held my heart.
“I don’t think you understand how much you mean to me. Without you and your ability to forgive

my mistakes, I’d be one miserable son of a bitch.” Nudging myself between her thighs, I gripped her

hips and slid her forward. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she whispered in return.

***

“How did it go, the home visit and all?” Gemma asked as I climbed outta my truck. I had to take

Tuesday morning off for the caseworker’s visit.

She stood off to the side, holding onto Rhett as he tugged on her arm. I laughed at the fella. He was

so full of energy and was on the go at all times. He kept us all on our toes.

“It went well, I think. Maria was amazing. She’s got the ability to charm just about anybody, no

doubt.” Gemma smiled back at me.

“Looks like she has charmed you,” she said.
The thing about Gemma is she kinda filled that motherly role I have missed so much. She took me

in immediately, the day I arrived. She made me feel welcome, and I was grateful for her hospitality.
She did remind me a lot of the woman who raised me—kind-hearted and gentle.

“Yeah, Mrs. Gemma, she sure has. I don’t think I had any hope fighting that one. I tried, believe me

I did, but it was kinda pointless. A waste of time, really.” I chuckled at my stupidity. Maria had me
hooked from the beginning. I was the fool who thought I could outrun it.

“She’s a feisty one, always has been. She didn’t have it easy growing up, but it never washed her

spirit away. I watched that child hold her head high on some of the darkest days.” Gemma looked at
me with honest eyes. “I can promise you one thing, though. Maria will stand by you no matter what.
She’s loyal and loving. She stood by my Kori when she needed it most. She’s a fighter, that dark-
haired beauty. You take care of her heart; she deserves a good man.”

Gemma watched me as I nodded my head and smiled. “I promise that. Don’t you worry, Mrs. G, I

got her and I ain’t letting go.”

That knowledge satisfied her. She scooped up Rhett, who was almost too big to be scooped, and

carried him off toward the barn.

Walking behind her, I watched as she tossed the little tank to Reed, who was coming out of the

barn as we walked in. He appeared dirty and roughed up. He had filled in for me this morning, and by
the looks of it, Bud had run him ragged.

“It’s about damn time you showed up,” he said as he threw Rhett over his shoulder. Looking at me,

he chuckled. “Bud is a slave driver. How you handle that shit daily is beyond me.”

“What d’ya mean?” I asked. “Normally we sit around all morning drinking coffee, so he must just

like me more.”

Reed turned around to find Bud looking back at him, chuckling at his stunned expression. “Ah, hell

no. I’ve seen him put you to work.”

Gravel popping against tires had me turning around toward the driveway. Kori and Maria climbing

from Kori’s car brought a smile to my face.

I remembered the times I had fought so hard to pretend that Maria didn’t make my heart race. Now

there was no holding back my attraction and love. I smiled as she walked toward me, and my stomach
did a crazy ass little tightening thing. She hooked her fingers through my belt buckles and rose up on
her tip toes.

Kissing me softly, she smiled and said, “Hey, handsome. Where you been all my life?”
I slid my arm around her waist and smiled in return. “All the wrong places, until now. I finally

found where I belong.”

“Okay you two, enough of the cutesy stuff. My parents are watching.” Kori poked my ribs as she

walked by.

Maria giggled and buried her face in my chest. “Shit, I forgot they were right there,” she

whispered.

I chuckled at her embarrassment and looked up to find that they all were doing their own thing. I

lifted her chin up with my finger and kissed the tip of her nose, causing her eyes to close.

“What are you girls up to today?” I asked.
“Prego over there is outgrowing all her clothes. She needs some new ones. With school starting

back up in a couple of weeks, she can’t wear Reed’s t-shirts anymore.” Maria laughed when Kori
narrowed her eyes at her.

“You wait until the day you feel like you’re the size of a house.” When Kori said that, her face fell.

I could tell she wanted to immediately take it back. The topic was one everyone seemed to tiptoe
around when it came to Maria. She was a hell of lot tougher than people gave her credit for, though.

“My luck I’ll have twins and be twice your size,” Maria shot back, and I could see the relief wash

over Kori’s face.

I pulled Maria in just a little tighter and kissed the top of her head. She amazed me with her

strength.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“I have cookies, chips and Kool-Aid. Plus I bought a few board games and some actions movies

that boys like.” Maria was holding up each item as she stood on the other side of the counter.

“Oh, and I thought we could have burgers and fries. Unless he wants pizza, he might not like

burgers. Most people like burgers, though…right?” She suddenly looked nervous, and I was on the
verge of uncontrollable laughter.

I stepped around the counter and grabbed her around the waist. “You need to breathe, relax. He

will love it all.” I kissed her forehead and chuckled. “It’s his first sleepover with us, not the first time
we have ever met him. He knows us and we know him, so let’s just relax.”

“I just want everything to be perfect. I want him to love it here, with us,” she explained.
“He will, baby, he will,” I assured her. I kissed her softly, attempting to calm her nerves. Her body

settling into mine was a sure sign it was working.

Backing her up until her back bumped the counter, I gripped her thighs and lifted her to settle on

the top of it.

She moaned against my lips, while I traced the edge of her shorts with my finger. “You are so

beautiful, so sweet,” I whispered, while skimming my tongue over her collarbone. “I think we need a
little distraction. What do you think?”

“Oh, I think, um,” she whimpered, when I slid my hand up under her tank top. When I rubbed my

thumb across her nipple, her head fell back. “Yes, distraction.”

Smiling at her aroused state, I slid my fingers under the hem of her shorts and she parted them

further. They gapped just enough to allow me to reach my destination, where I teasingly slid my finger
over her wet panties. Her body shuddered with each movement of my hand.

The doorbell rang just as I slid my finger inside of her, and I groaned in frustration.
“Looks like we’re gonna have to pick this up later, dirty boy.” Maria wiggled her hips and slid

from the counter, adjusting her shorts.

I smacked her ass hard as she walked by, and she whelped in surprise. A deep chuckle erupted

from me as I watched her hurry toward the door.

***

There were storms coming in, so we had plenty of time to enjoy some quality indoor fun. The

teams were still a little uneven—Mikey always paired up with Maria, and in turn they would gang up
on me. I quickly accepted it, just to have the chance to see the two of them together. It was truly one of

the greatest things to witness. They always appeared as if they had known one another for years. Their
spirits are so alike.

We laughed until we cried. The entire night felt real, whole. It was as if it were a normal day, one

we had been living for years.

Mikey and Maria sat whispering quietly on the couch, as I casually observed from the recliner.

Their line of vision continued to shift my way. It was pretty obvious they were developing a secret
plan of attack. Maria was smiling as Mikey whispered in her ear. She would nod her head
occasionally, looking over at me for any sign that I might have overheard their plan. I felt like the
luckiest guy in the world, as I witnessed the closeness develop between them.

All at once, they both jumped up from the couch and began throwing popcorn at me. Moving

quickly, I hid behind the chair and grabbed for the pieces that they had thrown. The moment I saw the
bowl getting low on their ammunition, I lunged toward them.

Mikey’s laughter made my heart feel as if it were being squeezed tightly. After everything this kid

had been through, it was by far one of the most beautiful sounds.

I pinned Mikey to the floor, tickling his sides. Maria got on my back, attempting to rescue her

partner in crime.

“Let go of him, you beast,” she hollered.
After Mikey had passed out from exhaustion, during the movie marathon he and Maria attempted to

watch, I carried him to his bed.

Maria had already turned the evening into an eight-year-old boy’s dream, complete with an X-box

and games.

His eyes were the size of saucers when we had earlier showed him Maria’s purchases. We never

actually made it to play the video games, but I think he had fun without them.

Once he was safely tucked in bed, I joined Maria in ours. She was already asleep, so I slipped in

behind her and pulled her body back against mine.

Listening to her soft breaths, I propped my head up onto my hand and watched her closely. Her

eyes twitched and her nose wrinkled. A small whimper filled the silence of the house.

Tracing my fingertip over her cheek and smoothing her hair back from her face, I kissed her softly.

I didn’t want to wake her; I just needed to feel her close.

The battle within me to fight the urge to make her legally mine was exhausting. I wanted to tell her

that I wanted her forever and ask her to marry me. Then I would remember how it had turned out for
me the first time, which in turn would make me push back any thought of ever repeating that again.

It was a struggle between choosing the right time and wondering if there would ever be a right

time. This was a battle only I could overcome. It was not Maria who had tainted my views of
marriage; it was Nicole. It wasn’t fair that I put them both in the same category.

Maria was nothing like Nicole.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Maria

Over the last few months, Mikey has stayed with Gavin and me half a dozen times. It felt complete

when he was with us. When he went back to the boys’ home, each time it nearly broke my heart. I
would sneak off to hide my tears, not wanting to upset Gavin. I think it already broke his heart enough
letting go of him, so seeing my heartbreak would only make it worse.

We had agreed not to bring up the adoption to Mikey until we knew for sure that everything was in

our favor. We feared getting his hopes up, only to crush him if something affected the process
negatively.

School had started back up, and Kori was in the miserable stages of pregnancy. She was swollen

and cranky. She didn’t care much for my duck comments, but damn it, they were fun—she waddled.

She was in her last month, and little baby Grace would be here to meet us all very soon. I couldn’t

wait to see her sweet little face.

A baby shower was planned for tonight, but Kori had no idea what she was going home to.
I had volunteered to drive this morning. Reed was at home, waiting for us to arrive. He actually

spent the day getting everything ready.

The moment we pulled into the drive, Kori protested. “Oh, no you didn’t. You did not fill my

house with a bunch of people without me knowing about it.”

“This was all your man’s idea,” I stated.
“All my mother’s friends are gonna want to rub my belly.” She laughed, before laying her head

back against the seat. “A bunch of woman will be standing around rubbing on me like I’m some damn
genie in a bottle.”

I opened the door and stepped out, walking around the front to open her door for her. Holding out

my hand, I helped her out of my car. We walked side by side toward the pink and yellow balloons.

“Just tell them you feel really gassy, that will make them scatter,” I said, just before the front door

came open. She giggled as her momma approached, followed closely by Reed.

“Surprise,” they both said, while helping her up the steps.
Looking up, I found both Gavin and Mikey waiting patiently for me to enter. At times, I felt it was

crazy to consider them my boys.

But that is exactly what they are, my people. The two I adore and love. The two I want to shower

with my love and take care of. They are my world, and having them to call my own gives me a great
sense of fulfillment.

Wrapping my arms around them both warmed my soul.

“Hey, boys,” I said.
“Hey, baby, how was your day?” Gavin asked.
Mikey hugged me tightly, whispering in my ear. “My cheeks hurt. These ladies have pinched me

over and over.” He looked up and me with a very serious expression. “They are all crazy.”

I giggled behind my hand and looked up at Gavin. He, too, was laughing at Mikey’s description of

all the older women here.

“I’ll keep’em away, bud,” I assured him, and he blew out a breath.
“Thanks,” he replied. His relief only made me laugh harder.
When I stood back up, Gavin pulled me in for a quick hug and kiss.
“Hey, I need to ask you if you’d be willing to help Colt. He got that place in town, and it needs

some work. He’s hoping to get things fixed up quickly, so he can start on the orders he already has
coming in.”

“Reed lined him up with a few contractors in the area. Looks like his custom woodworking is

really gonna take off.” The thought made me smile. It would mean that Colt would be sticking around.

“Sure, I’ll help him. Reed said he was gonna be spending some time over there too, along with

Ben. I’m sure that, with all of us helping, he’ll be up and running soon.” He winked and I thanked him
with another soft kiss.

The baby shower was co-ed and it was a riot. The guys ended up hanging in the kitchen while we

did all the things they consider too damn girly.

Reed was the only one forced to participate, and I had to give the guy credit; he was a trooper.

Even when all the guys made fun of him through the doorway to the kitchen, he stood tall.

It was still pretty hard when I thought about the child I’d lost. Thinking about the fact that I would

now be somewhere around six months pregnant still made my heart ache.

One day I’ll be a momma. One day I’ll be blessed to hold my child in my arms. It just wasn’t my

time. For some reason beyond my control, my baby was needed for greater things. Some days were
harder than others, and today was one of the most difficult.

I smiled as I watched Kori and Reed hold up the gifts they’d received, one by one.
Gavin seemed to be fighting the same issues. He was well aware of my struggle. So together we

fought through the day.

Our time would come one day, I knew it would. For now, we would continue to build and grow

stronger, together.

Chapter Thirty

Gavin

I got the call this morning, the call that would change my life. I was approved for the adoption of

Mikey. The chills ran through my body as Trevor explained the final steps. My chest ached and my
hands trembled.

I would finally be able to bring him home with us for good. I would be able to tell him that he

didn’t have to go back to the boys’ home, that he would be home, with us.

I could hardly contain my excitement. Pulling into the driveway, I raced to the front door and

pushed it open. Maria spun around from the kitchen sink, looking at me like I had lost my mind.

I didn’t even allow her to speak. I grabbed her face and pulled her lips to mine. Pinning her against

the counter, I kissed her until she was breathless.

Turning her around, I walked her backward until her back bumped the table. Lifting her up, I

placed her on top of it and began kissing her again. As I quickly tore at her clothes, my excitement
about feeling her body against mine was evident.

I pushed her back until she lay sprawled out before me, in only her panties. Maria stared back at

me, completely lost in the thrill of the moment.

Without thinking, I gripped my erection and, pulling aside her panties, I began pushing inside her.

We both moaned out in pleasure as our bodies began slapping together.

The table shifted beneath us, making sounds as it scooted along the tile. Her back arched off the

table as her orgasm forced its way through her. She moaned, thrusting her breasts upward.

Gliding one hand across her breasts, I held my hardness in the other. I pulled out just as my own

release shot across her belly. I groaned out loudly. “Damn.”

Maria’s laughter brought me out of the daze. I looked down at her, sprawled out on the table top.

Her hair was a mess, and her shirt was barely hanging from her left wrist. A trail of clothes was
scattered around us. My jeans were still pooled around my ankles.

I smiled down at her. “I will never look at this table the same way again,” I declared, only making

her laugh even harder.

“You are such an animal.” She covered her face, still laughing at our rumpled state.
She was right, but damn if I wouldn’t do it again. She made me lose control. Mixed with the most

amazing news, there was no hope. My joy had overtaken any possibility of control.

I grabbed a washcloth to clean up Maria, but I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face.
“What put you in such a great mood?” she asked.
Once she was clean, I helped her from the table. We both began putting our clothes back on and

attempting to right ourselves.

“I got ‘em. He’s ours,” I stated with pure overwhelming love.
“Yeah?” she asked, her eyes filling up with tears of joy.
I nodded my head and smiled. “Yeah.”
Maria jumped up into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist. She cried happy tears as I

held her close.

***

“So what do think about it, buddy? Would you like to permanently come live with us?” Maria and I

sat at a table across from the caseworker and Mikey.

His little head shifted back and forth between her and us. I watched him closely as the entire

situation settled in him. His eyes slowly began to fill with tears. His lips trembled and he stared back
at me, unable to look away.

I wasn’t sure what was going through his little mind, and it was killing me.
“Do you mean it?” he asked, as a tear ran down his cheek.
I stood up and quickly walked around the table to kneel before him.
“I mean it, buddy. We want you to be a part of our family. We love you, Mikey. You belong in a

home filled with love, and we can give you that. You make the both of us so happy.” I turned around
to look at Maria, tears falling down her cheeks pulled at something within me.

These two beautiful people were meant to be a part of my life. They had crossed paths with me to

show me how to love again.

“We will never try to replace your parents. What we want to do is help you to live out the dreams

that I’m almost positive they would have wanted for you. We don’t want another day to go by without
you feeling safe and happy. We want be there for you through it all.”

“Can we get a dog?” he asked, and I laughed.
I shook my head at his question. I knew that, between Maria and Mikey, I had no hope. Giving the

two of them everything they could possibly want was what I wanted.

Maria laughed. “Heck, yeah, we can get a dog. Whatever dog you want, Mikey.”
She answered before I could. She shrugged her shoulders and held her hands out at her side.

“What? You act like you weren’t already gonna say yes.”

The caseworker quietly observed our craziness, with a big smile stretched out on her face. There

was no tension, no mistrust. It was as if the three of us had known one another our entire lives, like
we had been having these kinds of conversations daily.

By this time next week, he would be home with us, just in time for the holidays.

Chapter Thirty-One

“I really appreciate the help, guys. It means a lot. The orders started coming in the minute Reed

gave out my cards. Who knew custom cabinetry and woodwork would take off around here?” Colt
was grateful for the help.

He had purchased a building just at the edge of town. It had a shop area, a nice large space, in the

back. The front would serve as his display area and store. It’s a place where people could take a look
at his completed work and designs.

It even came with an apartment above it. It was pretty big and spacious. The problem was it was

old and had sat empty for years. It was in desperate need of a facelift.

Ben, Reed and I had all volunteered to help Colt with the remodeling, hoping that he would be

able to move in sooner.

Reed had already lined him up with a few jobs. The guy’s work was pretty damn amazing, he had

a talent. Each piece had a special touch that I had never seen in any furniture store. He was an artist in
his own way.

“So Kori said that Mikey will be with you guys officially, after court on Friday. I bet you and Mar

are excited,” Reed said, as he nailed the sheetrock up.

“Yeah, we’re all excited. Maria has been spoiling him. He is gonna love her even more once he

walks into his room. She went a little overboard. My concern is the kid won’t ever wanna leave his
bedroom.” Reed laughed at me, and all I could do was shake my head.

“Colt, when you gonna find a girl and settle down?” Ben hollered, looking over his shoulder.
“Nah, not me. All the sappy love-sick shit is for you fools. I think I’ll keep my sanity,” Colt

replied.

I remembered Maria mentioning something just recently about her brother having an ex who had

broken his heart.

Ben kept hassling him about setting him up on a date. The banter back and forth between the two of

them was comical. They were two men who always seemed to want to have the last word.

“I could set him up with Kimberly.” Ben chuckled when Reed threw a small piece of broken

sheetrock toward him.

“What?” he threw his hands out to his sides. It was not recommended to say the name Kimberly in

the same room as Reed.

“I could have said Josie was cleared for take-off. Hell, he could take her for a spin. I hear she has

a thing for men who come through her checkout lane.” He hid his laughter by turning his back to me,
attempting to appear busy.

“Okay, asshole. Just leave me out of this. I got my girl, so there is no reason we should bring up

past mistakes. We all make poor choices.”

I avoided saying anything more. Colt was here, and I had no desire to discuss Josie or any other

woman. Well, except Maria, she was the only woman worth my time.

We spent the afternoon building, and around six we called it quits.
My phone rang from inside my pocket. I pulled it out and smiled.
“Hey, sweetheart,” I answered.
“Oh my god, is Reed still there with you?” Maria asked.
“Yeah, why?” I replied.
“Kori is at the hospital. Her water broke. We’ve been trying to call Reed. He needs to get to the

hospital, like now.” She hung up before I could say anything further.

I turned around and found three guys staring at me with their eyebrows raised in question.
I pointed directly at Reed. “You better have a damn good excuse for not answering your phone.”

He immediately reached for his pockets, coming up empty. “Your wife is at the hospital, and you need
to get your ass moving. Unless you wanna miss the birth of your daughter.”

It was pure joy to watch him, as he began scrambling for his keys. I counted three times that he

stumbled over something in his path.

Ben ran after him, chuckling. “Give me your keys. You’ll end up in the ER if I let you drive.” He

followed behind Reed, and they both climbed up in his truck.

“You gonna head to the hospital?” Colt asked from behind me.
“Yeah, sometime soon. I figure we could finish cleaning up a bit before I take off,” I assured him.
We spent the next hour busting ass to get the dust and tools gathered. It was nice to spend a little

time one on one with Colt. After all, I hoped that one day we would be family.

***

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Maria whispered, as she held baby Grace closely. “She’s perfect, Kori.”
I could see her unshed tears pooling in her eyes. It was one of those bittersweet moments. She was

happy, I could see it. Yet she was saddened too.

I catch her crying often when she sees a mother with her children. Hell, even when commercials

come on about diapers, she tears up.

I noticed Kori staring at Maria with a pained expression on her face.
“She already loves her Aunt Maria. She’s looking forward to all those shopping sprees you’ve

been promising.”

Maria laughed and wiped at her eyes. “We will, too. We’ll shop ‘til we drop, little Grace.” She

looked up and wrinkled her nose at Kori. “We’ll leave your momma at home, though. She’s a huge
whiney brat when it comes to shopping.”

Kori’s smile matched Maria’s, as they continued to inspect the little bundle in pink.
Reed brought Rhett in, and they piled up next to Kori. It was time for him to meet his little sister.
Maria and I stepped out, to give them privacy.
I wrapped her in my arms, holding her close. We stood silent for a moment, before I pulled back

just enough to look her in the eyes.

“You do know that, one day, I’m gonna watch you grow with our child.” Her eyes moistened once

again. “We will be holding our child and memorizing every little feature. I promise you, baby.”

She buried her face in my chest, and I whispered into her ear. “Our time will come,” I said.
She nodded her head against me, and I held her a little tighter.

Chapter Thirty-Two

“This is all mine?” Mikey asked from the doorway of his new room, as his gaze roamed the room,

in awe.

“It sure is. Every last thing,” Maria told him, and she placed his bag on the bed. “I figured we

could go shopping together for clothes, if that’s all right.”

He looked back and forth between me and Maria, wrinkling his nose up in disgust. “I really hate

shopping,” he stated, and Maria looked like someone had just kicked her cat.

“It’s all right, buddy, we’ll work it all out later,” I assured him. Maria appeared as if she was

about to argue, and I grinned, shaking my head no at her. I nudged my head toward the hallway,
requesting that she follow me out.

We stepped from the room to allow Mikey to settle in privately.
“Did you honestly just shush me?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I shook my head no at ya, so in a way I guess so.” I wanted to laugh, but I held it in. Maria was at

times pretty damn feisty.

I stepped forward and took her face in my hands. Kissing her, I attempted to alleviate her spunky

attitude.

Leaving her winded and aroused, I walked away chuckling.
Mikey was here with us now, and it felt even more like a home. A year ago, if anyone had told me

I would be living with a woman and adopting a son, hell, I would have thought he was nothing but
crazy.

But now I couldn’t imagine being without either one of them. They both made me feel complete.

Everything seemed better when they were with me.

The past was nothing but the rocky road that had led me to the two people who now held my heart

in their hands. I would do anything for them.

I later found Maria sitting on the floor in Mikey’s room wearing some sort of head device. She had

that determined look on her face while staring at the TV. Mikey, on the other hand, sat on the floor
next to her laughing so hard that he held his stomach.

“Shoot ’em. They’re gonna eat you. You’ll be a zombie burger for sure,” he shouted, as he jumped

to his feet. He began bouncing up and down while pointing at the TV. “Run, no left. They’re right
behind you. Go faster.”

“Where do I go? I can’t find my way out,” she replied.
I continued to listen and watch as Mikey laughed even harder.
“If the zombie apocalypse ever happens, let me and Gavin lead. You’d be sushi on the first day.”

He flopped down next to her, as she pulled the headset off.

By the look on her face, she was confused. “How on earth are you supposed to win that game?

There were like twelve hundred of those crazy, nasty things coming at me. It’s impossible.”

Mikey took the controller from her, slipping the headset on his head as he smiled. “Watch, I’ll

show ya.”

He sounded so confident, and it only made my smile grow larger. Maria watched closely, shaking

her head. Mikey whipped through room after room, blowing things up and moving on like it was
nothing.

When he was all done, completely untouched, he shrugged his shoulders and looked over at Maria.

“That’s how it’s done.”

She stared at him, occasionally opening her mouth, but no words came out. It was honestly one of

the funniest damn things I had ever witnessed. Maria, speechless; that didn’t happen often.

I was pretty sure, that between Mikey and me, things around here would never get old or dull.

Chapter Thirty-Three

My hands were shaking uncontrollably. I was a grown man, and I was flipping out from fear…or

the anxiety of the unknown.

I was on my way to meet Maria and Mikey. They were already at Gemma and Bud’s house. The

Thanksgiving feast awaited, and I was driving twenty miles an hour, attempting to slow my racing
heart.

The small box sitting just a foot away was more like a glowing inferno, burning a hole in my seat.
I had thought it over and then thought it over again. I had analyzed it at least a hundred times. I

weighed out the pros and the cons. And after all that, I still thought tonight was the right time.

Tonight was the night Maria and everyone else would know how much I truly meant it, when I said

she was the last woman I’d ever love.

After yet another pep talk, I finally got the courage to go for it. If I didn’t do it then, I would only

regret it later. I had spent the last week trying to get it out. There were so many nights with Mikey and
me sitting next to her in the living room that I wanted to ask her so badly. But then the feeling would
pass. I would then convince myself that there was always tomorrow.

This time I wasn’t letting it pass. I would walk in that house and find my girl.
The moment I entered, the noise flooded my mind. Gemma did Thanksgiving big. Hell, half the

damn town had to be there. But somewhere in the madhouse were the two people I had to find.

“Gavin,” Ben hollered. His hand resting on my shoulder, he asked, “You looking for your girl?”
“Yeah, actually, I am. Have you seen her or Mikey?” I asked.
“Mikey was playing a board game with some of the other kids, in the family room.” He scanned

the room. “Your girl was in here a few minutes ago, uh…” He zoomed in on something and smiled.
“Right there,” he pointed.

Maria was sitting on the floor near the fireplace. She was surrounded by little kids.
Maria was laughing, as a little girl stood in front of her with her hands on her hips. She started

shaking her little hips and kicking her feet, showing Maria some sort of dance move.

Maria was clearly enjoying herself and the attention of all the kids. It was obvious that they adored

her.

She looked up as I approached slowly, our eyes never wandering from one another’s.
Standing before her, I held out my hand and helped her up from the floor. She looked at me with

curiosity.

I slowly knelt before her, my heart once again beating so hard and fast. Everything and everyone

around us became silent. I heard a gasp, and someone, who I was pretty sure was Kori, said, “Oh my
god!”

Maria looked down at me, and her hand was shaking almost as bad as mine.
“Do you know that you can still make my heart race with just your smile? I think about you all the

time, every second. I’ve had life without you, but I didn’t care much for that life.” I looked to the left
when Kori led Mikey into the room.

I smiled at him before looking back up to meet Maria’s teary eyes. “It took me awhile to realize

that you’re the one I was meant to find. You’re the reason I ended up here. Maybe not the reason I
moved, but the reason I stayed.” I pulled the ring box from my pocket and squeezed it tightly in my
fisted hand.

“You and Mikey are my world. You’re my family, and I want to marry you. I want us to surround

ourselves with little people who adore their momma as much as I do. I wanna give Mikey a house full
of siblings. I wanna stand by your side as we watch them grow.”

I pulled the ring from the box and twisted it between my fingers. “I found my future when I least

expected it. I want forever with you. Will you marry me?”

Tears ran over her cheeks as she stared into my eyes. She still hadn’t looked at the ring I held. All

at once, she shrank to the floor in front of me and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Yes,” she whispered. “I’ll marry you. I’d marry you right this second if I could.” Her sweet

flowery scent filled my nose. I held her close and everyone remained silent.

Raising my head, I looking around at the questioning stares. “She said yes,” I announced.
Immediately the room filled with laughter and a round of congratulations.
I motioned for Mikey to come closer, and he walked toward us. We placed him inside our little

circle, and he groaned when we squeezed him tight.

“I need to tell you boys something.” Maria laid her head on my shoulder and took in a deep breath.

“I wasn’t gonna say anything until we got home. But um, well I, uh.” She paused.

“What’s wrong?” Mikey asked nervously.
“No, nothing’s wrong, Mikey. I just found out this afternoon that I’m pregnant.”
The minute the words escaped her lips, my knees weakened, but not from fear or disappointment. It

was overwhelming excitement and joy.

We were gonna have a baby.

Epilogue

Maria

“I feel like a complete ass. I can’t even hold down water,” I groaned in a whiney yet cute voice.

Or at least I thought it was cute. “Morning sickness, really; who gave it that name, anyway? It should
be called all-day every-day sickness.”

Gavin rubbed my back as he sat next to me on the bathroom floor. With his back resting against the

side of the tub, he held a lost look on his face.

“I wish I could help, baby. Do you want something to rinse out your mouth?” he asked, and I

nodded my head.

He had really been amazing over the last couple of weeks. He had insisted I stay off my feet and

rest. I know it had a lot to do with losing our baby back in June. He was fearful, as much as I was,
that it would happen again. I tried so hard to hide my fear. I hated that we both felt as if we were
walking on eggshells.

Even Mikey was treating me like glass. It was cute, really. He insisted on getting everything I

needed. Sometimes I would catch him watching me out of the corner of my eye. If I made any noise—
a sigh or a groan—he and Gavin were at my side.

I learned to keep my everyday aches quiet. Those two boys were way too observant.
It was cute at first, but now they just drove me crazy. Getting through the first trimester would be a

great relief for all of us.

Gavin invited everyone to our place for Christmas. By everyone, I mean my momma, Colt, and

Gavin’s dad.

“I need to get up and clean myself up. Everyone’ll be here an hour from now.” I tried to get up

from the floor, and my stomach began turning once more.

Gavin grabbed my arm and supported my weight. “Maybe we should just hold off on this until you

feel better.”

I laughed and shook my head. “No. This is Mikey’s first Christmas with us. We can’t hold off

Christmas. I’ll feel better. I just need a shower.”

“Well then, I’m getting in with ya. I’m not leaving you in there by yourself,” he stated.
I smirked and he rolled his eyes. “Not for that reason.”
Placing my hand on one hip, I threw my other one out to the side. “And why not?” I asked.
In five seconds flat he had my t-shirt off and my panties around my ankles. I stood before him

naked, and all he did was look in my eyes. “Because you’re not feeling well. I just want to take care
of you.”

“That would take care of me.” I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively and he laughed.

***

Gavin

I took my time washing her hair and body. Her eyes fell shut and she relaxed from my touch.
“I love when you touch me. It’s so relaxing,” she whispered.
“Maybe if you’re feeling better later, I can touch ya some more.” I kissed her shoulder and began

rinsing her body, gliding my hands over her curves. Maria was thin, but she had the fullness in her
hips that I loved. She was perfect, and so damn sexy. It was so hard to resist taking her right now.

“Promise?” she sighed.
“I promise,” I told her, massaging her breast gently.
“Now you’re just teasing me,” she whimpered.
“Nah, I don’t tease. It’s simply a demonstration of what’s to come,” I stated.
She laughed just as a loud knock pounded on the door.
“Come on you two—hell, she’s already knocked up. What are y’all doing, trying to build twins?”

Colt chuckled and Maria rolled her eyes at her brother.

“He needs a girlfriend or something. I think he’s here more than he’s home. Ya know, last night I

found Mikey on the X-box after midnight. He was battling it out with Colt through the Bluetooth.”

“Colt has an X-box?” I asked.
She smiled. “He does now.”
It was really heartwarming how everyone had accepted Mikey. He was part of the family,

extended and all. Everyone loved him.

I think Colt had found himself a new best friend.
We hurried to finish up in the shower before joining everyone in the living room.
We walked in to find Colt on the floor with Mikey, holding him in a head lock. My dad knelt on the

floor next to them, slapping his hand to a count of one, two, three.

Then grabbing for Mikey’s and hand holding it high, he declared another victory over Colt.
Everything about our Christmas felt perfect. I couldn’t help thinking that this time next year we

would have another little addition to our family. I smiled at the thought, as I observed everyone
around the room.

***

After everyone had left and Mikey was in bed, I held true to my promise. I crawled into bed and

paused over Maria’s stomach to kiss her softly.

She smiled big at the gesture, and my own heart swelled with even more love.
“So earlier, I made a promise,” I said.
She grinned up at me. “You sure did. I believe you were gonna put those thrusting thighs of yours

to work.” I chuckled at her comment.

Between her and Kori, the phrase ‘thrusting thighs’ had kinda stuck. They used it often, and all

Reed and I could do was shake our heads. Their minds worked up some crazy things.

“Yeah, I can do that. You just relax and let me take care of you,” I said soothingly, as I kissed her

body tenderly.

I worked my way from one curve to the next. Flipping my tongue over her nipples, I nipped at the

peaks. She arched her body upward and I grinned against her breast.

“I love these,” I said, as I kneaded her breast.
Her legs fell open and I positioned myself between her thighs. I couldn’t wait to push myself

inside of her. I wanted to take it slow, but I was worried I wouldn’t be able to hold back.

She reached between us and took me in her hand, positioning me at her center. Lifting her hips, she

rocked against me.

Pushing my hips forward, I slipped inside, and I swear my body trembled right along with hers.
We began moving together as we moaned in unison. It had been a little over a week since we had

made love, and it was torture. I promised myself I wouldn’t touch her until she felt better.

We were both close, as our breathing became heavy and labored.
“I’m so close,” she breathed.
“Me too. Come with me,” I begged, as I fisted the sheets at the side of her head. Driving forward

with steady strokes, I rotated my hips, rubbing her sweet spot with each entry.

She came, screaming out my name. I followed right behind with a loud groan.

***

I lay with my chest pressed against her back and my hand stretched out over her tummy. Beneath it

lay the child we had created with love. The child who we would treasure and love in return.

“You think we could make it happen by February?” I asked.
She turned her head just enough so I could see her face. “I don’t want anything big or fancy. Do

you?”

“No,” I told her. “Just our family and closest friends, that’s enough for me,” I said.
She was silent for a minute, and then through the darkness, I could see her mouth curve into a

smile. “February sounds like a plan. I think we can make it happen.”

“Good,” I said, as I kissed her temple. “I love you, sweetheart.”
For the first time in so long, I felt whole. I had a sense of peace I had been missing. Maria and

Mikey were my peace, and soon we would only bring more joy to our home. Together, we’ll get
through anything.

Bonus Scene

Reed

The moonlight filtering in from the bedroom window shadowed her sweet little cheeks. I soothed

her tiny cries by tracing my finger gently along her eyebrow. Swaying from side to side, my heart was
so full of love, it felt as if it could burst.

“It’s okay, baby girl. Daddy’s got you. I’ll always do everything I can to soothe your cries,” I

promised my sweet angel.

Grace made little sucking noises as her tiny lips puckered. I couldn’t help but smile.
I snuggled her close, making my way down the hall toward the woman who gave me the greatest

gifts any man could ask for.

I gently sat down on the bed next to my wife. Her hair spread out over the pillow, her body curled

in toward the spot I sleep.

Holding Grace with one hand against my chest, I gently nudge Kori. “Hey, baby.” Her eyes

fluttered open, a smile pulling at the edge of her lips.

“Is she hungry?” she asked.
I nodded my head. “You get yourself comfortable, and I’ll lay her down.”
I watched while she unhooked her gown and propped herself against the headboard. Placing a

pillow in front of her, I laid Grace onto it.

We both watched in awe as our daughter nursed. It was hard to believe she was already six months

old.

Every single time I witnessed it, my heart filled with even more love for Kori. I didn’t think it was

possible to love her more than I already had. I was wrong. I thanked God everyday she allowed me
into her life and in turn into Rhett’s. That little boy is my son, regardless of DNA. He held my heart
just as much as Grace. They’re my kids, and Kori gave me that.

My eyes burnt with the emotion I felt, watching Kori nurse our daughter.
Her tiny hand fisted around my finger. I looked up to find Kori staring back at me. “She’s beautiful,

isn’t she?”

I nodded my head, in agreement.
Kori continued to watch me closely, and I grinned back. “I know I’ve told you so many times, but,”

I paused and swallowed passed the emotional knot that had formed in my throat. “Thank you, for
everything.”

“What are you thanking me for, Reed?” she asked.

I slide closer to my wife, my wife. Those words still pulled heavily on my chest.
I laced my fingers through hers, as they rest against Grace’s back. “For forgiving me, loving me.” I

paused to look down at my daughter. “For Rhett and Grace. You’re all my world, baby, and every day
I only fall more in love with each one of you.”

“We love you too, handsome.” I looked up to find her with a tear trailing down her cheek. “You

don’t have to keep thanking me though. Everything in life, all the troubles and heartache, it brought me
back to you. You saved me when I needed it most. Loving you was never a question, I never stopped
loving you.”

I crawled over her legs and curled up against her side. Kissing her softly, breathing in her scent I

love so much. “I love you, baby.”

***

Kori

“I want it to be perfect. Not that your work isn’t amazing, Colt.” He smiled back at me and I hung

my head. Taking a deep breath, I looked back up to meet his questioning stare.

“I don’t have to tell you how important this is. I know you already know Maria deserves this. You

know how hard it’s been for her, losing their baby. It nearly broke her.” Colt nodded in agreement. “I
just want the crib to be amazing. I want her to have this.”

“Kori, I got it. It means just as much to me as it does you,” he replied.
I smiled back at him. “I know it does I just can’t wait to share it with her.”
I had asked Colt to make a crib for Maria. A handmade crib with matching changing table. It

would be my gift to her.

She was finally getting her happy ending. Two months ago Gavin and Maria were married. It was

a small ceremony, with only about fifteen guests. Gavin broke down during his vows and it was that
moment I knew she had her Reed. Gavin adored her. It took a while for him to warm up to that, but
once he did, there was no turning back.

I no longer worried about her heart because I knew Gavin held it dear. He treated her like glass,

and it drove her crazy. But I know deep down she loved it. For once she was the center of someone’s
world. I know how that feels, and it’s amazing.

With the love she gets from Gavin and Mikey, their upcoming additions will only give her more

completion. Maria, surrounded by Tennison’s boys, I could only laugh. They were having a boy, and
she loved it. I thought she’d be disappointed. She loves to shop, and having a little girl of her own
would be like heaven. But she loves to be surrounded by the craziness of her boys.

I thanked Colt and got out of his way so he could get to work. I really had no doubt the crib would

be gorgeous.

After a quick stop at the store, I rushed home to my family. My family. Excited flutters filled my

stomach every time I spoke those words, or even thought of them. They’re my people, the ones who
make me feel whole.

As I walked up the steps of our home, the familiar country station became clear. I quietly entered

and placed my bag on the table, next to the door.

Taking a few steps forward, I watched as Reed held Rhett up in the air. Rhett was laughing,

holding his arms out to his sides. Reed swayed from side to side, making Vroom sounds with his

mouth.

“More,” Rhett giggled and smiled big. “More, Daddy.”
I held my hand to my aching chest. Daddy was a word Rhett was using more often. He still

referred to Blake’s picture in his room as Daddy as well. He kissed it each night and told him he
loved him too, before Reed and I tucked him in. It had become routine. It was perfect.

Grace squealed out from her bouncer on the floor and Reed chuckled. The sound of their happiness

overwhelmed me, and the tears trailed down my cheeks.

Rhett yelled out momma, and Reed turned to find me standing in the doorway. He quickly placed

Rhett on to the floor and rushed toward me. Placing his hands on my shoulders, he got down eye level
with me.

“What’s going on? What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I whispered. Raising my hands up, I placed them onto each side of his face. Pressing

my lips against his in a gentle kiss. Resting my forehead against his, I took in a calming breath.

“Everything is absolutely perfect. You are such an amazing man, and I just fell in love with you a

little more, Reed Jackson.”

Prologue

Alexis

“Mommy, I’m hungry,” Maddison spoke out from behind me. The sound of her sweet voice only

made my heart ache more intensely.

“I know, baby, mommy will find you something real soon. I promise.” I slowed the car to a stop

and reached for the bag in the passenger seat beside me. Digging around, I pulled out the package of
crackers I took from our last stop.

Turning around, looking back at my little girl, I forced a smile. She looked so tired, and seeing that

in her eyes made me feel like a worthless mother.

Tearing the package open, I handed her the two crackers. “Here, sweet pea, eat these for now. I

know it’s not much, but I’ll get ya something real soon, okay?”

Maddison nodded her head and took the crackers from me. “You still have juice in your cup?” I

asked, and she nodded her sleepy little head once again. “Good, we’ll be stopping real soon.”

Turning back to face forward, I took in a deep breath and began looking around. I had passed a

sign that read ‘Welcome to Brooklet’ about a mile back—I found myself wondering if they even had a
hotel, here in this small town. It was a big change from San Diego.

With only a little over two hundred dollars left to my name, I knew I had to make it last. The

thought of not being able to take care of Maddison made me sick to my stomach.

I had no choice, I couldn’t go back. I had to leave, had to hide out. He had crossed a line that could

never be fixed. A life like we were living, it had to stop.

I knew I was taking a chance by going back home to Fort Myers, but I needed my family more than

ever. I knew it would be the first place he would look, but it was the only place I had to go.

Keeping Maddi safe came first. It was my job, and for the last six months, I had failed her and the

memory of Troy.

So the choice to leave in the middle of the night, when Seth least expected me too, was an easy one

to make—a choice I would never regret, no matter how much I had to sacrifice.

Maddi needing stability. When she had all she needed, then my needs would come.
“I need to potty, Mommy,” Maddison spoke again.
The decision had just been made. It looked like Brooklet would be our stop for now. At least for

tonight.

I pulled into the parking lot of a small restaurant. It was just after seven at night and the lot

appeared deserted. Two cars parked up close to the entrance.

Holding Maddison’s hand securely in mine, we walked side by side toward the entrance.
The smell of grease engulfed me once the door opened, and it smelled amazing. It had been hours

since I last ate anything.

“Is it just the two of you?” an older woman with a genuine smile asked. I nodded my head as she

led us to a small booth in the back.

“Do you have a restroom my little girl can use?” I asked as I looked around the small dining area.
“Just down that hall. Can I get anything started for you?” she questioned.
“Yeah, um, a grilled cheese and chocolate milk if ya got it?” I told her as I led Maddi toward the

bathrooms.

“What are you having, darlin’?” she hollered after me.
“Nothing thanks, I’m not hungry.” I forced a smile as I hurried toward the bathroom.
“Mommy, your tummy is growling.” Maddi looked up at me as I continued to guide her toward the

back.

“No, baby, mommy ate this morning. I’m good,” I assured her.
I had decided that I would only allow myself one meal a day. Even though I would kill for a juicy

burger and fries, I had to use my head. The money had to last until I found another source of income.

When we made our way back to our table, I thought for a moment we were at the wrong one.
There was a large salad at one side, and on the other sat a bowl of applesauce. A large soda with

a cup of chocolate milk sat in the center.

I stood looking around in confusion just as the lady who greeted us sat a plate of fries on the table.
“Ma’am, I didn’t order all this. I can’t—” I began to tell her as panic set in. She held up her hand

to stop me.

“Don’t you worry yourself over it, darlin’, it’s all been taken care of.” She grinned and nudged her

head toward the door.

I looked up just as a tall, broad man pushed open the door. He tipped his head toward me and

winked, a dimpled grin gracing his lips. I stood staring at him until he disappeared through the exit.

“That sweet man just bought the two of you dinner.” She placed her hand on my shoulder and gave

it a reassuring squeeze. “There’s kind people out there, sweetheart. Colt Thompson is a good man.”

Her final words left an emptiness in my chest, a good man. I wasn’t sure those existed anymore.
Besides my father, I didn’t know any others. Troy, Maddison’s father, was a good man. A man

who gave his life for his country and never got the chance to know he was gonna be a father.

Acknowledgements

My husband and children, you three are my world. Thank you for being the most amazing people in

my life. I love you with all my heart and thank you for making it possible for me to accomplish my
goals.

Limitless Publishing and everyone behind that name. You are all wonderful. Thank you for all your

help and hard work. You all make this process painless and worth all the energy I put behind my
books.

Mrs. Maria Trojanowski, what would I do without you? You give me a push when I need it most.

If I hit a dull point, I know that in some way you will get me moving again. You are one of the good
ones and I am so thankful that we became friends. Thank you for being there when I need you.

The Lovely Jillian my PA. I am so very happy that I have you in my corner. You are without a

doubt an angel. You keep me organized and that is not an easy task. I am so scattered and without you
I would forget where I need to be and when. You’re a godsend and I adore you my New York Gal.

Thank you to Lydia from HEAbook ShelfBlogger. Once again Lady love, you are adored. You are

my Go to girl for Tours and promo. I just can’t say enough about how great you are. You are kind and
generous and dedicated. You are so trustworthy and fun. I place my books in your hands and not think
twice about it. You always hold up your end of the deal and shoot well above the expected. I love
what you do. You two ROCK MY WORLD!

All my fans and followers…Thank you all for your dedication and kind words. The continued

support that you show me is humbling. I love hearing from each and every one of you. The messages
you send me regarding the characters I have created are welcomed. I am just glad that you two have
learned to love them as much as I have.

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