The music starts and Rayment whispers, “Heads up: officer on deck.”
Then ‘Kiss from a Rose’ echoes through the hidden speakers. It’s one of Rachel’s favorite songs. Today, the words mean everything. I know she picked it for me—for us.
You became the light on the dark side of me.
God, this woman. She knows … she knows me. She understands. My woman. My world. My everything.
Rayment sniggers.
“If she’s the rose, you must be the thorn.”
“Yeah, well you’re the prick.”
“At least I didn’t get shot in the arse,” he mutters.
Bastard.
Almost afraid, I turn and look. My woman has her hair swept back elegantly and she’s wearing a pale blue, floor length dress. It’s simple and natural and beautiful—just like her.
I meet her eyes and emotion threatens to un-man me. I feel … I don’t know what I feel—proud, happy, destroyed, fulfilled, adrift, repaired, saved. And love, so much love, it’s overwhelming.
If I fucking cry now, I’ll have to shoot myself to find a way to explain the tears. I’m regretting not wearing the Smith & Wesson.
Princess Lilly is walking in front, her little face solemn, clutching a basket of white and pink rose petals. But then she looks up and sees me, and gives a little wave before she remembers to be serious. My face splits with a smile and Rachel winks at me.
And I realize I’m a lucky bastard. I have everything I want in the world right here. Everyone that I love is in this room. And the friends that I’ve lost, I feel they’re somewhere near, cheering me on.
Then Rachel is standing by my side and promising to be mine forever. Forever.
“Justin, I love you because … because there aren’t enough hours in the day when I want to tease a smile from you. Because you dare to love, because you take a chance on life, because you never stop showing me your love, because you care, because you’re a good man. Because if you weren’t in my life, it would be a dry and tired and without joy. You are the sun on my face, and the stars in my sky, and hearing your voice brightens each and every day. I love you so much. I will love you through this world and beyond. Always yours.”
And I can’t speak. The words won’t come.
I stand, breathless and voiceless, watching the tears gather in Rachel’s eyes as she looks at me, our fingers entwined.
Rayment prods me in my left kidney, causing me to squeal like a girl.
“You’re supposed to say your sodding vows, you muppet,” he whispers loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Fuck off, I know!”
Everyone is trying not to laugh, except Princess Lilly, who looks stern.
“Daddy said a bad word!” she sing-songs.
I pull myself together and take a deep breath. I’m about to blow my reputation as a man of few words.
“I fell in love with you the day I met you, and I’ve been in love with you every day since. You’ve seen my highs and my lows, and you’ve never stopped supporting me, helping me, loving me. It took me a long time to get you agree to marry me, but I knew you’d see reason in the end…” [Muffled laughter] “…and I will do everything in my power—everything—to make you as happy as you deserve to be. I don’t know why you picked me to love, but I’m so fuc— very happy that you did. I will never take you for granted and I will love you every day while there is breath in my body, Rachel Rebecca Smith Trainer. Thank you for being mine.”
There’s muted applause and sighing from the womenfolk—and from Rayment—who is fucking soft for an ex-SAS staff sergeant.
Gently, as if she’s made of gossamer, I push a plain, platinum band onto the fourth finger of Rachel’s left hand, where, God willing, it will stay until the end of time.
The cool metal of a matching ring slips onto my hand and I stare down at it. I’ve never worn a wedding band before, not even when I was locked in unholy matrimony with Carla. This is new, this is for me and for Rachel. And no fucker is ever separating me from my jewelry. Okay, that sounded weirder than I intended, but it’s the truth. My wedding band is now part of me: blood, body and bone.
“You may now kiss the bride.”
I throw the officiant a look that says, Damn straight!
And I take my woman in my arms and kiss her until there’s no air in my lungs. Lilly’s giggle brings me back to the real world, and Rachel’s cheeks are a delicate shade of pink.
“That’s how you do it, JT! Thought I was going to have to show you, you lily-livered bastard!” roars Rayment.
Lilly slaps his wrist.
“Stop swearing! You’re a naughty man.”
“You tell him, sweetheart,” I say. “That’s my girl.”
Maria stands up and starts taking photographs on her cell phone while Lilly tosses more rose petals into the air, frowning at Rayment who looks abashed.
Too fucking funny! Nine year old Lilly staring down an ex-SAS flathead. Yeah well, she is her father’s daughter and I couldn’t be prouder. I just hope she doesn’t kick him in the kneecaps, as well.
Suddenly, the doors spring open and seven men pour in. I’m about to reach for my missing Smith & Wesson, when I realize that four of them are in Marine uniform and forming an arch with sabers, along with:
“Troll! You bastard! I can’t believe you came!”
“Course I did, T! Not about to miss you getting your own monogrammed ball and chain!”
He’s followed by Cyclops and Cliff, looking ridiculous, stuffed into too-tight suits.
“I can’t believe you bastards pulled this stunt!”
“Language, Justin!” hisses Rachel, trying not laugh.
“Did you know about this, Mrs. Trainer?”
“Why yes I did, Mr. Trainer. What are you going to do about it?”
Her eyes are challenging.
“I’m going to kiss you soundly, Mrs. Trainer!” and I do.
A ragged cheer goes up and we walk beneath the arch, smiling hugely. Fuck. My face hurts.
Married life is a blast.
The meal is something else, or so Rayment tells me later. I don’t remember much about it, just that Rachel looked beautiful and happy and smiled the whole time. I don’t remember smiling quite so much, but looking at the photographs later, I realize that I did. I’ll have to get a job as a crossing guard if I don’t get my face back in order at some point. Who heard of a close protection officer who doubled as a toothpaste model? Credibility, that’s all I’m saying.
Rayment’s speech was short and loud, and Rachel had to put her hands over Lilly’s ears. Allison pretended to be shocked but I saw her talking to Jimbo later, and giggling as he flexed his biceps for her. I thought I was going to vomit $600 champagne over her bunion-pinching shoes. Celia just squawked like a goose at a feather-duster convention and drank half a bottle of brandy before passing out, um, retiring to her room.
The party is winding down and I’m itching to get Mrs. Trainer alone in the honeymoon suite, when I feel a twitching in my right eye which can only mean that the boss is close by.
“Congratulations, Trainer. I think you’ll be a very happy man.”
“Thank you, sir. I think so, too.”
“There’s every chance that you’ll be as happy in your marriage as I am in mine,” and he glances at Maria, who is glowing with happiness and one glass of champagne too many.
He clears his throat.
“And I wanted to thank you, Trainer, for everything you’ve done for me and for Mrs. Anderson. Without you … I … Maria … it’s not been an easy adjustment for her—all of this—but she trusts you and you’ve made it better for her. I thank you for that. We both do. Anyway … Mrs. Anderson thought that you’d both enjoy a three-week honeymoon in the Caribbean. You’ll find the jet waiting at Teterboro for you tomorrow afternoon.”
He throws me a sly glance.
“I didn’t want to make the flight too early.”
“That’s … three weeks? Have you got security cover for
that?”
He laughs.
“Enjoy your vacation, Trainer. And please cash that check sometime—it’s giving my accountant a headache.”
Then he strolls away smiling.
Bastard. Now I have to be grateful to him. Twice over.
Rachel walks up and takes my arm.
“Everything okay?”
“Did you know about the Caribbean?”
She smiles enigmatically.
“Mrs. Trainer, have you been trained in covert ops?”
“I think you’re about to find out Mr. Trainer,” she says, kissing my lips and rubbing my back suggestively. “But there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you…” She flushes slightly. “We haven’t really talked about it…”
“What is it, baby?”
“How do you feel about being a father again?”
Rachel’s voice stops me in my tracks.
“You mean…? Are you…?”
She raises an eyebrow and smiles at me.
“No, not yet. But I’m hoping after the honeymoon…”
Shit! I think time just stopped! But why the hell not? Janet Jackson got knocked up at fifty and seemed pretty damn happy about it.
“Right! That’s it!” I yell, much to the guests’ surprise. “Party’s over—everyone out. Mrs. Trainer and I have some business to take care of.”
And to the sounds of laughter and jeers, I whisk her off her feet and carry her out of the room. The sound of happiness follows us down the hallway.
“Honestly, Justin! Couldn’t you have waited another half an hour?”
“Nope.”
And in all honesty, I couldn’t have waited another second. I want my life with her to start now. Right now.
And forever.
The End.
The Very End.
The Complete and Utter End.
Reviews
I really hope that you enjoyed Trainer’s story—written with affection and a lot of laughter. I hope you’ll enjoy reading more about his adventures with half-baked billionaire Devon Anderson.
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More books by JHB
Series Titles
The Justin Trainer Series
The bodyguard and the billionaire
Guarding the Billionaire (Justin Trainer series #1)
Saving the Billionaire (Justin Trainer series #2)
* The EOD Series
Blood, bombs and heartbreak
*Tick Tock (EOD series #1)
* Bombshell (EOD series #2)
*The Traveling Series
All the fun of the fair … and two worlds collide
*The Traveling Man (Traveling series #1)
*The Traveling Woman (Traveling series #2)
*Roustabout (Traveling series #3)
*Carnival (Traveling series #4)
*The Education Series
An epic love story spanning the years, through war zones and more…
*The Education of Sebastian (Education series #1)
*The Education of Caroline (Education series #2)
The Education of Sebastian & Caroline (combined edition, books 1 & 2)
Semper Fi: The Education of Caroline (Education series #3)
*The Rhythm Series
Blood, sweat, tears and dance
*Slave to the Rhythm (Rhythm series #1)
*Luka (Rhythm series #2)
With Stuart Reardon
*Undefeated
*Model Boyfriend
*Touch My Soul (novella)
Gym Or Chocolate? (September 2019)
With Alana Albertson
Father Figure (August 2019)
Standalone Titles
New Adult
*Dangerous to Know & Love
Dazzled
Summer of Seventeen
Contemporary Romance
Battle Scars
One Careful Owner
*Lifers
At Your Beck & Call
The New Samurai
Exposure
Paranormal
The Dark Detective
Novellas
Playing in the Rain
*Behind the Walls
Audio Books
One Careful Owner
(narrated by Seth Clayton)
Theatre
Later, After: Playscript
Later, After: DVD
Trailer
* These titles are published in languages other than English. Please check my website for details.
MORE ABOUT JHB
“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none”—this is one of my favourite sayings. Oh, and ‘Be Nice!’ That’s another. Or maybe, ‘Where’s the chocolate?’
I get asked where my ideas come from—they come from everywhere. From walks with my dog on the beach, from listening to conversations in pubs and shops, where I lurk unnoticed with my notebook. And of course, ideas come from things I’ve seen or read, places I’ve been and people I meet.
Justin Trainer is a fictional character—mostly—but some of the things he went through as a Marine are not. That’s why I support these charities:
www.felixfund.org.uk – the UK Bomb Disposal Charity
www.eodwarrriorfoundation.org – the US Bomb Disposal Charity
www.nowzad.com – helping servicemen and women rescue stray and abandoned animals in former and current warzones
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Acknowledgements
If I truly had to ask everyone who’s ever helped me, I’d have to start with thanking my parents for reading to me a lot of years back, my kindergarten teacher Mrs. Peck and … well, you get the picture.
Wanting to write, being a writer, it’s a lifelong lesson, and one that I’m still learning. But there are a number of people who have helped guide and sculpt this book. So I’ll start with these women, all amazing in their own rights, all different, all supportive.
To Kirsten Olsen, friend, confidant, editor, whose support never fails me.
To Lara Herrara for additional suggetions.
To Sheena Lumsden for many things behind the scenes, but most of all, unwavering friendship.
To Lee Ching, Under Cover Designs for her cover artwork.
To all the bloggers who give up their time for their passion of reading and reviewing books—thank you for your support.
And to the real Justin Trainer, who swears worse than his fictional counterpart, but is a man to have by your side when the odds are against you.
Thank you Jane’s Travelers. You know how much you mean to me and you never let me down. You are my go-to gals, advising, supporting, making me laugh when I need it, reporting pirates, and generally being the best reader group and friendship group I could want. I love all your messages, and thank you so much for being my eyes and ears out in our amazing book world while I hide in my writer’s cave.
Jane Harvey-Berrick Saving The Billionaire Page 30