by Carrie Elks
Hearing her name, Bella barked loudly, her tail wagging like crazy as Lydia leaned in to give her a hug. “I’m happy to see you, too, pumpkin,” Lydia told her, as Bella licked her face all over. “She looks like she’s grown,” Lydia said, turning back to Jackson. Damn, it was so good to see him. She loved to travel, but she loved to be with him more.
Jackson shook his head. “I might have given her too many treats after the last time I came back. She’s on a strict diet now.” In the past six months, he’d visited her in France, Argentina, and most recently, Bali. Those had been her favorite locations, showing him all the places she loved, introducing him to her friends. She’d discovered he was an intrepid explorer. He had no fear, not when he was riding down a zip line over a deep gorge, nor when they climbed part of Mont Blanc with a tour guide.
And the nights when he held her close, after an evening of good food, wine, and dancing, were her favorites of all.
Once Jackson had put her cases into the trunk – though one had to go in the back seat next to Bella – he walked around to the passenger side and opened it up. Lydia went to follow him, but he put up his hand.
“You’re driving,” he told her, pointing at the other side of the car. “That’s your seat.”
“Seriously? I haven’t driven for two months.” Not since he’d given her intensive lessons the last time she came to Angel Sands, and somehow she’d managed to pass her test and obtain her license.
“It’s like riding a bike, you have to practice. Use it or lose it, baby.”
“It’s your funeral.” She shrugged with a smile. “Possibly literally.”
“Get in and drive, woman.” He winked. “We’ve got things to do.”
It took her half an hour to warm up to the car. Thirty minutes of jolting stops, shuddering accelerations, and turns that were more like diversions, they were so far off the mark. But eventually she relaxed, right as she turned off the highway and they reached the hills and brush above Angel Sands.
“How’s your dad?” she asked him, feeling more confident as the minutes past.
“He’s good. He beat Frank Megassey in the Angel Sands Chess Tournament, so he’s riding on a high from that.”
Lydia grinned. She had such a soft spot for Ryan. He was already like a second father to her. “And your mom?”
“I spoke to her a couple of weeks ago. She has a job. Only part time, but it’s a start.” Jackson shrugged. “As long as she’s paying her own way, I’m good.”
She loved the way he looked so relaxed about his parents. He’d really taken his dad’s words to heart, letting them sort out their own problems. Which was good, because right now she wanted him to concentrate on her.
They had a lot of catching up to do.
In front of her, the Pacific Ocean danced and sparkled, as though it was filled with a million tiny diamonds. She could feel the warmth of the sun on her face through the windshield, making her smile.
“The water looks so pretty today.”
“Does it?” Jackson murmured. “I can’t see past the view right here.”
Her smile widened. “Hey, have you heard from Simba’s family recently?”
“He and Bella had a play date on the beach last week,” Jackson told her. “The two of them had a contest to see who could shake the most water off and get us drenched. We called it a tie.”
“Can we arrange another play date soon? I’ve missed that guy.”
Bella barked. “But not as much as I’ve missed you, pretty girl,” Lydia crooned.
“Hey, stop!” Jackson called out. Without thinking, she pressed her foot to the brake.
“What is it?” she asked, as his car came to a juddering halt.
But he was out of the car, pulling Bella’s door open and running into the shrubs. Was this the same spot that she’d found Eddie? Lydia frowned, it certainly looked like it. What were the chances he’d spotted another dog?
By the time she climbed out and chased after them, Jackson and Bella were at least thirty yards ahead. She ran, feeling breathless already, coming to a stop where they were both standing in front of a large brown rock.
“What is it?” she puffed. “Did you see an animal?”
Jackson shook his head. “No,” he told her. “Not an animal.” He pointed at something, and she leaned over the rock to get a better look. It was nestled in a crevice, glinting in the sun.
Slowly, she turned to look at Jackson. Her chest was already tight from her sprint across the grass, but now it was tighter still. “Is that…?”
Jackson picked the glinting gem from the rock and dropped to his knee, holding it out for her to see. It was a beautiful white gold ring, set with a square diamond at the center, bordered by more sparkling gems at the edges. Lydia swallowed hard, her eyes watering as Jackson smiled up at her.
“Yes!” she said, before he could open his mouth.
Jackson laughed and shook his head. “I have a speech planned. I practiced it on Bella last night.”
Bella barked as if in agreement.
“Okay.” Lydia nodded. “But I thought I’d take the tension out of it. The answer is definitely yes.” She bit her lip. “Sorry, go ahead. I’m listening.”
His lip quirked as he stared up at her, his eyes full of love. “Lydia Paxton, will you do the honor of being my wife? Not because I want you to be tied to me, but because I want us to fly together. To land together. To live together wherever we decide to call home. And I don’t care where that is, because home isn’t a place. Not anymore. Home is you, and wherever you go, that’s where I’ll be.”
Her chest hitched. “I want home to be here,” she whispered. “I want to be here with you.” She’d been thinking about it for months. She’d always want to travel, to see new places and familiar friends. But Angel Sands was her anchor. She was drawn to it like a magnet. “You once told me I was like the sun, lighting everything up. But that’s not true. You’re the sun. I was a planet without an orbit until I met you. You made me want things I never knew I could have.” A tear ran down her cheek. “And you taught me to drive, which makes you the bravest man I know.”
He chuckled. “It was scarier than that zip line in Bali.” He slid the ring onto her finger, and she held it up, her heart full of love and happiness.
He stood and kissed her, his lips warm and certain. She held onto him like she held onto the rocks when she climbed Mont Blanc. Like he was her lifeline.
Maybe he was.
“Come on,” Jackson said when they parted, sliding his arm around her waist. “The whole town is waiting for us at Déjà Brew.”
“They know about your proposal?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “You can’t keep a secret in a small town. Blame Bella, she’s a blabbermouth.”
Lydia looked down at Bella. Her tail was wagging, her tongue lolling, and if she wasn’t a dog, Lydia would swear she was grinning up at them.
He was right. Home wasn’t a town or a city or any physical location. It was the thing that filled your soul. The place in your heart filled with the people you loved.
And she’d finally found it.
She rested her head on his shoulder as he led her back to the car, still holding her hand up to admire the ring.
“Okay then, handsome,” she told him. “Take me home.”
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed Jackson and Lydia’s story. The next book in the Angel Sands series is HEART AND SOUL. Find out what happens when new girl in town, Meghan, moves in next door to an aggravatingly handsome and ER doctor, who keeps her awake for all he wrong reasons!
CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER NOW!
And if you enjoyed Pieces Of Us, why not check out my emotional Heartbreak Brothers Series. TAKE ME HOME, is available to read right now!
This book is addictive reading!' - Claire and Lou's Mad About Books Blog ★★★★★
HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND! – The Power Of Three Readers blog ★★★★★
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Dear Reader
Thank you so much for reading Jackson and Lydia’s story. If you enjoyed it and you get a chance, I’d be so grateful if you can leave a review. And don’t forget to keep an eye out for HEART AND SOUL, the seventh book in the series, releasing on July 30th, 2021.
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Carrie xx
About the Author
Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out.
Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.
You can find Carrie in all these places
www.carrieelks.com
[email protected]
Also by Carrie Elks
ANGEL SANDS SERIES
A heartwarming small town beach series, full of best friends, hot guys and happily-ever-afters.
Let Me Burn
She’s Like the Wind
Sweet Little Lies
Just A Kiss
Baby I’m Yours
Pieces Of Us
Chasing The Sun
Heart And Soul (Releases Summer 2021)
THE HEARTBREAK BROTHERS SERIES
A gorgeous small town series about four brothers and the women who capture their hearts.
Take Me Home
Still The One
A Better Man
Somebody Like You (Coming March 2021)
THE SHAKESPEARE SISTERS SERIES
An epic series about four strong yet vulnerable sisters, and the alpha men who steal their hearts.
Summer’s Lease
A Winter’s Tale
Absent in the Spring
By Virtue Fall
THE LOVE IN LONDON SERIES
Three books about strong and sassy women finding love in the big city.
Coming Down
Broken Chords
Canada Square
STANDALONE
Fix You
An epic romance that spans the decades. Breathtaking and angsty and all the things in between.
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