Trust Me: A Roommates To Lovers Romance Novel (Free Book 2)

by Grahame Claire

  “Perfect timing.” Holt’s smile was blinding. “Are you gonna tell him?”

  I cocked my head. “Mr. Dixon, do you like me?”

  He gave me a quizzical look. “You know I do,” he said carefully.

  “Well enough to have me for a daughter-in-law?”

  Realization dawned in his eyes. He clapped his hands. “Definitely well enough for that.”

  Holt set me on my feet, and I went into Mr. Dixon’s waiting arms.

  “I’m so happy to be part of your family.”

  “We wouldn’t be the same without you.” He kissed the top of my head. “Am I the first to know?”

  “Yes.”

  “Not exactly.”

  Holt and I spoke at the same time.

  “Andrew drew up the papers,” he explained. “This is half of Baker Dixon’s now.”

  Mr. Dixon fist bumped his son. “Smooth, son. I taught you well.” He winked at me, and I grinned. His expression turned serious. “Ready to do this?”

  Holt glanced to the other envelope on the table. He hesitated when his fingers touched it. “Thanks for this, Dad.”

  Mr. Dixon placed a hand on Holt’s arm. “I love you, son. Don’t ever forget that.”

  My eyes stung as I took in the exchange.

  Holt looked to me, and I nodded in encouragement. Hastily, he ripped open the envelope, his face blank as he read what was printed on the pages.

  He handed it to his father. Mr. Dixon stared at the papers before they fluttered from his grasp. He pulled in Holt and held him tightly.

  “I always knew you were mine.”

  I swallowed hard. Holt’s shiny eyes met mine.

  “Dad, I didn’t doubt. I just needed to know so I could move on.”

  He patted Holt’s shoulder. “No explanation necessary. Like I said, I already knew, but it’s good to have concrete proof.” The DNA didn’t lie. He held out an arm, and I slid into their embrace. “All this good news calls for a celebration.”

  “Will you save us a table at Dino’s? It’s not Sunday, but . . .”

  Mr. Dixon pointed at Holt. “You’ve got it. Can I invite everyone?”

  “You better,” I said. “Tell them it’s mandatory.”

  He saluted me. “Yes, ma’am.” He gave me an extra squeeze before he released me. “Ella and I have about two hundred more glosses to put labels on. We should get it done tomorrow.”

  “Thanks. You’ve been such a help.”

  I’d become dependent on him to assist me with fulfilling orders. And I’d had several comments about the charming delivery man.

  “Anything for my daughter-in-law.” He stroked his chin. “That’s got a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

  “I prefer wife.”

  “You won’t if you don’t fix that bathroom up there.” I pointed to the apartment above.

  “That’s my cue to go. See you in a half hour or so?” Mr. Dixon asked.

  “The guys should be wrapped up by then.”

  Mr. Dixon pulled the door halfway closed as he left.

  “One of the girls at Paths is doing an apprenticeship with a plumber. I’m going by to see her tomorrow,” I said, folding my arms over my chest.

  “You still think I can’t do it?”

  “We only have one bathroom at the apartment. And we need one here so we don’t have to go down the street to the library anymore.”

  He took me into his arms. “Easy?”

  “Yeah?”

  His look was a cross between amusement and well—okay, it was mostly amusement.

  “Check the bathroom when we get home.”

  I frowned. “You fixed it?”

  He snickered. “It was never broken.”

  “What?”

  “It worked. The whole time.”

  “But Daniel said—”

  “No, I said. He figured me out. Knew exactly what I was up to.”

  “What were you up to?”

  He kissed me. “This.”

  “You pretended your bathroom didn’t work so you could marry me?”

  “I didn’t exactly plan on getting married, but it’s worked out better than I imagined.”

  I slapped at his chest. “I can’t believe you.”

  “You can’t be mad at me,” he said, the picture of innocence.

  “I sure as hell can.” My words lost their fire when one side of my mouth lifted.

  He kissed the corner. “I’m not sorry.”

  “Of course you aren’t.”

  “Are you?”

  “No.” I sagged in his arms.

  “Did I tell you how pretty you look today?” He flashed a crooked grin at me.

  I smacked my forehead and tried to scowl, failing miserably. “The Dixon charm.”

  “As real as the Dixon wink. Don’t try to escape.” I took a step toward the door. He hooked me by the waist. “I said don’t try to escape, woman.”

  “I’m going to see if this bathroom works.” I moved behind the old reception desk.

  “No,” he said, almost frantic. I eyed him suspiciously. “I’m working on it.”

  I gave him an oh really look.

  “The new toilet’s coming tomorrow. I thought I’d be able to put it in, but laying tile is a little harder than I thought.”

  I bit my lip. “Oh yeah?”

  “I spent a lot of the last few days on YouTube,” he confessed.

  The metal door swung open, sunlight flooding the doorway.

  I gripped Holt’s hand. He mouthed what the hell? as he edged closer to me.

  Marlow pushed a stroller across the concrete floor until she was on the opposite side of the desk. She looked toward the garage area, an unreadable expression on her face. She took her time surveying the space.

  “How!” Blake pumped his fist in the air.

  “How, buddy,” Holt said, eyes softening.

  Marlow was the picture of confidence, but I didn’t miss the way her hands gripped the handles of the stroller. “I was wrong.”

  We both started at the admission. That was as close to an “I’m sorry” as I’d ever heard from her.

  “Yeah, you were,” Holt said.

  She stayed rooted in place. “I didn’t mean—” She looked away as if the right words were a struggle to find. Finally, she collected herself. “I love you.”

  He folded his arms over his chest. “I love you too.” But behind that was all the hurt she’d caused him.

  “I just needed—” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Never mind.” When she looked at him again, there was determination in her gaze. “I’m not speaking to her anymore.”

  He stared at her. “Only time will prove that.”

  “I swear I didn’t tell her about the wedding,” she said insistently, but immediately snapped her mouth shut when she realized she’d raised her voice. She cleared her throat. “I know I’m the reason for our problems.”

  Holt tried to cover the shock on his face, but I didn’t miss it. “I said my fair share of awful things too.”

  With that, there seemed to be some sort of unspoken understanding between them. Maybe it didn't seem like much, but from what I knew of Marlow, those few words were huge.

  Holt and Marlow’s relationship wasn’t perfect. How could it be? But I hoped they could move forward and grow from this point.

  If there was anyone who understood how Marlow had been so consumed by her mother’s words, it was me.

  Maybe she was working on forgiving herself too, because that was the place to start, something I’d worked out in the last few weeks myself through a court-appointed psychologist. I wasn’t sure I’d ever let go of the guilt of those victims’ lives, but I could understand that I didn’t pull the trigger. I had no true concept of what evil could have possessed a man like Kyle to do what he did.

  Marlow would eventually forgive herself too. I hoped.

  After a moment, she finally spoke.

  “Heard you were in the market for a receptionist.” She glanced down at
Blake. “How about two for the price of one?”

  Epilogue

  Holt

  Later that night . . .

  * * *

  She stepped fully clothed into my old shower and turned the knob. Cold spray hit her in the face. She spluttered and shut off the water.

  “Holt!”

  I poked my head in the door. “Told you it worked.”

  All the family secrets will be revealed. And there are some between Patrick and Marlow you won’t see coming. Are you ready?

  PRE-ORDER DEFEND ME NOW.

  Enjoy this book?

  You can make a huge difference.

  Reviews encourage other readers to try out a book. They are critically important to getting your favorite books in the hands of new readers.

  We’d appreciate your help in spreading the word. If you could take a quick moment to leave a review on your favorite book site, we would be forever grateful. It can be as short as you like. You can do that on any retailer. Or on Goodreads here. Or Bookbub here.

  Email us a link to your review so we can be sure to thank you. Together, we can ensure our friends aren’t left out.

  Thank you so very much.

  Bonus Scene

  Want more of Baker and Holt you won’t find anywhere else?

  By signing up for The List, you’ll get this bonus scene, plus be the first to see cover reveals, upcoming excerpts from new releases, exclusive news, and giveaways found nowhere else. You’ll find that by going to the link below.

  * * *

  Tap here for a scene you don’t want to miss.

  Book Stuff

  We had no idea Baker and Holt were going to be a couple until . . . they met at that Sunday dinner at Dino’s in Free Me. There was just that something between them when he called her Miss Easy On The Eyes. We didn’t know either of them all that well at that point, but we felt their spark.

  From there it was natural.

  They intrigued us. We found it so interesting they were both anti-relationship, yet gravitated toward that very thing with one another despite themselves. That’s the fun thing about love, right? It can sneak up on you and be the very thing you thought you didn’t want.

  Both of them had been there, done that, got the postcard, and set it on fire when it comes to relationships.

  We love that Holt wanted to be roommates with Baker, even though he’d been burned before. He was curious about her. We don’t think he ever expected to become totally smitten. And it broke our hearts that he almost gave up his happiness because of his fear. Thank goodness he found his courage.

  What we adore about Baker is her vulnerability. She has confidence to a point, but her insecurities were so relatable. Maybe she wasn’t always open about them with Holt, but she was pretty honest with herself. She knows her limitations . . . Holt, Trish, Hayden, Mrs. Quinn, and the Dixons helped her see she was capable of so much more.

  We don’t play favorites when it comes to our books and characters. There are things about each and every one that have special places in our hearts. But we will say that this could be our favorite first chapter.

  It’s pretty bold for us. It’s fun. It’s flirty. And it set the tone for writing the rest of this book. We couldn’t stop because we had to know what happens next.

  We hope you loved Baker and Holt’s story as much as we do. These Dixons have taken root in our souls. We’re just trying to figure out how to get an invite to Sunday dinner. :)

  Acknowledgments

  When a book is released into the world, it seems simple enough. What isn’t seen is the struggle when the characters fight back every step of the way. Or when the words won’t come. Or when they won’t stop. Writing a story is a roller coaster of highs and lows, but there are people with us for every climb and free fall.

  We couldn’t do this without them.

  Our first line of support is our families. They keep us grounded and share our dreams as their own. We love them more than we can say and are so grateful for their support.

  The book community is our safe place. Our gratitude for the kindness of the romance world is boundless. We’re so lucky to be part of it.

  Alessandra Torre, you’re always there when we need you. Thank you so much for answering our endless questions. We adore your sweet spirit.

  Tia Louise, you are such a light in the book world, and we can’t thank you enough for all your kindness.

  P. Dangelico, your guidance is invaluable and so much appreciate. Thank you so much for all you do.

  Claudia Burgoa, we can’t imagine what we’d do without you. Your friendship means more than we can ever say.

  Catherine Cowles, this book wouldn’t be what it is without your help. Who are we kidding? Neither would we. We’re so thankful to have you in our lives.

  Emma Renshaw, we love you to pieces. You are an inspiration, and we’re so grateful to have you as a friend.

  Marion Archer, you took this book and made it something we couldn’t have dreamed. Thank you for your insight, your encouragement, and being part of our lives. We adore you.

  Karen Lawson and Janet Hitchcock . . . you two . . . you know what you did, and we will never forget it. This book needed you (all of them do!) and we adore you both so much. Sorry about the weirdness of the crazy apostrophes. Still trying to figure that one out . . .

  Jenn Watson and the Social Butterfly team, working with you has been a dream. Thank you for the answers to endless questions and making this process super stress-free.

  SueBee, you have been one of our biggest supporters from before we were even sure we’d publish a book. Thank you for your friendship and love.

  The wonderful ladies of Grahame Claire Reader Hangout . . . you are the brightest spot on the internet. Getting to hang out with all of you brings us more joy than you know. And not only will we have ice cream if we ever get to have a big party, but sounds like we need zucchini bread too!

  Jessica, Christy, Diane, L. Duarte, Sonia, and Sabrina . . . your never-ending support means everything. Thank you for always being there.

  And to you, the most incredible readers in the world . . . your kind messages always make our day. We have to pinch ourselves every day that you love our stories. Thank you so much for being part of our family and taking this ride with us. We’re blowing you the biggest kisses!

  Also by Grahame Claire

  PATHS TO LOVE SERIES

  It’s Not Over

  Three Dates

  Righting Our Wrongs

  Heartbreaker

  Dangerous Redemption

  Thick As Thieves

  FREE SERIES

  Free Me

  Trust Me

  Defend Me

  About the Author

  Grahame Claire is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.

  A writer. A blogger. United by our love of stories and all things romance. There was definitely some insta-love. Hello? Books involved. A little courting. A lot of writing. The result . . . Grahame Claire.

  Soulmates. Unashamed of our multiple book boyfriends. Especially the ones that rooted in our heads and wouldn’t leave us alone. Don’t worry. We’ll share.

  Pleased to meet you.

  Our favorite thing about being an author is you, the reader. So please, reach out. If you want to get on the exclusive mailing list (trust us, you do), you can do that here.

  Let’s chat books on Goodreads. We can gossip about our book boyfriends on Twitter at @grahamewrites, Facebook at www.facebook.com/grahamewrites, our Facebook group Grahame Claire Reader Hangout at www.facebook.com/groups/GrahameClaireReaderHangout, Instagram @grahameclaire, or send us an email anytime at grahame@grahameclaire.com.

  Follow us on BookBub!

 

 

 
book with friends