Spring Romance: NINE Happily Ever Afters

by Tessa Bailey

  “So everyone knows that Zoey and I eloped in Vegas, thanks to my best friend who dared us to get married…” He smirks, and laughter fills the room. “Come up here, my gorgeous bride.” Riley grabs my hand and pulls me up so we’re face to face. I furrow my brows at him, my heart racing at the unwanted attention.

  “What are you doing?” I whisper, but he just winks before dropping to one knee. He opens a black velvet box with a beautiful diamond ring inside. Then he takes my hand, and we lock eyes.

  “You’re already my wife, the best thing that has ever happened to me by far. I know you risked so much to be with me, and I’m glad you did. I love you so damn much, baby. Will you marry me…again?”

  I glance down at the cheap novelty ring he bought me at the chapel in Vegas and haven’t been able to part with it.

  “Well?” he nervously asks when I don’t respond.

  Blinking, I smile wide. “Yes, absolutely!” I take off my old ring, one I’ll still treasure forever, and allow him to slip on the new one. It’s absolutely stunning; I can hardly believe it. “It’s so beautiful,” I murmur.

  “You’re beautiful,” he counters. “I want to give you the wedding you deserve, baby.”

  Nodding and holding back tears, I nearly knock him down as I lean forward to kiss him. He falls on the floor with me in his arms, and I can’t stop kissing him regardless of all the people watching.

  “I said I wanted great-grandkids, but I don’t want to witness them being made,” Grandma Bishop blurts out, and the room bursts into laughter.

  We pull apart, and I can’t stop staring at this perfect man who’s changed my entire life. Everyone goes back to their own conversations, and I look down at the ring, then glance at him.

  “Are you sure you want to marry me again?” I ask with a smirk.

  “I’d marry you a million times, Zoey.” The passion in his voice is prevalent.

  “Same,” I say, the grin covering my face. “Guess I’ll be getting hitched to the cowboy again.”

  “And damn, I can’t wait for the honeymoon.”

  Epilogue

  Riley

  Two and a Half Years Later

  I help carry boxes into Rowan’s bedroom, and I’m pissed because it feels as if she’s packed them full of textbooks. And possibly rocks. “What the hell do you have in here?” I groan, setting one down with a thud.

  “Lots of stuff,” she singsongs. “I accumulated a ton of shit after four years of college,” Rowan tells me matter-of-factly. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in finance a few weeks ago and had to have everything out of her place by this weekend. Dad voluntold Diesel and me to help, which meant we didn’t have a choice. So we drove six hours to Houston, loaded up all her boxes, drove six hours back and have been unloading for the past half hour. It’s been a long fuckin’ day considering we left at four a.m.

  Honestly, I’d rather have shoveled horse shit for a week.

  But she’s my baby sister, and now that she’s done with school, she’s back permanently. I’m happy she’s home, but now that means keeping an eye on her, especially when my best friend is always drooling over her.

  “You better be glad I love you. That’s all I have to say. I wouldn’t have done this for anyone else.” I laugh, but I’m not kidding.

  Rowan sits on her childhood bed and looks around. “It’s going to be weird living back with Mom and Dad, but I’m excited to be close to you, Zoey, and the new baby!” She does a little squeal, and I flinch at her high-pitched tone.

  “Me too, sis. Auntie Rowan will be on babysitting duty every weekend, right?” I tease.

  “I plan to have a life, thank you very much.”

  “Yeah, hanging out with me,” Diesel interrupts, hauling a box in and dropping it.

  “Hey! That could’ve been fragile!” Rowan stands and scowls.

  “Relax, princess. I looked inside, and it wasn’t.” He flashes a shit-eating grin as if he’d been digging into the cookie jar.

  “Don’t look through my things, you weirdo!” She pushes his chest, but Diesel doesn’t budge.

  “She literally just moved back. Can’t you two be adults and stop antagonizing one another?” I ask, then laugh, knowing they’ve been at each other’s throats for as long as I can remember. Diesel’s a year older than Rowan and has been taunting her since grade school. At this point, it’s his life’s mission.

  “Between me and Diesel, there’s only one adult here,” Rowan jabs, narrowing her eyes at him.

  Diesel presses a palm to his chest and frowns. “Now that just hurts. You wound me.”

  Rowan rolls her eyes and pushes past him toward the door.

  “Alright, children. Let’s get this shit done so I can go back to my pregnant wife.” Zoey’s eight months pregnant and ready to burst any day. She’s been miserable in this Texas heat and having my sister close will be helpful, even though Rowan will be spending most of her time managing the bar and getting some business experience under her belt.

  “I can’t wait to meet my nephew!” Rowan looks over her shoulder with a wide smile as I follow her out into the hallway.

  “I’m over the moon excited.” I grin.

  “You know that means you’ll need to give him a little sister right away? Just like Mom and Dad. They had you and realized they needed me to complete their family.” She turns around and smirks.

  “Har, har. You were a whoops baby.”

  “Liar! You were!”

  We laugh all the way back to the trailer and grab another round of her stuff.

  When Zoey told me she was pregnant, I cried tears of joy. We’d been trying for months, and while we didn’t want to rush into having kids, we took the if it happens, it happens approach, but I was more than ready to start a family with her. After she moved here permanently, Mary Sue gave her a part-time position at the salon and Zoey had been working three to four days a week until a month ago when her feet couldn’t take it any longer. She was happy she was able to continue cutting hair here and loved meeting new people in town. She’ll eventually go back to work, but for now we’re staying focused on the baby.

  Zoey has made me the happiest man on the planet, and just when I think our life together can’t get any better, something else amazing happens and proves me wrong.

  Grandma Bishop nearly fell to her knees because she was so damn excited about the news. After we told our parents, she was the first up on the list and probably the most thrilled. She’s told everyone at church; hell, she’s announced it to the whole town that she’s gonna be a great-grandmother. Being the first grandkid to have a baby and giving her the first great-grandchild is one of my proudest moments. All of my aunts and uncles have been celebrating the new Bishop addition and have gone above and beyond with buying gifts and making Zoey and me feel loved. It’s been so long since there was a baby Bishop that they’re borderline going overboard, but I can’t complain. That’s just how my family is.

  But more than anything, I’m excited our little family is growing, and if I have it my way, we’ll have a house full of kids sooner than later. Growing up on the ranch shaped who I am, and I’m excited to share this life with my son and wife, keeping the Bishop traditions alive.

  Diesel walks into Rowan’s room, carrying a box that has the word clothes written in black Sharpie on the side. “I went through this one too.” He shoots me a smirk. “You have a thing for red thongs, huh?”

  “You ever gonna grow up?” Rowan snaps at him.

  I sure as hell could’ve gone my entire life without knowing that information.

  He shakes his head and shoots her a wink. “Never, baby.”

  “Why is he here again?” she asks as we walk outside to the lowboy that’s still stacked full of boxes. Diesel lingers a little too long just so he can check out my sister’s ass, which infuriates me to no end. He’s relentless and has kept this act going for years, making me wonder if he’s serious. Better not be because Rowan is off-limits. Though she’s turning twenty-three
soon and is a grown ass woman, she’ll always be my little sister. I will stand up and protect her no matter what. Even when she doesn’t think she needs it.

  “Because Mom and Dad love him for some reason,” I say sarcastically, but I have to give credit where credit is due. “He has grown up some since he got promoted, though.” I give her a smile, pretty damn proud of my best friend. “Overseeing the cattle operation is a big job. Lots of horseback riding, fence fixin’, branding, and all the other stuff that goes along with it. One of the reasons he got the old cabin to fix up too. He’s really stepped up,” I remind her. Diesel has been busting his ass over the past two years, showing that he was ready for more responsibility. Everyone’s impressed, even me, though it still hasn’t stopped his shenanigans and relentless flirting with my sister.

  “He’s still immature,” she retorts, but her voice is much softer when she speaks.

  A chuckle escapes me. “Okay, well I can’t deny that.”

  After we help her move every single box, she thanks me with a hug. Then she turns to Diesel and gives him a handshake and a glare.

  “I’ll take a kiss as a thank you.” He leans down, pointing at his cheek.

  “Will you turn back into a toad if I do?” she jokes, playfully slapping his arm.

  “No, sweetheart, I’m already your prince.” He puckers his lips, which only causes Rowan to groan and walk away.

  I get in my truck, and Diesel climbs in the passenger side so we can drop off the trailer, and I can head back home.

  “I think she likes me.” He beams.

  I snort. “I think you’re still drunk from last night.”

  “Nope, totally sober,” he taunts, touching the tip of his nose with his right finger then his left.

  “Don’t forget I’ll kick your ass if you fuck with my sister. She’s off-limits,” I warn, completely serious. Diesel is a great guy, but he’s known for one-night stands and partying. Rowan just graduated and is focused on her future. No guy will ever be good enough for her in my eyes, not even Diesel.

  “What you don’t know won’t hurt ya, Daddy.” He snickers.

  “Dude! It’s sick when you call me that.”

  Diesel’s mood shifts, and he frowns as I start the truck. “I might’ve seen who she was texting earlier,” he states, and when I look at him, he continues. “You’re not gonna like it.”

  “Who was it?”

  “Trace. That guy she hung around a couple of years ago.”

  Snarling, I ask, “That fucking thirty-year-old?” I remember him from the Fourth of July party she invited him to and didn’t like him then.

  “I think he was twenty-seven at the time, so almost, I guess.”

  I growl just thinking about it as I drive over to Diesel’s truck.

  “What the fuck is he doing texting her?”

  “The message said ‘Can’t wait!’ so it sounds like they’re planning to meet up,” Diesel explains, but I can tell he’s agitated as hell over it.

  “Over my dead body,” I hiss. “No good can come from her dating an old fart like him, especially after the last guy who cheated on her.” My jaw tenses just thinking about that Nick asshole she dated her last year in college. “She told me she wasn’t interested in anyone,” I say. After she got her heart broken a couple of months ago, she swore off men and has been pretty vocal about it.

  I park next to his Chevy, and after he hops out, he leans back in and smirks. “I’m lookin’ quite good now, aren’t I?” He waggles his brows. “At least you know I wouldn’t cheat on her.”

  My brows furrow as my body tenses. “No, because you don’t date. You just bang ’em and bail,” I retort. “And I’d really hate to have to kick your sorry ass if you touch my sister. So, don’t even think about it.”

  Diesel gives me a cocky salute, and as he walks to his truck, I honk my horn at him. When he looks, I flip him off, then drive away, amused with myself. I drop off the trailer in the old barn by the B&B and then make my way home where Zoey’s waiting impatiently.

  As soon as I walk in, she smiles but doesn’t get off the couch. Her feet are propped up on the coffee table, and there’s a towel on her forehead. I lean down and kiss her before sitting next to her. “You feeling okay?”

  “It’s torture in here. How is it possible for Texas to be hotter than Phoenix? It’s shit!” She groans.

  I try not to laugh, though she’s so damn adorable when she’s mad. It’s pitiful. The air is on, but it can’t keep up in this heat or with a pregnant woman’s hormones.

  “Is there anything I can do for you?” I grab Zoey’s hand and weave her fingers through mine.

  “Pull this baby out? I’ve tried to coax him. Even made some insane deals that I promise to God I will keep, but he refuses to take the bait. He’s stubborn!”

  I snort, knowing Zoey can be the same way. The past three years together have been amazing, and I wouldn’t change them for anything, but we’ve done our fair share of bickering. You learn a lot about a person you married on a whim when they move in with you. All the quirks and bad habits come to light.

  “What kind of deals?” I grin, loving her crazy pregnancy antics.

  She readjusts the pillow that she uses to support her back. “I told him if he decided to come out within the next twenty-four hours, I’d buy him a brand-new Mustang convertible when he turns sixteen. What kid turns that down?” she shouts.

  I lean forward, rub her belly, and speak to him. “Zach? You hear that? You’ll be a chick magnet with a convertible. You’ll pull all the hoes. I’d take that deal!”

  I place my ear to her stomach, waiting for a response. I don’t hear a thing, not even a tummy growl. Sitting up, I look at her. “I don’t think he’s going for it, baby. Might want to sweeten the pot.”

  She groans again, leaning her head against the couch and readjusts the cold cloth on her head. “I think I want to take a bath in ice cubes,” she says, grunting. “I’m literally sweating in places I didn’t know could sweat, and this is all your fault.”

  My eyes go wide. “It takes two to tango, honey. And you don’t seem to take no for an answer! Even when I’m sleeping!”

  She laughs, a smile finally splitting her cheeks. “You’re right. But you didn’t warn me that all the Bishop babies have been giants. No, you conveniently left that part out, and Rowan had to share that lovely news with me, and then your mother confirmed. If I would’ve known that—”

  I press my lips against hers, stopping her rant. “You still would’ve wanted all my babies.”

  “Ugh.” She rolls her eyes. “You’re right, but dammit, I hate you right now.”

  I pull her legs into my lap, and she repositions herself so I can gently massage her swollen feet. “It could be worse, though,” I tell her.

  She leans up and scowls at me. “How so?”

  “You could be having twins. Or hell, triplets. Runs in the family,” I remind her, smirking.

  “Multiple ten-pound babies?” Her eyes widen as she falls back. “That sounds like divorce to me.”

  I grin at her dramatics. “There’s always next time. Twin siblings would be cool, wouldn’t it, Zach?”

  She grabs her stomach. “Oh my God! He kicked like he was answering you.”

  Roaring laughter escapes me. “That’s my kid.”

  “What am I gonna do with you two?” She beams, and I notice the sparkle in her eyes. It’s been there since the moment she found out she was pregnant.

  “Love us unconditionally?”

  She repositions herself and moves closer so she can kiss me, slow and passionately. “I already do, cowboy. And always will, for the rest of my life. Even when you knock me up with giant babies.”

  “I love you so much,” I tell her, knowing my words will never be able to fully explain how much she means to me. Our relationship may have started with a dare, but it didn’t end in divorce. Zoey’s my everything, and though we had a rocky start, it was all worth it, and I wouldn’t change a thing.


  * * *

  We hope you enjoyed Riley & Zoey’s story! There is a lot more to come in the Circle B Ranch series, featuring the Bishop’s and finding their happily ever afters. Even though this can be read as a stand-alone, some of the characters will interconnect to the next one, so we hope you’ll join us for Diesel & Rowan’s story next in Catching the Cowboy!

  Our Options Have Changed

  Julia Kent and Elisa Reed

  Chapter One

  Chloe

  My desk at work is one smooth sheet of inch-thick glass. It’s called a waterfall. It’s utterly simple and uncomplicated, and every night when I leave my office, I leave that surface perfectly clear. Free of stress.

  Gleaming.

  So when I walk in this morning and see what appears to be a bound report lying open on my otherwise beautifully empty desktop, I am not happy.

  There goes my chi. And it’s only seven a.m.

  I can tell from across the room that the page has been highlighted in a shade of day-glo pink so bright it hurts my eyes.

  It still hurts my eyes.

  Whatever this document is, someone has helpfully previewed the contents for me.

  I stow my tote bag in the closet, pulling out my laptop, cell phone, and my heels.

  I push my empty cardboard container of coffee far down in the small rattan wastebasket. At O, the women’s spa (and so much more) where I am director of design, visual clutter is not in keeping with corporate standards. My next coffee this morning will be sipped from company china: a white mug outlined with a pale grey rim. O.

  Just…O.

  Sitting in my chair, I squint at the alarmingly pink page. It’s the color of Pepto-Bismol. I doubt that’s a coincidence.

  Access: The Consolidated Evalu-shop team conducted its initial assessment of O’s flagship location in downtown Boston at 11:30 am on a weekday. As our vehicle approached the retail shop, it became apparent that neither street parking spaces nor garage facilities were available within an easy walk of the entrance. Investigators were forced to park two blocks away in a metered space requiring $2 in quarters for two hours, with no refill option after time expired. Grade: C.