The Marriage Contract

by Natasha L. Black

  Epilogue

  Chloe - Eight Months Later…

  My pregnancy both seemed to last forever and to be impossibly short. In the last few weeks, as the babies grew and my body ran out of room, making me more uncomfortable and exhausted, I felt like it was taking forever and they would never come.

  But then suddenly, there I was, sitting in a wheelchair getting wheeled out of the hospital. My little ones were cradled safely in my arms, my daughter in one, my son in the other. As we rolled through the door and the very first drops of sunlight touched their tiny faces, I couldn’t believe they were already here. That I was already here.

  I was a mother. Not just to one little baby, but two. In what sometimes felt like an instant, I went from not knowing if I would ever have children to being a mother of two.

  Matt pulled the brand-new minivan he had just bought for us up to the curb and opened the sliding door on the side. He took one baby from my arms, and a nurse took the other so I could get up. I got in first, and then Matt settled the babies into the car seats on either side of me.

  Matt closed the door and got in behind the wheel. He turned and grinned over his shoulder at me.

  “See? We’ve got this,” he said.

  “Now we just have to figure out how to do it without a third adult there to help us.”

  He shrugged and turned back around. “We’ve got time.”

  I laughed. As he headed toward home, I took the itty-bitty hands beside me and stroked them gently throughout the drive. Three months before, Matt and I had left behind the home where we started and bought our first house. We wanted to make sure we had plenty of space for our babies, and both felt a sudden strong need for a fenced backyard we’d never felt before. I had a feeling there was a puppy in our near future.

  But we needed to get the babies settled in first.

  I noticed Matt’s expression change in the rearview mirror as we approached the house.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “Look.”

  I looked over at the house and saw several cars already in the parking lot.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “But I recognize some of those license plates.”

  He came around to get one of the babies, and I got the other, then carefully climbed out of the van. I could hear voices as I climbed the steps and walked into the house. Inside, a crowd exploded in cheers as soon as they saw me. The baby boy in my arms burst into tears, and a guilty look traveled across the faces bunched up in front of me.

  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. As I comforted Finn and Matt stepped up beside me with Sophia securely cradled in the middle of his chest, I looked at everybody there. That included all of Matt’s brothers, their wives, and their children, his mother, and my parents.

  “Welcome home,” Matt’s mother said, rushing forward to hug me.

  “We wanted to be here to welcome the babies,” Jordan explained.

  “How did you get in here?” I asked.

  Matt was eyeing Hannah suspiciously. “Your cousin told me she needed a key to the house because she needed to put something for the baby inside.”

  Hannah threw her arms open to encompass all the people there.

  “Ta-da,” she said.

  I laughed and shook my head.

  Everyone took turns holding the babies and presenting us with frozen meals they made so we would have plenty of good food and not have to worry about cooking. I had never felt so loved before.

  A few hours later, everyone left. Matt and I dropped down into the matching rocking chairs we’d gotten for spending moments like this with the babies. Each of us held one of our children as we laughed and talked about just how crazy life was. Just a year ago, we didn’t even know each other. Then we decided to fake a life together to make a point.

  But now it seemed that point was that we had finally found the love we were supposed to have all along.

  Boss Daddy (Sample)

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  1

  Jordan

  “That’s perfect. It’s much better with the cheese like that.”

  I scooped up the last bit of the tasting Tyler brought me and put it in my mouth, nodding as I ate it like I was reaffirming the comment I just made. My brother was trying out several new items for that night’s menu and was nervous about them.

  That was one thing about my brother that never ceased to amaze me. Cooking wasn’t ever something he’d seen as a potential career for himself. It wasn’t like he ever dreamed of being a great chef or even just being a line cook. He’d tumbled into it when our oldest brother, Tom, bought this bar for us as a way to make money and support our parents as they both battled cancer.

  All of us kind of fell into different roles and jobs we didn’t see as part of our path when we looked into our futures. We picked them up and did the best we could do because it was what we needed to do. The bar was our saving grace, and especially when we were first starting out, we couldn’t afford to hire anybody from the outside to help.

  That had changed since The Hollow had gone from just a little neighborhood corner bar to a local destination. We got far too busy to be able to handle it all by ourselves, and we more than made up the money to compensate for payroll. But even as we added extra staff, Tyler didn’t leave the kitchen.

  In fact, he got more dedicated to coming up with menus that set us apart from all the other bars in the area. This was especially true for our theme nights. That was what we were known the most for among our customers. The brilliant idea of my brother Mason’s wife, Ava, the theme nights transformed the bar with decorations, lighting, music, games and contests, and specialized food.

  It was those that put us on the map and started drawing in the big crowds. Now some of them were so popular we had to give out wristbands to prioritize who was allowed in when we opened. Tonight’s event probably wasn’t going to be quite to that level, but that didn’t mean we weren’t going to be busy.

  Board Game Night was something other places had done, but Ava was, of course, putting her own special spin on it. I was looking forward to seeing how the customers would react to the life-size versions of games being set up in the two back rooms and the speed-dating-style rounds at the tables in the front of the restaurant.

  Opening time was just a few hours away, which meant we were all hurrying around trying to get the bar ready. The only one of the gaggle of us brothers who wasn’t preparing for that night’s event was Tom, and that was only because he lived and worked in San Francisco. He and his wife Amanda came to town fairly regularly, but it had been a couple months since we’d last seen them.

  I finished cleaning the souvenir glassware we’d ordered and had it set up behind the bar just in time for the shipment of supplies for the bar to arrive. As I walked outside to the back parking lot to start hauling in boxes and crates, a car pulled in. Ava and Mason got out, and I watched as they walked around to the back of the car. They paused for a kiss and grinned at each other before opening the trunk.

  They had gone out in search of more games to have out on the patio and to break down and use in decorations for the night. I watched as Ava leaned over to get a bag out of the back of the trunk and Mason pinched her butt. She let out a little squeal and whipped around toward him.

  Mason gathered her up in his arms, and they giggled, hugging and kissing again. Watching them flirt and then walk into the bar holding hands only reminded me of how badly I wanted that. Not Ava. She was like a sister to me and had been since they were just teenagers.

  I wanted a relationship of my own. A family. There was a time when I thought I was almost there. Being in the military for nearly twenty years was hard and pushed me mentally and physically. But I always reminded myself I had a good woman back home who was waiting for me. And when I got out, we woul
d get married and have a family of our own.

  At least, that was what I had counted on. Then I found out my ex started cheating on me within just a few months of me leaving for one of my tours. She was carrying on with someone I had thought was my friend behind my back, all the while continuing to lead me on and letting me believe everything was great between us.

  I didn’t uncover the truth until I was back in town visiting during a leave and went to surprise her at her house. She didn’t realize I was getting back so early. Obviously, or she wouldn’t have been on a blanket in the backyard with the guy I thought was my friend.

  That image in my head, I looked back over at Mason and Ava as they came out into the parking lot again and went for another load of the games. My brother waved at me but didn’t let go of Ava’s hand for a second. I waved back, not letting him see the emotion in my face.

  I wanted what they had so much, but I wasn’t sure I would ever find it. In my late thirties, I wasn’t old, but I also wasn’t the springy early twenty-somethings out in the dating market. Considering I had no intention of leaving my hometown of Astoria, the pool of options seemed pretty narrow and was getting narrower.

  I carried a box inside and was unloading it at the bar when Ava came up.

  “Hey, Jordan,” she said.

  I looked up from putting the bottles in place and smiled at her. “Hey, Ava.”

  “So, that new cocktail waitress I hired is starting tonight. She should be here pretty soon,” she said.

  “You have her starting on a theme night?” I asked, surprised. “Throwing her into the fire, aren’t you?”

  She laughed. “Well, I figure she better get used to it right off the bat. It’s better to show her what it’s like here when we’re busy than to lull her into complacency with just a regular night and then have her freak out on us when we have another theme night. At least tonight isn’t going to be as crazy as some of the others.”

  “True,” I said. “You’re being easy on her. Magnanimous, even.”

  Ava laughed. “Something like that. Her name is Hannah. When she gets here, will you show her around and let her know her duties and responsibilities? She says she has experience, so it shouldn’t be too hard for her to pick things up, but I want to make sure that she is ready and can keep up tonight.”

  “Sure thing. I can do that,” I said.

  My sister-in-law walked away, and I went back to putting away the shipment and getting everything set up for the night. We had some experience with running the theme nights now and had learned that it was important to be set up and ready well in advance. Having things like the glasses positioned for easy grabbing and several of the most popular themed cocktails already mixed and set at the end of the bar for the waitresses to grab as they were ordered could save massive amounts of time and hassle.

  A little while later, the door to the back of the bar opened. I looked up, expecting to see one of my brothers. Instead, my breath caught in my throat at the sight of a gorgeous woman walking in. For a second, I could barely think much less say anything. She looked at me, and I had to break my gaze so I didn’t completely freak her out by staring.

  “I’m sorry. We’re not open yet,” I said.

  I was trying to think of a diplomatic way to tell her she wasn’t allowed to come through the back door when she shook her head and smiled.

  “I’m not a customer,” she said. She held her hand out toward me. “I’m Hannah.”

  I couldn’t believe this was the new cocktail waitress Ava hired. She was stunningly beautiful with a bright smile and a confident, unwavering gaze. She already looked completely comfortable in the bar. But she also seemed like one of those people who was probably comfortable anywhere she went.

  Doing my best to keep my cool, I took the hand she offered out to me and shook it.

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Jordan.”

  “One of the owners?” she asked.

  I smiled. “Yeah. But tonight, I’m just a bartender. And I’m actually going to be showing you around and getting you familiar with the place and the job.”

  “Sounds good. I’m looking forward to getting started.”

  There wasn’t anything overtly flirty or suggestive about that comment, and yet I felt it down to the depths of my belly. This might be a bit more of a challenge than I was expecting.

  Still forcing myself not to stare at her, I opened my arms out to the sides to encompass the bar.

  “This is the bar,” I said.

  Hannah nodded, playing up a deeply thoughtful expression like she was concentrating hard on remembering what I was telling her.

  “Okay. We’re just going to hit the ground running, I see. Should I be taking notes?”

  She grinned at me, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Walking out from behind the bar, I led her to the front of the space to start showing her around.

  “This is actually the second location of The Hollow,” I said.

  “I heard that,” she said. “The original one burned down, right?”

  “Yeah. That was not fun. But it led us to this building, which is an awesome space and in a great location in town. I think I’ll always have a soft spot for the original place just because that’s where we got started and the one that our father got to see. But I do really like this one. It has a lot of potential, and we’ve been building it out and renovating since we got it.”

  “It’s impressive,” Hannah said, nodding as she looked around. Her big eyes met mine. “I’m sorry to hear about your father.”

  A little pang of grief hit my heart, but I didn’t let it drag me down. It had been long enough, but it still hurt—I figured it always would—but I was able to live with it.

  “Thanks. Thankfully, our mother is doing much better. I think having all the grandbabies around has made a big difference for her,” I said.

  We continued on through the bar, and I introduced her to everybody as we came upon them. I found myself laughing and smiling the entire time. Hannah wasn’t just beautiful. She was friendly and confident and had a glow about her that I found myself drawn to.

  Of course, I couldn’t let myself dwell on that. It wasn’t like I could act on it. Hannah was brand-new and a member of the staff. I couldn’t cross that line. But there was nothing wrong with looking.

  2

  Hannah

  I swung by one of the tables I had been taking care of all night and scooped up the portfolio with the check in it.

  “Keep the change,” one of the men said.

  “Thank you. Have a great night,” I said.

  “I hope to see you again sometime,” he said.

  I gave him one of my brightest, yet still generic, smiles. “I’ll be working here just about every day.”

  “Sounds good to me. This place is lucky to have you.”

  I continued on through the bar without responding. He wasn’t being inappropriate, but I wasn’t going to hang around long enough for the tide to shift if it was going to.

  Bringing the portfolio up to the cash register at the back corner of the bar, I opened it up and took out the money tucked inside. I handed it and the receipt over to Ava, who had jumped in behind the bar to help Jordan out. She read the receipt and counted out the money. Giving me an impressed look, she handed back several bills.

  “Nice tip,” she said. “You seem to be getting a lot of those tonight.”

  “People are trying to make my first night a good one,” I said.

  She smiled. “Somehow I think it’s a little more than that.”

  I glanced over at Jordan as he walked up behind Ava to get another of the souvenir glasses on display. His eyes met mine, and we held each other’s gaze for a brief second before he turned away. I had been catching him staring at me all night, ever since he showed me around the bar earlier and helped me get started.

  Looking at him, it was hard to believe he was actually one of my bosses. He was old enough. I guessed he was somewhere in his mid to late thirties. But there was just some
thing about him that seemed way more fun than a regular boss should be. Not to mention he was stupidly hot.

  That was the part that really stood out to me. Ava was the one who hired me. She explained to me that the bar was owned by the Anderson brothers, and she was married to Mason Anderson. When she asked me to come in tonight as my first night, she told me to find Jordan, because he was the one who would be showing me the ropes and getting me started.

  I came in just when I was supposed to and was taken aback by the man behind the bar. He was standing right there where Ava told me I would find Jordan, but he wasn’t at all what I was expecting. Of course, I didn’t really know what I was expecting. I was new in Astoria and hadn’t met any of the Anderson family, except for Ava.

  But from the very beginning, Jordan put me at ease. I felt comfortable with him as soon as we introduced ourselves, and he made sure I felt totally ready to jump into my new position. It was perhaps a little bit intimidating to find out I was starting on one of their theme nights and to hear that these nights often got crazy busy.

  Jordan made sure I felt ready and told me that I was going to do just fine. That helped me relax and even get excited for what was to come. So far, he had been right. It was a great first night. All the customers were friendly and welcoming, the tips were flowing, and I was really liking all my new coworkers.

  Especially Jordan.

  Throughout the night I would glance over his way and find him staring at me. It didn’t bother me. In fact, I found myself getting a little bit of a shiver from it. I was used to being stared at, and Jordan was not being at all creepy, which was more than I could say about a lot of guys. I’d had my fair share of creeps over the years, so I could sense these things.