Weekend Rendezvous
Page 12
“Jackson, can you help me?” Lisa’s voice rang out from the other room.
“Yeah, babe. Gimme a second.” Placing his beer on the side table, he threw Austin a look. “Does it ever go back to normal?”
Austin laughed and began racking up the balls on the pool table, preparing for their next game.
“Jackson. I just need two seconds.” Now she was getting testy and he knew he was gonna be in trouble.
“On my way,” he said, exiting the room and walking across the hallway to where Lisa, Heather, and Kara were held up. Kara’s two kids, Daniel and Olivia, were asleep on a thick blanket on the floor, while Lisa and Jackson’s son, Anthony, was wide awake, lying in the bassinet next to his wife.
“What’s up, babe?”
“I need you to tell Heather and Kara that you think it’s a good idea for us to have a six-month birthday party for Anthony,” she demanded, crossing her arms over her bountiful chest. There was something so sexy about seeing his wife’s lush form fill out in such lovely ways once she got pregnant with their son.
“Babe, I’m not getting in the middle of this. Is this why you called me away from the game? You know Austin is probably in there cheating right now?”
Kara jumped in. “Austin would never cheat. He’s just that good.”
“Have you ever played pool with him? The man is cutthroat.” Turning back to Lisa, he kissed her on the forehead. “Have the party if you want to.”
“See, I told you he agreed with me,” Lisa called out to her best friends.
“Um, no. That wasn’t agreement. That was a man who doesn’t want to be in the doghouse.” Heather laughed. “Now, hand me my godchild so I can spoil him rotten.”
Picking up the baby from the bassinet, Lisa handed him to Heather. “He’s all yours. But don’t hold him for the next three hours. I swear, you let him get away with anything and everything.”
“As is my right,” Heather retorted.
Kara piped in. “And mine.”
Standing up, she walked around the bassinet and wrapped her arm around Jackson’s waist. “Thanks for agreeing to have the party here, babe.”
“Wait. What did I agree to?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.” His beautiful wife stared up at him with her dark brown eyes and he was a goner. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her. And over the past two years, he’d proven that time and time again.
Their wedding had been a beautiful affair held on the grounds of a horse farm in Loudoun County. Lisa’s beauty had brought tears to his eyes. He almost couldn’t believe the vision of loveliness that walked toward him that day had agreed to be his wife.
His Team had all come to the wedding, including that fucktard Neimar who’d been put on his ass all those months ago. Austin stood beside him as the best man. There was no one else who he would have chosen to be at his side that day.
Now his life had taken a one-hundred-and-eighty degree turn. The Navy was no longer the thing that kept him going. It was his wife and son. They gave him a reason to live, and put a smile on his face every day.
And to think, he’d almost lost the chance at this because of his own stubborn nature.
Staring down at Lisa, he turned and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against his body. “Whatever you want, baby.”
“Whatever I want?”
“Of course.” He kissed her softly. “When have I ever denied you?”
“How about if I want to try for a baby sister for Anthony?”
Her question caught him off guard, but he was a trained negotiator, so he recovered quickly. “Can we start right now? I can kick everybody out and we can head upstairs.”
Laughing, she slapped his chest lightly. “You’re such a nut. But seriously, what do you think?”
Hugging her tighter, he lowered his voice. “I think…if our little girl is half as beautiful as her mother, she’s going to need her own protective detail.”
Resting her head on his chest, he felt her deep inhale. “I love you, Jackson.”
“And I love you right back, sweetheart.”
Holding his wife in the circle of his arms, Jackson knew that all was right with the world. Everything he needed was right here within these four walls. A loving wife, a beautiful child, and good friends who cared about him.
The broken and scarred warrior had finally found peace in the arms of his woman.
~ THE END ~
About the Author
The characters I write will not be perfect. None of us are. They will make mistakes. All of the hero's will have redeeming qualities, but on the outset, you may not be their biggest fan. My heroine's will be the kind of women you want to hang out with. They're the women next door, down the street and around the corner. They are the ladies you would want to spend time with on a Saturday night drinking a martini.
I have been an avid reader of romance novels since the age of 14 and know what appeals to me as reader. My goal is, and will always be, to provide that same experience for the women and men who read my novellas and short stories.
I’m a former Marine and served for 8 years, so strong military men will always be a favorite topic of mine. I will continue to write stories with military heroes’ front and center. I’m also a fan of Alpha-males and strong women who love with everything they have.
Love and Hugs,
Reana Malori ♥
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