Until Easton

by Sandy Alvarez

  "Are you hurt?" I ask again.

  "Got a knot the size of a golf ball on the back of my head. Her crazy ass cracked me over the noggin with a baseball bat. When I came to, I was lying on the garage floor next to my car." He pauses a minute. "Listen, I'm still dealing with the police and detective Wilkerson. Keep me updated." The call ends.

  Flashing lights surround us as three police cars roll up on the scene. Soon after, an ambulance arrives, and Becca is loaded onto a stretcher into the back of the vehicle. While they assess her injuries and the paramedic starts an IV line, her grandfather sits with her. I keep my eyes trained on my woman from a few feet away while answering questions. Finally, I peel my eyes off Becca long enough to watch an officer lead a defiant Mallory to a waiting patrol car, with her hands cuffed behind her back. She suffered no injuries from my truck ramming into the side of her car but will be taken to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation before taking a trip to jail.

  "Let me go!" Mallory screams, flailing her legs and trying to break free. "He loves me—not her." She looks at me. "Easton, tell them. Tell them you love me—tell them!" Mallory continues to wail as they place her in the backseat of the patrol car. I say nothing in return and feel nothing while the vehicle drives away from the scene.

  * * *

  A couple of hours later, I'm sitting beside Becca while we wait for her discharge papers and for her grandfather to return with transportation home. The blow Becca suffered to the side of her head gave her a mild concussion and required eight stitches and she has a sprained wrist. I stare at her bruised cheek, and guilt eats at my insides. This should have never happened to her. It's my fault.

  "I'm sorry about your truck," Becca gives me a half-smile.

  "My truck is replaceable—you are not." I stroke the back of her hand.

  "She wanted to kill me." Becca's words cut deep, and I hang my head.

  "I'm so fucking sorry for putting you in harm's way."

  Becca touches my cheek. "You didn't do this, Easton. Mallory's choices belong to her alone."

  "Her choices were directly affected by the obsession she has for me." I close my eyes, trying to push away thoughts of what could have happened. The situation could have taken a far worse turn. Becca could have died tonight, and her death would…"Stop," Becca says. "You are not to blame."

  "You could have died." My voice breaks. I take her hand in mine and kiss her knuckle. "I just found you, and I'm not ready for what we have to be taken away from me. I'll never be ready," I confess.

  Becca tilts her head, and her fingers brush across my forehead. Becca takes my hand and places it over her heart. "You feel that? Because of you, it still beats."

  How did I get so lucky? Becca is the best thing to happen in my life. She's the one who sets my soul on fire. I'm not the least bit worthy of the love she feeds to me, but I crave it more than life itself.

  I bring myself closer to Becca. The gravity of what I feel for her at this moment is inescapable. I hover my lips above hers, and she smiles at me. "I love you."

  "I love you too," she breathes, then adds, "so, kiss me already."

  She's perfect.

  And I kiss her.

  EPILOGUE

  BECCA

  "When is Easton getting back into town?"

  I take a sip of my beer and smile at Carter from across the table. "Tomorrow morning. And thank God too because I've missed him like crazy."

  "It's only been a week, Becca."

  "It felt like a year." I laugh. "Just wait until the season starts, then you'll know what I'm talking about." I watch as Carter's eyes slide across the bar and land on Lulu. Carter met Lulu two months ago, and I could tell from the first minute he talked about her to me, he was totally gone over her. I was further proved right when he showed up in town two days ago with her. Lulu is perfect for Carter. She is a shy and easy-going person but also never hesitates to put Carter in his place. She's also the complete opposite of Lana, who, by the way, is finally getting everything she deserves.

  Lana was fired from the bank when she was caught having an affair with one of her coworkers who happened to be married. Rumor has it, her dad is so fed up with her behavior that he kicked her out of the house. She's now shacked up with Brody Miller, one of the biggest assholes we went to high school with. Match made in heaven if you ask me.

  I hadn't realized how much time had passed since I last saw Lana until spotting her at the gas station last week, sporting a baby bump. She looked miserable. Part of me feels sorry for her, because rumor has it Brody is cheating on her. All I can say is Karma is one nasty bitch.

  I'm so happy Carter dodged that bullet and landed himself a woman who loves and appreciates all that he has to offer.

  Carter groans. "Don't remind me. I can't stand the thought of leaving Lulu for that amount of time."

  "So, when is Lulu moving?" I ask. Lulu lives four hours away from Carter and decided a few weeks ago to take the leap and move in with him.

  Carter grins. "Three weeks. She already put in her two weeks’ notice with her employer last week and is taking another week to settle her other affairs."

  Reaching my hand across the table, I give Carter's arm a slight squeeze. "I'm really happy for you, Carter. Lulu is great."

  Just then, Lulu makes her way back to the table. She sighs, plopping down in the seat beside Carter. "Why is it that men outnumber the women in this place, yet we still have to wait forever to use the restroom?"

  I burst with laughter. "You know, I have always wondered the same thing." Lulu laughs with me, then she abruptly stops. Her eyes go big at something over my shoulder that catches her attention. "Oh my god, is that…" Her words fall off after covering her mouth with her hand.

  Strong arms curl around my chest, and a pair of warm lips kiss my neck. I know immediately who it is and jump down from the stool I'm perched on. "Easton!" I throw myself into his waiting arms. "You're home early. Why didn't you tell me?"

  "I hadn't planned on it, but no way was I spending another night away from my girl if I could help it. I called Miles and told him to do whatever it took to get me home."

  "Remind me to thank Miles."

  "How about you thank me instead with your mouth?" Easton hedges.

  "Okay," I breathe right before he slams his mouth down on mine. He tastes like mint, a hint of bourbon, and a lot like home.

  Too soon for my liking, Easton breaks away. It's then I see that look in his eyes conveying if we don't stop now, he'll have no problem giving everyone in the bar a show. "I think it's time to go," I whisper.

  "Sure the fuck is," Easton returns. He looks over my shoulder to Carter and offers his hand. "How's it going, man?"

  "Going, good. Easton, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Lulu."

  "Nice to meet you." Easton nods at a wordless Lulu gawking at him.

  Though star-struck, Lulu manages a greeting of her own. "You too, Easton," she says breathlessly, and I can't help but giggle.

  "I'm right here, babe!" Carter exclaims with a teasing smile

  "Sorry." Lulu turns red as she leans her body into Carter's side. He murmurs something into her ear then kisses her temple.

  "Well, I'd like to say I'm sorry for cutting this evening short, but I'm not," Easton announces. "I haven't seen my girl in a week, and I'm taking her home."

  "No worries, man." Carter and Lulu stand. "We're heading out too."

  "Are you guys still coming by the house to say goodbye before catching your flight tomorrow?"

  "Yeah, we'll be by around noon," Carter says.

  "Great." Moving in, I give both Carter and Lulu a hug. "We'll see ya'll tomorrow then."

  When we arrive back at the ranch, Easton pulls his Bronco up in front of our house, which we officially moved into four months ago. Knowing I would never want to leave the ranch or my grandfather, Easton proposed the idea of us keeping our roots right here in a place of our own. It was also his idea to have the house built by the lake. It's a two-story log cabin, wit
h four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The cabin faces the water, with a wrap-around porch on the bottom level of the home and a terrace we can access from our master suite on the second floor. I love how the house is partially hidden by the trees and tall bushes. Every morning, I wake up, step outside and breathe the crisp scent of the water and listen to the mocking birds singing in the nearby trees. At the end of the day, I sit on the porch swing with Easton, and watch the colors in the sky shift from variant hues of reds and oranges, then those colors slowly fade into a deep indigo as night falls. Lying in our king-sized bed, we sleep beneath stars and moonlight visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows spanning the entire front side of the house.

  It took a lot of convincing on Easton's part for me to allow him to pay for everything, but at the end of the day, I realized he wanted to build a life together.

  Easton's help did not come with terms and conditions. It only came with love. His exact words were, "Loving you means I want to make all your dreams come true. In return, I will be making my dreams come true. So, let me do this not only for you but for us."

  So, I did.

  He built us a home we can one day make a family in, hired a team of people to come to the ranch, and built the most beautiful barn I have ever seen. He fixed the Inn and added a ton of new amenities to the rooms. Connelly Ranch is now thriving. Business is booming, and because of that, we were able to hire an entire staff.

  Now, the details with the Inn and ranch were worked out between Easton and my grandfather. My grandfather is a stubborn and prideful man, so I wasn't surprised the only way he would agree to let Easton fix the place up if he could pay him back. Easton was not happy, but because he respected the hell out of the man and knew how important it was for him to be able to pay him back, Easton agreed.

  I can also admit, Easton was correct. If two people love each other enough, they can make anything work without having to sacrifice the things they care about the most. I still play a significant role in running things here at Connelly Ranch, but I also split my time and travel with Easton and his band. Getting to know that side of his life has been an experience, and I've had to learn to adjust to certain things, like how passionate some female fans are. Luckily, Easton has never given me a reason to doubt his feelings for me, and that part of his lifestyle no longer gets under my skin.

  Jumping down from the Bronco, I begin jogging toward the house. When I'm halfway down the stone walkway, I stop and peer over my shoulder, then proceed to peel my dress off and toss it to the ground.

  Easton stops short when he catches sight of me standing in front of him in nothing but an emerald green thong, a matching lace bra, and my cowboy boots. "It's a nice night for a swim. Care to join me?"

  EASTON

  One year later

  * * *

  It’s hard to believe the amount of time that has passed since Becca, and I met. Many things have changed in my life, yet so much is still the same. I sold my apartment in Nashville and Becca and I went on to build a life together on the ranch, in a home nestled amongst the strong Oak trees by our lake. Everything that happened with Mallory is where it should be—in the past.

  I still travel, playing shows across the country, and Becca travels with me every chance she gets. We balance our lives between the road and home. Still, my favorite place is with her on the ranch.

  I used to think falling in love was never going to happen. I wasn't ready to be vulnerable. Not until Becca came into my life. Giving someone a map of all your flaws and putting faith in them not to abuse the power you've given them is a huge step. Becca loves me despite my imperfections.

  We don't always agree. She's still as feisty and headstrong as the first day we met, and I'm sure I test her patience from time to time. Yet, at the end of the day, love is still there, waiting for us. Becca is the fire in my veins and the air that I breathe. I can't imagine my life without her in it.

  * * *

  Tonight, East of Addiction is playing to another sold-out crowd in New Orleans, Louisiana. Like many times before, we start to play the intro into the first verse of our song Addicted To You, and as I’m singing, I look out into the audience and see everyone singing along to the song. The natural high I always get courses through my veins, and it feels like I’m about to explode. It never gets old. I hope it never does. And there, in the sea of people, I find the love of my life standing center stage, looking up at me with stars in her eyes, and my heart skips a beat.

  For a moment, emotion catches in my throat as my eyes fall on her round tummy, and I smile. Becca is pregnant with our first child. I wouldn't have any of this if circumstances hadn't brought me to Connelly Ranch, but I've ended up right where I'm supposed to be. If there is one thing I've learned in my life it's to embrace the unexpected.

  I swear, aside from kissing Becca, the best part of my day since she’s been pregnant is getting to hear the baby’s heartbeat using one of the at-home devices.

  Being on stage and getting to play our music is incredible, and I thank God every night for allowing me to live out my dream with my best friends and Becca at my side, but it doesn’t compare to being a husband and soon to be daddy.

  I hit that last note and smile at my wife. Becca married me two months ago. At first, she was stubborn and wanted to wait until the baby was born, but I wasn’t having it. Becca was going to have my last name before our baby arrived.

  I spared no expense giving Becca the wedding of her dreams. We held it at Connelly Ranch. Swollen belly and all, she was beautiful walking down that white carpet, in her white gown, with her grandfather at her side.

  There, on a crisp fall day, beneath the stars, amongst friends and family, we pledged our love for each other.

  I bring myself to the present and move closer to the edge of the stage. I keep my eyes on Becca, and the rest of the arena fades into the background.

  "I wrote this last song a few summers ago for the woman who stole my heart." The band follows my lead and begins playing the song I wrote many nights ago about a man searching for answers that only the stars knew the secrets to.

  I was drowning in loneliness.

  In nights of bitter cold.

  Something in my life was missing…but I didn’t know what I was searching for.

  Then you came along and shined your light on me.

  My red-haired woman, you set me free. (You set me free)

  From the moment I met you.

  Since that very first kiss.

  Your taste still lingers…upon my lips.

  You chased away the sadness.

  You brought me back to life.

  Now I see my future reflecting in your eyes.

  My red-haired woman, you set me free. (You set me free)

  Archer takes the spotlight and begins playing his guitar solo. The crowd goes wild.

  Becca smiles at me, then slowly unbuttons the flannel shirt she’s wearing, revealing a black tank top underneath. My eyes leave hers long enough to read the pink words on the front of her shirt. It’s a girl.

  For the second time in my life, I forget how to breathe, and Becca has security escort her to the stage.

  Becca has always been gorgeous, but an ethereal glow emanates from her that enhances her beauty as she moves toward me. The moment she’s within reach, I pull her to me and crush my lips to hers. When I pull away, we’re both breathless.

  “Are you surprised?” Becca shouts.

  “Now, two girls have stolen my heart.” I press my palm to her belly, and the baby girl kicks. I take the microphone in my hand and share the news with the thousands of people in the arena. “It’s a girl!” I show off my beautiful wife and mother-to-be. The crowd explodes, cheering for us.

  I stare at my red-headed woman as she soaks it in. “Is this what it feels like every time?” Becca shouts, and I wrap my arms around her waist.

  “Loving you feels better.” And I kiss her again.

  AFTERWORD

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in the Happily Ever Alpha World? Click on the link to continue reading another Happily Ever Alpha Book -> Aurora Rose Reynolds’s Happily Ever Alpha World

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