This Much is True

by Louise, Tia

  We have dinner and she tells me about her yoga practice. She specializes in middle-aged patients, and as much as she never gets involved, she couldn’t resist my fit, handsome father.

  I’m not harshing on her. Dad’s a silver fox all right. And she’s really calm and steady. I think she’ll be good for him.

  When he walks me to the Impala that night, I’m not sure I’m ready to say goodbye, but I know it’s time to get back to San Francisco. Two weeks is a long time to be away from home, and I have to make a decision one way or the other.

  “If you really love him, hold onto him.” Dad smooths a lock of hair behind my ear. “You’re not an easy girl to let go.”

  “Sure you’re not just saying that because I’m your daughter?”

  “No.” He shakes his head, and it makes me laugh. I put my face against his chest and hug him again, longer, not wanting to let him go.

  “I’m so glad I got to see you. Karla is amazing.”

  “You’re amazing. I love you, Sunshine.” He steps back, inspecting Metallicar. “I knew you’d take care of my baby. I have to say, you look like a badass driving it.”

  “You’re the badass.” One last dad hug, and I think I’m ready to face the real world again.

  Still, there are times when I wish I was a little girl, laughing and screaming from the treehouse out back, not a care in the world.

  I’m pulling up to the beach shack when my phone goes off with a text from a number I haven’t heard from in weeks. Are you back in town?

  Are you back in town? I reply. Last I heard, Scout was returning to Charleston to be with Jesse.

  Would you do something for me if I promise it’ll make you happy?

  I can’t imagine what he’s talking about, still, I’m curious. Only if it’s quick and easy.

  When did quick and easy ever equal happy?

  Touché. Still make it quick.

  An hour later, I’m walking on the pedestrian path along the Golden Gate Bridge. I haven’t done this since I was a girl with my dad. We used to try and see if we could run the whole way across. I always ended up not even halfway across with a cramp, holding my side and laughing.

  Traffic is still pretty sparse at my back, and I stop in the center, looking out over the waves far below. It’s dark, and I close my eyes, remembering a time when I believed I could hear the angels singing over the waters.

  It’s been a long time since I believed that.

  I don’t even get sad anymore.

  “Hope?” The deep voice pulls me up short, and my eyes flash open.

  My breath disappears, and my body trembles all over. What’s happening right now?

  He comes closer, breaking into a jog until he’s right in front of me.

  I still can’t find my voice, and now I’m having a hard time seeing his face. Tears blur my eyes.

  “Did he…” He looks over his shoulder in the direction he came, and I take the chance to reach up and lightly touch my fingers to the ends of his dark hair.

  At last I find my voice. “What are you doing here?”

  Ice-blue eyes blink back at me under a dark, furrowed brow. He’s so brutally handsome, for a moment I’m lost in the sight of him.

  “My phone.” He stops short, shaking his head like he’s in disbelief. “The guy you gave my phone called Scout and said he couldn’t fix it… But he was able to retrieve the file you needed. The last video.”

  An ache fills my throat, and I almost can’t speak. “He got it?” Blinking, a crystal tear hits my cheek.

  JR reaches up to wipe it away with his thumb. “You saved me.”

  His body is so close to mine, I can smell his luscious scent of soap and sweat and spicy-man. “You made the recording. I only took it to the repair guy.”

  His fingers slide along the side of my hair, and I close my eyes, leaning my cheek into his palm. He lifts his other hand, tracing the side of his thumb along my bottom lip. He touches me like he’s remembering something…

  “The judge dismissed the case. She threw out my conviction. They cleared my name.”

  My chest tightens with every word, and I huff an excited laugh. “She did?” My hands rise to my lips.

  “Not only that, GA did some digging. Found out my mom left us a trust fund when she died. A pretty big one.”

  “You didn’t know?”

  “Our dad used some of it to start his gym. Which means we own all of it. The house, the gym, his wellness line of products.”

  Blinking, I try to understand what he’s saying. “It’s what you said you’d do…”

  “It’s what I figured I’d do. Now I fucking own it all.”

  “Is that good?”

  His eyebrows rise, and he nods slowly. “Yeah. It’s really good. Trust me. It’s better than good.”

  Rising on my toes, I clasp my hands together under my chin. I want to hug him. I want to kiss him and tell him he’s amazing and he deserves every good thing that’s coming to him. I want to tell him I still love him…

  Instead, I stick to the basics. “How’s Jesse?”

  “Great.” Warmth permeates his tone. “He’s here. We’ve been spending every minute together since I got out. I’ve taken him everywhere… but he keeps asking about you.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes.”

  A bloom of warmth floods my chest. “But why are you here?”

  “My brother said a dream I had would come true if I showed up here tonight.”

  “A dream?”

  “Something I didn’t know I wanted until it dropped in my lap on the road between San Francisco and Los Angeles.”

  I can’t hold back a laugh. “What is it?”

  Strong arms wrap around me, lifting me off my feet. My legs wrap around his waist, and I rest my hands on his cheeks. Looking into his blue eyes, I see heat and desire and longing and… something more?

  “I’m glad to see you smiling.” My voice is soft. “What will you do now?”

  “I was thinking I’d settle down, maybe get married, give Jesse the home he deserves.”

  “You’re a handsome man, JR Dunne. Any woman would be lucky to have you.”

  “Is that so?” He lowers me to my feet, and I look up at him, nodding. Warm hands cup my cheeks, and he leans closer. “Only one man could be lucky enough to have you.”

  My nose wrinkles, and I lift my chin. “Who might that be?”

  “This man.” His voice is rough, sending heat sizzling all the way to my toes. “Can I kiss you?”

  “I wish you would.”

  Warm lips cover mine, pushing them apart and sweeping his tongue inside. A high whimper escapes on an exhale, and I’m off my feet again. My legs are around his waist, and I hold him, chasing his lips, doing my best to keep up with his kisses. It’s divine and delicious, and bubbles of happiness rise in my chest.

  I lift my chin, and his lips trace a hot line down my neck. Lowering me to my feet, he cups my face and holds my head as he takes a long inhale of my hair. Shimmers move from my head to my toes.

  “Hope?” He steps back, putting both hands on my shoulders. I blink my eyes open in dreamy satisfaction, meeting his gaze. “I love you.”

  My throat tightens at the words. Heat fills my eyes, and I have to blink quickly to clear it. “You…”

  “I love you so much. I want you to marry me. I want you to come home with me to Fireside, and I want us to find a place for your restaurant. I want your life to be with me. I want to make your dreams come true. I want your dreams to be my dreams. I want you to be my hope eternal.”

  “You…” I can’t speak. It’s too much for my blissed-out brain to handle.

  “You don’t have to answer me now. I only want you to know that’s what I want.” He leans forward, kissing the tip of my nose, the top of my lips. “The rest is up to you.”

  Mist is so heavy in my eyes, I can only grin and kiss him back. “I can answer you now. My answer is yes.”

  Warm hands slide along my waist, slipping bene
ath the hem of my white sweater, rising higher to cup my back. My entire body is humming with delight.

  We’re here together. We’re making promises. It’s the culmination of my dream, and it’s with the man of my dreams.

  Closing my eyes, our lips reunite, and electricity races from the tips of my hair to the tips of my toes. JR’s lips capture mine, and our tongues slide and curl together. It’s incredible. It’s everything, and when my eyes flutter open to gaze at the brilliant stars above us, it’s there.

  To the average pedestrian, it might sound like the hum of tires on the metal bridge, but it’s not. Far away, over the ocean, it’s them. Angels are singing. It’s the first time I’ve heard them in a year.

  Lifting his head, he looks into my eyes. “Do you hear that?”

  My eyebrows quirk, and my stomach flutters. “Hear what?”

  He looks to the side and waits, but after a moment, he shakes his head, a sexy smile curling his perfectly full lips. “I thought I heard singing.”

  Bouncing on my toes, I squeeze my arms tighter around his neck, speaking in his ear. “It’s the sound of our future. It’s going to be brighter and more beautiful than we ever knew.”

  He smooths both hands along the sides of my face, cupping my cheeks. “You’re my hope, and I’m holding onto you as long as I live. I’ll never let you go.”

  Placing my hand on his chest, over the spot where his ink lies, I look into his eyes and make a vow. “This much is true… You can count on me. I’ll never let you down. I’ll always stand by your side.”

  Another kiss, and while our lips part in a swirl of desire and passion and longing, our mouths seal in a promise we’ll keep. It’s a promise of hope and of a future. It’s a promise born of hardship and refusing to let go.

  It’s a promise that says this much is true… I’ll never let you go.

  Epilogue

  J.R.

  I’m balls deep in the woman of my dreams, and she’s taking me to paradise.

  Hope’s back is to me, and she rocks her hips, moving faster as I thrust my cock deeper into her hot little pussy.

  “John…” She gasps, arching her back.

  I sit up behind her, sliding my hands along her flat stomach up to her soft breasts, cupping them, tweaking her nipples. Her insides clench, and my mind blanks. I’m so close to coming.

  “So good…” I groan, biting the top of her shoulder lightly.

  Her body shudders, and I wrap my arm around her waist, sliding a hand between her legs and circling firmly over her clit. It’s just enough to take us both over the top.

  She breaks with a loud moan, clenching and falling into me. Her fingers curl in the side of my hair, and I close my eyes as the orgasm races through my legs, centering in my pelvis and pulsing into her.

  It’s so fucking good.

  We’re breathing fast, and both my arms are around her now. I turn my face to kiss her behind the ear, inhaling soft flowers and caramel. She reaches both hands over her head, caressing my neck, pulling my hair.

  “Mmm…” The smile on her lips makes me smile. “My sexy husband.”

  Yeah, we did it. We decided not to waste any time getting married. As soon as we got back to Fireside, we had a small ceremony down by the shore in Oceanside, just the two of us, GA, Scout, and Jesse. When we’re able to get everyone together, we’ll fly out her dad, Karla, and Yarnell and have a big celebration.

  On the way back, we took a detour through Oceanside Village, and stopped in a pretty little cake place. The owner was a friendly girl who said they did a steady business with tourists coming up from the strip.

  Hope and I exchanged a look, and as soon as we got home, she got to work on her business plan, altering the location to a boutique community near a thriving beachfront tourist destination.

  As luck would have it, Stephen Hasting’s investment partner Remington Key is located not too far away, and he made a day trip to check it out. They agreed to give her half the startup money she’d need. As her husband, I’m investing the other half. Pancake Paradise is on track for a grand re-opening in the summer of next year, just in time for high season at the beach.

  “My beautiful wife.” Sliding my hands over her flat stomach, I kiss the side of her jaw, speaking in her ear. “I’m ready to put a baby in you. A little girl that looks just like her pretty mamma.”

  Hope slides her hands along my arms, threading our fingers. “Not until after the grand opening. It’s going to be crazy until then.”

  “You’ll be adorable barefoot and pregnant.”

  “Just because I was barefoot when you met me doesn’t mean I won’t wear shoes.” She’s teasing, and I kiss her neck.

  Her shoulder rises with a squeal. I love that little sensitive spot. “To think, I almost left you on the side of the road.”

  “You wouldn’t have done it.” She climbs out of my arms, and I miss her already. “I’d better get moving. Alice is bringing Jesse for breakfast, and he wants peanut butter pancakes.”

  Jesse lives with us full-time now in our big house in the older part of town, but he spends every weekend with GA. He says he doesn’t like her being alone. I tried to get her to move in here. We’ve got plenty of room, but she’s stubborn and said she likes having her own place.

  “Is Scout coming over?” I toss back the blankets as she emerges from the bathroom.

  “I don’t know. He’s been spending a lot of time in Oceanside since the wedding. I think he’s got a girlfriend there. You know, he never found that girl he told me about.”

  Her slim brow furrows over her bright blue eyes, and her hair is up in a high ponytail. She’s dressed in jeans and a short black tank that shows off her cute little navel, and I can’t resist. I catch her around the waist, kissing the back of her neck.

  “John!” I love it when she fusses, especially when she’s laughing like right now.

  I only ever want to see her happy after all the shit we went through to get here.

  An hour after my brother texted me in that prison cell, Mel the Guard came to the door and told me it was time to go. At first, I was confused, but a big grin split his fat cheeks. He told me the judge had reviewed new evidence on my case and threw out the charges.

  I was a free man.

  My brother’s instructions were to get in the brand-new Tahoe he’d left for me and drive to Hope’s beach house, which I was eager to do.

  I walked through the door, and the first thing I heard was my little boy’s voice. It hit me right in the chest, and I dropped to my knees to catch him in my arms for the longest hug we’d shared since the last time we were together at the airport.

  It’s possible tears were in my eyes. I’m not made of stone.

  The whole place was decorated with balloons and streamers and a sign reading Welcome Home. Scout had flown back to get Jesse as soon as the lawyer said my phone recording would do it. Hope was with her dad, and I wanted to drive out to be with her.

  Only, my brother had a different plan.

  “I thought you might want to know what happened to that rat in Buena Vista,” he’d said.

  Fucking Clyde Shaw.

  My joy at being released, being reunited with my son, reclaiming my life was shadowed by the fact that asshole was walking around free.

  “Not for long.”

  We piled into my new ride, which is a whole other story, and Scout drove us into the city.

  He parallel parked in a space behind a bush and killed the engine. “I’ve been working with the cops ever since Hope and I came back here. The detective called and said if we wanted to watch, now was the time.”

  My brother was still speaking as a swarm of cars surrounded the building.

  A black Camaro pulled into the alley and a white police cruiser blocked the front entrance. Two uniformed officers burst through the apartment entrance with Clyde Shaw in handcuffs.

  “Cool!” Jesse cried from the backseat watching. “They got the bad man!”

  I looked at Scout. �
��How?”

  “The evidence on your phone was the break they needed. Clyde was just a middle man, but he was connected to an international drug ring that extended from Mexico all the way to Toronto. Cops had been trying to break it up for two years.”

  As much as I’d wanted to kick his ass from here to Ocean Beach, seeing him dragged away in handcuffs had been pretty satisfying.

  “Remember that con artist Brother Bob?” Scout sits at the kitchen table holding a coffee mug while Hope and Jesse are at the counter behind him in front of a large mixing bowl.

  “Add a third of a cup of peanut butter.” Hope holds a silver measuring cup over the bowl while my son scrapes the contents with a wooden spoon. “The snake handler who recognized you?”

  She gives my brother a wink, and my son’s head jerks around. “Who got a snake?”

  My brother stands and goes to where my son is on a stool beside my beautiful wife. “A bad man who took a bunch of people’s money.” He leans closer. “That smells good. How much longer?”

  “Finish telling us what happened!” Hope gives him a bump with her hip.

  “He got caught with a fan of Rod’s in his hotel room playing hide the sausage.”

  “What’s hide the sausage?” Jesse’s little nose curls, and I cut my brother a look.

  “It’s something you shouldn’t play until you’re a grownup.” Hope kisses the top of his head.

  “Because sausage is messy?”

  “Yes.” She grins, looking at me, and I shake my head. “Sausage can make a big mess if it’s not handled properly.”

  “Some people like their sausage messy.” Scout waggles his eyebrows, and I punch him on the arm hard.

  “You don’t say?”

  “Ow, shiiooot.” He rubs the spot. “That’s going to leave a bruise.”

  “What kind of snake was it?” Jesse’s stirring the pancake mix, and Hope puts her hand over his to help him.

  The way they get along so well warms my heart.

  “Copperhead.” Scout grabs a handful of chocolate chips. “He was a bad man, and he got what was coming to him.”

  “Scout!” Hope fusses. “Don’t eat all our decorations.”