“Your dad was just trying to protect you.”
“More like he would rather not have to be bothered if I were kidnapped.”
“Nancy, that’s not true.”
I look at him and wonder how much Syd told him about my life growing up. I swore her to secrecy, but they are really close, so I assumed she told him at least a little bit. Maybe she didn’t.
“You don’t know anything, do you?”
“I know your family has money.”
I sigh and take another bite of my excellent salad. Seriously, if he wanted to give up the show, he could probably make money from cooking. This is perfect. “Is there chicken in this?”
He nods. “That rotisserie chicken we bought. I shredded some of it.”
“So, my family. I can’t remember the last time I spent the holidays with them.”
“I know you’re estranged.”
“No. I mean, I really can’t. My parents’ divorce was messy, drawn out. Because there was a custody dispute, we never had normal holidays from the time I was four. I think the last time I spent the holidays with any blood relatives was my eighth Christmas. After that, I spent them alone. Well, not alone. I spent them with the staff or at school—before I was expelled from that boarding school in New York.”
He blinks at me. “That’s the saddest thing I have ever heard.”
Embarrassment rushes through me. I hate pity. It’s why I didn’t want him to know. “It wasn’t that bad. I had a roof over my head and food. I even had the presents my parents sent to me.”
I know he wants to argue, but he doesn’t. Or at least I don’t give him the chance. “So, wanna tell me what this is all about? What is this land and why did you bring me out here?”
He smiles, a flash of white in the darkness. “First, let me tell you about this land. I saw it went up for sale about a year ago. Just sitting here, no one even showed any interest, which is odd because it’s so close to the springs. And on top of that, it has a stocked pond and its own natural springs.”
“Wow. Nice.”
“So, I bided my time and then I bought it at a steal.”
I blink. “How many acres?”
“Just about forty. Not huge compared to your family’s holdings, but still a lot of land for someone like me.”
“What are your plans for it? And is that why you rented out your house?”
He nods. “Partially.”
I nibble on my bottom lip, trying to think about what he would need the land for. He never really answered. I know he isn’t interested in cattle, and 40 acres isn’t enough to do anything with in that regard. Not to make a profit anyway.
“So?”
Another smile and I know he was waiting for me. “I bought it to build a house on. I thought it would be nice to hideaway from Juniper out here, but still be close enough to go in every day if we wanted to.”
“That makes sense. You…”
Then his words hit me. I look up at him, searching his gaze, then he nods. “Yeah, I said we. I love you, Nancy, I always have. I want you here with me.”
We tell each other every day how much we love each other, and I will never get tired of hearing it. But the idea that he was thinking of me, of settling down, and being with just me…well, that is another level. A really great level. “You bought this with me in mind?”
He shrugs. “I didn’t know it at the time, but yeah, I think I did. I kept seeing a farmhouse. It didn’t hit me until recently that every time I pictured this land, that house, it was you who was there with me.”
“Oh,” I say, my breath hitching.
“Is that all you have to say?”
I swallow. “I love you too.”
“You told me that already.”
I smile. “So I did. But…this is another level; this is relationship level.”
He frowns. “And? Yeah, I might not have a great track record, but I promise you I am all yours.”
“So, you’ll never hurt me?” I feel small for asking.
“Probably. And you’ll hurt me. Then we’ll make up.”
“Just like that?”
He sets his salad down and cups my face with both of his hands. “We’re human, Nancy. We make mistakes. In fact, the two of us made a lot of mistakes. At the end of the day, all that matters is that we love each other. You and me, we’re in this together.”
This freaking man. “Yeah, in this together. I love you, Travis.”
“I love you too.”
He slips his arm around my shoulders as we snuggle together enjoying our salad.
“You do know that we’re going to have to have room for all the Hawthornes, right?” I ask laughing.
“Anything you want,” he says. “But Carter will be in a room far away from you.”
I giggle and kiss him on the cheek. As we sit listening to the crickets, we talk about our plans for the house, for our happily ever after.
I couldn’t ask for anything else.
Epilogue
Travis
Almost two years later
It took us a little longer than we wanted, but the farmhouse is finally ready for us. When the news of our relationship hit the tabloids, people went insane. We ended up spending about two months at Grady’s living in the little guest house. It was perfect. Once we did go back to Juniper, I moved in with Nancy. My old house is still being rented by our new office manager, Liv Walker, but I think she’s planning on buying it at some point. She and her two kids love it, so I am definitely going to cut her a good deal on it. I have to because she is the best damned office manager in Texas, in my humble opinion.
Garrett Howard ended up taking a plea deal, but he still got jail time. I’m just happy we didn’t have to testify. There are more investigations going on right now, including one actress that he was apparently stalking when she disappeared. That left me even madder and freaked out, if I’m telling the truth. The idea of that man being allowed to continue on as long as he did is an embarrassment to the industry.
Because of that, Syd and Nancy started the Speak Out Initiative, much like the Me Too and Time’s Up, but they have the backing of the Hawthorne family. That has gotten them lots of press, and both of them are being seen as leaders in the women’s equality movement. I’m so proud of them.
We completed our latest season about six months ago and have been spending a lot of time on the farmhouse. It’s not massive like Grady’s house, but we each have our own offices—Nancy insisted. While we love each other, we would drive each other crazy in the same office all day. Or so she says. Yeah, she’s probably right. There are four bedrooms, a gourmet kitchen for me—Nancy still can’t cook to save her life—and plenty of space to entertain. We have plans for our own little guest cottage for Syd and Grady when they want to visit.
Now, I’m standing at the base of the steps that lead to our massive wraparound porch. I haven’t seen the inside since Nancy got in there to decorate. I trust her, but I have plans today that leave me more than a little nervous. Our friends and family will be here in about an hour.
“Ready?” she asks, cutting into my thoughts. I nod but she tugs on my hand. “What’s wrong?”
I shake my head and look down at her. God, she’s so damned beautiful. And she’s mine. Has been for two years, and I hope forever.
“Nothing. Just…it’s a big step.”
She smiles at me and my heart does that little thing that makes it feel like it’s turning over in my chest. No matter how many times she smiles at me, it happens.
“Come on. I can’t wait to show you.”
We step up on the porch and I notice all of her little touches. I made sure not to cut down many of the trees and we added to the landscaping, while making sure not to install a lot of plants that would need tons of water. But here, Nancy added a few things, including pots of all her favorite flowers. There are rocking chairs and tables scattered on each side of the door, looking west to watch the sun set. I can’t wait to do just that with her.
&
nbsp; And I need an answer. I had thought to wait until after everyone leaves, but, I just can’t. I need to ask her now or I will blurt it out at some point. She moves to unlock the door, then turns around smiling. Her smile slowly fades, and a frown replaces it.
“What’s up? You look like you’re going to throw up.”
Great. “It’s…I was going to wait, but I can’t.”
“Wait?” She pulls her hand from mine. “If you’re going to break up with me, I swear to god I will use a nail gun on your balls.”
And she would. It’s one of the reasons I love her.
“No. The opposite.”
Now she just looks confused. Of course, she does. Way to wow her, Fillmore. God, I can’t do anything right today. I sound like a complete idiot.
I shove a hand through my hair. “Just say you’ll marry me and then we can get on with it.”
She blinks. “Did you just demand I marry you?”
I did. Fuck.
“Okay, that was bad. But, I…I want to have babies with you. I want to sit here and watch the sun set. I want my ring on your finger and yours on mine.”
She studies me, her gaze searching mine. The moment stretches out and my heart about stops working. I feel as if the entire world has come to a stop. Then, slowly, her mouth curves, her eyes sparkle.
“Yes, I’ll marry you.”
For a second, I say nothing. It’s like the entire world comes to a stop at that moment, then starts back up again. I let out a whoop and grab her, swinging her up into my arms.
“Travis.”
“What? Shouldn’t I carry you over the threshold?”
She laughs as I do just that. I kick the door shut as I head toward our bedroom, ignoring the decorated space.
“Where are you going?” she asks, laughter filling her voice.
“We’re going to celebrate, and we have less than an hour before everyone shows up. I need a little taste before tonight.”
With the woman I love in my arms, I make my way through our new sanctuary, a smile on my face, and happiness in my soul.
I hope you loved Travis and Nancy’s story!
If you loved the folks of Juniper Springs, they are getting their own series. First one will be this fall.
I never thought to settle down, but Quinn Hawthorne has me second guessing everything!
Check out EVERLY EVER AFTER.
Grady and Sydney have their own story in HATE TO LOVE YOU!
He is absolutely, completely, and undoubtedly the one man I shouldn't fantasize about.
One-click —> HATE TO LOVE YOU.
I loved everything about this book!! It was my first book by Melissa Schroeder but based off her writing style it won't be my last!
-The 1000 Lives of Sherlock Hughes, Amazon Review
If you want to see how this all started, check out the first Camos and Cupcakes book: DELICIOUS!
I’ve loved him for years, but never told him. One drunken kiss changed everything.
Absolutely smashing! Donna, IMHO Blog
Hate to Love You
Syd
The moment my alarm sounds on my phone Monday morning, I reach for it and promptly fall off my bed face first. Said face hits the carpet hard, my nose taking the brunt of the hit. The only consolation is that I’m alone. Wait, that’s not a good thing, right? Before I can answer myself—and I’m still lying with my face planted in the carpet—my phone rings. The sun is still rising, I’m lying on the carpet with nothing but a t-shirt and panties on, and I know without a doubt, it’s my boss Grady Hawthorne.
I take a moment to pull my head up, resting my weight on my elbows in a sphinx pose. Only I know I don’t look as cool as Jasmine my yoga instructor does when she performs this pose. I probably look more like a cranky calico cat with bad morning breath. My nose stings from the hit it took, and my head is pounding slightly. I really hate freaking Mondays.
My phone stops ringing but I don’t worry. Grady Fucking Hawthorne will call back. He always does because he is convinced the only reason I wouldn’t answer the phone is that I am dead. And it’s not because he cares. He probably just wants to know if he needs to hire a new executive assistant. So, I know he’ll call me back. I’m proven right a minute later when my phone starts ringing again.
I answer it this time.
“What?”
There’s a pause. Since Grady took over the position of CEO eighteen months ago, I’ve been irritated. His father Pete would have never called me at the asscrack of dawn on a Monday morning. I work fifty to sixty hours a week as it is. Pete was a sweetie and had hired me “for his son” since Pete had already announced his retirement. I thought his son would be like him. I was wrong. Oh…so…wrong.
“Good morning to you, Ms. Fillmore,” he says, his tenor slipping over my name. He’s a Texas boy born and raised, and he has that sexy, slow-talking tone. And this is where I get to admit that I have a big old lady-crush on Grady. Or at least my lady parts do. I don’t particularly like him. He’s the type of guy I avoid. He’s kind of bossy—mainly because he is my boss—and considered a bit of a manwhore, or he was until he was named CEO. Before then, he lived in New York and the tabloids loved him. You know the ones who tend to treat women like they are part of a smorgasbord. It’s embarrassing for my gender how many of us have slept with him. But he has one of those faces the camera loves and women like to sit on. So, there’s that. Worse, all I have to do is hear his voice and I’m gushing like Niagara Falls.
“It’s not even dawn yet, Grady. What’s so important?”
Another pause. He never calls me by my first name, but I always call him by his. It’s weird, but then, so am I, and all my interactions with him are awkward. But, when Pete introduced me to Grady, he used his first name.
“And I see that you woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”
“More like the wrong side of the carpet.”
There’s a pause and then I realize what that sounds like. Not that I have anything against ladies who like ladies, but…Jesus. I’ve been embarrassing myself since I met him two years ago when his father hired me.
“What I mean is that I fell off my bed, face first.”
“Were you drinking last night?”
“No. Why? Wait, that’s not any of your business.” But still. “I wasn’t drinking last night.”
“Did you set up the meeting with Patterson this morning?”
Oh, for freak’s sake. If he were here, I would throw a pen at him. It’s not like I haven’t done that before. “I texted you about it last night.”
“Hmm.”
What the fuck does that mean? I wait, because I hear him click clacking on his computer keyboard. I lay my head down on the carpet as I calculate the hours until Allison Brady’s bachelorette party. I haven’t been out to party in months and I need this. My best friend Nancy had wanted to go out this past Saturday night, but I decided to stay home and catch up on Hawaii Five-O. And you can judge me all you want, but I like some man candy while I watch shows, and McGarrett fills that bill nicely—even if he doesn’t wear khaki pants anymore. It has nothing to do with my nine-month long dry spell. Okay it does, as does my disappointment in my Friday night date. I actually skipped watching 5-0 live because of it. Jason had been nice enough, gorgeous, but I had been bored to tears. My one-sided date with McGarrett was more stimulating than dinner with Jason.
“Oh, there it is.”
I grit my teeth, then force myself to unclench my jaw before speaking. “So, can I go, or do you need to confirm more crap that’s in your calendar?”
“One of these days, I might fire you.”
And one of these days, I might just set him on fire and roast marshmallows. I blink. That escalated quickly. I tend to get a little violent in my thoughts when I go a long time without getting any.
“Is there anything else?”
“No. I’ll see you when you finally make it into the office.”
Then the line goes dead. I drop my phone and grind my
teeth. Finally make it into the office? Fucker. I work a lot of hours, more now that he’s in charge of Hawthorne Enterprises. I get it. He wants to prove to his father that he’s dedicated to the business. I just don’t know how much longer I could take this schedule. I thrive on challenges, and I get why this is so important to Grady, but a girl needs a break every now and then. Thankfully, Thursday will give me a chance to let loose. I only have to hold out until then.
After a quick run and a long shower, I slap on some makeup and get dressed. I would rather put on my rattiest yoga pants and one of my brother’s old shirts and slip back into bed. Instead, I step up to my closet and peruse my offerings. I like clothes. Like…a lot. My brother Travis and I didn’t have the easiest childhood. Our father disappeared around the time I was ten and Travis eight, leaving us with a mother who had mental health issues and a taste for the cheapest liquor. We went hungry more often than not, and I never had the chance to come into San Antonio to shop. Most of our clothes were second hand—which I don’t look down on—but it wasn’t easy growing up like that when your mother was known as the town loon.
Because of that, I have a hard-on for clothes. That’s what my best friend Nancy calls it, and it’s true. I get more excited by a well-cut blouse than I do over any of my recent dates. Okay, most of that might have been that they were all duds, but still. My love of clothes isn’t anything compared to my obsession with shoes. Like I would probably cut a bitch if she touched any of my favorite stilettos. From the moment I had my first decent check, I started collecting them. I have at least one pair from each of my favorite designers. I went a whole two months eating nothing but peanut butter sandwiches so I could afford my first Louboutin. Now I have five pair, including my favorite black boots.
Love to Hate You: An Enemies to Lovers, Best Friend's Brother Romantic Comedy (The Fillmores Book 2) Page 27