At the edge of the pavilion sits a wood-beamed arch that was brought in for the occasion. It’s draped in blush tulle and dripping in baby’s breath. Directly through the arch is the rippling water, making a perfectly serene backdrop for our nuptials.
“It’s time,” Essie says, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze as she walks past to make sure everyone is in their proper places.
Lyle takes his seat behind the keyboard, and as the curtains part, I recognize the beginning notes to “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” at the exact moment I see my bride. I’m hit with a barrage of emotion as I try to digest it all.
Her long blonde hair is curled, with a floral crown threaded through the strands. The dress is ivory—long and fitted, flaring out where it reaches the floor. Comprised of nude lace, it fits her body like a glove. She looks elegant and dainty.
I keep thinking there’s no way I could possibly love her more, but every day she proves me wrong. That she found a way to include my mother in this momentous occasion has my heart feeling like it might burst, unable to contain the ever-growing love I have for this woman.
With her arm threaded through Nick’s, she makes the slow march down the aisle. She raises her head, and her emerald eyes latch onto mine. For a moment I’m struck with a feeling of sheer disbelief—that this is happening—that she’s truly mine.
The way all of this came to be seems too good to be true. But here we are, coming full circle in the place where we began.
Who knew Pour Judgment would lead to the best decision of my life?
Epilogue
Korie
“Up next in our Chicks with Tricks junior division, we have the daughter of X Games gold medalist, Korie Potter, and country superstar, Rhett Taylor. Please welcome six-year-old Hadley!”
“I’m gonna be sick,” Rhett says, scrubbing a hand over his face before hanging his head. “Tell me when it’s over.”
I stab an elbow into his side. “That kid will have your ass if she finds out you didn’t watch her skate.”
“Fine,” he says, taking my hand in his and squeezing it tight as our little girl drops in for her very first run of her first competition ever.
“She looks so tiny,” I whisper as she climbs the high wall and lands a gnarly kick flip. “Yes,” I hiss, clapping my hands together. “Good job, baby,” I scream.
“Damn board’s bigger than her,” he grumps beside me, swatting a fly away from his face.
She pumps her little legs, her long blonde hair flowing behind her from beneath her pink helmet as she picks up speed then lands her little rainbow board on top of the grind rail, sliding all the way down, just like I taught her.
“Jesus Christ!” Rhett shouts, lunging forward when she tries for an invert and her hand misses the ledge. She lands on her helmet then tumbles down the ramp.
“She’s fine,” I say, pulling him by the back of his shirt so he doesn’t jump into the bowl after her. “See?” I wave at our daughter as she climbs out with the biggest smile on her face.
“Gimme your hand,” I say, placing it on my growing stomach. “You feel that?”
A smile splits his gorgeous face. “He’s active.”
“Ryder already wants to take off after his big sister.”
Rhett’s eyes grow wide. “Nuh-uhn. Not this one too. This one’s my little crooner.”
“Good luck keeping him off the ramp in our yard,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Dammit, Stick. You gonna turn all twelve of our kids into daredevils?”
I smile, planting a kiss on his heart-shaped lips. “Damn sure gonna try.”
If you’d like to read AJ and Brock’s story,
download Rebel Heart by LK Farlow on Amazon and read free in Kindle Unlimited.
Acknowledgments
First off, I’d like to give a collective thank you to you, my readers, for sticking with me. It’s been almost a year since I’ve published—my longest break yet. It’s a scary thing to be a writer who’s not writing. But, I’m not a person who can force it, and it means everything that you stuck by me while I waited for my voice to return. Waited is probably not the right word—begged…pleaded…cursed the literary gods. But you get the picture. Korie and Rhett brought me back, and I hope you enjoyed reading about them as much as I did writing them!
To my family. My husband, Adam. My children Xavier, Kari, Bari, Parker, Amelia, and Kellan. Thank you for being ridiculously cute and funny and sarcastic, and giving me endless inspiration for my novels. Thank you for sacrificing time and cooked meals when inspiration struck so I could pen this story.
Mom…thank you isn’t enough, but it’s all I’ve got. Thank you for always showing up when I need you. For everything from babysitting the kids to cooking meals to cleaning my house. You’re always here for me with a smile on your face and an encouraging word. We appreciate you more than you know.
Kate Farlow…there aren’t words for what you mean to me. You are the definition of a true friend. Thank you for always being here day or night to assist with anything…and I do mean anything from advice, to teasers, to newsletters, to listening to me vent about my kids or cry about my hurt feelings. I love you more than Pepsi and Tootsie Rolls and that is SO MUCH!
Lo, you beautiful, sexy thang. Thank you for being such a light in my life, and a shoulder I know I can always lean on. I love you so freaking much, and I’m so lucky to call you MINE! #wifey
My P.A., Renee McCleary. I feel like you dropped down from heaven at a time I didn’t even know I needed you. I’m so thankful we met in Boston, and I suckered you in to taking me on. You’re stuck with me now. Thank you for forcing me to set a date and nagging me daily for my word count. For reading every scene fifteen times as I wrote it. You are a gem, and I’m so lucky to have you on my team.
To my beeches, Harloe Rae and K.K. Allen. I don’t know that I could have pushed through without your love and encouragement. Thank you for being the beautiful souls that you are. Honest, selfless, kind, and genuine friends are so hard to come by, and I know how lucky I am to have found that in each of you. Plus, I marked you…you’re mine. #sploogesisters #baptisedintheocean
Nicole and Dani. What can I say that hasn’t already been said in the last five books? Everyone should have a team of betas as loyal and giving and dedicated as the two of you. But they need to get their own because I’m never giving you up. From the bottom of my heart and soul, I love you two to freaking pieces. Thank you for EVERYTHING!
Katherine and Keri, how did I get lucky enough to land the two of you? Not only are you the best and some of the most supportive readers around, but truly incredible humans and friends. I don’t think you have any clue how much I admire you both. Thank you for reading and for your feedback, and most of all for being you. I love you.
Nikki. Girrrrrl. Thank you for always checking in on me. For asking how my words are going. For kicking my ass off of Facebook and calling me on my shit. You are real and honest and such a great friend. Love you, forever!
To my editor, Kiezha, THANK YOU for being flexible and working around my chaotic life and writer brain. You are the absolute best, and I love you to bits!
Jules, lawd hammercy. You’ve been with me from the start, and I can’t imagine doing this without you. Thank you for always doing your best to accommodate me. You give my work a face, and you always do such a brilliant job. I love you, woman!
Thank you to my proofreaders: Sammi, Sara, Misty, and Aundrea. I appreciate you so freaking much!
HUNNIES!!! Dear Lord. I don’t even know what to say. All of my friends gush about what an active and supportive group you are, and every bit of it is true. I feel like the fan girl when you come to my table to meet me at signings. Thank you for not only getting my brand of crazy, but embracing it. Love y’all!
To the girls at Give Me Books, thank you. Thank you for your loyalty and support and, most of all, your friendships. You are a shining star in this industry and make my job infinitely easier.
To every sing
le reader and blogger who has picked up my work, whether you’ve loved it or hated it, thank you for giving me a shot. There are so many books out there, and that you gave me a chance means the world.
About The Author
Heather M. Orgeron is a Cajun girl with a big heart and a passion for romance. She married her high school sweetheart two months after graduation and her life has been a fairytale ever since. She’s the queen of her castle, reigning over five sons and one bossy little princess who has made it her mission in life to steal her Momma’s throne. When she’s not writing, you will find her hidden beneath mounds of laundry and piles of dirty dishes or locked in her tower (aka the bathroom) soaking in the tub with a good book. She’s always been an avid reader and has recently discovered a love for cultivating romantic stories of her own.
For more information at Heather
www.heathermorgeron.com
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Excerpt from Doppelbanger
Available Now on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited
Chapter One
Gina
I love men. Young men. Ones who aren’t looking for anything more than a good time. Cuz I am nothing if not a good time. I’m what a lot of people in this hole-in-the-wall town refer to as a cougar. Well, let the busybodies talk. I’m not fucking anyone’s husband or daddy. I like ’em completely unattached—preferably with a nice-sized dick and just enough experience to know how to use it.
It’s not that I have anything against guys my own age, or even older men. It’s just that I’m not looking to settle down. Ever. And at thirty-five, there aren’t many guys my age who are still single and aren’t looking to plant their asses in one spot and put down some roots. You can think of me more like moss—mobile.
I don’t have commitment issues, and I’ve got nothing against children. I just can’t have them. That kind of puts a damper on the whole roots situation. The last thing I need is some guy fancying himself in love with me and giving up his dream of a family, then resenting me the rest of our miserable existence. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
This isn’t my sob story, and I don’t want anyone feeling sorry for me. I won’t go as far as to say I’m okay with it, but it is what it is, and I’ve accepted it. Might as well make the most of my situation and have a little fun while I’m at it. Am I right?
To settle my biological clock, which to my dismay did not break along with my useless female organs, I’m super close to my godsons. My best friend Spencer and I raised them together until she married her high school sweetheart, Cooper, two years ago. At this very moment, they’re adding two little girls to our brood. And I’m on my way to the hospital with her fifteen-year-old twins, Lake and Landon, and their four-year-old son, Kyle, a.k.a. Savage, to meet their new sisters.
“Auntie Gigi?” a curious little voice calls from the back seat.
“Yes, Kyle?”
“How did my sisters get inside Mommy’s tummy?” Oh, shit. No matter how I answer this, I know I’m going to wind up getting myself into trouble. A cold sweat breaks out across my forehead, and my heart rate kicks up a notch.
Just when I’m about to hammer the nail into my own coffin, Landon jumps in, saving me from myself. “Your daddy put these little seeds, called sperms, inside of the eggs in Mommy’s tummy, and the babies grew.”
Sighing with relief, I glance over to the passenger seat at my teenaged hero. “Thanks, Landon.”
“No problem, Aunt Gina.” He shakes his head, his lips curling into a little smirk.
“Is that how I gotted in Mommy’s tummy too?” Savage asks his brother, who in turn clears his throat loudly.
“Well, no...Because, you know how Cooper adopted you?”
I watch as Kyle’s head nods through the rearview mirror.
“Well, a man named Alex put his sperm in Mommy’s egg, and you grew in her tummy.”
Realization dawns on his little face. “And let me guess...that asshole Tate putted his sperms in her eggs to grow y’all?”
The boys burst into hysterics as I bite down on my lips, fighting to contain my own laughter. I should probably make it known right away that there is a damn good reason we all refer to Kyle as a savage.
“Well...” A choked laugh escapes my pursed lips as I maneuver my little Audi into a spot in the hospital parking garage. “I don’t think any of us will argue with you on that logic.”
This line of questioning continues as we navigate the halls, trying to find our way to labor and delivery. It’s all very sweet and innocent until he drops the atomic bomb. “But, Auntie, how did all those men get their seeds in my mom’s tummy?”
My throat dries up, and I’ve suddenly lost the ability to move my feet. My hand lifts to scrub over my face.
“Yeah, Gigi,” Lake encourages, clearly delighted by this question. “How did allll those men get their sperm in there?”
My eyes narrow to little slits. “You are dead to me,” I growl.
Lake and Landon flank my sides, their arms crossed on their newly muscled chests, awaiting my downfall. I can feel their beady blue eyes burning holes through my cheeks. “Well, umm. You see...the sperm are stored in little uh...compartments called testicles, and when a man wants to make a baby with a woman—usually his wife...he can shoot them into her vagina with his penis...like a water gun.”
Spit flies from their evil teenaged mouths as they fold over, laughing. Fuckers. “Don’t either of you ever ask me for another thing, ever again. I swear to God,” I hiss, realizing we’ve stopped right in front of Spencer’s room. I shoulder past the still-smirking boys and push the door open before Kyle can ask any more questions.
§
My eyes well up when we step inside. Spencer’s mom, Mrs. Elaine, is on the sofa fawning over the little pink bundle cradled in her arms. Cooper’s mother, Nelly, is right beside her with an almost identical package. The scent of baby lotion fills my nose as I lean in to kiss their little foreheads on my way over to squeeze my bestie. “You look beautiful, Spence. How are you feeling?”
“Amazing and awful and tired. But mostly wonderful.” She is glowing, despite the dark circles beneath her eyes.
“Savage, my man!” Cooper calls out, rising from the recliner that is tucked away in the corner beside the bed. He’s absolutely beaming, every bit the proud papa.
“Hey, Daddy. Did you misseded me?”
“Sure did.” He makes his way around the small hospital room to grab Kyle’s hand and leads the three boys over to the little blue pull-out couch, where their grandmothers ooh and ahh over the twins. “Boys, meet your sisters, Abigail and Emmaline.”
As I sit on the edge of my best friend’s bed, taking in the boys’ first reactions to the new babies, I feel her cold hand clutch mine and squeeze. My heart flips in my chest. She deserves this life—this family, this happiness—more than anyone.
“What do you think, buddy?” Spencer asks as I help Kyle up onto the bed to sit beside her.
“Be careful, Savage,” I warn. “Mommy’s tummy has a big owie from getting the babies out.”
“I think they’re all right, but I still wish they were some boy babies instead. I saw some in that big window when we were looking for your room, Mommy.” Kyle’s eyes grow round. “Maybe someone else wanted girl ones and we can trade?”
“Oh, baby. Don’t make me laugh right now. It hurts,” she says through a strained giggle. “We’re not trading your sisters in. You and your brothers...and your father are more than enough boy for one family.”
Kyle’s shoulders sag. “Fine. But you have to promise me you won’t let any more guys shoot sperms in your vagima, okay?”
Spencer’s eyes widen, and dart around the room until they land on Lake and Landon. “What did you two say to my baby?”
Oh, shit.
“Don’t look at us,” Landon laughs, throwing his hands up in surrender. “That’s all Aunt Gigi’s doing.”
Gulp. “Oh,
you two helped just a little.” Look at them throwing me right under the fucking bus.
“Gina!” Mrs. Nelly gasps. “He’s only four.”
Cooper’s face is damn near purple he’s laughing so hard, and Spencer looks as though she may never speak to me again.
Sliding out of the bed slowly, I begin moving toward the door. “And that’s our cue to leave. Come on boys. Kiss everyone bye. I have a big surprise for you.” They don’t know it yet, but when we leave this hospital, we’re going straight to the Port of New Orleans to board a cruise ship headed to the Caribbean for a week. I thought it would be nice to do something fun for them while the new babies are soaking up all of the attention. Not to mention the fact that Cooper and Spencer could use the time acclimating to life with twin newborns.
That’s right. This heart is made of gold. It’s this mouth that keeps my ass in trouble.
“On second thought,” Spencer starts, fidgeting nervously in the bed. “Maybe this surprise isn’t such a good idea...”
Oh, hell no.
Mrs. Elaine shoots her daughter a sideways glance. “Spencer Rose, really? Stop it. You act like you haven’t known Gina your entire life. Now, I told you one day all those baby daddies would catch up to you. Well, here you go.” She waves her arms around the room.
“Uh, I’m just gonna go out and have a smoke,” Cooper’s father, Mr. Neal, announces before scurrying around me and out of the room.
“Mother! She’s had them alone for a day. One. Day. And look what she’s done. Imagine the damage she can do in a week.”
Pour Judgment Page 24