Maybe it's Fate

by Weston Parker

  “We are. I’m really looking forward to seeing how creative we’re going to have gotten by the time we celebrate our ten-year anniversary back in Fiji.”

  My heart galloped as I kissed the tip of his nose. “Okay, buttercup. Challenge accepted, but you’re not allowed to complain about a single one.”

  “I won’t,” he said as I cuddled into his side, his chest rumbling with laughter. “I told you already. I’m yours to do with what you want. Do your worst. As long as I get to be here to hear each and every one of them.”

  With those words and the sound of his laughter in my ears, I finally closed my eyes and slept peacefully. When I woke up the next morning, he’d kept his promise. He was still there, still holding me, still loving me.

  It didn’t mean everything was fine between us or that I trusted him with all my heart and soul, but it was one step closer. Everything else would come with time, and at least this time, we had it. There was no clock counting down to the end of our relationship, and what we made of it was up to us.

  Epilogue

  LINDSAY

  ONE YEAR LATER

  Every little girl grew up dreaming about her wedding day. I might not have counted myself among those little girls before, but I’d sure as hell made up for all the dreaming I’d missed, ever since Jaxon had walked back into my life.

  As he’d promised that night when we’d made up exactly one year ago today, he hadn’t asked me to marry him yet. Even though I knew now that he loved me with every fiber of his being and that he would never hurt me again.

  It didn’t matter, though, because I really did trust him now. I knew that when the time was right, we’d be jetting back to Fiji to say our vows. We hadn’t talked about it, but that was what I wanted, and I knew it was what he wanted too.

  Once, a couple of months ago, I’d found the resort’s website open on our computer at home. Open to the page featuring their wedding options and packages.

  The excitement I’d felt when I found it and it confirmed that we were on the same page—literally and metaphorically—still hadn’t completely evaporated. I wasn’t sure it ever would.

  This last year with him had been the best of my life. It wasn’t so much the wedding I was looking forward to so much as finally really being married to him.

  I woke up every morning in his arms, and fell asleep the same way at night. If anyone had thought that what we felt about each other would mellow out over time, they’d have been wrong.

  Ember had even admitted to me earlier how very wrong she, for one, had been. Kavan and Jaxon’s mom, however, weren’t surprised at all.

  If anything, our feelings for each other had only grown and become deeper. Which was why, about six months in, we’d both given our notice at the places we’d been renting and bought a house together.

  The renovations had been murder, but I’d come to the conclusion that if a couple can survive that, they had to be able to survive nearly anything. As I turned off the highway into our suburban neighborhood, I hit the call button on my steering wheel and my boyfriend’s gorgeous voice flowed through my speakers a second later.

  “Hey, beautiful. You on your way home?”

  “Yep. Do we need anything? Also, ‘beautiful’ isn’t your most creative one so far.”

  He laughed. “True, but it doesn’t need to be creative to be the truth. We don’t need anything. I stopped on my way home. Just get here fast and safe. I’ve got something for you.”

  A legit yelp tore out of me. “Is it Ethan? Is he finally back?”

  “Way to ruin the surprise,” he grumbled, and I heard my brother’s laughter in the background. “He can’t wait to see you either, cupcake.”

  “I’ll be there soon.” I hung up without telling him that I wasn’t his roomie in prison and that, as such, he couldn’t call me cupcake. I’d be home soon enough and then I could tell him in person.

  Joy spread through my veins at the thought that I’d be seeing my brother again in just a few minutes. He’d left only about a week after that night that he showed up on my doorstep. We’d stayed in touch this time, but video calls and emails just weren’t the same as seeing him for real.

  Surprisingly, I wasn’t the only one staying in touch with Ethan. The guys had figured out pretty quickly after Jaxon and I had gotten together that they’d met before.

  The morning after our reunion, it turned out we’d both texted my brother to let him know what’d happened and that we’d made up. They put two and two together, and I’d learned that the stranger Jaxon had been speaking to about me all night at that convention he’d been at was my brother.

  Apparently, I had Ethan to thank for convincing Jaxon to fight for me. Imagine that.

  Big Mac had had a huge laugh about it when we’d told him. According to him, it’d been serendipity and simply more proof that we were fated to be together.

  Maybe it’s fate. Maybe it’s not. Whatever it was, I’d never been happier.

  Jaxon had landed the position as instructor—with no help from me. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d said they’d been after him to teach for a long time.

  Half the damn company converged on him after he’d mentioned to Steve that he might want it. He still flew because I knew he’d never be happy with having his feet permanently on the ground, but he was never gone for longer than two or three days at a time.

  Our garage door started rising after I stopped in our driveway, and Jaxon was waiting for me on the other side. He grinned while I parked, then pulled me into his arms as soon as I was out of the car.

  “I love you,” he said before slanting his lips over mine in a kiss that left me breathless and wanting more. A soft chuckle made his chest vibrate against mine when I pressed myself up against him. “We have company, remember?”

  Shit. My brother’s here.

  Ignoring my body’s demands to drag Jaxon into our bedroom—or the kitchen right off the garage for that matter—I straightened up and gave his chest a light push. “I remember. Where is he?”

  “Backyard.” He snaked his arm around my waist and dropped a kiss on top of my head as we made our way inside. “He’s been helping me with something, so he isn’t your only surprise today.”

  “Yeah?” I peered up at him, but his face gave nothing away. “What else?”

  “You’ll see soon enough.” He held me tighter so we could fit through the door without the need for us to let go of one another. “I think you’re going to like it, though. I fucking hope you are.”

  “I will.” It didn’t really matter what the surprise was. If it came from Jaxon, I always loved it. Unless of course the surprise was me waking up without him, but we didn’t really even talk about that anymore.

  Our house was my favorite place in the world. It ranked above even Fiji, but only because this was ours. We’d picked out every part of it together to make it into exactly what we wanted.

  Elements from the bungalow in Fiji were included, but we’d also installed large windows that let in plenty of natural light. The kitchen was a real farm-style space with a table large enough to feed a family of eight, which I knew Jaxon was hoping to fill with our children one day, but six kids was pushing it just a bit too far. Three max. The other three seats at the table could remain open for their spouses one day.

  We’d filled our walls with photographs of all the adventures we’d been on together, including kayaking, snowboarding, sport shooting, and so many others. Jaxon caught me looking at them as we walked past, and kissed my temple.

  “Life with you is my favorite adventure, my love,” he said, and my heart skipped a beat as a big, soppy smile spread on my face.

  He laughed and held me tighter until my brother came walking in from outside. Ethan opened his arms and I ran into them. “You’re finally back! Please don’t tell me you’re leaving again soon.”

  “We can talk about all that later.” He hugged me tight. “It’s good to see you, sis. This is a nice place you’ve got here.”

  �
�Thanks. I’m assuming Jaxon’s already given you a tour?”

  His eyes sparkled when he released me and nodded. “My favorite part is the backyard. It’s magical.”

  Jaxon made a soft noise behind me, his palm on my lower back. “You two are just spoiling all the surprises today, aren’t you?”

  “Why is the backyard a surprise? And what’s so magical about it?” I spun to face him, but he just shrugged and shot my brother a look.

  “Why don’t you go have a look?” Ethan suggested before turning and striding back outside.

  “What have you done?” I asked, but Jaxon just pressed gently against my back.

  His soft touch spurred me into motion, my curiosity making me increase my pace. Jaxon kept up easily, a strange, nervous energy suddenly radiating from him.

  I wanted to question him some more, but then we walked out onto our patio, and it all suddenly made sense. Our backyard wasn’t huge, but they’d completely transformed it.

  Twinkling lights were strung in the trees, lanterns hung from some of the lower branches, and there were rose petals covering the grass, but that wasn’t nearly the biggest surprise.

  In the center of the yard was a makeshift outdoor kitchen. It was bathed in the orange glow from the lights and the soft, late afternoon sunlight. Standing behind a gas-burner with a spatula in his hand, the apron that read ‘If The Cook Ain’t Fat, Don’t Eat The Food’ tied around his neck, and a gigantic smile on his face, was none other than Big Mac himself.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked before launching myself at him.

  He caught me in his meaty arms, lifting me up and spinning me around. “Jaxon flew me in to make you dinner. I’ve got to say, I’ve received a lot of compliments in my life, but this is the biggest one ever.”

  After I finished hugging our friend and the man who’d been rooting for us from the start, I pivoted to face Jaxon. “You flew him in just to make us dinner? I love it, but that’s ridiculous.”

  “Not just to make us dinner.” He shifted on his feet, and that nervous energy was back. Ethan clapped him on the shoulder and murmured something I couldn’t hear to him, and my boyfriend nodded.

  His eyes didn’t leave mine while he walked up to me, but he didn’t wrap his arms around me as I’d been expecting. I frowned at him, but he simply swiped his tongue over his lips.

  “I brought everyone here together tonight because I want to give you one more thing.” Something seemed to click inside him, and then the nerves were gone.

  Warmth and love dominated his gaze, and his voice was confident and smooth when he spoke while lowering himself down on one knee. “You changed my life, Lindsay Flinn. Being with you felt right from the very first moment that I touched you, and I’ve only gotten more certain about it since.”

  I couldn’t speak, couldn’t even think as I stared down at him. Those melted-honey eyes that had drawn me in right from the beginning were glued to mine, and the corners of his mouth inched up.

  “I bought this ring the day after you agreed to give me a second chance.” He pulled the box out of his pocket but didn’t open it yet. “I knew I had a lot of work to do before I got to ask you to be mine forever in the same way I’d already pledged myself to you. There have been so many times over the last year where I’ve gotten so close to asking, but I needed to know that you were ready too.”

  “I’m so ready,” I whispered, “but your mom and Kavan are going to kill you for not inviting them to be here.”

  He smirked. “I did invite them. Kavan and Shira are waiting for our godchild to wake up, and they’re picking Mom up on their way over here. Plus, I think we have enough of an audience as it is.”

  “Wait, don’t tell me Mr. I-Can-Do-It-All is nervous?”

  Chuckling as he slowly lifted the lid to reveal the most gorgeous, intricately designed ring I’d ever seen, he slowly lifted it up to me. “Nervous? I was seventeen miles past nervous three hours ago. I’m a wreck, Linds. I love you more than anything in the world, and I always will. I lost you once, and I don’t know if I would survive losing you again if I’ve read this wrong.”

  “I never want to rush you or push you,” he said. “I know what happened the last time you trusted someone when you said yes, and even though I will forever be grateful to that asshole for walking out, I know putting that same kind of trust in me won’t be easy. I never want to make you feel like I wouldn’t wait for you for as long as it takes for you to be ready. I’ll wait a hundred years, but I’m asking you today because on the off chance that you are ready, I don’t want to wait a day longer than I have to before I’m married to you. I will never leave you again, Linds. I have never wanted anyone as much as I want you. I have never loved anyone the way that I love you.”

  “You’ve never rushed me,” I said as I touched my fingertips to his cheeks. “In fact, you’ve been more patient with me than I had any right to expect. I love you too, Jaxon.”

  “Does than mean you’ll be my wife?” Hope so powerful I felt it in my own chest shone from his eyes.

  “Yes.” I’d hardly gotten the word out before he was sliding the ring onto my finger, getting to his feet, and winding his arms around me. “Thank you for fighting for me.”

  “Thank you for letting me win.” He brought his lips to mine and I felt the promise in his kiss searing into my soul. He would never leave me again, and on our wedding day, I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about whether he’d show up.

  Jaxon had always shown up for me, even right back at the beginning when I hadn’t even known I’d needed him. At his side, I knew I was safe, loved, and cherished. He was my happily ever after, and I couldn’t wait to know what it felt like to really be his wife.

  Ember, Jaxon’s mom, Shira, Kavan, and little baby Hope came rushing through the doors before he even let me go, and we were pulled apart for hugs and congratulations while Ethan introduced everyone to Big Mac.

  This was just the beginning of our story, but as I looked around the garden filled with our family and friends, I knew with everything in me that it would be a good one. There was no more doubt in my mind that we had always been destined to be together.

  It definitely had been fate. No more maybe about it.

  The End

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  About the Author

  Hey there. I'm Weston.

  Have we met? No? Well, it’s time to end that tragedy.

  I'm a former firefighter/EMS guy who's picked up the proverbial pen and started writing bad boy romance stories. I co-write with my sister, Ali Parker, but live in Texas with my wife, my two little boys, a dog, and a turtle.

  Yep. A turtle. You read that right. Don’t be jealous.

  You're going to find Billionaires, Bad Boys, Military Guys, and loads of sexiness. Something for everyone hopefully. I'd love to connect with you. Check out the links below and come find me.

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  Copyright © 2020 by Weston Parker

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  The novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and plot are all either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons – living or dead – is purely coincidental.

  First Edit
ion.

  Editor: Eric Martinez

  Cover Designer: Ryn Katryn Digital Art