by Claire Adams
Jason smiled. “I’ll forgive you on one condition,” he said.
“Shoot.”
“Don’t you ever hurt my sister,” he said. “Because that is something I will never forgive.”
“I wouldn’t have asked her to marry me if I’d thought there was any chance of that happening,” I assured him. “I made a mistake months ago and it made me realize how much I love her and how I will never do anything to screw up what we have.”
He looked at me carefully and nodded. “You love her?”
“More than you will ever know.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“How long have you had feelings for her?”
“Uh…if I tell you, will you promise not to punch me in the face?”
He cringed. “Since she was fourteen?”
“God, no,” I said quickly. “She was sixteen when I started…seeing her differently. But I promise nothing ever happened between us until she was older.”
“How much older?”
“Eighteen,” I said. “And it was only a kiss.”
“Huh.”
“What?”
“Molly never mentioned anything about a kiss to me.”
I smiled. “Why would she?”
“You have a point,” he nodded.
“So…you forgive me?” I asked. “For breaking the bro code and sleeping with your sister.”
He smiled. “Hey, if sleeping with her was all you were doing, then I’d probably be tempted to punch you,” he nodded. “But you’re marrying her—that means something completely different.”
“It does,” I agreed.
“So, your engagement party?”
“Yeah?”
“I hear it’s on some private island?”
“It is,” I smiled.
“How are we getting there?”
“I’ve hired boats to ferry the guests over there,” I said. “We wanted an intimate engagement party, so we’re only talking about twenty-thirty people.”
Jason shook his head at me. “This is so surreal… I’m at your resort to celebrate your engagement to my little sister. I would never have predicted this in a million years.”
“Your parents were thrilled,” I told him smugly.
“Of course, they would be,” he said, rolling his eyes. “They’ve always loved you. But then, you’ve always had a way with parents.”
I laughed. “I’m glad you’re here, Jason.”
He clapped me on the back. “I’m glad to be here, bro,” he said. He looked towards Molly, and I turned to glance over at her, too.
“She’s a great girl, my sister,” Jason said fondly. “She’s patient and kind, and she’ll make an amazing wife.”
“I know,” I agreed wholeheartedly.
“She’s too good for you,” he said light-heartedly.
I smiled. “Oh trust me, I am aware of that. I will do my best to be the husband she deserves. And I will do my best to give her the life she deserves.”
“Good,” Jason nodded. “Because if you don’t—”
“You’ll kick my ass,” I smiled. “I know.”
“Good,” he laughed. “Then there’s only one more thing I have left to say to you.”
“Which is?” I asked, with raised eyebrows.
“Congratulations,” he smiled.
Epilogue
Molly
Five Years Later
On a whim, I grabbed the now empty bowl in front of me and placed it on my stomach. I lay still as I balanced the bowl on the topmost part of my belly. Concentrating hard, I let go carefully and to my utter delight the bowl stayed firmly where I had placed it. I was smiling to myself when a particularly violent kick pushed the bowl off center it fell to the ground.
“Oh, man,” I groaned, as I reached down to try and grab the fallen bowl.
“Whoa,” Tristan said, as she rushed to retrieve it for me. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Hey,” I said, delighted to see him. It was still early evening, and he wasn’t usually done with work till about seven in the night. “What are you doing here? Did you want to change before a meeting or something?”
“Nope,” he said, setting the bowl on the table and sitting down next to me. “I came to check in on my beautiful wife and my feisty son.”
I laughed as Tristan placed his hand on my stomach. “He’s feisty alright,” I nodded. “He just kicked that bowl clean of my belly.”
Tristan laughed. “Were you trying to balance it?”
“I wasn’t trying,” I said, pretending to be affronted. “I was succeeding.”
He shook his head at me in amusement. “Are you hungry?” he asked. “Can I get you something to eat?”
“I just finished a plate of pickles and followed that up with a bowl of ice cream,” I said. “So no… I won’t be hungry for at least another fifteen minutes or so.”
He smiled. “Well then, how about we take a walk together?” he suggested.
“Sounds perfect,” I nodded.
About a year into our marriage, Tristan had renovated the space down the hall from his office and turned it into a three-bedroom luxury apartment for the two of us. We had originally intended to move into the island, but a few weekends spent there had made us realize how impractical that was. Not only did we have to make the drive down to the beach, but we also needed a boat to ferry us across in the mornings and evenings.
It was just easier to make our home in the resort itself. But neither one of us had liked the idea of living out of a hotel room indefinitely. So Tristan had created an apartment space for us that was homey, cozy, and felt very much like our little world within the resort.
Sometimes, I would even forget that if I walked outside my hall I would find myself in a resort rather than an apartment complex. Tristan held my hand and we stepped outside and made our way down to the fountain gardens. They were my favorite place to take a walk, comprised of four separate little fountains, each with their own design, statue, and story.
The plants and flowers that decorated the gardens were vibrant and beautiful, and since my maternity leave had kicked in, I’d been spending a lot of time sitting on the lounge swings, reading books, and chronicling my pregnancy in the journal I had started right after Tristan and I had discovered that I was going to have a baby.
“So, are you getting nervous?” Tristan asked. “Or just excited?”
I smiled. He asked me that question every month. “Both now,” I said. “We’re less than two months away.”
Tristan nodded, and I saw how nervous he was. “It’s going to be an adventure,” I told him, kissing him softly on the cheek.
“I know,” he nodded. “I’m just so thankful I have you. Otherwise, I would have been freaking out.”
I laughed, as we sat down on one of the lounge swings in front of the water fairy fountain. “I miss working,” I admitted.
“It’s only been a month since you stopped,” he reminded me. “Do you miss it already?”
“I do,” I nodded. “It’s so weird not to have something to do all day.”
“I thought you were looking forward to reading, writing, and binge-watching Netflix?”
“I was,” I nodded. “Then it wore off after the first week. I’ve spent the last five years working…it’s hard to get out of that rhythm.”
“Well, things are going to change a lot around here after the little tyke gets here,” Tristan said.
I nodded, in awe of the incredible change our lives were about to go through. “By the way, I asked Mom to come down next week,” I said. “I figured I could use the company, and it’ll be nice to have her around during the latter stages of my confinement.”
“No problem,” he nodded. “The guest room is ready for her whenever she comes.”
“She’s so excited,” I said. “Her first grandchild.”
“He won’t be for long,” Tristan smiled. “The way things are going with Jason and his new gir
lfriend, we might have more kids in the family soon.”
“They’ve only been together ten months.”
“We were together for seven before we got engaged.”
“Yes, but our love was meant to be,” I said, giving him a smile.
Tristan laughed. “It was,” he nodded, kissing my hand.
“Emma called yesterday,” I told him.
“What’s she up to?”
“She’s taking the world by storm, as we expected,” I smiled. “She’s almost done with her doctorate, which means she’s going to be a licensed therapist soon.”
“Who would have thought,” he said, shaking his head.
We were interrupted suddenly when a tall man in shorts and a bright Hawaiian shirt walked up to us. On his heels was a thin, tall woman in a swimsuit and a chic wrap-around sarong. He was one of Tristan’s investors. I had met him and his wife five years ago at another resort dinner party, and we had become good friends since then. Every year they made it a point of holidaying at the resort for at least three nights.
“Tristan, my boy,” he said, in his booming voice. “What a nice surprise to run into you here.”
“Darren,” Tristan said, standing up to shake his hand. “I was told you had arrived. I’m sorry I couldn’t meet you sooner.”
“Think nothing of it,” he replied. “We know you’re busy.”
“Molly, dear,” Joanna said, coming forward to give me a hug. “Look at you; you’re about ready to pop.”
I laughed. “Not quite yet,” I said. “We still have a little time left.”
“I remember when I had Bridget and Brendan,” she said fondly. “I was so stressed out about everything that I never remembered to enjoy myself. Remember to sit back and savor this experience, it goes by so fast.”
“I will,” I promised. “How are the kids?”
“Oh, they’re not kids anymore,” Darren laughed. “Bridget’s in her sophomore year and Brendan is graduating high school next year.”
Joanna reached over and touched my stomach. “I hope you don’t mind,” she said, realizing late that I might be one of those women that preferred not to have my stomach stroked.
“I don’t,” I smiled.
“Do you know what you’re having?” she asked.
“It’s a boy,” I said happily.
“Ha!” Darren said, in his booming voice. “Congratulations, a little tyke to take over the business, huh?”
“Wow, that’s a lot of pressure on my unborn son,” I said, as Tristan laughed.
“We’ll see,” he said. “It all depends on what he wants to do.”
“Have you settled on a name?” Johanna asked.
“Not yet,” I said. “We agree on one name and then the next day one of us falls out of love with it and we’re back to square one.”
“We had the same thing with our first one,” Darren nodded. “Picking names is impossible. But don’t worry, the right name will just fall into your lap when the time is right. For us, it was in the hospital after Joanna had delivered. We just looked at her, and she looked like a Bridget.”
“I’m assuming you’re having the baby here, Molly?” Joanna asked.
“Definitely,” I said. “That was never a question.”
“How lovely, to be born in Hawaii…in a five-star resort, no less,” Joanna said. “This is one lucky child.”
“I’ll have my work cut out for me,” I smiled. “Keeping him humble and grounded.”
“If anyone can do it, you can,” Tristan said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
We spoke to Joanna and Darren for a few minutes longer, promising to have a meal with them before they left Hawaii, and then they made their way down to the beach.
Tristan kissed my nose the moment they were gone. “I should have known we wouldn’t be able to get away with a private stroll around here.”
I shrugged. “Comes with the territory,” I reminded him.
“I was thinking…”
I raised my eyebrows. “Yes?”
“I was thinking of expanding,” he admitted. “What do you think?”
I bit my lip. “Honestly?”
“Of course.”
“That’ll keep you really busy,” I said. “And I’d like you to be more present these days…for our son’s sake.”
“I agree,” he nodded. “Which is why I’m thinking of selling my other hotels.”
I blinked up at him. “Excuse me?”
“I’m running four different hotels and resorts in different parts of the States,” he explained. “It’s too much for me going forward, especially now since we’re starting a family. I don’t want to be flying back and forth and missing their milestones. So I was thinking…why not sell and focus my attention on one resort—this resort.”
“You would really consider that?” I asked in amazement.
“I have been considering it seriously over the last few months,” Tristan replied. “I want to be there for you and our family. And, I can’t do that if my attention is split.”
“Wow…that’s a lot to process,” I said honestly.
“How does it sound to you?” Tristan pressed.
“It sounds like a good idea,” I nodded. “But I don’t want you to regret anything later. Those resorts are what your father built.”
“Exactly, they’re his achievements,” I said. “Not mine. And, while I do have sentimental value attached to each of them, I need to do what’s best for my family and me. Our future is here—in Hawaii.”
I smiled. “We should definitely discuss it then,” I nodded.
Tristan kissed my cheek softly. “The only hotel I’m considering keeping is the one in LA,” he said. “I might actually send Ben over there to manage it for me.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Ben?” I said. “But then…he won’t be here.”
Tristan laughed. “We’ll miss him, but we’ll see him often. I’m sure of it. He’s risen on his own merits, and I think he deserves to have an operation to run on his own.”
“I agree,” I nodded. “Oh, by the way, my baby shower is going to be next week.”
Tristan shook his head. “Wasn’t that supposed to be a surprise?”
I laughed. “You know no one can keep secrets from me around here,” I said. “I was onto Alani for weeks. She’s so sweet do to all this for me.”
“She loves you,” he pointed out. “And, she’s already a little too obsessed with our baby.”
I laughed. “It’ll be good practice for her…once Joel and she decide they want kids, anyway.” I reached out and took Tristan’s hand. “You know, I was thinking the other day about names…”
“Yeah?”
“And since we’re having this baby in Hawaii… I thought it might be kind of nice to give him a Hawaiian name as well?” I suggested. “What do you think?”
“That’s a brilliant idea,” Tristan nodded. “Do you have any names in mind?”
“Actually yes,” I nodded. “What do you think about Kai?”
“Kai,” Tristan repeated like he was trying out the sound on his tongue.
“It has Latin origins but it means ‘from the sea,’ which I thought was…apt,” I smiled.
“Kai,” Tristan said again. “I love it.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he nodded firmly.
“I was also playing around with a more traditional Hawaiian name,” I continued. “Makani, it means ‘wind.’ What do you think?”
“I think we have our boy’s name,” Tristan smiled. “Kai Makani Dubois.”
“It has a ring to it.”
“It certainly does,” Tristan nodded. “A few more weeks and we’ll finally meet our son.”
“Sometimes I can’t believe I’m going to have a baby,” I said. “And it’s more unbelievable that I’m having a baby with you.”
Tristan turned me towards him and kissed me passionately on the lips. “You saved me, Molly Sinclair,” he said. “You do realize that, don’t you?”
I smiled. “Sounds like you still love me…even after four years of marriage.”
“Are you kidding?” he replied. “I love you more now than I did back then.”
I smiled and leaned into the curve of Tristan’s body; it was the place I felt safest now. I didn’t have to tell him I loved him too. He knew.
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OUR SECOND CHANCE
By Claire Adams
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 Claire Adams
Chapter One
Roman
I grabbed my phone, checking the time before sliding it into my pocket. It was only about twenty minutes past eight; class didn't start till nine and the walk there from my apartment would take me fifteen minutes, tops. I could drive; that would make the trip even shorter. It was early in the morning, too, which meant I wouldn't have a problem finding a parking spot. Why not?
I grabbed my keys, chugging down the last of my protein shake and filling the blender with water. Ronnie had been right about that making it easier to wash after. I had to hit the gym every morning, whether I had early classes or not. I liked it, but even if I didn't, I had to because of football, even though finals meant I hadn't really been playing as much.
Athletes got a bad rep. Yeah, a lot of guys were only in college because they wanted to get into the draft and be able to go pro without working up through the minors. And, I'd be a liar if I said that wasn't me, too. A lot of people didn't realize just how fucking hard that was, though. College ball was the peak for most of the guys playing. We only needed like a 2.0 GPA to stay on the team, so if the football thing didn't pan out, you could hardly do anything else anyway.
I didn't want to have to use my degree, I wanted to play football. But if I did need it, I wanted to have graduated with something higher than a fucking 2.0. I grabbed my backpack and walked out the door. Living in a college town, there were tons of affordable apartments close to school, so the drive only took about five minutes.