And so we did. He put his arm around me, and we stared out at the ocean and thought about our future together. A future that only the Lord in His grace could have given to us.
Epilogue
Maya
1 year later…
“This is the best,” Charlotte said. “I get to see my brother finish his race and then next week, I get to see him marry my best friend. Life couldn’t get any better than this.”
Charlotte, myself, and both of our mothers were waiting at the last location for the runners to cross the line. A crowd of family and friends of the contestants had gathered, and there was a charged energy as everyone waited to see their loved-ones complete the race. We’d watched earlier as the runners made their way through the obstacle course—and those activities were crazy if you asked me—and then they disappeared through a tunnel that led up a mountain for the running portion. We lost sight of them, but there were cameras along the way so we were able to watch them on overhead screens. Easton was doing really well. He was sweating more than I’d ever seen him sweat, but he’d trained hard and all that work was finally paying off.
“The only thing that would make it even better,” Charlotte’s mom said, “would be to see you with a boyfriend.”
Charlotte laughed. “We’ll see about that.”
I snickered because that was a running joke between Charlotte and her mom. Charlotte wasn’t in any hurry to find a man, and her mom wasn’t actually serious about pushing the issue. Charlotte would move forward when she found someone that sparked her interest, and not a day sooner, but they liked to banter about it.
“Maybe you’ll let Maya set you up on a date,” my mom said, winking. She was standing next to Mrs. Radcliffe, and they had become quite close after our vacation to Newport Beach.
“I don’t know about that,” Charlotte said. “Maya might try to get me back after what I pulled.”
I laughed and pushed against her shoulder, playfully. “A setup is a great idea. I’ll have to give that some thought. You deserve someone really good.” I waggled my eyebrows, and she blushed.
“There you are!” My coworker, Deanna said. She walked over with her new boyfriend, Cody, trailing behind. They had dated for six months, and I’d already met him on several occasions. She hugged me, and I waved at Cody.
“Glad you could make it.”
“Me too.” She winked. “You ready for next week?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Deanna had agreed to be one of my bridesmaids, and if things continued the way they were going with Cody, it wouldn’t be long until she was walking down the aisle in a wedding dress as well.
Bruce wove his way through the crowd with his friend, Tammy. Tammy had shown up with him to several work-related events in the past year, and I sensed she was interested in him, but I wasn’t sure where Bruce stood. He seemed interested as well, but maybe he was shy because they hadn’t formalized anything yet. I had a feeling it was coming, though. “Hey, guys,” he said. “Tammy and I are late, but at least we’ll be able to see Mr. Radcliffe cross the finish line.”
Deanna made a zipping motion across her lips. “Don’t worry, Brucey. Our lips are sealed. Easton will never know you didn’t see the entire thing.”
“I thought I saw George, Laurie, and Paige,” he said.
“Yep, they’re here,” I said. “They’re on the other side getting refreshments.”
He nodded. “Cool.”
Not long after Easton and I got engaged, I’d returned to work part-time, and a couple of weeks after that, Easton had gathered everyone from our office together, and he made the announcement that we were engaged. I’d thought everyone would be shocked, but as it turned out, a lot of people knew something had been going on between us. Not everyone. And no one had known for sure, but needless to say, most people had caught on. The only person who was truly surprised was my supervisor, George Laymen. He’d still had it in his mind that Bruce and I might like each other, so he was floored when Easton shared the news. Thankfully, Easton had pulled George aside and told him before he made the announcement to everyone else.
I’d been worried that Deanna would be heartbroken, but she took it well. She’d told me that she had her eye on a few other men, so it wasn’t a big deal. Besides, she’d figured out long before that Easton and I were interested in each other.
The first runner emerged through a cluster of trees up ahead and everyone cheered.
“Here they come!” My mom said.
“Where’s Easton?” I strained to get a better look and finally saw him in his red tank top. “I see him!”
The crowd roared as the men closed in and one guy passed the others up. That man crossed the finish line, and two others followed. Easton sped up and came in fourth place, which was amazing considering how many people were participating, and this was only his first race.
Easton walked in our direction looking worn out but happy. Sweat dripped down his face, and his tank top was soaked. I ran to him and was about to throw my arms around him, when he stepped back. “Whoa…careful. Do you want to hug me when I’m this sweaty?”
I laughed and threw my arms around him. “I don’t care. I’m so proud of you. You did amazing out there.”
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. “I did it, and it’s finally over.”
“Think you might do it again next year?”
He bellowed out a laugh. “Not a chance. This was a once in a lifetime kind of thing.”
“I know your dad would have been proud of you.”
He nodded. “Yeah, he would have been, but he would have seen it as icing on the cake. I’m pretty sure giving my kidney to a stranger and marrying you would top the list.”
“Speaking of getting married, that’s only seven days away. Do you think that’s enough time to recover?”
He laughed. “I don’t care if I’m limping. I’ll limp all the way there if I have to. Nothing will keep me away.”
Easton
“You look like your father did at this age,” Mom said, beaming with pride. “And so handsome. I’m excited for you and Maya.”
It was the day of my wedding, and I had just put on my ivory suit jacket. The ceremony was taking place at Laguna Beach, which was right next to Newport Beach, and the plan was to stay at my house in Newport for a few days after the wedding, and then Maya and I would fly to Europe for three weeks.
“I wish Dad was here to see this,” I said. “Sometimes I miss him so much it feels like someone socked me in the gut.”
“I know that feeling.” The corner of Mom’s lips tugged down for a few seconds, and then she brightened. “But he wouldn’t want us to be sad on a day like this. Your father wanted you to be happy. And he would be proud of the man you’ve become.” She pulled two silver cufflinks out of her purse and put them in my hand. “He wore these in our wedding. Thought you might want something to remember him by.”
“Thank you, Mom.” I hugged her and then she helped me put the cufflinks on.
Time swept by like a whirlwind after that. Maya and I had both agreed that we wanted a beach wedding, and it was a perfect day for that. The weather was warm but not too hot, and there was only a light breeze, so we didn’t have to worry about decorations flying away. Maya was concerned about strong winds messing everything up, but God had seen to it that it wasn’t an issue.
With all the money I had, we could have made it a grand event, but after taking some time to think it through, we both decided on a small intimate wedding with only twenty of our closest friends and family. We didn’t want there to be a media circus, and more importantly, we wanted the day to be about us. Our marriage. Not a big production that cost an arm and a leg. And after everything we’d gone through, that was important to both of us.
I stood under a white tent covering and waited as Maya walked down the aisle made of ivory cloth and peach rose petals. She wore a simple beach wedding dress with a scoop neckline and a lace bodice. The rest of the tulle dress was
floor length, with an ivory lining underneath. Instead of a veil, she’d decided to wear a crown of flowers, and she was beautiful. So beautiful that my throat thickened, and I fought tears.
This was really happening. If someone had told me years ago that my life would take this direction, I would have laughed in his face. I didn’t think I was capable of making a commitment, yet, here I was, doing exactly that. And I had no regrets.
The music ended, and Maya stood at my side, her countenance beaming and full of joy. We linked arms, and Pastor Steve gave a message about love and marriage from the Word. He exhorted me to love my bride like Christ loves the church, and though I would never be perfect, I was excited to try. Maya was a precious gift from God, and I would never stop loving her. As he continued his sermon, I was so overwhelmed—in a good way—that I had a hard time paying attention. After that, we made our vows and exchanged rings.
When he said, “You may now kiss the bride,” I blinked, because it had gone by faster than I imagined. I faced Maya and my eyes fell to her lips. They were cherry red today, and more inviting than they’d ever been before. I kissed her tenderly and then he declared us Mr. and Mrs. Radcliffe.
The reception took place at a hotel on the beach, but before we got started, I pulled Maya aside. “I have a present for you.” We were standing on the sand and Charlotte stood behind Maya, an excited grin on her face.
Maya’s eyebrows flew up. “You do?”
I nodded and motioned for Charlotte to come over. She walked over carrying a toy poodle with a teddy bear cut—the kind Maya had always admired about Charlotte’s dog. She held out the puppy to Maya, and Maya squealed.
“Oh, my goodness! A puppy! I love him so much.” She nuzzled the pup’s face with her own and stroked his soft fur. She turned to me. “But how did you know?” She didn’t wait for an answer because it suddenly occurred to her that Charlotte must have said something, and she was right. “You told him, didn’t you?”
Charlotte nodded. “You’ve been waiting a long time for a dog of your own.”
“Thank you so much, you guys. He’s perfect.”
“I’ll take care of him while you’re on your honeymoon,” Charlotte said, “so don’t worry about that.”
We took the puppy to the reception and had a great time, and afterward, I scooped Maya up in my arms and carried her out to the beach. “Are you sure you still want to do this?” I asked.
She hung on to my neck like her life depended on it, but her eyes flickered with excitement at what we were about to do. “Yep. I think it’s a wonderful way to end the day.”
That was all I needed to hear. I ran to the ocean and jumped in the water, drenching us both. We danced around in the water and I kissed her like a madman. The photographer caught the whole thing on camera, but it wasn’t about the pictures. It was about enjoying every moment and living life to the fullest.
Cupping her face, I looked into her eyes and thanked the good Lord above that He had given her to me. “I love you, Maya.”
“I love you, too, Easton.”
“I’m ready to take you home,” I said. “Can you handle a lifetime with me?”
She laughed. “Not only can I handle it, I’m looking forward to it.”
And that was how a stone-cold man who didn’t understand commitment, changed into someone willing to sacrifice for the woman of his dreams. It was a transformation only God could accomplish.
***
Thank you so much for taking the time to read, Blind Date with my Billionaire Boss. Evangeline appreciates your support more than you know. If you enjoyed this book, she would like to ask you a favor. Would you be kind enough to leave an honest review? It would be greatly appreciated! Feel free to get in touch if you have questions or comments at [email protected]
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Are you looking for another book to read by Evangeline? Check out the first book in the Blind Date Disaster Series! Blind Date with a Blue-Collar Billionaire
Description of Blind Date with a Blue-Collar Billionaire
Can her blue-collar man prove he’s different from all the rest?
Lindsey Clarke was doomed. Every serious boyfriend she had fell for her more beautiful cousin, Destiny. When it happened yet again on the eve of her thirtieth birthday, she was devastated and wondered if she would always be delegated to second best.
A friend suggested a blind date, and Lindsey went along with it in order to get her mind off her wounded heart. Once she met Grayson Hall, she was star struck. Not only was he good-looking, but he was kind and sweet as well.
Grayson Hall owned the largest general construction company in Los Angeles. He had everything he could possibly want except love from a good woman. After being burned by a girlfriend who was only with him because of his money, he was determined to keep his financial status a secret from Lindsey. Following a disastrous first date, Grayson determined to make it up to Lindsey. Soon, he was falling hard and could easily see a future with her.
But when a terrible lie threatened their relationship, Grayson had to prove he was the kind of man she could count on.
And Lindsey had to make a decision. Was Grayson the man he said he was? Or was he no different than the men who dumped her for her cousin?
This is an inspirational Christian romance about the power of forgiveness and how one woman learns to trust God during difficult times.
Check out Blind Date with a Blue-Collar Billionaire!
Other Books by Evangeline Kelly
Blind Date Disasters Series
Blind Date with a Blue-Collar Billionaire
Blind Date with a Billionaire Professor
Blind Date with a Billionaire Biker
Blind Date with a Billionaire Single Dad
California Elite Series
Collision of Wills
The Ruthless Billionaire
The Lawkeepers
Lawfully Blessed
Lawfully Protected
Stand-alone Books
The Unwanted Assistant
Love’s Sacrifice
Road Trip
Santa Clarita Love Stories
Shaken
Matchmaker
The Blushing Brides
The Prince’s Bewildered Bride
Georgia Patriots
The Playboy Patriot
An Alaska Romance Series
Married to an Alaskan Man
Best Friends with an Alaskan Man
Christmas with an Alaskan Man
Bad Boy Bodyguards
Protected by the Bad Boy
About the Author
Evangeline Kelly writes Christian romance with characters that grow and change through the difficulties of life. As a child, she enjoyed writing stories for her grandma but didn’t pursue that passion until much later in life. She worked for twenty years as a social worker with foster children and tries to incorporate what she learned about human behavior into her books. Evangeline lives north of Los Angeles and loves spending time with her husband, who she likes to refer to as her bad boy hero. Yes, she did catch the bad boy, but then again, he wanted to be caught.
Blind Date with my Billionaire Boss (Blind Date Disasters Book 5) Page 22