by Azzi , Gina
Turning toward Keira, I take her hand in mine. “You look beautiful, Keira.”
“You’re making all the women in here hate me,” she murmurs, her eyes darting about, as it does seem like everyone’s eyes are suddenly on us.
“No. They’re just admiring you.”
“Or gossiping about us.”
“Probably that. Dance with me.” I slip her hand around my elbow and lead us to the dance floor. Taking her in my arms, we sway to the soft music the band is playing.
“I didn’t know you could dance like this, Lach.”
“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me, Keira.”
She laughs, probably recalling how she spoke the same words to me nearly two weeks ago. “Tell me then.”
“All in due time.” I grin, twirling her. “First, you tell me, are you mine yet?”
When she’s back in my arms, I drop my head and brush a kiss across her lips.
Grinning up at me, her face open and radiant, the way I remember from when we were in uni, Keira nods. “Always, Lachlan.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day, babe.”
Dropping my mouth to hers, I seal our future with a kiss that draws most of the attention in the room, if the throat clearing, whistles, and laughter are anything to go by.
But neither myself nor Keira care; we’re too busy making up for lost time.
* * *
“You look happy.” Nanna smiles, her hand clutching a flute of champagne.
“So do you.” I grin back, dipping to kiss her hello.
“It’s the champagne. I’m really miserable.”
“I don’t believe you.”
She chuckles, her eyes bright and clear. “This gala has brought many couples together. I know many think it’s foolish to spend so much money on a dance. But the event raises a lot of money with the silent auction for charities that Arthur and I always supported. And it is a very special place to fall in love.”
“Or admit it,” I agree, looking around at the dancing couples. Keira’s mom and dad sway to a song. My sister stuffs a cupcake into her mouth while Daisy hordes doughnuts and Finn walks away, pretending not to know them.
“It’s about time, my dear boy.” Nanna clutches my hand, squeezing. “Thank you.”
“For what?” I peer down at her, about to tell her that my marketing efforts were absolutely nothing.
“For giving me one last great love.”
“Nanna,” I murmur, my heart squeezing painfully in my chest at her words.
“No, I needed to see her happy.” Her eyes find Keira in the swell of dancing bodies. They cling to her granddaughter, pride lining her face, her expression bittersweet. “And this past week, you’ve given her the ability to relax, to enjoy the moment, to believe in hope again.”
“I’ll do everything I can to always bring her happiness.”
“I know that, Lachlan.” She turns, smiling up at me. “I’ve always known that.”
I squeeze her hand back. “And now I believe it, Nanna.”
“I’m glad. Make sure you try the cheesecake. It’s heavenly. An American baker, I believe.”
I chuckle, already knowing Daisy is to thank for the cupcakes, the doughnuts, and now the cheesecake.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Nanna.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Lachlan. May you and Keira celebrate an infinity of them together.”
Epilogue
Keira
Five Months Later
“You’re kidding me!” I exclaim, my head swimming with the news Lachlan just shared.
“I’m not.” He flashes an easy grin, leaning against the small table in the cellar of the shop.
“You’re really moving back,” I say, stepping in between his feet as he wraps his arms around me, dropping his face into the crook of my neck.
“I start in Anderson’s Edinburgh office on Monday.”
“Wow. That’s—this—thank you, Lach.”
“We’re done with long distance, babe.” He presses a kiss just below my jawline. Straightening up, he chuckles. “But having me here means our presence is required at Friday night dinners at Mom’s.”
“I can’t wait.” I lace my fingers with his. “The past five months have been…” I swallow past the lump of tears clogging my throat. “…difficult.”
“I know, love.” Lachlan tucks my hair behind my ear, his palm cupping my cheek. “But you know she’s watching over you.”
“Us.” I turn into the warmth of his touch.
“Nanna’s probably up there giggling, corrupting heaven by taking bets on how long it will be before I can convince your dad to let you move in with me.”
At this, my head snaps straight up. “Wait, what?”
Lachlan chuckles, dropping his hands to my hips and pulling me forward. “I got an apartment about five minutes from my mom’s house.”
“You did?” Surprise colors my tone because, well, I knew nothing about this.
Lachlan nods. “And it needs to be decorated and—”
“Oh, I have so many ideas.”
“I knew you would.” He smirks, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a folded-up piece of paper.
I smooth it out, a bundle of nerves racing up and down my spine, as I read the top line. And my breath catches in my throat. Glancing up at Lachlan, my eyes wide, my hands shaking, he smiles. His expression is perfectly serene, his voice calm as he taps the paper.
“I didn’t mean to buy it without your ever seeing it but” — he turns the paper over where an address is scrawled in pencil—“it was the closest place I could find to where Nanna and your granda lived after they first married. Seemed like a good place to start a life. Make a new beginning.”
“You bought me a flat,” I whisper, my eyes focused on my name listed next to his on the line of owner.
“We bought a flat.”
“No, I didn’t contribute a single cent and—”
Lachlan’s hand closes over mine until I’m forced to look up.
“Everything we do, we do together. Everything we create is ours. Make a home with me, Keira.”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Lachlan leans forward, brushing a kiss against the tip of my nose. He glances up at the ceiling and chuckles. “He already said yes, Nanna.”
“What?”
“I spoke to your dad an hour ago. He’s available to help us move your stuff this weekend, if you want.”
“Oh my gosh.” I shake my head, my emotions a whirlwind, catching me off-guard with their intensity. Elation, joy, eagerness, excitement.
After four months of grief from Nanna’s loss, sprinkled in with moments of gratitude for Lachlan’s love, I’m in desperate need of a new beginning, a fresh start.
I laugh, folding the deed and slipping it into my pocket. “We bought a flat.”
“It’s a starter apartment, until we build our house.”
“A house?”
“Aye, well, where are all the children going to sleep?”
“How many are you thinking?”
Lach slides off the table, tossing his arm around my shoulders. “Four or five.”
“Four or five?”
“Enough for apple picking and horseback riding.”
Happiness radiates from my being as some of the restlessness in my stomach settles. Finally, a certainty in the future wraps around my shoulders. Reaching up, I lace my fingers with Lachlan’s, and know that Nanna is watching over me, like a guardian angel.
Or cupid.
Because Lachlan Begay is my one great love.
And Nanna knew it all along.
“Come on, I’ll help you pack.” He opens the door to the shop.
Stepping out into the sunshine, I breathe in the fresh flowers and blue skies. My body relaxes into Lachlan’s as a calmness rolls through me.
It’s been a tough year for me with a lot of changes. But with Lachlan at my side, I’m ready for the future.
I’m finally home.
* * *
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One Last Chance
Chapter One - Daisy
Finn: Are you all set for your flight?
My heart rate simultaneously ticks up and slows down, warmth spreading through my chest, as I read Finn’s message.
Why?
My euphoria is short-lived as my mind kicks into overdrive, stomping on my poor little heart and her moment of victory.
Why, after the way Finn and I left things over Christmas, is he messaging me?
The sting of his rejection burns through me once more as I recall his sincere expression and apology. I’m sorry things can’t be different.
He’d said the words regretfully enough but that didn’t stop the humiliation from blazing through me. And now, a text message.
Did he change his mind about us? Does he think things could develop now? It’s not like I need a ring on my finger or a label of any kind; I don’t understand why we can’t explore what’s between us. Or, is Finn just being friendly since we’re going to be working together in three days?
“You all packed?”
Startled by the voice, I drop my phone next to me on the bed and duck my head, so my brother Jax won’t catch me acting flustered over a text message from a guy.
But Finn isn’t just any guy.
He’s more than that. He’s the guy who heightens my awareness, causing goosebumps to prickle the back of my neck and excitement to bounce in my bloodstream, just by entering a room. The one who kissed me sweetly under the mistletoe at Christmas. The guy who helped me hang the Christmas wreath my mother lovingly made so many years ago, and shared in my silence as I mourned her loss like I do every holiday.
And he turned you down.
I remind myself of this important detail sternly just as Jax’s head pops around the doorway. “Dais, you good?”
Glancing up, I throw my arm out to encompass my packed belongings. “All set.”
“I can’t believe you’re moving abroad,” Jax comments, walking into my room and sitting on the edge of my bed. “You ready for this?” He offers a half-smile, his green eyes watching me closely.
My laugh is nervous, as I tuck my hair behind my ear, my eyes roaming over my bare bedroom walls and the two neatly packed suitcases standing next to each other in the center of my room. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I admit. “I just wish I knew more people.”
“Yeah, I know. But at least you’re in good hands with Sierra’s family. And you have Finn.” My brother raises his eyebrows, blatantly fishing for information on what’s brewing between Finlay and me. It’s no secret that things between us intensified when he visited Sierra, my best friend and his cousin, over Christmas.
And then they flatlined.
“We’re just friends.” I flick my wrist dismissively, hoping my voice conveys more confidence than I feel in that statement. I don’t know what we are.
Jax smirks, his eyes dancing with amusement. He doesn’t believe me for one second, but he doesn’t call me out on it. At least, not outright. “I’m going to give you some advice, Daisy girl.”
I roll my eyes, “Here we go.”
“Hey, come on now, you’re heading out and won’t receive this honesty from anyone else for a bit. Humor me.”
“Have at it.”
“Us guys, we’re different than you women.”
“Truly mind-shattering.” I deadpan.
My brother snorts, shaking his head. “It takes us longer to come around to things. We don’t react on our emotions. It’s a process and it takes time.”
I quirk an eyebrow at him. “I clearly remember you pursuing the hell out of Evie.”
“Yeah, after seven years of radio silence. Look, all I’m saying is, I wouldn’t count Finn out. I saw the way he was around you at Christmas. The way you two were always checking each other out, spending time together. He’s not as unattached and unavailable as you may think. He’s just better at hiding it.”
I wince, “Am I that obvious?”
Jax tilts his head sympathetically. “Buying him a Christmas stocking for our mantle was
a thoughtful gesture.”
I blush at the reminder, leaving out the part where Finn gifted me a Louis Vuitton Neverfull purse for Christmas.
“But things are different now, Dais. You’re moving to Edinburgh for an opportunity, a career. You’ll have other things on your plate to keep you busy.”
“You mean distracted.”
Jax shrugs. “I mean, just do you, Dais. Make sure you’re not giving all the power to Finn in whatever dance y’all are doing. You have a say too.”
I pick at the nail polish on my thumb. “You’re right. I’m going to Scotland for the job and if things happen with me and Finn,” I shrug, “it’s a bonus. But I’m not going to wait around for him or try to force something that isn’t there.”
“Good. I’d hate for you to miss out on the experience because of a guy.”
I shake my head, “You’ll be happy to know I made a New Year’s Resolution.”
“Oh, this oughta be good.”
“Stuff it. This is my Year of No Fear. New Year, new Daisy Kane.”
Jax laughs. “I like the ring to that. What does the Year of No Fear mean, exactly?”
I grin, brushing my hair away from my face. “I’m going all in. These past six months, with the job hunt and all the rejections, kind of sucked. But I’m moving now, starting my career, and having an adventure. I’m going to embrace it all, claim my future, and not let fear of failure hold me back. My Year of No Fear.”
“Just don’t come home with a Scottish accent.” Jax jokes, before his expression turns thoughtful. “I’m proud of you, Dais. You nervous at all?”
“A little. I just don’t know what to expect. I mean, obviously everyone speaks English and it’s not like there’s going to be a language barrier or anything but, I’m sure there will be cultural differences.”
“It’s normal. There will be. The homesickness will be the worst at the beginning, but make yourself go out, force yourself to be social even when you don’t feel like it, and it will get easier. Once you make friends and get comfortable in your surroundings, everything will fall into place.”
“Is that what you did? In the Army?” I pick at my fresh manicure again, averting my gaze as nostalgia sweeps through me. In a handful of hours, this, me and my brothers, living in our childhood home, being around all the time, will be over. The thought wraps around me unexpectedly and I draw in a sharp breath as I chip my new nail polish. Sitting on my hands, I look back up at Jax.
My brother tilts his head in my direction sympathetically, his features settling into a serious expression once more. “It was a bit more forced in the Army then it will be for you. I was constantly surrounded by people, naturally pulled into a group, that it was easier to make social connections. But yeah, the social aspect made everything easier. Once I started relating to guys like me, forming friendships, getting into my routine, being away from home wasn’t as hard. It’s an adjustment but you’ll handle it.”
“Hope so.” I offer a small smile. “I’ll keep your advice in mind. Are you taking me to the airport?”
“We all are,” Carter clarifies, striding into my bedroom. “You didn’t think we’d let you move across the world without a send-off party, did you?”
“Scotland is hardly across the world.” I grin at my second eldest brother, the one who pretty much raised me.
“It’s far enough,” Denver’s gravelly voice adds. He walks over to my suitcases and tests the weight of each, pulling on the handles. “You’re cutting it close, but I don’t think you’ll have excess baggage fees.”
“The silver lining,” I joke.
“Do you have your passport?” Carter asks me for the ninth time this morning.
“Got it. I think I’m all
good. I have everything I absolutely need. Passport, wallet, phone, laptop.”
“You’ll call when you land?”
I shake my phone at him. “I will do that since Anderson PR made my phone plan international.”
Den smirks, Jax chuckles, but Carter’s expression remains the same.
“I’ll be back next month,” I remind him. “Gotta make sure this one doesn’t mess up his wedding vows.” I jerk a thumb toward Denver, turning to face him. “Especially since you’re marrying my best friend and I won’t ever forgive you if you don’t make her my sister.”
Denver snorts, “Taking those Maid of Honor duties seriously.”
“Of course.”
Finally, Carter grins and reaches out to pull me into a hug. With his head pressed against mine, he murmurs into my ear, “I’m gonna miss you, Dais. It feels different this time.”
I sigh into my brother’s shoulder. I knew saying good-bye to him would be the hardest. “I know.”
“When you went to ASU,” he pulls back and looks at me, his seafoam green eyes flickering with an emotion I can’t place, “I knew you’d be back. But this time, I’m not so sure.”
“But we’ll still keep the house, right?” I ask, a wave of panic unfurling in my chest. In a handful of hours, I’ll be embarking on a new adventure, starting my life in Scotland. But my childhood home has always been my one constant. After my mom passed and with my dad out of the picture, it was the one place my brothers and I maintained as a family unit. What if my brothers sell our house while I’m in Scotland, and things don’t work out and I end up homeless? What if I’m not here to say good-bye? To adjust to the idea that it’s even gone?
“We’re keeping the house,” Denver reassures me. “At least, for now.”
Relief causes my limbs to relax that we’re keeping the house. Financially, it doesn’t make any sense. In the past year, all three of my brothers have found women who make them better men and have moved forward with their lives and out of my childhood home. Even though the house is going to sit empty, I’m still grateful that we’re figuring it out. For now.