Heart of Hope: Books 1-4

by Williams, Ajme

  “That’s it? No negotiating?” Larry asked.

  “You asked what it would take. That’s what it will take.” A wave of peace came over me as I realized I was in control. It was a fake sort of control. I could lose. But what mattered was that I wasn’t at the mercy of circumstances. I could lose but it would be on my terms. Not because a lazy teenage boy, a failed EMR system, an angry mob, or asshole administrator was holding me back. Feeling strong and confident that I’d come out on top no matter what happened, I turned to Mia. “I’m going to beat your dad at chess now. Is pasta okay for dinner?”

  She blushed as she smiled wide. “Yes.”

  I wanted to go kiss her, but I thought that might be pushing it. So, I said my goodbyes and left.

  For the first time since I began hanging out with Jim, I beat him at chess.

  Epilogue

  Mia, Six Weeks Later

  Four years ago, when I graduated from law school, Nick asked me to move back to Goldrush Lake with him. I’d declined, wanting to live in the big city instead. While I couldn’t regret the four years that I had been doing my own thing, I often felt like I’d wasted a lot of time. Today, I couldn’t imagine a better life than the one I had now. I was doing work that was challenging. I was able to see my family nearly every day. I had friends and a support system. And most of all, I had Nick. To come home to him every night felt like a dream come true.

  Three weeks ago, the hospital negotiated a settlement with the Mason family. In a surprising turn of events, instead of giving money to the family, the hospital named the children’s unit after Ms. Mason. In the end, both sides recognized that either of them could be at fault, and decided to turn the tragedy of her death into something positive. Interestingly enough, it had been Nick’s idea.

  During that time, Nick and his attorney filed the paperwork to form a medical corporation. While the hospital had agreed to his terms, there was no telling how many doctors would abandon a job to be a member of the group. As it turned out, several were. Of course, it was hard to argue with Nick’s goals that included leverage over the hospital in terms of pay, work hours, and even the possibility of hiring scribes so they didn’t have to deal with the EMR. There were two medical professionals from Keddler that applied to join Nick’s business as well.

  While he worked to form his own business and negotiate with the hospital, he also took weekly trips to Reno where he saw a therapist. He dealt with past guilts and built an arsenal of skills to cope with stress in the future. I was so proud of him for facing his fears and perceived failures head on.

  Today, I was rushing home from work because I hadn’t seen Nick for three days. He’d taken my dad down to San Diego to see the bongos and visit his family. He’d invited me and Eli to go with him, but both Eli and I declined, feeling like this was their thing. I was so proud of Eli in recognizing that Nick was important to both me and Dad. He and Nick were still a ways from being as close as they’d once been, but they had gone fishing on the lake a few times in the last few weeks. It was a start.

  As I pulled into the driveway, nerves fluttered in my belly. I was excited and nervous to see Nick.

  I was barely in the door, when his arms were around me. “I’ve been waiting like a love sick boy for you to get home,” he said just before his lips were on mine. “Did you miss me?”

  “Were you gone?” I ached I missed him so much.

  He growled. “Be nice.”

  “Okay.” I started to undo his shirt.

  “Not yet, baby. I have a surprise for you.”

  “Oh?”

  He took my hand and led me out the back door. On the deck, the table was set for dinner, champagne chilled in a bucket, and little white lights twinkled as they hung in the trees.

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “You’re beautiful.”

  “Did you miss me?” I asked, looping my arms around him.

  “Terribly.”

  “I know that’s not true. I know you had fun with Dad and the bongos.”

  “I did enjoy my time with him. We talked about a lot of things.”

  That intrigued me. “Like about what?”

  “I’ll tell you later.” He poured the champagne. “I want to make a toast to us.”

  “I’ll drink to that.” I clicked my drink, but instead of taking a sip, I kissed him.

  “You just want to get into my pants.” He grinned.

  “What if I do?” I pressed my body against his groin, noting that he was hard.

  “Don’t distract me, woman. I’ve got a plan.”

  I laughed. “I don’t want to disrupt the plan.”

  He took my hand and led me closer to the lake’s edge where a single lounge chair sat.

  “It doesn’t look like you were expecting me,” I said.

  “We’re going to share.” He sat and pulled me to sit between his legs. He wrapped his arms around my waist and set his chin on my shoulder. “Look out there.”

  I looked over the lake. The sun was setting, casting lovely shades of orange over the water.”

  “I can’t remember the last time I watched a sunset on the lake,” I said, settling in against him.

  “Your dad and I took a trip to the coast while we were down south and watched the sunset. He has wonderful stories about him and your mom watching sunsets.”

  I sighed at the bitter sweetness of that. “He does.”

  “Your dad is an amazing man, Mia.”

  “I know.”

  “One thing I’ve learned from him is how important it is to seize the moment. Don’t wait for something because you think you have time or are uncertain as to how it might come out.”

  “My dad misses my mom, but he has the peace knowing he never wasted a moment with her.”

  He kissed my cheek. “I don’t want to miss a moment with you, Mia.”

  I craned my head around to look up at him. “I don’t either.”

  He stared at me with those wonderful green eyes and swallowed. “Then will you marry me?”

  My breath caught, making it impossible to respond.

  “We can spend our lives not wasting a moment.” He held up a beautiful platinum and diamond ring.

  “Nick.” I turned around in the chair so I could straddle him and wrap my arms around him. “Yes!”

  He buried his face against my neck. “I love you so much Mia.”

  “I love you more, Nick.”

  He slipped the ring on my finger, and kissed me as his hands caressed my back. “I was thinking we’d have dinner and enjoy the sunset, but I know how badly you want to get in my pants.”

  “I do.”

  His eyes flashed with emotion at the words I’d say to him when I joined my life with his. Hopefully, I’d be able to marry him soon. In fact, we could drive to Reno now and take care of it. No, not now. Now I needed to get in his pants.

  He had other plans. “Let’s take this inside. I want lots of room to go slow.”

  My pussy tingled at the thought of all the wonderful things he’d do to me. “You didn’t talk about my getting in your pants with my dad did you?”

  “No. But I did ask his permission to marry you. Well, not permission … but his blessing. Eli’s too when I got back today.”

  I stopped and looked at Nick. “You did that?”

  “If they said no, I was still going to ask you. But I wanted to know they would support your marrying me.”

  I was filled with so much emotion. I wished there were better words to express it. All I had was, “I love you.”

  He smiled and tugged my hand leading me into our bedroom. “Let’s show each other just how much love we have.”

  One of the things I loved about Nick was how he taught me there could be different speeds and moods to sex. We both liked fast and furious, as much as slow and languid. But sometimes it was intense, like I’d go up in flames if he wasn’t inside me driving me to orgasm. Other times it was playful and fun, silly even. Tonight, it was slow and intense, savoring every mi
nute. It was like we both wanted to imprint every kiss, every touch, into our brain to remember forever.

  His hands caressed every inch of me, making my blood run hot and thick through my veins. His lips followed suit, kissing and nipping from my temple to my toes.

  “Nick,” I gasped, needing him over me, in me.

  “Yes, baby,” he moved up my body.

  “I want you in me … a part of me.”

  He maneuvered himself between my thighs. “Look at me Mia. Look at me while you take me inside you.”

  My gaze held his. I inhaled sharply as he pushed in, filling me, deeper and deeper. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” I chanted as pleasure coiled deep. I lifted my knees wrapping my legs around his hips.

  “Do you feel me, Mia?”

  “Yes.”

  He pulsed inside me. My body responded by squeezing him.

  “I want to feel you come on me,” he said, bending his head and sucking my nipple. Then he started to move and all there was was sensations and love and him. Everything, my world, was him.

  “Nick … I’m coming,” I gasped as my body went taut and my breath caught at that one moment of ultimate perfection.

  “Yes, baby, yes …" He continued to move, drawing out my pleasure as he emptied inside me.

  He rolled us both, until I was nestled beside him, my head on his shoulder, my leg tossed over his thighs, my hand over his heart.

  Nick let out a chuckle.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You asked about talking to your dad about your getting into my pants. We didn’t talk about that, but he did want to know how long before he’d have a grandbaby.”

  “Oh? What did you tell him?”

  “I told him I’d start practicing right away.”

  I closed my eyes as embarrassment heated my cheeks. I couldn’t believe Nick and my father were talking about my sex life. “When do you want to start?” I managed.

  “Oh, I don’t know.”

  “Do you want kids?”

  “Yes.” His hand rubbed my arm.

  “How many?”

  He looked down on me. “Two. Three. How many do you want?”

  “One to start.”

  He smiled. “I don’t have twins in my family. Do you?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t think so.” I walked my fingers over his chest. “Nick?”

  “Hmm.” He took my hand and brought to his lips.

  “What if we started now?”

  “You want to make a baby now?”

  I simply stared at him.

  His brows furrowed and his head cocked to the side. He rolled us again until he was looking down on me. “By ‘now,’ do you mean you want to try now or that it’s a done deal?”

  Nerves rattled through my body as I couldn’t tell what he thought of either idea. “It’s a done deal.” I waited and watched, hoping he was happy.

  His brows shot up to his thick blond hairline. As they returned to their normal position, his lips spread wide. “You’re pregnant?”

  I nodded. “I’m sor—”

  He kissed me hard, as his hand splayed wide over my belly. “How? … I mean, I know how, but when?”

  “When you came back from visiting your parents, I think. When I was in the hospital, I missed a few days of taking my pill. I didn’t even think of that, I’m sor—”

  “Stop saying you’re sorry.” He frowned. “You do want this baby, right?”

  “More than anything, Nick. I just … it wasn’t planned, and it was the result of an accident—”

  “No. It’s not an accident. It’s a beautiful creation of our love.”

  I was so relieved he saw it like that.

  “One thing I’ve learned in these last few months is that sometimes things out of our control happen. Some are bad, but some are good. You coming into my life. This baby. I had no control over them, but they’re amazing gifts.”

  “My dad is rubbing off on you,” I said, running the fingers of one hand through his hair. “You’re going to be a wonderful daddy.”

  He smiled. “And you’re going to be the perfect mom.” He kissed me again, this time slowly and tenderly. Like he wasn’t going to waste a moment. Neither was I. He was right. Life could turn to the bad on a dime. Right now, I had everything I dreamed of in my arms and growing inside me. I was where I was meant to be. I was home.

  Book Two: An Irish Affair

  Description

  I’d always found Irish men to be irresistible.

  And Devin?

  He’s the hottest one of them all.

  I had my chance with him.

  Heck, I even have a baby with him.

  A four-year old boy.

  My only secret.

  I lost my V-card to Devin on St. Patrick’s night four years ago.

  My biggest mistake was thinking that I could trust him.

  Hot men like him are trouble.

  Besides, he made it clear to me that he hates kids.

  Hates.

  Fast-forward to when he meets our little boy.

  A meeting that I tried my hardest to avoid.

  I might have expected them to get along but… best buddies?

  Devin is supposed to hate kids, remember?

  It’s only a matter of time until he finds out his birthday.

  And when he does…

  Oh boy!

  Prologue

  Serena—St. Patrick’s Day, Five Years Ago

  Oh my God! What am I doing? When I thought about what it would be like to lose my virginity, I hadn’t considered it would be with a man I’d met only hours before. And yet here I was, in a fancy hotel room with Devin Roarke, who’d I’d met that afternoon when I served him lunch.

  “Are you nervous?” Devin leaned against the hotel room door that he’d just shut and looked at me with those amazing green eyes.

  “A little.” A lot actually, but the strange part was that I still desperately wanted to go through with it. Twenty-one felt too old to still be a virgin and I didn’t have any other prospects. And Devin Roarke! Holy cow. I couldn’t have ordered up anyone more perfect. Funny. Sweet. Sexy as sin. Rich. Not that I’d have any of him after tonight, but I’d entered fairy tale-ville the minute he said he’d meet me to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

  “How about some champagne? Something as momentous as losing your virginity deserves champagne.” He strode toward the table that held a bucket of ice with champagne in it. It was a testament to how quickly rich people could arrange what they wanted. He must have told the hotel desk clerk to send it up. Somehow it had arrived before we did.

  I nodded, even though we’d had a good amount to drink already. After all, it was St. Patrick’s Day. In New York City, that’s what you did on St. Patrick's. Drink. I was sure all that drinking was why I’d lost control of myself and admitted to being a virgin. Perhaps an alcohol haze was why he’d offered to help me, as I was sure I wasn’t Devin’s type. Even with a few drinks under my belt, I was still bewildered about how he ended up spending the evening with me.

  I’d been serving the lunch crowd in the chic diner I worked in to help pay for college when Devin and his friend Danny showed up. They weren’t the first cocky, handsome, rich boys I’d ever served, but they were the first that I agreed to meet later. Then again, they were the first to say they wanted to meet me and my friend Kim.

  I wasn’t ugly, but I couldn’t imagine I was the type Devin normally went for. I wasn’t tall, rich, or glamorous. I was average in height, rounder in build, and while I felt pretty, I wasn’t a cover girl.

  The conversation started innocently enough when I delivered their lunch plates.

  “Come on, Dev, it’s one of the biggest parties of the year,” his friend Danny said.

  Devin sat back as I set his plate in front of him. “It’s the same party as all the other ones. Don’t you ever get sick of it? The same people talking the same shit, all of it bullshit. It’s all plastic and fake.”

  “No. I
don’t.”

  Devin looked up at me, which was when I first noticed how green his eyes were.

  “Can I get you anything else?” I asked.

  “What are you doing for St. Patrick's?” Devin asked me.

  “Pub crawl,” I answered. “There’s probably bullshit there too, but no plastic. All salt-of-the-earth people. And affordable. Five dollar whiskey shots.”

  Devin let out a loud laugh, while his friend frowned.

  “Are you old enough?” Devin asked.

  “Yep.” This year I was finally old enough, although I had gone the year before with a fake ID.

  “How many bars?” Devin pressed on.

  “I think there’s fifty or so participating. We’ll see how far we get.” I looked over my shoulder to make sure the manager wasn’t glaring at me for taking too long with my customers.

  “Devin, we told Lauren and Evie we’d—”

  “You told them.”

  “You’re leaving next week for who knows how long. Don’t you want to spend it with your friends?” Danny asked.

  I wondered where Devin was going that would keep him away. I doubted the rich people sent their kids into the military.

  “Not tonight, I don’t.” Devin looked up at me again. “You willing to give me a tour?”

  I stared at him, wondering if I was being punked or something. “You look old and smart enough to figure it out on your own.”

  His eyes narrowed slightly and his lips quirked up as if he was amused by me. “I’ve been sheltered all my life. I need someone to guide me through the real world.”

  I smirked, but found that I was amused by him too. Even so, I didn’t want to commit too much. I took out a pen from my pocket and wrote the name of the bar Kim and I would be at tonight to start the party.

  “I’ll be there at seven. Lauren and Evie are invited too.”

  Devin laughed again.

  Danny shook his head. “They’ll never go for that.”

  I shrugged. “Regular folk don’t have cooties.”

  “Rena! Table eight,” my manager yelled.