by Violet Duke
He slid the ring onto the delicate necklace and held it up poised to clasp around her neck.
“Liana Lin, will you do me the unbelievable honor of possibly marrying me one day? Five, ten, fifty years from now, whenever you’re ready.” He rested his forehead against hers. “I love you so much, baby. And I’ll wait however long you need. A lifetime, even. A lifetime showing you that no matter what the universe continues to throw our way, the very idea of a shelf life simply won’t apply to us.”
Oh, god. She fought to stay standing.
With her heart in her throat, she asked herself if she could really do it—seal her future to the frightening, unknown future of another soldier going on deployment.
Her expression must have revealed her heart’s biggest worries.
...Because Hudson clasped the two ends of the chain together and slid the necklace into her hands. Eyes disappointed, but no less intense with love.
“I told you, sweetheart—no shelf life. Not on this proposal, and not on our future. I don’t need to know whether or not tomorrow is going to come for us, for me to love you today. And every new today for the rest of our lives.”
That right there was her answer.
Lord knew he already possessed her heart and soul...her future was no different.
“Yes.” Lia opened the necklace and slid the ring off the chain.
He just stared down at her lips as she repeated, “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Almost shyly, she put the ring in his hand so he could officially slide it on her finger.
And when it was officially in place, he gently traced the ring on her finger with the index finger of his right hand.
The one that could feel again.
Entwining her fingers with his, she promised, “No matter how far the Army takes you from me, or how many deployments you go on…my answer will still and always be yes.”
Hudson pulled her into his arms. “Have you been thinking a lot about my deploying, honey?”
“How could I not?” she whispered quietly.
“And still you said yes?”
She took a deep, steadying breath. Being brave wasn’t the same as having no fear. “Like you said—no shelf life. My yes will be waiting for you to come claim it, however long it takes.”
* * * * *
HE WAS HUMBLED. And officially the luckiest effing guy on the planet. Hudson had no idea what he did to deserve Lia, but he was going to thank the universe for her each and every day.
He slid both his hands into her hair and tilted her face up to his, seizing her lips in a heart-stopping kiss before explaining, “Honey, I’m not going to be deployed.”
His brave little miracle stopped breathing again for a second. And after he felt her heart begin hammering away in her chest as she ventured, breath hitched, “You’re not?”
“Nope. In fact, I’m not going to be going back to active duty either.”
“But your hands…your life—”
He grinned. “Are going to stay right here with you.”
She shook her head firmly. “I don’t want you making sacrifices this big for me. The Army is your calling, Hudson. I know it and you know it.”
“True. I think what the military does for our country is unparalleled, and while it was a hard pill to swallow, I realize now that I don’t have to be on the frontline to serve my country. In fact, where I’m concerned, being deployed is no longer where I’m needed most. Let’s just say my meetings with my CO, and a bunch of very interested government groups and medical facilities, were focused on my miraculous recoveries, yes, but only in the context of our launching the most promising new veteran rehab development in recent history.”
Her jaw dropped open in clear and utter shock.
“I still want to serve my country and answer the Army’s call. And I will. Here. There are a few training and weapons projects that I’ll be working on as a civilian contractor for the Yuma Proving Ground, but for the most part, I’ll be spending my days working on the nationwide expansion of the new ‘Spencer’s VA Weapons-Based Rehab Program.’” He smiled. “Again, thanks to you.”
Tears flooded her eyes and her hands flew up to cover her mouth. “That sounds amazing.”
“It will be. I’ll get to help injured veterans all over the nation, Lia.”
Over the last few meetings he’d had with Spencer’s and the various project backers they were able to quickly acquire, the scope of the program was expanding every day. “I will have to travel domestically of course, but I was hoping we could do some of that traveling together.”
She just nodded wordlessly, caught somewhere between laughing and crying.
“But for the most part, we’ll be in one place. Wherever you want to live, honey. Personally, I like it here in Cactus Creek, if it’s all the same to you.” He winked. “The weirdness here makes me feel incredibly normal.”
Now she was leaning more toward laughing.
“And since I have excellent VA rates, I think we should get a house here with six...maybe seven bedrooms.”
Her eyes widened, and her slow, quiet reply was filled with hope. “That’s a lot of rooms.”
He kissed her gently, and answered all those question marks in her eyes. “Not if we fill it with a lot of kids.”
She was now back over to the teary-eyed spectrum, accompanied by a smile that was making thinking difficult and holding back on kissing her, nearly impossible.
“Kids? Really?”
“Yep. A blend of biological, foster, and adopted if at all possible.”
Eyes shining with love, she added, “Don’t forget canine and aquatic.”
She remembered.
“See, I love how you just get me, honey.”
Biting her lip as she slid her fingers lovingly over her new engagement ring, her eyes danced.
He loved when she got that look in her eyes.
It usually meant they were going to spar, in one way or another.
“So,” she began, her eyes roaming all over him like invisible fingers, “what do you think we should do as our first activity as an engaged couple?”
“I have a few ideas,” he rumbled out. More than a few. Dozens. Vivid ideas that had made the ride over here damn uncomfortable.
“Does one of them include trying out your new all-feeling right hand?” she asked innocently.
He dropped his forehead down to hers and dragged her into his arms. “Babe, I love how you just get me.”
Lia was too busy starting in on ‘getting him’ a whole lot more.
EPILOGUE
LIA FELL FLAT on her back in the middle of the mat.
Shortly before Hudson rolled over her and locked up all of her limbs, pinning her shoulders down in less than three seconds.
“Dammit!” She always held her own against him when they sparred, but in grappling, the man had an uncanny mastery over her body.
And he damn well knew it, too.
His grinning lips appeared in her vision and captured hers in a searing kiss just when her cursing was starting to get good and colorful.
Okay, so there were worse ways to lose in MMA.
“Keep it PG-13, people,” called out Xoey from the corner as Lia untangled herself from Hudson’s joint locks, making sure to get in a little well-placed payback while she did.
His heated eyes promised a second round in the privacy of their newly furnished bedroom when they got home tonight.
She wasn’t worried.
Whenever they grappled on their giant king sized bed, she always managed to come out on top.
“Dani,” called out Xoey, “can I borrow your MP3 player? I forgot mine at home.”
Hudson hopped up quickly. “Dani’s busy. Here, borrow Lia’s satellite player instead. It’s built into her watch and feeds into the Bluetooth earphones. That way you don’t have to strap anything on your arm.” He grabbed it from Lia’s bag and tossed it over to Xoey before Lia could even arch a questioning eyebrow at him.
Xoey
turned Lia’s watch this way and that. “This tiny thing plays satellite radio?” She strapped it on and hooked on one of the wireless earphones. Her eyes widened with surprise a second later, presumably when the music started playing.
“Yeah, her brother Gabe is a gadget genius. It’s on an automatic shuffle.”
“Pretty cool. I’ll bring it back after my run.” Xoey waved her thanks and headed over to the treadmills.
“What was that all about?” asked Lia suspiciously. Hudson was wearing that special grin he reserved for when messed with his cousin Ben.
“What?” he returned innocently.
Lia smacked him in the gut. “You’re like a little kid sometimes, you know that?”
“Oh, c’mon. Aren’t you the least bit curious what kind of playlist Gabe’s emotion-sensing program will build for that one?”
She kind of was, yes.
“It’d be like looking into the eye of a tornado.” His grin grew wider as they looked over and saw Xoey make a face and furrow her brow down at the watch.
“What are you guys talking about?” Dani plopped down beside them with a bottle of water, immediately proceeding to spy on Xoey along with them.
“Remember Lia’s psychic satellite radio player?”
“Uh huh.” She sipped at her water.
“I gave it to Xoey to work out to.”
Dani’s hand slapped over her mouth before the water could come spraying out. When she eventually managed to gulp most of it down, she shot Hudson a look that called him a brave, brave fool. “She’s going to kill you when she finds out you’re messing with her.”
“What’s wrong with wanting to know what the woman is thinking for a change?”
“Zip it. Here she comes.”
Xoey looked more perturbed than annoyed.
Lia and Dani exchanged a look. Yeah, alright. Hudson had an excellent point. Now how to get a peek at that playlist?
“Lia, no offense but these song selections kind of suck. How do you even work out to this music?”
Hudson stretched out his hand.
But Dani was quicker.
Her jaw dropped as she saw the song title currently flashing on the screen.
Oh, it was no use. Lia was beyond curious now. She peered over just as Xoey switched it over from Bluetooth to speaker.
And like a Titanic tide, the inimitable powerhouse vocals of Celine Dion came booming out of the little watch.
Lia stifled an incredulous giggle while Hudson proceeded to do a much more terrible job keeping in his humor.
“Oh my God.” Dani’s eyes widened as she scrolled through and showed Lia all the songs that were loaded up on the playlist. When they saw the last few songs played, Dani gasped and turned her stunned gaze over to her best friend.
“Xoey, according to this, you’re in love.”
Xoey froze. And then shot her panicked eyes over to the nearest exit.
-- THE END --
Xoey & Isaac’s story is up next!
Love, Exes, and Ohs
Specially-Priced Pre-Order Available NOW
And turn the page for more upcoming book info!
UPCOMING BOOKS
Special Discounted Preorder Prices!
Love, Exes, and Ohs (Aug 2014)
Love, Sidelines, and Endzones (Oct 2014)
-- AND --
Want more of the Spencer men and their foster brother Drew?
Then stay tuned for the next Cactus Creek chapter...
The UNFINISHED LOVE Series
(Cactus Creek Reunions)
Chasing Addison (Caine)
Tempting Kennedy (Max)
Wanting Mia (Gabe)
Keeping Skylar (Drew)
And yes, that’s THE Skylar from the Nice Girl series,
all grown up and ready for her HEA.
Coming in 2015
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
http://www.violetduke.com
New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Violet Duke is a former professor of English Education who is ecstatic to now be on the other side of the page writing wickedly fun contemporary romance novels. When she’s not writing or feeding her book-a-day reading addiction, Violet enjoys tackling reno projects with her power tools, trying pretty much anything without reading the directions first, and cooking ‘special edition’ dishes that laugh in the face of recipes. She lives in Hawai’i with her two cute kids and similarly adorable husband.
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EXCERPT FROM JESSIE EVANS
LEATHER AND LACE
Lonesome Point, Texas, Book One
by National Bestselling Author
Jessie Evans
Cowboy bikers, fireworks, and romance, oh my…
Wild girl, Mia Sherman, has a secret—she isn’t as fearless as she pretends. Descended from Lonesome Point, Texas’s founding family, Mia grew up hearing tales of an old Irish curse that had followed the Shermans to America. At age twenty-four, Mia is still terrified of the stories, because they aren’t stories. They are a warning about what will happen if Mia allows love and romance into her life. The curse struck Mia’s grandmother and her great-great-whatever grandmother, and Mia knows she could be next. The first-born daughter of every generation is cursed to lose her husband on her wedding night, which is one of the many reasons Mia has sworn off relationships.
Until the fateful day Sawyer Kane rides his Harley into her life …
Rancher turned restoration expert, Sawyer Kane, can’t believe his luck when the feisty owner of the lingerie shop next to his hotel turns out to be the curator of his latest project, a ghost town he’s been sent to restore. He’s looking forward to long, hot days talking history, and hotter nights with Mia, but the redhead with the killer smile seems determined to keep him at a friendly distance. But when a dangerous man from Mia’s past arrives in town, Sawyer finds himself drawn into her inner circle, and into the legend of Lonesome Point itself.
Can true love conquer all, even a centuries-old curse? Mia and Sawyer may be the first to find out.
Excerpt “Leather and Lace”
© Jessie Evans 2014
When you live in a town as small as Lonesome Point, Texas—a bend in the road, sustained by tourism to a ghost town, barely clinging to its dusty spot on the map—you learn how to make your own fun.
Mia Sherman had lived in Lonesome Point almost her entire life, and knew how to take a sleepy Saturday night, and turn it into the stuff legends were made of. As the only twenty-something in town who could trace her lineage back to the Wild West days when Lonesome Point was settled, Mia felt practically obligated to cause trouble.
Trouble was in her blood.
She crouched lower behind the shrubs across the street from her Cousin Lula’s, tea shop, her best friends Bubba and Ugly Ross—so named because he had the misfortune to be uglier than the other Ross in town, not because he was actually ugly—squatted beside her. She hadn’t intended to panty her cousin’s front yard along with the rest of downtown, but a dare was a dare, and Mia didn’t take a dare lightly.
“Okay, I’ll do it,” she said, waving off the high five a well-lubricated Ross aimed at her shoulder. “Congratulate me after the mission is complete. Rendezvous in twenty minutes at my place for beer.”
“Good luck, solider.” Bubba chucked her on the shoulder, before grabbing one large canvas bin full of sale panties and heading north, Ross hot on his heels.
Mia snatched her bin full of underpants and the few reduced price bras she hadn’t been able to sell—sale bras always did better than panties, especially panties the color of radioactive vomit—and hustled down the street in the opposite direction.
She had purchased the hideous undies at a deep discount, thinking she could move lime green underpants as long as they were cheap enough, but wh
en the lingerie had arrived, the color was even more obnoxious than it had looked on the website. The shipment was non-returnable, so she’d done her best hard sell—advertising the underpants as Shock ’Em Dead Knickers, guaranteed to catch your man’s eye in the bedroom—but in six months she’d only sold two pairs.
It was time for the panties to go to a better place.
Mia circled the square, draping underpants from the decorative metal curlicues at the base of the antique gas lamps the Lonesome Point Betterment Society had put in a few years back, before clipping all four bras to the flagpole in the middle of the square, and running them up to the top. The rope squeaked a bit as it slid through the pulleys, but Mia’s footsteps as she hurried out of the square and down the street, were silent. When she was in prank mode, Mia moved like a ninja warrior, at one with the sidewalk, the warm summer breeze, and the parking meters she graced with extra-small neon thongs as she swept by. She pantied the barbershop pole at Justin’s Cuts, the front porch of Harmon and Harmon, Attorneys at Law, and the swinging wooden plaque advertising ghost town walking tours before reaching the delicate white picket fence surrounding Tea for Two’s front garden.
With cat like grace, Mia jumped the fence, landing with only the slightest crunch in the gravel. She tiptoed through the rose bed to the stone path winding through the impeccably maintained yard. In just a few minutes, she had blessed each of Lula’s Takes One to Gnome One Collector’s Edition garden gnomes with a bright green panty hat, before emptying the rest of her bin into the bone-dry birdbath. She took a moment to admire the way the puddle of panties glowed in the moonlight like the mucus of a diseased alien before turning back toward the fence, and running right into Lula’s gardening stool, knocking it the ground.