The nights were the hardest to bear, but after tonight, he hoped they could consolidate. He didn't care if they moved to her house or she moved to his. All he wanted was to get his family in one place.
Her crazy Volkswagen bug pulled into the driveway.
"She's here, Mads. Get the flowers."
He'd been as calm as a tranquil sea until a minute ago. What was about to go down would either be the biggest accomplishment of his life or the greatest disappointment. He checked his pocket and waited for her to walk inside.
The door swung open, and Mercy entered.
"Hey, guys." It took her a second to realize that Maddie was in a dress, and he was in a suit. "Is there something I should know about?"
Maddie ran to her and handed her the flowers. "Yes, Daddy wants to know if you'll marry us."
He couldn't hold the laugh back. "Honey, that was my part." He studied Mercy to see what she might be thinking, and all he saw was love in her eyes.
"Is this—"
"Come here, beautiful." He held out his hand and walked her to the couch, where he helped her take a seat. On one knee in front of her, he said, "Mercy Meyer, nothing in my life has been the same since I met you. The thing is, up until then, I thought my life had everything. But you taught me that it was nothing without love, and it is nothing, without you."
He pulled the box from his pocket; it wasn't a huge diamond, but it was a perfect diamond to reflect how perfect she was to him. "Will you marry me?"
"And me," Maddie said.
"Isn't this too soon?"
That was an argument he expected. "You're right, it is soon, but that doesn't mean it's wrong. What do you say, take a chance on me?"
She lifted her chin. "Will you write me more love songs?"
"Absolutely."
"What about the fence outside? I never once dreamed of a house with a chain-link fence."
"I'll get Wes on the pickets tomorrow."
"I want to plant things."
He bit his lip and quirked a brow. "Me too, Maddy wants a brother."
"Can we name him Strawberry Sam?" Maddie asked.
"Not if you want him safe at school," Mercy said. She turned to face Alex. "You want to marry me, have more children, and put up a white picket fence?"
He opened the box and removed the diamond. "I want to love you, and the rest we'll figure out along the way." He grinned. "However, I'm totally up for the planting as soon as you are."
A tear slipped down her cheek. "Yes. I'll marry you both."
He slipped the ring on her finger, and for the first time in his life, he felt whole.
He didn't need fame. He still liked having his fortune, but if it all went away, as long as he had Mercy and Maddie, he'd be happy.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Mercy rushed out of Doc's office with a smile on her face. She had to give it to Alex. When he put his mind to something, he was all in. A week after he put that ring on her finger, he asked Doc to marry them. They stood at the end of Katie and Bowie's dock and said their vows.
The picket fence was up, and the backyard was tilled for next year's garden. She said goodbye to her little place on Daisy Lane and moved in with her family.
She glanced down at the test results in her hand. Pregnant.
Months ago, her life was hard, but hard didn't turn out to be hollow or hellish or any other negative H in the alphabet; it turned out to be heavenly, happy, and hopeful.
She loved her new life, but Alex didn't have a clue just how much was about to change, but she entered the corner store hoping to find a way to drop the hint. Maybe a package of diapers or a baby bottle on the table would be perfect.
Instead, she found Deanna and Red in an argument, and the new owner, Jewel, sitting behind the counter, taking it all in.
Jewel nodded. "What you're looking for is in aisle three."
Mercy cocked her head to the side. "What?"
"Just trust me."
Mercy moved down to the third aisle and turned the corner, running straight into Alex.
"What are you doing here?"
He smiled. "Taking care of my family. Are you ready to tell me?"
The heat of a blush rushed to her cheeks. "How did you know?"
He held up a box of saltines and a bottle of Sprite. "Did you think I didn’t notice these laying around the house?”
Toward the front of the store next to a Hostess display, Deanna yelled, "I wouldn't sleep with you again even if you were the last man on earth."
Red snapped back. "This is Aspen Cove, baby, and I am the last man unless you're into Peter Larkin."
Mercy and Alex peeked around the corner to watch the drama unfold.
Jewel laughed. "Almost better than TV."
Deputy Sheriff Merrick walked through the door and caught Red and Deanna arguing.
"Everything okay here?"
Deanna walked up to Merrick and pulled him down for a kiss.
"What the hell are you doing?" Red yelled.
Deanna stepped back and looked at Merrick. "Everything you won't, as long as he's willing." She patted his chest. "Hey, Merrick, I've got a pizza and a six-pack of beer if you're game."
Merrick looked between the two. "I like pizza."
"Great, six o'clock at my house. I live on Daisy Lane." She looked at Mercy and Alex. "Be careful, though, it's a lucky for love street."
"I like love," Merrick answered.
Red crossed his arms. "What are you doing, Deanna?"
"I'm moving on, Red. I want someone to love me."
Mercy looked at Deanna, and her heart ached. It wasn't that long ago she had felt the same way, but she wasn't sure if it would happen. Then she met Alex, who taught her to open up, trust, and so many other lessons on love. As she gazed into her husband's eyes and recited the first line of the love song he wrote her, "There is no love without you," she realized no truer words were ever spoken.
Thank you for reading.
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Need More Small Town Romance?
An Aspen Cove Romance Series
One Hundred Reasons
One Hundred Heartbeats
One Hundred Wishes
One Hundred Promises
One Hundred Excuses
One Hundred Christmas Kisses
One Hundred Lifetimes
One Hundred Ways
One Hundred Goodbyes
One Hundred Secrets
One Hundred Regrets
One Hundred Choices
One Hundred Decisions
One Hundred Glances
One Hundred Lessons
One Hundred Mistakes
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International bestselling author of more than thirty novels, Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping the love alive. Always a romantic, she blends real-life events with her vivid imagination to create characters and stories that lovers of contemporary romance, new adult, and romantic suspense will return to again and again.
Kelly lives in Colorado at the base of the Rocky Mountains with her husband of twenty-seven years, their two dogs, and a bird that hates her. She has three amazing children, whom she loves to pieces.
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lly Collins, One Hundred Lessons (An Aspen Cove Small Town Romance Book 15)
One Hundred Lessons (An Aspen Cove Small Town Romance Book 15) Page 16