Savannah looked at the phone. A notification pinged that she’d received an email from her sister.
“Ella insists we watch this clip of my mom’s show.”
“Let’s do it.” Austin rubbed his hand over his face.
Savannah opened the email. It was a My Bubble clip of her mother’s show titled Clare Brewster’s Badass Mama Bear Prologue.
“What do you think she’s going to say?”
“Who knows with my mom? I just hope the move to New Zealand isn’t back on. But I hope your offer to run away with me is still on the table?”
“Absolutely.” Austin clasped her hand. “No worries. I have a feeling it’s nothing terrible.”
“You’ve met my mother and you still have optimism? I applaud you.” She laughed and clicked on the link.
The segment started with a return from a commercial break. When the audience applause died down, Clare launched into her speech.
“It has come to my attention that my daughter Savannah, a beautiful, lovely young woman who is a journalist has come under fire. She’s been accused of bias in a slice-of-life article she’s written by someone who clearly has a personal vendetta against her. During the course of her research, my daughter got involved with the subject of her story. That being said, Savannah is a true professional, and it is both laughable and sad that someone would make these wild accusations. She’s also a very private person, so much so she sometimes shuts people out.”
Savannah took a deep breath. Just when it was going well, it looked like her mom had switched gears and was going to throw her under the bus.
Clare continued. “I am happy to say that Austin is as kind, sweet, respectful, and intelligent as he is handsome and dynamic. He’s the kind of man most women read about in books, and there are definitely not enough men like him in the real world. My daughter is the epitome of integrity, and for anyone to accuse her of forsaking her journalistic code, which she takes very seriously, is insulting. I am proud of her for taking a chance and opening her heart to Austin. I have often said that she is what keeps me honest, because I know I’ll have to look into her beautiful eyes if I stray too far. So I’d like to say that the claims against my daughter are utter rubbish. I will defend her into oblivion. She’s never needed anyone’s approval, and I’ve never been prouder of her. No one messes with Clare Brewster’s kid. I wish you a good day my lovelies, and I’ll see you on Monday.” Clare blew a kiss and waved as the camera panned to the applauding audience.
“Well, that certainly was a surprise,” Savannah said.
“Your momma loves you.” Austin kissed her cheek and got out of bed.
“In her own crazy way.” It didn’t solve her many issues with her mom, but she stood up for her when it counted. It even sounded like she was beginning to respect the life she’d made for herself.
“Call her now. She needs to know you saw the show and saw her stand up for you.”
She pouted. “No sexy shower time?”
“I’d love sexy shower time with you. But there’s a theme going on. I have my family downstairs. You should reach out to yours.” He stripped off his shirt.
“I’m not expecting a miracle.”
“It’s good to be realistic.” He removed his jeans. “But her gut reaction was to put Lucinda in check. Start with that. Demand what you want from her and go from there.”
“You know you’re not making the case you think you are by taking your clothes off in front of me.”
“I’ll take a long, hot shower. When you finish your call with your mom, you can join me.”
“I’m on it.” Savannah went to scrolling through her contacts. “Anyone ever tell you that you could be a life coach?”
Austin removed his boxers and smiled.
“My. My.” Her eyes widened. “I don’t know whether to salute you or grab that thing and start singing karaoke.”
“Surprise me when you join me in the shower.” Austin winked and sauntered into the bathroom.
Savannah had to laugh at that one. She found her mom’s number and hit the telephone icon. As the phone rang, she leaned off the bed to see Austin’s perfect ass as he stepped into the stall. It was shaping up to be a fabulous beginning to the day.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Austin didn’t know why he had a bad case of the jitters. He’d been in combat zones with fewer butterflies than he had right now. But then again, this wasn’t an ordinary day. He’d picked Savannah and Blue up, and they were headed to the ranch. He had a whole day of fun planned, but there were also some serious things to discuss too. He was taking the plunge and taking the advice his father had given him to seize the moment and be happy. And that meant inviting Savannah into his life.
Life had gotten back to normal in Harper’s Grove. Angela’s event had been a wild success and by the time she opened the restaurant again she’d regained much of her the revenue she’d lost. Alex and Peyton had the perfect wedding at the ranch in the clearing that Peyton loved. He was damn proud to stand up for his friends as they made their pledges to love each other forever. He’d even had more fun than he’d thought he would taking care of Noah and Chloe for the weeks they were on their honeymoon. He’d gotten a crash course in what it meant to have a domestic life with kids, Savannah, and Blue and he liked it. It got him to thinking about when the time would come when he’d be taking the same vows to love and cherish Savannah for eternity.
He took her hand and headed for the steps as soon as Savannah walked through the front door. “Let’s go upstairs so I can give you the surprise.”
“I can’t wait.”
He opened the door to his bathroom suite. “Surprise! I hope I got everything right. I wrote down the names of the products in your bathroom.”
Savannah walked over to the dual sink vanity and dug into the bag. She pulled out a bottle and read the label. “It’s my shampoo all right. And my favorite bath scrub. How sweet, you bought one of those effervescent bath bombs. You want to take a bath together?”
“Always. But that’s not the real surprise. Keep digging.”
He watched her expression as she pulled out more practical things like deodorant, an electric toothbrush, manicure set, and her favorite scented candles.
“You are the most thoughtful man I’ve ever met.” She kissed him. “This will save me some major time when I stay over. I won’t feel like you woke up next to a monster.”
He could see she still didn’t get the point. “There’s more.” He led her into the bedroom. He opened the doors to his walk-in closet. I made some space on the rack for your clothes and I even emptied a drawer for you.”
“Oh.” She smiled, then her eyes widened. “Oh. Does this mean what I think it means?”
“Yes. I'm ready to take the next step in our relationship.” He dug into his pocket and retrieved the box. “And this.”
She took the box from him and opened it. “Keys?”
“I think it’s silly you waiting outside the house for me. Now you won’t have wait for me if you want to come by early.
“Well.” She cleared her throat. “That’s mighty considerate of you. I look forward to letting myself in at will. I mean, because what sensible woman wants to sit in a car waiting for her boyfriend to arrive?”
He nodded. “The gold one is to the house. The silver one is to my office in the stables. And there are a few random facilities keys on there too. Just in case you need something when I’m not here.”
“I love it. Everything.” She hugged him.
“So it’s not too soon? I was a little worried you’d give me the timetable speech again.”
“No, I thought about it. There are no steadfast rules to romance. I was using it as a buffer in case you changed your mind about us. I want this to be real so bad sometimes I’m scared it’s going to disappear one day out of the blue.”
“Speaking of Blue.” He grinned. “I’m having a new back door installed so he can come and go as he likes when he visits. We can go shopping for a n
ew doggie bed for him too.”
“Blue’s going to love that.”
“I have one more surprise, but it requires you putting on a blindfold.”
“Is this some kind of sexy game?” She waggled her eyebrows.
“We can play a sexy game later. Right now I need to take you to another part of the ranch.”
“OK.”
“I’ll just give Blue a treat to feast on while we’re gone. I’m afraid he can’t take the trip.”
“You don’t say?” She tapped her chin with her finger, like she was trying to deduce the surprise he had in store.
Austin gave Blue a huge bone then blindfolded her then carefully led her outside and into the truck. It was just a short ride to their destination. He could see the anticipation building in her as she spouted off clues about where he was taking her. A few minutes later they’d arrived. He cut the engine and helped her out of the truck.
“Are you ready for your surprise?”
“Yes.”
He removed the blindfold. There was a beautiful, multi-colored hot air balloon waiting for them.
“It’s wonderful.” She clapped. “I’ve always wanted to take a ride in one of these.”
“You mean you’ve never done this with anyone else?”
“No. I’m a virgin.” She grinned.
“Me too. This sounds like a milestone for our relationship.”
“Well, I’ve never loved anyone like I love you.”
“You took the words right out of my mouth.” He kissed her hard. “Will you fly away with me? We have fancy cheese, fruit and champagne. We can stay up there as long as you like.”
“I may never want to come down.” She caressed his cheek. “Except to feed Blue of course.”
He helped her into the basket and within minutes the operator was ready for takeoff. It was surreal to see the ranch and the town from up there. He handed her a flute of champagne, and they toasted.
“To true love.”
“To true love.” She sipped her champagne.
“I have another surprise for you.”
“I don’t think there’s anything else for you to do.”
He pulled a long velvet box out of the food basket. “This is for you.”
It was a platinum, heart-shaped pendant with amethyst stones encrusted around it.
“It’s beautiful.” She kissed him. “I love it.”
“No, you are.” Austin put his arms around her. She felt so good against him. It was a feeling like nothing he’d ever truly felt before. It was comfort, passion, and an uplifting of his soul.
“I love you, Savannah, with all my heart. I promise I will spend the rest of my life making sure you know that I love and cherish you. I’ve been waiting for you my whole my life. You have brought serenity to my restless heart.”
“I love you too. Forever and always.”
As they hovered over the town they loved, Austin felt like he could float up in the sky with Savannah forever. She was the remedy he needed to help let go of past pains and worries that a relationship wouldn’t work. It was worth taking that chance for Savannah. She was all he’d ever need.
~ About the Author ~
Rhonda Laurel is a contemporary interracial/multicultural romance writer whose two great loves are writing and landscape photography. She uses both as a vehicle to convey the complexity of the human spirit and the beauty of the world around her. The multi-published author has written many works since her debut in 2012, most notably The Blake Boys series. The extensive series chronicles the Blake family as they live and find love on the Twelve Horseshoes Ranch.
Other works include: Ebb Tide, Shutter, California Bored and Tourism and Memories of You. She also writes the Hollywood themed series: Hollywood Heat, which features Star Crossed, Hollywood Rush, Double Exposure and the upcoming Vendetta Inc. And the All or Nothing Series (A Blake Boys world companion series): Hard Target, Second Chance at Love, Family Matters, Love at Last, and Covert Affairs.
The author is happily building her backlist.
Discover more about Rhonda Laurel here
http://www.rhondalaurel.com
https://www.facebook.com/authorrhondalaurel
https://www.twitter.com/rhondalaurel
~ Also by Rhonda Laurel ~
Try more of the All or Nothing series!
Covert Affairs
All or Nothing Book Five
Rhonda Laurel
His toughest mission will be opening his heart to love.
When covert agent Trevor Reed gets a distress call about a missing girl while he's in deep cover, he's forced to make a hard choice. Does he save the hostage or stick to his mission of infiltrating the dangerous weapon smugglers. When Trevor makes a play to save the girl, he ends up wounded. Headed home to recover, he ends up back in Philadelphia, face-to-face with Theresa, his high school sweetheart. He's watched her over the years, remaining at arm's length because of the dangerous nature of his job, but he can no longer continue to love her from afar. Trevor's next assignment may be his toughest yet: admitting he never should've left her all those years ago.
Theresa Rodriguez can't believe her eyes when Trevor Reed reappears in her life, wounded and as mysterious as ever. For years, her high school sweetheart has been very secretive about the work that takes him all over the globe. No matter how he makes her feel when she's with him, she's reluctant to risk getting close to him again. Not after the last time he disappeared from her life. But she notices something different about him now, and the desire between them is flaring hotter than ever. Is she willing to risk being hurt again by the only man she's ever loved?
Buy Covert Affairs here
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rhonda_Laurel_Covert_Affairs?id=y8I9DwAAQBAJ
Love at Last
All or Nothing Book Four
Rhonda Laurel
Can two restless hearts make beautiful music together?
Leigh McGill knows her chance to make it big in Nashville is built on a lie. Recently arrived in the city with her some-time boyfriend and manager, she's been dropping the name of country star Tate McGill to get gigs. That isn't so bad, is it? Until her boyfriend convinces her to break into Tate McGill's Nashville estate while he's away on tour, live in his mansion, charge up his credit cards, and borrow his priceless classic car. After all, Tate will forgive her—once he learns she's the half sister he never knew he had.
Rafe Kendrick, part of the security team for the billionaire Blake family, has been trying to find out who's been squatting in Tate McGill's house and making fraudulent charges on his credit cards. Tate might not be a Blake by name, but he's a member of the family in every way that matters. And if there's one thing the Blakes do, it's take care of their own. So when Rafe corners the pretty country singer onstage at a Nashville club, he thinks his work here is done. But when Tate orders him to bring the woman to the Blakes's Texas ranch, Rafe finds his problems are only beginning. The sexy, spunky singer is a real spitfire, and she has no desire to spend days on the road handcuffed to Rafe, or nights in cramped hotel rooms, where the energy they generate becomes a firestorm they can't deny. But Rafe knows a thing or two about the McGills. And he isn't sure he'll be able to protect her when family secrets come a'callin'.
Buy Love at Last here
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rhonda_Laurel_Love_at_Last?id=Cro1DwAAQBAJ
Family Matters
All or Nothing Book Three
Rhonda Laurel
Can a hot fling turn into the romance of a lifetime?
Logan Holbrook, the rich and handsome co-owner of the Texas Tomcats, has learned from experience that long-term relationships are not for him. He loves to spend time with beautiful women, but one night is usually enough before he moves to the next conquest. When he meets the enchanting Megan Shaw during the grand opening of the Blake Hotel, he's immediately captivated by the strong-willed and sexy woman. Their chemistry is explosive, and it's no surprise they soon end up in bed.
The next morning, he wakes to find her gone. But unlike his usual dalliances, he can't get her off his mind. For the first time in his life, he's thinking about breaking his own rules…
When Megan goes to Texas to visit her little sister Cassidy and her family, she attends the grand opening of the Blake family's latest venture, the Blake Hotel. Things heat up quickly when she meets hunky, sexy Logan Holbrook. He's just what she needs to get her mind off her troubles, and he has the same no-strings policy. She doesn't need messy in her life. She wants to have some simple fun without it leading to something serious. But even as she works to deepen her relationship with Cassidy, things are getting dangerously close to complicated with her edgy corporate cowboy…
Buy Family Matters here
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rhonda_Laurel_Family_Matters?id=8EIrDwAAQBAJ
Hard Target
All of Nothing Book One
Rhonda Laurel
Winning can be dangerous when the stakes are high.
When star quarterback Riley Sloane begins receiving anonymous threats, it couldn't have happened at a worse time. His team has their sights set on the Super Bowl. He doesn't have time for a stalker, besides it's probably a prank. But when team owner Seth Blake gets wind of the situation, Riley ends up with a security detail for protection. Too bad Parker Carson is part of the plan. Since the day they first met, there's been nothing but trouble between him and the beautiful PI. She's bossy, as maddening as she is sexy, and she seems to hate his guts. But the more time they spend together, the more he wants to keep her safe. Too bad it's her job to protect him and doesn't appreciate anyone getting in her way. As Riley tries to keep his head in the game, he finds himself distracted by the beautiful Parker…and that could be hazardous for both of them.
Restless Heart Page 20