by Molly McLain
“For the record, I’m not giving up anything. I’m gaining everything. And the Corps? Well, I have nine months to figure that out. If I’m honest, I’m not ready to quit.”
Thank God for that. Not that she wanted to think about him deploying again, but she understood one hundred percent why he might want to. “I’ll support whatever decision you make.”
He smiled and squeezed her tight. “I know you will, Jenn. That’s what I love so much about you. You’ve got my back, no matter what I get myself into.”
She sighed against his lips. “How about you get yourself into me? I’m all for supporting that cause.”
He growled as he stood and swept her up into his arms. “Every day. We get to do this every damn day.”
“Is that a promise?” she laughed.
“That’s a promise, sugar.”
Epilogue
One month later...
“You got this, Superman.”
Brody flicked a glance at Jenny sitting in the passenger seat, looking sexy as fuck with her long hair pulled through the back of his Royals cap. “Is our bet still on?”
“Of course. You didn’t think I’d forget, did you?” She licked her lips. Just to taunt him, he was sure of it. As if the hat wasn’t enough.
“Got your Chapstick?”
“Uh huh. Mints, too.” She waggled her eyebrows and nodded toward the door. “You can’t put this off forever, handsome. Shall we?”
He pulled in a deep breath and surveyed the crowded parking lot before them. In the distance, his hometown baseball field sat littered with a mess of players in different colored t-shirts. His was blue. Ernie’s favorite.
“As ready as I’m ever gonna be,” he said, then he hopped out and grabbed his bat and glove from the backseat. Jenny met him at the front of the truck with a devious smile.
“You look really hot in cleats. The pants aren’t bad either.”
Such a damn tease. “If you’re trying to distract me, you’re doing a fine job.”
“That’s what I’m here for, babe.” She looped her arm through his and they made their way to the main field. There had to be a couple hundred people in the stands already and, between the half dozen teams ready to square off against each other, half that many on the fields, warming up. “Impressive turn-out.”
With any luck, there’d be more. Lots more.
“Oh, I see your mom. She’s waving us over. Oh, God, she has one of those foam fingers.”
Uh, yeah... “She get’s a little excited about baseball.”
“So do I. I’m a screamer.”
He flashed a grin. “You’re telling me?”
“Oh!” She gave him a lighthearted shove as Sam jogged over, decked out in the same blue t-shirt and gear.
“Hey, mama. Looking good.” He wrapped Jenny up in a hug, then shook Brody’s hand. “Glad to see you here, man. Thought maybe you’d wuss out.”
Fucker. “Why the hell would I do that?”
Sam rolled his eyes. “Have you checked in with the Martins yet?”
“Nah, we just got here.”
“Might as well get it over with. The missus is a ball of emotions today, so be warned.”
Great. Like he needed more emotions. He’d been a nervous wreck since Ernie Sr. had called to invite him. Longest three weeks of his life. “Yeah, I’ll do that. Babe?”
Jenny tangled her fingers with his and gave a gentle tug. They’d talked about this part and though there was probably something to be said about manning up and doing it on his own, she’d graciously reminded him that he didn’t need to. That was the beauty of being in a relationship. Of having a partner.
Funny how simply knowing she’d be there waiting for him at the end of the day made even the most nerve-grating tasks—like listening to Tony’s incessant chatter and Josh’s micromanaging—all the more easy to bear. Better yet was rolling over in the middle of the night and her naturally snuggling her cute little ass into his lap.
They just...fit. Two imperfect people who were absolutely perfect for each other.
“Love you,” she told him as they approached the registration table and the mass of Martin family members, who’d gathered to greet and express gratitude to all the players and teams.
“Love you, too. Thanks again for doing this with me.”
“Psshh. You think I’d miss seeing you in action? I told you baseball turns me on.”
He snorted. “Babe, everything turns you on.”
Making a goofy duck-face, she nodded. “True story.”
To that he laughed, because somehow he got to be the lucky guy on the receiving end of that never-ending sexual energy. Nothing to complain about there.
“Brody!” Mrs. Martin spotted him first and, when his footsteps faltered, Jenny kept him moving forward. “Oh, honey, look who’s here.” The round, middle-aged woman jumped up from her seat, jostling her husband’s shoulder.
Ernie Sr. pushed to his feet, grinning from ear to ear. “You made it, son.”
Son. Goddamn. Brody offered his hand, swallowing hard. “Sir.”
The older man chuckled and came around the table. Instead of shaking hands, he slung his arm around Brody’s shoulders and turned him toward the swarm of multi-colored t-shirts standing in line. “You see this guy here?”
Oh, shit.
“Could’ve been in the big leagues and today...” The man’s voice boomed proud and Brody grinned to himself. “Today he’s on Ernie’s team.”
Mrs. Martin swiped at her tears, Jenny blew him a kiss, and all Brody could do was friggin’ smile.
“Damn proud to be a part of this, sir.” He clapped the older man on the back and, for the first time in too damn long, looked him in the eye. “But you know Ernie would be pissed, right?”
The older Martin chuckled. “Yeah, I know. But it’s his tournament in name alone. The rest of it belongs to the vets who were lucky enough to come home at all. Broken, but alive.”
Brody bowed his head. “Thank you, sir.”
“No, Corporal, thank you.”
***
“Seven home runs. I can’t believe you pulled that off.” Jenny dropped down onto the bench in the dugout, shaking her head. After eight hours of baseball and two hours of cleanup, she still looked as gorgeous as ever, skin glowing under the field lights.
“Told you I was good.” He slid into the seat beside her with a huff. Muscles all over his body ached, but in way that made him feel more alive than ever.
“Always so cocky.” She prodded him in the side, then leaned in for a kiss. “Though I was pretty damn proud to call you mine today.”
He lifted the bill of her hat and let his lips linger soft against hers. “I’m glad, babe, and if I’m not mistaken, you now owe me seven blowjobs.”
“Oh, like that’ll be a chore.”
Laughing, he snagged her hand. “Take a walk with me?”
“I’m not doing you on the pitcher’s mound, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“What happened to my dirty girl?”
“I’m dirty for you only—not for anyone who might wander back in, looking for their lost bat or something.”
He grinned. “I love it when you talk about belonging to me.”
She rolled her eyes and pulled him back to his feet. “Let’s walk before I change my mind.”
He let her lead him onto the field, but when she headed toward the middle, he slid his arms around her waist and redirected her. “Home plate, babe.”
“Yeah? What’s so special about home plate?”
“Uh, hello, it’s where I score.” With that, he threw her over his shoulder and took off toward the base.
“Brody James!” Her little fists hit his back as he sprinted, and by the time he put her down, they were both laughing so hard, they couldn’t breathe. He yanked his hat off her head and she collapsed against his chest, shaking with her face buried in his shirt. He pressed a kiss into her hair and rocked them from side to side.
Nothing in the world felt better
than being close to Jenny. Nothing.
“Thank you again for coming today,” he murmured. “And for always sticking by my side.”
She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling beneath the lights. “You’re easy to stick with.”
“That so?”
“Yep. We’ve been though hard times, but loving you has always been easy.”
“I think I fell in love with you in Vegas.”
Tears sprang up in those twinkling eyes and she nodded. “I’ll never forget the way you held me that night. Or every night we’ve been together since.”
“You don’t have to forget. We’ve got something that’s gonna last.”
Her face crumpled as she began to cry sweet tears and he lifted his hands to her face, swiping them away.
“This is a happy day. Why are you crying?”
“I just...I love you more than I can ever tell you. I wish I had the right words...”
He smiled, took her hands in his, and lowered to one knee. “I only need one, sugar.”
Her wet eyes went wide and when he pulled the small box from his pocket, she started crying all over again.
“I told you a while ago that I wasn’t the man you thought I was. Hell, I’m not sure I am now either, but I do know that I get a little better every day I wake up with you in my arms. Every day you believe in me is like a victory all its own and I will gladly fight for your faith and your heart for the rest of my life. I love you, Jenn, and I don’t want to ever know life without you again. Tell me I don’t have to.”
“Ahhhh!” She threw her arms around his neck, then dropped to her knees in front of him, kissing all over his face. “I love you, I love you, I love you...”
“You’ll marry me?” he laughed, popping the ring from the box.
“Are you kidding me? Of course, I will!” She held out her trembling hand and he slipped the antique ring onto her finger. The moment she realized what he’d given her was something he’d never forget. “Oh, my God, Brody.”
“It was my Great-Grandma Brekowski’s. My grandpa gave it to my grandma and when I told her I was going to ask you, she insisted I take it. Both sets of grandparents were married for over fifty years. I guess you could say it’s good luck.”
She met his gaze with the prettiest smile he’d ever seen. “Ah, but we don’t need luck—we’ve got each other.”
THE END
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If you enjoyed Brody and Jenny’s story, check out the other River Bend books:
Can’t Shake You (River Bend, #1) – Josh and Carissa
Can’t Hold Back (River Bend, #1.5) – Dan and Maddie
Can’t Get Enough (River Bend, #2) – Tony and Nicole
Can’t Walk Away (River Bend, #3) - Mark and Ally
*~*~*
If chatting about books and sexy heroes if your thing, join Molly’s reader group, Molly’s Misfits! There’s always eye candy and wine, so pull up a seat and enjoy!
Note from the Author
Thank you so much for reading Can’t Resist Him! I hope you enjoyed it and are eager for more River Bend romance! I’m absolutely in love with this little town, and how could I not be when so many awesome, book-worthy characters wrote themselves right into it?
Keep an eye out for books for Reed, Luke, and of course hot firefighter Nick. Release dates haven’t been carved in stone, but rest assured—the women these guys fall for are going to put each of them to the test and then some!
If you’d like to stay connected to the goings on in River Bend, including the books I just mentioned, check out my website (www.mollymclain.com) and sign up for my newsletter! You can also find me on my Facebook author page, where I’m usually messing around and posting “inspirational” pics of my heroes.
Lastly, reviews help other readers pick up new books, so if you enjoyed Can’t Resist Him, please share your thoughts on Goodreads and/or your favorite retail book site. Thank you so much for your support!
Best...
~Molly
Acknowledgments
I always have so much support with each new book I write, but I have to give the biggest props this time around to my reader group/street team, the Misfits. Over 200 strong, these girls sure know how to show their love for everything River Bend. Their excitement is absolutely contagious and it makes digging into each new book all the more enjoyable for me. Thank you, girls. I really couldn’t—and wouldn’t want to—do any of this without you.
Jessica and Dana for always reading whatever I throw at you. Jess, you keep me on my toes and Dana, you’re the best at saving my butt at the last minute. Love you both to pieces!
Chrissy and her husband Dennis... Thank you for your insight into the military aspects of this book. It’s important to me that I get things right and I know it’s equally important to you. Dennis, I can’t thank you enough for your service. You are a the true hero here.
Dana W. for her super fast, super reliable editing. I love your enthusiasm for my books and I hope we can continue to work together for a very long time!
Christine, Kelley, and the other Hype PR girls... Y’all are a crazy good time and I appreciate all you’ve done, helping me spread the word about this book and the series as a whole. Can’t wait to see where we go from here!
Sara Eirew... You know I’m laughing right now, right? I’m sure you are, too. Let’s keep the reason between us (and my bank account) and I’ll just thank you for the gorgeous cover and tattoos.
Sommer Stein, you are a design genius! Thank you for all you’ve done for the River Bend series. I love your attention to detail and your ability to figure out exactly what I want from my incessant rambling.
Lastly, my family. This is a given and always will be. Thanks for being so patient with me and for always supporting whatever I’m working on. I love you all big as the world.
About the Author
Molly McLain has lived in Northern Wisconsin all of her life. She’s a proud fan of the Green Bay Packers, fountain soda, angsty rock ballads, and jellybeans. She also loves camping and binging on reality TV, but her favorite vice of all is road tripping with the radio cranked. Someday, she hopes to travel the country with her husband and her laptop, because nothing gets the plot bunnies hopping like the wind blowing through her hair.