A Steel Town (A Gateway to Love #3)

by Chloe Barlow

  “I would be happy to, of course,” Claudia intoned, giving him a light peck on the cheek. “I hope she likes me.”

  “Of course she will. Abigail loves pretty things, and they don’t get more beautiful than you,” he teased, though she could tell he was visibly relieved by her willingness to meet his mother. He paused for a moment, lost in his thoughts apparently, “After we see her,” he finally continued, “I promise to let you relax. I can’t wait to have champagne with you on our terrace, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Then I’ll walk you through the Cours Saleya market to buy you flowers and cheese.”

  “It sounds perfect.”

  “And if that’s not enough for you, we can take the train to Cannes and get you some lingerie.”

  “I already have lingerie.”

  “One piece — that’s not enough. And wearing a tank top with my boxers doesn’t count either. Though, you do look pretty hot in those, too.” Trey eased her sideways, before he continued, “Be sure to look out the window. I don’t want you to miss the view as we approach.”

  She peered outside, and gasped. “It’s so completely blue,” she murmured, awestruck by the mountains giving way to brightly colored buildings and the crystal waters.

  “That’s why they call it the Côte d’Azur,” Trey explained. “It’s the perfect place to escape…with you.”

  “And I intend to make the most of it,” Claudia assured him. “I don’t know how much free time I’m going to have after we get back. On top of all this work we have, Jenna and Wyatt are in full wedding-planning craziness. Mama is already naming their unborn children. I don’t know how much Jenna will conscript me to do. Tea is helping a lot, but Aubrey has been acting really weird. Tea says she’s been basically MIA for two months.”

  “I’m not really the right person to give you advice on how to be a good bridesmaid, Claudia, but I know you’ll do great, and will look very nice in whatever sensible dress Jenna chooses for you.”

  “Thank you,” she chuckled. “Jenna made sure to tell me it’s a perfect color and length for wearing at multiple future events. It was like having an actuary discuss a wedding with you.”

  “It’s all show. She’s a huge softy.”

  “I know! Did she tell you Wy's going to sing and play guitar for a song at their reception?”

  “She mentioned it. Apparently he’s pretty good?” Trey inquired.

  “He’s wonderful. Though as arrogant as he is already, I try not to say it to his face much.”

  “Arrogant and stubborn…” Trey mused quietly.

  “I know,” Claudia growled. “I love him, but, dammit, I wish he'd come around about us being together.”

  “Well, regardless of how much he and I fought before…I get how he still blames me for the way A.J. hurt you. I can't fault him for feeling that way.”

  “Well, I can. He's wrong and he needs to accept it, because as far as I'm concerned, you're not going anywhere.”

  “I hope he gets over it. I won't give up, don't worry. I mean, how else will I convince him to sing at our wedding, too, one day.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “Buckle your seat belt. You know the rules,” he answered calmly, turning his face forward toward the seat in front of him, a smug grin threatening to crack his perfect poker face.

  “You can’t say something like that and then just change the subject, you jerk.”

  “Oh, come on, you can’t be surprised I feel this way.”

  “That you do? Hell yeah, I’m surprised.”

  “All right, now that the shock is gone…”

  “What if I don’t want to get married?” she teased, not even bothering to hide her gleeful amusement.

  “I didn’t ask how you generally feel about getting married to some random person.”

  “You haven’t asked me anything.”

  “Technicality… Fine.” He turned back to her, as the plane descended rapidly. Her ears were popping, but all she could hear was the whirring in her brain as she waited for him to continue. “Right now, I don’t want to know if you’ve ever cared about getting married — in the abstract. I’m not asking if you put a pillowcase on your head and held a bunch of plastic flowers in your bedroom when you were eight. When I met you, I sure as hell never thought I’d want a freaking wedding and to build my life around one person. But you’ve changed all that.”

  “I am a real pain in the ass, aren’t I?”

  “You sure are. So, what I want to know is… Do you want to marry me?”

  “Trey…” she whispered, but by now Claudia could tell when Trey was on a roll, so she bit her tongue.

  “I know you’d rather be writing code than spending hours shopping, so I went ahead and did it for us.” He pulled a light blue box out of the side pocket of his cargo pants, and all words left Claudia’s brain.

  Apparently, her slack jaw made it clear he now also had to do the talking for both of them. Trey untied the white ribbon adorning the box and lifted the lid slowly, revealing a velvet container.

  Every one of his movements was slow and deliberate. Over a hundred people were waiting for the flight to land, but as far as Claudia was concerned, they didn’t exist.

  The world could’ve stopped right then and she wouldn’t have cared — all that mattered was Trey was hers and he was proposing they belong to each other forever.

  Claudia reached forward, embarrassed to find her fingers were shaking, she fumbled to lift the lid. Even after taking a deep breath and blinking several times, she had trouble focusing on the shiny ring resting inside, through the tears in her eyes.

  “Claudia McCoy, you and I both know I’m never going to be stupid enough to let you out of my sight ever again, so we might as well make sure the rest of the world knows it, too, right? What I mean is…you’re my home, and I want you to be my home forever. So, what do you say? Will you marry me?”

  “Hell yes!” she answered, loudly enough that the rest of the first class cabin turned to stare, and then smile, at them.

  Neither of them cared what any of those other people thought. Trey took her face in both his hands and kissed her so deeply, she thought her toes would curl and burst right out of her flats.

  When he let her up for air, she gasped out, “I love you, Trey.”

  “That’s good, because I fucking love the hell out of you, and it would suck to feel this way by myself,” he declared, before sliding the ring on her finger. The band was covered in little diamonds, with two rows of small diamonds surrounding one large yellow one.

  “A yellow diamond?” she asked.

  “For my little abeja,” he responded with a smile.

  A tear slid down Claudia’s cheek as she rested her left hand over Trey’s heart, where his tribal bee tattoo rested.

  “I can’t believe you did all this. You may be a little crazy, you know that, tattoo boy?”

  He leaned away from her a fraction and whispered against her lips, “That’s a confession for another day. I mean it, though — it’s time to buckle your seat belt.”

  “You’re such a nag.”

  “I need you to be safe. You’re my everything, remember?”

  “Well, in that case…” Claudia slid the metal buckle in place and decided keeping herself in one piece for this guy was probably a just fine way to live.

  THE END

  Keep Reading for a Sneak Peek of

  Book Four in the Gateway to Love Series

  CITY OF BRIDGES

  (Anticipated Release: Fall 2016)

  It feels like life keeps passing Aubrey Vasil by more and more each day. Left devastated, emotionally and physically, by a horrible relationship years ago, Aubrey decided to start anew and recreate her life and identity in Pittsburgh with her best friends — and a promise to herself never to let her heart lead her astray again. Yet now, everyone is pairing off, and the perfect little world she built is suddenly crumbling before her eyes.

  Bax Taylor is angry — at Griffen Tate for having a relationship wit
h Bax’s dead brother’s widow, at his mother for thwarting his plans to bring the family restaurant into the twenty-first century, and most of all, at himself for not doing more for his beloved older brother Jack when he was still alive. Each day that Bax is back in his hometown of Pittsburgh it seems that his volatile emotions are more likely to overtake him and derail any hopes or dreams he may have for the future.

  In a moment of weakness, the two find drunken solace in each other when Aubrey opens her heart — and her bed — to Bax the night of Althea and Griffen’s engagement party. Their connection is powerful, but they both get a lot more than the just one night of escape they anticipated.

  Aubrey is intent on continuing to go it alone, and is terrified of a future with someone as heartbroken as Bax — but neither can deny the connections between them.

  Will they have the courage to let themselves love each other, and hopefully heal their damaged souls — together?

  DEDICATION

  To my wonderful husband,

  for giving me the courage to try to fly, while never failing to catch me every time I fall. I love you more with each minute of every day.

  To my dear friend Micaiah,

  and others living with diabetes, as well as those who love them, for the quiet strength and fortitude, which you bring to all you do.

  And to my mother,

  for constantly inspiring me, and for always being eager to help light my way on the many paths I have taken in life.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  It’s impossible to thank every individual who has helped me in this crazy journey since I released Three Rivers in March 2013. Each time I think of a new person beginning to read the Gateway to Love series, it fills me with indescribable joy and gratitude. So, to all the readers, bloggers, and reviewers who have taken a chance on these characters who mean so much to me, I say: thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  I would also like to send my love to some specific folks, without whom I could never have accomplished bringing these stories to you all.

  To my dear husband: It has been so much fun to go on this crazy ride with you. Seeing all the time and hard work you take to support me during this process is just one more reminder of how very lucky I am to have you in my life. I love you.

  My Agent: Michelle Grajkowski of Three Seas Literary Agency is not only a fabulous advocate for me and my books, but she is also a remarkable person and dear friend. I am thrilled to have met her and can’t wait to share more stories with her.

  My Team: Eisley Jacobs of Complete Pixels truly is a magician. She somehow manages to turn all my crazy ideas into a beautiful visual reality.

  Marilyn Medina of Eagle Eye Reads Editing, thank you for being such an incredible editor, full of tough love and a remarkable eye for story and detail. Working with you is a pleasure I look forward to with bated breath every time.

  Kara Hildebrand for being that last set of sharp eyes and warm hand of support that makes the last month before publishing so much less stressful.

  Between the Sheets Promotions gets a big round of applause from me for their unending skills and tireless professionalism. They are also incredibly kind and supportive friends that make this journey ever more special.

  Kristina Ohrberg, and Ashley Lake for helping me so regularly with all the craziness being an author entails. You two are such a blast to work with, and I can’t wait to get started on my next book with you both.

  Linda Eng Reed, what would I do without your support, and delicious treats to keep me going? You are a culinary artist, and a delightfully kind person, whom I am honored to know.

  Katie Kurtzman, the greatest literary publicist on earth, I am so grateful for all of your help and guidance.

  Consultants: Thank you to Micaiah Kuchinick for your open honesty about living with type 1 diabetes. You are a beauty, and an inspiration. Ryan Firkel for being my tattoo consultant, and for generally helping me to complete my vision of Trey. You are a Pittsburgh treasure.

  My Beta Readers, Blogger Buddies, and Author Mentors: Thank you so much to Kristina Ohrberg, Ashley Lake, Jennifer Stewart, Nicole Beckett, Katie Bloch Pettigrew of Southern Belle Book Blog, Marissa Vann of Smut Book Club, Patricia Booth, Karrie Mellott Puskas of Panty Dropping Book Blog, and authors Helena Newbury, and Julia Kent. Your help through early reading, wonderful input, and general good old pep talks has meant the world to me.

  Chloe’s Crew: I can’t fathom how much my street team has grown since Three Rivers released, but what I can believe is the depth of love I have for each of you great Crewbies. Thank you for all you do every day. I am honored you would take time out of your busy lives to be a part of this experience with me.

  The City of Pittsburgh: The inspiration I receive from this beautiful city is very special to me. I am also thankful to all the Pittsburghers who have been so supportive of this series. I especially want to thank Lorinda Hayes for granting my long-held dream of being featured in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette newspaper. I am also very grateful to Rege Behe and the thoughtful, interesting pieces in which he has featured me.

  Thank you, as well, to the remarkable group, Littsburgh, for organizing the literary community of my beloved city into the juggernaut it is today.

  And to Susan, of The Penguin Bookshop, for being so supportive of me and other authors. You and your store are something so very special.

  My Readers: Finally, it is with great pleasure that I again thank each of my readers for enjoying the world of Claudia, Althea, Jenna, Aubrey, and the whole gang with me. You are the reason I do this.

  CONNECTING WITH CHLOE

  Hopefully you enjoyed A Steel Town. If you did, please consider leaving a review so that other readers can find it.

  Also, be sure to sign up for the Chloe T. Barlow newsletter. It is the best way to catch any deals, giveaways, new releases, or other exciting news about Chloe’s creations. You are also welcome to join Chloe’s street team, Chloe’s Crew, on Facebook.

  Newsletter and Blog:

  http://chloetbarlow.com/newsletter/

  Chloe enjoys nothing more than interacting with her readers, so please keep in touch!

  Facebook:

  https://www.facebook.com/ChloeTBarlow

  Twitter:

  https://twitter.com/chloetbarlow

  Goodreads:

  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7376511.Chloe_T_Barlow

  Email:

  chloe@chloetbarlow.com

  Google+:

  https://plus.google.com/u/0/116405903319564147007/posts

  Chloe’s Crew (Chloe Barlow Street Team)

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/chloebarlowcrew/

  Pinterest:

  http://www.pinterest.com/chloetbarlow/

  Amazon Author Page:

  http://www.amazon.com/Chloe-T.-Barlow/e/B00IXAHC64/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

  Learn more about Chloe, A Steel Town, and the continuation of the Gateway to Love Series at:

  Chloe’s Website:

  http://chloetbarlow.com

  A STEEL TOWN SOUNDTRACK

  Everlong – Foo Fighters

  Hurt – Nine Inch Nails

  Just One Of The Guys – Jenny Lewis

  All The Pretty Girls – Kaleo

  Protection – Massive Attack

  Riverside – Agnes Obel

  Concrete Sky – Beth Orton

  I Will Possess Your Heart – Death Cab for Cutie

  Snake Eyes – Mumford & Sons

  Things Happen – Dawes

  Blood Bank – Bon Iver

  Blue Beard – Band of Horses

  Cover Me Up – Jason Isbell

  You Belong to Me – Jo Stafford

  Slow Show – The National

  A Comet Appears – The Shins

  Mess Is Mine – Vance Joy

  Dearly Departed – Shakey Graves

  The World Ender – Lord Huron

  Ship To Wreck – Florence + The Machine

  Keep the Car Running – Arcade Fire

&n
bsp; It Makes No Difference – My Morning Jacket

  Perfect Day – The Constellations

  Let It Go – James Bay

  Coming Home – Leon Bridges

  Airplanes – Local Natives

  Ice Cream – Sarah McLachlan

  Follow Chloe on Spotify to hear this and other soundtracks from future novels:

  http://open.spotify.com/user/chloetbarlow

  ABOUT CHLOE T. BARLOW

  Chloe is a contemporary romance novelist living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband and their sweet dog. She is a native Washingtonian who graduated Duke University with a degree in English and Chinese language. She met her husband at Duke and he brought her to Pittsburgh over a decade ago, which she has loved ever since and made her adopted hometown. She also attended the University of Pittsburgh Law School where she continued to be a book-loving nerd.

  Chloe has always loved writing and cherishes the opportunity to craft her fictional novels and share them with the world. When Chloe isn’t writing, she spends her time exploring Pittsburgh with her husband and friends. She enjoys yoga, jogging, and all Pittsburgh sports, as well as her Duke Blue Devils.

  Since the release of her debut novel, Three Rivers, Chloe has been featured in Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Pittsburgh Tribune Review, RT Book Reviews Magazine, Heroes and Heartbreakers blog and the Lupus Now newsletter. Chloe thoroughly enjoys every opportunity to communicate with her readers. She has also appreciated the honor of meeting and talking with numerous fans, and looks forward to getting to know many more.

  A STEEL TOWN - A GATEWAY TO LOVE NOVEL

  http://chloetbarlow.com/

  All Rights Reserved

  Original Copyright © 2016 by Chloe T. Barlow

  ISBN-13: 978-1518808463 (Traditional Paperback)