Delia
“He’s outside in the RV?” Stella asks with a laugh.
I peek out the blinds. “Yup. Still there.”
“Good for you for not just taking his word for it. Did he connect to the house?”
“I don’t know what that means, but most likely not.”
“Even better. It means he has no water and is running the generator for power. Want to know how to sever that?”
His sister is diabolical, but I like it.
“For now, he can keep his generator.”
“How long are you going to make him suffer?” she asks with a lilt to her voice. I really worry about Stella’s enjoyment of her brother’s penance.
“I don’t know. Honestly, I can’t believe I didn’t have a Jerry Maguire moment where I was all . . . you had me at the doorbell.”
She laughs. “I’m glad you didn’t. We make it far too easy on these guys.” Jack mutters something in the background. “Whatever, Jack, it wasn’t like you had to really work for me. I was a sure thing.”
I cut in. “Ummm, that’s not really true.”
She ignores me and continues talking to Jack. “I’m saying that, if you had come to my house with an RV, I would’ve dropped my pants. At least Delia has some self-respect.”
“Do I?” I ask with a bit of confusion. “I mean, I slept with him—a lot—knowing he didn’t care about me.”
She scoffs. “I love you, but you’re insane. Josh has always cared for you. He just was too stupid to recognize it.”
I look back out at Josh, who is sitting outside his RV and looking at the house. I jump back, hating that he may have caught me peeking. And then I wonder what the hell I’m doing. He came back to me, and I’m in here pretending as if I didn’t miss him every bit as much as he misses me. It’s not rational.
We’ve both been grieving and struggling to be strong. Yes, he cracked and broke down, but I would be lying if I said I blamed him or really held it against him. The emotions are impossible to navigate.
“I have to go,” I say to Stella.
“I thought you might.”
I hang up, grab the blanket off the couch, and rush out the door. Josh is on his feet before I get down the steps.
“What’s wrong?”
I don’t reply as I crash against him. In an instant, he has me in his arms, holding me back. “You were out here.”
“I was.”
“And I was in there,” I say, pulling back to look at him.
“I will stay out here if that’s what you need,” Josh says with all the honesty in the world.
“And if I need you with me?”
“There’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be.”
I lift up on my toes and kiss him. “Let’s go home.”
He rests his forehead to mine. “Always with you.”
Josh and I sit hand-in-hand in Dr. Warvel’s office. The doctor helped Jessica after the plane crash, and we are hoping she can help us too.
We’ve gone through Josh’s past, and he’s been quiet since.
“What are you feeling?” she asks him.
“I don’t know.”
“That’s okay, take your time and try to piece them out. Then I want you to name them aloud so we can work on each separately.”
Josh looks to me, then to her. “Shame. Fear. Anger. Regret.”
Dr. Warvel nods. “Those are feelings I would expect someone to feel after what you’ve endured. Is there anything else?”
He squeezes my hand. “Karma?”
“Tell me more about that.”
The feeling in the room shifts. I can sense his discomfort, which seems worse now than it was when he was telling us about Morgan.
“It’s hard to explain, but it always felt like this was what I was owed. All the bad things were because I failed the people I loved most.”
Dr. Warvel writes something down. “Who did you fail before the drowning?”
“Everyone.”
At that, I tense because it doesn’t make sense. Josh has never failed the people he loves. He is there for them, always making sure they are okay.
“Specifically, who?”
“When I was little, it was always Grayson I failed. My parents were so hard on him, and I tried to make them focus on me. Then it was whatever girl I liked. I wasn’t funny enough or have whatever it was they needed. Forget my parents because there wasn’t a chance in hell I would ever be good enough in their eyes. When Morgan died, it felt like I was paying for whatever I had done.”
“Josh, that’s not true,” I say quickly.
Dr. Warvel lifts her hand. “It may not be true to you, Delia, but what Josh is describing is very real to him. Emotions aren’t rational, right? Sometimes we feel things that we might say to ourselves aren’t rational, but they’re still there. While the logical side of us knows it’s crazy, the emotions don’t care. That’s part of what we have to work on together. It’s getting you to feel what you feel, dealing with it, and then healing from it. That’s the work. That’s what I want to help you with.”
Josh’s thumb rubs the top of my hand. “I want that. I finally have this chance with her and our baby. I want to be a good dad and a good partner.”
My heart clenches, and I kiss his cheek. “The fact that you’re here shows that you are already.”
“I agree with Delia. It’s not easy to take the steps needed to overcome trauma. It’s a very intense and sometimes long process, but I’ll be here to guide you through it.”
Josh’s eyes meet mine. “For her, I’ll do anything.”
“I love you.”
His lids lower as though he’s absorbing the words, and then his blue eyes find mine. “I love you so much, and I’ll fight every demon I have if it means a life with you.”
“And all I want is your demons to go away so you can be happy and free of the past.”
I lean into his touch, and we take a moment to just be before he turns to Dr. Warvel. “I’m ready.”
She smiles. “I think you’re going to be just fine.”
Epilogue
Joshua
~ Fourteen Months Later ~
“I swear you’re always late. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing.” I pick up Everett, who’s gumming one of his toys. “Your mommy is going to be late to her own wedding.”
Delia peeks her head out of the bathroom. “Good thing this isn’t my wedding then.”
“No, it’s worse. It’s acceptable for the bride to be late but not guests. And keep saying that, you’re going to marry me someday soon.”
“Keep asking, and maybe I’ll eventually say yes.” She goes back into the bathroom, and I groan.
I ask her a lot. I ask her in different ways. And each time I ask her, she kisses me and tells me to try her again later.
It’s become somewhat of a game between us. We live together, are raising Everett, and are ridiculously happy. I don’t need her to be my wife for her to be my everything, she already is that. One day, she’ll say yes, and then I’ll whisk her away before she can change her mind.
After a few more minutes, Delia exits the bathroom with a huff as she fixes her earring. It amazes me that, no matter how much time we spend together, she never fails to take my breath away. Delia is the best thing that ever happened to me, and she gave me the greatest gift—Everett.
“Fine, I’m as good as I’m going to be.”
“You’re perfect.”
She smiles even though I can see she doesn’t want to. “Don’t be sweet when you’re a pain in the ass.”
“Don’t be beautiful when you’re a pain in the ass.”
“I’m not sure how to respond to that.” She turns to Everett, who is now clapping his spit all over me. “Learn now, my sweet boy, that the woman you love is allowed to be late if that’s her prerogative.” Delia tickles his belly, and he smiles.
“We have to go, like, ten minutes ago.”
“I did my best, but with him teething . . .”
I give her a look that says she’s full of shit. “It wasn’t him.”
“It could’ve been.”
I roll my eyes. “It wasn’t. I took care of him while you soaked in the tub to prepare for the events of today.”
“It’s going to be a very long day. I needed to be relaxed so I don’t ruin this wedding, if we can even call it that.”
I laugh. “I still can’t believe this is happening.”
“I can’t believe he asked you to be his best man.”
“I am the best man,” I say with pride.
“Yes, you are—in theory. At least to the groom.” Delia pats my chest and takes Everett. “Let’s go, slow poke, we have a wedding to get to.”
We head out the door without further delay, which is a miracle in and of itself, and drive out to Melia Lake. Today is our soft opening for the resort. Somehow, Odette pulled it off and was able to have crews working nonstop to be ready for this event. Thanks to Oliver, we really had no choice since our soft opening is a freaking wedding.
When we get there, it’s chaos. My sister has some weird headset on, and she’s barking orders all over the place. “You!” She spots me. “You were supposed to be here an hour ago to help set up!”
I point to Delia. “Her fault.”
Stella’s eyes narrow. “I needed him.”
Delia shrugs, clearly not worried about the strange twitch happening in Stella’s eye. “I can’t rush perfection. Besides, everything looks great.”
Stella shakes her head. “No thanks to either of you. Whatever. Since you’re here, you can do some damn work. We have a disaster in the kitchen, and the guest in 218 says there’s an odor in her room. The only thing I can smell is the insane amount of perfume she wears. Oh, and the groom is flipping the fuck out.”
Delia grabs Everett, her voice calm as Stella teeters on the brink of losing it. “I’ll head to the kitchen, you handle the room issue, and Josh can take care of the groom since he’s the best man.”
“Shouldn’t you be the best woman?” I ask Stella.
Again, she has that eye twitch. “God help me for having brothers.”
“Where’s Grayson?” I ask.
“He and Jessica are catering to the bride’s family. They are very demanding since their beloved only daughter is getting married.”
I grin. “But is she?”
“Not today, Joshua. Not today. I will kill you and won’t feel bad about the jail time.”
Kinsley comes running up. “You have to see this, Stella!”
“What?”
“Oliver is having a major meltdown. I tried to calm him down, I even brought in Amelia to do her magic, but nothing is helping.”
Stella groans. “Must I do everything?”
“Yes,” I reply and then a hand hits my chest.
My phone rings, and it’s a video call from Alex. “Hey, brother. How’s Egypt?”
“Hot as freaking hell, but the project is awesome.”
Delia starts to bounce up and down. “Oh, oh, let me tell him!”
I shake my head and take a few steps back. Not a chance in hell. This is going to be my fun, not hers.
“Tell me what?”
“Nothing. Ignore her.”
She fuses her lips together when I give her a stare.
“Something is going on there,” Alex notes.
“Nope. Just our first big event here.”
“I know, I’m calling to check on my investment.”
I roll my eyes. “Right. It’s all good. Stella has outdone herself with the preparations. I think this will be a great opening and test. We’ve already found some things to improve before we officially open the doors next month.”
Alex grins. “That’s awesome.”
I turn then, Delia’s eyes bulge and she’s shifting her weight back and forth. She’s going to blow.
“And how’s working with Bryce?” I ask. His mentor and longtime friend, Bryce Peyton, is who got him the gig.
“It’s great, but tell me more about today. How are Grayson and Oliver handling the stress?”
I smirk. “Gray is great.”
“Ollie is losing it?”
“You could say that.” I hold in the laugh.
“I feel like I’m missing something.”
Oh, he is. He so is.
Delia grabs my phone, and before I can take it back, she’s blurts it out. “Oliver is the groom, and that’s why he’s freaking out!”
She hands it back and walks away, blowing me a kiss as she goes.
“Yeah, so . . . I have quite the story for you . . .”
* * *
Thank you for reading Josh and Delia’s story. Stay tuned for the final Willow Creek Valley book which will feature Oliver and Maren in A Chance for Us coming in 2022! I know that as writers or parents we aren’t supposed to have a favorite child/character.
But . . .
Oliver is totally my favorite. (Don’t tell the others)
* * *
Preorder A Chance for Us
Books by Corinne Michaels
The Salvation Series
Beloved
Beholden
Consolation
Conviction
Defenseless
Evermore: A 1001 Dark Night Novella
Indefinite
Infinite
* * *
The Hennington Brothers
Say You’ll Stay
Say You Want Me
Say I’m Yours
Say You Won’t Let Go: A Return to Me/Masters and Mercenaries Novella
* * *
Second Time Around Series
We Own Tonight
One Last Time
Not Until You
If I Only Knew
* * *
The Arrowood Brothers
Come Back for Me
Fight for Me
The One for Me
Stay for Me
* * *
Willow Creek Valley Series
Return to Us
Could Have Been Us
A Moment for Us
A Chance for Us (Coming Early 2022)
* * *
Co-Write with Melanie Harlow
Hold You Close
Imperfect Match
* * *
Standalone Novels
All I Ask
You Loved Me Once
Acknowledgments
To my husband and children. You sacrifice so much for me to continue to live out my dream. Days and nights of me being absent even when I’m here. I’m working on it. I promise. I love you more than my own life.
My readers. There’s no way I can thank you enough. It still blows me away that you read my words. You guys have become a part of my heart and soul.
Bloggers: I don’t think you guys understand what you do for the book world. It’s not a job you get paid for. It’s something you love and you do because of that. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
My beta reader Melissa Saneholtz: Dear God, I don’t know how you still talk to me after all the hell I put you through. Your input and ability to understand my mind when even I don’t blows me away. If it weren’t for our phone calls, I can’t imagine where this book would’ve been. Thank you for helping me untangle the web of my brain.
My assistant, Christy Peckham: How many times can one person be fired and keep coming back? I think we’re running out of times. No, but for real, I couldn’t imagine my life without you. You’re a pain in my ass but it’s because of you that I haven’t fallen apart.
Sommer Stein for once again making these covers perfect and still loving me after we fight because I change my mind a bajillion times.
Michele Ficht and Julia Griffis for always finding all the typos and crazy mistakes.
Nina and everyone at Valentine PR, thank you for always having my back and going above and beyond. I love you all so much.
Melanie Harlow, thank you for being the Glinda to my Elphaba or Ethel to my Lucy. Your friend
ship means the world to me and I love writing with you. I feel so blessed to have you in my life.
Bait, Crew, and Corinne Michaels Books—I love you more than you’ll ever know.
My agent, Kimberly Brower, I am so happy to have you on my team. Thank you for your guidance and support.
Melissa Erickson, you’re amazing. I love your face. Thank you for always talking me off the ledge that is mighty high.
To my narrators, Andi Arndt and Connor Crais, I am so honored to work with you. You bring my story to life and always manage to make the most magical audiobooks.
Vi, Claire, Chelle, Mandi, Amy, Kristy, Penelope, Kyla, Rachel, Tijan, Alessandra, Laurelin, Devney, Jessica, Carrie Ann, Kennedy, Lauren, Susan, Sarina, Beth, Julia, and Natasha—Thank you for keeping me striving to be better and loving me unconditionally. There are no better sister authors than you all.
About the Author
Corinne Michaels is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of romance novels. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love, and she enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak before finding a way to heal them through their struggles.
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Corinne is a former Navy wife and happily married to the man of her dreams. She began her writing career after spending months away from her husband while he was deployed—reading and writing were her escape from the loneliness. Corinne now lives in Virginia with her husband and is the emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children.
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