Her mother places an arm around her daughter’s shoulder. “Oh those windows have been bolted shut,” she says with a laugh. “It’s nice to see you, Austin. Candace talked about you for weeks after the accident.”
“I’m glad she's better now,” he tells her.
“Have a good night,” the mother says.
Once they’re out of hearing range, Austin smiles. “That’s why I love what I do.”
“That’s why I love you,” I tell him. “You’re amazing.”
“I know, I know. It’s hard to compete with me,” he laments.
I roll my eyes and spot a booth with chocolate and strawberry puree. “I think I’ll try that one,” I tell Austin.
Just as I make it up to the booth, all the lights in the square go dark. Uhh. “Austin?”
“I’m here.”
“Is there a power outage?” I ask him.
“It must be. That’s odd. It’s not raining or anything.”
There’s a lot of commotion, but I’m not moving because I literally can’t see a foot in front of me. I reach into my back pocket for my cell phone so I can turn the flashlight on. It takes me a second, but I find it and flip the light on, holding it out in front of me and looking around. “Austin?”
By the time I spot him, my heart is in my throat and I’m not sure I could breathe if I tried. “Scarlett,” he says.
“What are you doing?” I don’t know why I just asked that, but it’s a natural reaction, for me, anyway.
“Scarlett,” he says again. I’m holding the flashlight on him, shaking. “Will you marry me tonight?”
I nod, feeling my throat tighten a little more. Tears fill my eyes, knowing I’ve found someone who understands me and respects my crazy wants and needs. “I will marry you,” I tell him. “For whatever forever means, I will be that with you, and I will walk next to you so you don’t have to ever look back or even look ahead.”
He places a beautiful ring on my finger and leans forward, placing his lips against my ear. “The courthouse over the border in Georgia is waiting for us. There is no waiting period for a marriage license there.”
“You love me this much?” I ask him.
“I love you more than that,” he says.
Running past the applauding people and shouts of congratulations, I have tunnel vision for a future that will start today. Today is the best time to start everything and anything.
It only takes us a half hour to cross the state border and arrive at the courthouse. We walk in, and to my utter shock, the place is decked out with flowers, tea lights, and rows of seats filled with everyone we love. Daisy pops out of one of the rows as I’m trying to take in what’s happening. “Come with me,” she says.
I’m still spinning in a haze as she tears my clothes off and drapes me in a beautiful white dress. “You’re easy to turn into a bride.” She whips out a tube of lipstick and curling iron. “I just need five minutes, and you’ll be ready to go.”
“Is this crazy?” I ask her.
“Yeah, that’s putting it mildly, but you know what? I like the way you think. You know how to live. More people could learn from that mentality. You’ll never have to wonder if you’re going to miss out on something.”
I’ve always thought I was nuts with the way I think, but thinking about the future stresses me out. I know I’m happy today, and I don’t want to tarnish that with the thought of possibly not being happy tomorrow. I don’t know if I was bred to think that way because of the way Mom and Dad were or if it’s just something that’s part of my brain, but it works for me, and it hasn’t failed me.
“Austin is lucky,” Clara says as she walks into the bathroom. “I couldn’t be happier for you two. He needed you. He’s always needed you.”
“That means a lot to me,” I tell her.
“You look beautiful.” I turn to look in the mirror, still unable to wrap my head around this, but it’s how I always dreamed my wedding day would be. Unplanned, but perfect.
“Let’s go,” Daisy says.
She pulls me out of the bathroom and before I know it, I’m standing at the bottom of the aisle, staring at Austin, who managed to get into a tux faster than I was able to slip into a dress.
Brendan steps out from the last row of people and he hands me a large bouquet of roses. “I couldn’t miss walking my best girl down the aisle, he says, placing a kiss on my cheek.”
“I can’t believe you’re here,” I whisper, trying not to choke up.
“I can’t believe you’d think I wouldn’t be here for this. I couldn’t be happier for your, Scarlett. Without a doubt, he’s your one.”
I swallow the lump in my throat as Brendan slips his arm through mine, walking me slowly—the way Austin likes, the way I’m not used to—down the aisle. I pace myself with deep breaths, having no doubts in my mind. Mom stands up in front of Austin with tears in her eyes and reaches for my hands. “I could learn a thing or two from you,” she says. “You are going to have a perfect life, Scarlett. I’m proud of you.” She kisses me on the cheek and passes my hand over to Austin’s.
I’m lost in his eyes, wanting to pinch myself to make sure I’m not asleep, but the words floating around us are real. The promises he’s making are clear, and the promises floating freely from my mouth are purely instinctual.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride,” the judge says.
Austin’s hands cup my cheeks and just before he touches his lips to mine, he says, “Could you have walked any slower down that aisle?”
“No,” I tell him before leaning in to kiss him.
“I love you,” he whispers to me. “I needed a strong woman to handle me, and I’m grateful I found you.”
“Some men just need to find the perfect man handler, and I’m happy to be that person in your life, Austin Trace.”
“We’ll discuss that title of yours a little later, okay?”
“You won’t complain when the conversation … comes … back up,” I whisper.
Epilogue
Austin
TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER
The sun is peeking through the blinds and I’m still in bed. Something must be up. I open one eye and look around, finding Scarlett asleep beside me. “What time is it?” I ask.
Scarlett’s eyes pop open. “Shit!”
“Why didn’t the alarms go off?”
“I don’t know,” she says, jumping out of bed. She shrieks the second her feet hit the ground and she falls over. “Luke!”
I roll out of bed and walk around to Scarlett’s side, finding Luke reprogramming both of our phones. “Phone,” he says, laughing.
“Buddy, how did you get out of your crib?” I ask him.
“Climbed,” he says, matter-of-factly.
“I told you he needed to be put in a big-boy bed,” Scarlett says, lifting him up.
“Yeah, I didn’t think giving our son the run of the house was the best idea in the world,” I say, imagining the worst.
“We’ll figure it out later. We’re late.”
I’m already half dressed as Scarlett’s still talking about being late. “I’ll go make sure the chef is here. Breakfast is in twenty minutes. My God, he better be here.” I grab Luke, trying to figure out where he’s going to go since he’s supposed to be with his grandmother right now, but here he is, looking at me like he’s not letting go anytime soon.
“Luke, where is Grammy?” Scarlett is looking at Luke as if he’s supposed to give her an explanation of where his grandmother is, but he looks at her like she’s crazy. He gets that look from me. At two, he speaks better than I ever thought a two-year-old was capable of, but he can turn it on and off like a light switch. “Luke Trace, tell Mommy where Grammy is.”
“Grampy,” he says.
“Oh God,” I say and run down the hall, knocking on the door at the end of the hall “Jack?”
No answer. Seriously? Come on. This is not part of the deal. I open the door and God dammit, I wish I
hadn’t. “Guys, come on.” I close my eyes and cover Luke’s.
“Hey,” Jack yells. “Get out.”
“No, Grammy is supposed to be watching Luke. I have to get downstairs.”
“Lukey, come to Grampy,” Jack coos.
“Um no. Put clothes on.”
“Fine. I’ll come down and get him in a few minutes.”
I insisted on turning my house into a bed and breakfast because of all the extra unused space. Plus, when I mentioned the idea to Scarlett, I swear I saw stars in her eyes. She said it had always been her dream to run her own business. That’s all I needed to hear, and I immediately set about making it happen. It took a good year to get the place up and running, as well as transformed into a B&B, but now it runs like a tight ship and it’s perfect, except for the whole childcare issue. We had to hire a nanny when we first opened because we needed help with Luke while I’m working my shifts at the hospital. Scarlett’s mom made it clear that there was no way someone else was going to be taking care of her grandchild while she lived so close by. We had no choice but to agree. However, while I’m sure Scarlett had her years of annoying behavior and irresponsibility, her mama is busy living out her twenties while in her fifties, and that sometimes makes things a bit challenging for us. Thankfully, the staff and guests all love Luke, his white-blond curls, and big blue eyes. Not to mention, he’s got Scarlett’s mouth, so he’s just extra cute because of it.
I head downstairs, confirming the chef is already at work in the kitchen, then I set everything out at the computer to handle today’s records for Scarlett so she can just get moving when she comes downstairs. The number of times we are late to our own lives has increased twofold since we became parents. I was never late before I met Scarlett, but now it’s like my way of life. “Mr. Luke,” I address my son, tossing him into the air, “You are a little troublemaker like your mama.”
A fit of giggles erupts from Luke just as Scarlett jogs down the stairs. “I’m here. I’m here.”
“I’ll take Luke and Waldo outside until your mom is dressed and ready to take over.”
“You’re going to be late, though,” Scarlett says.
I walk over to her and kiss her softly. “Give Mama a kiss,” I tell Luke. “She thinks being late is something new for us. She’s a silly girl.”
“Silly Mama,” Luke babbles.
I take Luke outside, letting Waldo follow at my heels. There’s a warm breeze, and I take a seat on the front steps, staring up into the clouds. I can only hope Pop would want me to have what he wanted for his life. He’d love Scarlett and Luke, but making this house into a bed and breakfast full of happy people coming and going would also make him happy. I know that.
It’s the perfect endeavor for Scarlett, and kind of a memorial to remember Pop’s pride and daily happiness. I hope I’m half the man he was as I raise Luke with Scarlett.
“Do you’all want breakfast?” Scarlett asks, poking her head out the door.
I turn around and laugh. “No.”
“What?”
“It’s y’all.”
“That’s what I said,” she argues.
“Not it’s not,” I respond.
“I reckon you’re being a big a—pie-hole, Mr. Austin.”
“Heavens to Betsy, Scarlett. Watch your big ole’ mouth.”
“Austin Trace, I will manhandle you if you keep talking back to me like that. Get your behind inside and eat something before you go to work.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The door closes behind her, and I chuckle. She’s still trying to get the accent and local dialect down after three years, and it’s not working for her.
“Luke, let me tell you something son. If your mama wants to think she can manhandle us, we’ll let her think she can, but just remember … we know the truth, son.”
THANK YOU!
To authors, reviews are like our fuel, so if you wouldn’t mind leaving a few quick lines for me (even just a few words <3 ), I would greatly appreciate it.
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I’m so grateful you took the time to read Man Handler. I hope you enjoyed it! If you need more comic relief in your life, make sure you continue reading to see what else The Man Cave has in store for you.
Man Flu and Manservant!
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MANSERVANT
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I just wanted an easy summer job…
That didn’t happen. Now, I’m in a living nightmare as I work alongside this monster of a man with mesmerizing emerald eyes that look at me inappropriately every time I see him. To add insult to injury, he has a tan I just want to lick, and a butt worth drooling over every time he purposefully walks by me. But, he's an asshat, and looks are everything. I mean, aren't. LOOKS. ARE. NOT. EVERYTHING. Why do I have to keep reminding myself of this?
His job is to clean, cook, and tend to the house we work in. That's why I call him the manservant. Oh, and because it drives him nuts. That's what he gets for torturing me.
This is a story of little restraint, too much desire, questionable actions, no strength whatsoever, and the best sex I've ever had.
The question is: Do I fall for this crude manservant whose idea of a fun time is to tie people up and do obscene things, or do I give him a taste of his own medicine?
All I'm going to say is . . . Things get weird, twisted, then hot, then weird again, and—you get my drift.
Go ahead and laugh. It might not be so funny if it happened to you.
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PROLOGUE - ONE YEAR EARLIER
One final exam left to go. Thank God. Then, I can forget about everything and spend the summer with my Andy. Our schedules haven’t allowed us to be together nearly enough this year, and I hope to make up for that over the break by spending most of our time in bed.
Since I’m two years behind Andy, it's been hard watching him get scooped up into the real world while I'm still living on campus, but he's here every weekend, and we talk a lot. Just one year to go, and then we can get an apartment together and finally be on the same life page.
“How did you do, girly?” Jade pops up behind me and wraps her arm around my neck as we make our way down the dorm hallway.
“Not too bad, but I felt like Professor Adams was staring at me the whole time I was taking my mass comm final. It was very distracting,” I tell her.
She shrugs her shoulders. “He totally wants to get in your pants. It could boost your final grade.” She squeezes me and shrieks, “One more day in this hell hole, and it’s summer vacation."
“That’s gross. He’s like sixty or seventy. Plus, that mole on his cheek has two hairs growing out of it, and the dried boogers he always has in his nose . . . how does he not know they’re there?”
“Yeah, good point. Don’t let him near your pants. A better grade isn’t worth it for that,” Jade says. “Oh crap, before I forget, do you have that dress I lent you last week? Chip is taking me out for our sexiversary tonight.”
I laugh at the way she accentuates the sex part of their anniversary. Jade and Chip celebrate every milestone, no matter how small, or how large it is. “Oooh la-la! Where are you going?” I ask, reaching into my back pocket for my room key.
“Probably a burger joint, but I still like to look nice. Plus, I don’t care if we just sit outside, and do nothing. It’s Chip," she says breathlessly. "I have no problem gazing into his eyes all night. That’s normal, right?”
“You have it so bad for him, Jade. Please shoot me if I ever end up like you,” I jest.
“Oh pa-lease, you and Andy are totally heading down the same path. He like totally worships the ground you walk on, and the air you breathe—all that crapola.”
“You think so?” I ask with a small smile, wondering whether I truly am following in Jade's footsteps. It's never been my thing to fall head over heels for someone the way Jade has, but Andy does have a particular charm to him. Plus, it's been a year, and we're in love, talking about future
plans. So, maybe she is right. “He’s good to me. I think I lucked out there.”
“See, you thought all hotties were assholes. I told you that wasn’t the case,” she reminds me.
“I was wrong," I lament. "Feel better?”
Jade pats herself on the back. “I do feel better, as a matter of fact. Thanks.”
“Andy’s here packing up my stuff so we can take off right after my final tomorrow. He’ll be happy to see you,” I tell her.
“Oh, I didn’t know he was here,” Jade chirps. “Let me at the tough guy. He needs a Jade hug.”
“Maybe I should warn him first.” I laugh with a raised brow because it takes a certain type of person to handle Jade's eccentricity. “Take a deep breath first and calm down, so you don't startle him.” Andy calls her Crazy Jade, but I've kept that to myself.
I unlock my dorm room door and push it open. “Andy, look who’s here to see you,” I announce while pulling my key out of the lock.
As I turn toward my side of the room, my heart does that thing where it beats twice at one time instead of beating at its normal rhythm, right before it sinks to the bottom of my stomach, and suddenly, I want to vomit.
Andy is here, but he’s definitely not helping me pack. He’s in the middle of my three-hundred-dollar Pottery Barn comforter, butt naked, in the company of not one, but two naked girls. He has his face buried in one girl’s crotch, and his cock in the other. As I focus on the horrifying scene, I know it will be burned in my mind forever. It’s Lara and Kari from next door—with Andy—on my bed, on my comforter that cost me a whole month’s salary. There’s a naked ass on my pillow, and two sets of breasts furiously bouncing in the air. I feel totally disgusted and violated.
Not one of them heard the door open, or my voice as I announced my entrance. They must be be having a really good time.
The Man Cave Collection: Manservant, Man Flu, Man Handler, and Man Buns Page 84