by Piper Reagan
His dark eyes meet mine, and even though he towers over me and his presence alone is intimidating, he looks at me with compassion. He nods, and we take a few steps away from where Asher and Beck are manning the grills.
“I just wanted to say thank you. For saving my life.”
“No need to thank me. I’m just sorry you were hurt at all. I should have been there sooner.”
“Well… I probably shouldn’t have been there at all. But if you hadn’t taken those bullets out…” I can’t even think about what would have happened. Which reminds me… “When did you even take those out? How did you know she had a gun?”
A rare smile crosses his face. “After I went in and put up all the cameras, I was in and out of that salon multiple times a day.”
That this man, especially at his size, could sneak in and out while we were there without so much as a hint freaks me out a little. “You went through everyone’s things? Is that even legal?”
His cocky grin grows wider, which humanizes him a little more. “My daughter works in that salon. Axel’s daughter, Sway’s daughter, Greg’s daughter. You. That business holds precious cargo that I will do anything necessary to protect. Legal or not.”
My heart bursts with the love and support this group of people show to one another. Their dedication and loyalty comes not from blood ties, but family ties.
Epilogue
Three years later
Jarrett
“Juice! You son of a bitch!”
Despite the intensity of this moment, I can’t help but laugh at the memories my wife stirs when she screams at me like that. The day, all those years ago, when we went sledding. Or when we finally reconnected and I got her on the back of my Harley for the first time. That bellow of my name is always tied to an adventure, and this has to be the greatest one of all.
“That’s it, baby, we’re almost there.”
She rips her hand from mine and locks her tiny fists on the short beard she refuses to let me cut, yanking me down to her face. It makes my cock jump, which is absofuckinglutely not the time for shit like that.
“You say one more fucking word and I will divorce you! It has been twelve hours, and we are not almost fucking there!” She squeezes her fists tighter.
That hurts like a motherfucker, but that thankfully makes my ill-timed erection settle back down. I will never tell my wife that I had a boner while she was in labor. That would only lead to a life of celibacy and living in the pool house. “Sorry, baby.”
The guys all warned me about this shit. Told me to keep my mouth shut when I’m supposed to and only speak when spoken to. I’m failing miserably, as everything I do seems to piss her off.
“One more push, Gineva,” the doctor says.
“Juice!” She grips my hand so tightly, I worry about the blood supply, but everything in the world fades away when I see a full head of black hair, followed by seriously blue skin.
Is that shit normal?
“It’s a girl!”
Those words are followed by the loudest scream I’ve ever heard, and it is fucking music to my ears. The idea that I could have not just one but two ladies in my life who can test the sound barrier on any given day has me counting every fucking blessing that has fallen at my feet.
“It’s a girl?” Gin’s exhausted smile is huge, and tears are rolling down her gorgeous face.
“I love you, Gineva.”
They place our screaming daughter right on her mother’s chest.
As she continues to cry, Gin finally pulls her eyes from our baby and gives me a serious look. “She will never drive a dragster. Of any kind.”
I’m shocked she has any fire left after twelve hours of hard labor, and I kiss her forehead. “We don’t need to discuss this now, babe.”
“Swear to God, Juice, I will castrate you if you so much as let her drive over the speed limit.”
The doctor and nurses laugh, all knowing what I do for a living. I can’t help but smile at my wife, which increases her agitation, so I decide to deflect this shit for now. Because let’s face it… with dad and me on her team, this little lady could be the most successful female to ever hit the track. So there will be no promises made to my hot-tempered wife.
“I’m going to go make the announcement that she’s here.” I kiss my beautiful daughter and thank God again for my second chance with her mother. “Be right back.”
When I hit the waiting room, it’s full to the brim with what we refer to as our Hope Town family. After we finally came back together, and with everything this place and these people mean to us, we couldn’t imagine raising our family anywhere else. Racing season is always tough and the travel can be exhausting, but Gin runs her business from here and only travels for a few seminars a year. With all the modern technologies, she’s able to do everything she needs to, and still travel with me. It’s pretty fucking perfect. But now that our little miss has arrived, life as we know it is about to slow down dramatically.
And I couldn’t be happier about driving in the slow lane.
I walk into the waiting room and lose my breath momentarily at the sight in front of me. Gineva’s water broke three weeks early, so our families are still en route from all over the country. But the family sitting right here in the waiting room has to be close to twenty-five people, all here to support us. The only true blood tie I have here is Caleb, but clearly that means nothing once you cross the Hope Town border. Because everyone who jumps to their feet in anticipation of my announcement is the closest family one will find. And it just received a new member.
“It’s a girl!”
The End
Acknowledgments
I want to first and foremost thank YOU! The reader. For taking the time out of your busy life to give Fast Forward a try. Without you, this wouldn’t be possible, and I’m grateful for each and every one of you. That not only includes the time you spend reading, but reviewing as well. It’s all a gift, and it’s so appreciated.
Thank you to Harper Sloan for creating one of my favorite towns to escape to. I’ve been a fan of the Corps Security books since chapter one of Axel, and my love continued through the Hope Town series. It was truly an honor to get to write in your world and spend time with the amazing characters you’ve created.
To the amazing author JB Salsbury. Fighting for Honor, your Kindle Worlds addition to the Corps Security in Hope Town absolutely blew me away. Having the opportunity to bring Caleb and Honor into Fast Forward was like a double Christmas for me. My first fanfiction story Flight Forward wouldn’t have happened without your amazing characters, and I will forever be awed by your writing skills.
I also need to give a huge shout-out and giant hug to my dear friend Jamie Salsbury. (You’ve got big shoes to fill being both friend and someone I admire and strive to be like) Your constant encouragement and guidance have been the biggest driving forces in my writing. When I get discouraged or have one of my many clueless moments, your patience and understanding has always brought me back down to earth. This entire project wouldn’t have been possible without you.
To Cassie Cox at Joy Editing. Your seriously mad editing skills humble me, constantly reminding me of why writing a book would never be possible without the eye and understanding of an editor. Thank you.
To my super cool brother, who made the amazing cover and teasers for Fast Forward. God blessed me with one sibling, and he wasn’t messing around in the giving department.
To my BFF Jill, for sitting next to me in a lounge chair and reading my stories out loud. For always making me laugh, even when I sometimes want to cry, and for being just a call away, no matter what the issue is.
To Nicole and Kristie, for all your honest feedback on my creations. You guys have been through every step of this process with me, from reading our favorite stories to hitting the author events. Your feedback and support mean the world to me.
Thank you to Toshia Slade at The Last Step Proofreading, for doing a beautiful job with the formatting and eagle
eye on my words. I’m so grateful.
Finally, to my husband. When it’s all said and done and the sun has gone down, you’re the one who’s always there. No matter what our crazy kids have done, our dogs have puked up, or our jobs have stressed… you’re the one who wraps the day up with me and makes me look forward to the next.
About the Author
Piper Reagan is a wife, mom, dog lover, and avid reader. Her love for books led her to throw her hat in the ring and write one of her own. When she’s not bustin’ tail at her day job, she’s sneaking in time to read and write, which has been her greatest escape from day-to-day stress.
For more information about her books, or just to say hello, visit Piper on her Facebook or Goodreads. Also check out her published novella Flight Forward on Wattpad.
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Copyrights
Fast Forward
Copyright 2018 Piper Reagan
All rights reserved. This work is not allowed for resale or sharing. This book, or any portions thereof, may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotes used in a book review or fan-made teaser.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.