Free to Love

by Lillianna Blake

  I felt it too, but I wasn’t willing to let things move too fast.

  “I’m sorry, the place is a mess.” I blushed.

  “It looks perfect to me.” He brushed a strand of hair away from my cheek, then kissed me again. We settled into one another’s arms to catch our breaths.

  “I’m so glad you’re here.” I wound my fingers through his and held tightly to his hand. Already, I dreaded saying goodbye.

  “Are you sure about that?” He looked into my eyes.

  “Yes, of course I’m sure.” I gave him a quick peck, then stood up. “I should get you something; you must be starving after your flight.”

  “Actually…” He pulled me back down beside me. “Can you take me somewhere? I took a taxi, so I’m relying on your wheels. Would you mind?”

  “No, not at all. Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see. It’s not far.”

  Chapter 30

  As we settled into my car, I was a little nervous. He’d driven during our previous visit and I wondered how he’d like my driving. As I drove, he pointed out where to turn.

  “If you tell me where we’re going, I’ll probably know where it is.”

  “Just relax.” He flashed a smile at me. “I know my way too.”

  I eyed him with a raised eyebrow. He’d never been here before, so how could he know? But instead of questioning him, I trusted him.

  “Stop here.” He smiled as we pulled up to a small house on a street about fifteen minutes from mine.

  “Do you know someone who lives here?” I glanced over at him.

  “Yes, actually I do. Come with me?” He met my eyes.

  “Okay. Is it a friend of yours?” I smoothed down my hair, which was still mussed from our make-out session on the sofa.

  He stepped out of the car without answering, then waited for me to join him. He slipped his hand into mine and led me up the driveway to the front door.

  “Wes, what’s going on? Can’t you tell me anything?” I wondered who he could possibly want to introduce me to.

  “Can you trust me?” He stared hard into my eyes. “I know it will take time, but right now, just in this moment, can you trust me?”

  “Yes.” I smiled and leaned in for a quick kiss. “Yes, I can.”

  “Good.” He held my gaze, then reached into his pocket.

  My heart fluttered as for just a second I wondered if he might pull out a ring box. The thought terrified me. I wasn’t ready, it was too soon, he hadn’t even met the boys, how could I say yes?

  When he produced a key instead, my thoughts were silenced by confusion. I watched as he slid the key into the lock on the door, then turned it. When he pushed the door open, it revealed a mostly empty interior.

  “This is my place.” He looked back at me, his smile so wide that it caused the corners of his eyes to crinkle.

  “What? How can that be?” My heart began to race with excitement.

  “I rented it last week. That’s why I was a little tense when you mentioned that you thought we might need to take a breath.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” I gave him a playful swat on his chest.

  “Hey.” He laughed and caught my hand, then pressed it against his chest. “I didn’t tell you because I wasn’t sure it would happen. I rented it out contingent on the transfer for work going through and I came here today to finish up the paperwork and get the final approval. I didn’t want to disappoint you.” He stroked my cheek. “You’re not disappointed, are you?”

  “No.” I gazed into his eyes. “Wes, this is wonderful.” I hesitated. “But what about your life? Won’t you miss everything back home? Are you sure this is what you want?”

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” He slid his arms around my waist and pulled me close. “My home is wherever you are, Noella.”

  His lips met mine and all of my concerns disappeared. I’d never been loved the way that Wes loved me, unconditionally without expectations.

  When his arm swept under my legs I gasped and broke the kiss.

  He laughed as he held me against his chest.

  “Do you want to come inside?”

  “Yes, I do.” I draped my arms around his neck and relaxed as he carried me through the door and into the house. He used one foot to kick the door closed behind us.

  “Now there won’t be anymore goodbyes.” He kissed me, while he still held me in his arms.

  A mixture of passion, excitement, and comfort washed over me. I knew no matter what the future held for us, I would never forget this moment. As he eased me down to my feet and embraced me again, I felt like the luckiest woman in the world.

  “Welcome home, Wes.” I brushed his hair back from his eyes. “I’m so glad that you’re here.”

  “Me too.” He touched his forehead to mine. “I promise, Noella, I’m not going anywhere.”

  My heart filled with warmth at the thought. Any little doubt that nagged at the back of my mind was silenced as our lips met again and I knew that I would never let him go.

  Please enjoy the following preview for

  “Then Comes Marriage” (Hanna’s Happily Ever After, Book 1)

  Chapter 1

  “No peeking!” Dawn swatted Jake’s hand away just before he could take a swipe of the frosting off the top of the cake.

  “I wasn’t peeking!” He laughed as he drew his hand back. “I was tasting! Hanna has had us on this health kick—no sugar in the house for months. No sugar, Dawn!”

  “Oh, you poor thing.” She laughed and shook her head. “She’s only trying to do what’s best for the baby. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of sugar in this and you two are going home with the leftovers, because it’s not coming home with me.”

  “Yes, I think I love you, Dawn.” Jake grinned.

  “Excuse me?” Garrett draped his arm around Dawn’s shoulder and pulled her close to him, laughing as he placed a kiss on her cheek. “Are you enticing men with your baking skills again?”

  “He’s just a little delusional—sugar withdrawal and all.” She laughed.

  I stepped around the side of the house and did my best to pretend I hadn’t been watching them.

  Jake was right, I had been pretty militant about the sugar-free lifestyle. I had to be careful of gestational diabetes and also I didn’t want to gain a ton of weight with the pregnancy. According to my doctor I really didn’t need to gain any weight, but I’d already packed on fifteen pounds.

  I was well into my eighth month of pregnancy and to most women that might not seem like much of a weight gain, but since I’d been quite overweight when I’d become pregnant, the doctor didn’t want me gaining too much. It was hard when the little being inside of me was always hungry.

  I didn’t judge Jake for his desire for cake. In fact, when I saw it, my mouth watered and I had to force my eyes elsewhere.

  “There’s the beautiful mama.” Dawn clapped her hands as I approached. “Hanna, every time I see you, you’re even more gorgeous.”

  “Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m waddling like a penguin and if my stomach gets any bigger I’m not going to fit into the car for the trip to Blu’s wedding.” I shook my head. “But that cake does look delicious.”

  “Oh, I hope you like it.” She smiled. “I had so much fun making it. It’s my first gender reveal cake, you know.”

  “I’m honored. I wasn’t going to do this, but then Noella showed me all these videos online about it and it looked like so much fun.”

  “I think it’s a great idea.” She gave me a light hug. “How are you feeling?”

  “A little better.” I sighed. “If I could just get some sleep, I’d be great.”

  “We both would.” Jake slipped his arm around what was left of my waist and nuzzled my cheek.

  “Oh, the body pillow didn’t help?” Dawn frowned. “I hoped it might.”

  “It’s not as comfortable as I thought.” I cringed.

  “That body pillow did not survive.” Jake
lowered his voice as he looked at Dawn and Garrett. “She beat it up and threw it out of bed.”

  “Jake!” I laughed. “It wasn’t that bad.”

  “Feathers everywhere.” He shook his head and winked at me.

  “Oh, boy.” Dawn laughed. “Well, I hope you can enjoy the party.”

  As she spoke music started to blast through speakers lined up around the backyard.

  Noella gasped as she stepped out through the back door.

  “Too loud, Trent!” she shouted back through the door.

  The volume was lowered and my sister hurried across the yard toward me.

  “Hi, beautiful.” She smiled and hugged me.

  “I wish everyone would stop calling me that.” I frowned. “I’m not beautiful.”

  “Yes, you are.” Jake met my eyes. “You’re absolutely stunning, Hanna, and sorry, but nobody is going to lie to you and tell you any different.”

  I rolled my eyes and stalked off toward the one person I was sure I could expect honesty from—Zoe. She was taping up some last-minute decorations.

  “Hi, Zoe.”

  “What’s wrong?” She looked up at me. “You look upset.”

  “I’m always upset. You would think I’d be over-the-moon happy, what with an amazing husband and a baby on the way. But it’s like every little thing gets on my nerves.”

  “I think that’s fairly normal for this stage. Have you asked Noella about it?”

  “Noella just keeps saying how great it will be once the baby is here. But what if it isn’t, Zoe?” I eased myself down into a folding chair. “What if I’m still cranky and miserable?”

  “Sweetie, you’re not cranky and miserable. You’re growing a baby. That takes a lot of energy, you know.” She sat down across from me and patted my knee. “Just keep in mind that all this is temporary. Pretty soon you’ll be holding your baby girl or boy in your arms and you’ll be starting a whole new chapter.”

  “But I already can’t sleep. Once the baby is here, won’t it be worse?” My eyes misted at the thought. “What if I can’t do this, Zoe?”

  “Oh, sweetheart, of course you can. Just think of all that has happened that you never thought possible. There’s so much to look forward to.”

  “I do think about it, but sometimes it’s so overwhelming. Yes, I know I’m pregnant and I’m grateful that I have this wonderful blessing coming into my life, but how will I ever be ready? How can I know how to be a mother?” I sighed. “I wish there was an instruction manual.”

  “None of our mothers had one.” She smiled. “We all turned out okay.”

  “Did we?” I rubbed my hands together and looked out at my friends, all gathered to celebrate the gender of the baby that I carried.

  “Yes, sweetie—yes, we did.” She hugged me.

  Chapter 2

  Zoe’s words warmed me to the core. I knew she was right. How could I question how amazing life was when I was surrounded by all the people I loved—all the people who loved me right back?

  Still, every little flutter in my stomach made me wonder if it was just the moment.

  What would I do when that baby was placed in my arms? What if it was a boy? What if it was a girl? I was used to being around little boys, thanks to my nephews, and I had some experience with little girls, thanks to Garrett’s daughter, Lily. But that certainly didn’t make me an expert.

  I wouldn’t be raising just a boy or girl, I’d be raising my own child, introducing him or her to the world through my eyes and my experience. How could I ever survive that kind of pressure?

  I watched as Tyler and Brady chased one another across the grass. They were so full of life and questions and uncertainties. I adored them as my nephews, but I had no idea how I would raise them if they were my own sons.

  As I watched, I noticed Wes approach them with a wide smile. I watched him with the critical eye of an aunt—and of a sister. Ever since he’d moved to town, Noella had been the happiest I’d ever seen her and that was reason enough for me to like him.

  “He’s so good with them.” Noella sat down beside me. “I’m still surprised by it—a younger guy, with no kids of his own—and honestly, he’s given me new insight into parenting.”

  “That sounds pretty amazing.”

  “Sometimes we get stuck on the idea that we need an expert to tell us what to do, but a fresh pair of eyes can be even better. Ever since we had our pizza night with the boys and he met them for the first time, they ask about him all the time. I sure did fight the idea, but so far it’s worked out perfectly.” She gave my shoulder a nudge with her own. “Just keep that in mind.”

  “I will, Noella. Thank you. I really do think Wes is a great guy.”

  “I’m glad.” She gave me a quick hug then headed off to join her sons and her boyfriend.

  “Here, darling.” Jake handed me an ice-cold bottle of water. “Feeling any better?”

  “I’m sorry, Jake. I’m just so nervous.” I cracked open the bottle and took a sip.

  “It’s natural to be a little nervous. But don’t forget, you’re not in this alone. You have me and a whole team of friends and family. We don’t need to know what college the baby will go to right now. All we need to know is what diapers to buy and how many hours of sleep we can expect to squeeze in.”

  “I wish it was that simple.” I frowned. “Diapers alone are so complicated. What brand, what size, and what if the baby is allergic? What about cloth diapers?”

  “Yeah, no. I draw the line at cloth diapers.” He crossed his arms.

  “But they’re supposed to be better for the environment and prevent rashes and—”

  “Hanna.” He placed his hands on my shoulders and looked into my eyes. “If you want cloth diapers, we’ll get cloth diapers. If you want silk diapers, we’ll get silk diapers. We’ll figure it all out, I promise. Now, we need to go cut this cake, because I think our friends are more eager to find out if we’re having a boy or girl than we are.”

  “Maybe this was a mistake.” I stared across the yard at the cake. “What if we shouldn’t find out? What if we’re already defining who the baby is by finding out the gender? Shouldn’t it be a surprise?”

  “Hanna.” He slipped his hand into mine and pulled me to my feet. “This moment is like a lot we’re going to face. There will be many different right answers; all we have to do is pick one. I’d like to know what to expect. I can respect it if you don’t want to know. But when we had the ultrasound done, you were pretty excited about it. Our kid is going to be our kid, whether boy, girl, or elephant.”

  “Elephant?” I laughed. “You had to go there?”

  “Let’s go.” He gave me a playful kiss on the cheek.

  As we headed for the cake, a crowd gathered around us. I could see that Zoe was holding up her phone with Blu’s face on video chat. Alex had just arrived with her new boyfriend in tow. Samantha was set up on video chat on my laptop not far from the cake.

  Jake was right. Everyone we loved was there to support us, and that in itself was a miracle.

  “Alright, let’s find out what we’re having!” I laughed and finally felt the excitement bubble up within me.

  Jake and I both gripped the cake cutter and sliced through the cake together.

  “Blue means boy, pink means girl!” Dawn clapped her hands and cheered.

  I slid the slice of cake out and stared at the color that was revealed. After a moment I looked over at Jake…

  End of the preview.

  Get “Then Comes Marriage” here:

  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CLFFLNL

  An introduction to The Bride Tribe series…

  Chapter 1

  His fingers caressed mine as he grasped my hand. I watched, eyes wide, as he lowered himself to one knee. This was it. This was the moment I’d been waiting for. My heart pounded loud and steady. It pounded so loud that I couldn’t make out his words as his chocolate-brown gaze locked on mine. It pounded so loud that I couldn’t even hear my own voice as I answe
red a question I wasn’t sure he’d even spoken.

  “Hanna?” His voice cut through my heartbeat as he called out my name. “Hanna, are you there?”

  “I’m right here, silly.” I smiled and my heart continued to pound.

  When my eyes popped open, I realized it wasn’t my heartbeat I was hearing. It was someone knocking on the front door of my apartment.

  I jumped out of bed and barely managed to grab my robe as I ran for the door. With one arm in a sleeve and the other caught in the sash, I realized that the robe was upside down.

  “Jake, I’m here. Just a sec.”

  “I’ll just come in.”

  I heard the slide of his key in the lock and struggled to get my robe situated over my nightgown. It wasn’t really a nightgown—it was a lacy piece of cloth that barely covered my full-bodied frame.

  The knob turned and the door swung open just as I managed to get the robe twisted into place. I folded the sides across my body and watched as Jake stepped inside.

  Every time I laid eyes on him, it was like the first time all over again.

  At a party thrown by a mutual friend, he’d walked in an hour late, drawing all the attention with his wide smile and big brown eyes. At thirty-five he was in better shape than I’d ever been, and his warm personality made him even more attractive. I’d stared at him—openly. He’d noticed, but I still hadn’t been able to look away—at least not until he’d walked toward me.

  “Didn’t you hear me knocking?” He smiled as he closed the door behind him. “For a second there I thought maybe you weren’t home.”

  “I was dreaming.” I cleared my throat and clutched my robe tighter around me. It was still surprising for me to be around him in intimate moments. As much as I’d worked on my self-esteem over the past year, I still didn’t expect him to enjoy the sight of my body.