Beautiful Ties

by Alicia Rae

  I could barely see her tears because my own were overflowing down my face for the second time in only minutes.

  “Thank you for that, Abbey.”

  “No, thank you. I could have never pulled this party off without your help.” I closed the space between us and hugged her.

  She responded, “Anytime, Abbey. That’s what friends are for.”

  I stepped back, still looking at my best friend. “Gosh, Gail, I love you, girl.”

  “Love you, too, hon.” She sniffled and exhaled a shaky breath at the exact same time as me. Then, she waved her hand in the air. “All right, not another mushy word, or I’ll attack you with my Pledge if my eyes are all pink and puffy for tonight,” she teased, raising her brow and the bottle in her hand.

  “Puffy eyes definitely don’t go well with makeup.” I laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood.

  “Well, I better go home and get ready before everyone arrives.”

  I gazed up at the pink clock next to Pearl’s bedroom door. “Yes, we better start getting ready. Guests will be arriving soon.”

  After seeing Gail out, I took a quick shower, selected my favorite plum dress from my closet, and curled my hair, all the while counting down the minutes until my family and friends would be here for Jason’s and Pearl’s arrival.

  Jason’s family was flying in from Colorado to meet Pearl, and my parents were beyond thrilled to welcome another grandchild into the family. Everyone had been extremely happy and supportive of our decision to adopt Pearl.

  Just as I finished getting ready, the doorbell rang. I barely contained my shrieks of excitement as I hurried to open the door.

  My mom and dad were standing on the other side.

  “Where’s my eldest new granddaughter?” my dad said, looking around.

  “It’s a surprise, Dad. She’ll be here soon.” I laughed and stepped forward to hug both of my parents.

  Ryan and Kate arrived with a sleeping Annabel all nestled in her car seat. Kyle, Lily, and Gail came in next. Everyone exchanged hellos before congregating in the living room to wait.

  When the doorbell rang again, I opened it to see Damon on the other side. Briefly meeting him at Kyle’s wedding had been busy and chaotic, so it seemed like this was really the first opportunity to get a good peep at him.

  “Hello,” I said, offering Damon a kind smile.

  I noticed right away that he was nearly as tall as Jason. They shared many similar traits, including their blue eyes, except Damon’s hair was chocolate brown. His broad figure filled out his white dress shirt.

  Damon stepped forward, outstretching his hand to me. “Hi, Abbey. I’m Damon Johnson, Jason’s younger brother. We met at Lily’s wedding.”

  His voice was much deeper than I remembered, but his tone was extremely friendly. I shook his hand and replied, “Yes, of course.”

  An older couple ambled up behind him, and I assumed they were Damon and Jason’s parents.

  Damon gestured to his mom and dad. “And these are our parents, Lucie and Dan.”

  I smiled at the two of them and shook both of their hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

  Dan said, “Hello.”

  Lucie smiled at me. “Delighted to finally meet you, too, dear. We’ve heard so many wonderful things about you from Jason.” She glanced around and then back at me. “I hope we aren’t too late for the surprise yet?” she asked.

  “You’re just in time.” I gestured everyone inside.

  I quickly introduced Jason’s family to my own. Everyone shook hands and greeted one another.

  When my eyes landed on Gail, I noticed hers were lingering on Damon. When she finally realized I was looking at her, I quirked an eyebrow at her in a secret-girl-code kind of way.

  Gail blushed in response as she shook her head, and then she turned her attention to my mom and completely ignored me. I had to stifle my laughter.

  She and I will definitely be talking about that later on.

  I glanced at the wall clock to see that it was nearly time for Jason to arrive with Pearl, so everyone formed a line in the living room. Gail started handing out whistles and streamers to every individual.

  Suddenly, my phone buzzed in the front mini pocket of my dress. I slid my finger across the screen to see a text from Jason.

  In the parking lot! Be ready!

  “They’re almost here!” I said, typing a quick response.

  We’re ready!

  I slipped my phone back into my pocket and walked over to stand next to my mom and dad with the rest of our family surrounding us. I heard the doorknob jingle, and I held my breath.

  The front door slowly opened, revealing Pearl first with Jason at her side, holding her hand.

  The sounds of whistles and streamers popping noisily reverberated throughout the condo. Pearl’s eyes widened, and her mouth gaped open as she skimmed the room. Then, her gaze darted between Jason and me. Her expression shifted into a loving huge smile.

  Tears filled my eyes as I took a step forward. When I reached Pearl, I lowered down to her, as did Jason.

  I took her free slender hand in mine. “Each of our families is now your family, too, and they’ll always be here for you, just like Jason and me.”

  Pearl’s eyes beamed. “So, now, I get to stay with you…forever?”

  “Forever,” Jason and I both said at the same time.

  “Your home will always be with us.” I gently squeezed her hand. “We love you, Pearl.”

  Pearl let go of both of our hands and threw her arms around Jason and me.

  “Now, this is what I’m going to call”—Jason tightened his hold on us—“a family bear hug.”

  “Keep going,” Jason said softly in my ear. His hands were resting on my hips, guiding me onward.

  I could only see darkness through the dark gray bandana secured around my eyes. My arms were extended out, reaching into the air. Anticipation and excitement coursed through me as I took another small step forward. A smile stretched across my face, wondering where he could possibly be taking me.

  Today was our first outing away from Pearl. She hadn’t minded though because Lily was taking her on a shopping spree to find a new dress for our Sunday family dinner tomorrow night.

  I felt Jason reach in front of us, and I heard him open what sounded like a door.

  “Watch your step,” he said with concern in his voice.

  I did as he’d instructed, and he closed the door behind us. His hands returned to my waist, and he continued to lead me.

  “Where are we?” I asked. I knew damn well he wouldn’t give me any clues, but I couldn’t help from asking.

  “Telling you would ruin the surprise. We’re almost there anyway.” He chuckled tenderly as we continued to move. “There.” He suddenly paused. His head lowered, and he nuzzled his nose into my hair. Then, he affectionately kissed against my cheek.

  He drew back and untied the gray blindfold from my face, freeing my eyes. I blinked several times, letting my eyes adjust to the light. Taking in my surroundings, my lips parted, and I gasped in awe.

  We were standing in a home, right in the middle of a large foyer. The walls were painted a stunning shade of violet. A wooden staircase was at my right, and it twirled once, leading up to the second floor of the house. My eyes ran up the vast wall, estimating how many canvases and pictures I could fit on it. To my left looked to be a dining room with built-in cabinetry, and to the right appeared to be a sunroom with a brick fireplace that was centered along the focal wall. Both rooms had windows throughout them, allowing in natural light.

  Drawn to the beauty of the house and wanting to see more, my feet methodically carried me forward across the natural hardwood floors. Jason wordlessly followed me, and I could feel his gaze on me as if he was studying my reaction. We strolled down a short hallway, passing a bathroom, before emerging into the broad open floor plan of the kitchen.

  Just ahead were double sliding doors. I went to the glass and gazed out. The yard w
as mostly bare, except for a massive swing set with a yellow, red, and blue canopy over the top fort. It had three swings, a climbing wall and rope, and a yellow slide that made a loop in the center.

  Pearl will love it.

  My head spun around to meet Jason. His eyes were watching me intently, trying to read my thoughts.

  He closed the small distance between us, pulling me into his arms. One hand cupped my jaw, tipping my head back to meet his gaze. The love in his eyes stole my breath and made my heart skip a beat. I wondered how my heart would survive the next sixty years of loving this man.

  “Do you like it?” he asked quietly, caressing the length of my cheek.

  I didn’t miss his meaning of why he’d brought me here. We hadn’t specifically talked about buying a house together yet. However, the last two months of living with Jason and Pearl in my tiny condo had been cramped, to say the least. I had not even seen the rest of the house yet, but I didn’t need to. It was one of those things I could just feel. I knew that it was right and meant to be.

  I lifted my arms and draped them over his shoulders, playing with the hair at his nape. “I absolutely love it.” I smiled up at him. “How did you find this place?”

  “It’s been on the market for about a week now, so I came to look at it yesterday. I knew as soon as I saw it that I had to bring you here.”

  “It’s perfect for the three of us,” I agreed. “I’m pretty sure you had me sold back at the front door.”

  Jason chuckled softly, tightening his hold on me. “I thought you would like that great big wall to hang all of your canvases on.” He said, gesturing toward the wall with a tilt of his head. He looked back at me, and a sexy grin stretched across his handsome features. “And wait until you see our new Jacuzzi in the master bath.”

  “You know me all too well,” responded in awe, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with how utterly thoughtful he was. “Thank you,” I breathed against his lips.

  “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t ever do for you, Abbey, or Pearl,” he said.

  Before I could speak, he swooped down to capture my lips. I melted into him, savoring the taste of his warm mouth on my own. I would never tire of his sweet, sweet kisses.

  He pivoted me in his arms so that my back was to his chest. He snuggled in around me and lifted his hand to point at the swing set. “I can see Pearl out there, running around, smiling and laughing, while we watch her from afar,” he said sincerely.

  The love in his voice brought tears to my eyes. I could see his vision, too.

  He took my hand in his, leading me toward the living room connecting to the open kitchen. He wrapped his arms around me again. “And at night, when our children are tucked in their beds, I can see us sitting on a couch right there, snuggled up in each other’s arms in the living room—just you and me. It’s like I walked into this house, and I could see our life together playing out before my eyes.”

  “Children?” My mind swirled. “And beds?” I asked, saying the words that were now repeating over and over in my thoughts.

  We so had not had the baby talk yet.

  But I had a strong feeling we were about to.

  “Yes,” he said, smiling at me with so much love reflecting in his eyes.

  I could feel the speed of my heart rapidly increasing.

  “I want to build a life together.” He paused, giving the room a quick once-over before meeting my wide-eyed gaze again. “I want to raise Pearl here and have lots of babies with you,” he added, unleashing a boyish grin.

  “Lots?” I squeaked.

  “Oh, yes,” he confirmed with a throaty chuckle that always warmed my insides. His arms suddenly drew me close, and he caressed his fingertips across the small of my back. His eyes were now gentle and sincere. “But most of all, I want to make you my wife. I want to hold you in my arms every night and know that you’ll always be mine. I once told you before that you tied my heart in knots, Abbey. But the truth is, you’ve tied my heart around yours…and Pearl’s. I can’t imagine my life without the two of you in it.”

  Before I could speak, he stepped back and grabbed a black box from his pocket. He dropped to one knee, never breaking his eye contact with me. My hands came to my mouth, covering my gasp. I had to remind myself to keep standing…and breathing.

  He popped open the lid, revealing a stunning two-carat princess cut diamond. It sparkled brightly in the natural light shining into the room. The band on either side of the diamond split into two separate bands that were aligned with tiny diamonds. The two bands crossed each other halfway down before twining into one solid piece at the shank.

  “When I saw this ring in the case, I instantly knew it resembled the way I felt about you.” He looked down at the ring in his hands and used his index finger to travel down the path on one side of the band. “These bands on the side remind me of how your heart is tied with mine, and the large diamond at the center is us becoming one,” he said with a loving smile, glancing from the ring to look back up at me. He inhaled deeply and breathed, “I love you, Abbey, with all that I am. Marry me.”

  My gaze bore into those sweet sky-blue eyes of his that I loved to no end, and I silently thanked God for giving this beautiful man to me. I started to lower to my knees, but then I realized it was taking too long, so I threw myself forward into his arms, sitting astride his lap.

  He caught me and wrapped his arms around me, tugging me closer.

  I leaned forward and attacked him with passionate kisses. “Yes, yes, yes,” I breathed against his mouth in between each kiss.

  He momentarily drew back and lifted one hand to my cheek, caressing it tenderly. “I love you, Abbey.”

  “And I, you.” I smiled against his lips. “Forever.”

  “Forever isn’t long enough,” he countered. “For eternity.”

  I chuckled softly. “Okay, for eternity.”

  Having his answer, he sealed his mouth over mine. Effectively ending our conversation, he began to make love to me in the middle of our new living room floor. I passionately kissed him back while feeling forever grateful that I would get to spend the rest of my life in this man’s arms, kissing him whenever I wanted.

  Life was beautiful.

  From the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking the time to read my book. I hope you enjoyed Jason and Abbey’s story as much as I loved writing it. I look forward to each one of your comments and reviews, and I thank you in advance for sharing your feedback with me.

  For the most up-to-date information, please sign up for my email list at www.aliciaraeauthor.com.

  You can also follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aliciaraeauthor and Twitter @AliciaRaeAuthor.

  I have so many wonderful people to thank. Each person has truly been a blessing throughout this new chapter in my life.

  First and foremost, I cannot express enough thanks to my remarkably talented editor, Jovana Shirley, at Unforeseen Editing. She was the first person I met when I started this journey of writing, and I’m forever grateful for her friendship, advice, and the endless late nights she shared with me while perfecting every single word of this series. She took my original manuscripts and made them shine. Thank you for your continued dedication and hard work!

  To my family, who has always supported me with unconditional love, even during the past year when I practically lived in my writing cave—Thank you, and I love you all dearly. *Hugs*

  To Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations—Thank you for taking all the photographs and creating a work of art for The Beautiful Series. I am in awe of your extraordinary talent, and I absolutely love the beautiful final covers.

  A special thanks to my dear husband, Travis—Thank you for taking the time to read my manuscripts at a moment’s notice and for giving me sincere words of affirmation when I needed them the most.

  To Linda and Tammie—Thank you for your countless hours of reading the series and for giving me that push I needed with your kind and encouraging words.

  To the many bloggers who pu
t their hearts and time into reading and promoting my book—Truly, THANK YOU! I’ve made so many great friends along the way. I’m forever grateful to you all.

  To Rosette, Karen, and Michelle at Literati Author Services—Thank you for your hard work and guidance in what was unfamiliar territory for me. Without you, I never would have known what steps to take.

  To all fellow authors who have become friends—Thank you for writing books where I can lose myself for hours and for inspiring me to write love stories of my own. You have all welcomed me with open arms, and I’m extremely thankful.

  And especially to my readers—I can never thank you enough for reading my book. All your support means the world to me. ♥