“So you weren’t lying about your feelings?” she asked as she wiped away a stray tear and smiled at him.
“Of course not. I love you, Erica,” he whispered in her ear.
“You love her? Oh my God!” Callie squealed as she jumped up and down. “I should be a matchmaker!”
“Shut up, Callie!” Erica said as she looked back at Dylan. “I love you too Dylan!” Overcome by a passionate kiss, the couple lost track of time while Callie continued to grin from the other side of the room.
“Do ya’ll still love me too?” Callie asked holding out her arms. They joined in a group hug as Erica thought about how lucky she was to have two people who loved her so much.
“You and your crazy schemes,” Erica said punching Callie in the arm lightly.
“Well, at least this one worked,” she said laughing.
“Callie has always come up with crazy schemes,” Dylan said. “Once in middle school…”
“Shut up, Dyl…” Callie said putting her hand over his mouth.
“I’ll have to hear that one later,” Erica said sliding her arm around Dylan’s waist. “So, what now?”
“Well, I have something I want to ask you,” Dylan said as he turned to Erica.
“You’re not going to propose, are you?” Erica asked with her hand over her mouth.
“Of course not! We just met!” he said chuckling.
“Thank God because I am not planning another wedding anytime soon. Bad memories…” Erica said.
“What I wanted to ask you was whether you would consider taking a job here in Mill Creek Crossing. I know of an opening that would be a perfect fit for you,” Dylan said sitting down on the sofa and patting the seat next to him. Erica sat down, intrigued by what he was saying.
“Well, I guess it depends on what kind of job it is.”
“It’s actually the head of a marketing department, so I would think it’d be a great step up in pay and would look fantastic on a resume. Plus, you’d get to see my smiling face everyday, which is a fantastic perk,” he said grinning.
“That is a wonderful perk,” she said. “What company would I work for?”
“Kramer Real Estate Group.”
“Wait. Your company? Dylan, I don’t want special treatment…”
“Sure you do!” Callie said.
“Callie, be quiet!” Erica said as she tossed a pillow at her.
“This isn’t special treatment, I swear. I already told you when we met that I needed to hire a marketing person for my business, right?”
“Well, yes…”
“I was serious. I need help. My business is growing, and I need a permanent person. Plus, you could even be an independent contractor so that you can take on other clients up here. Build your own business. Plus, you can take all the time you need pursuing your writing dream.”
“And where would I live?”
“That’s the best part!” Callie chimed in. “My cousin has agreed to rent this place to you for as long as you want. He rarely comes here, so it would take a load off his shoulders. And, knowing what you pay in rent in Atlanta, this place would be way less each month.”
“Boy, you two have thought of everything,” Erica said.
“Listen, I know we’ve been clowning around, but I want you to be okay with this. I don’t want you to make a decision based on what I want. I want you to be here, but I need you to want that too,” Dylan said.
Erica stood up and walked around the living room. She imagined her own furnishings, and how great it would be for the love of her life to paddle over everyday. She would have her independence when she wanted it, which was important to her.
“Okay, I’ll do it!” she said grinning from ear to ear. The words had barely left her mouth when Callie ran in front of Dylan and hugged her tightly.
“This is the start of an amazing life, girl!” she said.
“Mind if I hug my girlfriend?” Dylan asked Callie.
“Girlfriend?” Erica asked trying to get used to the word on her tongue.
“Is that okay? I mean since I do love you and all?” he asked with a laugh.
“It’s more than okay,” she said inching up on her tiptoes and giving him a kiss. “Thank you.”
“For what?” he asked.
“For rescuing me.”
“From the lake?”
“No, from myself,” she said as she gave him a passionate kiss that almost made his head pop off.
Epilogue
Two Years Later
The pond was calmer than normal as Erica pulled her apple pie out of the oven. She loved the Fourth of July, and apple pie was synonymous with it.
“What smells so good in here?” Dylan asked as he slid his hands around her waist.
“Me?” she asked coyly as he kissed up and down her neck.
“Of course…” he said turning her around to face him. “You know, the doctor said…”
“Dylan, we have company coming over today, honey. We can’t…”
“We have a whole half hour!” he said laughing.
“Callie is always early, especially when she’s bringing Jim with her.” Callie had finally fallen in love and met her match in Jim Hannin, a stand-up comedian from New York.
“She’ll understand. It’s doctor’s orders,” he said as he rubbed over her very pregnant belly.
“It’s not doctor’s orders. He said if we want to get things moving, sex is one way to do it.”
“Well, it is a very good way to do it,” Dylan said, begging her to reconsider his request to help move her delivery along. She was only one day overdue, but Dylan was more than anxious to meet his new son, Landon Matthew Kramer.
“Anybody home?” Callie yelled as she opened the front door of Erica and Dylan’s cabin. Because Dylan’s home was bigger and more suited to raising a family, Erica had finally stopped renting her place about a year after they’d met. They married that October and were pregnant shortly afterward.
“Hey, girl!” Erica said as she hugged Callie.
“Whoa, I can’t even get my arms around you!” Callie said laughing at Erica’s large belly on her petite frame.
As they greeted Jim, Erica noticed something shining on Callie’s finger.
“What’s that?” she asked putting her hand over her mouth.
“I finally tied the old girl down,” Jim said putting his arm around Callie’s shoulders.
“Really? Congratulations!” Erica said hugging Jim. “And good luck to you, sir.” Callie showed off her ring, which was a sapphire set with diamonds around it. Never traditional, her ring suited her personality well.
As they chatted during dinner, Dylan stood up with a glass of wine. That was one thing Erica missed about being pregnant - wine. Instead, she had sparkling cider, unfortunately it was not as delicious as a white Zinfandel.
“I’d like to propose a toast to our friend and schemer, Callie.”
“Oh really?” Callie said grinning. “I’ve always wanted someone to toast me.”
“Anyway… I want to toast my old friend Callie who saw what I couldn’t see two years ago. She saw my heart and knew exactly who would match what I needed to make me feel new again. And she saw her own best friend, my sweet Erica, and knew what she needed. And because of her crazy schemes and inability to keep her nose out of things, I am the happiest man on Earth with a baby boy on the way. Thank you, Callie, for butting into my life when I needed it most,” Dylan said smiling down at Callie who was taking a bow as if on stage.
“You are more than welcome,” Callie said as she stood and kissed Dylan on the cheek. “Now, I want to make a toast. To my best friend in the world … Erica Dixon Kramer. You know how much I love you, and I am so glad you found your other half. I wish both of you a lifetime of happiness!”
Erica and Dylan looked at each other with love in their eyes as Callie sat down. Erica thought back over the last two years and how her life had changed so dramatically. Even when she heard Max actually did get married - to some
new woman named Chelsea who came along after Rebecca dumped him for a younger man - she never missed a beat. There was no longing or even feelings of sadness because she knew her heart would always belong to Dylan.
“Um, guys…” Erica suddenly said as she brought herself back to reality.
“What, honey?” Dylan said touching her hand.
“My water just broke.”
With that, everyone sprang into action and ushered Erica into the car. As they drove down the mountain to welcome Landon Matthew Kramer into their world, Erica felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude that her two best friends in the world were there.
THE END
Afterword
Thank you so much for buying and reading "LAKESIDE LOVE" … A Mill Creek Crossing Romance. Since word of mouth is so critical to readers and authors alike, I would really appreciate it if you'd pop back to Amazon and leave a review of this story. It will only take a minute or two, but your opinion is priceless.
About the Author
According to her family Angelina Rose was a sweet child … maybe a little shy. She often spent a lot of time making up stories rather than running around and playing outside with her brother and sister. She won several writing competitions and used the prizes to help her single mother pay the bills.
Angelina Rose lives in the mountains in Australia with her husband, her two poodles and two bombay cats.
Whether you're in need of a quick "pick me up" or on the lookout for a fast-paced, breathtaking adventure … you're in the right place. Sit down with and get lost in one of her romantic short stories today.
Grab yourself an "Angelina Rose" romance today...
The Starting Over Series… The Reunion:
EMMA's VACATION
http://www.amazon.com/Reunion-Emmas-Vacation-Starting-ebook/dp/B009SRIGX4
ASHLEY's MOUNTAIN RETREAT
http://www.amazon.com/Reunion-Ashleys-Mountain-Starting-ebook/dp/B009WX20PE
CLAIRE's REBUILDING CONTRACT
http://www.amazon.com/Reunion-Rebuilding-Contract-Starting-ebook/dp/B00A4E5W7I
SHELBY's CHANCE MEETING
http://www.amazon.com/Reunion-Shelbys-Meeting-Starting-ebook/dp/B00AISC23W
Angelina Rose loves to hear from readers! You can find her on the web at:
http://AngelinaRoseRomance.com
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http://www.facebook.com/AngelinaRoseRomanceAuthor
right now for news, updates, free advance reading copies and more…
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Copyright Information
All rights reserved. No part of this may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the Author.
Lakeside Love (A Mill Creek Crossing Romance) Page 7