“I love you,” she whispered. “My husband.”
Her words were my undoing. “My wife. Fuck,” I grunted as I emptied myself inside her. “Love you too, baby,” I whispered as I captured her lips with mine, happy that Alexa was finally my wife – mind, body, and soul.
epilogue
Alexa
Three Years Later
Gazing down into my son’s eyes for the very first time, I couldn’t help but wonder why I’d ever resisted the idea of having a baby in the first place. My honorary niece was born the day we’d returned from our honeymoon, and that had been the start of the baby bug for me. I had still been scared about having one, but Kaylie and Jackson had made it look easy with Kassidy. Kaylie was released from bed rest as soon as she hit the thirty-six-week mark and went into labor a couple of days later. After all the worrying of the weeks before, Kassidy’s birth was one of the quickest for a first-time mom her doctor had ever seen.
We had to wait for a little while though because Drake’s years of hard training paid off when his rugby team made it into the Olympics during the Final Olympic Qualification Tournament. It was literally their last chance since they hadn’t made it through the Sevens World Series or the Regional Association Sevens Championships.
I was incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to stay by his side throughout it all, and a pregnancy wouldn’t have allowed me to travel safely. After working hard for so many years, I thought I would miss my time in the pilot’s seat, but he made sure I got plenty of time to fly even if it was usually just the two of us or him and some of the guys from the team. Being a pilot had come in handy many times over the years, allowing us the opportunity to see family and friends no matter how hard his schedule was.
Although the team didn’t win the gold, they did earn a bronze medal. An accomplishment we celebrated with the decision to start the next chapter of our life—one that included children. I got off the pill, and less than six months later, there was a plus sign on the pregnancy test Drake had insisted I use when I was being super cranky with him one morning. Staring down at it in my hand, I was struck by the fear that I would share the same fate as my mom when she had given birth to me. But all the worry that had lived inside me for the last eight and a half months was erased the moment I saw him looking up at me so trustingly.
“I’m so proud of you,” Drake whispered in awe. “Look what you did. He’s so perfect.”
He was a replica of his dad. The two men in my life who owned my heart.
“He really is. I can’t believe he’s finally here. Our little Tanner Jacob.”
****
Five more years later…
“Mommy!” Aubrey’s daughter, Veronika, ran up to us, blond pigtails flying behind and her face red from the exertion of playing with all the other kids. “Tanner isn’t really my cousin like Kassidy and Kennedy are, right?”
“No, baby. Auntie Lexi isn’t really Mommy’s sister, so Tanner isn’t really your cousin, but he’s just like family,” she answered.
“Good,” Veronika said with a satisfied grin on her face. “’Cause when I grow up, I’m gonna marry him,” she finished before racing off again.
“I think I’ve finally decided to forgive Drake for stealing away the chance I had of you and me becoming sisters when he swept you off your feet back in college,” Aubrey told me.
“Yeah, ‘cause now we might have the chance to be something even better together—grandmothers,” I replied as we watched Veronika chase after Tanner.
“If not with those two, then maybe the next round,” she said as she touched her flat stomach. She and Luka just found out a week ago that they were expecting again.
“Only if you get the boy this time,” I answered, rubbing my rounded belly. We were expecting a girl this time—one we were going to name in loving memory of my mom. Marie Anne Bennett.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My boys – Thank you for not complaining too much about the piles of laundry & carry-out meals while I was writing. Yes, I know… yet again. I love you!
Mom – Thank you for always supporting me and inspiring me to live my dream.
Yolanda – Thanks for being a great friend. Even though we live states away from each other, your continued support means the world to me.
Mickey – I am so grateful to have found an editor like you! Thanks for putting your mad editing skills to good use for me. This book seriously wouldn’t have released on time if you weren’t so amazing!
Melissa – Thank you so much for the wonderful cover! It’s such a beautiful way to end the series.
Panty dropping Book Blog – Thanks for your help getting the word out about my books. Heather has been great and you all have done an amazing job pimping me! The bloggers that work with you have been so generous with their time and efforts on my behalf.
FBGM girls – You know who you are and you damn well know why I love you so much! For reals.
Readers/Bloggers – Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking a chance on me. I would not be living my dream right now if it weren’t for all of you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I absolutely adore reading—always have and always will. When I was growing up, my friends used to tease me when I would trail after them, trying to read and walk at the same time. If I have downtime, odds are you will find me reading or writing.
I am the mother of two wonderful sons who have inspired me to chase my dream of being an author. I want them to learn from me that you can live your dream as long as you are willing to work for it.
When I told my mom that my new year's resolution was to self-publish a book in 2013, she pretty much told me, "About time!"
Connect with me online!
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rochellepaigeauthor
Twitter: @rochellepaige1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7328358.Rochelle_Paige
Website: http://www.rochellepaige.com
sucked into love
bachelorette party book 1
blythe college spin-off series
available now
No woman ever expects to meet the man of her dreams at her bachelorette party...
It's just Jocelyn's luck that she meets her match at the fake bachelorette party her best friend throws for her. She knows better than to get pulled into any of Cee-Cee's antics. It must have been sheer exhaustion that made her agree to help her best friend out with a work project - one that ended up with her playing bachelorette for the night!
No man ever wants to be knocked off his feet by a woman he meets while she's wearing a bachelorette "suck for a buck" shirt...
Andrew knows that he wants Jocelyn the moment he lays eyes on her, but he's never been one to poach on another man's territory. He walks away but finds himself changed by the experience. Imagine his surprise when he sees her again, only to discover she isn't married and has never even been engaged.
and coming soon...
checked into love
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