“Wow, you’ve got a lot going on.” Sasha took a sip from her champagne flute. “Jordan and I are getting married next fall, so I know how much work goes into wedding planning.”
“Yeah. We’re going to keep things simple, though. You two should definitely honeymoon at my place,” Miranda offered. “It will be open and in full swing by then.”
“What do you think?” Sasha squeezed Jordan’s hand.
“Whatever you want, baby.” He gave her a peck on the lips.
Eliza smiled, leaning closer to Chris. He turned and kissed her, then winked. That started her giggling, and she covered her mouth with her hand.
Vaughn shook his head. “Look at you two. You’re acting just like you did back in the day.”
“Look at them, Vaughn.” Miranda gestured toward them. “With him in that black tuxedo and her in the white dress, they look just like the figurines on top of a wedding cake.”
“Funny you should mention that,” Chris said as he slid his chair back from the table and stood. “I have something to say.”
A confused Eliza watched as Jack and Jojo reappeared on opposite sides of their father. Only this time, they weren’t empty-handed. Jojo handed Eliza a bouquet of two dozen long-stemmed pink roses. She took the flowers, cradling them in her arms as she tried to figure out what was going on.
She saw Jack smile, a rare occurrence indeed, as he passed his father a small black velvet box. Before she could make the connection, Chris dropped to his knee.
Eliza clasped a hand over her mouth.
The music that had been playing over the loudspeakers was turned down, and he spoke in a booming voice.
“Eliza Ellicott, I was foolish enough to leave you behind once, but I’ll never be that foolish again.” He opened the box, revealing a large princess-cut diamond ring on a rose-gold band. “Will you be my wife? Jojo, Jack and I would be honored to have you as part of our family.”
Tears sprang to her eyes, and she nodded vigorously, unable to speak around the ball of emotion in her throat. He slid the ring onto her finger, and they both stood. As he drew her into his arms, she turned her face up to his kiss while thunderous applause sounded around them.
* * *
The program went on as scheduled, and Eliza watched with pride as Chris accepted the national award on behalf of his chapter. More dancing followed the ceremony, then drinking and celebrating. As the midnight hour drew near, Chris sent Jojo and Jack home with his driver.
As they walked down the gangplank and onto the dock holding hands, Eliza looked up at Chris. “So, what are we doing tonight?”
“I thought we’d have a proper celebration of our engagement.”
She smiled. “Sounds fantastic, but where are we going? My feet are killing me from all that dancing.”
“Don’t worry, we’re not going far.” He led her down the dock until they stopped in front of a small yacht that was anchored a few slips away from the Star of India. “This is my boat.”
She read the name off the bow. “The SS Babydoll?” Tears sprang to her eyes for the second time that night. “That’s the nickname you used to call me by.”
“Yep.” He pulled her to him, gave her a kiss on the forehead. “I bought it to celebrate my first European design about six years ago.”
“Christopher Marland, you charmer, you.”
“If you think I’m so great now, wait until I get you below deck. I’m going to make love to you until they can hear you screaming my name on the other side of the bay.” He kissed her again, this time on the lips. “I love you, Eliza.”
“I love you, too, Chris.”
Before she could say anything else, he swept her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing. Draping her arms around his neck, she hung on as he carried her onboard the ship.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from RETURN TO ME by Jacquelin Thomas.
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Return to Me
by Jacquelin Thomas
Prologue
“I wish I’d never met you,” she muttered as she ripped clothes from hangers, tossing them into a tattered suitcase.
“Jasmine, I’m sorry you feel that way,” Austin DuGrandpre responded. “The truth is that we’re toxic together, so it’s best to end things now.”
A cold, congested expression settled on her face as she hurled a string of profanity back at him.
Jasmine was leaving town with her best friend, and Austin thought it was a good idea. They needed some separation. They had dated for two years and the relationship was tumultuous at best. For the past month, Jasmine had been pressuring Austin for a marriage proposal. When nothing came of it, she decided to give him an ultimatum—marry her or she would leave town and find a new man.
Austin chose the latter. Jasmine was free to start over with someone new. Perhaps she’d be much happier.
Her mouth took on an unpleasant twist as she shot daggers toward him with her eyes. “I can’t believe I wasted all this time with you. I should’ve known better than to get involved with someone like you...”
Austin opened his mouth to utter a retort, but remained silent. He would not allow himself to be baited into another argument with Jasmine.
“Did you ever love me?”
“That wasn’t the problem.”
She frowned with cold fury. “Then what is it? I’m not good enough to be your wife—the wife of a lawyer?” Jasmine folded her arms across her chest. “What? You wanna be with some snobby ivy league graduate...huh?”
“Jasmine, the problem is that you and I are not a good fit,” Austin stated. “You can’t go around starting fights with every woman who looks my way. I come home to you every night, but you still accuse me of cheating...we’re just not good together. You like to party and you get angry when I tell you I’m tired.”
Her face was marked by loathing. “Why shouldn’t I have a good time? When you’re home, all you do is work. It’s always about your clients.”
“You knew I was an attorney when we met.” He paused a moment before asking, “If you find me so boring, why have you been pushing so hard for marriage?”
“All of my friends are getting married and it’s not like I’m getting any younger, Austin. Any man would want me for a wife...anyone but you.” Jasmine met his gaze. “But it’s cool. You see, I know what you really want and it’s the one thing you won’t get. I’m gonna mak
e sure of it.”
He frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Jasmine shrugged, then closed her suitcase. “Doesn’t matter.”
Coming out of the musing, Austin looked down at the birth certificate in his hand as if seeing it for the first time.
He wasn’t.
He had stared at it many times since procuring the copy from Jasmine’s former best friend, Cheryl. They left Dallas, Texas, with Las Vegas in their sights.
Then one day Cheryl was back home. She requested a meeting with Austin, shocking him with the news that Jasmine was pregnant when they left town.
Austin could not believe she would just put the child up for adoption. He eyed the birth certificate once more. He was never listed as the father. In fact, the space was blank.
She had taken his son from him—the one thing that would hurt him most.
Chapter 1
“Aren’t you going to dance with the bride?”
Austin’s sister, Jadin, was standing before him.
His gaze slid to find her identical twin dancing with her new husband. Austin’s mouth turned upward into a smile. “Maybe later. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jordin look so happy.”
“She’s just married the man of her dreams, big brother. She’s completely over the moon.”
A sea of people dressed in tuxes and bright dresses in summer colors roamed through the elegant space, admiring the paintings and photographs dotting the cream-colored walls. Surrounded by fourteen acres of live oak groves with serene views of the Ashley River, Austin’s mind was elsewhere.
“You look distracted. Everything okay?”
“I’m fine,” he responded. “Uh... Aunt Rochelle is trying to get your attention.”
Jadin grimaced. “I guess I’d better see what she wants. That woman is getting on my last nerve today. Ever since she broke her ankle, she acts like I’m her personal maid.”
“You volunteered your services, remember?”
“Do me a favor. Next time I open my mouth, punch me in it.”
Austin bit back his amusement as he watched his sister make her way across the room. He hadn’t known their aunt long, given his mother’s determination to keep him from that side of his family, but it was enough to know she could be very demanding.
His eyes traveled to the table where the wedding party was seated. There were a couple of bridesmaids engaged in conversation. One of the ladies was Dr. Sabrina Collins, whom everyone affectionately called Bree—the woman who had adopted his son when Jasmine had placed him up for adoption.
Austin’s gaze locked on her. She looked up, meeting his gaze. When she smiled, he felt the weirdest sensation—a strange mixture of both calm and excitement churning through his bloodstream like a virus, quickly spreading until he could hardly breathe.
Austin gave himself a mental shake. He wasn’t looking for a romantic liaison. He sought to get back what had been taken from him. He never had the luxury of a relationship with his father, due in part to his mother’s bitterness over losing the only man she ever loved to another woman. Her actions forced him to watch on the sidelines as his father doted on his twin sisters, Jordin and Jadin. Austin vowed his child would not tread down that same painful path.
With the help of a private investigator, Austin had succeeded in locating the child in Charleston, South Carolina. He thought it a blessing and fate that his son lived in the same city as his father and siblings. Austin had been taking steps to build a relationship with his family. Locating his son here, too, was perfect.
However, he was not prepared to discover that the woman raising his son was also the best friend of his sister, Jordin. This could be a potential complication, but he was not going to let this stop him from petitioning the courts to reverse the adoption.
Austin walked out on the balcony to enjoy the June weather. It was bright and sunny, but the temperature was just right. He agreed with guests who’d commented that the day was perfect for the wedding celebration.
He stood out there enjoying the picturesque grounds before navigating back through the doors and sea of wedding guests toward the nearest drink station, where he ordered a rum and cola.
At the sound of laughter, Austin turned in time to watch as Jordin and Ethan cut slices of their wedding cake. His sister looked happy and very much in love.
He smiled.
“What are you doing over here by yourself?”
Austin glanced over at his father. “Getting one last drink.”
Etienne surveyed his face. “You okay, son?”
His gaze traveled back to Bree. “I am.” The truth was that he had missed the first two years of his son’s life and it filled his heart with an unrelenting ache. His pain was a shadow that resided in the corners of his heart but never failed to appear morning, noon or night.
“How are you dealing with the idea of Jordin being married?”
Etienne shrugged. “Ethan’s a good man and he’ll make her happy—of that, I have no doubt...but I have to confess, I’m feeling a mite old right now. All of my children grown...” He turned to face Austin, giving him a faint smile that held a touch of sadness. “I hate missing out on so much of your life.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“It doesn’t lessen the pain.”
Austin believed his father because he felt the same way where Emery was concerned.
* * *
The office was empty when Austin arrived Monday morning around seven. He’d been working at his family’s Charleston firm for a year but wasn’t normally the first to arrive. Today he wanted to get an early start. It helped him to keep busy.
Austin entered the break room and made a cup of coffee.
The office manager, a woman in her early forties, walked in and gasped. “Oh, goodness... I’m sorry, Austin. I didn’t expect anyone to be here. I’m usually the first to arrive.”
“I woke up at five and couldn’t go back to sleep, so I decided to come in a little earlier,” he explained. “No point in wasting the time doing nothing.”
She nodded in agreement. “I have to tell you...your sister’s wedding was beautiful. Oh, my goodness... Your family really knows how to throw a wedding.”
“It was nice,” he told the office manager. “I enjoyed meeting your husband, Gwen. It turns out that I went to high school with the son of one of his frat brothers.”
She smiled. “He told me. This world isn’t as big as we think.”
Austin couldn’t agree more.
They talked a few minutes more while she waited for her tea to brew.
“I’d never been to Lowndes Grove Plantation before Jordin’s wedding,” Gwen stated. “And that house...it was stunning.”
Austin agreed. “Jordin told me that it was built around 1786. The owners did a great job with the restorations.”
“I almost want to have another wedding. Just to hold it there.”
He smiled, then checked his watch. “Time to start my workday. I’m covering for Jordin while she’s on her honeymoon.”
“You’ve been pulling a lot of long hours, Austin.” Gwen picked up her cup of tea. “Work-life balance, okay?”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Austin took his coffee and headed to his office.
As soon as he sat down, his focus shifted to the stack of documents on his desk.
It was almost eleven when he called one of the paralegals and asked, “Were you able to get the information we needed from the mother?”
“Yes, I emailed it to you a few minutes ago.”
“Thanks,” he said before hanging up the phone.
Right after lunch Austin reviewed a couple of Jordin’s cases. He appreciated the fact that she was so organized with everything he needed right where he could find it.
The sound of a baby crying in the hallway caught his attention, and
he felt a wretchedness he’d never known before.
A stab of guilt lay buried in his chest. Maybe if he’d handled things with Jasmine differently, he might have had a chance to be with his son.
From everything he’d been told about Dr. Bree, Austin believed her to be a good woman. According to Jordin, she was also a very good mother to Emery. He wanted what was best for his child. It was this desire that conflicted him.
Austin intended to be a part of his son’s life, but he worried about the effect it would have on Emery. He was safe and secure with Bree. The little boy didn’t know he had a father. How would he respond when Austin made his presence known?
* * *
Austin walked back to his desk and picked up a file. He had just returned to the office from the courthouse. It was after five, but he wasn’t quite ready to call it quits for the day. He’d always driven himself hard, putting work ahead of pleasure.
He also wanted to make his father proud. Austin had a lot of respect for both his father and uncle. Etienne and Jacques DuGrandpre had the same passion for law as their father, and his father before him. It was no wonder he, Jordin and Jadin all became attorneys.
It was in their blood.
He worked another two hours before shutting down his computer.
Tonight, he was leaving work earlier than usual. It was 7:30 p.m. Austin wanted to spend some time at the gym before he went home.
Just as he did every time he was on his way out, Austin paused in front of the large, looming portrait of Marcelle DuGrandpre, his grandfather. Austin’s heart swelled with pride. Despite all odds during a time of racial tension, his grandfather opened the doors of the DuGrandpre Law Firm in 1960. When he died, Austin’s uncle and father took over, the legacy continuing with their children.
“I miss him.”
He hadn’t heard anyone enter the room. Austin glanced over his shoulder. “Jadin, I didn’t know you were still here. I thought I was the only one working late.”
“Unfortunately, I will be putting in some long hours all week,” she responded.
Austin had grown close to his twin sisters, Jadin and Jordin, since moving to Charleston a little over a year ago from Dallas.
A San Diego Romance Page 14