by Natalie Ann
“What did Dad do?” Dolly asked. She was a teen now, but quiet and shy, it was obvious. These kids’ lived in a world of restriction, abuse, and deprivation, a world not fitting for any child.
“Nothing,” Jared said. “Just like he isn’t going to do anything to you guys for seeing Shelby. And if he does, you’re going to let your mother know and she’s going to let Shelby and me know.”
Dolly’s eyes went wide. “Are you Shelby’s husband? Are you the person she ran away to be with?”
“No,” Shelby said. She wasn’t surprised they didn’t know what happened. That her mother never said a word to anyone. “My husband died a few years ago. Jared is my boyfriend. This is my daughter, Kayla, though. You’ve got a niece.”
Kayla was still in Jared’s arms. He set her down and watched her walk over to Dolly. Not a shy bone in Kayla’s body.
They stayed a few hours, with Shelby promising to come back and get them for dinner once Rodney was out of work and the same with Billy. They were having a dinner together and there wasn’t a damn thing her father could do to stop it. She knew and she was taking advantage of it.
***
At seven o’clock, Jared pulled his SUV to a stop at a restaurant outside of town. Three rows in his SUV had come in handy. Shelby’s three sisters and her brother Rodney were in the back with Kayla with everyone talking a mile a minute. It was sad to think the younger ones had never been to a restaurant before. Never been out to eat. Only Rodney and Carolyn because they had jobs and money.
Billy was supposed to meet them there and he had to say this might be one of the happiest times he’d ever seen Shelby.
The house she grew up in disgusted him. He’d known they didn’t have much, but he wasn’t expecting to see what he did.
The house was clean for the most part, but it was old and falling down. Stains on the ceilings from leaks, cracks in the walls, one broken window. They’d never survive in the colder climate.
They were all seated in the restaurant now when another man walked in. Jared didn’t need Shelby jumping up and running toward Billy to know it was him; the resemblance to his father was there. Jared wondered if Billy looked in the mirror and thought of that and wished it weren’t so.
“How did you manage this?” Billy asked, reaching for his younger sisters and hugging them too.
They were strangers in some ways and not in others. The six of these siblings loved and cared for each other and didn’t feel any resentment toward Billy and Shelby for leaving.
“Jared threatened Dad,” Dolly said. She’d been the quietest, but now it seemed she was finding her voice. “He told Dad that he’d come after him if he laid a hand on us again. Or on Mom.”
“Dolly,” Shelby said. “Jared didn’t say that exactly. Don’t be putting words in anyone’s mouth.”
Jared smiled. “I want to know if your father lays one hand on any of you, then I’ll deal with it.”
He’d find a way to get them out, or get Bart behind bars. If he had to help Shelby move her siblings to Annapolis, he’d figure out a way to do that too. He was going to give her that family she wanted so desperately. Or give her the one she had back as best as he could.
When dinner was done, Billy pulled Shelby aside and had a few words with her, then they hugged and Jared took her siblings home, going back to the hotel afterward.
“What did Billy say to you?” he asked once Kayla was sleeping.
“He apologized. You were right. He said he wished he could have done more. That he felt like a failure to me and everyone else. He offered to have Carolyn move in with him, but she wanted to go with her friends once they worked out the details.”
“He’s a good guy.”
“They all are, surprisingly. Considering our life, you’d think we’d all be damaged or repeat the cycle. There are all sorts of reports and studies saying that.”
“I don’t see it. I think you all have a bond that you were looking for all along. That you’re all hoping to get back at some point. I’m just going to help you get it sooner rather than later. At least for some of you.”
“Jared. I love you. I love everything about you. That you stood up for me. That you’re giving me what I’ve wanted for so long. That you even knew what to do to see that I got it. I don’t know how I got so lucky in life. And to think I fought myself by trying to hold back. Thank you for not giving up on me.”
“No. It was me that got lucky. And I’m only going to get luckier.”
Epilogue
“Are you okay with this?” he asked again. It’d been almost six months of living together. Four of those months they’d been engaged. The engagement was turning into a wedding—today.
“Seriously?” she said as he was leaving to go to the restaurant they were getting married in. She had her own things to prepare for.
“I just want to make sure. It’s been kind of a whirlwind romance.”
She burst out laughing, making him smile in return. “We’ve been together seven months. I think whirlwind might be like meeting in Vegas and marrying all in one weekend.”
“Not quite. But you did know me longer than Ethan.”
“Longer and more. Now get out of here and let me get ready. Kayla and I want to make sure we look pretty for you.”
“You’re going to be gorgeous. Both of you.”
Two hours later, he was waiting at the altar, the music started to play, and Billy walked Shelby down to meet him. Kayla was already there holding his hand. Carolyn was standing in as the bridesmaid, Jared’s brother Jeremy, the best man. No other member of Shelby’s family could attend, but he was happy that her two oldest siblings did. He wasn’t even expecting that much and had been willing to pay for them all to get here. He was glad she didn’t throw a fit about him paying for Billy and Carolyn.
Shelby’s father was staying in line, from what he heard, but he wasn’t letting the kids under eighteen out of his sight, much less out of state. The same with his wife. Jared could only do so much and hope that the pictures of their wedding would be enough for her mother.
Shelby came to stand in front of him, and he lifted the veil off her face. She’d never had a big wedding or even a proper wedding dress her first time around. He wanted her to have it all, even if there were only about seventy people in the room. Most of them on his side.
The ceremony was short, sweet and to the point. He kissed his bride and he kissed her good. But before he walked down the aisle with her, he turned and asked the judge to hand over the last final piece for everyone to know and see.
“Kayla,” he said, lifting her up. “Guess what?”
“What, Jay?” she said, bouncing in his arms. She was almost more excited about the wedding than Shelby and him.
“I really am your daddy now. I guess you knew it all along.”
“Daddy!” she squealed again, and kissed his cheek, then wrapped her arms around his neck.
The End!
Want to read more of the Love Collection?
Secret Love:
Vin Steele has always been in control. Always been a leader. Failing at what he always did was a bitter pill for him to swallow, sending him into an isolation…of sorts. A new life and a new career, trying to find the person he lost.
Piper Fielding spent her life putting on a good face. Looking for the positive in the light of all the negative in her world. When a threat forces her to face the ugliness she always avoided, she finds herself running to the only person she can trust. Her sexy neighbor that has mystery and complications written all over him.
True Love:
Shattered dreams vs a new beginning. Can they help each other heal?
Jared Hawk thought he had it all. Until he didn’t. Until a bomb exploded bringing a building down around him and his unit, leaving him less than the man he was. Broken and disabled, he needed to figure out a new plan of action hoping to find a glimmer of the happiness he’d had before.
Shelby McDonald wanted a fresh start. A new life. She d
idn’t expect to be a single mother—a widow—at just twenty-three. She was strong enough to start over once, she could do it again. She had to. She had no choice. It may not have been the life she envisioned, but she’d be damned if anything was going to hold her back…including the sexy Navy Lieutenant trying to find his way again.
The Road Series-See where it all started!!
Lucas and Brooke’s Story- Road to Recovery
Jack and Cori’s Story – Road to Redemption
Mac and Beth’s Story- Road to Reality
Ryan and Kaitlin’s Story- Road to Reason
The All Series
William and Isabel’s Story — All for Love
Ben and Presley’s Story – All or Nothing
Phil and Sophia’s Story – All of Me
Alec and Brynn’s Story – All the Way
Sean and Carly’s Story — All I Want
Drew and Jordyn’s Story— All My Love
Finn and Olivia’s Story—All About You
The Lake Placid Series
Nick Buchanan and Mallory Denning – Second Chance
Max Hamilton and Quinn Baker – Give Me A Chance
Caleb Ryder and Celeste McGuire – Our Chance
Cole McGuire and Rene Buchanan – Take A Chance
Zach Monroe and Amber Deacon- Deserve A Chance
Trevor Miles and Riley Hamilton – Last Chance
The Fierce Five Series
Brody Fierce and Aimee Reed - Brody
Aiden Fierce and Nic Moretti- Aiden
Love Collection
Vin Steele and Piper Fielding – Secret Love
Jared Hawk and Shelby McDonald – True Love
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