Loving Ashley

by Lauren Nicole

  I almost choke on my drink at that comment. Not that I don’t want kids; just don’t want them now.

  “What is Liz going to do?”

  “We don’t know. She might move down here and get an apartment or stay up there with friends. It’s hard to tell. One day she is all for it and other days she wants nothing to do with it. Plus, your grandparents are still up there, so she has them.”

  “I’m excited. I’ll go with you Monday if you want.”

  We talk a little longer about the plans on Monday. I can feel my body starting to get tired, so I tell my parents I am going to lie down. I haven’t heard from Taylor since this morning so he must be busy. I can smell his cologne on my pillow. Digging my nose farther into the pillow, I pass out with a smile.

  I wake up to a featherlike touch running down my face. When I open my eyes, Taylor is sitting beside me on my bed. I roll to my back and wince in pain.

  “Hey, sleepyhead.” He leans down and places a kiss on my lips.

  “Hi.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Sore, but not bad. What time is it?”

  “A little past six. Your mom is cooking dinner.”

  “Of course she is, that woman can’t sit still to save her life.” I chuckle but it’s true. My whole life she has never sat still longer than ten minutes while at home. She’s either cleaning, cooking, or doing some kind of craft.

  “Come on, baby, let’s go eat.”

  He helps pull me up and we make our way to the dining room. My mother has made her famous chicken and dumplings from scratch that are to freaking die for. My father is sitting at the table already, eagerly waiting.

  “Smells good, Mommy,” I say as we take our spots at the table.

  “I know it’s your favorite,” she says, smiling at me as she sets the last dish on the table.

  Chapter Thirty

  TAYLOR

  While I was at the bar submitting orders and doing payroll, the police stopped by to see the surveillance camera and scene from last night. Right now I know that he is being held without bond. When I arrived at Ashley’s, I wasn’t sure if I should have walked in or knocked, so I went with the safest option and knocked. Her mother greeted me, telling me that she was resting in her room. When I entered her room she was curled up in the middle of her bed with her head in the pillow I slept with last night.

  Now we are enjoying her mother’s delicious dinner around the table. It makes me miss my parents, I can’t wait until they get here in a couple of days.

  “So, Taylor, what brought you to Florida? Ashley says you are from North Carolina,” her dad asks.

  “Yes, sir, after high school I attended Duke on a basketball scholarship, but after I tore my ACL for the second time, I didn’t want to chance any more injuries, so I focused more on my studies. My brother Thomas lived here and I have always loved it. When I came down last year, we found the perfect location for the bar.”

  “What position did you play?”

  “I was a power forward. Sometimes I filled in at center but not often.”

  We talk some more about basketball and eventually move on to football. The girls left the table a little while ago while we continue to sit here and talk. I’m glad that I get along well with her dad. Sometime this week I would like to get him alone and talk about Ashley, because I know I will ask her to marry me one day. After we bullshit for some time, we head over to the living room and join our women who are now watching a movie.

  Later that night, when I crawl into bed with Ashley, I text Thomas.

  Me: How’s the bar running?

  Thomas: Just fine, brother. Leave me alone and go spend time with your girl.

  I chuckle at his response; he always thinks I’m checking up on him when I am just seeing how things are. I lie in her bed, completely awake, while she is wrapped around me sleeping peacefully.

  Thanksgiving Day comes up fast. That morning the moms and girls are in the kitchen prepping all the food. My house has never smelled better. The four of us guys are in the living room, gearing up for the football games later that afternoon.

  “Taylor, mind taking a walk with me?” her dad asks, although there is no other answer than yes.

  I get up and slip on my shoes then we head out back and take a seat at the table while sipping on our beers. To be honest, I am a little nervous.

  “So, Ashley told me what happened with the guy last week. I want to hear your side. Plus, I’ve seen the cuts on your hand.”

  “I was upstairs in my office, waiting for her arrival. Since it was getting late and I hadn’t heard from her, I headed down to the bar to ask one of the bartenders if they had seen her, because that’s normally her first stop so she can say hi to the girls. When I got there and they told me she was here and was headed to my office, I got worried because I hadn’t seen her. Right after that my head of security warned me that the guy, Jacob, had entered my bar, I knew then that something wasn’t right. I started looking for her and had all my guys looking for her. When I finally found her, he had her against the wall near the back staircase. I tackled him to the floor and beat the shit out of him.” My blood still boils thinking about what could have happened.

  “Well, first, thank you for protecting her when I couldn’t. I worry about her sometimes. She is one of my baby girls and if something were to happen to her—” he pauses, shaking his head—“I don’t think I would ever make it.”

  “Sir—”

  “Please, call me Mark.”

  “I have her best interests at heart, I knew there was something off with that guy the first time I met him. That’s why he was on the watch list at work.” Taking a moment, I pause to gather my thoughts. “Mark, I love your daughter with everything I have in me. She will never be in danger with me around. One day, I plan on marrying her and starting a family together.” There it is, my big plan.

  “Taylor, I know we just met this week but I have heard nothing but great things about you, and I would like nothing more than for you to marry her. But I’ll warn you now—if you hurt her in any way or break her heart, I will kill you. No questions asked.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Good, now let’s go inside and watch this game. Dinner should be ready soon.”

  We stand up and make our way back inside. As I’m exiting my en suite, Ashley comes walking in the room.

  “Hey, baby.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “Of course, why wouldn’t it be?”

  “I saw you outside with my dad, just wanted to make sure he didn’t run you off.”

  “Baby, nobody can run me off. We were just having some guy talk.”

  I pull her down to the bed with me and roll her under me. Sealing my lips over hers, I drag my hand down her body and grip her ass. Pulling her body against mine, she whimpers as my erection grinds into her sweet spot. Her nails dig into my back, pulling me closer to her, if at all possible. I trace my fingertips up her thigh and move her thong aside while I insert two fingers into her pussy.

  “Taylor,” she moans.

  “Shh, our parents are out there.”

  I kiss her lips again to silence her and move my fingers faster in and out of her. When I feel her tighten around me, I place my thumb over her clit and press down; she comes all over my fingers. When her body goes limp underneath me, I pull my mouth away, along with my fingers, and suck her arousal off them. Fuck, she tastes so sweet.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” she replies.

  After we get her cleaned up, we join the rest of the family—she goes to the kitchen while I go to the living room. When the dinner is ready, we all gather around the table. I have a lot to be thankful for this year, and most of it is because of the girl sitting next to me, fulfilling all my dreams I never thought possible. After we eat, all the guys clean up and we spend the rest of the day watching football and drinking beer. The girls are going to the mall to shop tomorrow. I’m happy to see both families getting along w
ell.

  While the girls are shopping the next day, the four of us guys go golfing. I gave Ashley money and told her to get some stuff for both our parents and siblings. The plan right now is to go up there for Christmas. Our parents are only four hours from each other, but since my parents are moving down here in January, we are spending the holidays at her parents’ house. We have planned to close the bar Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but we have a huge party planned for New Years.

  Once all the holidays pass, my focus is going to be when and how I ask the girl of my dreams to marry me. I have a few ideas planned but don’t know for sure what I’ll do. Both of our parents leave the following Sunday. The four of them became the best of friends by the time they leave; our mothers even swapped phones numbers so they can keep in touch. Her parents also plan on moving down here once they sell their house. That makes my girl happy, and if she’s happy then I am, too.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  ASHLEY

  The school year has finally come to an end. It’s such a bittersweet moment for me. Michael’s dad was sentenced to two years in jail and three years of probation for attempted rape, assault, and a couple of other charges. His grandparents have full custody of him, and I can tell a huge difference in his personality now versus the beginning of the year. Taylor and I have been together for almost a year now. Things between us have gotten nothing but better. I went back to work at the bar but only once a month, just when they need someone extra. And I only work the VIP section so Taylor can keep an eye on me. His protectiveness drives me crazy, but I know he does it because he loves me.

  As I’m getting ready for my last day of work, there is a knock at my door. Looking out the peephole, I don’t see anyone. Opening the door, I’m met with a dozen red roses sitting in a vase. Picking them up, I take them to the table and place them in the middle of my dining room table. Plucking the card out, I read the words from scribbled handwriting I know so well.

  Do you know how much I love you?

  –T

  How sweet is that? He never fails to amaze me. He is always doing sweet stuff like this. For Christmas, he gave me a heart necklace with our initials engraved into it. I wear it every day and never take it off. Pulling out my phone, I text him, but I know he’s sleeping so he won’t respond for a while.

  When I enter the school, I see some of the kids lined up along the wall beside my door. The first little girl is holding a basket.

  “This is for you, Miss Williams.”

  “Thank you, Jenna.”

  The next kid in line hands me a note, it reads:

  Here are eighteen reasons why I love you.

  Each of the eighteen students hands me an apple, and each one has a message—I love your smile, your kindness, your gentleness, I love waking up with you, going to bed with you, your eyes are gorgeous, your smile will brighten anyone’s day. I begin to cry halfway through. Each and every apple has something written on it, the next one sweeter than the last. When I enter my class, I see Taylor in the center of the room, down on one knee. The sight alone almost makes me fall to my knees.

  “Ashley, I love you so much. Never did I think I would find someone who would love me for me. You are everything I have dreamed of and have been waiting for. You have healed me in ways I never thought possible. I thank God every day that you walked into my bar that night. But most of all, you have become my life; I can’t see my life without you in it. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy and building a family with you. Ashley Williams, will you marry me? Make me the happiest man in the universe?”

  The tears are now falling even harder than before.

  “Yes, yes!” I shout, throwing myself at him. He stands up and engulfs me in his arms. All my students are cheering in the background and run to us, hugging our legs. I pull back and look into his eyes, seeing nothing but love and happiness.

  “You have just made me so happy,” he says.

  He opens the ring box and pulls out a four-carat princess cut ring. Holy shit, that thing is big. He slides the ring on, which fits like a glove.

  “It’s beautiful,” I say, staring at it. I can’t take my eyes off of it.

  “Not as beautiful as you.”

  I look to my left and see both our parents standing by the wall, our moms have tears falling down their faces. They both rush over to me, wrapping their arms around me.

  “Congratulations, baby,” my mother says.

  “Welcome to the family, honey.”

  After we have all calmed down, it’s time to get my class started. We only have a half-day so we are just watching movies and having a party. Once all the kids are settled down and watching the movie, our moms prepare snacks for the kids.

  Taylor pulls me out into the hallway. “God, I love you, baby.”

  “I love you, too. Did you get my message about the roses?”

  “Yes, but I was busy setting this up.”

  Leaning up, I seal my lips with his. If we weren’t at school, I would probably drag him into the room.

  “How did you do this?”

  “I set it up with the help of the principal and parents.”

  “This has been the best day ever, and it just started,” I say, leaning up and kissing his lips lightly.

  “The day is not over yet, baby. We have dinner plans at seven for just the two of us and then we’re going away for the weekend.

  “You think of it all, don’t you?”

  “Of course, baby.”

  When I get home later that afternoon, I try to pack my bag for the weekend, but it’s difficult to know what to bring when I don’t know where we’re going. We eat dinner at the new sushi restaurant downtown. After dinner, he takes me to Panama City beach. He booked us the penthouse at the Ritz Carlton for the weekend. The whole weekend is spent in bed, making love to my future husband.

  My dreams have finally come true. I am the future Mrs. Clark.

  Epilogue

  TAYLOR

  One Year Later

  As I spin my bride around on the dance floor, I couldn’t be happier. Today is everything I thought it would be. Ashley looks gorgeous in white; my beautiful angel is now my wife. Our friends and family surround us on our joyous day.

  “Mrs. Clark, I think you have had a lot to drink tonight.”

  “Nope, I’m good. I want to keep sober for our night,” she says while winking at me.

  “Oh, baby. I plan on keeping you up all night, until we have to leave for the airport in the morning.”

  She goes back to resting her head on my chest and we finish our dance out. Then I leave her on the dance floor with Nancy and Liz. They are laughing and swinging each other around. I grab a beer from the bar and head over to the table where the guys are sitting. Each table has a teal tablecloth with roses in the middle. The hall is decorated exactly how Ashley envisioned, I let her have everything she wanted. I just sat back and agreed. And I must say, she did a damn good job.

  “What’s up, guys?”

  “There’s the man of the hour,” my brother shouts.

  “So, how does it feel to be a married man?” CJ asks.

  “Fucking amazing. In about an hour I’m taking my wife away for a whole week to myself.”

  We sit there and bullshit through a couple of songs while the girls dance. After the last fast song, Ashley heads over to join our moms, she looks absolutely stunning sitting there with a smile as big as the world. She glances my way and our eyes meet. Giving her a sexy wink, I go back to talking with the guys. One by one they disperse until it’s just Thomas sitting here with me.

  “Hey, bro, got a minute? I need to get something off my chest.”

  “Of course, I am always here for you.”

  He swipes his hand down his face. This must be serious, Thomas seems nervous.

  “Nancy’s pregnant.”

  I spit the drink out of my mouth. “What?”

  “Yeah, I don’t think Ashley knows. Nancy wants to tell her when she gets back. But Nancy is
n’t sure that she wants to be with me any more.”

  “Well, shit. I’m sure you guys will figure it out. You have a week without us here so you can maybe figure something out. Just remember, you will see her for the rest of your life, so don’t push her into anything and take things slow.”

  “Thanks, man. I want us to be together, I just need to make her see that.”

  “Good luck, bro. I don’t even know what to tell you to help. That’s a tough situation.”

  He nods and takes another sip of his beer. Just then, Nick walks up to Thomas and begins to ask him a question.

  On that note, I clasp Thomas on the shoulder to interrupt him. “Sorry to run, bro, but it’s time to grab my wife and whisk her off this floor and into my bed.” He shakes my hand and Nick does the same before resuming their conversation and I head over to my bride.

  Walking up behind her, I bend down and place my mouth next to her ear. “You ready, baby?”

  She looks over her shoulder to me and nods. Our friends and family line up along the sidewalk as we make our exit to the waiting limo. I grab the bottom of her dress and help her into the waiting limo. The driver pulls away, leading us to the hotel that awaits our arrival.

  “I love you, Mrs. Clark.”

  “I love you more, Mr. Clark.”

  The End!

  Acknowledgments

  To my dear husband, Ryan, thank you for always pushing me to achieve my dreams. Never did you think any of my ideas were dumb. You continue to push me to do my best. I don’t know what I would do without. You put up with my late nights and going to bed alone. I love you.

  Kaylee: There are no words on how to explain what you mean to me. I love our chats and plot changes. You have been with me, encouraging me every step of the way. I owe a lot to you. Thank you for everything you do! I love you!

  Sierra: Girl, there are no words to explain you. You have become one of my best friends in this Indie world. Everyday, I look forward to our chats and voice messages. You always seem to make me laugh no matter what. I freaking love you!