A Soldier's Roots (Roots series Book 2)

by Tessa Elaine

  I go through everything in my head I'm going to say. Every argument, every plea, I will not go down without a fight. The worst is over, it's out there now. I just need him to fight with me, not against me. I'm so scared he's going to think we're not worth fighting for. That this rift between him and my brother is too much.

  I still can't believe Lucas, he didn't just attack his best friend, he attacked me too. Maybe not physically, but his words hurt worse. I don't think I have ever seen the guys fight, and I'm pretty sure that's the first punch that has ever been thrown.

  I can't stop the tears when I'm the reason they are fighting. Two men I have seen grow closer than any siblings, two men I have watched fight for each other almost their whole life, and all it took to tear it apart was me.

  Who knew the one thing to break a lifelong friendship was me.

  Chapter 23

  Wyatt

  Fuck, I didn't mean to hit him, but the second he started to talk about Sarah like that I saw red. No one talks about her like that, fucking nobody. I can’t stand the thought of her sleeping with someone else, but to hear her brother talk down to her, it sent me over the edge.

  I didn't mean for him to walk in and catch me with my hands and tongue all over her. I just missed her so damn much, and the second I got her in my arms, I lost all reasonable thought. She pulled me in and kissed me with so much force, I wanted to take her right there in that hallway.

  She smelled amazing, like sugar and citrus, so damn sweet and intoxicating. Her soft body pressed to mine, her fist clenched around my collar. I needed her as much as I needed to breathe.

  Then my best friend is there, pinning me to the wall. When I spun him around it was on instinct, I wasn’t going to fight him. I told myself before I got there I would take whatever he doled out. That if I let him get it out, it would be done and over with.

  That ended the second he opened his mouth about Sarah, accusing her of fucking shitty men. I'm the only man that she has been with, and it's going to fucking stay that way.

  Sarah is mine!

  When Mr. Wayne came in, and he and Logan pulled us apart, I lost all fight in me. One look from that man and I feel like a little kid again. I see the disappointment in his eyes, I hit his son, and I'm sleeping with his daughter. How could he not be disappointed?

  Logan drags Lucas to the kitchen and Barrett is dragging me outside. I'm sure it’s to tell me to never show my face here again. I'm prepared to grovel, beg him not to take her from me. Sarah loves her family, and I know it's no choice between them and me.

  I walk off the front porch and stand at the end of the steps, trying to catch my breath. I have my hands laced behind my head, doing everything I can not to fall apart.

  “Son,” Barrett says the one word that buckles my knees, and I go down. At the foot of his steps, steps I grew up on, I'm on my knees ready to beg.

  “Sir,” it's the only word I can get out.

  I don't know where to start, this is the man who took me in, and I disrespected his home and his family.

  I look up at the sky and see him standing over me, his hand out to help me stand back up. God, how many times has this man put me back on my feet? Picked me up when I needed it? Too many to count.

  I let him help me up again, but this time he pulls me into a hug. I'm so surprised it takes me a second before I return it. Barrett pats my back then holds me at arm's length, looking me in the eyes.

  “I'm sorry, sir,” I tell him.

  “Wyatt, my boy, you don't have a damn thing to be sorry for.” When he says my boy, I can't help but puff up my chest. But I'm surprised by what he says next. “I hope you know I don't have two sons, I have three. You have been a part of this family, and that will never change. Families fight and then they get the fuck over it because it's family.”

  I consider the Waynes family, and I know mama and Lex do too. It's still nice to hear Barrett say it.

  “I'm still sorry sir; I should not have caused a scene in your home on Thanksgiving.” I apologize even though he told me I did nothing wrong. It feels like the right thing to do.

  “I heard the whole thing. I didn't step in at first because I thought you boys could work it out. But you know what a hot head Lucas can be, his mouth speaks before his head can think. He's never been good at the ‘think before you speak’ thing, has he?” I shake my head.

  “I'm going to tell you the same thing I know my wife is up there telling Sarah right now. We want our kids to be happy. If Sarah makes you happy and you make her happy, then son, we are happy. My little girl is smart, and she makes her own decisions. No one has ever told Sarah what she can and can't do.” I smile because he's right.

  When we were kids, if you told Sarah she couldn't do something, that's the first damn thing she did. That girl was fearless, and it made me love her more. She will fight like hell for us, and I can't do any less than fight with her.

  “Sir, she means the world to me, and I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to keep her happy.” I start to say more, but he holds up his hand.

  “I don't doubt that for a second. You have mine and Eva's blessing, Lucas might need a minute, but I promise you, your friendship will not break because of this.” Barrett shakes my hand and turns to leave but stops at the door.

  “I have never been so scared when I thought we were going to lose you, I don't think this family would survive losing a kid. We had already lost so much with Elena and her parents.” He pauses and takes a deep breathe. “I'm happy you made it home to us, home to your family. Now go check on our girl, then come down and have dinner. You have thirty minutes.” He nods at me.

  “Yes, sir,” I say, but it comes out raspy. Barrett has never talked about what happened over there, he only ever listened when I needed to talk. But to hear him say it would have hurt to lose one of his kids, me, it almost brings me to tears.

  I let him walk into the house first and have to compose myself before I go in after him. I'm walking to the stairs when Eva comes down. She stops at the step that puts her eye level with me, and she kisses my cheek.

  “Put each other first and love her like there is no tomorrow. Sarah will give you all of her, she never does anything halfway.” I hold my hand out and help her down the last few steps.

  “Yes ma'am,” I tell her as she walks off.

  My heart is so full right now it could burst out of my chest. I get my girl, and we don't have to lose anyone. Lucas and I will work this out, I just need to show him how much Sarah means to me. I have pushed her away and let him believe the town about my man-whore status. I'm done letting them believe I have no morals, I'm done letting them spread rumors.

  Sarah is my one, and only, nothing will keep me from her.

  I knock softly on her bedroom door before I open it. It’s a flash to the past when I step through the door of her childhood room. Still exactly how she left it before I went off and joined the military. Her posters on the wall of her favorite band, old computer sitting at her desk.

  I look around and see that same photo from the lake of the four of us. I swear we all have a copy of that picture. A nice reminder of simpler times.

  Sarah is sitting at the end of her bed, and I take the chair right in front of her. Holding my hand out, needing her to come to me. The second her fingers wrap around mine I know everything will be okay. Pulling her into my lap I hold her close, breathing her in.

  We both sit quietly, not wanting to break the spell. The quiet is nice, just trying to gather my thoughts before we both head downstairs. We have to face them sooner or later, and Thanksgiving dinner isn’t over yet.

  Brushing her hair back from her face, I place a finger under her chin, needing her eyes on me.

  “Princess, they’re all waiting on us. You ready to do this?” I ask her.

  “As long as you are right there with me, I’m ready for anything.” Best thing I have heard all day.

  I place a chaste kiss on her lips because lord knows if I let it go any further we won't
be leaving this room. I think there has been enough action for one day.

  I stand from my chair and help Sarah to her feet, taking her hand in mine we leave behind her old room. I don’t dare let go of her hand as we make our way to the kitchen, where everyone waits on us. If we do this, we do it together.

  “Ready, princess?” I ask one last time. She gives me a bright smile and nods her head.

  I push open the doors leading to the dinner table, and all eyes turn to us. I see lots of smiles, and I’m relieved they are happy for us. There is one set of eyes that are looking at me that don’t seem so happy, but not as angry as they were an hour ago.

  “Time to eat,” Eva says breaking the silence.

  Sarah and I take our seats. I bring her hand to my lips, kissing it before letting her go. We are across from my Mama and Lex, and they are beaming at us. To my right at the head of the table is Barrett and the other end is Eva. To my left are Sarah and then Elena and Lucas. Next to Lex and Mama is Logan. Everyone is here, and the food looks amazing.

  I could say what I’m thankful for, but the list is long. I will say at the top of that list is Sarah and my family. I wouldn’t be sitting here right now without any of them. They all stood by me through the hardest part of my life. I hope those days are behind me and I have nothing but a beautiful future to look forward to.

  Epilogue

  Sarah

  After the epic Thanksgiving dinner, one that I’m sure none of us will forget, things got back to normal. Christmas dinner went a lot better, and between the holidays Lucas and Elena made the baby announcement. I’m super happy for the two of them, and I cannot wait to be an aunt.

  A little baby Wayne running around will be good for everyone.

  Wyatt and I are incredible. I honestly don’t think it could get any better. He spends most of his time at my house because it’s closer to my work. Mutt has become a permanent resident and he even has his own bed in our room.

  With Lucas and Elena’s wedding fast approaching, everyone's a little crazy. This wedding is going to be beautiful, and I am so happy for my brother and best friend.

  You’re probably wondering about Lucas and Wyatt. Let me just say, these men are stubborn as hell. Elena and I both tricked the guys and got them to Mac’s Bar. They didn’t know the other would be there and it wasn't easy to get them in the same room together.

  Lucas was still pissed that we were together, I don’t think it was so much for the fact that we are sleeping together. I think it's more that we kept it from him and lied to him every time he brought it up. And I’m sure no one would have been good enough for me in his eyes. But I’m happy, and I think he finally saw that.

  Needless to say, we got them to the bar and made them talk to each other. Things are finally back to normal, and I could not be happier. Wyatt is going to be the best man at the wedding along with Logan, my younger brother. Aubrey and I are the Maids of honor and I get to walk down the aisle on Wyatt’s arm. I have zero complaints.

  I’m making dinner tonight for Wyatt, and I want to ask him something serious. We haven’t really talked about it, because we are never apart, so it hasn’t been brought up. But I’m going to ask him to move in with me. My house is a little bigger, and it’s close to work for both of us.

  I get dinner done about the time he walks through the door. Mutt greeting him as he hangs his coat, jumping up and down at his feet. After petting the rotten little thing, he makes his way to the kitchen.

  I have the table set, and plates made, just pouring a glass of wine when he walks in. Wyatt wraps those strong arms around me, and I melt. I lean my head back on his shoulder, and we sway back and forth while he holds me.

  “Something smells great,” he whispers in my ear. I hum in agreement and lead him over to the table.

  Taking our seats, we both dig into dinner, talking about our day and the upcoming nuptials. Sometimes it’s still hard to believe this is my life, that I have this wonderful man in it, with this incredible family. I’m truly blessed.

  After dinner, Wyatt helps me clean up, and we make our way to the living room, watching the game before bed. It’s so nice to kick back at the end of the day and fall into his arms.

  Wyatt’s sleepless nights are becoming fewer and fewer. But still, on the nights he can’t sleep he likes to work in the shed. I had him turn the small one in my backyard into his workspace. It doesn’t have all his tools, but it has enough to keep his mind busy.

  Sitting there in his lap I have to work myself up to ask him. Things wouldn’t change that much, it would just be all his stuff with mine. I would love that.

  “Move in with me,” I blurt out sitting up in his lap.

  “Princess...” Wyatt laughs, and I worry he's going to say no.

  “You don’t have to answer right now, you can think about it if you need to. And you won't have to get rid of your cabin, I just thought you are here most of the time, and I love having you here,” I’m rambling now.

  Wyatt stops my incessant chatter with a soft kiss to my lips. I moan and slide my arms around him, needing to be closer to him.

  “You didn’t let me finish.” My cheeks burn. Wyatt runs his nose along mine, kissing my lips with every pass. God, I love this man.

  “Are you sure you want all my crap in your house?” he asks.

  “As long as all your crap comes with you, then hell yes!” I say enthusiastically.

  “Then yes, Princess, I would love to move all my crap in.”

  Wyatt scoops me up off the couch carrying me to our room. We spend the night like every night, wrapped in the sheets and wrapped around each other. My soldier came home to his roots, and I am forever grateful.

  About the Author

  Tessa Elaine was born and raised in southern Missouri where she currently resides with her two beautiful children. She is obsessed with reading paranormal romance and the dirtier, the better. She soon found that her love for reading and her love for writing went hand in hand. She writes contemporary erotic romance novels. Tessa hopes you enjoy the stories as much as she does

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TessaElaine2017/

  Twitter: (@tessaelaine2017): https://twitter.com/tessaelaine2017?s=09

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  Amazon: amazon.com/author/tessaelaine

  Other Books by Tessa Elaine

  Back to my Roots (Montana Roots Book 1)

  Acknowledgement

  This story took a little longer to write than I expected. I was so worried about getting Wyatt and Sarah's story right. I wanted to do justice to the struggles of PTSD, but also give the story I know all of you wanted. I have a long line of military family that have served and are still serving, their sacrifice and bravery is incredible. I have so much respect for the men and women who serve. So first I have to say thank you to them and their families.

  I want to say thank you to the ever patient and amazing Dee Ellis. I honestly don't know what I would do without you. Always there when I need you, helping me work through things in my head, and pushing me to the finish line. I feel so blessed to call you a friend.

  Thank you to the patient ladies that beta read for me. It took me forever to get this story done, but the second I finished, you were all there for me. Tamara, Emma, and Hailey, you encouraged me and gave incredible feedback. Forever grateful to each of you.

  Thank you to my amazing editor, Jenny Dillion. You are always so kind with your words, so patient with my terrible grammar and punctuation. You make my books better and make me laugh while I go through my edits. The encouragement and praise you give me mean the world to me. You are an amazing editor and one of the sweetest people I have had the privilege of knowing. Thank you so much for everything you do.

  Thank you to my family for supporting me and putting up with all the work that goes into each book. You're my rock, and I love you.

  Thank you to my readers, without you I wouldn't be doing what I love. When you tell me how much you love Lucas
and Elena and you need Wyatt and Sarah’s story. It means more to me than I can ever put in words.

  Last but certainly not least I have to say thank you to my grandmother. We lost her in 2017 before I got to publish that first book. But I know she is smiling at me and rooting me on. She was always there to support me in whatever my dreams were, and I wouldn't be where I am today without her love. You are forever in my thoughts and in my heart.

  Thank you!

  Can I Ask A Favor?

  If you enjoyed this book, found it useful or otherwise, then I’d really appreciate it if you would post a short review on Amazon. I do read all the reviews personally so that I can continually write what people enjoy.

  Thanks for your support!