Until You (The Happy Endings Resort Series Book 11)

by Heather Dahlgren

  After we both recover, I get rid of the condom and pull her into my arms. “I love you so much, Murphy,” I say, kissing her shoulder.

  “I love you too, Hunter,” she replies, and I can hear the exhaustion in her voice.

  “Sleep baby. I’ll see you when I get off of work tomorrow.”

  She simply nods and I grin because even watching her fall asleep is sexy.

  Leaving her in my bed, whether she’s naked or not, is hard as hell. So when I get home after work I can’t wait to get to her place and pull her into my arms. I take a fast shower and throw on a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt. I decide to take my truck and see if she wants to go grab something to eat. I pull up to her place and bounce up the stairs. I knock once and walk in.

  I expect to see her waiting for me, maybe having a drink or hell sitting here in my old t-shirt. What I don’t expect to see, what has my heart barely beating is seeing her luggage in the living room. I spin around and notice that everything is packed up, the kitchen, the living room. I can even see out the back window that her table and chairs are put away. I’m so confused and starting to get nervous because maybe something is wrong. “Murphy,” I call out.

  She walks out of the bedroom, pulling a suitcase behind her. She locks eyes with me and stops in her tracks. “Hunter,” she whispers.

  I try to step around all her crap to get to her and when I do she gives me a tight smile. “What the hell is going on? Are you leaving for good?”

  “I got a call from my firm today and was offered this huge case,” she says looking at me with a smile cracking her lips.

  “And you what? Just figured you pack up and hurry the hell out of here before I got off work? Were you even going to tell me you were leaving?” I’m so pissed right now. I’m doing everything I can to control my temper.

  “Hey, I wasn’t just going to leave without saying goodbye.”

  “So that’s it? You go back to New York and resume the boring life you tried to escape?” I know it sounds nasty, but she’s the one who told me she wanted more. I was her fucking more.

  “That’s not fair. This case is huge, and I need to go. I’d regret it if I didn’t,” she says pulling her suitcase to sit beside her. I shake my head and turn away from her. “Hunter, wait.” I turn back around and she is smiling. “These last few weeks have been the best of my life and I do love you, but I need to do this. You can understand that right?”

  I give my best fake smile and shake my head. “You said enough. Your only regret would be missing out on a huge case, not missing out on this,” I say pointing a finger between us. She doesn’t say anything so I turn toward the door. Pushing it open, I turn my head to look at her “This is why I don’t do relationships. I told you, everyone always leaves.”

  With that I let the screen door slam behind me and make my way to the truck. I’ve only felt this pain two other times, when my mom left and when my dad passed away. Now I’ve lost Murphy, and I know that nothing will be the same again.

  In the month I’ve been back in New York all I’ve done is work on this case. It’s consumed me, and I think since my heart is bleeding, it’s for the best. I haven’t had time to think about how much I miss Hunter. I only dream about his voice, his touch, the way he made me feel, made me laugh. The beautiful places we picnicked, swimming at the lake, and hiking around the resort.

  “Murphy, it’s going to be another all-nighter, so you better order some food for yourself,” my boss says to me as he gets ready to leave for the night.

  “Okay,” I say as he closes my door. Another all-nighter by myself.

  After eating Chinese takeout and working several hours, I drop my pen and rub my eyes. Exhaustion is setting in, yet I have so much more to do. I start typing on the computer and as the words blur together I shake my head. I need to get a little sleep.

  Thankfully I have a small couch in my office and I climb onto it letting sleep pull me under.

  Those haunting eyes, so sad and hurt. I’m standing in my trailer back at Happy Endings Resort, and I feel those eyes on me no matter where I go. I decide to go sit outside, hiding from their hard gaze.

  I smile when I breathe in the air. It smells crisp and fresh, like wildflowers and the woods. It’s intoxicating, making me happy I came back. Looking over to the right I see muddy footprints, and I cock my head because I don’t remember seeing them when I walked out here. My curiosity gets the best of me and I get up to see where they lead.

  I follow them all the way to the lake and they seem to just disappear, but out of the corner of my eye I see more. The day has suddenly turned to night and a cool breeze has me rubbing my hands on my arms, but I still need to find out where these footprints are leading.

  I blink my eyes and I’m inside a grotto. It looks so familiar, yet I can’t place it. Have I been here before or maybe just dreamt about it? The moonlight shining in is beautiful and lets me see just how stunning it is in here.

  When I hear footsteps I know it is whoever I am looking for. Part of me is excited, but part of me is nervous. I sit down on a log and wait as the footsteps grow nearer. I hear leaves moving and bite my lip waiting to see who exactly it was that has lured me here to this little piece of paradise.

  “You’re the only person I’ve ever brought here. It took years to make and I’m so glad you like it,” I hear a familiar voice say and jump up.

  “Wow. I’m the only girl you’ve ever brought here?” a high pitched, squeaky voice says.

  “Yes, you are. Now let’s have sex because you are beautiful and I love you,” he says and I suddenly can see the two people.

  One of them is Hunter and the other, I have no idea who she is, but she is loving the attention he is paying her. He’s lying to her because I’m the only one he’s brought here, I remember now. This is his grotto and this is where we had our first unofficial date.

  Just as I smile thinking of the memories he kisses her, and I start to cry. “Hunter, no! Hunter, stop please! I’m here, Hunter, I’m here,” I scream trying to get his attention, but it’s no use. He doesn’t hear me, doesn’t see me, yet I hear and see it all. How could he do this, just forget me so quickly and bring someone else here?

  I’m sobbing trying to get him to notice me, and when I realize he never will…

  I wake up screaming. Holy shit, it was just a dream. I hold my hand over my pounding heart and take a second to gather my thoughts. That’s when I realize I’m actually crying, heavy tears running down my face. “It was only a dream, yet it felt so real,” I whisper to myself as I stand up to get a sip of water.

  After calming myself down, I shake the thoughts of my dream and get back to work. The only sound I hear is the clicking of my keyboard. I look over toward the clock and say, “The damn clock.”

  Hunter was right, I just ran back to the same boring life I had. Why the fuck did I do that? I was so happy there, so in love. I jump up and grab my things before writing a quick note to my boss.

  Good thing I got a few hours of sleep, because I intend to drive until I reach Happy Endings Resort.

  **

  It takes close to fifteen hours of straight driving, but I finally pull up to my trailer. The second I see it my heart beats faster. I hate that the last memory I have of this place is the sadness on Hunter’s face. I shake my head and grab my suitcase before going inside. I take a deep breath and smile. “I’m home.”

  After sleeping until dusk, I get up and take a shower making sure to do my hair and makeup to perfection. My nerves are getting the best of me, but I need to find Hunter. I have a lot to apologize for, and I can only hope that he will take me back.

  I step outside into the cool air and wrap my arms around myself. Without even thinking, I head straight for the grotto. I don’t know why, maybe it was my dream or maybe it was that this is where I starting to fall for him. Either way, my feet carry me and before I know it I’m ducking under the branches. As soon as I step in the air in my lungs is sucked out. It’s empty, yet I feel Hunte
r all around me. I walk over to a log and sit down. Looking around makes my heart hurt. I’ve really fucked up. I never should have left, I should have followed my heart.

  I sit for a while and when I realize this isn’t getting me anywhere, I stand up. Just as I walk toward the only way out, I hear leaves rustling in the wind and my pulse picks up. Fuck, what if Hunter is actually bringing a woman in here. As much as it hurts to think that, how could I blame him? I did exactly what he feared, I left him.

  I stand frozen in place and the second Hunter steps into view my knees go weak. In that moment, seeing him after a month, I know that he is my world.

  “Murphy? What the hell are you doing here,” he asks with a bite in his tone that I expect.

  “Hunter, we need to talk,” I say, hoping he will hear me out.

  He crosses his arms over his chest and keeps his distance from me. Even if he doesn’t accept my apology, I still need to do it. He deserves that at the very least. “Remember when we first met and you were so pissed because I didn’t believe you when you said nothing happened with us?” He give a slight nod of his head and I’m grateful to have his attention, it spurs me on. “Remember how you went out of your way to make sure I knew what happened, that I knew what an amazing guy you really are?” I move a bit closer to him and he doesn’t budge an inch. “That’s what I’m doing now. I need you to know how sorry I am. I was selfish and hurtful. You were right, I ran back to New York to continue with my boring life. The thing is, I finally realized the reason my life is boring, unfulfilled, and lonely in New York is because that isn’t where I belong. I belong here, with you.”

  I move to stand right in front of him and I want to reach out and touch him, but he still has a hard look on his face. “It took you leaving to realize that? I fucking knew that long before you left,” he says looking through me.

  “I fucked up. I fell in love with this place, with the residents…with you,” I whisper.

  “You left, Murphy, just like I knew you would. I don’t know why you want to come back just to leave again,” he says with more hurt in his voice this time.

  “I left Happy Endings Resort, I left South Carolina, but I didn’t leave you, not completely.” I take a chance and rest my hand on his arm, and I feel the muscle flex beneath the skin. “I left my heart with you.” He searches my eyes looking for the truth and I let him because I have nothing to hide.

  With my pulse racing and my heart in his hands I take a leap. A leap to my happiness, my future, my forever. “I am so sorry I hurt you. I can’t say it enough, but I’d like to make it up to you for the rest of our lives.” I can’t help the tears that run down my cheeks, but I continue, “I love you, Hunter, and I want to come back. Can you give me another chance? A chance to prove it to you, like you proved to me?” I don’t know what else to say, yet I feel I need to say so much more.

  In an instant he pulls me into his arms and my tears are unstoppable. He hold me so tight to him that it’s hard to breath, but I don’t give a shit. “Murphy, this last month has been as hard if not harder than losing my parents’. I don’t know if I can trust you completely or even if I forgive you, but fuck I need you,” he says, and I hear the emotion in his voice.

  He releases his hold on me slightly and presses his lips to mine. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know for sure it includes Hunter because I didn’t know what living was, until him.

  One Year Later

  The last six months have been the best of my life. Murphy moved to Happy Endings Resort and even though it took time to fix all the wounds, we worked through it all. It wasn’t easy and it took a great deal of trust and honesty, but damn it’s been worth it.

  After we worked through everything and things were even better than when she left, we decided to move in together. Neither of us wanted to get rid of our trailers, they both hold too many memories, so we ended up buying the cabin that I had restored. It was beautiful, huge, and the perfect home to share with the woman I love.

  When she told me she quit her job in New York, it was the beginning of her getting my trust back. I knew she was in this one hundred percent. I talked to Rory, the owner of Happy Endings Resort, and she helped Murphy get a job with Jason Duke. She didn’t want to give up law and now that she was working with Jason, she didn’t need to.

  “Hunter?” I turn to the sound of Murphy’s sweet voice. “Are you sure we got enough food? I mean there’s a lot of people coming today.”

  I chuckle and pull her into my arms. “Baby, relax. They are coming to celebrate our engagement. They should be bringing us food.” She smacks my chest and I laugh. “We have plenty of food, plenty of drinks, and plenty of time.”

  She pulls back a bit and searches my face. “Plenty of time?”

  I lean down, nipping her ear and whisper, “For me to worship your body.” She shivers and lets out a soft moan.

  If you would have asked me two years ago if I thought I’d get married, I would have said no way. But that all changed the second my eyes landed on Murphy. She’s made me a better person, a man that I’m proud to be. Who enjoys life, trusts with all his heart, and loves furiously. Murphy is the reason I found the man I was supposed to be, because my life was incomplete, until her.

  The End

  Acknowledgements

  I can’t say thank you enough to my beta readers and friends, Alexandra Godfrey and Alisha Cole. Your input and encouragement means the world to me. Thank you for everything you do for me. Your support is endless and I appreciate it more than you will ever know.

  A special thanks to my PA Ally (Alexandra Godfrey). You go above and beyond to do so much for me and I can’t thank you enough. You have been in my corner since day one. Thank you a million times over for all of it.

  A huge thank you to Ella Emerson for pushing me, supporting me and helping me every step of the way with this book. Your friendship means everything to me.

  Thank you a million times over to Silla Webb. You are a brilliant editor and formatter and I am so happy to be able to call you my friend.

  Thank you Kari March for a stunning cover, I adore it and you.

  Jennifer Benson without you this series would not exist. Thank you for bringing us all together and for this brilliant idea. I’m so grateful for the friendship we have formed.

  To all the blogs and bloggers that help spread the word, read my books and write amazing reviews. Without you the Indie world would be a much harder place. I can’t thank you enough for all the support you have given me. You are all my rock stars!

  A special thanks to my husband Russell. You put up with a lot, don’t think I don’t appreciate it. You shell out a lot of money to make my dreams come true. Thank you for your support. I love you.

  Thank you to my three amazing kids, Russell Jr, Jeanette and Hailey. Thank you for understanding when I yelled that it was because I was writing. For dealing with a grumpy mom a lot of the time. Most of all thank you for being three of the best kids a mom could have. I love you all with all my heart!

  To each and every one of my readers, without you I am nothing. I cannot thank you enough for being along for the journey. You are the reason I love doing what I do. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  About the Author

  Heather Dahlgren writes Contemporary Romance, sprinkling each book with a bit of humor, a lot of naughty and true love. She self-published her first book in 2014 and continues to do so today. Her over active mind promises the stories are in no short supply.

  Heather grew up and still resides at the Jersey shore. She loves being so close to the Atlantic Ocean and the Pine Barrens. She is surrounded by the best of both worlds.

  She is married to her high school sweetheart and has three kids. There is nothing more important in the world to her then her family.

  When Heather isn’t writing you can find her getting lost in a great book, spending time with family and helping her fellow authors.

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