“I have it covered,” he said. “Trust me. I’ve been watching tons of YouTube videos.”
“Videos about what?” Brynn asked. “God, Cooper, she’ll have the baby in a hospital, even if she goes into labor while Roland is gone.”
“I know I’m not delivering the baby,” Cooper said. “But I know all about being a labor support person and stuff. Lamaze breathing. Meditation and visualization. Timing contractions. Cervical dilation. Potential medical interventions and their pros and cons. I’ve got this shit on lockdown.”
“Bro, if I was having a baby, I’d totally want you as my labor support person,” I said.
Cooper smiled and went back to his rice. “Thanks, man.”
Brynn looked back and forth between the two of us.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“Actually, as much as I’d love to be here to hang with Zoe, I have something else planned for us today.”
“Can’t, dude, I already told you I’m chillin’ with Z-Miles,” Cooper said.
“I meant planned for me and Brynn,” I said. “That thing we talked about?”
Cooper’s eyes widened. “Oh, right. Awesome. Don’t worry, dude, I haven’t said a word.”
“Thanks, bro.”
Brynn slid her hand into mine. “What do you have planned?”
I winked at her. “You’ll see.”
An hour later, we were dressed and on the road. Brynn didn’t ask questions when I went straight to Salishan. I drove out past the Big House and the guest cottages, then kept going down a side road that wound along a creek that cut through the property.
I parked on the edge of an open expanse of land that they didn’t use for anything. Yet.
“What are we doing out here?” she asked.
“Looking at our house.”
“Our house? I don’t understand.”
The field was level, but behind it, the land rose in a sharp incline up the side of the closest peak. Tall pine trees covered the hill, with just a few spots of exposed gray rock. The higher mountains beyond rose into the clear blue sky. It was beautiful out here.
“I talked to your mom after we got home from Victoria. Long story short, she offered us a parcel of Salishan land to build a house of our own.”
She gasped, covering her mouth. “Oh, Chase. Are you serious?”
“Yeah. Although if we decide to do it, we’ll have to wait until her divorce is finalized. Considering the shit your dad is trying to pull, this might not end up happening. But she wanted us to know that if it’s in her power to make this work, and if it’s what we want, we can build here.”
“This is what you want? You want to live here?”
“Shit yeah, I want to live here,” I said. “Are you kidding? I grew up on this land. Maybe it wasn’t mine the way it was yours, but I love this place. I can’t imagine anywhere else I’d rather be. But if you want some space, or want to go live somewhere else, I won’t hold you back. I’ll follow you anywhere, if that’s what you want.”
She took a shaky breath and swiped beneath her eyes. “This is my dream, Chase. This was what I was dreaming about when I wrote Brynn Reilly in my diary. I used to imagine that we lived here, at Salishan. We were married and built our own house and got a dog.”
I put my arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. “Awesome. What kind of dog should we get?”
“How about a sweet rescue dog who needs love,” she said.
“I love our dog already.”
She laughed, leaning into me. “Why are you so amazing?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I’m not, really. I just love you.”
“You keep making all my dreams come true.”
I kissed her head. “Do any of those dreams involve me going down on you in my truck? Because I’d be more than happy to make that dream come true right now.”
Grabbing my hand, she laughed, tugging me toward my truck. “It’s what I’ve always wanted.”
She was what I’d always wanted. I hadn’t always known it. She’d been right there in front of me for most of my life. But once I’d opened my eyes and truly saw her for the amazing, beautiful woman she was, I’d been hooked. She’d taken my heart, but I never wanted it back. It was hers. And I was going to spend the rest of my life cherishing her. Loving her. Taking care of her and making her happy in any way I could. Because she was my family. My love. My life.
Because she was mine.
I hope you enjoyed Brynn and Chase’s story! Want more Miles family? Cooper’s story, Reckless Miles, is coming in September!
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Afterword
Dear Reader,
Whether you went into this book knowing Chase was the hero, or you found out when you opened to chapter one, I sure hope it met your expectations.
I knew that Chase would fall head over heels for Brynn way back when I started planning the series. They’ve known each other their whole lives, but Chase always kept Brynn off his radar. She’d crushed on him for years, and really, who could blame her.
And when they finally did come together, it was fireworks and magic and all sorts of awesome things.
This was an interesting book to write because the conflict was more external than internal. Once Chase realized he wanted to be with Brynn, there was no hesitation. Even with his history of keeping relationships short and casual, Brynn changed everything. And she’d spent her entire life loving him from afar. It didn’t take much for the two of them to realize they were made for each other.
So it wasn’t a case of either character pushing back, or needing time, or living in denial. They fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, and they both knew it.
Brynn’s family, however, wasn’t quite so excited. Especially Cooper. And there we have the source of most of the conflict and tension.
What I loved about writing this book was incorporating not just a romance, but Chase and Cooper’s bromance. Their friendship faces its first big test in this book. Up to this point, they’ve always gotten along fine. They were living their lives, both happy with things as they were.
Enter Brynn, and not only does Cooper have to cope with his BFF having a very serious girlfriend, that girl is his baby sister.
It’s no wonder Coop had a rough time. He was struggling with a lot of change, coming at him from multiple directions.
But in the end, love, and bromance, wins the day. And now we have the goofball boys finding a new path for their friendship. One that includes Brynn in an entirely new way.
I hope you enjoyed Brynn and Chase’s story! There is definitely more to come from the Miles Family. Cooper’s story is up next!
Thanks for reading!
CK
Acknowledgments
Reviews are a great way to help other readers discover new books and authors. Thanks to everyone who’s read and reviewed Forbidden Miles. I appreciate it so much!
Thank you so much to everyone on Team CK. Elayne for cleaning up the manuscript and making sure it’s all polished and shiny. To Cassy for creating another gorgeous cover.
To my beta readers, Nikki and Jodi, for helping me make this book the best it can be. Your feedback was amazing as usual.
A special shout out to Nikki for pushing me to write the book the way I did. Yes, you were right. I’ll admit it.
To David for your ideas, support, and love. And for inspiring you know who.
To my author friends for being amazing and always having my back. I love your faces!
Last, but most definitely not least, to my readers for continuing to read my books and support this crazy thing I do. I love you all so much.
Also by Claire Kingsley
For a full, up-to-date listing of Claire Kingsley books, click here.
The Miles Family Series
Broken Miles: Roland & Zoe
Forbidden Miles: Brynn & Chase
Reckless Miles: Cooper & ??
Gaining Miles: A Miles Family Novella
Bootleg Springs
by Claire Kingsley and Lucy Score
Whiskey Chaser
Sidecar Crush
More books in the Bootleg Springs series coming soon
Remembering Ivy
His Heart
Book Boyfriends
Book Boyfriend
Cocky Roommate
Hot Single Dad
The Always Series
Always Have
Always Will
Always Ever After
The Jetty Beach Romance Series
Must Be Love
Must Be Crazy
Must Be Fate
Must Be Home
The Complete Back to Jetty Beach Romance Series
The Back to Jetty Beach Romance Series
Could Be Forever
Could Be the One
Could Be the Reason
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About the Author
Claire Kingsley writes smart, sexy romances with sassy heroines, swoony heroes who love their women hard, panty-melting sexytimes, romantic happily ever afters, and all the big feels.
She can’t imagine life without coffee, her Kindle, and the sexy heroes who inhabit her imagination. She’s living out her own happily ever after in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and three kids.
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Join Claire’s Facebook group, Alpha Ever After, for lots of book talk, hot man candy, and plenty of shenanigans.
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