I didn’t make it back to school before I opened the bag he’d given me. I got as far as the state line, and stopped for gas. When I opened the bag, the smell of Brock’s cologne wafted up, and when I reached in my hand was met with soft cotton. I grabbed the object, and when I lifted it out I discovered he’d given me five Marsh View Football shirts. He’d parted with his entire collection. A note was resting in the bottom of the bag.
So you can keep me close every day of the week.
Love, Brock
I held the shirts to my nose and sniffed hoping that I’d find comfort in them, but my heart ached already and I knew that the next two months were going to be some of the longest in my life. Fall Break couldn’t get here soon enough.
Epilogue
Christmas Break
Emma
It had only been three weeks since we’d seen each other, but it seemed like forever. The last day of finals dragged by so slow I could feel myself aging. All I wanted to do was get in my car, and go home. My parents were planning a Christmas party for the first time in years, and it wasn’t a football thing. Mom had been surprised when Dad suggested it and announced that it would be for friends and family. She was even more surprised when he willingly suggested to invite Brock.
Things at Thanksgiving were strange. Dad would glare at me whenever Brock would kiss me or touch me. I knew some of it was teasing. He was always good at intimidation, and he seemed to have perfected it with Brock. What was even more odd was Brock fought right back. It seemed at times he would do things just to get under Dad’s skin. I had hoped when I got home tonight that some of it would calm down, but I was wrong.
When I pulled into our driveway, I noticed Brock’s car along with a few others lining the street. I could hear loud shouting as I made my way up the front steps and through the door. When I shuffled in with my bag, Mom was standing a few feet away with her arms crossed over her chest. “I think that’s enough, Nick,” she growled as she rolled her eyes. I couldn’t see who was with my Dad but I could hear lots of male voices shouting and cheering someone on. “Come on, no pussies here tonight. Show us what kinda man you are,” was coming from around the corner. I rolled my eyes as I let my bags drop and began to close the distance between myself and Mom. I came to an abrupt halt when I reached her and saw what she was mad about.
There sitting at Dad’s poker table were his coaching staff, including Brock. “Hey Baby,” Brock slurred as he looked up at me all bleary eyed.
“Your father decided to have poker night here tonight,” Mom rolled her eyes as she mumbled under her breath. “Guess who’s losing.”
“I can’t help it if I’m a master with cards,” Dad mused before chuckling. “Kid can’t hold his liquor,” he pointed at Brock with his thumb. “Not my fault either.”
I shook my head as I watched Dad rake chips toward himself. Mark, his assistant, began shuffling and dealing another hand while Uncle Cam poured another shot of whatever they were drinking. “Here,” Uncle Cam pushed it toward Brock. I watched him eye it for a few seconds before Dad glared.
“You know the rules,” he pointed and smirked.
Brock sighed before lifting it to his lips and tipping his head back. “Fuck, I’m never playing cards with you again.” He downed the shot and slammed the glass on the table before closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths. “Oh shit! I’m gonna hurl.”
“You blow chunks in here and I’ll kick your ass, Foster!” Dad warned.
I watched as no one else at the table took a drink. In fact, no one else really looked drunk at all. “Wait,” I stared at them before continuing. “What kinda game is this? Why is the he the only one drinking?”
“Loser takes a shot,” Uncle Cam grinned.
“But you all lost. Dad won,” I pointed at them.
“Winner gets to pick which loser takes a shot,” Uncle Cam clarified. “Guess who’s gotten picked every time?” he snickered as he picked up the new hand of cards in front of him.
“Guess who’s keeping his hands and whatever else to himself tonight?” Dad piped up.
“Daddy!” I gasped. He planned this. He knew that I was coming home tonight. He knew that I’d want to spend the evening with my boyfriend, so he worked extra hard to get him drunk off his ass and cock block me.
“Yes, Sweetie,” he smirked at me. “Your boyfriend needs poker lessons,” he snickered. “Not my fault he can’t play,” he shrugged.
“I wanna play,” I piped up. My dad taught me how when I was a kid. I never played much anymore, but he knew I knew what I was doing.
“I don’t think that’s such a great idea,” Dad narrowed his eyes at me.
“Why? You think you might lose?” I smiled sweetly as I came over beside Brock. “I’ll play in his place. I missed you,” I leaned down and placed a kiss to his cheek.
“Miiisss you tooo,” he slurred. “Wanna ssssiit?” he slid back from the table and held his arms out, beckoning me into his lap. I rolled my eyes before glaring at Dad. I slowly lowered myself onto his lap, but kept one foot on the floor to make sure I didn’t fall. Two of Dad’s assistants that were sitting there watching us verbally spar started snickering when Dad’s face reddened. He clearly didn’t like the fact that his little plan was failing.
“Deal,” I gritted out before smiling at Uncle Cam. He chuckled before passing cards out.
It didn’t take long before Dad knew he was done for. I shut him up in one game with a Royal Flush. He muttered something about how he shouldn’t have taught me so well before sighing and giving into his fate. Uncle Cam poured a shot and I pushed it across the table toward Dad. “You know,” I grinned “if I was mean like you, I’d keep playing and ruin your night but I love Mom too much,” I shrugged as I stood and tried to help Brock stand. “This was low, Dad,” I slung Brock’s arm around my shoulders as I gripped him at the waist. “Come on,” I murmured to him. “I’ll drive you home.”
“Em,” Dad groaned.
“I’ll be back in a little bit,” I tossed over my shoulder. I guess Dad meant what he said about having fun with Brock. I just hope it ended soon before he gave my boyfriend alcohol poisoning.
The Christmas party that my parents had been planning was today. Our house had been a flurry of activity since I woke up. I didn’t know what time everyone left from the drunk poker game. When I had returned home from taking Brock to his place, they were still going at it and Mom had joined in. She and I were the only ones who could give Dad a run for his money. I guess she was getting tired of seeing him win every hand. That or she wanted to retaliate for me.
Mom had been in the kitchen all day preparing finger foods, and Dad had been outside hanging Christmas lights. That used to be our thing, but I guess when I didn’t come home last year it all changed. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, and I still remember the year that Dad made it snow. I had pestered him for weeks about wondering if Santa would grant my wish, and he did. I didn’t figure it out until years later that Dad and Uncle Cam had stayed up half the night turning our back yard into a winter wonderland. It was his present for Mom, and we spent every minute of the day playing in it until it turned to slush and melted.
When guests started arriving that night, my excitement level grew. Brock would be sober, and maybe I’d get the kiss I deserved the night before. I’d made Dad promise to lay off during the party and he swore he would. He kept looking at me though with this weird expression all day. I’d caught him daydreaming several times, but whenever I’d ask if something was wrong he brush me off.
I’d dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a red sweater tonight. I knew it would be warm with so many people in the house, and as the crowd grew I discovered I was right. I spent the first part of the party greeting guests as Mom was too busy to answer the door, but soon found myself hanging out with Aaron and his friends that had come over. “Let’s go out on the deck,” I whined as I fanned myself from the heat of the crowd.
“In a minute,” Aaron mumbled be
fore raising his chin in a hello to someone behind me. “S’up man?” Aaron nodded as I felt a hand snake around my hip. I jumped at first, but relaxed back into a hard chest as a pair of soft lips pressed a kiss to the side of my neck.
“Hey,” his voice was quiet and I grinned before turning in his arms.
I lifted mine to wrap them around his neck before pushing up on my tiptoes and pressing my lips to his in a quick kiss. “Hey,” I grinned as I pulled back. “What took you so long?”
“Had some things I needed to do,” he swallowed as a nervous look washed over him. It disappeared as fast as it had shown up and I chalked it up to be hungover from the night before.
“Want some eggnog?” I smiled up at him.
“Did your dad make it?” a sick look covered his face.
“No, Mom did,” I giggled. “We have soda too.”
“I’m never drinking with your dad again,” he grumbled. “I felt like I was back in college this morning. My stomach still isn’t right.”
“I’m sorry,” I sighed.
“It’s ok,” he wiped his hands down his face and I notice small beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
“Are you ok?” I tipped my head to the side to appraise him.
“I will be,” he muttered so quietly that I barely heard him, “in a minute.” He grabbed my hand and began weaving through the crowd, pulling me behind him. When we stopped I noticed a few people staring at me. They began pointing and smiling, and I looked up to see we were under the mistletoe.
“You know if you wanted a kiss, you didn’t have to come over here. All you had to do was ask?” I giggled as I watched him swallow.
“Ok,” he took a few deep breaths and I watched as the world around me ceased to exist. Brock sunk down right in front of me as he clasped my hands in his. “Emma. I love you. I’ve known you were special for a long time. You’re the one for me. Whether it’s drunk poker nights with your dad or skinny dipping in the ocean, you’re the one I want with me. We’ve got time to figure out the details, but I want you to spend forever with me. Marry me, Emma and let’s catch the raindrops together.”
I hadn’t even realized I was crying until I felt the tears drip off my chin. I was frozen as the past six years swirled through my brain. Watching this boy turn into the man in front of me. Dreaming of being his one day. Praying every night in bed that he would notice me, and then finally having it happen. Now here he is kneeling in front of me uttering the words that I’d only heard in my dreams.
“Em?” he tugged my hands, causing me to jump back to the present. I could hear people whispering ‘say yes’ all around me with others sniffing. I looked at Brock and then searched the crowd for the one person I wanted approval from... my dad. My parents were standing in a corner in the back, Mom leaning against Dad with tears trickling down her face. Dad had his lips pressed together as if he were trying to hold his emotions in check. I’d never seen my father cry, and I think if I’d actually made him talk to me at that moment, he would have lost it. He gave a subtle nod before hugging Mom tighter.
“Em?” Brock tugged my hands again. “I asked them first,” he smiled as he reached into his pocket and produced a ring. He held it up between his thumb and index finger, the lights from the Christmas tree reflecting off of it. “Your mom said it belonged to your grandmother. Say yes. Spend forever with me,” his eyes looked worried but his mouth kept smiling.
“Yes,” I nodded vigorously. “I love you. Yes.”
Brock stood, slid the ring on my finger, and then wrapped me in his arms. Right there in front of my parents and all their friends, he slipped his arms around me and crashed his mouth into mine, giving me the most soul searing kiss we’d ever shared. The voices around us faded into the background as I surrendered to him willingly.
“I can do that whenever I want now,” he murmured when he pulled back, “and I plan to take full advantage. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I giggled.
The rest of the night was spent wrapped in each other’s arms whether it be on the deck, couch, or later that night in Brock’s bedroom. We talked about the future and we talked about me finishing school. We said we’d wait out the two and half years I had left in school. Just as we were getting ready to fall asleep, rain began to pelt the windows.
“Guess it’s not snowing tonight,” Brock mused. “Too warm.”
“Come on,” I rushed to his front door in only an oversized tee, and flung it open. “Let’s catch ‘em!”
The End
Coming Soon- Trusting You (Aaron and Mel’s story)
Wanna see how it all started? Go back to Nick and Leah’s beginning with Destined, the prequel to the Shattered series.
Catching Raindrops Playlist
Peter Pan- Kelsea Ballerini
Wasted Time- Keith Urban
Different for Girls- Dierks Bentley
Anything But Mine- Kenny Chesney
Just Like Fire- Pink
Alive- Sia
Night’s On Fire- David Nail
Bulletproof Picasso- Train
And So It Goes- Jordan Smith
Running For You- Kip Moore
Tell Your Heart to Beat Again- Danny Gokey
I’m Still Here- From Jem and The Holograms
Wanna Be That Song- Brett Eldredge
If the Boot Fits- Granger Smith
Other Works by H. D’Agostino
The Second Chances Series
Unbreak Me- book 1
The Boy Next Door- book 2
The One that Got Away- book 3
Inside Out- A Second Chances Novella- book 3.5
Fallen From Grace- book 4
The Family Next Door- book 5
The Shattered Series
Destined (Shattered 0.5)
Shattered (Shattered #1)
Restored (Shattered #2)
Renewed (Shattered #3)
Fated (Shattered #4)
The Broken Series
Irreparably Broken (Broken #1)
Saving Us (Broken #2)
My Broken Angel (Broken #3)
Broken Pieces (Broken #4)
The Cook Brothers Series
Walking Among the Cherry Trees
Beyond the Cherry Trees
Before the Cherry Trees (Coming Soon)
The Witness Series
Being Nobody- book 1 in The Witness Series
Becoming Somebody- book 2 in The Witness Series
Promise Me Tomorrow- book 3 in The Witness Series
Say You Remember- book 4 in The Witness Series
Below the Surface- book 5 in The Witness Series (coming soon)
Standalones
Privileged
Beautiful Goodbye
Acknowledgements
Where do I start? I have an amazing team that helps bring these stories to life. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do what I love...WRITE. I am going to try and make this short and sweet. Thank you, Kellie Montgomery, and the ladies at Eye Candy Bookstore. Thank you, Angie and Melinda, the best friends a girl could have. Your friendship means the world to me, and I don’t know how I would survive without it. Thank you Marissa Shor from Cover Me Darling for the amazing cover. Thank you to all the blogs out there that have help share teasers. Thank you to all the members of Heather’s Hotties for sharing info and offering feedback. You guys are amazing. Thank you to my beta team, Angie, Melinda, Heather, and Tabitha.
Thank you to the one person I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank enough, my husband. He picks up the slack when I’m pushing to meet a deadline, offers support on the nights I feel like giving up, and tells me more times than I can count that I don’t suck. He was my first reader, and an inspiration at times, and I’ll never be able to repay him.
Thank you, readers, for giving Brock and Emma a chance and allowing me to do what I love. I never thought when I wrote Nick and Leah’s story three years ago that it would turn into this. Your love for these characters has created something I can’t pu
t into words. Now, as I tell the story of their children, I hope you love them just as much. Please take a minute to go to the site where you purchased your copy of Catching Raindrops and leave a review. It doesn’t have to be anything long, just a few words telling me your feelings on the story. Reviews help spread the word to other readers, and I appreciate your feedback.
About the Author
Heather D’Agostino is an avid reader turned Bestselling Author of the Contemporary Romance Series The Broken Series, The Shattered Series, The Second Chances Series, The Cook Brothers Series, and Romantic Suspense series The Witness Series.
She attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Elementary Education with a minor in Mathematics.
She currently lives in Central New York with her husband, two children, two dogs, and three cats. When she’s not writing she can usually be found at the dance studio, soccer field, or one of the many other places that she plays ‘Supermom’.
You can follow her here:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/H.DAgostino.Author
Twitter: @hdagostino001
Website: http://hdagostinobooks.weebly.com
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Heather’s Hotties: https://www.facebook.com/groups/877863252256341/
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I love hearing from my readers, so please feel free to reach out.
Catching Raindrops (The Sutter Family #1) Page 16