Breaking Away (Rocking Racers Book 3)
Page 20
“But?” I ask, knowing it’s coming.
She smiles. “But your brother doesn’t want me handling that or anything else even remotely stressful, at least for the next seven months.”
“What?” I ask her; there’s a massive smile on her face. She rubs her stomach lovingly. “Seriously?” My smile mirrors hers.
She nods. “We only found out a week ago.”
“Does anyone else know?”
She shakes her head. “We haven’t had time, really.”
I wrap her up in a hug. “I am so fucking happy for you guys, and this one,” I say as I release her and rub her stomach.
“Thanks, Mav.”
Just then Reed comes rushing up to us. “There you are. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
“Don’t stress, Papa,” I tell him. “I had your family covered.”
My brother looks at me and I see the effect being with Bria and having a family have had on him. He’s lighter, happier. I’d even go so far as to say he’s complete. I like to think I have a similar look now I’m with Aubrey.
I hug him. “You did good, bro.”
He slaps my back. “So did you.”
We release each other and try to ignore the fact we just had a very unmanly moment. We continue our walk to the concert area where the medal ceremonies are held, and Aubrey is waiting for me.
She grabs my face between her palms. “I am so proud of you.”
“I love you,” I tell her. It never gets old saying that to her, and I know it never will.
“And I love you. Now go on up there and get your medal. I might even model it for you later.” She winks and slaps me on the arse. Fantastic, I now have to accept the medal I won after a highly publicised comeback with my dick tenting my shorts. Fucking awesome. But even as I try and disguise my hard-on, I’ve got a massive smile on my face.
That smile is still there the next day when I defend my Moto-X title and bring home another gold. Naturally Aubrey took great pleasure in reminding me that she told me I’d be better than I was. She’s right. I am, because I have her now too. That’s why, two weeks later at Bethesda Terrace in the middle of Central Park, one of my favourite places in the world, I ask the woman who’s become my world to be my wife.
“Aubrey,” I say, getting down on one knee, “you are the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. You are strong, you are forgiving, and so goddamn beautiful it hurts. I have no idea why you chose me, why you continue to put up with all my bullshit, but you do and I am so thankful. You have made and continue to make my life better. You make me better, and I want to have you by my side for the rest of my life. I love you with all my heart and soul. Will you marry me?”
After a heart-stopping minute in which tears flow down her beautiful face, she finally whispers the word that makes me whole. “Yes.”
I crush her to me, my face buried in her midriff. Her fingers run through my hair and eventually I gather myself to slip my ring on her slender finger. “It’s beautiful,” she says of the two-carat, vintage-inspired ring.
“It matches the woman who wears it,” I tell her. She looks up at me with tear-stained eyes, and I know this is right. That every move I made in my life was leading me to this moment, to her.
I never thought I’d be happy; that wasn’t my goal. My goal was to be free. I knew in doing that I’d have to break away from my family, and that would never make me happy. Then I did it, and I found this amazing woman who understands me, who accepts me, and more importantly, doesn’t take my shit. She doesn’t let me wallow and she tells me when I’m being a stubborn arsehole. Lord knows why she’s with me, but I have a feeling my ma and nan might have had something to do with it. Now I know that life doesn’t have to be all or nothing. It’s about balance. I’m not just one thing, I’m many. I’m a brother, a son, an uncle, a lover, a friend. I’m an FMX rider and an IT geek. I don’t have to choose. I don’t want to choose between the two, because both are a part of me; they’re just not all of me. When I left Booker, I was so afraid my family would hate me. I should’ve known better. My family are as much a part of me as riding is, and if I don’t have to choose, neither do they. Not that there would be a choice; family is family, no matter what. Aubrey and Josh are proof of that. In my mind, breaking away from family meant being alone, but in reality it was how I became whole.
Author’s note
Before you complain that you didn’t hear from Aubrey and her final thoughts, there is more to this story! I do plan on writing a novella outlining the conclusion to Mav, Aubrey, and Josh’s story. But there is a catch.
Words can’t express how much I loved writing this book. It was pure joy and surprised the shit out of me. When I was writing Breaking the Cycle, Mav was very much a fringe character. Then when I was writing No Place to Hide he came out of his shell. Now, he won’t shut up! I figured out fairly quickly after I finished typing up this manuscript that he wasn’t done, that there is more to Mav, Aubrey, and Josh’s story. It will probably pick up a little bit after the conclusion of this book. The problem with that is, I can’t write it until I fill in the intervening years. Characters who will be introduced in that period will appear in this novella. As I can’t tell you what happens with Maj (as I’m going to call them) without giving away spoilers for Jax and Park (whose stories will take place in the intervening years), everything is going to have to be released chronologically. So, you’re going to have to wait a little bit to see what happens. Hopefully that wait won’t be too long, but in the meantime you will have Jax and Park to keep you company!
Important information
Gambling addiction is a serious issue. If you or someone you know is struggling, please seek help.
In Australia:
ACT/NSW 02 9726 6625
QLD/NT 0467 655 799
SA 08 8212 6933
Tas/Vic 03 9696 6108
WA 08 9487 0688
In America:
See gamblersanonymous.org to see a state by state listing of numbers you can call, or to chat or attend a meeting.
Acknowledgments
It’s funny, when I was writing Breaking the Cycle, Mav never really stood out for me. He was part of the family, but not a character I was particularly interested in or knew a lot about. That all changed when I was writing No Place to Hide. He pushed his way in and made his presence known. I am so glad he did! I loved writing this book. I felt like I pushed myself, and the story, so much. I’ve said before that Reed is the guy I want to marry, and Jax is my favourite, but Mav has very quickly stolen my heart. Naturally Jax had to get his two cents in and try and convince me otherwise, but there’s just something about the “mysterious” Ryan. I hope you love him as much as I do.
As always, I want to thank everyone who has picked up a copy of Breaking the Cycle or No Place to Hide. It’s still surreal that I have one book published, let alone three! I still can’t believe there are people out there who like my stuff, it’s crazy! But thank you from the bottom of my heart.
To everyone at Hot Tree Publishing. It truly was fate that I stumbled across your family, but I’m so glad I did. Becky, you have built something incredible, and I am so honoured to be a part of it. Liv, you are the best editor a bumbling writer could ask for, thank you for turning my words into something amazing. To Justine, Donna, Virginia, Barbara, and everyone else who works behind the scenes to get our words into something tangible, thank you so much. To my fellow authors at Hot Tree, ladies, you push me every day to be a better writer. You also keep me sane, or at least at a level of insanity I can operate at! I still don’t think, and may never think, I am worthy of a place amongst you, but you are the heart of my book family and I love you all to death! To Gen, Trysh, and Mary, ladies, you are the best friends a girl could ask for! Thank you for the laughs, the advice, and the ink.
As always, thank you to my parents, who have always supported me, no matter what. Thank you so much. Your love, acceptance, and support mean the world and I am truly blessed (and someti
mes cursed, let’s be honest!) to call you my parents.
To the amazing men who inspired Mav; Maverick Weller (Go Saints!), Stephen James, Tom Pages, Cam Sinclair, Dany Torres, Robbie Maddison, Bilko Williams, Rob Adelberg, Josh Sheehan, et. al, thank you and please stay safe!
To everyone who has Facebooked, tweeted, or blogged about my Rocking Racers, thank you so much for your support. The indie community is incredible and a force to be reckoned with!
To Allens. Thank you for making All About Red. It was my fuel while writing this book!
To Mandy Pederick, who created the awesome family tree graphic for me at the start of this book. One down, seven to go!
To anyone who has felt lost or unsure or trapped, it’s okay. It’s scary, but you’ll be okay. Close your mind and follow your heart, it knows the way.
To the people who are supporting the lost, unsure, or trapped, thank you.
Finally to you who have read this, you will never know the depth of my gratitude. Seriously. Thank you for letting my boys into your life. I hope you love them as much as I do. (I will fight anyone for them though, so be warned!) If you do love them and this book, please consider leaving a review. A few words are all it takes, but it makes such a big difference. Thank you!
About the Author
Megan Lowe is a lost journalism graduate who after many painful years searching for a job in that field, decided if she couldn’t write news stories, she would start listening to the characters whispering stories to her and decided to write them down. She writes primarily new adult and contemporary romance stories with sport and music themes.
Based on the Gold Coast, Australia, Megan’s heart belongs to New York City. When she’s not writing, she’s either curled up with a good book, travelling, or screaming at the TV, willing her sporting teams to pull out the win.
Megan would love to hear from reader.
Facebook: facebook.com/MeganLoweAuthor
Twitter: meganlowe87
More from Megan
Breaking the Cycle (Rocking Racers #1)
www.hottreepublishing.com/breaking-the-cycle
No Place to Hide (Rocking Racers #2)
www.hottreepublishing.com/no-place-to-hide
Breaking Away (Rocking Racers #3)
www.hottreepublishing.com/breaking-away
Be on the lookout for more in this series.
If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review, sharing your thoughts with your friends, and recommending it to other book lovers.
About the Publisher
Hot Tree Publishing opened its doors in 2015 with an aspiration to bring quality fiction to the world of readers. With the initial focus on romance and a wide spread of romance sub-genres, we envision opening up to alternative genres in the near future.
Firmly seated in the industry as a leading editing provider to independent authors and small publishing houses, Hot Tree Publishing is the sister company to Hot Tree Editing, founded in 2012. Having established in-house editing and promotions, plus having a well-respected market presence, Hot Tree Publishing endeavours to be a leader in bringing quality stories to the world of readers.
Interested in discovering more amazing reads brought to you by Hot Tree Publishing or perhaps you’re interested in submitting a manuscript and joining the HTPubs family? Either way, head over to the website for information:
http://www.hottreepublishing.com
Table of Contents
Dedication
Glossary
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Author’s note
Important information
Acknowledgments
About the Author
More from Megan
About the Publisher