Liv

by Kelsie Rae

  “Can you ever forgive me?” he asks, sincerely. “I promise I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you’ll let me. I love you Liv. I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you in that stupid classroom. I loved you on prom night when I kicked myself for not fighting with Adam and letting him ask you instead. I loved you when I sat outside that chapel on your wedding day, begging you to say ‘no’, but wanting your happiness more than I wanted my own. I love you more than anything in the world, and I love this little guy as if he were my own, too.”

  I smile softly, my eyes glassy as I take in this handsome man beside me. He has no idea that I’ve already forgiven him, that I can’t live without him, that I need him as much as he needs me.

  “I love you, too,” I say, simply. Honestly.

  I grab the collar of his white t-shirt and pull him down for a kiss, pressing my lips to his. He pulls away slightly, a giant grin on his face, and asks, “So is that a yes?”

  I nod my head and laugh before kissing him again, this time forcing all my frustration from being away from him for the past few weeks, and all my pent-up passion, into the kiss. He groans into my mouth before pulling away, and brushing my hair behind my ear, trying to calm his breathing.

  Apparently, I’m not the only one with raging hormones.

  “We should probably keep things G-rated for the next six weeks,” he teases, bouncing his eyebrows up and down suggestively.

  I laugh good-naturedly before nodding in agreement. “You’re probably right.”

  “Besides, we have much more important things to discuss,” Luke states, becoming serious.

  “Like what?”

  “Like this little guy’s middle name, of course! Did you think I’d forget our bet?” he smirks, mischievously. “Time to pay up, Buttercup!”

  Dammit. I mean, dang it! Shit this is hard. Shoot!

  I had hoped he’d forgotten.

  Groaning, I squeeze my eyes shut and ask the question I don’t want the answer to. “And what’s his middle name going to be?”

  I peek at Luke, waiting for him to victoriously shout, “Danger,” but am only greeted with silence.

  His grin widens as he shakes his head. “Nope. Not until you tell me his first name, Sweetheart. I want to make sure it has a nice ring to it.” He winks.

  I glance down at my baby boy, taking in all his tiny, handsome features.

  Naming kids is hard as hell. Heck! They’re stuck with the name you choose forever, and I want to make sure it suits him perfectly.

  Clearing my throat, I consider my options. “I think I’ve decided on….”

  Luke interrupts me. “May I make a suggestion?” he asks, hesitantly.

  I furrow my brows before answering, “I’ll allow it.”

  “Well, I had been saving this for his middle name, but after seeing Little Man, I kind of think it might fit him as a first name.” He looks at me a little sheepishly.

  “We are not naming him Danger!” I shriek.

  He chuckles before continuing, “That’s not what I meant, Liv. I won’t be offended if you say no, because I know he’s not mine or anything,” he rushes on, “but I was kind of thinking Leo, after Adam. I know he hated his middle name, Leonard, and who could blame him, that’s a horrible name, but he kind of reminds me of a Leo.” Luke gazes down at Little Man.

  “You know, like a lion. Strong. Brave. Ready to take on the world. Plus, let’s be honest, he’s pretty much going to rule the house like a little king, right?” he jokes affectionately, while rubbing Little Man’s peach fuzz.

  I consider his suggestion before smiling broadly. “I think that’s a brilliant idea. Especially since I was going to go with Graham, after a man that I hope is going to play a pretty big part in his life.” I peek up at him from beneath my eyelashes, my cheeks tinged pink, praying I didn’t just make a really wrong assumption.

  Luke looks at me questioningly. “Lucas Graham Jensen, and Adam Leonard Thorne?” He pauses, absorbing Little Man’s name fully. “So this little guy will be Leo Graham Thorne?” He taps his chin thoughtfully. “I like it! What do you think, Liv?”

  I nod my head enthusiastically, loving my decision, and ridiculously grateful Leo’s middle name won’t be Danger.

  Hallelujah!

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Liv

  We’re home. And when I mean home, I mean Luke’s place back in Colorado. The drive took almost twice as long with Leo in the back, but we made it.

  Luke and I both decided that we wanted to try a real relationship, and that we wanted to try it in Denver together.

  Poor Luke. After flying home, driving back to Salt Lake, and then turning right back around to bring us home, he’s exhausted. And I can’t blame him.

  He helps me carry in all of our luggage, then heads to his bathroom to shower.

  I walk into the family room, smiling as I take in the familiar surroundings. I missed this place. I was only away for a few weeks, but it felt like years. Especially because I didn’t know if I’d ever come back or not.

  I make my way back to my old bedroom, holding Leo in one arm, my other hand lingering on the door handle as I gently push it open. My breath is immediately stolen from my lungs as I take in the freshly painted gray walls and darkly stained crib set up in the corner. My bed and dresser are missing and have been replaced with a rocking chair, changing table, and matching dresser.

  My eyes glaze over as I see the giant boxes of diapers and wipes in the corner, along with a few new baby outfits hanging in the closet.

  “The Liv Whisperer strikes again,” I whisper to myself, shocked at the lengths Luke will go to make me happy, as well as the giant leap of faith he took when he rearranged his condo without knowing if I’d ever come back or not.

  I collapse into the comfortable rocking chair, holding Leo close to my chest. I silently thank Adam for giving me my baby boy and for helping me find my way back to Luke. I still miss him like crazy, and will never be okay that he lied to me, but I’m learning to look at all the positive aspects of our life together instead of focusing on the shoulda, woulda, coulda.

  I begin to hum a lullaby to my sweet baby boy as the sun sets through the window, painting the room in a soft orange glow.

  After a few minutes, I feel eyes on me from across the room. I glance at the door to see a very handsome Luke leaning against the doorframe. He’s changed into sweat pants that hang low on his hips, giving me a glimpse of his tan skin between the waistband and his t-shirt, and his hair is still damp from his shower. His eyes are full of love and affection as he takes in the scene in front of him.

  I smile fondly in return before whispering, “Apparently, my room had a makeover while I was away.”

  He smirks at me before pushing off the frame and sauntering toward us. “I figured you’d prefer me as a roommate over Leo. You know how babies are smelly and cry a lot,” he teases playfully and gently pulls me up into his arms, Leo sandwiched between us. “Unless you’re too chicken to share a room with me?” he smirks.

  I giggle before pulling him down for a kiss. “Not a chance.”

  Epilogue

  Three Years Later

  “Leo Graham Jensen! Get your cute butt down here and put your shoes on!” I yell up the staircase.

  My legs are way too exhausted to make the trip up there to grab Leo, especially with my very pregnant stomach in the way.

  Have you tried carrying a toddler while being six months pregnant? Not an easy feat.

  Luke and I got married shortly after Leo was born and decided to move back to Utah in order to be closer to family. We found a cute little two-story home that has four bedrooms, and we love it. Luke is convinced we need to fill all of them with more children as quickly as possible, and I’m happy to announce we’ll be having a baby girl in three long months.

  Luke has made a point of telling Leo stories of Adam every night before bed, and it’s one of my favorite traditions. The stories usually involve breaking rules of some
sort, but Leo and I love hearing them.

  Luke officially adopted Leo the same day of our wedding in case anything ever happened to me. He’s Leo’s daddy in every sense of the word and loves him as if Leo were his own flesh and blood. I’m so grateful my Little Man has two daddies he can look up to.

  Speaking of flesh and blood, Susan finally learned to accept that her son wasn’t perfect, but that didn’t make him a bad man. She has also learned to accept Luke as her adopted son-in-law.

  It’s taken a lot of work, but their relationship is finally in a good place, and we can all be in the same room without any anger or hostility. Who would’ve thought I would end up playing referee between Susan and someone else? Adam would’ve loved witnessing that.

  She’s an amazing grandmother though, and spoils Leo like crazy while still respecting the boundaries Luke and I have set. It’s been great having her close by to attend soccer games and Sunday dinners.

  Luke’s family also accepted Leo without batting an eye. Breezy says she always knew we’d end up together; we just had to get our heads out of our asses. I mean butts. They treat him like their own grandson and love him to pieces.

  I gaze at the picture in the hallway as I wait for Leo to stumble down the stairs. It’s a picture of Luke, Adam, and me at our high school graduation. Adam’s arms are dangling around our necks, and a giant smile is plastered on his face.

  I couldn’t ask for a more blessed life, and I know Adam is smiling down on what we’ve made of it.

  The End

  Dear Reader

  I want to thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for taking a chance on a total newbie. For giving me the opportunity to share this story with you. For rooting for the little guy. I couldn’t do this without you!

  I would also be very grateful if you could take the time to leave a review on goodreads or amazon. It’s amazing how such a little thing like a review can be such a huge help to a new author!

  About the Author

  Kelsie is a new indie author who has loved the amazing community she plunged into. Kelsie likes to spend all of her time with her three kids, an amazing husband, and two fur babies. She’s addicted to sugar and goes through books like she does Ben and Jerry’s ice cream! When she isn’t reading or juggling kids, Kelsie can be found binging the newest television show on Netflix. If you’d like to connect with Kelsie, follow her on Facebook, sign up for her newsletter, or join Kelsie Rae's Reader Group to stay up to date on new releases, exclusive content, giveaways, and her crazy publishing journey.

  Want More?

  Want to hear more about Liv and Luke?

  You can find them in “Breezy” along with Bree and her steamy love interest, Derrick.

  Here’s an excerpt from “Breezy” by Kelsie Rae, coming June 2018.

  Breezy

  Subject to Change-Copyright Kelsie Rae 2018

  “Shit,” I mumble under my breath, kneeling down on to the cold laminate floor of the restaurant I’m currently working at. I always thought my brother, Luke, was full of crap when he made fun of my clumsiness, but apparently he was more on target than I gave him credit for.

  I’ve been working at Tumblers for four months and have spilled things more times than I can count. I’m pretty sure the only reason I haven’t been fired yet is because said brother is friends with my manager, Scott, or Scotty Boy, as I like to call him.

  That being said, I’m wondering if he should just put me out of my misery and fire my clumsy ass. But if he does that, I’ll be royally screwed unless I can find another job…and fast. One that isn’t in the restaurant industry, obviously. And if the past six months have taught me anything, it’s that jobs are freaking hard to come by!

  Let me rephrase that: Jobs in my graduating profession, when you don’t have previous experience, are hard to come by.

  I graduated about six months ago with a Human Resources degree, which is fan-freaking-tastic, but have had no luck finding a job. They all want previous experience, which is impossible to have if no one will hire you in the first place! It’s one of those, what came first, the chicken or the egg scenarios. I need the experience to get a job, but I need a job to get the experience.

  Hence, my current kneeling position, cleaning up nachos with diet coke splashed all over my white blouse.

  Well, it was white.

  I’m sure I’ll be laughing about this tomorrow, but right now I just want to punch the asshole who bumped into me, causing me to spill nachos all over myself and the stranger in booth 14.

  “I am so sorry!” I apologize, scraping melted cheese off a pair of expensive-looking black loafers. I’m currently scrambling underneath the table, practically giving the guy a shoe shine, and feeling a bit too guilty to stand up and face the victim whose shoes I just ruined.

  Well, I didn’t ruin them. But I’m going to have to take the fall for it anyway.

  Dammit. I’m totally losing my job. At least I have an interview tomorrow, right?

  I attempt to clean the mess with my dirty rag and hear chuckling near my bent position on the floor.

  Looking up, I’m met with a pair of gorgeous icy blue eyes glinting at my compromising position, his smug face mere inches from my own.

  He’s laughing at me!

  I feel a blush creep into my cheeks before clearing my throat and crawling out from underneath the table.

  I clench my fists at my sides, about to defend my clumsiness even though it wasn’t really my fault, when the stranger in front of me lifts his hands in mock surrender, his eyebrows practically reaching his hairline.

  Apparently, he’s good at reading body language. Or maybe he can feel the anger radiating off me in waves. Regardless, I can feel his eyes scanning me from head to toe, taking in my dark curly hair piled on top of my head, along with my still-soaked white blouse and black pencil skirt that likes to hug my curvy hips.

  I’m an absolute mess, and I don’t exactly appreciate him making that assessment.

  Taking in a deep breath through my nose, I remind myself that he is not the enemy. The jackass who bumped into me is, and if I want to keep my job then I need to play nice with the customers.

  Even the condescending ones.

  I refuse to acknowledge that Nacho Guy is ridiculously handsome and absolutely huge. He reminds me of a Viking warrior with a broad chest, tapered waist, and muscular thighs that also seem to be covered in ground beef and tortilla chips.

  Oops.

  I bite my lip. I’m feeling a little guilty as I assess the damage of the poor guy’s stained pants before making my way back to his face and taking in his crystal blue eyes once more, along with messy blonde hair, stubble covered cheeks, and lickable tan skin.

  I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling my cheeks heat all over again.

  Lickable, Breezy? Really?

  I peek one eye open and find myself staring at Nacho Guy’s frosty eyes for a third time, a smirk plastered on his stupidly handsome face. And I just spotted a dimple in his left cheek.

  Dammit!

  I’m a sucker for dimples.

  I swallow my pride; it’s bitter taste lingering in my dry mouth. “I’m sorry about your pants and shoes.” I motion awkwardly toward his lower half, causing Nacho Guy to look down at his soiled clothes.

  His deep chuckle makes another appearance before he shrugs his broad shoulders and reaches forward to shake my hand. “Not the first time I’ve been covered with cheese. Won’t be the last. I’m Derrick.”

  I place my hand in his warm palm; it’s heat causing my insides to melt just like the cheddar on his pants. He shakes my hand once before releasing it. “Not the first time?” I tease, placing my hands on my hips with my eyebrows raised. “Do you often make a habit of spilling food in your lap?”

  He laughs again, shaking his head back and forth before replying. His voice is a bit of a gruff baritone that causes me to shiver slightly. “Technically, I’m not the one that spilled the cheese,” he looks at my nametag, “Rylee. But yes, my nieces a
nd nephew have made a mess of my clothes a time or two.”

  I’m confused as to why he called me the wrong name then peek at my nametag. It does, in fact, read “Rylee.” I must have grabbed the wrong one in the breakroom, but I decide not to correct Nacho Guy. I mean Derrick. My lack of attention to detail might have just saved my job. A mischievous smirk graces my lips before I quickly hide it behind my hand, faking a light cough.

  “Ah, yes. Those blasted nieces and nephews. How dare your siblings procreate!” I flirt, shaking my fist in the air in frustration and causing his deep chuckle to reverberate.

  “They’re the worst!” Derrick agrees passionately, though I can tell he’s teasing. “Do you have any nieces or nephews?”

  I hesitate before answering. I’m wondering if I should answer as fake Rylee, or real Bree, when I finally decide to give him an honest answer.

  “Yeah, actually. My brother had a baby boy a little while ago. I think he’s like six months or so? Technically, it’s not his baby, but it’s complicated. Either way, he’s my adopted nephew, and is the absolute cutest thing on the planet. And you’re right about the messes during dinnertime. That kid’s a disaster!” I smirk in Derrick’s direction.

  “I don’t even mind cleaning up after meals. The worst part is that as soon as they start eating real food, their poop starts to reek!” he laughs.

  My nose wrinkles at his apt description, knowing he’s not wrong. Last time I babysat Leo, I debated on searching for a gas mask or just hosing him off in the backyard. The smell was that bad.

  “Yeah, I don’t envy whoever’s on diaper duty in their household,” I joke, noticing a couple at a nearby table trying to grab my attention.

  Rylee is definitely going to get fired by the end of the night if I don’t get my butt in gear.

  “Well, let me bring you an appetizer or something for your trouble. I’m really sorry about the mess.” I start to make my way to the other table, but Derrick’s gruff voice stops me.

  “Don’t worry about it Rylee. I don’t think I’d mind cleaning up your messes.” I glance over my shoulder at his offhand comment, surprised to see his baby blue eyes still fixed on me, and a flirtatious grin plastered on his kissable lips as he continues to ignore the other two gentlemen at his table.