Transcending Regrets (No Regrets book 3)
Page 24
The thought made me smile, but I was also worried that the rest of our guests wouldn’t be able to make in on time.
“Oliver––” Laney yelled back. “Will you just relax?”
“Do not tell me to relax, Laney. Why are you so damn calm?”
“Because I’m not the one getting married.”
I laughed quietly, imagining my fiancé’s expression when he realized that I wasn’t going to be at the church on time. Oliver was anxious. I knew that. I’d forced him into spending the night apart and he hated it. The last time we hadn’t shared the same bed was when he was at the hospital after being shot. He was hospitalized for a week, and although Lyvia and I were by his bedside all that time, it seemed like it was never enough. To be honest though, he was right. After spending years away from one another, I didn’t want us to be apart anymore either.
The previous night when we both stood in our childhood bedroom windows, I couldn’t help being reminded of our journey. Who would have thought that over fifteen years later we would find ourselves at the exact same place, saying goodnight the exact same way we had the day we declared each other as best friends.
After countless smiles and limitless tears, from neighbors; to best friends, from heartbreak; to lovers, it was finally the time for our forever.
“Why are you so anxious? She’s probably just late because of Lyvia,” Laney countered.
“Never mind, you’re no help. Tyler?” he barked. He walked inside my mom’s house and slammed the door. It was a good thing she wasn’t there; she would be all over his ass for unwinding his anger on her property. “Where is she?”
“Seriously, Oliver?” Tyler responded. “Calm down.”
“Calm down? How the hell can I calm down? She was supposed to be at the church twenty minutes ago. The ceremony is about to start. I’m supposed to be getting married to her right now, and she isn’t with me. Jenna’s freaking out.”
I smiled when I heard the sound of the backyard gates open. They were right on time. I turned to see my mother walking with Jacob and our town priest. I thought it would have been difficult to convince him to do the ceremony outside of the church, but after I explained to him the meaning of the tree in our lives, he didn’t even bat an eye. Emma, Ava, Zoey and her little family followed close behind, and so did Oliver’s Aunt Hailey, Uncle Neil, and Uncle Jerry. The only person I wasn’t expecting to see was my father. When I saw him at first, I cocked my head to the side and frowned at my mother. Although my dad and I weren’t at odds anymore, it was still weird to see him. My mother walked up to me and took me in for a hug.
“It’s all Oliver,” she whispered in my ear.
I couldn’t even be mad at him.
This was as much for him, as it was for me.
“Jenna’s freaking out?” Tyler continued on mocking Oliver’s reaction.
“Shut up.” There was an edge in his tone, but I could also tell that he was realizing how ridiculous he was being. “Where is she?”
“In the backyard, being a mother to your baby girl. Lyvia started screaming the moment we were about to leave, so Abby went out to sit under the willow tree to feed her.”
“Oh!”
“Dude, seriously, you need to––”
“Don’t tell me to calm down again, or I swear to you…”
“I wasn’t. I was going to say you needed to chill out,” he teased.
“Ty, I haven’t kissed my girls in almost eighteen hours. I haven’t seen Abbygail since last night, and it’s driving me nuts. I miss her, and I want her with me. Now.”
“Then go see her.”
“I can’t. She’s hell bent on me respecting her stupid tradition thing.”
I hugged Zoey and Ava, hello, and as we listened to their conversation neither of us could hold our laughter in.
“Oliver?” Tyler asked.
“What?”
“Do you want to see Abbygail?”
“What do you think? Of course I do.”
“Then go see her.”
I smiled at Stephan and Laney who were standing beside me. With all the arguing that was going on inside my mother’s house, I was pretty sure Oliver hadn’t even noticed that Laney had left his side and stepped out to join us in the backyard.
“Hey,” I whispered, putting Lyvia in her arms. “How angry is he?”
“Oh…he’s angry,” she answered, smirking.
“He’s going to hate me,” I said to my best friend.
Stephan shook his head. “He’s going to fall in love with you all over again.”
Oliver
My eyebrows furrowed in surprise when I stepped out from the patio door onto my aunt’s backyard deck. The willow tree was surrounded by the people that were at the church only a few minutes before I left with Laney.
As Tyler followed me out, I felt his friendly hand pat my back. When I turned to loot at him, I could clearly see his mocking smile. “Are you good?”
I nodded and watched him go down the steps to stand next to Stephan. Acknowledging each one of our guests, I realized that they were all in on it. I raised my brow curiously at my beautiful bride to be. The rays of sunlight made her ocean blue eyes sparkle, and her delicate hair flowed with the wind. When the leaves of the willow tree rustled, she looked up at the sky, and I did the same. As I raised my head higher and higher to look at the top branches of our tree, I felt the warm breeze against my skin.
I smiled.
Everyone was exactly where I needed them to be.
It was perfect.
Epilogue
Abbygail
15 years later
“You’re an ass Uncle Stephan.” Lyvia yelled, slamming the door as she walked inside our house. “I hate you.”
Laney peered at me frowning and we both turned to Stephan who had just walked through the patio door of my house holding a beer bottle in one hand and his five year old in the other. By the oblivious look on his face, none of us knew what he did to get my daughter so upset.
“Whoa, kid. Want to clue me in on your sudden hatred towards your favorite godfather?”
“Hey, you’re not her favorite.” Tyler said following him inside. “She and I have already discussed this thoroughly. I am her favorite, because I’m buying her a car for her sixteenth birthday.”
“You’re not buying my daughter a car, Tyler Parker. I’m going to kill you.”
“You don’t get to choose her gifts, Angel…”
“Yeah, I’m with Abby on this. You can’t buy her a car. I can’t top that…” Stephan argued.
I rolled my eyes at the both of them.
“Anyway, that’s besides the point right now. Lyvia, can you please just tell me what’s wrong, so I can fix it.”
“You can’t,” she barked back. “You’re. An. Ass.”
“Lyvia.” I scolded, but all I got was a pair of angry blue eyes drilling holes through my skull.
“Don’t talk to me,” she sneered. “I hate you too.”
“What the hell did I do?” I complained.
“You’re best friends with him,” she replied.
“That’s a pretty stupid reason.”
“Just––just leave me alone.” She walked right past us and we all watched her go outside through the patio door and take a seat under Riley’s willow tree.
“What was that about?” Oliver asked coming in behind Stephan.
“Who knows?”
He looked at me expectantly and I just shook my head.
“She’s your daughter. Figure it out.”
“News flash, beautiful, she’s your daughter too.”
“Yeah but I can’t deal with her.”
“You can’t deal with her because she’s exactly like you,” my best friend retorted.
“Go to hell.” I fired back. I looked at my husband who was laughing at the both of us. “Fix it. Please??”
Oliver
My oldest daughter was the exact replica of her mother. She had the same beautiful face, the sa
me freckles, the same eyes, the same smile, and the same temper.
Fortunately for me, after years and years of coaxing Abbygail, I had no issues to get Lyvia talking.
“Okay, kid…” I sat beside her and leaned on the tree trunk. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“Nothing,” she mumbled. She grabbed a bunch of leaves from off the ground and picked at them, scattering pieces around us.
“Then what’s up with the outburst?”
She sighed. “Logan just told me that Uncle Stephan is making him move in with his mom.”
“WHAT?”
Oh my nephew is in sooooo much trouble!
I spotted Logan talking with Emma. Just as if he could feel my eyes on him, he glanced at me and immediately looked at the ground.
“Honey, Logan is not moving in with Kylie. She lives six hours away, remember?”
“Of course I remember. That’s exactly why I’m pissed at Uncle Stephan. What the hell is he thinking? Dad, Logan is my best friend…I can’t not have him in my life.”
“You won’t.” I laughed at how similar this entire scene was. “Trust me Lyvia, Logan isn’t going anywhere.”
“How do you know?” She frowned. “Dad, I––”
I raised my eyebrow at my daughter, wondering why she had suddenly stopped talking.
“You?”
“Never mind.”
“You like him,” I answered for her, trying not to roll my eyes.
Fucking great…
“No I don’t.”
“Yes you do. Look at your face…”
“How in the world do you want me to look at my face when we’re sitting in the middle of our backyard?”
I grabbed my phone, took a picture and showed her. “See?”
“Shut up, Dad. Logan and I are best friends. That’s it.”
“Okay…if you say so, Lyvia. But just for the record, Logan isn’t going anywhere. He overheard Uncle Stephan and I talk about some stuff that happened between your mom and me when we were your age, the other day.”
“You mean the whole moving to B.C. thing?”
I nodded.
Lyvia pursed her lips and stood right up. “I’m going to kill him.”
I chuckled. “Well, if you don’t, I most definitely will. Now go kick his ass.”
“Believe me, I am. Hey, Dad?” Lyvia asked before leaving the willow tree.
“Yeah baby.”
“If you could change anything about your life with Mom, what would it be?”
I closed my eyes and thought about my life with and without Abbygail. I thought about everything she and I had been through. The fights. The laughter. The tears. The smiles. The secrets. The lies. The friendship. The hardship. The mistakes. The forgiveness. The pain. The heartbreak. The love…and when I opened my eyes, I saw my beautiful wife watching me from across the yard. The deep ocean blue of her eyes sparkled and she smiled that smile that I adored, the one that had always been only just for me.
“I love you.” I could read on her lips.
“Dad?” Lyvia called, interrupting my silent conversation with her mother.
I looked at my oldest child standing beside me under the willow tree that I had planted for her twin, I watched my other daughter and my youngest son jumping on the trampoline together, and then I took a long last look back at Abby; the love of my life.
“Nothing.” I responded without a doubt. “I would change absolutely nothing.”
Acknowledgements
Wow! Who would have thought that I could actually do this? Umm… I don’t even know where to start because there are so many of you I want to thank.
First off; my readers. I’ve been dreaming, breathing and living my No regrets series for over a year and a half. I never would have imagined the day where I would find a group of people just as passionate as I have been with Abby and Oliver’s story. Thank you so much for giving me a chance.
To my admins Liza Mooney and Samantha Louise Heaney, thank you so much for being a part of my team. To my RootBeer Kisses and to all the ladies in BANG, you ladies are so freaking fantastic. Your enthusiasm and support is what drove me to see this project through. In BANG, I have met the most amazing people ever. I made friends all around the world, and I can truly say that if it wasn’t for you, this story wouldn’t be what it is.
Kelly Tucker, you are my hero. I feel like ‘thank you’ isn’t enough for all the help you’ve provided me. Your encouragements, our little talks, your beta reading, your proofreading, your tears…are exactly what I needed, and I hope you’ll continue to want to work with me on my next projects. What you do is a vocation, and woman, don’t ever quit because the indie world wouldn’t be the same without you!
Melissa Teo, I don’t think I’ve ever met a person so passionate about books before you. What you bring to our world as authors is priceless. I am beyond thankful for everything you could have possibly done for me. That day I scrolled through my computer screen and clicked on BookSmacked Blog, was the best thing that could have EVER happened to me as a writer. I hope to continue to work with you and your team, BookSmacked Promotions, for as long as you will have me.
You two girls have been absolutely amazing. I hope this story meets all of your expectations!!!!
I’d also like to thank all the professionals that have invested their time and energy in helping me with Transcending Regret. My cover designer, Schmidt Author Services; my editor, Melissa Cameron; my proofreaders, Kelly Tucker and Amanda Hall; my formatter, CP Smith; BookSmacked Promotions and all the blogs that have helped with the reviews and the tours…THANK YOU!!
And finally, to the love of my life and my amazing family; you are my rock, you are what makes me smile every day, and I love you more than life.
Also by Aimee Noalane
No Regrets, Book 1
Living with Regrets, Book 2
About the author
Taking care of children is Aimee Noalane’s vocation. Reading is her passion. Writing is her new adventure. She is a wife, mother, foster parent, friend, and Canadian author.
Chocolate and candy are her devilish addiction, but if you’re really sweet she might agree to share some with you.
Follow her on:
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Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15989785.Aimee_Noalane
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
TRANSCENDING REGRETS
Copyright
Dedication
Prologue
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
Epilogue
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Also by Aimee Noalane
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About the Author