Blissed (Misfit Brides #1)
Page 33
Pepper and Dad had kept a huge secret. And he needed to know. She pulled back to look at him. “CJ—”
“I cleaned out my retirement accounts,” he said. “I’ll get you the boutique back. Whatever it takes. I’ll buy Pepper a different dress shop, and I will get yours back for you. I’ll watch Noah and all our other kids when you go to Knot Fest meetings, and I’ll play in the damn Games every year if that’s what you need me to do. I know it won’t be easy, Nat, but you were born to shine. And I want to be the man who stands behind you and helps you shine as bright as you can.”
Everything in her world stilled.
No more panic. No more stress. No more fears. She studied the earnest, honest openness in his eyes, the serious bent to his lips, the stubborn determination in the set of his strong jaw.
“I love you, Natalie. All of you. The strong parts and the stubborn parts and the soft parts. The parts that want to fit in and the parts I don’t understand and the parts that drive me crazy. You are my everything. I will never be whole without you, but I don’t deserve you if I ask you to sacrifice the parts of you that make you you. I know what Bliss means to you. I know what the boutique means to you. And I want you to have them both.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks while irrepressible laughter bubbled from her core. “I do,” she said. “I already do.”
“You—?”
“Dad only sold half the shop to Pepper. He gave me a business partner.” She understood the words she was saying, but the reality had barely sunk in. She’d earned her place on the Knot Fest committee, overseeing the Husband Games with a full committee to delegate to. She still had Mom’s boutique.
And now CJ was offering his heart. He’d stayed.
He’d stayed for her.
CJ visibly swallowed, and unless she was mistaken, he was thinking at least a quarter word. “So my first challenge is accepting that someone else got to be your hero.”
“But you’re my favorite hero.” Her fingers were shaky when she stroked his cheek. “And since you don’t have to buy me a dress shop, maybe you can think about buying you a bar.”
His lips parted, and the hope springing to life in his eyes told her everything she needed to know.
He belonged at Suckers, and he knew it.
“You need to fit too,” she said. “You can’t just be the person who watches Noah while I work. You deserve your own happiness. And if that’s what will make you happy, that’s what we’ll do. We’ll make it work. For both of us.”
He threaded his fingers through her hair, pulled her close, and he kissed her, right there in the confessional. She didn’t know much about confessionals, but she knew this probably wasn’t what it was designed for.
Still, she kissed him back with all her heart. “I love you, CJ,” she said.
“Chervil,” he said. “My name is Chervil.”
She blinked. Then blinked again. His name was—“Really?” she squeaked. “What, exactly, is—”
“It’s French parsley, and I’d appreciate it if we stick with CJ,” he said.
“No wonder you don’t mind the Princess thing.”
A warning sparked in his expression, but he’d claimed he loved her. That he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
That he was up to the challenge.
Smiling had never felt so perfect. “What’s the J stand for?”
He was already shaking his head. “Nuh-uh. For that one, you’ve gotta marry me.”
Marry him. Love him. Make him happy. “Now how’s a girl supposed to turn that down?”
“She’s not.”
NATALIE HADN’T imagined when she woke up yesterday that today she’d have a new home, a new outlook, and a new future, but Sunday morning dawned clear and perfect, sunlight washing over the mattress on the floor of CJ’s new master bedroom.
The house he’d rented was a cute little thing, a one-story ranch in a quiet older neighborhood between Suckers and The Aisle. The backyard was fenced, the front porch was big enough for a couple of rocking chairs, and miniature roses bloomed beneath the windows.
But the best part wasn’t the house.
The best part was the people inside it.
“Mom! Mom! Did you know the neighbors have a dog? Can we have a dog, Mom? Can we?”
She checked that the navy blue sheet was covering her naked bits and elbowed CJ behind her. “Are you dressed?” she whispered.
He grunted and wrapped his arm tighter around her waist.
Noah bounded onto the mattress, his knees inches from Natalie’s nose. “Did you guys have a slumber party? Can I come to the next one? Can I have donuts for breakfast? Are we going to the park today? Do you think Grandpa’s fishing? Is CJ still going to be my new dad? Can I have a goldfish? Can we go watch the Cubs play?”
“You bet, little dude,” CJ said through a yawn.
Natalie tried to grab her shirt, but she couldn’t reach far enough. “How about bacon and eggs?” she said.
Noah squinted at her. CJ choked on a laugh. “We ordering out?”
“It’s bacon and eggs.” She snuggled her rear end back into something extremely inappropriate for Noah to see. “I have every faith in your ability to figure it out.”
“Can we have sprinkles on it?” Noah jumped back off the mattress, and Natalie got her first look at his epic bed head. She gingerly felt her own hair. Probably wouldn’t be much better.
“You go run around the chairs in the living room fifty times, and I’ll put frosting on it too,” CJ said.
“Awesome, dude!”
“Ohmigod,” Natalie said when Noah shot back out the door.
CJ nibbled on her shoulder. “It’s okay. Lindsey offered to watch him this afternoon. She loves getting him when he’s already sugared up.”
“She does no—” She flopped onto her back and noticed the twinkle in his eyes. His special, just-for-her morning eyes. “You’re going to keep me on my toes, aren’t you?”
“Every last minute of our lives.”
“You have to tell Noah that he can’t have frosting and sprinkles on his eggs. You know that, right?”
“That’s five times!” Noah yelled from the living room.
CJ’s hand slid up to Natalie’s bare breast. “Give me five minutes,” he said, “and you’re gonna be begging for frosting and sprinkles too.”
“Eight times,” Noah called.
“No cheating,” CJ called back. But then he did something with his tongue and fingers, and Natalie forgot what he was talking about.
“Seventeen!” Noah hollered.
“Think Lindsey could take him early?” she said.
“Already texted her. She’s busy.”
“Dammit.”
“Better watch it. You’re getting near ten bucks after all that dirty talk last night.”
She shoved him playfully, but her whole body tingled in memory and anticipation. “Oh gods totally don’t count when we’re not in a church.”
“Guys?” Noah panted into the doorway. “What comes after twenty?”
“Good lord.” Natalie checked to make sure she was still covered while CJ choked on another laugh.
“Twenty-one,” CJ said.
Noah frowned, then burst into giggles. “Oh, yeah.” He scampered off.
Natalie snuggled into CJ’s chest. “He’ll be back in about three seconds.”
“Probably—”
“What’s after twenty-two?” Noah said from the doorway.
“Cheating, little dude. No way you’re on twenty-two already. Go start over.”
Noah giggled again and disappeared.
“Are you sure Lindsey’s busy this morning?” Natalie asked.
“Mediation.”
“On a Sunday? For what?”
“Setting ground rules for your dad’s friendship with Marilyn.”
Crap. Now Natalie’s eye was twitching. But Marilyn truly was good for Dad, and apparently vice versa, and ground rules would help all of them.
“Guys, I’m at seven again,” Noah yelled. “Is it time for donuts and bacon yet?”
“Almost, keep going,” CJ called back.
He shifted on the mattress and tipped Natalie’s chin up. “Best morning I’ve had in years.”
She pulled him down for a kiss. “Best morning of my life.” Today was the happiest, brightest, most perfect dawn she’d ever experienced.
No more shadows for Natalie. From now on, she would live in the light of her very own happily ever after.
- THE END -
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The Misfit Brides Series
Blissed (CJ & Natalie)
Matched (Will & Lindsey)
Smittened (Mikey & Dahlia)
Sugared (Kimmie & Josh, release date to be announced)
The Officers’ Ex-Wives Club Series
Southern Fried Blues (Jackson & Anna Grace)
Moonshine & Magnolias (Zack & Shelby)
Acknowledgements
All my love and thanks to my family, both the ones I live with and the ones I’m related to however distantly by blood, along with the ones I call family despite no genetic relation. You all inspire me and your support is priceless.
To my fans—You are the BEST! Thank you for being with me on this crazy journey, for your sweet words of support, and for laughing along with me online. And for sending me bacon links. (But not sausage links.)
A huge shout-out to Maria Geraci and Kelsey Browning, for holding my hand and offering suggestions and pointing me in the right direction over the two and a half years that it took me to get this book right. The world of Bliss is so much richer because of your guidance, and I hope I give back to you as much as you’ve given to me. Big hugs!!
I owe a metric ton of gratitude to Penny Andler, my fabulous copy editor at Penny’s Copy Sense, who will probably tell me that gratitude can’t be measured in metric tons (and whether that should’ve been “who” or “whom”), which is why I love her. Any spelling, grammar, or other errors that remain in this book are my fault, not hers.
A huge thanks to all my buddies on Facebook for helping me name characters and businesses in Bliss! Special shout-outs to Sally Wagoner, Sacha Coutu, Jennifer Moye, Abby Martin, Krystin Gilbert, Jessica Knight, and Corie Glenn for naming the Rose and Dove Country Club, Mrs. Bridal Boutique, and La Belle Bridal. Also thanks to Sally Wagoner and Vicky Magahay for inspiring the name of Saffron’s groom. (His full name is Dylan Grey, and Saffron chose to hyphenate her last name when she got married, just in case that gives anyone else the chuckles.)
About the Author
Jamie Farrell is a bestselling author of feel-good contemporary romances. She believes love, laughter, and bacon are the most powerful forces in the universe. Her debut novel, Southern Fried Blues, was a finalist in the 2013 National Readers’ Choice Awards and the 2014 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Awards. Blissed, the first book in her Misfit Brides series, received a starred review in Publishers Weekly Magazine.
A native Midwesterner, Jamie has lived in the South the majority of her adult life. When she’s not writing, she and her military hero husband are busy raising three hilariously unpredictable children.
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Copyright © 2014 by Jamie Farrell
Previously published as The Husband Games
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover photos Copyright © chesterf via DepositPhotos.com
Cover Design by Sweet ‘n Spicy Designs
Editing by
Penny’s Copy Sense
ISBN: 1-940517-05-2
ISBN-13: 978-1-940517-05-6
www.JamieFarrellBooks.com