by Riley Hart
She pulled away, a sadness in her eyes. “No. My Lizzy is buried in town, though. I come to see her often…the way I should have done when she was alive.”
He closed his eyes. He’d always wondered if that was the case. If she’d lost the woman she loved…if she had regrets the same way he used to have when it came to Chris.
“It was a long time ago. I married. Had kids. Lived a happy life. It’s hard to have regrets about her, when so many of the things I have now wouldn’t be in my life if I’d been able to keep her.”
He understood that. He didn’t know if his life would have been any different if he’d admitted to his family he loved Chris when he was eighteen. Maybe he wouldn’t have had his dreams come true. Maybe he would have. Or maybe he and Christian would have just accomplished different dreams together. All he knew was he felt damn lucky to have him now, and he wished there had been a way Margaret could have had everything she did now, and still have Lizzy.
“You can have everything in the world and still have a broken heart. You can still be happy and have your dreams but still wonder, What if…I’m glad you don’t have to wonder What if anymore, Beckett Monroe. I wasn’t brave enough to go for mine while Lizzy was still alive and now it’s too late. I’m doing my best to make it up to her now.”
He couldn’t help but pull her into another hug. He held her too long, too tight. When they parted, he invited her for dinner, but she declined. He asked her to please keep in touch, but he didn’t know if she would.
He thought about her the whole way back home to Christian. When he got there, he filled a glass of eggnog and took it to Chris in his office.
“What’s wrong?” Christian asked the second he laid eyes on him.
So he told him—told him about Margaret and their flight. How she told him to fix his broken heart and he had. He then told Christian about seeing her tonight, and about Lizzy.
As soon as he finished his story, Chris pushed to his feet and walked over to him. “You and that big, fucking heart of yours.” And then he kissed him. It was a slow kiss, full of love, of life, of possibilities and their future.
“I love you,” Beckett told him, so fucking thankful to have Chris in his life again.
“I love you too.”
“Hey…I always wanted to ask you, what was in that letter back then? The one you wrote when we were kids?”
Christian’s eyes darted away, and he actually looked embarrassed. “This…I just talked about this…having you. Being with you one day. Knowing you would always be mine. Wanting to spend my life with you. All that sappy shit.”
Beckett would never get tired of hearing things like that. “You’re stuck with me now. You’re never getting rid of me.”
“Don’t want to.” He nodded toward the door. “Come on. I kind of want to fuck you now.”
Beck couldn’t help but laugh. “What about your eggnog? I went all the way to the store to get it for you.”
Christian took a sip of the drink. “I know. Now it’s my turn to thank you for it.” He winked at Beckett and then it was Beckett dragging Christian to their room, and Beckett who worshiped Chris’s body, the way he planned to do every day for the rest of his life.
THE END
Acknowledgement
First and foremost I want to thank my readers. Thank you for the support, for the love you have shown the Crossroads men, as well as all my other guys. I am thankful for you every day.
Thanks to Jessica and Hope from Flat Earth Editing. Also, to Judy’s Proofreading. My books wouldn’t be what they are without you.
I’d like to thank Christina Lee, Heather and Wendy for reading early versions of Beckett and Christian’s story.
I’d like to thank everyone from 1001 Dark Nights for including Jumpstart in one of your bundles. I’m honored to be part of such an incredible, supportive program.
Last but not least, thank you to Riley’s Rebels and The M/M Daily Grind. You guys make my days brighter.
About the Author
Riley Hart is the girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s a hopeless romantic. A lover of sexy stories, passionate men, and writing about all the trouble they can get into together. If she’s not writing, you’ll probably find her reading.
Riley lives in California with her awesome family, who she is thankful for every day.
Other books by Riley Hart
Weight of the World
Crossroads Series:
Crossroads
Shifting Gears
Rock Solid Construction series:
Rock Solid
Broken Pieces series:
Broken Pieces
Full Circle
Losing Control
Blackcreek series:
Collide
Stay
Pretend