by Nikki Wilson
She turned to stare at Chase, who smiled broadly. “You never told me your father was a lawyer,” he said, “and a very good one at that. He tore their case apart by showing them the illegal nature of their contract with Duchess. They withdrew their lawsuit, and your father made them sign an agreement that they wouldn’t try to sue you in the future.”
Katie looked back at the man on the stage, and moisture pricked at the corners of her eyes. “He did that for me?”
Chase gently turned her head to face him. “Your father may have made some mistakes in the past, but he loves you, almost as much as I do.”
Katie started to nod, but stopped as she realized what he said at the end. Her eyes widened as she searched his face for answers.
“I’ll admit, when I found out your secret, I felt betrayed and angry, and I didn’t know why. But these past three days, I’ve watched the reaction in the media. I expected them to have the same feelings I did, but that didn’t happen. No one else felt betrayed or angry. I had to ask myself why it hurt me so much, and I realized I had let myself care for you. I thought I would never care for anyone like this ever again, but you brought my heart back to life.”
Tears gathered in her eyes at his words, but she couldn’t believe he would ever be able to forgive her. “I never pretended with you.” The words came out before she could think about them. “I never had to.”
Katie broke eye contact with him and looked down. His warm fingertips lifted her chin, and she gazed into his eyes.
“You couldn’t pretend with me any more than I could pretend with you because this is real, Katie, and I love you.”
Standing up, Chase reached down for her hand and pulled her up next to him. Her heart quickened as he wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close. For the first time in days, her overwhelming grief lessened and hope filled her. Her mother was gone, Duchess was gone, but looking into Chase’s eyes, she knew her life was just beginning.
He brought his hand up to the side of her head and gently guided his lips toward hers. Closing her eyes, she immersed herself in the sensation of feeling the warmth of his mouth against hers.
The kiss ended slowly, and she opened her eyes to find him staring at her.
Katie took a deep breath and knew it was time to think about her future. A future that included Chase.
“Now,” Chase said with a smirk, “do you want to give this audience a sneak peek of what Katie’s first album will be like?”
She waited for her nerves to react to his question, but nothing happened. “I think I am,” she answered and took hold of his hand.
A floating sensation washed over her as all her cares and worries lifted away. Peace settled in her chest, and she knew everything would be all right. Her worst fears had been realized—her mother had died and the secret of Duchess had been revealed. She’d been so afraid of those things happening that she never stopped to realize that she’d given her fears too much power—power to cage her. But fear had no hold over her any longer. The worst had happened, and she’d done more than just survive it—she’d thrived. Thanks to her mother, she’d gained two important men in her life, and she learned that love never dies.
About the Author:
Nikki Wilson was born Nikki Hogg, no relation to Ima Hogg or Ura Hogg. She received her two-year Associates in Arts degree after only seventeen years from starting it. (Impressive, I know!) She works as an instructional assistant helping children to learn to love reading as much as she does. She is a licensed cosmetologist in the state of Arizona and enjoys meeting new people. She is also founder of the blog Mormon Mommy Writers, where she can talk about the joys of being a Mormon, a mommy, and a writer. When she isn’t busy reading or writing, her greatest accomplishments expect her to cook them dinner, drive them all over kingdom come, and tuck them in at night. You can learn more about Nikki at www.authornikkiwilson.com
Table of Contents
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Duchess
Duchess
Table of contents
Dedication:
Acknowledgements:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
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