Surviving Broken
Page 27
Pulling into Reed’s driveway, JC slammed on the breaks and her car came to a screeching halt, sending pea gravel flying. She stepped out of the car, stomping back to the end of the block wall.
“What the hell?” she grumbled, hands on hips, gawking at a bright white For Sale sign sunk into the ground next to Reed’s mailbox.
“How could you?” she snarled, her heart and hopes of a future life crushed. JC stared at the sign. Her fairytale life was just put up for sale like a garage sale. Shock and anger boiled to the surface and she kicked the post. “I told you I was coming right back.”
She kicked the sign repeatedly, her lip turned up, mocking him aloud to herself. “I trust you. Go do what you have to do. Sure, I go away for three days and you’re leaving?”
JC circled her arms around the sign, tugging and twisting until it ripped free from the earth. “Oh, I don’t think so.”
She marched down the drive, clumsily dragging the heavy For Sale sign behind her. Grappling with the bulkiness, she swung the front door open and it thundered against the wall with a loud bang. She huffed, blowing loose strands of hair from her face, wiping sweat and soil from her forehead with the back of her hand. Dirt covered the front of her shirt.
“JC?” Reed stared at the scene with a cartoon-like mouth open wide image. “Oh, hell.”
She marched up to him, poking him in the chest. “Oh, hell is right! I leave for three days, I come home to marry the man I love and I find this in front of our home!” She threw both hands toward the sign, her chest heaved. “How could you?”
Reed swept the strand of hair from her eyes, wiping the dirt from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “I thought you liked the house on the beach better.”
She wasn’t breathing well.
He clutched her waist, pulling her to the length of his body. “Did you just say you were coming home to marry me?”
Giving a quick glimpse at the sign lying on the middle of the floor, she bit her lip in mortification. Heat encompassed her tingling body. Lifting her head, she gazed into his glacier blue eyes. “Yes, Reed Rider. I’m gonna marry you.”
He lowered, nibbling on the tender edge of her ear, opening to take her mouth—
“Awe!” Tracy sniffled with a squeal of delight.
JC half opened her eyes, twisting to glance over Reed’s shoulder.
Tracy stood in the open doorway leading to the backyard.
“Tracy?”
“Your family needs better timing.” He hauled her in closer, not letting go.
“Our family will learn to wait.” JC curled her arms around his back and buried her mouth in his, giving him the passionate I do he deserved, a blistering kiss that made her knees buckle.
“Awe,” came another sappy cry.
Reed released her reluctantly, his breath hot and panting against her chin. He swatted her butt, giving her the green light to run to her sister. And she did.
JC and Tracy clung to each other, both smiling with giddy excitement. She blinked hard, holding back the sting of tears. “Isn’t he great?” JC boasted.
“Yes, he’s a keeper. I’m sorry, that’s partially my fault.” She pointed remorsefully at the sign. “I thought for sure you’d want to keep the beach house.”
Reed gripped her from behind, crossing his strong arms beneath her chest and resting his cheek on the top of her head.
JC beamed and her vision blurred through a pool of wetness. “Actually, I do like the beach house a little bit better, but—” she choked, tilting her head back and resting it on his shoulder. She smiled bashfully into the eyes of the man of her dreams, ready to take on a new chapter in her life. “We need a big yard for the kids to play.”
A full grin drenched in of love and contentment crossed his face. “Yes. Yes, we do.”
EPILOGUE
Gazing past her reflection in the mirror, the morning sky held cotton candy swirls of magenta pinks and tangerine oranges floating between the palates of coastal grey. The aroma of coffee drifted through the room mixing with the essence of her bouquet of sunflowers and red roses, resting in a vase on her nightstand.
Tracy’s fingers tugged gently, pulling wavy pieces of hair from her braid, delicately bordering her face. The simple loose braid weaved three times at her nape, allowing her long tussled hair to fall over one bare shoulder.
Tom knocked softly on the open door. “Are you about ready?”
JC nodded, turning in her chair, clasping Tracy’s hands.
Tracy smiled, giving her a quick squeeze, careful not to do any damage. “You look beautiful. I’ll see you out there.”
JC rose from her seat, grabbing a photograph tucked carefully into the corner of her intricately framed mirror. She extended the picture toward Tom. “Would you mind putting this in your jacket pocket?” She blinked back the burn. “I’d like to think he’s here with me.”
“Of course.” He smiled warmly, slipping the picture of her daddy inside his suit pocket, escorting her out of the room.
Reed, Sam and Tracy stood with the preacher under the huge magnolia tree. An intimate group of family and friends gathered near the bluffs edge in the backyard. There were no chairs and no aisle. JC adamantly refused when planning their wedding, stating, “This wedding isn’t about his side of the family and my side of the family, this is about our family.”
JC paused at the open doorway at the back of the house. She took a deep breath and smoothed her palms over the tulle cascading from her corseted waist.
Tom wrapped her arm through his and patted her hand. “Are you ready, Frog?”
She nodded.
As the day began to break and the serenade of the northern mocking birds ushered her through the yard, JC caught sight of Reed. Layers of his light brown hair curled around the collar of his charcoal grey suit. His face colored a shade of blush she’d never seen him wear before.
Tom stopped in front of Reed. He pressed a kiss to her left cheek. “This one is from me.” And then to the right. “This one is from him.” He patted his pocket and relinquished her arm.
The heat of Reeds touch engulfed her senses as he took hold of her hands. Her chin crumpled and tears of joy threatened to spill from her lashes. JC tried to pull her emotions together, but knew if she dared to look up at him she’d breakdown.
“Eyes on me, darlin’.” Came a raspy whisper drawing her full attention. She slowly lifted her chin. When their gazes caught, his eyes were red, giving away the raw sentiment spilling from his heart. He smiled, steeling the very breath from her lungs.
“Always, Reed. Always.”
If at any time while reading Surviving Broken you found yourself frustrated, angry, crying, or wanting to throw your electronic reading device or paperback due to the intimate partner violence which occurred, these are the facts:
I am a survivor of domestic violence.
1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men aged 18 and older in the United States have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Nearly half of all women and men in the United States have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
30.3% of women in the United States have been slapped, pushed, or shoved by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Intimate partner violence is most common among women between the ages of 18-24
19% of intimate partner violence involves a weapon.
Break the silence
IF YOU NEED HELP
DIAL THE NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE
AT: 1-800-799-SAFE
Want more of The Mathews Family Series? Enjoy these sizzling stand-alone novels featuring more characters from the Mathews Family.
No More Wasted Time
Shayla’s Story
The Perfect Someday
No More Wasted Time
After losing her husband to a sudden heart attack, Tess Mathews escapes to Bora Bora to lay her husband and sorrow to rest. What she doesn’t expect is
a new beginning.
Tom Clemmins is an A-list actor whose life revolves around work and an onslaught of women. He travels to Bora Bora for a much-needed break. Tom has a few ideas of how he’ll enjoy his vacation, but love isn’t one of them. Until he sees Tess.
Reserving a private shark-feeding excursion to scatter her husband’s ashes into the lagoon, Tess is furious when Mr. Hollywood bribes his way onto the boat, leaving her no other choice but to share the boat ride.
Tess is torn between tremendous guilt and zealous lust when their boat ride turns into a week full of romance and desire neither thought imaginable. Utterly smitten with a woman for the first time in his life, Tom casts his commitment phobia aside and whisks Tess off to Malibu where he introduces her as his “girlfriend” on the red carpet.
As the paparazzi besiege, can Tess survive the media blitz that ensues in order to find her second chance at love?
Shayla’s Story
~ People come into your life for a Reason, a Season or a Lifetime ~
A Reason...
Questioning her relationship with a man who worships politics more thanher, Shayla Clemmins escapes reality for the seductive sunsets ofGreece. There she finds exactly what she didn't know was missing fromher life, but fears she'll lose him to her past.
A Season...
John Mathews works hard and plays even harder. When he finds a newpassion in the sensual warmth of Greece, he discovers that onelust-filled weekend of romance is just not enough.
A Lifetime...
With Shayla's past catching up to her and an anonymous threat to her future, can she and John make a lifetime together?
The Perfect Someday
Tracy Mathews lives life by the perfect moral code. After graduating magna cum laude in Marketing, she travels to the fabled churches of Santorini to capture the picturesque sunset, only to find a masquerade wedding about to begin. Tracy is persuaded by her younger sister to crash the ceremony. While donning a mask in Greece, she encounters a magnetically charming, handsome Italian, who entices her deepest desires.
After a brief and mysterious rendezvous with future promises made, she returns home only to realize her dreams of the perfect man have been shattered—until an unexpected job opportunity presents itself in Italy.
Vincent is a fifth generation winemaker in the rolling hills of Tuscany. On the verge of losing his family’s estate, will Tracy Mathews, an up and coming marketing entrepreneur, be exactly what he needs to save his family heritage and his broken heart?
Bestselling Author Beverly Preston has been a stay at home mom for twenty-one years, although she prefers the title Domestic Engineer, raising her four amazing kids. As her children begin to venture out on their own, she's left to shed a tear--for a minute--wonder what's next in life, and embrace the feeling of empowerment that surely must've been wrapped in a present she received on her fortieth birthday.
If Beverly isn't at home riding her spin bike, you'll find her spinning richly emotional and sinfully sexy romance stories.
Visit Beverly at:
www.beverlypreston.com
Come join Beverly’s street team on Facebook