by Ember Leigh
“I took some personal time. Breaking my hand helped. But I plan to go part time in Cleveland, so I can do this clinic part time too.”
A maniacal giggle escapes me. “And what about Nancy?”
“Coming with. She already agreed to work part-time in Bayshore.”
This news sounds too good to be true. But I somehow don’t think he’s asked this group of thirty people to show up just so he could pull my leg. “Dr. Daly, be careful. It sounds like you’re edging closer to a work-life balance.”
“Mm-hmm. It’ll pair nicely with the woman I love and all the free time I plan to spend with her.”
“Doesn’t sound much like the personality-free Barbie you were looking for three months ago,” I tease.
“No. I only want you. The matchmaker of my dreams.”
His words push something hot and delirious through my veins. I am so in love with this man I could faint, and I would only want to be revived by his beautiful yet arrogant hands. “You know, they say you’re not supposed to fall for the matchmaker.”
“Fuck what they say,” he growls, and then he dips down for the kiss that has been teasing us for the past few minutes. Our lips connect with passion and hunger, all the restrained emotions of the past few weeks brimming and spilling over. We kiss until he backs me up against the door, his hardness making itself known against my lower belly.
“We should wait,” he finally says breathlessly, “even though I am so hard for you right now I could use my cock as a baseball bat.”
I giggle, nuzzling into his neck, relishing the vetiver scent there. The scent I’ll be relishing for so many days and weeks and years to come. “Just think about Chaucer again from senior year.”
He grunts, tapping his balled fist against the wall. “Not helping this time.”
He snags one last kiss and then puts a safe distance between us. “I have an announcement to make, London. But I won’t make it until you give me your blessing.”
Already I’m thinking of the staged wedding he wanted to plan, until I remember—he pulled out of the board. We don’t need to get married.
“I want this to be our space. I’m not asking you to run it with me, since I know you have your own business. But I left this back room for you, so that you could have your own Bayshore outpost. Maybe you won’t want to take clients here, I don’t know. We could find a house near Hazel and Gray, that way we could all have like, I don’t know, date nights.” His normally assured, clipped statements are giving way to nervousness, and it’s melting my heart more than he knows. “You wouldn’t even need to come back, I guess, if you didn’t want, but I mean—”
“Oh my god, yes!” I shriek, jumping up and down. This is the proposal I’ve been waiting for without knowing it. “Dom that is amazing! I love the idea. I love it so much. Everything about it.” I swallow a knot of emotion. “I love everything about the idea. I love everything about you, because I am so freaking wildly in love with you.”
Relief washes over his face and then he cups my face in his hands, showering kisses on me. “I love you so much, London.” He murmurs it over and over again as we kiss.
I’m definitely crying by the time we break apart, and he squeezes my hand in his. “Should we go tell them all?”
“Yes. Absolutely.” I laugh, dabbing at the corners of my eyes.
“And, don’t worry—we’ll save the August wedding announcement for another year,” he says, his eyes sparkling.
He leads me into the bright and clamorous room. All the Dalys are smiling at us, and from the way Hazel has clapped her hands together, I know she knows.
Once Dom commands everyone’s attention, my hand clasped firmly in his, my gaze washes over the friends and family gathered.
I’ve never felt prouder to be at Dom’s side. This is the first time it’s happened in the open, in front of all his loved ones, but it sure won’t be the last.
Because moving forward together, toward a new joint future, is the only thing that feels right. And doesn’t it just make sense? We both started in Bayshore. Spent our twenties—and found heartbreak—in different parts of the country. Found each other in Cleveland, trying to reach new, great heights. And then came tumbling down back to our small hometown, where it all began.
But Bayshore doesn’t only mark the beginning of our individual stories. The future home of the Bayshore Clinic will be blessed by our love story, because this is the place where our futures finally aligned.
Epilogue
LONDON
Six months later
“London, I’ve got good news!”
Hazel pushes in through the back door of the clinic, as she does every Friday at noon. It’s our scheduled weekly lunch date, and the excitement in her voice makes me sit up.
“What is it? Tell me immediately!”
Her lips pinch together like she’s trying not to burst at the seams. “Where’s Dom? He should hear this too!”
I call for Dom, who has just walked out the last patient of the morning. This clinic has been formally open and seeing patients for the past month, and there’s been a pretty intense learning curve to our new lifestyle. Most of it centers around the fact that Dom’s bleeding heart has him close to quitting the clinic in Cleveland altogether.
The demand is so great here, and he finds this work way more fulfilling. I just think he should wait to make the leap until a little bit more time goes by. Plus, we still need his Cleveland salary for other things…like buying a house in Bayshore.
“What’s the news?” His voice thunders through the clinic, his footsteps echoing as he approaches my back office. He grins at me first, then jerks his chin toward Hazel. “What’s up?”
“Big news. Had to tell you in person.” She squeals. “The Warrens accepted the offer you made on their cottage. We are going to be neighbors soon!”
Dom pumps his fists into the air, and I leap from my chair, hugging Hazel first. Then Dom scoops me up and twirls me in a circle. I tasked Hazel with finding us the first available house on her street, ASAP. As Bayshore grows, that real estate is getting more coveted, so we had to offer a pretty high number to compete with the other people eyeing the house. It’s a good thing Dom sold the penthouse—that has been a big help as we prepare to buy a house together and adjust to his new lower salary.
“This is the best day ever!” I cry out.
“Back to Bayshore, baby,” Dom murmurs, pressing a kiss to my lips.
“And finally moving out of your childhood bedroom,” I tease. Though really, we’ve been mixing it up. Some weekends, we stay at my parents’ house. Others, we crash with Hazel and Gray. It’s been so fun to get to know the Daly family better. To become a part of the Daly family.
Because I’m here to stay. That’s for certain. The fact that Hazel and Mrs. Daly have included me in their biweekly brow sessions is proof enough.
“They like having us there,” Dom responds. “Hell, I’m sure my mom wishes Hazel and Gray would move back in.”
The doorknob jiggles, and Weston’s mussed chestnut hair appears. We all greet him exuberantly. Weston, too, has made it a point to visit me most Fridays. Sometimes he sits with me and sketches, though he never shares what he’s working on.
“What’s up, family?” He fist bumps all of us. “Just thought I’d come say hi. Did I miss something?”
“Just the fact that you will now be able to come crash at London’s and my house in the near future, as well as Hazel and Gray’s.”
Weston gives us all high fives. Hazel excuses herself, telling me she’ll meet me at our lunch spot in a half hour. Dom retreats to his office through the doorway, leaving Weston and I smiling at each other in the sunny office.
“How’s the writing coming?” he asks. I’ve been working on a memoir-style book titled The Algorithm of Love. It’s about my (mis)adventures as a matchmaker, and after everything that happened with Dom, the words have been leaping from my fingers.
“I just hit chapter ten today,” I tell him wi
th a smile.
“Can I read it sometime?”
“Of course. You’ll be one of the early readers.”
Dom bursts back into the room then, hands on his hips. “You know what? I want to make this day even better.”
“Oh yeah?” I say wryly. “What, you gonna get down on one knee now?”
A shit-eating grin takes over his face as he reaches into his pocket and produces a small, glinting ring. He walks up to me, and, keeping eye contact, slowly sinks down onto one knee.
“Oh my god, I thought I was kidding,” I gasp out.
“London Marie Hayes, I’ve been imagining this proposal a million different ways since last year. But the truth is, it doesn’t matter whether or not we have a ring, because what we have goes way beyond the title and the piece of paper. Still, I want us to celebrate our love, because we deserve it. I don’t care when we do it, I just care that we spend the rest of our waking days together. And I’m going to show you as much as I can, as often as I can, that I am worthy of your love. I almost lost it once, and I don’t plan on losing it again. Because against all odds, you helped the cardiologist find his heart.” His throat bobs and he swipes at his right eye quickly. “London, you are my heart. Will you marry me?”
My mouth parts, and all I can do is stare in shock for a moment. Then, “OF COURSE I’ll marry you! I’ve been ready to marry you since the second I met your fine ass!”
Dom is grinning ear to ear as he stands and pulls me into a warm, steady hug. When my toes touch the ground again, he slips the ring onto my finger. I coo over the sparkly diamonds and the fact that it fits perfectly.
“I secretly sized one of your other rings,” Dom says.
“How long have you been planning this?” I ask between kisses.
“Since the night you came to my secret soft opening in December. I bought the ring the next week.”
“You guys, I got all of that on video,” Weston announces, waving his phone in the air.
I squeal, clasping a hand over my mouth. “Are you serious? Was this planned?”
Dom laughs, shaking his head. “Not at all. But Weston’s got a knack for that sort of thing.”
Weston’s easy grin is the same as all his brothers’. It’s like looking at an unnerving mix of Grayson and Dom sometimes.
“You should be a wedding photographer,” I say, holding my hand out to admire my engagement ring. “Or a videographer for the proposals.”
“I’m going to a Caribbean wedding this month,” Weston says, scratching at the back of his neck. “I could try it out there.”
“Do it, and let me know how it pans out. That has all the makings of a beautiful love story, you know.”
“Yeah, but if it doesn’t involve his inheritance, it won’t lead him to true love,” Dom says with that mysterious tone people use when they talk about urban legends.
I swing my gaze to Weston. “What was your inheritance?”
He laughs a little, like he’s embarrassed. “It’s a necklace. It’s made with some crazy fucking gems. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“So, you’re saying the necklace will lead him to true love,” I tell Dom.
“I’m just saying be careful,” Dom warns him, clasping his arms around my waist from behind me. “So far, our inheritances have led to each of us finding the love of our lives.”
I snicker, tipping my head back to look up at Dom. “But really?”
“Grayson inherited the house, which led him to Hazel. Connor inherited the wedding rings, which he plans to use to propose to Kinsley. And me…?” He jerks his chin at the space around us. “We’re standing in my inheritance and look at what just happened.”
“It’s a good story and all,” Weston says, raking a hand through his hair, “but trust me. I’m not settling down anytime soon. Besides, I think the necklace was just an accessory for the fat stack of cash that came with it.”
Dom shrugs, looking doubtful. “Whatever you say, bro.”
Weston laughs, pushing through the back door. “I’ll see you lovebirds later.”
Once it’s just us in the back office again, I face Dom, sinking into him, burying my face in his chest.
“I love you, beautiful,” he murmurs into the top of my head.
“I love you more.”
“Impossible,” he whispers. “Because I loved you first.”
“Unverified claim,” I shoot back.
“Couldn’t you tell, with all my attempts to get you out on a date before you were ready?” he asks, his grin stretching ear to ear. “I didn’t stop at anything.”
“You knew what you wanted,” I whisper, tears coming to my eyes. And god, I know what I want. And it’s this man. “You just wanted to make me yours.”
“As long as we both shall live,” he adds quietly, and captures my lips in a tender kiss. One that inspires and fulfills as much as it excites.
Which is exactly what Dom does in my life. That’s exactly how I envisioned it should be.
Except there’s one big difference with my reality now.
It’s even better than I could have imagined.
THE END
Ready for more? Hang tight for Weston’s story, MAKE ME CHOOSE, coming Summer 2020!
Author’s Note
The choppy waters of Lake Erie in the summertime are a special sort of haven, shrieking sea gulls and all. This series is set in a fictionalized mixture of my hometown and a neighboring town in northern Ohio. Writing this series has become a love song to my homeland.
Even though I grew up mostly critical of my little slice of the world (like most moody, dissatisfied teens—HA!), I now recognize it for what it is: a gorgeous spot in the Midwestern landscape, one that is capable of producing all the love and emotion and depth that a romance author could hope for.
I sincerely hope you enjoyed this visit to Bayshore…and I hope you’ll continue this journey with the brothers of the Daly family!
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Make Me Lose
The first Bayshore novel
Grayson Daly and I aren’t just rivals. We’re enemies.
Born minutes apart on the same day in the same hospital, our parents thought this meant we were somehow destined to be together. We knew were we just destined to beat each other.
Competition boiled over until junior year, when the cold war turned into an unexpected peace offering. Maybe my hormones allowed me to notice his broad shoulders, stormy gray-blue eyes, and soccer star’s chiseled frame. But after I fell for him…he stomped all over my heart.
Ten years later, I’m at the top of the realty game in Bayshore and Grayson is just a distant memory. Until he shows up from NYC, his ego bigger than a skyscraper, and asks me to sell the house he recently inherited.
It’s easy to say no. Even though I want to climb him like the jungle gyms we used to dangle from in strong arm battles.
But I forgot that Gray doesn’t take no for an answer. And that he isn’t content unless he’s defeating me.
He butts into my evenings on the boat. Ropes me into water skiing battles. Even shows up at the bar and creates a scene when I’m scouting a date to the upcoming Bicentennial Ball.
It’s almost like he’s gunning to win me.
But if he w
ins, that means I lose. And I’m not ready to cede victory just yet.
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON and in KINDLE UNLIMITED
Make Me Fall
The 2nd Bayshore novel
There’s one rule in my family.
Stay away from the Daly brothers.
We were raised to know them as users. Manipulators. But I only ever saw Connor as the enigmatic senior hottie who dropped into fifth period to teach us about the perils of drunk driving.
So when my first big girl job out of college ends up with us working at the same company, it’s heart throb city all over again. Except he’s way ahead of the game. Successful, talented, put together. I’m just a frumpy twenty-something in a quarter life crisis who doesn’t know a glue stick from a makeup highlighter.
He would never want me, even though he’s all I ever wanted in secret. So when we cross paths one night at the bar and one drink leads to another, he slaps me with an offer I can’t refuse.
Accompany him back to Bayshore, flight included.
Only stipulation? Pose as his girlfriend.
Our families will flip, but I’m not strong enough to say no to those baby blues, especially if it means I’ll have a chance to spend the next two weeks with my adolescent heart throb.
We’ve got two weeks to prove we’re head over heels for each other. Which is just enough time to make me fall.
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON and in KINDLE UNLIMITED
Breaking The Rules
Book #1 in The Breaking Series
Travis Holt never expected the one person who could throw him off his game to roll back into town. As the successful owner of Holt Body Fitness, he was sure he would win his upcoming MMA fight…until his best friend’s little sister showed up.