Reformation: A Salvation Society Novel

by Chelle Sloan

  As soon as we walk into her house, I take her hand and pull her into me, bringing her against my chest with my arm that isn’t in a sling. Immediately, I feel her relax into me.

  “Is it really over?” she asks, grabbing onto my shirt.

  “It is,” I say, leaning down to kiss her head. “Unless you have any other crazy family members who are going to try and con money and drugs off of you.”

  My joke falls flat as I feel her sag against me.

  “Hey, look at me.” I tip up her chin, wanting her eyes to meet mine. “What they did is not your fault. Could you have made different choices back then? Sure. But a smart person once told me that we are all just byproducts of our pasts. And that only you can choose how you want to let it dictate your future.”

  She smiles that beautiful smile, and right there I know that everything is going to be OK.

  “This person sounds really smart.”

  I kiss her nose. “She is. And beautiful. And strong. And caring. And is the best person I know.”

  Paige wraps her arms around my middle. “You know what I want right now?”

  “What is that?”

  “Take me to bed, Garrett.”

  Not needing to be asked twice, I take her hand and we go to her bedroom. I sit on her bed and bring her in so she is standing between my legs.

  “Paige, last night was one of the scariest nights of my life. When I saw you being held at gunpoint, even though I knew that Mark, Ben, and Charlie were all there, I couldn’t breathe when I saw you like that. So let me… I need to hold you, Paige. I need to hold you and kiss you and remind us both that we are here. And that we are safe. And I need to show you how much I love you. Because, Paige, I love you so fucking much.”

  She leans down, cupping her hands to either side of my face, bringing me in for a slow, yet intense kiss. Our mouths open immediately, our tongues circling around savoring every second. I know I wanted to go slow, and my body is dead tired, but with just a sweep of her tongue and the feel of her hands on the back of my neck, I can’t hold back.

  I hastily break off the kiss and with my one good arm, tear my shirt over my head. Sensing my urgency, Paige first strips me, save the sling that is holding up my shoulder, before taking off her clothes. If all of this wasn’t happening in the wake of the scariest two days of my life, it would be hot as fuck.

  But this? This is something that I can’t put into words.

  Paige climbs on top of me and I can immediately feel her wetness.

  “So wet,” I say as I kiss her shoulder, then up to her neck. “Are you ready for me?”

  “I will always be ready for you, Garrett. Always.”

  She lines herself up with my cock and as soon as she lowers herself on to me, I feel like I could explode right there. The sight of Paige riding me like her life depends on it is the hottest moment of my entire life.

  “Baby, I’m not going to last. You feel too good. So damn good.”

  “Then let go, Garrett. Let go and take me there with you.”

  Like her words have a straight line to my body, I come undone at her command. It’s not the first time we have made love, and I hope like hell it won’t be the last. But this moment right here is a time I’ll never forget.

  It was the time I knew, without a doubt, that Paige Blackstone was mine forever.

  Chapter Forty

  Paige

  “Thirty-six weeks down! We made it!”

  A chorus of cheers goes around our group of friends as Sarah proudly announces that we have once again survived another school year. We bring our glasses together, toasting to another year down at Jefferson Elementary School.

  And what a year it’s been.

  It feels like just yesterday we were sitting at this very same Mexican restaurant, lamenting that this year was going to try us in ways we weren’t ready for.

  That was a huge understatement.

  How is it that in one school year I got to teach a class I’ll never, ever forget; met the man of my dreams; gained new friends who mean the world to me; and had a standoff with my mother and her drug-dealer boyfriend that almost got me and Garrett killed?

  Even as I think about it, I can’t believe all of that happened. But it did, and finally, a month later, things are getting back to normal.

  Well, my new normal. My new normal that I love.

  Even though they both ratted each other out, Mama and Paul were both sent to prison and are awaiting trials. From what Mark and Charlie told me, Alabama wanted them back on minor drug offenses, but considering their charges here included kidnapping and attempted burglary with a deadly weapon, Virginia won out. Charlie reassured me that even if they got deals, I won’t have to worry about them for a very long time. And even when they are released, she will personally make sure that they never bother me again.

  That’s when I found out that Charlie was a CIA agent. Everything now makes so much sense.

  I’m still volunteering, though I have cut back. It was hard at first. I had spent so many years giving all of my free time to others that it felt selfish to use that time for myself. When I said that to Millie at the hospital, she basically slapped me upside the head before pushing me out of the door with orders to not come back. She reminded me that life was short. That if you have someone to love, that spending time with them and making memories together is not selfish. It will be what gets you through the lonely times when they are gone.

  Her words got to me considering I know how close Garrett was to not being here. And then I remember that his scare is a big reason why we are together today. It’s funny how life works like that.

  I might not be volunteering every night, but I’m still giving back. And so is Garrett. We have found more 5Ks to volunteer at—and Garrett is even running in a few as he finally put his running shoes back on. We are also looking at ways the clinic can do more for the community—with Trevor and Rebecca’s help.

  She and I have become closer over the last few months. She even survived a happy hour with me and Cassie. It was during said happy hour that Cassie and I noticed how she blushed when Trevor came up in conversation. We asked her if she had a thing for him, which of course she denied. We can tell though, the crush is there. I also know that Trevor has no idea about her feelings for him.

  How do I know this? Because I made Garrett do intel for me when the two went running together. Yes, despite the fact that Trevor broke the biggest bro-code rule to ever be written when he slept with and dated Annika, the two are slowly building their friendship back up. They aren’t there yet, but I can tell they both want it back.

  I still can’t believe all of this has happened in such a short amount of time. That’s life for you. Things happen in an instant and affect your life forever. Many times you don’t see them coming. Most of the time you aren’t prepared. But how you react and go forward is how you define yourself as a person. You control your future. The past just tries to give you a suggested road map.

  And it’s OK to tell the road map to take a hike and pave your own way.

  Garrett did. And so did I.

  Looking back, I let what I did back then define my future. When I saw the chance to volunteer at the drug counseling center in college, I took it as a sign to help right the wrongs I made because of misguided loyalty. Before I knew it, giving back became my whole life. It became the way I made up for the years of only caring about a person who didn’t care about me. As Garrett has been telling me, I can still take care of others and take care of myself. To allow myself to be happy in all ways. To fall in love.

  And I have. I’ve fallen head over heels in love.

  “Someone must be thinking of their tall, hot, and incredibly sexy doctor. That’s the only thing that puts that look on your face,” Chad says, giving me a little wag of his eyebrows. “So, tell me, where is Dr. McSexy taking you this summer?”

  “McSexy? Really? That’s the best you can do?”

  “Yes,” Sarah says. “If you’re going to date a guy who
could star in Grey’s Anatomy then he gets a nickname. Now tell us, where is McSexy taking you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What do you mean, you don’t know?” Chad asks.

  “It means, she doesn’t know because it’s a surprise,” Cassie says with a smirk.

  “Oh, shut it. Some best friend you are. You know and you won’t tell me!”

  “Hey, I was in charge of packing your suitcase. I needed to know this. Plus, it’s fun watching you freak out.”

  “It really is fun,” Patrick says. “You’re going to love it.”

  “Wait!” I say, shooting him a look. “You know?”

  “You know Cassie can’t keep a secret. And yes, that means Sarah knows too. Sorry, Chad.”

  I shake my head and smile, glad how everything has worked out. I know Patrick had a crush on me for a while, though he seems now to be quite happy.

  With Sarah.

  Yup. They found each other on a dating app. What started as a joke swipe right to lament about their woes of single life turned into a coffee date. Which turned into dinner. Which turned into them now sitting hand in hand.

  “I honestly don’t care where we go,” I say after finishing off my margarita. “I just want to relax. Get away for a bit. If a beach was involved, I wouldn’t hate it.”

  “Well, then, good. You’re really going to like what I have planned,” Garrett’s voice shocks me a bit as I turn to see him approaching our table. I swear every time I see him he makes my breath hitch. The sight of him in a crisp white shirt, khaki shorts, and boat shoes should not turn me on the way it does… but on Garrett? I’m freaking on fire and ready to jump him in the middle of this restaurant.

  How is this man mine? I ask myself that question every day. I don’t know the answer, but I know that I’m going to enjoy every second I have with him, and hope that there are only more to come.

  I turn around and tilt my head up, ready to accept the kiss I know he’s going to give me. Which he does, and I’m pretty sure I hear the rest of my table let out an “aww.”

  “Are you ready to go?” he asks.

  “Yup! Let me just get my check.”

  He shakes his head. “Already taken care of. And so is everyone else’s. Congratulations on another school year, guys. Have a great summer.”

  It takes ten minutes to complete the rounds of “thank-yous” and goodbye hugs, but before I know it, I’m sitting in Garrett’s car as we make our way to the Norfolk Airport.

  “Are you going to tell me where we’re going? You know I’ll see it when we print our boarding passes.”

  “Can’t a man want to surprise his woman?”

  “He can. And he has. You know how I am with surprises. What if I don’t like it? What if I’ve already been there? You know I don’t have a passport, right? What if Cassie screwed up packing my suitcase? What if there’s a tropical storm about to come and we get trapped there?”

  “Woman, it’s like you think I don’t know you,” he says, lacing my fingers through his. “I know you’ll like it because I know you. You have not been there because you told me that you haven’t traveled outside the continental United States, but you won’t need a passport. Kelly double-checked Cassie’s packing and signed off on it. And I checked the weather. Sunny skies for the next week when we make it to the Virgin Islands.”

  I’m stunned for a second, processing all that he’s told me.

  “The Virgin Islands?”

  He nods. “Seven days and six nights at an all-inclusive resort with a beach view. Sound OK to you?”

  I shrug. “It’s fine.”

  He sneaks a look at me. “Fine? It’s just fine?”

  “Yeah, it’s fine,” I say, looking out the window, trying to hold in my smile. “But if I can’t find anything to eat on the menu, or fall in love with you even more, it’s all your fault.”

  I finally look at Garrett, who is all smiles as he brings the hand he’s holding to his lips, placing a deep kiss on top of my hand.

  “It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

  Epilogue

  Garrett

  Seven months later

  “Are you sure this is going to work?”

  Cullen’s question takes me by surprise. “What do you mean, do I think it’s going to work? Of course, it’s going to work.”

  My nephew shrugs. “I mean, do you think she’ll say yes? Are you just doing this in front of a lot of people so she won’t say no? She’s too nice to tell you no in front of a big room, ya know.”

  “He has a point, Dr. Dixon,” Anthony chimes in. “She would never embarrass you like that. She doesn’t even like to reprimand her students in front of others. You’re in the clear. But she might call it off later.”

  When I asked Cullen, Anthony, and a few other of her former students to help me when I proposed to Paige, I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into. I figured she loves her kids and how memorable would it be if they set the stage before I got down on one knee and asked her to be my wife?

  Little did I know that I’d get a mini peanut gallery full of opinions that caused me to question everything about my life and my choices.

  “Quit giving Dr. Dixon a hard time,” Penelope says, smacking Cullen on the arm before giving me a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. We got this.”

  At her words, the boys, especially Cullen, get back in their places, ready to enact our plan.

  At least I’m not the only Dixon man who is whipped by his woman.

  Penelope is right, though. I am nervous. Which is funny. I’ve done this twice before. Propose, that is. Neither time was I nervous about being told no. Maybe that should have been a sign. Or maybe I needed to go through those two to get to this point now, a kindergarten Christmas music program where I’m about to ask the best woman I have ever met to be my wife.

  It’s amazing how much can happen in a year. Some people can look back and say that they are the same person they were twelve months ago. I can say no such thing—and the woman I’m hoping to spend the rest of my life with is the reason why.

  I moved in with Paige immediately after the incident with her mom and Paul. Well, I stayed the night and never left. I already had everything I wanted out of my house from when I left Annika. I let her keep the house and the furniture. All it was to me was a reminder of a life I didn’t want anymore.

  I still have to attend society functions, that is a part of the job, but doing it with Paige makes it not seem like a chore anymore. The way she talks with the donors is amazing and our donations have doubled since she came into my life.

  I also love seeing her in a beautiful dress.

  I also love taking that dress off her at the end of the night.

  Whether she is in a formal dress or her ripped jeans she wears to pick up trash on a Saturday afternoon, she is the most beautiful woman in the world. Even right now, as I peek from the curtain and watch her on stage with her class, mouthing the words of the song to help them along, she takes my breath away.

  When I watched her then, I was struck by her beauty. This year? I know that she has spent weeks practicing with the kids and was just as nervous as they were tonight. She cares so much about them. This year as I watch her, though, I’m seeing her heart.

  And it’s the part of her I love most of all.

  “You ready, Uncle Garrett?”

  I nod. “Let’s do this.”

  As the kindergarten class exits the stage, Cullen, Anthony, and Penelope lead the group of students I asked to help me onto the stage. Thank God for Cassie and Mr. Arthur, or this wouldn’t be happening.

  “Mr. Arthur. We’d like to sing our new song,” Anthony announces.

  “It’s one especially for Miss Blackstone,” Penelope follows.

  “And we hope that she likes it… and that she will say yes,” Cullen says before Mr. Arthur begins the first few notes of the newest Christmas carol.

  “All I want for Christmas is for you to say yes.

  For you to
say yes.

  For you to say yes.

  Gee, if I could only have you say yes.

  Then I could wish you “Congratulations!”

  I come out on stage, where Paige is now laughing and trying to hold back tears. From the corner of my eye, I can see Mark with Makenna, Boomer and Kelly, Trevor and Rebecca standing in the back. I can see random cell phones in the air likely recording this—I know for a fact Charlie is doing that very thing in the front row—but all I can see is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.

  “Paige,” I begin, taking her hands in mine. “When I met you here a year ago, I didn’t like the man I was. I didn’t even know that I didn’t like me. I thought life had dealt me the hand I had to play. Then I met you. You make me want to be a better man. Every day I strive to be the man who makes you proud, who makes you feel loved, who makes you happy. Because God knows you do all of those for me every day.”

  I take a breath and lower myself to one knee, flipping open the jewelry box I have been holding on to for the past few months. “Paige Blackstone, will you make me the happiest man in the world and be my wife?”

  I have never heard such deafening silence. All I can hear are the words that Cullen and Anthony said earlier about her being too nice to tell me no.

  Then I see the happiness in her eyes. The frantic nodding of her head. And just like that, my world falls into place.

  “Yes. Yes, Garrett, I will marry you.”

  Applause roars as I slip the ring on her finger. As soon as it’s on, her arms are around my neck and I pick her up to bring her lips to mine. I know we’re at a school function, but this woman just said that she’d be my wife and dammit, I’m going to kiss her.

  “Did you really just propose to me at an elementary school Christmas program?” she asks, a smile taking up her entire face.

  “I did. Though I have one more question for you.”

  She cocks her head to the side. “And what would that be?”

  “I was wondering if you had a last name? If you don’t, you can have mine.”