“I missed you, too. I was so empty without you. God, it hurt so much, Cole. But I was so stupid; I’ll spend my whole life making it up to you, I promise.”
She kissed him but before he could get lost in it, he pulled away from her and smiled as he reached for the pocket inside his jacket. “That’s really good to hear, baby, because I intend to spend forever with you. I love you, Jamie. I’ve loved you since I heard your voice on the phone, and I’ll love you until the day I die.”
He opened the black box and tears flooded her eyes. “My dad gave this ring to my mom when he promised to love her until the day he died. He loved her so much and he gave her everything he had to give, and then some. I never thought I would find someone who made me want to love them like my dad loved my mom, and then you walked into my life and showed me what love is really all about. Jamie Caldwell, will you marry me?”
She put her palms on each side of his face and her touch felt like he had just come home. She was crying and smiling and, God, she was the most beautiful thing in the world. He wasn’t going to let her get away. “Yes, oh, God, yes. Cole, this ring is beautiful. Oh, my God, did you ask your mom and your brothers? Oh, no, what if they wanted it for when they get married? Oh, God, it’s beautiful.”
Cole laughed because only Jamie would take his family’s feelings into consideration right after he’d asked her to marry him. He kissed her lips, lingering more than he should, but he couldn’t help himself; he loved her so goddamn much. “They all said they would love to see you wearing this ring.” He kissed her again before wiping her tears away with his thumb.
“Cole, it’s beautiful.” As he slipped the ring on her finger, he knew this was just the beginning of their story. He couldn’t wait for the next chapter to start.
“I love you, Jamie.”
“I love you, too, more than you could ever know.”
Epilogue
Two months later
“Baby, can you come here for a minute?” Jamie had been thinking about how to tell Cole her news for days, but she couldn’t wait for the right moment any longer; she had to tell him.
“What’s going on, babe?” Cole looked at her and sat down on the loveseat in the back of her office, smiling when she joined him.
Jamie could barely control her excitement as she sat down next to him, locking her arms around his neck. “Well, you know how I wasn’t feeling well a couple weeks ago and you took me to the doctor? They did some blood work to make sure everything was all right, and the doctor’s office called today with the results of the tests.”
“Is everything okay?” In any other setting, she knew he would be concerned, but she hoped the glimmer in her eyes told him he had nothing to worry about.
She smiled at him and couldn’t wait any longer. “Well, see that’s the thing. Remember how we talked about moving into the cabin when we were ready to start a family?”
“Yeah, I remember.” He couldn’t believe this was happening. Clutching his hand, she placed it on her stomach, covering it with her own, and his eyes followed their hands.
“Well, we might want to get moving on that because I’m pregnant, baby. I think I’m two months along.” He leaned over her stomach, pressing a kiss over the child growing inside her. He hadn’t known the type of happiness he was feeling at the moment was even possible.
“We’re going to have a baby?”
“Yeah, we are.”
“Jamie, this is the best gift you could ever give me. I love you. You hear that, little one? Your daddy loves your mom more than anything in this world, and I’m going to love you just as much. I love you, Jamie.”
“I love you, too, baby.”
The End
The Callaway series continues next with Andrew and Amanda’s story, Forgive Me.
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I want to thank every person who spent their hard-earned money to buy this book. Your support means the world to me and I hope that you enjoyed getting to know Cole and Jamie, as well as the rest of the Callaway family.
To my grandma, who is watching me from Heaven, thank you so much for sharing your love of reading with me. I love you and I miss you every day. I hope you are proud.
To my mom, who has supported me through this process and who has been there for me every step of the way, I love you! Thank you for always being there for me and for always showing me that no matter how hard life gets, you always get up after being knocked down.
To Letitia, thank you for being my best friend and for being my sounding board when I get new ideas, and for always making sure my words make sense. This book would not be the same without your help and guidance. Here’s to many more barefoot blue-jean nights drinking apple pie moonshine thinking about the one that got away. Let’s cruise down the riverbank ‘cause we were raised on it, so let’s get ready, set, let’s roll!
To the men in my life who have inspired more than one character and storyline, you have no idea what your friendship and your support means to me. You guys have always been there to remind me of who I am and what I can do. I love you guys so much!
To Becky Johnson, thank you for giving me the amazing opportunity to share my stories with the world. You had faith in me at one of the crossing points in my life, and your support means the world to me. Thank you for bearing with me through this whole process and for guiding me through the world of publishing. Thank you to Hot Tree Publishing!
To Liv, you made my eyes bleed with the edits but my story is 100 times better for it. Thank you for making my words sound so much better and for helping me deliver the best story possible.
To the Hot Tree Promotions team, thank you for the hard work you have put into getting Make Me Whole out there. You are truly the best!
To Claire Smith, thank you for sharing your amazing talent and for creating a beautiful cover that truly represents Cole and Jamie.
To the beta readers, thank you for letting me insert myself into your busy lives and for the love you have shown this story.
To my friends and extended family, thank you for showing me so much patience and kindness!
About the Author
Kaithlin Shepherd was born and raised in Canada where she learned to figure skate and crafted a love affair with coffee. Growing up in a household filled by strong-headed women, she learned early on that life is what you make it. You’ve probably never met a bigger country music fan, and in the words of Brooks and Dunn, “she’s a die-hard George Strait junkie.”
Creating a world away from her own daily, she loves the feeling of creating a universe where her fans can forget about everything in their life. She loves writing alpha male characters and she doesn’t shy away from turning up the heat with scorching hot sex scenes.
For more information on Kaithlin Shepherd, visit her at:
Author website: www.kaithlinshepherd.com
Author website: www.kaithlinshepherd.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaithlinShepherd
Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaithlinS
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/kaithlinshepherd
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