Blind Date Bet

by Nicole Flockton

  “Isabella, what’s wrong?”

  “I messed everything up, Dad. I may have ruined the best thing in my life and I don’t know how to fix it.”

  “Are you talking about Ethan?” he asked, and she could only respond with a nod. “Come on, honey bee, let’s sit down.”

  With an arm securely around her, her father steered her into the living room, settling her on the couch before sitting beside her, taking one of her hands in his.

  “I’m sure it’s not as bad as you’re thinking. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?” Her father’s voice was low and measured and comforting all at the same time.

  “It’s so stupid now that I look back on it. I got mad at him for not trusting me enough to tell me about the promotion he’d been offered. His upcoming deployment and the fact he’s due to reenlist soon. It happened the morning after you and Rhonda came over for dinner.”

  “Ahh, I know I’ve already said I’m sorry about that, but I truly am. I was being selfish in wanting to keep you to myself while we rebuilt our relationship. You shared Ethan with me and I should’ve given you the same courtesy.”

  “It’s okay, Dad, I do understand… now.”

  “I know Ethan getting deployed scares you. That your mind drifts to what happened to Travis. But the situations couldn’t be more different. Ethan and his squadron are trained for all situations. Every single man will look out for his brothers-in-arms.”

  “I know, Dad. But they can’t stop a missile attack while in a convoy. Or stepping on a hidden land mine while they’re patrolling. I just don’t know if I can cope with not knowing how he is every minute he’s apart from me.”

  “And he could be in a car accident or get sick while stateside. Nothing in life is guaranteed, Isabella, you of all people know that.” Her father sighed beside her. “Do you want to know why I set you up on a date with Ethan, knowing he was in the military?”

  “Why?”

  “Because when you were enmeshed in military life all those years ago, joy radiated out of you. I wanted you to be that happy again. And you were. The times I saw you with Ethan, you were my happy girl again. The one who couldn’t wait to be a military wife. I don’t know if you and Ethan had ever talked about the future, and I’m not an expert on relationships, but the connection between the two of you was visible. You could almost touch it. Rhonda commented on it too.” Her father took her hand and squeezed. “It was tragic when Travis died, but you’re young and it’s okay to live your life. You shouldn’t give up.”

  “I know. Meredith and I talked about it. I was ready to grasp life with both hands, but when it came to it, I can’t push myself over the edge.”

  “I just think you don’t want to. I want to ask you something.”

  Meredith had asked this same question. “If you’re going to ask me if I’m happy, don’t bother.”

  “I can see the answer to that question myself. My question is different.”

  “Okay, what is it?”

  “If the phone rang right this second and it was someone telling you that Ethan had been hurt, what would you do? How would you feel?”

  Isabella’s stomach dropped and she clutched her arms around herself. “How could you say that to me, Dad? You know that’s my biggest fear. I would never recover if something happened to Ethan. It would be worse than what I went through with Travis.”

  “Why, honey bee? Why would it be worse?”

  The time had come to truly accept what she’d been trying so hard to ignore. She pushed down the sense of betrayal. “Because I love him more than I ever loved Travis. And I don’t want spend the rest of my life the way I’ve been living it the last couple of weeks.”

  “And how is that, Isabella?”

  “I’ve been so miserable. I’d rather have him for a short while than not at all.”

  Her dad’s hands landed on her shoulders and he turned her. She looked up and another batch of tears welled up in her eyes when she recognized the love shining out of her father’s eyes. A look he’d always had when he looked at her but she had been too stubborn to see.

  “You have your answer right there, honey bee. I have no doubt you’re feeling guilty about the depth of your love for Ethan in comparison to Travis, but don’t. Travis would be happy for you, you know that.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “I know I am. All that matters now is that you’ve admitted to yourself you love Ethan, and I have no doubt he loves you. I saw it in action that night at your place. His unconditional support of you told me everything I needed to know. He’s a good man and he’s the perfect man for you. I watched him as he followed your every move that night. The way he always touched you. If I know military men, and I think I do, he will do everything in his power to be extra vigilant and come back to you every time he’s deployed. You have to trust him and trust in the love you have for him and the love he has for you.”

  She wanted to grasp onto her father’s words tightly. Everyone kept saying that Ethan loved her, but he’d never spoken the words to her. Then again, she hadn’t spoken the words to him.

  The time had come to trust herself, trust her love for Ethan, and take that leap, because the mere thought of losing Ethan and then having another man touch her or kiss her sent shivers of revulsion through her.

  Ethan was it for her.

  She’d known it the second she watched him walk away from her that day in her garden, but she’d been too afraid to chase after him and admit her mistake.

  The question was how did Ethan feel about her?

  *

  Deployment day rolled around bright and sunny and yet, Ethan felt cold and dreary inside. He’d been feeling this way since he and Isabella had broken up. What he needed to do was push the thought away, he couldn’t go away this distracted, too many people depended on him.

  Yet he still scanned the crowd of family members milling around to see everyone off. Zeke, Anna, and their baby were wrapped up in each other’s arms. As well as many of the other guys.

  His parents had always come to see him off and he’d taken their presence for granted he now realized. He’d spoken to them on the phone this morning, they’d told him they were going to be there, but a plane delay had meant they wouldn’t get back in time. He’d told them it was fine, but now he wished they were here.

  “Hi, Ethan.”

  Everything in him froze and he was sure his heart had stopped beating. Had he imagined Isabella’s voice? He had to have. She hadn’t made any attempt to contact him since that day in her backyard.

  Even though it had killed him, he’d respected her wishes and hadn’t called or texted her no matter how many times he’d wanted to pick up the phone and do that or get in his car and drive to her place.

  Turning slowly, sure he was going to be disappointed and find Izzy wasn’t there, his eyes collided with a beautiful pair of blue ones. The same eyes that had haunted his sleep every singled night.

  “Isabella?”

  The vision in front of him nodded and he didn’t think; just acted. Grabbing her tightly in a hug, he relished the scent of her perfume.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered over and over in his ear. “I’m sorry for hurting you.”

  He pulled back and looked down at her, wiping away the single tear trickling down her cheek. “I’m sorry too. I knew about your past and how it’s shaped you. I shouldn’t have kept my promotion and reenlistment orders from you.” He framed her face with his hands, needing to let her know how he felt. If she didn’t return his feelings that was fine, but her being here had to mean she at least cared for him. “I love you, Isabella Knowles. I know there’s a lot we still need to work out, but I love you and I can’t imagine not having you in my life. The last few weeks have been horrible. I know we can do anything together.”

  The tears flowed freely down her cheeks but her smile pierced him straight in the heart. It wasn’t a smile of fear, it was a smile full of hope.

  “I love you too, Ethan. I couldn
’t let you leave without telling you. I’ve been so miserable too without you these last fe—”

  Ethan stopped the flow of her words with his lips. She loved him and that was all that mattered to him. The rest could be sorted out, but he needed this physical connection to convey everything he was feeling for her. Her mouth opened up under his, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Their tongues tangled and he pulled her tighter against him, never wanting to let her go.

  The sound of catcalls and whistles penetrated his desire-laden consciousness and he reluctantly pulled away from her. He looked up and saw the members of his squadron and their partners clapping at him and Isabella.

  “Oh, my God, I created a scene, didn’t I?” she said, her cheeks a beautiful shade of pink.

  “The best kind,” he responded. “Although your timing could’ve been better. I think I’m going to spend the whole of my deployment in a state of arousal now.”

  The blush deepened in her cheeks, but she laughed. “We’ll just have to work something out.” Her faced turned serious. “I want you to know I’m committed to you, Ethan. I know there will be times when I freak out, but I also know that I’m not alone and more importantly, you aren’t alone out there.”

  “I have no doubt we’ll work it out because I’m never letting you go again, Izzy. I love you. You’re it for me.”

  “I love you too. And you’re it for me as well.”

  He was about to lean down and kiss her again when the call came for them all to board the plane. “I’ve got to go, Izzy.”

  For a split second, fear entered her eyes before it was replaced by an inner determination he’d never seen before. “I know. Go and do your job. Just come home, okay?”

  “Always,” he whispered against her lips.

  Epilogue

  Finally, after six long months, she’d be able to see and hold Ethan. Erratic Skype calls just weren’t the same as being about to reach out and touch his face.

  She rubbed her hand over her belly. That had been the hardest secret of all to keep. She was pregnant. Had found out a month after he’d left.

  To say she was shocked was an understatement. It seemed that last morning at her house before their breakup they’d had a condom failure and as a result she and Ethan were about to become parents way earlier than they’d planned.

  During their talks, they’d sorted out a lot of their relationship and were committed to each other. It had taken everything in her not to blurt out her news when they’d been talking, but she wanted to surprise him.

  She had no doubt he wouldn’t have any concerns about the paternity of the baby. She’d found out Ethan and her father had been in touch during their short breakup. Ethan had wanted to make sure she was okay and her father, the sneaky man that he was, had kept it from her. This time she didn’t get upset because it warmed her heart to know she had two men who cared for her.

  “Are you ready?” Anna asked as she stepped up beside her, holding her baby who was now seven months old and sported one bottom tooth. Zeke was going to be surprised when he saw how big his son was now.

  During the time Ethan had been away, she and Anna had gotten close. Meredith had been offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to teach overseas, and so her best friend had jumped at it. By the time she returned, Isabella would have the baby in her arms.

  Meredith was her best friend, but Anna had helped her during the early stages of her pregnancy and had recommended her doctor.

  “Yep. I’m ready.” She answered Anna with a big smile.

  “You know there’s a bet going on among the girls that Ethan’s going to pass out when he sees you’re pregnant.”

  Isabella laughed and her baby kicked in response. She didn’t know what the sex of their child was, she wanted to find out with Ethan, which was why she’d made an appointment for the next day, to have another ultrasound so Ethan could see his baby and they could find out the sex together.

  “Here they are.”

  The big military transport wheels hit the tarmac with a screech and a plume of smoke. Isabella released her breath. Her man was home safe and sound, just like he said he would be.

  Ten minutes later the plane’s back hatch lowered and she got a glimpse of the men all eager to exit.

  She shielded her eyes and as they got closer she was able to pick out Ethan easily. Unlike all the other women around her who were running toward their men, Isabella could only walk slowly. The downside of being almost eight months pregnant.

  The second Ethan’s eyes landed on hers his duffel dropped to the ground and his mouth hung open. Oh God, what if he thought he wasn’t the father? No matter how sure she was that he wouldn’t question her, at that very moment, the doubts crowded in.

  She shouldn’t have been worried because Ethan forgot his bag and sprinted toward her.

  “We’re pregnant?” he asked, but didn’t wait for a response, he just grabbed her tight and crashed his lips down on hers.

  Happy tears flowed down her cheeks, mingling with their kiss. Not happy about being squashed between the two of them the baby kicked. Ethan sprang back and looked down at her protruding belly.

  “Surprise,” she said.

  His hands went to touch her belly, but stopped before connecting. “Can I?” Uncertainty filled his eyes and that was the last thing she wanted to see.

  Taking a deep breath she took a step, closing the gap between his hands and her belly, then laid her own over his. “Say hello to your son or daughter.”

  Her breath hitched when he bent down and placed a soft kiss on her belly. “Hey, baby, I’m your daddy.”

  The tears returned at hearing the conviction in his voice when he said the word daddy. But she still couldn’t quite get rid of the worry. “Did I do the right thing by not telling you?”

  “Oh, Izzy, you did. This is the best surprise ever. I love you and…” He dropped down on one knee and pulled a box out of his pocket. “This is what I was going to do the minute I saw you. I love you more than life itself Isabella Knowles. You make me a better man and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

  Her eyes popped at the diamond ring sitting snugly in red velvet. The ring was stunning in its simplicity. She had no idea how he was able to get such a beautiful ring while he was deployed but there was never any doubt to her answer. “Yes, Ethan, I will marry you.”

  His smile grew even wider than it was as he stood and slipped the ring on her finger. “A perfect fit just like us.”

  She sighed as his arms came around her and his head lowered toward hers. “Yes, we are a perfect fit.”

  The End

  Acknowledgements

  I’m thrilled to be part of the Tule family and can’t thank them enough for their belief in my storytelling abilities and support they’ve given me. A huge thank you to Julie, my editor, for wrangling this book into the shape it is. What a journey that was.

  Sometimes you meet someone and you just click. That person for me is my writing partner and best friend Abigail Owen. Since April 2016 she has been a staple in my writing life and I couldn’t have got half the words and stories written that I have without her and our sprinting sessions. Her support means the world to me. Love you, girl!

  Jennifer, my tireless PA, thanks for doing all the other stuff that needs to be done when you’re an author and leaving me free to write my words.

  To Shey and Shawn for answering my endless text messages about all things air force. I hope I got everything right. Any errors within the text are my own.

  To my family, as always, I can’t do half the stuff I do without knowing that I have your love pushing me to keep going.

  The Man’s Best Friend series

  Book 1: Blind Date Bet

  View the series here!

  Book 2: Next Door Knight

  Coming soon!

  Book 3: Coming Soon

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  About the Author

  USA Today Bestselling author Nicole Flockton writes sexy contemporary romances, seducing you one kiss at a time as you turn the pages. Nicole likes nothing better than taking characters and creating unique situations where they fight to find their true love.

  On her first school report her teacher noted “Nicole likes to tell her own stories”. It wasn’t until after the birth of her first child and after having fun on a romance community forum that she finally decided to take the plunge and write a book. Now with over 20 books published she hasn’t looked back.

  Apart from writing Nicole is busy looking after her very own hero – her wonderfully supportive husband, and two fabulous kids. She also enjoys watching sports and, of course, reading.

  You can visit Nicole at her website www.nicoleflockton.com or follow her on twitter at twitter.com/NicoleFlockton

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