Teasing Destiny (Wishing Well, Texas #1)

by Melanie Shawn

  “Does a paternity test ring any bells?”

  “Oh. That.”

  Shit. Jessie and I had discussed that. The woman claiming to be the mother of my child was basically trying to extort me.

  “Yeah, that. I saw his picture. He looks—”

  “Like a Briggs,” we said in unison.

  “I know.” I rubbed my hands over my face. I could see how she would be pissed about this. “Look. This has happened to a few of my friends. Women want a payout. They have a kid and say it’s a ballplayer’s. Sometimes, it is. Sometimes, it isn’t. I just wanted to find out before I said anything. To anyone.”

  I could see the wheels turning in Destiny’s head.

  Knowing I had a short window to plead my case before she got good and set in her opinion, I tried to explain myself. “I wasn’t trying to hide it from you—I swear. It’s just, before this morning, I wasn’t even sure where we stood. And I just didn’t want to… Hell, forget about not wanting to rock the boat. I didn’t want to capsize the sucker.”

  The iron vise on my chest released when a tiny smile appeared on her face.

  “I get that. I do. It’s just that, between that and retiring, moving home, even the sports academy, I just… I always feel like I’m one step behind. Like you have all of this stuff going on and I’m on the outside looking in. I trust you, JJ. I do. And I may not like that I was kept in the dark even if I do understand your reasons. But, if this is going to work, you can’t keep things from me.”

  “Okay,” I agreed easily.

  Her brow furrowed as she repeated, “Okay?”

  “Yes, okay. From now on, you know everything.” It wasn’t that I’d wanted to keep anything from Destiny. I’d just been trying to do the right thing. Sure, I’d failed miserably, but my heart had been in the right place.

  Her eyes narrowed, and she asked as if she were testing me, “Is there anything I don’t know? Anything else that I’m going to find out about?”

  Damn. There actually were some things I hadn’t been totally forthcoming with. But, if that’s what it took, then it was open-book time.

  “I was the reason that Chester broke up with you the day before your prom. I’d just got into town and was at the Pit Stop filling up when I heard him bragging to his friends that you were a virgin and he was going to change that. So, I paid him a thousand dollars to break up with you.”

  “A thousand dollars?!” she shrieked.

  “I’d just got my signing bonus. I would’a paid him five. Oh and I paid for the AC unit at the Spoon. Also, I’m the private lender who approved your loan. But your business isn’t the only investment I made. When I decided to move back and open the academy, I talked to a few members of the city council and I invested in several small businesses. Your interest rate and terms are the same as The Flower Pot’s and Yum Yum’s, who are both doing renovations.”

  I waited for her to get mad. Destiny was fiercely independent. When I’d gone to Mr. Crawford at the bank, he’d said that Dixie had offered to give Destiny the loan and she’d declined it.

  “You put in the AC?” she asked, her eyes widening.

  That’s what she was stuck on? Weird.

  “Yeah,” I said. “I couldn’t stand the thought of you working in that heat.”

  Her arms flew around my neck, and even though I wasn’t sure what had inspired this outburst of affection, I wasn’t going to question a good thing. So I rubbed up and down her back as she nuzzled against me, and she mumbled something about me being the person she wanted to share her messy with. I had no idea what she was talking about, but there was one more thing I needed to tell her, and this one was a doozy.

  “Um, there is one more thing,” I said cryptically, suddenly getting a serious case of the nerves.

  I dropped my arms when she pulled back looking a little uneasy asking, “What?”

  After reaching into my pocket, I retrieved the small, blue Tiffany’s pouch. “I’ve been carrying this around in my pocket for about a month and a half. I didn’t know when to give it to you.”

  When she took it out of my hands, it was obvious that she had no idea what was inside it. I mean, she probably knew that it was jewelry of some kind, but not that it was a five-carat princess-cut engagement ring. While she was busy opening it, I lowered onto one knee. I’d just got into position when she tugged the ring out of the small pouch.

  She gasped and covered her mouth with her empty hand. She was shaking her head no, and tears were brimming in her eyes. I hoped that wasn’t a bad sign. But I’d come this far, so I wasn’t going to wait another second to ask Destiny to be mine. Forever. If she said no, I’d just ask her next week—and every week until she said yes.

  I took the ring from her and held her hand in mine. “I know this might seem fast since I only told you that I loved you a few hours ago, but the thing is, it’s not really that fast. I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. I loved you before I really knew what loving someone meant. I loved you when I shouldn’t have,” I pointed out, and her shoulders shook with laughter. “I know I’ve messed this up every step of the way, but like I said, I’ve never done this before. You are the first girl I’ve ever loved, and I want you to be the last.

  “I can’t promise that I won’t be a bonehead and mess up, but I can promise to always love you, take care of you, and never keep anything from you again. I promise that I will do everything I can to be the man who’s worthy of your love.

  “You make the world a better place just by being in it, and if you let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to make your world a better place. Destiny Rose Porter, will you marry me?”

  “Yes,” she mumbled behind her hand as her head stopped shaking back and forth and started nodding up and down.

  I didn’t take the time to put the ring on her finger. Instead, I stood and pulled her up with me, kissing her like my life depended on it. And it did. She was my life, and soon, she would be my wife. If I had anything to do with it, it would be very soon.

  Our kiss was interrupted by claps, and when we looked up, there was a crowd of nurses, doctors, and a few patients that had gathered. Some people were even holding up cell phones, which meant my proposal was probably going to be on TMZ within the hour.

  Knowing that Destiny hated being in the spotlight, I looked down, expecting to see her mortified. Instead, she was smiling the biggest smile I’d ever seen on her face, and for the rest of my life, I would do everything I could to keep it there.

  Epilogue

  JJ

  Two weeks later…

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  “Yes, I’m sure,” Jessie repeated for the third time. Then, doing her best Maury impression, she said, “JJ Briggs, you are not the father.”

  “Okay.” I gave her a courtesy laugh. “Thanks, Jess. Talk soon.”

  As I disconnected the call I looked around my kitchen and waited to feel relief, but instead there was a heaviness in my chest.

  I hadn’t ever really believed that I was the father. Especially after it had become clear that the only thing Kylie Wright wanted was my money. She’d made so many threats over the past few weeks about going to the press unless she was paid that I’d lost track. So it was strange that I felt like I’d lost something. Something I’d never had.

  Just as I was about to get up to go back to bed, Destiny walked into the kitchen.

  “Morning, wife,” I greeted her, as I rose from the Harp Designs wooden table that I’d had Clint from Fixer Upper make as a wedding gift to Destiny. I pulled her into my arms.

  We’d been husband and wife for seven days now. Our engagement had lasted a grand total of one week before Destiny had put me out of my misery and agreed to go to the courthouse and make it official. At first, I’d felt bad, like I was short-changing her big day, but she assured me that she had never been the girl who had dreamed of a big wedding since that would mean a day of being the center of attention. As it turned out, our small courthouse weddi
ng had ended up being attended by over fifty people. All close friends and family. Grandma Dixie, who had been released from the hospital five days earlier and was on the mend with instructions to take iron pills, walked Destiny down the short aisle. Then Mom had thrown us a party at the barn. It was perfect, and not just because she made her world famous fried chicken.

  We were planning a honeymoon for next year after things were up and running at both the sports academy and the bakery.

  “Who were you on the phone with?” she asked sleepily as she nuzzled up against my chest.

  “Jessie. The paternity test came back.”

  Destiny’s gaze shot to mine.

  A sad grin pulled at my lips, and I shook my head, trying to hide the disappointment as I said, “I’m not a dad.”

  “Are you sad?”

  The concern in her eyes melted me. But I shrugged. It didn’t make sense, but that didn’t change the fact that I kind of was.

  Something flickered in her eyes as she asked, “Well, what if you were?”

  “No. The test is indisputable,” I explained. Jessie had made sure we’d used the leading forensics lab in the nation.

  “I’m not talking about the test.” She smiled anxiously.

  “What are you talking…” It took me a minute to play catch-up. “Wait. Are you…” I stepped back to look at her.

  I wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t like she looked any different than she had when I’d thoroughly explored her body less than eight hours ago when we’d made love.

  “When? How?” I stuttered out.

  “Over the Fourth. And do I really need to have the birds-and-the-bees talk with you?” she teased as she let out a nervous laugh.

  “The Fourth? When did you find out?” A flush of adrenaline raced through me as my eyes widened in disbelief.

  “Yesterday. I went to get my birth control refilled and they informed me that would not be necessary.” She chuckled again, this time it sounded like disbelief.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I don’t know… It’s just… This all happened so fast and I was trying to get my head around it. And, also, I didn’t want this news to be mixed up with whatever the paternity test said. I’m sorry.”

  “I’m going to be a dad?” I clarified, as the reality sunk in.

  “Yep.” She popped the p at the end as tears filled her beautiful eyes. After wiping her eyes, she took my hand and placed it on her still-flat belly. “In about seven months.”

  Dropping to my knees, I pulled her to me and placed my cheek against her stomach.

  She laughed again, this time sounding like relief as tears streamed down her face. “I was going to ask if you’re happy, but I guess that answers that.”

  “I’m happy,” I said, my voice cracking with emotion. Happy didn’t even begin to describe how I felt, but it would do for now.

  Sniffing, she took a deep breath. “As surprised as I was, it actually does explain how emotional I’ve been lately. I’ve cried more in the past couple of months than I have in my entire life.”

  “I’m going to be a dad,” I whispered reverently as I held my wife tighter than was probably comfortable.

  “Yep, you sure are.” Destiny ran her hands through my hair.

  I kissed her belly, telling her and the baby, “I love you.”

  I knew that life would not always be this happy, this perfect. That we would go through tough times. But I also knew that we’d get through them together. Because I had the only thing I’d ever needed wrapped in my arms. I had my Destiny.

  THE END

  Excerpt: Convincing Cara

  Coming April 2016

  This is an unedited version

  Chapter 1

  Cara

  “I do not want to talk about losing my V-card here!” I could feel cheeks flame with heat at the current topic of conversation: my virginity. “In church.”

  “We’re not in church. We’re in the church parking lot, Care Bear.” Tilting her head to the side, one of my best friends in the world, Harmony Briggs, twisted in the driver’s seat and raised her brow, giving me one of her patented “get-real” looks. Her green eyes pinned me to the back of my seat. “And besides, do you really think the man upstairs doesn’t know that you’re a virgin?”

  “Just because He knows…” I pointed up towards the sky through the sunroof of the car, “…does not mean He wants me discussing the fact that I want lose it in front of His house.”

  “Stop trying to veer this conversation off track. In the immortal, or immoral—” Harmony waggled her eyebrows up and down suggestively “—words of Marvin Gaye, you need to get it on. And look at you. You are the walking definition of PYT. This should not be a difficult task.”

  “You don’t understand.” Leaning my head back against the head rest I sighed. “I don’t just want a wham, bam, thank you, ma’am.”

  “Okay, so you want a relationship.”

  Shaking my head I turned to my friend. “I didn’t say that.”

  A relationship was definitely what I wanted, but realistically, I thought that my current predicament was a lot of pressure to put on any budding love. Not to mention the fact that I’d like to have some experience before jumping into the deep end of the serious relationship pool.

  From what I’d heard, first times were painful and less than satisfying. The rumor was, until someone was comfortable in their own skin, things were educational more than enjoyable. And the only way to tilt the scales of ecstasy in your favor was on-the-job training. You had to be intimate enough times to know what you liked and what you didn’t. Before that happened, the words I’d heard thrown around to describe sexual encounters ranged from awkward and uncomfortable to comical and horrible.

  So, my plan was to have someone to practice on. To get all of the painful, unsatisfying, awkward, uncomfortable, comical and horrible out of the way before I was with someone I actually cared about. Sure, a lot of people might view my logic as screwier than a crazy straw, but to me, it was solid as oak.

  “A casual hook-up then? I can work with that.” Harmony pulled out her phone from her purse.

  “I told you, I’m not going on Tinder.” The topic of my experience or lack thereof had been brought up at our last girl’s night out when the other leg of our best friend tri-pod, Destiny, had revealed that she was expecting a baby when we’d given her a hard time because she was drinking water when we were downing margaritas.

  Destiny had recently married Harmony’s brother, JJ who she’d had a crush on since she was four years old. Now she was living her lifelong dream of not only being his wife but also having his baby. I was excited for my friend but as excited as I’d been I’d had a slight alcohol-assisted meltdown over the fact that she was in the advanced class of life and acing that sucker, whereas I had barely reached kindergarten level.

  Harmony and Destiny, who were more like sisters than friends, had immediately noticed my tears and the can of worms that I’d been trying desperately to nail, glue, or (preferably) weld shut popped open like it was spring loaded. I’d blubbered my way through explaining how my virginity was starting to feel like a permanent condition. That I’d seen no light at the end of my sexless tunnel. Thanks to that mini-meltdown, now both of my well-meaning friends were on a mission to change my status.

  “No Tinder. No eHarmony. No Match.com. No OkCupid.” Harmony listed off the websites on her fingers. “I get it. Zapp & Roger’s Computer Love is not your jam. So, the question is, what is your jam?”

  “My jam?” I wasn’t sure where this was going.

  “Yes. Your type. What qualities are you looking for in the lucky gardener who’ll be deflowering you?”

  I laughed. Harmony definitely had a way with words that caused vivid mental pictures to pop up like moles in a game of Whack-A-Mole in your head. Unfortunately, every mole making an unwanted appearance in my mind resembled a certain brother of Harmony’s that had sandy brown hair, dark brown eyes, and the strongest arms I’d ever
been in…well, besides my brother Colton’s. But familial arms didn’t count.

  Trace Briggs was the youngest of the Briggs boys and the closest to Harmony’s and my age. Because of that, I knew him better than I knew any of the rest of my friend’s brothers. For as long as I could remember, Trace had always been around. He was only one year ahead of us at school, and we all shared the same circle of friends. That circle unfortunately included all of the girls that Trace had dated over the years. I’d had a front row seat to all of his romances.

  The only upshot of that scenario was that he’d never had that serious a relationship. His longest girlfriend had lasted six months, two weeks, and four days…not that I was counting or anything.

  For years, I’d watched his attention turn from girl to girl, always wishing that I was the one he was taking home, or bowling. Or sitting between his legs at Movies in the Park, which occurred on Saturday nights—weather permitting—in the town square. The town would gather for a BBQ dinner and then watch a movie under the stars, projected onto the side of the three-story courthouse, which happened to be the tallest building in the small town of Wishing Well.

  I remembered when he and Char Kramer were snuggled in a sleeping bag right behind where Destiny, Harmony and I had our blankets and pillows set up to watch Titanic. To this day, I couldn’t watch Jack and Rose’s love story without hearing Char’s giggles or the soft sounds of her sighs as they made out not two feet behind me. That night ruined one of my all-time favorite movies.

  Since my unrequited love of Trace was a secret I’d somehow managed to keep, even from my best friends, I decided to stay silent on the fact that the only person I’d ever been able to imagine in the role of gardener in my deflowering was Harmony’s very own brother.

  “I just…I don’t know.” My head was spinning with all the things I wanted and didn’t know how to get. “I guess that’s part of the problem. I have no idea what I’m looking for,” I lied.