One Last Objection_A Small-Town Romance

by Nancy Stopper

Maggie looked over to Michael’s mother who was smiling down at Delilah. The past seven weeks since her birth had been a whirlwind of sleepless nights, pacing the floor, and more dirty diapers and changes of clothes than Maggie cared to count. But for all of her fears, she’d tackled each new challenge.

  With Michael by her side, of course.

  It turned out that taking care of a baby wasn’t as foreign to her as she’d have thought.

  As everyone talked among themselves, she stretched up and whispered in Michael’s ear. “I had my checkup today.”

  “Everything go okay?”

  “Perfect, and… I got the all clear.”

  He stared at her a minute, not quite understanding what she was saying. Eventually, realization flooded his eyes and a huge smile broke out on his face. After all of those months where she couldn’t do anything sexual… and the past few weeks while she’d recovered from Delilah’s delivery she was, well, uh…

  He leaned down to kiss her again but was interrupted when Joey slapped him. “Congrats, Mikey.”

  “Thanks, Joseph. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to kiss my wife.” She wouldn’t argue with that. She loved Michael’s family and had seen one or another of them every day since Delilah’s birth. They could be overwhelming at times, which she figured they knew. She still liked her quiet time and her own space, but she was learning to take them in small doses. Michael was respectful when she said she needed some time alone… as she had adapted to having someone else, two someone elses, in her space.

  But right now, all she cared about was some privacy with her husband. Damn, she liked the sound of that. She gazed at the wedding band that now sat nestled beside her engagement ring. They both decided to wait until the official ceremony to slide on their wedding bands. Michael had returned Lucas’s ring after their original ceremony, and she’d been itching to put her own claim on his finger ever since.

  “You’ve already kissed her. And there’ll be plenty of time for that later. Right now, you’ve got a party to get to. Can’t very well have one without the guests of honor.”

  Damn. In her desire to drag Michael home and make up for lost time, she’d forgotten all about the reception. Michael leaned his head against Maggie’s and closed his eyes. Did he feel the same? Was he as frustrated by Joey’s interruption as she was?

  Come to think of it, had Joey done this on purpose? A quick glance at Joey confirmed her suspicion.

  She chuckled.

  “Are you laughing at me?” Michael asked as he wrapped his arms a little tighter around her.

  “A little. Do you think Joey interrupted us on purpose?”

  “Maybe.” Michael laughed along with her. He pressed his groin gently into her. “But just know that the longer we have to stay at the party, the longer this goes to waste.”

  Thank God she wasn’t alone. He’d been just as anxious for the all clear from the doctor. She did what she could to help him, and she’d woken several times to the sound of the shower running. A cold shower, he’d informed her. But she had every intention of celebrating her wedding night—at last—since her first wedding was held over her hospital bed as contractions ripped through her. “Don’t be thinking we’re going to make a brief appearance and then leave. Your mother went to so much trouble, and I want to celebrate. And besides, did I tell you about the special trip I made to Cedar Hill last week?”

  He quirked his eyebrow at her. “You did?”

  “Yep, they have the cutest little boutique there. I found something I think you’ll like.”

  His forehead scrunched up and confusion filled his gaze. “You bought something for me?”

  “No, well, kinda. It’s for me, but I think you’ll like it.” She waggled her eyebrows and he chuckled.

  He leaned a little closer, his hot breath hovering over her ear. “Now I’m going to be picturing you in something sexy during the entire party. Give me a little hint.”

  “Nuh-uh. You’ll just have to wait.”

  He stuck his lip out. “Please?”

  “Oh, well, maybe a little one…” She leaned in closer. “It’s green.”

  He slapped his hand over his heart. “You’re killing me, babe. Green. You know how I love green on you.”

  “Yes, I do.” She fisted his shirt and dragged him to his parents and her precious daughter.

  Evelyn smiled at Delilah nestled in her arms. “She’s a wonderful baby, Maggie. And she smiled at me. I think she knows I’m her grandma.”

  Maggie stared down at Delilah and she smiled back. She’d just started the happy faces in the past few days. Her daughter had been beautiful before, but each time she smiled, Maggie fell a bit more in love with her. A love she hadn’t thought possible when this entire adventure began.

  Evelyn slid Delilah into Michael’s arms. “Let’s all get going. Everything should be set up at the house.”

  “Ma, I hope you didn’t go to too much trouble.”

  “It’s not trouble when one of my sons gets married. Even if you had to go and do it twice. We’ll see you there.”

  Michael deftly snuggled Delilah into her car seat and snapped her in. Father and daughter shared a private moment before he lifted her carrier and settled his hand on Maggie’s back.

  She rested her hand over her heart. Her family. Just like it should be.

  I hope you enjoyed Michael and Maggie’s story. One Last Objection is Book 4 in the Oak Grove series featuring the Bennett family and their friends living in Oak Grove, PA. All of the stories are stand-alone complete stories with a guaranteed happily-ever-after. But come back over and over to see old friends and meet new ones.

  If you enjoyed this book, I would be extremely grateful if you’d leave a short review on Amazon.

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  Turn the page for a sneak peek at the first chapter of One Last Gift, book 5 in Nancy’s Oak Grove Series.

  ONE LAST GIFT

  Book 5 in the Oak Grove Series

  By: Nancy Stopper

  CHAPTER ONE

  JACK MURPHY SLID the receiver back onto its base, his mind racing a mile a minute. A heart attack? His dad? He sank back into his chair and it spun toward the window. The Boston skyline that normally energized and rejuvenated him did neither of those now.

  What was he going to do? He turned back to his desk where the files for the upcoming investors meeting sat waiting for his approval. Beside them, three resumes for potential Vice Presidents required his review and assessment. But he couldn’t focus on work after the phone call he’d just gotten.

  “Patricia, can you come in here, please?” His voice betrayed none of the turmoil churning in his gut. He couldn’t allow it. His reputation with his employees was defined by his steely control and the ice in his veins. Little did anyone know how far from the truth that was.

  “What can I do for you, Mr. Murphy?”

  “Have a seat.” Jack needed a minute to compose himself. How he could get all of his work done for the company he’d worked so hard to build while covering for his dad at home? Christmas was the busiest time of year, and they couldn’t afford to shut down the lot while Dad was laid up.. Mom told him he didn’t need to come, but they both knew her protests would fall on deaf ears. He’d be on the next plane regardless of what she said. “I’m going to be out of the office for a while.”

  Patricia flipped through the notebook on her lap, her brows furrowed and her mouth quirked. “Did I forget to put something on the calendar?” Her voice wavered.

  Okay, so maybe he’d been a bit heavy-handed with his assistant. She was the best in the business and she took good care of him. He should remember that, especially now when he’d be asking her to basically facilitate his work from his hometown.

  “This was a last minute thing. There’s an emergency at home.”

  Her expression changed to one of concern. “Did something happen to your condo?”

  “I’m sorry. I’m not being cl
ear. I’m going home… to Oak Grove.”

  She leaned back in her chair. “Oh.”

  Yeah, oh. He hadn’t been home since he’d moved to Boston after earning his MBA from Wharton. His parents understood why he’d never been back, their visits always somewhere else or here in Boston. But his excuses felt flimsy as he considered the potential of never seeing his father again. “My father’s had a heart attack. It’s the busiest time of their year. I need to be there.”

  “Of course you do. What can I do to help?”

  For the next hour, he and Patricia came up with a plan. Most of the day to day items could be handled by Dan, his business partner. Jack would be available by cell phone during the day, and he’d work remotely early in the morning and after the farm was closed each night. Shoot, half of his clients were around the globe anyway, so he frequently worked odd hours. As long as he found Wi-Fi somewhere in the small town where he’d grown up, he’d be fine.

  Two hours later, he slid into the leather seat in the first class cabin for the short flight to Philadelphia. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the collar of his starched shirt. Sure, he could have changed before leaving home, but he’d worked hard for everything he’d earned, and everyone back at home was going to know it.

  Three little bottles of scotch later and he finally dozed off, only to awaken to the thump of the wheels hitting the ground.

  As he waited for his bag to spin around the carousel, his mind shifted to another day in this very airport under very different circumstances. The day his soul had been gutted by the only woman he’d loved when she’d refused to move with him to Boston.

  That feeling stuck with him as he pulled onto the highway for the drive to Oak Grove, each mile bringing him closer to the life he’d left behind. He hadn’t had time to miss his hometown, and his parents visited him often. But there was one thing he’d missed.

  Did Casey even live here anymore? He never asked his parents and they never shared—it hurt too much to talk about the loss. It just meant he was alone in his grief. Hence, the steely demeanor. He refused to allow himself to get close to anyone again. No one would ever hurt him the way Casey Patterson had.

  An hour and a half later, he turned onto Main Street headed toward the town green. When he’d left, the park had comprised most of the center of a town, with just a few businesses surrounding the natural space. Not anymore. Rows of shops with brightly-colored awnings and cheerful signs lined two sides of the park in the center of town.

  Decorations were starting to go up for the Christmas season, but the spot that normally held the town Christmas tree sat empty. As though it waited for his return.

  In the decade since he’d been gone, Mom and Dad had talked about the new retail and the houses being built on the outskirts of town. But the image of Oak Grove he’d kept tucked away in his mind hadn’t changed.

  New businesses meant more residents. That must be great for his parents’ lot. Maybe he could come up with a growth plan for the tree farm while he was here. Plans to diversify and share the burden so his dad could sit back and relax. He worked too hard. No wonder Mom had called. She couldn’t run the lot and take care of Dad at the same time.

  If only she’d called when Dad first complained about not feeling well. Who was Jack kidding? His dad was so stubborn that he was probably fighting Mom to get out of bed right now. He and Dad were alike in that way, but in so many others, not so much. Dad didn’t understand why Jack couldn’t build his life in Oak Grove, for example. Oak Grove might be his father’s home but it wasn’t Jack’s. Not anymore.

  It did no good to worry about that now. Other worries took precedence, like getting to his parents’ tree lot and seeing what had to be done to survive the holiday season and then visiting Dad at the hospital.

  Jack rounded the town green and headed out of town. Before long, he passed the sign he’d been waiting for:

  Murphy’s Christmas Tree Lot – 1 mile.

  A sense of peace washed over him. He’d worked alongside his parents during high school, college, and grad school, taking his exams early each year to spend the entire month of December helping out. Those last few years, Casey had been by his side. Like he’d expected her to be for the rest of his life.

  He hadn’t known that last Christmas with Casey would be his last Christmas in Oak Grove. Just thinking about Casey shattered his fragile peace. He hadn’t thought about her in a long time and now that he was coming home, he couldn’t get her off his mind.

  He drove through the gate posts a few minutes later. It had been a long time since he’d been here, and there had been changes in the intervening years. Cars filled the parking lot Dad had paved last year. Kids ran around wearing hats and mittens while others warmed their hands around the huge fire pit. He spied a few employees darting around, their bright red aprons and Santa hats singling them out from the rest of the customers.

  Jack parked in the one remaining spot and stepped carefully along the dirt path leading to the cut-your-own tree section. They were doing good business and the customers appeared happy. Maybe Mom and Dad didn’t need him at home as much as he thought. Maybe he could check things out, make sure the manager had everything covered, and head back to Boston before…

  He shook the thought out of his head. He’d have time enough to worry whether he’d run into his ex-girlfriend later. For now, he would find the manager and introduce himself before heading home. Mom had been elusive when Jack asked for the manager’s name, but he’d been too shaken over the news of his father to dig deeper. Now that he was here, he wished he’d pushed her harder.

  “Can I help you find something?” The sweetest voice he’d ever heard rang out from behind him, and he froze. It couldn’t be.

  He spun around. The smile on the woman’s face faltered. Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped. “Jack.”

  All color left her cheeks and she swayed. He reached out and caught her just before she hit the ground.

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  Books by Nancy Stopper

  Oak Grove Series:

  Last Call

  One Last Risk

  One Last Dance

  One Last Chance

  One Last Objection

  One Last Gift (Part of Mistletoe Kisses box set)

  Kindle Worlds:

  Dreams Come True in Laguna

  part of the Laguna Beach Kindle World

  About the Author

  Nancy Stopper is an award-winning debut author. She writes contemporary romance with strong women and sexy heroes that tug at your emotional heartstrings and leave you with a warm feeling that lingers long after the last page. Her favorite escape is small-town romance and even when set in a larger location, her books have that small-town feel.

  Her first novel, One Last Risk, won first place in the Short Contemporary Romance category of the Fool for Love Contest and was a Maggie Finalist in the unpublished Single-Title Contemporary Category.

  Dreams Come True in Laguna, Nancy's first novella, was published in the Laguna Beach Kindle World in 2016. Her first full-length contemporary romance novel will be published in 2017.

  Nancy lives in Virginia with her husband, two of her three kids that are still at home, and one cat who regards her with disdain daily. When she's not behind her laptop, you can find her at a ballfield, cheering on her favorite team (Washington Nationals) or her favorite player (her son, who pitches for his local high school), or at a dance performance with her daughter.

  Nancy Stopper

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  One Last Objection

  Oak Grove Series, Book 4

  By: Nancy Stopper

  Published by Nancy Stopper

  © 2017

  Cover by Razzle Dazzle Designs

  This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or
real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual events or locals or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at nancy@nancystopper.com.

  Nancy Stopper

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