“Do you miss being here?” he asks, pulling me out of my beach coma.
“Sometimes, yeah. But I’m glad I went back to Phoenix.”
“Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” He waggles his eyebrows.
“I missed my friends.” I shrug.
“Oh, you have jokes, Ms. Greene.” He lets go of my hand and starts to tickle my side, but I take off running.
“You can’t catch….”
I stop in my tracks when I see Jayce running toward us.
“What the…?” That’s when I see the large tent not far ahead.
I feel Caden’s hand on my waist as I shield my eyes from the sun while I try to see who is under it.
“Hey, Mommy!” Jayce yells.
“Hi, baby. What are you doing?” I keep walking, and Caden swoops him into his arms.
“You were supposed to stay put, squirt.”
I turn toward them in confusion. “What’s going on?”
I walk a little bit closer, and that’s when I see everyone I love gathered under it and I gasp.
“Surprise!” they holler, and I hear Jayce yelling the same behind me.
“Is you gonna ask her?” he asks, but I’m too shocked to see everyone.
Underneath the tent is Claire and Avery and their families, Grandma Rose, both my brothers, Auggie, Kenzie, Caden’s parents, his brother Caleb, and Anthony.
Caden sets Jayce down on his feet, and he scurries back toward our families.
“Hey, beautiful.” He grabs my hand.
“Babe? What’s going on?” I look toward everyone, and they sit waiting in anticipation.
He stands in front of me and tucks my hair behind my ear.
“Sierra, I love you so damn much.”
I smile up at him. “And I love you.”
“I’ve never wanted anything in my life as much as I want to wake up next to you every day for the rest of my life.”
A tear slides down my cheek, and he wastes no time wiping it away. But then he goes down on one knee in the sand, and my heart nearly leaps out of my chest.
“Will you make me the happiest man alive and be my wife?”
Six months ago, the thought of ever being with anyone again scared the hell out of me. But now, I can’t imagine spending another waking moment without having this man.
“Yes!” I yell, and in the next instant, I’m in his arms as he’s spinning me around. Our family and friends clap, hoot, and holler in excitement, but all I can think about right now is him and how I can’t wait to become his wife.
When he sets me back on my feet, he pulls me into his arms. “I have another question.”
“Another question? I mean I don’t think it can get better than that, but ask anyway.” I wink at him.
“Will you marry me today?”
My hands fly to my mouth in shock.
“What? Really?”
He nods. “Yeah. You know that New Year’s party we were planning?”
“That’s our wedding?” I knew this man was romantic, but I had no idea that he was capable of this. I have a feeling he’ll be surprising me for the rest of our lives.
“Yeah, beautiful. I don’t want to wait another minute to give you my last name, and I thought you’d want everyone here so they all flew in this afternoon.”
I wrap my arms around him in a tight hug.
He pulls away. “I don’t deserve you, but I promise you I’ll always be the best I can for you and our family.”
“I love you, Officer Harris.” I tilt my head back, only a breath away from his lips.
“And I love you, too, soon-to-be, Mrs. Harris.”
Damn. I love the sound of that.
Epilogue
Sierra
One Year Later
“Hey!” Avery hollers like only Avery can as she walks through our front door.
“Hey, in the kitchen!” I yell back as I pull a batch of cupcakes out of the oven.
“It smells heavenly in here.” Claire inhales deeply as they all walk in.
“Damn, it does.” I turn to see Ryke wrapping his arms around his wife. Those two are so freaking adorable. Even after all these years, they still act like newlyweds.
“My woman knows how to keep her man happy.” Caden pops one of the fresh-out-of-the-oven cakes into his mouth, not caring that they’re still scalding hot.
“Hands off, mister.” I swat at his hand, which only encourages him to grab another.
He pulls me into his arms and wipes frosting from the bowl behind me onto my nose.
“Caden Harris!” I shriek before he leans in and licks it off my face. Never mind the fact all our friends are watching.
“Happy anniversary, beautiful.” He pulls me into a kiss, and I immediately sink into his touch, the frosting on my face long forgotten.
“Why couldn’t we go back to the beach to celebrate?” Evan interrupts our moment as he also grabs a cupcake off the counter. These men and their ridiculous appetites.
“We can hardly get anyone to watch our hellions. I don’t think we’ll be taking a vacation anytime soon,” Avery answers him as she stuffs her own cupcake into her mouth.
“Leave those little princesses alone.” He kisses her and I smile, knowing how far they’ve come in the last several years.
Really. All of us have come a long way.
Our friends leave the room, and now it’s just me and my man in our own little bubble.
“How has it already been a year?” I rub at the day-old scruff on his handsome face.
“It’s been the best damn year of my life.”
I lean into him. “Mine too.”
We turn to look out the window as Kenzie, Auggie, and Jayce toss a football around our yard with our friends’ kids. There’s so many of them out there, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Between me, Claire, and Avery, we have enough of them to start our own team.
“She’s so good with them. But the poor girl couldn’t get so lucky to finally get a sister.”
He chuckles. “Nah, she’ll be fine.”
At that, little coos come from the monitor sitting on the counter.
“I’ll get him.” He softly pecks my lips before leaving for the nursery.
We had our sweet little guy just nine months after we got married. I was shocked to find out that I was having another boy, but I couldn’t be happier. Caden always says it’s just one more man to take care of me. Luckily, I have Kenzie for when I need my girl fix. We don’t get to see her as often as we’d like, but since Eli was born, she comes home about every other weekend. She insists it’s to see us, but I’m sure it’s for her baby brother and Kyle, who she’s still dating.
“There’s Momma.” Two of my favorite guys stroll into the kitchen.
“Hi, sweet boy.” I kiss the top of Eli’s little head before standing on my tiptoes to kiss Caden.
“I’m feeling a little left out, babe,” he pulls away, a teasing grin on his face.
“You get plenty of attention.”
He rubs his nose along my neck, inhaling my scent. I probably stink from slaving away in the kitchen all afternoon, but he doesn’t seem to mind.
“We could go practice for another.” He lightly nibbles on my neck.
“Yeah, right.” I roll my eyes. “I think we need to adopt a girl next.” Because I’d probably have to get pregnant ten more times before I ever got one on my own.
“Okay.” He rubs my stomach with his free hand. “But I still want to practice.”
“You two are making me sick and Eli doesn’t need to witness this,” Avery fake gags as she walks into the kitchen, snatching our baby out of Caden’s arms before walking away with him.
“I can’t believe you said that in front of her!”
He chuckles. “Are you kidding me? I’ve learned to be this way from her. But we can go practice now that we have some alone time.” He waggles his eyebrows up and down. “I’ve got my handcuffs with me tonight. I can do very naughty things to you, Mrs. Harris,” he whisp
ers into my ear. Holy. Shit. I suddenly need new panties.
“I see I’ve stunned you silent.” He reaches for the tray of cupcakes on the counter. “But I guess we should go entertain our guests instead.” He heads toward the living room but then turns to wink at me before he exits.
Damn him.
I compose myself and then join everyone in the other room, plopping down on the couch between my best friends. These two have been with me through the hardest times of my life, and I know that they’ll be with me many more times in the years to come.
“Love you, bitches.” Avery gathers me and Claire into a big hug, and we all fall back cackling like ten-year-old girls.
“I love you girls, too,” Claire says, and I nod my head.
“You two are all right.” I wink at them before they both start tickling me.
We look up to see three sets of eyes looking at us as they all shake their heads.
“Ladies, can I borrow my wife?” Caden asks as he reaches his hand out to me and then pulls me from the couch.
He lifts Eli out of his swing and then I follow him down the hallway toward the nursery. The whole time I hear Claire and Avery making catcalls like the mature women they are. God, I love them.
Once we’re in the baby’s room, my amazing man quickly changes Eli’s diaper and then settles into the loveseat next to the crib. When I was pregnant, he thought it would be a better idea than a rocking chair, so we could be in here together with our baby. I thought it was the sweetest thing ever.
He pats the cushion next to him, and I oblige and take it.
“Thank you.” He grabs my face with his free hand, searching both my eyes.
“For what?” I lean into him, kissing his palm.
“For giving me a life I never knew I needed. For making me want to be a better man every day. And for putting up with all us guys.” He winks his sexy wink and I nearly melt.
I’ve known this man for under two years. But in that short amount of time, he changed me. Before Caden, I wasn’t living, but he reawakened the light I thought was gone forever.
Also by S.E. Roberts
Voyages of the Heart (London) Anthology
Love Refined
The Unexpected Series
Revived
Renewed
Reawakened
GIRL POWER COLLECTION
Fighting for Love
Excerpt of Revived
The roaring gusts of wind thrust my small car around the wet street. It’s difficult to see too far in front of me, so I’m driving significantly under the speed limit. This severe weather is common for spring in Chicago. I really shouldn’t complain after the horrendous winter we just had.
I should be focusing on keeping myself safe, but I’m eager to tell my husband about my news. Our son Brady is only eight months old which means he and his sibling will be close in age. My brother Evan and I were four years apart, which made it hard for us to bond, so I always wanted my children closer together.
Trevor told me he would be working late tonight, so my best friend Shayna is babysitting while I surprise him with dinner at the office. I got him his favorite, Charlie’s, on my way. I’ve missed him this week, as he’s worked late every night.
When I pull into the narrow, vacant parking lot, I quickly get out of my gray Honda Civic and open the back door to collect our food and drinks. I’m eager to spend some alone time with him, even if I’d rather it be somewhere else.
The torrential downpour is causing drastic flooding on the sidewalks, so I am careful not to fall. I cautiously balance everything in my hands, trying not to drop anything. I’m clumsy, but right now would not be a good time for that to transpire. I set the takeout bags on the sidewalk to open the door but find that it’s locked. Strange. I guess it makes sense because the office is closed. I know he doesn’t like stragglers walking in, especially after hours.
“Trevor?” I call out, unsure if he’ll be able to hear me over the rain beating on the roof.
After what feels like several long minutes, I try again. “Trevor?” I yell, starting to become irritated because now I’m soaked. Of course, I’m wearing a white shirt today, of all days.
I’m standing under the awning in front of Davis Chiropractic, but it isn’t doing me much good at this point.
Finally, I hear something on the other side of the door and I’m relieved to know that I’ll be inside soon. But then I hear a voice that isn’t Trevor’s.
“Trevor!” A woman’s voice. What the hell is going on? I rattle the handle harder but still get no response. I quickly run around to the back of the building and bang on one of the windows. I see another window is slightly ajar. That’s when my world comes crashing down on me.
I can’t breathe.
My husband, my world, is thrusting in and out of his assistant, Nicole. His fingers run through her stringy, boxed-blonde hair.
I’m going to be sick. How could he do this to me?
I can’t seem to pull myself away from the window fast enough, but when I do, I run. It’s the only thing I know to do. I abandon the food sitting on the sidewalk and sprint to my car.
I’m only a couple blocks from Shayna’s, so I head in the direction of her house. I know she’ll be able to calm me and I need to see my son. This was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life, but it is now possibly the worst.
* * *
“Claire, what the hell is wrong with you?” Shayna asks as soon as she swings the door open. I know I’m a mess with mascara running down my face, my clothes drenched from the rain.
“He. He.” I can’t get the words out because I’m crying so hard. My chest hurts. I can hardly breathe.
“Okay, babe, you need to calm down. Let’s go sit and I’ll get you a drink. Want some lemonade?” I nod as I climb onto a stool at the bar in her kitchen. Before getting my drink, Shayna brings me a bath towel to wrap myself in.
I’m appreciative of the silence and I start to calm a little as I sip my drink. Finally, Shayna speaks.
“What happened, Claire?” She looks at me with concern in her eyes.
“I just caught Trevor with Nicole,” I whisper. Saying it aloud makes it more real and causes me to lose my composure once again.
My hands start to tremble uncontrollably and I have to put my glass down before I break it.
“I’m going to be sick.” I sprint to the bathroom and lose the contents of my stomach. The horrid taste of bile in my mouth making me want to throw up again.
I hear the faucet on the sink turn on. In the midst of my breakdown, I didn’t notice Shayna had come into the bathroom.
“Here, this should help you feel a little better.” She pats at my forehead with a wet cloth. Thankfully, it does help some as I had started breaking out in a sweat.
“Thanks.” I croak. I know that this stress cannot be good on my baby, so I really need to calm the hell down.
Once I’m confident that I’m not going to be sick again, I lay on the bathroom floor. Typically, this would gross me out as Shay has hairspray stuck to it, but right now I couldn’t care less. I welcome the coolness against my skin.
Moments later, once my breathing is back to normal, I grab onto the toilet as I carefully stand.
“You wanna go lay on my bed?” Shay asks. “Brady is playing in the living room and I’ll watch him as long as you need.”
I wipe my mouth on the back of my hand. “No, I think I’ll be alright.” I then wipe my sweaty hands on my skirt, which of course does nothing, considering my skirt is still wet.
“Okay, well, at least let me get you some dry clothes.” She heads toward her bedroom as I stare at myself in the mirror above the sink. My makeup is completely washed off my tear-streaked face, my eyes red and puffy.
He cheated on me.
I’m still trying to wrap my head around this new bit of information. How could he do this to me after everything we’ve been through together?
“Here.” Shay hands me a pair of yoga pants a
long with a New Kids on the Block shirt. If I wasn’t so devastated right now, I’d probably laugh at her.
Once I’m left alone, I slide down the door and as my ass hits the floor, the emotions take over again. I can’t seem to catch my breath and now I’ve given myself a raging headache from all the crying I’ve done in the last hour. I’m not sure how it’s possible that I still have tears left.
After several moments, I’m finally able to change.
I walk toward Shay’s kitchen to fetch a plastic bag for my wet clothes and hear my son babbling in the next room. I manage to form a small smile on my face. My heart aches, but the little guy still needs his mother. Somehow, I’m going to have to figure out how to move forward from this. Is that even possible?
When I get to the living room, I lift my son from the floor as Shayna gives me a worried look.
“Shay, I just need to hold him.” She nods in understanding and leaves the room to give me some privacy.
Brady is very much a mama’s boy. He’s the calm to my storm and I wish that I could sit here all night like this with him in my arms. I lean in to kiss the top of his head. The aroma of his lavender shampoo hits my nose, and I immediately become relaxed by the familiar scent. He rests his head on my shoulder as if he knows exactly what I need in this moment.
I look over at the coffee table that holds my phone and see that it’s lighting up. I had shut the ringer off on my way here so I wouldn’t have to deal with Trevor. I’m not ready yet.
Not a minute later, I notice it ringing again but quickly send it to voicemail. I know I’ll break again when I hear his voice. I don’t want to hear his excuses or lies. If I had more of Brady’s things with me, I would ask Shay if I could crash on her couch tonight. I’m not sure what awaits me at home.
I lay on the couch and massage my sons back which soon puts him into a deep slumber. I know I need to get home before I also become tired. Who am I kidding? I’m exhausted. Mentally and physically.
Reawakened: The Unexpected Series Page 20