by S. Jones
I tightened my grip on her hand and yanked her against me. I didn’t want her to move. I wanted her to stay like this forever. This is where she belonged. In my arms. “That sounds like a lot of work.”
Her hands started to move up my arms slowly. “You’re worth it.”
It would be so much easier for me to hate her. To continue to push her away. To take all the broken pieces that were between us and scatter them so far apart that they would never be able to be put together again. But if these past few weeks have taught me anything, it’s that I didn’t want to live in a world without her. I’ve had enough time to process and enough time to think.
I never realized how alone I was until she was gone. And I knew that I didn’t want to go back to my life that existed before.
“Kiss her already,” I heard someone call out from the crowd.
Her gaze landed on my mouth. My body heated from just one look, and that’s all it took. I leaned forward with a grin. “You heard the man.” The second my lips captured hers, I was lost and found all at once. Nothing had ever felt so right. My fingers gripped her hips tighter, and I kissed her with everything I had. It was filled with promises and apologies, of love and hope and everything that was us. It was perfect.
When I pulled back, she looked up at me. Her eyes were blinking with tears. I caught one with my finger. “Please don’t cry, sweetheart.”
Her hands grabbed onto my shirt like she was afraid to let go. “Tell me you’ll take me back. Promise me that you’ll never leave again.”
Walking away from her when she begged me to stay was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I said some things I shouldn’t have, and I let her go thinking I was doing what was best for everybody, but I was an idiot.
I held her face in my hands and allowed myself to take her in. She was so goddamned beautiful, and I was done. Done pushing her away. Done trying to live a life without her because a world without Chloe didn’t make sense. My thumb caressed her cheek. “After that grand gesture, you leave me with no choice.”
“Her soft eyes stared back at me. “I know we have a lot to work through, but as long as you believe in me, believe in us…”
I stopped her with a kiss. “I know I’ve put you through hell these past few weeks. If you can find a way to forgive me for being such a selfish asshole, then I can forgive you for not being honest with me.” I shook my head, still trying to digest everything. My brain was still reeling from the shock of her being here. “I pushed you away out of fear because I was scared. I was scared of the unknown. I know in the beginning you fought your feelings for me, but what you don’t understand is that I never planned on falling in love with you. And now that I know what your love feels like, there is no way I can live without it. I need you in my life, Chloe—more than I thought I did. If I could go back in time, I would do so many things differently. I’m so sorry for walking away.”
Her hands landed on my chest, resting over my beating heart. “I love you so much.”
I dipped my head to hers. “And I never stopped loving you, not for one second. We’ll find a way to make it work.”
“It’s about time,” I heard someone call from behind me. I turned to see my friends smiling and not looking surprised.
“Wait a minute.” I pointed an accusing finger at the guilty party. “You guys knew about this?”
Cassie chewed on her lower lip, all of a sudden going mute. Nick rolled his eyes and just ignored me. And Liam didn’t look the slightest bit sorry. In fact, none of them did. They looked pleased.
Chloe placed her hand on my shoulder and grinned up at me. “Why do you think Liam was late?”
I pretended to grumble under my breath when in reality I couldn’t be happier. The fact that she went to all this trouble, got up on that stage and sang her heart out in front of all these people made me love her even more—if that were even possible.
I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her nose. “I never knew you could sing.”
She shrugged like it was no big deal. “Me either, but I had a good teacher.”
I lifted my eyebrow, then she jerked her head to the back of the room where Brogan stood in a pair of washed jeans, a white T-shirt and a baseball cap that looked two sizes too big for his head. He leaned against the wall and waved.
I staggered back, but Chloe grabbed onto my hand. “You can thank him for all this. It was his idea.”
“What?”
She waved him over, and I watched him walk across the bar with a swagger that only someone in his profession could pull off. He stopped in front of me while I eyed him cautiously. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to feel. Was I supposed to feel grateful and appreciative, or was I supposed to feel threatened and jealous?
I ran my free hand through my hair, not having a clue about what to say or how to act.
Chloe gripped my arm, and I tilted my head to look at her. “Brogan gave me voice lessons so I could win you back.”
Before I could make sense of her words, he extended his hand and I had no other choice but to shake it.
We would never be best friends, but he was Chloe’s ex and Tanner’s father. He was going to be in our lives one way or another. After a quick and awkward handshake, I drew Chloe to my side. I had this overwhelming need to keep her there. To keep her close and never let go.
I heard clapping all around us as my friends and complete strangers came up to give us hugs and well wishes. Some even bought us drinks to celebrate. Never in a million years did I see this coming. But like they say, some of the best things in life are completely unexpected.
Chapter 35
Jack
I lifted my head when I heard a knock at the door. My assistant Jonathan walked into the room, placing a stack of paperwork in front of me. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”
My eyes scanned around the office. Everywhere I turned I could feel my father’s presence. Every wall, shelf, and drawer was a reminder of all that he sacrificed. This was his place. His company. His dream. Since his death, I often wondered if he ever truly understood how much this business cost him to build. Did he know this was the reason why his marriage failed? Why his personal life suffered so much? Why his son spent most of his life avoiding relationships?
For as much as I respected my father, I didn’t want to live his life. This job didn’t bring me happiness. Chloe and Tanner did. If I’ve learned anything from my father’s mistakes, it’s that family comes first. So, with a heavy heart and a small amount of guilt, I looked over the paperwork that would sign away the ownership of my father’s legacy. I was going to start over in South Carolina with the people I loved the most.
Chloe and Tanner were my priority now. It’s taken the last four weeks to tie up all the loose ends. It was hard being away from her and Tanner for so long. It was important that I did this right and I did this once because I wanted to make sure when I went to them, I would never have to leave again.
After signing my name on the last piece of paper, I threw the pen down and leaned back in my father’s old, leather chair. Jonathan picked up the paperwork and shot me a faint smile. “Your father would be proud of you, Jack.”
Placing my hands behind my head, my eyes moved to the wall where his portrait was on display. “Thanks, man. I’m sorry that I put you out of a job.”
Jonathan wasn’t just my employee. He was also my friend.
“Not to worry, Jack. You gave me a nice severance package. I should be set for a while. Besides,” he said, taking a seat across from me. “It gives me time to focus on my art.”
Jonathan was also a part-time artist. A damn good one at that. More than one of his paintings took up wall space in my Greenwich Village apartment. My soon-to-be-empty apartment. I was selling that too. After today, there was nothing left here for me, other than my friends who encouraged me to take the leap. Even though I would never admit it to their faces, I would miss the hell out of their obnoxious, quirky personalities. Regardless, there was no dou
bt that we would always stay in touch. I could see them whenever I wanted, but I couldn’t go another day without Chloe and Tanner.
“Jonathan, you need to make your art a priority. You’re too good to be wasting your talents answering phones and drafting up emails.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t sell enough paintings to pay the bills.”
“Follow my lead. Do what makes you happy. Fuck the bills.”
He laughed. “Spoken from the guy who has enough money in his account to buy a small island if he wanted to.”
“Speaking of art sales, I’m interested in buying that ocean beachscape portrait you did last summer. It would look perfect in my new house.”
“You mean the one I have hanging over my futon in my apartment? You don’t need to buy it, Jack. It’s yours for the asking.”
I looked at him sternly and replied, “Like I said, you’re a damn good artist, and I want you to have the ability to follow your dreams like I am. If you look in the top drawer of your desk, there is an envelope with a check inside. Consider it payment for what I think is one of your best pieces. I don’t think you’ll have to worry about being a clichéd ‘starving artist’ for too long.”
Jonathan went to his desk and grabbed the envelope. I could hear him opening it as he returned to my office with a look of utter shock and disbelief on his face. “Jack, I can’t accept this.”
I folded my arms across my chest and leveled him with a look.
“You know that money doesn’t mean a damn thing to me. It doesn’t make me happy. Helping someone realize their true potential and helping them find their own personal happiness, now that gets me excited.”
“Thank you. I’m at a loss for words.” He angled his head and looked at me for a second, an understanding settling over his features. “I’ve known you for a long time. I know how hard you pushed yourself over the years to be the kind of man your father wanted you to be. You probably feel like you’re giving something up, but trust me, you're getting something much bigger in return. You may be leaving all this behind, but I think you’re going exactly where you belong.”
“Thank you, for that.” I rubbed my thumb along my bottom lip, taking it all in. For most of my life, I believed that all my hopes and dreams were contained in this office.
That was until my father passed away and I stumbled into a little coastal diner for a cup of coffee. On that day when my eyes first saw Chloe, my world started to shift and change in a way that I never saw coming. I thought I was living the good life until I met her. It wasn’t until I opened my eyes and realized what true happiness was that I understood it was my playboy lifestyle that left me empty and broken.
Sure, having money made things easier, but it didn’t make me happier. It’s been a bumpy ride, but in the end, I gained more than I could ever have hoped for or dreamed of.
It was late by the time I landed in South Carolina. When I pulled into Chloe’s driveway, I pushed my car into park then sat there for a few minutes, taking everything in. I plowed my hands through my hair and let it all sink in. I sold everything I owned and left all I’ve ever known for the two people in that house.
Six months ago, that thought would have scared me to death, but as I sat in her driveway and saw the front door open, and she leaned against the doorframe, her body silhouetted by the porch light, everything felt right in my world.
I was finally home, and I knew I would never leave again.
Epilogue
Three months later
“What are you two up to?” Chloe asked as we walked along the beach. It was supposed to be a beautiful, sunny day, but the weather gods had a change of plans. The clouds were darkening by the second, and a storm was moving in quickly.
I didn’t have much time. I had this all planned out, and I was not letting a thunderstorm ruin my plan.
“Patience, Mom,” Tanner said, giving me a wink. “Isn’t that what you always tell me?” His smile widened. He could barely contain his excitement.
She narrowed her eyes at me then looked up to the sky. “Whatever it is you two are up to, you better hurry up or we are going to get swept away in a storm.”
A few minutes later, we had finally reached our destination. “Here we are,” I announced, grabbing her waist and turning her around to the beachfront property I had just purchased.
“Oh my God, this place is beautiful,” she said, admiring the two-story house that was outlined with a white picket fence and a wraparound porch. The navy shutters and massive glass-arched windows gave it one of the most distinctive looks on the beach.
“I agree. I love it so much that I decided to buy it. The owner accepted my offer yesterday. We close on it in a few weeks.”
She craned her neck to look at me. “What do you mean?”
After I got things established and got my new real estate business up and running, I ran across this property when I was nearby looking at a piece of undeveloped land for my company’s latest project.
I struck up a conversation with the owner, admiring all the thought and detail he had put into the design of the place. I couldn’t imagine anything more perfect to come home to every night. It was the perfect house for us to start a family. I asked him if it was for sale and he declined. Since I was never one to take no for an answer, I offered him about $100,000 over the market price, and he agreed to sell.
Not the most profitable deal I ever made, but some things you just couldn’t put a price tag on.
“This is our new home.” I said, wrapping my arms around her from behind.
“You already have a beach house.”
“I needed a bigger house, I said, into the back of her hair that was blowing in the breeze. “One for all of us.” She spun around to face me just as I got down on one knee.
Her hand flew to her mouth when her eyes landed on the sparkling diamond in my palm.
My hands felt unsteady, and I’ve never been more nervous in my life. “I want to start over, Chloe. I want to raise our family here. Share our lives together and build memories. I want our future to start here and now.”
I looked up at the sky that just started to release a few raindrops. Not exactly what I had in mind for my romantic proposal, but I wasn’t going to let it dampen our spirits.
“Chloe, you gave me a life I never knew I wanted. You showed me your heart and made me believe in things I swore I never would. You pulled me in when I tried to push you away. You believed in us when I had all but given up. I want you to be mine forever. Will you marry me?”
She placed both hands on my cheeks. Her eyes were blurred with tears, but there was no mistaking her joy and happiness. “Of course, I’ll marry you.”
My heart thudded against my chest. “So, that’s a ‘yes?’”
She looked at Tanner. He smiled while looking between the two of us. “The fact that you included my son in this special moment just shows me the kind of man you are. The man I want to spend the rest of my life with, so that is a yes. A hell yes!”
I placed the ring on her tiny little finger, picked her up, spun her around, and then kissed the hell out of her.
“Ew, gross,” we heard Tanner say.
We broke apart laughing, and then I reached down and placed my hand on Tanner’s shoulder. “Thanks for giving me permission to marry your mom.”
“You asked him?” New tears were streaking down her cheek.
Tanner nodded his head, his eyes filled pride.
She shook her head in disbelief before wrapping her arms around me. “I love you. More at this moment than I ever have.”
I brought my lips to hers. “I love you too.”
Just then a bolt of lightning flashed, and rain started to pour from the sky.
“We are getting soaked up here!” Cassie yelled, as she, Liam, Emily, Chase, Nick, Carly, Kristen, my mom, and Brogan all cheered while they came out of their hiding spot.
Chloe lifted her head to see everyone we loved and cared about come walking around from the side of the house, sh
outing congratulations.
Even Brogan’s new girlfriend, Natalie, who was a third-grade teacher at Tanner’s school, was there. They hit it off at the ice-cream social a few weeks ago and have been together ever since.
I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders when he started dating Natalie. Not that I was worried about him stealing my girl, but it was definitely uncomfortable at times knowing their shared history. Which right now, that’s exactly what it was—in the past.
I may not have been her beginning, but I knew I was going to be with her until the end.
The End
Other Books By S. Jones
Hard To Love
(The Hard Series Book 1)
Leaving a safe, predictable relationship and falling straight into the center of a whirlwind was never part of Emily's plans.
From that very moment when the stranger's hand takes her by the wrist, she is thrust into a world where she is flooded with feelings she cannot ignore.
Torn between her head and her heart, she quickly realizes that fighting her attraction to Chase Newman is an impossible task. He's a man who always gets what he wants and with his sights set on Emily, she doesn't stand a chance. A one-night stand will never be enough though, when she wants so much more than that.
When secrets and lies threaten to destroy the trust between them, Emily starts to question her own decisions. With doubt and suspicion plaguing her mind, is what they have worth fighting for? Or will the truth tear them apart?