I’d hated leaving Noel, but she was in heaven staying with Kyle and Cat. After one week, my sweet, crazy puppy was trained to do a number of commands, for which Bishop said we owed Kyle big time.
Opening the door to the greenhouse, I breathed in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Noel ran in and started sniffing every possible surface she could reach while I shut the door and made my way over to the edible flowers I had growing. Candace and Arabella had asked me to start growing some to use in the café at the apiary.
After checking on those, I turned my attention to a few other seedlings I had recently planted. The greenhouse was slowly coming back to life, and that made me so happy.
My phone buzzed, and I pulled it out to see it was Arabella. I swiped my finger across my phone and smiled. “Hey, Bella!”
“Hey there! What are you up to?”
“I was just in the greenhouse checking on the edible flowers. They’re looking good. I already talked to my folks about planting some on the farm as well.”
“Oh perfect! Candace made these cookies with the lavender you gave us, and they were so good. And Joanne ordered lavender syrup for the bed and breakfast. When I told her about the little kits you wanted to make up for the apiary store, she asked if we could make some labels for the syrup that said Willow Tree Inn.”
“I love that idea. Did you show her how we’re going to package the simple-syrup kits?”
“I did and she loved it. She wants to put a spin on it and put the pancake mix for her famous pancakes in it. Just a little something the guests can buy as a souvenir.”
“That’s a wonderful idea.”
“I thought so as well.”
My phone beeped, alerting me to another call. “Hold on, Greer is calling.”
“OK,” Arabella said before I put her on hold and answered the second call.
“Hey, Greer, what’s up?”
“Willa’s on her way to the hospital! The baby is coming!”
“What?” I yelled out, causing Noel to start barking. “Let me add Arabella to the call!” I merged both calls. “Arabella?”
“Yep, I’m still here.”
I squealed. “Greer’s on the line too. Willa’s in labor!”
“Oh my goodness, how exciting!”
“Yes!” Greer added. “Willa just called and said Aiden is freaking out. She had to ask if Hudson could come and drive them to the hospital because she couldn’t get ahold of Hunter.”
Arabella chuckled. “Poor Aiden. What can we do?”
“Did she mention if she needed any help with Ben?” I asked.
“Aiden’s mom is on her way to pick up Ben. I was thinking we might want to gather a little basket of goodies to bring up there, Arabella. If you feel like whipping up one of your famous baskets, that is.”
“Yes, of course. I can meet you guys up at the hospital.”
“That’s perfect,” I said. “I need to let Bishop know. Trent was here earlier trying to fix something on Bishop’s old truck.”
“Okay. I’ll call Kyle and let him know, since it sounds like Aiden isn’t thinking that far ahead. Can one of you try and call Hunter? I’m not sure if he went ice fishing…I doubt he would, with it being this close to Willa’s due date. I mean, she was due tomorrow!”
I pressed my mouth into a tight line to keep from responding.
“Um, I can call him,” Arabella said.
I fist-pumped, and imagined Greer was most likely doing the same thing.
“Great! You guys, a baby is coming!” Greer said as her voice cracked.
“I’m so excited! I can’t wait to see if it’s a boy or a girl,” I said, checking the thermostat and heading for the door to take the dog out. I slapped my leg and Noel came running.
“Same,” Greer said. “I’ll see you guys soon.”
“See you soon,” Arabella and I replied at the same time.
As I made my way down the path toward the house, I called Bishop.
“Hey, sweetheart. Trent is done, and I’m on my way back up to the house.”
“Don’t bother getting out of your truck.”
“Why?”
Nearly skipping in delight, I raced Noel up the back steps and into the house. She instantly flopped on the rug and started to roll around. She did it every single time we came in from the snow.
“Willa’s in labor. Hudson had to go pick them up to drive them to the hospital because Aiden’s freaking out too much.”
Bishop laughed. “Aiden? Big tough Navy SEAL lost his shit?”
I giggled. “Apparently so. I hear you coming up the drive. I need to change really quick.”
“Me, too, I’m in sweats.”
“Okay. Leave the truck running since it’s freezing outside.”
“Will do. I’ll be right in.”
After Bishop and I both changed, fed Noel and took her out to go potty, we loaded her up in her crate and headed to Boggy Creek Valley Hospital. It was only a twenty-minute drive from town, and Greer had been keeping me up to date with text messages.
Greer: They’re at the hospital. Aiden forgot to grab his bag, so Kyle’s picking it up for him.
I laughed.
“What is it?” Bishop asked.
“Aiden remembered to grab Willa’s bag but forgot his. Kyle’s picking it up.
Another text came through.
Greer: OH. MY. Gawd. Kyle just told me Hunter was picking up Arabella! They’re driving to the hospital TOGETHER!
“SHUT UP!”
Bishop let out a curse as he jumped. “I didn’t say anything!”
I shook my head. “No, not you, silly. Greer just told me that Kyle told her that Hunter’s going to pick up Arabella, and they’re driving to the hospital together.”
Bishop laughed. “Hunter also said he ran into Arabella at Schmick’s Market, and she didn’t try to avoid him. They talked for a few minutes, and Hunter asked if she wanted to meet for coffee.”
Jerking my body around so I could stare at my husband, I asked, “When did this happen?”
He gave a half shrug. “Couple days ago, I think.”
I smacked his upper arm. “And you didn’t tell me, Bishop Harris?”
“I forgot!”
“You forgot?” I stared at him in disbelief. “You forgot? How in the world do you forget something like that?”
He gave me a cautious look. “It, um, slipped my mind?”
I rolled my eyes and faced forward in my seat again, trying to hide my smile.
Bishop reached over and took my hand in his. “Don’t be mad at me, Abs. It really did slip my mind. Guys don’t think like women. If Greer had known that little bit of info, she probably would have called you right away.”
“I’m not mad. I’m just so happy Arabella is finally going to let him in. I mean, I hope she is. Though I am a little peeved she hasn’t told me about this coffee date.”
Bishop laughed and squeezed my hand. “She’ll tell you.”
I grinned. “Yeah, I know she will.”
Bishop pulled into the hospital parking lot, and I nearly bounced right out of the truck with excitement.
“It sucks that Brighton isn’t here,” Bishop said as he opened my door and helped me out of his truck.
“She’s on her way. Willa called her.”
After slipping his arm around my waist, we started to head into the hospital. When we stepped onto the elevator and the doors shut, Bishop turned and kissed me, then whispered against my lips, “Have I told you how much I love you today?”
Butterflies danced in my stomach as I fought to keep from going weak in the knees. Slowly, I shook my head. “Not until just now.”
He frowned, and I couldn’t help but giggle. “Then I need to make sure I tell you first thing every morning.”
Smiling, I pushed a piece of wayward blond hair from his forehead. “I love you, Bishop Harris.”
“Not as much as I love you.”
“No, I love you more.”
He huffed. “I
love you to infinity and beyond. Then back around the universe and straight out to infinity again.”
Laughing, I pushed him away. “That’s not even possible.”
“It is when you have a love like ours.”
Bishop laced his fingers with mine as the elevator doors opened. The sight before me filled my entire body with joy.
All of our friends were gathered together in one place. Greer and Hudson were standing with Hunter, while Arabella and Candace were huddled together talking about something that most likely had to do with food. Kyle leaned against the nurses’ station, flashing that smile of his that I was positive got him laid more times than not. And Brighton came around the opposite corner looking like she’d just run fifty miles.
“Did I miss it?” she asked with a panicked expression.
“Jesus, Bree, how fast did you drive to get here? You nearly beat Bishop and Abby,” Hunter said with a laugh.
“I was already on my way home for the weekend,” Bree said as she started to hug everyone. “Willa hasn’t had the baby yet?”
“Nope, not yet,” Greer answered, hugging Bree back.
Bishop and I made the rounds, hugging and saying hello to everyone. Then we all sat down and did the only thing we could do. We waited.
“How long does it take to have a baby?” Kyle asked for what felt like the hundredth time.
“Aren’t cops supposed to know things like that?” Bree asked.
Kyle shot Bree a look. “No. Maybe a medic, but not a cop.”
“It just depends,” Greer said as she stood. “I would imagine, since this is Willa’s second baby, it’ll go pretty fast.”
At that very moment, Aiden rushed in. Everyone stood at once and remained silent as he flashed the biggest smile I’d ever seen on his face. He paused, blinking rapidly, and I could tell he was trying to keep his composure.
“Should someone slap him or something?” Candace whisper-shouted.
Aiden laughed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Willa did…she did amazing.”
I brought my hand up to my mouth to muffle my soft sobs.
Aiden wiped a tear away and drew in a deep breath before he spoke again. “We have a seven-pound, four-ounce baby girl.”
“I knew it!” Kyle shouted while the rest of us broke out into cheers and tears of happiness.
Everyone rushed Aiden at once to offer congratulations. After he hugged and thanked each of us, he stood there quietly with an odd expression on his face.
“Dude…are you okay?” Hunter asked.
Aiden shook his head. “No. I think I’m about to pass out!”
Luckily, Hunter was standing close enough to catch Aiden when he did, in fact, pass out.
Bishop tossed the keys to his truck into a small tray and let out a long sigh. “Wow. That was something else.”
Kicking off my boots, I slipped off my jacket and hung it up. “I adore the name they gave the baby,” I said before I yawned and made my way into the kitchen.
“It is cute.”
“Ciara Megan O’Hara. It’s so very Irish! I love it.”
Bishop wrapped his arms around me and kissed me on the cheek. I opened the refrigerator and reached in for a beer, then turned in his arms and handed it to him.
“You don’t want a beer?” he asked while twisting off the cap.
“I can’t.”
“Are you still not feeling well?” Bishop asked, leaning back against the counter and giving me a look of concern.
“I’m feeling fine, just a little queasy this morning is all.”
He lifted his beer—but paused right before it touched his lips.
A feeling of utter happiness washed over me as I watched Bishop’s face while he pieced it together. He set the beer down on the counter behind him and reached for my hands. I placed them in his and smiled.
“Abs,” he whispered, pulling me into his arms and burying his face in my neck. “Abby. Please tell me what I’m thinking is right.”
I wrapped my arms tightly around him. “We’re pregnant, Bishop.”
He held me tighter, his body shaking with sobs.
I squeezed my eyes shut and joined him.
When Bishop finally pulled back, he cupped my face in his hands. Both of us stood there like two crying fools, but they were tears of happiness.
“You are the most precious thing to me. You, Abby Harris. I love you so much.”
I nodded and reached up onto my toes to kiss him. Bishop deepened the kiss. He started to undo my pants while I worked at his jeans.
A small little bark came from our bedroom, and we both paused what we were doing. Our eyes met and then we both broke into a fit of laughter.
“Holy shit. The dog is training us for the baby,” he said as he swept me up into his arms and carried me to our bedroom where Bishop did indeed go to his happy place…but only after he took the puppy out and played with her, of course.
Surrender to Me, book four in the Boggy Creek Valley series is coming January 25, 2022
Arabella Adams was the one woman I would have laid my life down for, no matter the circumstance, because that’s what you would do for your soulmate. But when she broke up with me our senior year of college—for no reason or explanation at all—my world as I knew it fell completely apart. My heart was instantly ripped from my chest…and it was a pain I felt in my very soul, and one I never truly recovered from.
Now, here I am, ten years later, and I’ve finally learned the real reason Bella pushed me away. So, I must prove to her that anything that happened in her past—our past—doesn’t change the way I feel about her. After all, soulmates never stop loving each other, and even a decade later, I will make her see that I will protect her until the day I die.
Because you see, we promised one another we wouldn’t keep secrets, wouldn’t hide parts of ourselves that the other wouldn’t understand. Except, well, I lied. Because the moment I find the person who took Bella from me all those years ago, I’m going to make him pay for every lost moment of the past ten years, and nothing—not even the fact I’m a cop—will stop me from inflicting the same level of pain on him that Arabella and I endured all this time.
Note to readers: Arabella endures trauma no woman should have to suffer. Respectfully, the author invites you to emotionally and mentally prepare before experiencing this book on your own terms, should you choose to do so.
Surrender to Me is book four in the Boggy Creek Valley series and can be read as a stand-alone. For a better reading experience, I suggest reading them in order.
What’s next from Kelly?
The Right Moves (September 28, 2021 Last novel in the Southern Bride Series)
Surrender to Me (January 25, 2022 Boggy Creek Valley Series)
Stand Alones
The Journey Home
Who We Were*
The Playbook*
Made for You*
*Available on audiobook
Boggy Creek Valley Series
The Butterfly Effect*
Playing with Words*
*Available on audiobook
Meet Me in Montana Series
Never Enough*
Always Enough*
Good Enough*
Strong Enough*
*Available on audiobook
Southern Bride Series
Love at First Sight*
Delicate Promises*
Divided Interests*
Lucky in Love*
Feels Like Home *
Take Me Away*
Fool for You*
The Right Moves (September 2021)
*Available on audiobook
Cowboys and Angels Series
Lost Love
Love Profound
Tempting Love
Love Again
Blind Love
This Love
Reckless Love
*Series available on audiobook
Boston Love Series
Searching for Harmony
Fighting for Love
*Series available on audiobook
Austin Singles Series
Seduce Me
Entice Me
Adore Me
*Series available on audiobook
Wanted Series
Wanted*
Saved*
Faithful*
Believe
Cherished*
A Forever Love*
The Wanted Short Stories
All They Wanted
*Available on audiobook
Love Wanted in Texas Series
Spin-off series to the WANTED Series
Without You
Saving You
Holding You
Finding You
Chasing You
Loving You
Entire series available on audiobook
*Please note Loving You combines the last book of the Broken and Love Wanted in Texas series.
Broken Series
Broken*
Broken Dreams*
Broken Promises*
Broken Love
*Available on audiobook
The Journey of Love Series
Unconditional Love
Undeniable Love
Unforgettable Love
*Entire series available on audiobook
With Me Series
Stay With Me
Only With Me
*Series available on audiobook
Speed Series
Ignite
Adrenaline
COLLABORATIONS
Predestined Hearts (co-written with Kristin Mayer)*
Play Me (co-written with Kristin Mayer)*
Dangerous Temptations (co-written with Kristin Mayer*
*Available on audiobook
She's the One (Boggy Creek Valley Book 3) Page 26