The Guy Next Door Amazon Final

by Angel, Claire

  “You… love me?” I asked, and he groaned. He parked on the street, and we sat in silence for a moment.

  “I didn’t want to tell you that way. I had plans for it.” Jacob raked a hand through his hair. “I love you. I think I did from the first day that I met you.”

  “Let’s get her inside,” I suggested, and Jacob cradled Sienna as we headed inside the building. I needed a moment to think about this and to decide if I wanted to tell him I loved him too. Once she was in bed, I walked to the couch and sat down as I waited for Jacob.

  “Were you jealous? For real?” Jacob asked as I laughed humorously.

  “I was. She’s young and pretty and free. I felt like that woman with so much baggage, and the way she looked at me made all of my insecurities come right to the surface.” I dropped back against the cushions. “It hit me so hard.”

  “For the record, Kendra has been after me since that day. I haven’t gone back there and planned not to since before I met you. When I met you, every other woman faded away. You’re beautiful and kind. You’re the best mom and person that I know.” His hand cupped my chin and turned my face towards him. “I love you more than any other woman in the world.”

  “I love you, Jacob.” A weight was released from my shoulders, and I smiled slowly. “I don’t know how to go about that. I love you, and I’m scared to death.” Jacob leaned down to kiss me, and my eyes fluttered closed.

  “Mommy?” We jumped apart and stared at the little girl rubbing her eyes in the hallway. “You are her boyfriend. I knew it, but you never told me.” Her voice was sweet and rough with sleep before she stepped forward. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “We were waiting, baby. It’s big news, and it’s been just us for a while.” I told her as she held out her hand. “How do you feel about that?”

  “I think you’re nice. You make us laugh. Do you love my mommy?” We shared a look as Sienna dropped her bomb.

  “I do, Sienna. I love her a lot and I love you as well little Princess, and I want to be there for you. I think you’re a great kid.” Jacob spoke softly, and I felt the tears in my eyes.

  “I don’t remember my daddy, but Mommy tells me all about him. I have pictures, and I knew he was a hero, but I don’t want Mommy to be alone. I think she’s so pretty and sweet.” Rory cried harder. Sienna smiled at me. I was surprised at Sienna’s maturity. She was an adorable kid and I would be more than happy to have daughter like her. I could tell Rory was a great mother. She had invested a lot for raising this kid being a single mom.

  “I think the same thing,” I assured her as we smiled at each other.

  We stayed on the couch together until Sienna fell back asleep. I held her for a long time. I wanted this moment to last forever, and I gazed up at Jacob as I yawned. “I guess we should get her to bed.”

  “Can I stay?” He asked as I nodded.

  “I need you to stay.”

  We fell into a pattern for the next several weeks. When Sienna was home, Jacob stayed at our house, and we stayed quiet. When she stayed with Jane a lot more often now, we shifted beds and let every pent-up moan go. I still helped with Mom like I did before and did everything I moved here for, but he helped me. He took time to get her to appointments and worked more hours at night to make up for that.

  Jacob was amazing.

  I spent a lot more time with his brother and that group. Delila had her baby, and Sienna was obsessed with the little boy and helped with both him. It was nice to be with another mom and add my thoughts to the planning of Lachlan’s wedding. I cried when I was asked to be part of it, and Jacob held me that night as I cried.

  Kendra was a good nanny and stayed to help with the three kids, but she knew her part. She left Jacob alone and acted civil to me. I asked Delila if she said something and got a shrug and a smirk in return. “She knows that she needs to drop any dreams about Jacob. He hasn’t been into her for months.” Delila smiled at me. “That man is in love with you.”

  “Yeah. That goes both ways.” I sighed.

  “He’s sweet with Sienna too. All of the kids.” I didn’t go to LA with him with my mom needing me, but his family was planning to come to New York for the holidays. I was looking forward to it, and Everett was going to host the group at his house. We were leaving Jacob’s apartment free for the guests since he was all but living with us by this point.

  He took my mom to her last treatment with Jane and me. Sienna was there, and she knew the deal. I was honest from the beginning. We stayed at the hospital that time, and Jane and I took turns sitting with Mom. She slept through most of it, skinny under the blanket and a cap pulled over her bald head.

  The doctors told us that things were looking good. When we took Mom home that day, we had a bit of a wait to know how everything turned out. It was that night that I told him about our dad, who died with heart attack five years back. It was a sore spot for me, and losing Kyle ripped the wound open even more. I talked a lot about it with Mom, and we were in a better place together, but I was feeling a lot of emotions.

  Jacob listened to everything. He was always there for Sienna and me. I noticed that Mom loved to talk to him. I saw that he had a sarcastic relationship with Jane and that they were like blood siblings. It was kind of perfect. I loved him more every day and found myself relaxing in this new life.

  Chapter 13

  Jacob

  I was at the doctor when he told us that the cancer was gone. The treatment worked. Everyone started to cry, and I wrapped my arms around Rory. She was going to need some time to bounce back, but she’d be okay.

  That was when Rory brought up the idea of buying a house. She told me about the money in the bank a while back that she was saving for the future. “I thought that we could get something large enough that she could live with us. Mom isn’t the same, Jacob.”

  “I know,” I replied, and she gazed at me. “Everett said that there’s a house out by them. I’ve been looking around a little myself.” Her mouth dropped open. “I figure between you and me; we can manage it. Jane isn’t allowed to stay the night or anything, but she can visit.”

  Rory barked out a laugh. Jane was going to live with her boyfriend, Finn and didn’t like to leave her house as much. Luckily, Finn was great with family and helped a lot. He was bonding with everyone. “I don’t think that will be a problem.”

  “Lachlan is going to look out there too. They’re getting married in a month, and he wants to come to a house after the honeymoon.” I shook my head.

  “Everything is falling right into place,” Rory told me and cuddled up to me on the couch. We planned to drive through the neighborhoods and look at houses over the following week before the wedding in a few weeks. Mom was able to drive with us and offer her opinion.

  I hoped that we’d have something by the time my family came in three months for the holidays. I wanted everything that life had to offer, and I was planning on creating a future with Rory.

  The weeks passed, and soon I was dressing for my best friend’s wedding. He was an emotional mess, and the fact that we were both in escrow on our homes in the same neighborhood didn’t help matters. We went for pictures alone before the ceremony, and I smiled as the photographer called out orders for us. Delila was a brute and giggled when we all flipped her off in the last one. She was opting for just shooting pictures and leaving the bridal party duties to Priscilla and Rory. It was a small, intimate ceremony in The Hamptons at a friend’s beach home and there were only about forty people there. They just wanted to be married and joked that they’d remember their guests.

  It was a brief, emotional ceremony and a long party afterward. The house was big enough for both and Lachlan just had it catered. It was perfect, and I found myself dancing with Rory hours later under the stars. She wrapped her arms around my neck and sighed happily as I kissed her hair. “It was such a perfect day.”

  “Indeed,” I replied as I lifted my eyes to look around. Sienna was with the other kids
inside gathered in front of some game on the TV. I could see them all laughing and grinned as I realized that this was my life. Our friends were dancing together, and I breathed Rory in as the sweet citrus aroma filled the air around us. The newlyweds left about an hour ago to start their three-week trip all over Europe, but guests were trying to make the moment last.

  “Si wants to stay in our room with the twins tonight. Is that okay?” Delila asked as she paused beside us with sparkling eyes. She had that perpetual look of joy on her face, and I pretended to roll my eyes. “We can meet for lunch.”

  “That sounds great,” Rory told her, hitting my chest as she saw the look on my face. “Stop it, Jacob.” The kids were always together, and with every baby born, it just added to the group. “Call us if you need anything.”

  “You know it.” Delila breezed off, and Rory looked around with a lazy gaze. “Looks like things are wrapping up.” She smiled at me with a wicked gleam in her eyes. “Whatever will we do on our own tonight?”

  “No clue.” I mused, lowering my mouth to kiss her. It was a lot different now for Rory since we’d gotten together. Sienna stayed with Jane a lot as well as our friends now that she was older, and we had some free time. She was already signed up for the preschool in the neighborhood. She giggled and tilted her head to kiss me back.

  I helped Rory into the Uber as she gathered her soft green dress around her legs. We were headed back to our room, and I couldn’t wait to get her alone. The attraction was a strong as ever despite several months together. I knew she was it for me, but I didn’t want to use my best friend’s weekend to propose to her quite yet.

  I rolled to my side and looked at Rory beside me, panting and sweaty. “I love it when we’re alone,” I murmured as she laughed. In the new house, our room was on the opposite end of the house from Sienna, and Mom had her floor on a separate side. It wasn’t big enough to be called a mansion, but there was plenty of space for all of us to live together in harmony. We had the backyard planned out with a pool and place for parties as well.

  “We get that a lot now. Remember the early days when I was so hesitant to leave Si with Jane?” She shook her head as she looked at me.

  “She’s a bigger girl now. It happens fast.” I defended her as she leaned down to kiss me.

  “I love you,” Rory told me as I smiled against her lips.

  “I love you.” I wanted everything our friends had in our own little package, and we were well on the way to having that. “Forever.”

  I woke up before Rory the following morning and stretched slowly. The sun was shining through the windows, and I looked through the glass to see the ocean just beyond, offering us the perfect view. I made a note to come back here as I looked at my girl as she snuggled under the sheet and smiled. It was an ideal wedding location, but we’d do that our own way once she was wearing my ring on her finger.

  I glanced at my phone and decided to make some coffee. I slid out of bed and pulled on some shorts that were on the bed slowly. Making my way out of the door to the main room of the suite, I started a pot of strong brew and walked to the sliding glass door to look out over the beach. I could see some people already playing near the water, and it was safe to assume that my daughter was one of them.

  I didn’t take the fact that she was calling me Daddy lightly. She started that quickly, and I told her I loved her for it. I also went with Rory’s plan always to remind Sienna who her father was. I was the best version of a dad that I could be, making sure she was always taken care of. We knew we wanted another kid if not two but weren’t certain when we’d start that part of our life. Well, she wasn’t. I was a bit more aware of our time frame.

  I inhaled the scent of the coffee and glanced into the small kitchen to see that it was dripping into the carafe. We both needed it to jump start our day since we still stayed up late together. It was as if we were grasping onto every moment together. I sensed movement and looked to the entrance of the room to see Rory rubbing her eyes as she woke up. She was wearing a cami and some cotton shorts and looked rumpled and beautiful. “Is that coffee?” She asked as I turned to walk across the room towards her.

  “It is, mi’ lady.” I kissed her lips gently, and she smiled at me. “I’ll pour you a cup.” I took her hand and led her into the small kitchen, offering her the first steaming mug. “Want to order breakfast and eat on the balcony?”

  “Have you heard from Delila?” She murmured before sipping her coffee.

  “I have not, but there are some people on the beach. It wouldn’t surprise me if our little fish wasn’t one of them.” Rory wrinkled her nose. Once Sienna was exposed to more water, she loved swimming and could happily spend the day in a pool. The ocean made us both a little nervous, but Michael and Delila kept a close eye on all the kids when they were anywhere near the water. “I think we need a beach house.”

  “We’re not even moved into our house-house,” she reminded me as I smiled.

  “I know, but there’s no reason not to look forward.” She rolled her eyes and drank more coffee. She idled across the room, and I watched her perfect ass sway with interest. She searched the beach, and I knew when she saw the group that caught my eye.

  “Yeah. I think that’s her.” Love filled Rory’s voice as she opened the glass door to let the ocean breeze in, and the laughter that filtered from the water. “We can eat and join them in a bit.”

  I called down to order some bacon and eggs with fruit, adding a small pitcher of fresh orange juice. Rory changed into a loose sundress and smiled when the young man rolled the cart into the room, pushing it to the balcony at my request. We sat down together and heaped the food on our plates before she grinned at me. “I’m so happy, Jacob. I’m glad you moved into the apartment across from me.”

  “Out of all the buildings, right?” I slipped a glass of juice across the glass bistro table towards her.

  “Jane always told me I moved to New York for a reason. She said it was more than just helping Mom. I never understood that, but I think she was right. The timing was perfect.” Rory stabbed a perfect mango and chewed it thoughtfully. “I never dreamed we’d stay in a place like this in our lives. A day trip to the coast in Oregon was a rare treat.”

  “I’ll give you the world, baby.” I winked at her, and she blushed. It still didn’t take much.

  We were heading home in a few days. Work was waiting for me, and Rory was helping the girls with the photography business. It turns out that she had an excellent eye for editing the pictures, and Delila was happy for the help. Between Rory and I, we had plenty to buy the house and possibly a vacation home down the line. Mom was helping a lot as well, and we’d have a great little life. Kendra wasn’t the nanny any longer either, so that made things much more comfortable. She found something else overseas, and the girls helped Delila now as well as having a part-time girl during the week. I assumed that it was just a matter of time before Priscilla was pregnant and now Peyton since we were all settling down.

  Chapter 14

  Rory

  I watched Jacob across the table as he chewed on a slice of bacon. He was so gorgeous, and I pinched myself daily to make sure this wasn’t a dream most days. He filled Sienna and me with joy, and she loved having him in her life.

  I also loved having him to myself. We did that more now, and it was perfect. Whether we were in bed together or laughing over dinner, everything was what I wanted for so long.

  I looked back at Kyle as a love of my life and the man that gave me my daughter. I still missed him every day, but we both deserved to move on and be happy. We were. Jacob stepped in and helped me with everything, including Mom and the chaos of my own family. His family was incredible and welcomed Sienna as if she were their grandchild. She loved her cousins on that side, and every trip back to California proved to be an adventure. I felt like I had a whole other family with his family and friends as well as new opportunities. I was so lucky, and I told him that every day.

  Wh
en we were finished with breakfast, and the room was cleaned up, we took a long shower together. I stepped out first, giggling as Jacob squeezed my ass as I scooted by him. I dried off and ran a comb through my hair once I was wrapped in the robe. I was dressed in my bikini with a pair of denim shorts before he got into his trunks. I twisted my wet hair into a bun and rubbed sunscreen over my pale skin before glossing my lips.

  We spent the day on the beach with our friends that day. We ate a late lunch and an even later dinner before falling into bed, rising for a repeat the next day. Seeing Sienna growing up so much and being so happy filled me with a warmth that I never thought I’d know. I always loved her and took care of her, but it was always just my little family. She had friends here, and there was always a smile on her face.

  We returned home and got the keys to our new home the following evening. Jacob left Sienna with Mom, and we drove over to walk through it together. He let me walk inside first, and I looked around the open living room and kitchen with a smile. The back was a wall of windows, and I could see the beginnings of a brilliant sunset. “I can’t believe this is ours.” I murmured as I looked at the beautiful sight.

  “It is. We’re going to make a good life here.” Jacob said behind me, and I turned to flash him a smile. He was dropping to his knees, and I gasped as I faced him.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’ve had this ring for a while, Rory.” He started as he pulled a black box out of the pocket of his jeans. “I wanted the perfect moment to ask you this, one that could be all ours. The moment we signed the papers, I knew I’d do it here.” I wiped a tear from my cheek and laughed as he looked down at the soft velvet. “I moved here to New York to start a business with a friend. I didn’t see beyond that. Not until the first time I saw my gorgeous neighbor and her beautiful daughter. That changed my life and my world.”