by Jax Hart
“Relax, girl. It’s just Fed Ex.”
“Expecting any last-minute gifts?” I asked.
“I don’t think so.” He opened the door, brought in the package, and opened it. He shook his head, as he held the contents up. “Is that Hunter?”
“It sure is. Should I be offended my sister didn’t offer me a month?”
Wrapped in a blanket, with his ring sparkling from my finger, I took the calendar from his hands. “He made the cover?”
“Of course, he did. He probably insisted on it.”
I flipped through the months until I found which one was his. “August. He’s Mr. August.”
“Ugh oh.”
“What?”
“Nothing?” I quickly shut the calendar.
“Babe? No secrets, wifie.”
“Don’t freak out. It’s our engagement night and Christmas Eve.”
“Show me.” He held out a hand. I turned the calendar around, showing him December. It was them. Hunter and Char in …Vegas? She was wearing a short white satin dress and Hunter was dressed like Elvis. On their hands were matching wedding rings. “He’s dead.”
“I’m sure it’s just a photo shoot. It can’t be real.”
“It’s Hunter. In Vegas with my sister who just happened to bail on us for Christmas to go skiing with her friends in Aspen. All the other months are of men. What is this?”
“I don’t know. Here, I’ll text her a pic of my ring. She won’t be able to resist.”
Three minutes later my phone rang. Chase took it. “Char?” He growled.
“Congrats, baby bro!”
“Funny, I was about to say the same to you. I just saw your wedding pic from Vegas?”
“He promised never to tell you.”
“He didn’t. It’s on the calendar.”
“What?”
“He’s August and your wedding picture, December.”
She was silent for a few beats. “Carlos. He’s meddling. I need to grab him before it goes to mass print. I’ll call you back.”
Chase paced; Daisy followed trying to comfort him. “They’re both adults. Let them work it out.”
“This is exactly what I was afraid of.”
“You have me now and Daisy. Soon our own family. Do you think they’re still married?”
He shrugged, picked up his cell and dialed Hunter. “Bro? What’s up did she say yes?”
“She did. Apparently, so did my sister.”
He was silent before he spoke. “She broke my heart, bro. Asked for an annulment. I never signed but told her I did. She’s still my wife. Where is she?”
“Nope.”
“Aspen.” I answered at the same time.
“I’ll send Bunny in a limo. I’m going to get my wife. Congrats, Ryan… and Chase, I finally beat you at something—getting to the altar.” He disconnected.
I crossed the floor to my man, kissed his shoulder. “It’ll work itself out.”
His jaw was set. “He ruins everything. Ruined tonight.”
“No. He didn’t. But you might if you don’t let this go.”
“Make me forget.”
“Always. I’m your shelter in the storm just like you are mine.”
“I love you.” He shuddered kissing my fingers.
“I know. Together we can face anything, even Char and Hunter’s shotgun wedding.”
He finally smiled. “I can’t believe they did that.”
“I feel so boring and predictable compared to them.”
“Let’s get drunk then get naked in the hot tub,” he waggled his brows.
I laughed. “Merry Christmas, Chase.”
“Merry Christmas, Mrs. Carmichael.”
“I’m keeping my last name.”
He sighed, “Can we negotiate that? I want you to have my name.”
“But it’s so sexist.”
“Fine. I’ll take yours.”
“You would, wouldn’t you?”
“In a nanosecond. Nothing matters except that you’re mine.”
I dropped the blanket on the floor, raced to the backdoor off the kitchen and squealed as my foot hit the icy deck. I lifted the hot tub cover off. The water burned against my cold skin, but I sank right down. Chase stripped, taking his time entering the water. “It’s snowing?!”
Flurries fell softly from the sky. “Come here,” Chase reached for me. I faced him, moved my body onto his lap as he scooted to the edge of the built-in hot tub seat. A position that he found worked well to allow my legs to kneel on either side of his hips. He lifted me up, only to sink me back down.
“Well, ho, ho, ho,” I giggled.
He nipped the side of my neck. I gripped his shoulders, head tipped up to the sky. Wade dumping me a year ago truly was the catalyst spinning me on a different course. One where he was waiting for me. Sometimes the thing that hurts you the most can lead to the greatest thing to ever happen to you.
Gran was always right. Some of it is luck, destiny, or kismet. But you’ll never get there without helping yourself along the way.
Second Epilogue
“Sailor!” She ran on her chubby legs, giggling as Daisy barked giving chase. Daisy caught up to her easily, using her mouth to grab the top of Sailor’s diaper. Both of them went tumbling down in the sand. My heart was so full it did somersaults to keep from bursting. Chase smiled. His white teeth gleaming against his deep tan as he carried his board out of the waves. I sighed at the sight of my calendar guy, now my husband. He lifted Sailor high in the air, making her fly like a kite. Her blonde hair caught the breeze. She looked so much like him. All golden skin and blonde hair. I lifted my coffee to my lips, feeling my tummy clench as Chase and I locked eyes.
“Look at what we did!” His said.
“Want to make more?” Mine replied.
“Sailor! I think it’s time to call Gran and ask her for a sleep over.”
“Have her take Daisy too.”
“Good idea. We have a lot of work to do.”
“Wowrk?” Sailor copied.
“Yep, in the bedroom.”
“B-b eedwroom?”
“Chase!” I coughed as my coffee went down the wrong pipe.
“Actually, the hot tub needs some work.”
My face flamed. But I went with it, knowing I turned him on just as much. “Yes, I can see it does. There’s a small crack here somewhere.” I stood, bending low, letting the neckline of my tank dip, giving him a bird’s eye view of my braless breasts. “Or was it here?” I turned, bending over, feeling my short shorts rise.
“Call grandma now. Tell her it’s a 911 emergency.”
Sailor giggled. “911?” At two and a half she was adorable. Just simply adorable.
“Never mind I’ll do it.” Chase walked them over, dropped Sailor in the small bucket swing he had attached to the tree and grabbed me by the hips. I didn’t care salt water dripped from his body. Every hard inch of him imprinted against me as he captured my mouth. “I’ll never get enough of you.”
“Who knew this house would bring so much love?” We got married right here on the beach. Conceived Sailor upstairs.
“This house wasn’t a home until you. Want to role play later? I’ll be the big-bad lawyer and you can play… the bad girl tenant who has wild sex parties.”
I slapped his butt playfully. “How about you be my calendar guy?”
“I’m yours for life. Every day of every year.”
“How did I get so lucky?”
“I’m the lucky one,” he whispered, kissing me tenderly in the sun.
Mr. August
I was warned to stay away from her.
The more I was told to stay away, only made me itch to get closer. Maybe it was because she was forbidden being my best friend’s sister? Or maybe it was that summer kiss from a decade ago I couldn't forget.
She was in a pinch, needed a model to fill one last slot in her calendar. So, I stepped up to be her Mr. August, but if she'd let me, I'll be her guy every day of the year.
Prologue
Sighing, I pulled my ball cap down lower as I eyed my girl giggling in the surf. She never saw me under the shade of an umbrella watching her with tiger-like eyes. Before the summer was over, she would be mine. Because somewhere between seeing her as a kid sister…desire had come up and bit me in the ass. She thinks I’m just another trust fund playboy who doesn’t take life seriously. She’s totally misjudged me. But she started it. It’s not my fault how we crossed paths again after all these years. She’s the one who left North Carolina, not me.
She can pretend she isn’t into me all she wants. That’s why I’m not sweating shit as the dude on the beach purposefully overthrows the water frisbee to his buddy, so he has an excuse to bump into the focus of all my attention. She turns with a wide smile lighting up her face. My fists clench as the guy grins down at her while eyeing her perky breasts tucked into her bikini top.
She has no idea that I’ve changed my mind. She has no idea—I’m coming. And I always get what I want. After all, I am Hunter Kincaid. Just like my name, I catch anything I set my mind to.
With a smirk playing on my lips, I turn my cap on backwards and stand. I raise my arms, noticing the side eye my abs and biceps are getting. I give her one last look over my shoulder before turning and jogging down the surf in the opposite direction. I’m the most prime piece of real estate out here and I damn well know it. I’m not willing to sell myself short any longer. No more late-night hook ups or crazy Friday night kisses at the beach bar. I’m holding out for the one girl who runs every time she sees me: Charlie Carmichael. You see she didn’t always run. She flirted back, played the game. Until the night I confessed I loved her. Then she ran like the wind.
Mor From Jax
Thanks for reading Mr. July! Mr. August will feature Charlie and Hunter’s decades long love story! Stay tuned! In the meantime, if you enjoyed this book, check out THE CHASE, it’s a hotter, summer romance!
Follow me on Amazon so you’ll know when Mr. August drops.
Also by Jax Hart
New Adult/Contemporary/Romantic Comedy
THE CHASE
(Rafe’s story with appearances by Roque, Johnny & Christine)
Darker Romance/New Adult
SAVAGE POET
CREED SERIES
DUKE
UNSCRIPTED
UNDONE (Roque appears)
UNWRAPPED (Roque appears)
RBMC SERIES
DESERT KING
DESERT ROSE
REALLY DARK ROMANCE
CAPTURED BY THE BILLIONAIRE