by Alexa Verde
MARRY ME.
A sound behind her back made her whirl around.
As always, Corbin sprinted forward while Kitty walked more slowly behind with Colt. The man whose proposal she’d soon accept frowned at the shore. “We’re a little late.”
Kitty shrugged. “We wouldn’t be if Corbin didn’t forget where he put the ring.”
“Main thing is, I found it.” Corbin waved the black velvet box in the air. Then he looked back and waited for his father and sister.
Colt dropped on one knee while the twins said in unison, “Mom, would you please marry our dad so we can be the three happiest people in the world?”
She laughed as her heart sang. “If you put it like that, the answer can be only yes.”
Colt took out a ring with a single perfect diamond from the velvet box and slipped it on her finger. “I was counting on that.”
“Yes!” The children clapped, then danced together, then hugged each parent in turn.
Corbin’s little chest puffed. “We’re getting good at this, aren’t we?”
Kitty high-fived her brother. “We are! When we’re back in Texas, let’s get somebody else married.”
Corbin gave a thumbs-up to the idea. “I know! Mr. David. He’s so nice and kind.”
Kitty’s eyes widened. “That’s gonna be hard.”
That didn’t faze her brother. “We’ll pray. God will show us the way.”
“You’re right. We’ll pray.” The girl’s gray eyes became pensive. “I don’t want Mr. David to spend all his life with horses.”
“Hey, I love horses.” Then Corbin brightened. “But I see your point. We love you, Dad and Mom. So happy you’re back together.”
Kitty’s smile spread from ear to ear, pushing up her freckles. “Yes, we are.”
Colt brushed his lips against Mirabella’s, sending a delicious wave shimmering through her with the simple touch. He cupped her face in his hands. “I couldn’t be happier, too.”
Gratitude warmed her. “Me, three.”
“Four. We count as two,” Kitty corrected.
“You’re right.” Mirabella hugged her children, and they responded, Corbin immediately, Kitty after only a moment’s hesitation.
She couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her life with Colt and the twins.
This was happiness, pure and simple.
“I love you,” she said as she looked into Colt’s eyes, her palms on their children’s shoulders.
He smiled at her. “I love you, too. With all my heart.”
God had blessed them with a wonderful second chance. This time, they’d rely on Him to keep their marriage strong. And He would.
THE END
We hope you enjoyed reading Colt’s story! And if you did, chances are you’ll also enjoy Brett’s story, Brett: Billionaire Bodyguard, already available, and David’s story, David: Billionaire Cowboy, available soon!
Preview – David: Billionaire Cowboy
David King braked at the four-way stop on the country road leading to one of his Texas ranches, and glanced in the rearview mirror. Appearing as oblivious to the speed limit as the stop sign, a scarlet sports car barreled toward his truck.
Pulse speeding, he gripped the steering wheel tighter.
No chance to drive forward. On the usually deserted road, another truck already accelerated across the intersection. Gritting his teeth, he pressed the gas pedal, steering to the side of the road. Out of the way of the reckless driver, God willing.
He nearly made it.
Nearly.
The sports car didn’t rear-end his truck, but side-swiped it, and then careened through the stop sign. Thankfully, the truck traversing the intersection had already made it across
He pulled his cell phone from his jeans pocket and called 911. Then he called his ranch and barked orders. A replacement vehicle, and O’Malley, an ex-army medic. His own first aid training might not be enough while they waited for the ambulance to arrive.
His heart beating fast, he clicked his seat belt open and clambered from his truck.
No sign of movement from the other vehicle, and his worry intensified. Praying for the people in the flashy sports car, he limped toward it. A car like that rarely appeared in these parts, where everyone knew to drive something more sensible. It wouldn't come out well from an encounter with his truck.
The passenger side of the sports car had crumpled where it impacted his truck, but the driver’s side looked intact.
Concern squeezing his gut, David leaned to the window and tapped on it. No answer. Tinted windows, like many vehicles in Texas, used to reduce the summer heat, prevented him from seeing inside.
He sent up another silent prayer for the driver and any passengers in the car as he tapped again. Since Leona’s death, he hadn’t felt so sure God answered his prayers any longer, but he still prayed. Still tried to trust that God was good, that He had a purpose in everything.
Leona. Years since she’d sacrificed her own life to save others, including his. But pain still sliced his heart as her beautiful face flashed in his mind.
With a trained effort, he pushed his first and only love from his thoughts. Someone might need help here. Alarm burned his gut like acid as he knocked on the window again.
Was the driver unconscious, unable to answer? He pulled on the door handle.
Locked.
Only one option, breaking the window. As he prepared to, it finally rolled down.
A whiff of flowery perfume mixed with the unmistakable odor of liquor drifted through the opening. Anger, lava hot, surged in him. A drunk driver.
At least, she seemed to be the only person in the car. And despite the mess she’d made of the passenger side, he could see the impact hadn’t triggered the air bags.
The driver looked up, and he nearly stepped back. Such vivid green eyes, though now slightly unfocused.
Whoa. He knew this woman. He’d permitted her to interview him last summer, at the Second Chance in Life charity ball, along with the other charity founders, Colt and Brett. Since then, the TV journalist been more than a tad insistent, calling his media relations person and asking for a second interview.
Aster Andrade.
Beautiful, yes. A celebrity, yes. And also, dangerously reckless.
Preorder David: Billionaire Cowboy on Amazon now!
Thank You for Reading!
FROM ALEXA: Thank you for reading. If you write even several words on Amazon, BookBub, and/or Goodreads, it’ll mean a lot to me. You can make a difference! I’m grateful to every person who reads my books, and every review matters to me. Authors depend so much on reviews and recommendations, and it’s a great joy for us when our books find new homes.
I do love hearing from readers, and if you email me at [email protected], or visit me on Goodreads, Facebook, BookBub, or Twitter, you’ll make my heart sing. And if you’d like to know about my upcoming releases, please follow me on Amazon. Of course, I’d be thrilled if you looked at my other books, and I pray and hope they’ll bring you joy and encouragement.
For giveaways, news, free ebooks, and recipes, please sign up for my newsletter. Subscribers have access to exclusive subscriber-only contests, subscriber free ebooks, and book news. Emails won’t arrive more than weekly; your email address will never be passed on to anyone else, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Also, you’ll get the download link for a FREE sweet Christian romance ebook, Season of Mercy, as soon as you confirm your email address as a thank you gift.
Thank you very much for sharing your time with me and my books, and I hope we’ll meet again. God bless you.
With love,
Alexa Verde
FROM AUTUMN: Thank you so much for reading this story! We wanted to take the billionaire book and give it a twist, both with more diverse characters and with more faith! I hope you feel we succeeded. My prayer with every book is that it entertains, uplifts, and inspires the reader. Writing is such a big part of my journey with God, as He teaches, grows, and enco
urages me.
If you enjoyed this story, I’d love for you to review it on Amazon, BookBub, or Goodreads. Reviews don’t need to be long or complicated, just a few simple and honest words makes a difference. Readers who review are a total blessing both to the author, and to other readers looking for new-to-them books!
You can find out more about me and my other books, as well as sign up for my reader newsletter (and get a gift ebook!), on my website, Faith, Hope, & Heartwarming. I hope I get to know you better, whether by email or Facebook. You’re especially welcome to join our Facebook reader group, Three Authors and a Blogger.
Blessings, and happy reading,
Other books by Alexa
Christian Cozy Mysteries
THE 12 MYSTERIES OF CHRISTMAS SERIES
(Can be read in any order, and each book can stand alone.)
Gabriel’s Secret (Gabriel and Ava)
Noelle on the Run (Juan and Noelle)
Christian Multicultural Romantic Suspense
Sweet, wholesome books about faith, love, and murder
SECRETS OF RIOS AZULES SERIES
Welcome to Rios Azules, a small south Texas town, where rivers and emotions run deep and the secrets are deadly.
Dangerous Love Box Set (Color of Danger,
Taste of Danger, Touch of Danger)
River of Danger (Prequel) (Jacob and River)
Color of Danger (Book 1) (Luke and Mari)
Taste of Danger (Book 2) (James and Soledad)
Touch of Danger (Book 3) (Ivan and Julia)
Scent of Danger (Book 4) (Connor and Maya)
Christian Contemporary Romance
RIOS AZULES CHRISTMAS SERIES
In Love by Christmas Box Set (Season of Miracles,
Season of Joy, Season of Hope)
Season of Miracles (Book 1) (Arturo and Lana)
Season of Joy (Book 2) (Dylan and Joy)
Season of Hope (Book 3) (Brandon and Kelly)
RIOS AZULES ROMANCES: THE MACALISTERS SERIES
Season of Romance (Book 1) (Andrey and Melinda)
Season of Love (Book 2) (Petr and Lacy-Jane)
Season of Amor (Book 3) (Ray and Sylvia)
CHAPEL COVE ROMANCES SERIES
Love Me
Other books by Autumn
The Love in Store series set in London
Book 1 – The Wedding List (also available in large-print paperback)
Book 2 – Believe In Me (also available in large-print paperback)
Book 2.5 – Least Expected
Book 3– A Model Bride (also part of The Macleans)
Book 4– Forget Paris
Book 4.5 – Invitation to the Ball (or get it as my welcome gift for newsletter subscribers)
Book 5 – Teapots & Tiaras
Books 2, 2.5, 3, & 4 are also available in a reduced price boxed set, London Loves.
The Macleans series set in Edinburgh:
Mac’s story – A Model Bride (also part of Love in Store)
Catriona’s story – More than Friends
Fraser’s story – A Lesson in Love
Brodie’s story – The Real Thing – due late 2019/ early 2020
Huckleberry Lake series set in Idaho!
Book 1 – Calm & Bright
Book 2 – Imperfectly Proverbs 31
Book 3 – Midnight Clear
More stories to come!
Books 1, 2, & 3 are available in a reduced price boxed set, Come to the Lake.
Book 1 and Book 2 are also available in beautifully narrated audiobooks.
Sweetapple Falls series set in Oregon
Book 1 – His Father’s Son
Book 2 – His Healing Touch
Book 3 – His Perfect Bride – not yet published
Together for Christmas
A boxed set containing one book from each of my main series:
Believe in Me, A Model Bride, Calm & Bright, and His Healing Touch.
Chapel Cove Romances, a new tri-author series set on the Oregon coast
Book 1 – Remember Me by Marion Ueckermann
Book 2 – Love Me by Alexa Verde
Book 3 – Cherish Me by me, Autumn Macarthur
Book 4 – Choose Me by Marion Ueckermann
More wonderful stories to come.
A Tuscan Legacy
A multi-author series to take you around the world, now available in a bargain-priced ebook set, including an extra tenth novella especially written by Autumn for the set!
About Alexa & Autumn
Alexa Verde writes sweet, wholesome books about faith, love, and murder. She has had 200 short stories, articles, and poems published in the five languages that she speaks. She has bachelor’s degrees in English and Spanish, a master’s in Russian, and enjoys writing about characters with diverse cultures. She’s worn the hats of reporter, teacher, translator, model (even one day counts!), caretaker, and secretary, but thinks that the writer’s hat suits her the best.
After traveling the world and living in both hemispheres, she calls a small town in south Texas home. The latter is an inspiration for the fictional setting of her series Rios Azules Christmas and Secrets of Rios Azules. Please visit her online, on Facebook and Twitter.
Please visit Alexa’s website for more of her books:
www.alexaverde.com
For giveaways, contests, and news, please sign up for her newsletter.
AUTUMN MACARTHUR is a USA Today bestselling author of clean Christian inspirational romances with a strong touch of faith. If you love happy-ever-afters, sweet romance, and Hallmark movies, chances are you’ll enjoy her stories!
Originally from Sydney, Australia, she now lives in a small town not far from London,
England, with her very English husband (aka The Cat Magnet), and way too many
rescue cats for their tiny house! When she not feeding cats, she gardens as much as she can, hand sews, reads, and most of all writes her heartwarming stories of love and faith.
Visit her online at her website, or on Facebook, and sign up for her no-more-than-weekly email newsletter for all her book news! Or if you’d like to be updated about new releases but get fewer emails, you can choose to follow her on Amazon or BookBub instead.
You’re very welcome to join the friendly Facebook reader group begun by Alexa, Autumn, Marion Ueckermann, and book blogger Paula Marie, Three Authors and a Blogger.
They’d love to see you there!
Thank you to:
Our heartfelt gratitude go to:
- All the members of Autumn’s Awesome Readers and Alexa’s Amazing Readers for your encouragement, prayers and support. Special thanks to Natalya, Trudy, Susan S., Susan E., Susan B., Sarah, Kim, Bonny, Virginia, Helen, Lorel, Amy, and Kristyn for reading fast, supporting our books, and having a good eye for typos and missed words. Please forgive us if we missed anyone out!
- Linda, for suggesting Colt’s name;
- Marylin, for her wonderful memes;
- Our dear friend Paula, for all her help and support;
- Our wonderful editor Dee, who knows just what the story needs, every time;
- Above all else God, who saves us, inspires us, uplifts us, guides us, and carries us through, if we let Him:
- And we’re grateful for you, too, dear reader. We hope you were blessed and uplifted by Colt and Mirabella’s story!