by T. K. Leigh
I swallow hard, allowing him to slide it onto the fourth finger of my right hand. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
“Thank you, lollipop.” He wraps his arms around me, holding me tightly in his embrace. “For giving me a second chance to be a better man.”
“Everyone deserves a second chance.”
“Well, I’m still grateful you found it in your heart to give me one.” He holds me for a moment before pulling back. “Now, why don’t we go get you married? And for real this time.”
“I’d like that.”
I hook my arm through his, allowing him to lead me from the master bedroom and down the stairs where Hazel, Diego, and Imogene wait, everyone else already out in the meadow.
When Wes and I began planning this day, we knew we wanted it to be here. Of course, there were a few complications, most notably the fact we had to rebuild from the ground up before we could even think about hosting a wedding.
But that didn’t matter.
We’d both waited our entire lives to find each other. What was a couple more years?
“See ya out there.” Dad brushes a kiss to my cheek before retreating out the back door.
“Any last-minute change of heart?” Hazel jokes, looking my way.
“Not a chance,” I answer with certainty.
“Good. Then let’s start this show.” She hugs me one last time, then hands Elijah to Imogene. Her bouquet in hand, she slowly makes her way out of the house and toward the meadow where my dad, Wes, and Julia are already waiting at the makeshift altar I’d constructed with Imogene’s help.
“Can we go now?” Imogene asks excitedly.
“Do you need help putting Eli in his wagon?”
She shakes her head, carrying him with ease, as if she’s done it her entire life, then straps him into the wagon before pulling him along the path.
From the minute Eli was born, Imogene couldn’t get enough of her little cousin. And Elijah certainly took a liking to Imogene. At times, she’s the only one who can make him stop crying. They share a bond I hope will continue all their lives.
Just like Wes and Julia.
“Ready?” Diego asks, glancing at me.
I nod quickly. “Of course.”
He offers me his elbow, and I hook my arm through it. “Congrats, Lo,” he murmurs against my temple.
“Thanks, D.”
With a heartfelt smile, he leads me down the stairs and along the path. When the guitar duo transitions from “Canon in D” to “What a Wonderful World”, everyone in attendance rises to their feet.
I swallow hard through the lump in my throat, overwhelmed with a myriad of emotions at the significance of this day. One that’s a lifetime in the making.
Diego squeezes my hand, and we turn toward the altar, my eyes immediately finding Wes’. My heart expands at the love and admiration in his gaze as I slowly walk toward him. I’ve never questioned his devotion. Never thought he looked upon me with anything short of adoration.
But right now, as Diego takes my hand and places it in Wes’, there’s something so much more powerful and poignant than love in his eyes. Awe. Wonder. Esteem.
“You look…” Wes begins once the music comes to an end, struggling to find his words. “Wow.
My face heats. “I like wow. You look wow, too,” I say as I take in his navy suit.
His mother would have lost her mind if she knew he was getting married wearing anything other than a designer tux. Then again, she would have lost her mind if she learned he was getting married in the meadow at Gampy and Meemaw’s property, too. Which is why she’s not here. It was a difficult decision for Wes to make, considering she is his mother, but he didn’t want any bad energy today. Only support and acceptance. Two things his mother is still incapable of providing.
“Ready?” Dad asks in a whisper, forcing our eyes away from each other. But only for a split second.
Once we nod and he starts the ceremony, I look back at Wes as my father talks about the importance of love, respect, and acceptance.
“The couple has written their own vows, which they will now share with each other,” Dad says after offering his own advice. Then he steps aside, allowing us to have the floor.
Wes takes my hands in his, running his thumb along the fourth finger where his wedding band will soon sit.
“They say love is blind, but I disagree. Maybe lust is blind. In my opinion, love is all-seeing and tolerant. It’s seeing every flaw and imperfection, yet staying the course despite them. Maybe even because of them. It’s embracing each scar, learning the story behind every one, and doing everything to help heal them. It’s seeing behind the mask.” He swallows hard. “It’s seeing something in them, something you can’t put into words. But you still know it’s different. From the very beginning, I knew you were different. I knew I’d gladly overcome any obstacle or scale any wall just to know you. Just to be with you. Just to love you.”
I blink away my tears, grateful Hazel insisted I wear waterproof mascara. I didn’t think I’d need it. Didn’t think I’d be so emotional. But I underestimated myself. Or maybe I underestimated Wes.
He briefly drops his hold on me, smiling and nodding at Imogene, who grabs the box from Elijah’s wagon and hands him my ring. He brings it up to my finger.
“All my life, I feel like I’ve been searching for something just out of reach. Until you. You’re my missing piece. My anchor. My beginning and end. Our road hasn’t always been easy. We’ve endured more struggles than most couples. But that’s just it. We’ve endured, Londyn. Even when it would have been so easy to give up. There’s no doubt in my mind that those words you told me all those years ago are true. You are made for me. And I’m made for you. For the rest of our lives.”
I watch as he slides the wedding band into place, like the last piece to the puzzle of my life. “I should have made you go last,” I say through my sobs. “Then you could be the blubbering mess.”
He blows out a laugh. “I’ll probably still be a blubbering mess.”
I shift toward Imogene and take Wes’ titanium wedding band from her, then turn toward him, bringing it up to his hand. I hesitate, a single brow cocked, as if telling him he has one last chance to back out.
But he remains steadfast, his brilliant, blue eyes unwavering. Those same eyes I saw in my dreams after our first encounter. Those same eyes that have always been my solace, my salvation, my grace.
“I fell in love with you because you taught me how to love myself. I fell in love with you because you saw my scars, yet didn’t flinch. I fell in love with you because you stayed by my side even when the world seemed to abandon me.” I pause, offering him a small smile. “I fell in love with you because you stood in the rain with me.”
His composure cracks, a single tear sliding down his cheek at the memory my words evoke in him.
“You called me a storm. Or, if I recall correctly, a goddamn hurricane.”
I wince, glancing at my father, who gives me a playful look of reproach before smiling. He may still be a pastor, but like Wes’ father, he’s also realized what’s important in life. Family.
“But if I’m a storm, you’re my calm. We may be as opposite as two people can be, but to understand one, you must have the other. If we didn’t endure storms, we’d never appreciate the beauty of a sunny day. If we didn’t have pain, we’d never appreciate happiness. If we didn’t endure hatred, we’d never appreciate love. And that’s exactly what you’ve done for me. You taught me the beauty in the small things. In having paint fights on a random Sunday. In sitting on a porch and listening to nature. In surviving a near-death experience on a Ferris wheel.”
Everyone laughs, causing a break in the tension.
“And you taught me the beauty of dancing in the rain. From this day forward, I will always stand in the rain with you. You for me. Me for you. For the rest of our lives.”
I slide the ring onto his finger, where it will remain until he draws his last breath. And even after.
“By the power vested in me by God, I am thrilled to declare you husband and wife. You may now kiss the—”
My dad doesn’t even finish his statement before Wes cups my cheeks, drawing my mouth toward his. He breathes into me, his kiss filled with passion, but still respectful for the occasion. Sparks ignite in me, this man’s kisses the perfect drug. The only thing that makes me feel this euphoria and bliss I didn’t think possible.
When he pulls back, he winks.
“Bride,” my father finishes with a smile, which elicits a laugh. “Ladies and gentlemen, I present Mr. and Mrs. Bradford.”
Everyone claps and cheers as we face all the people who’ve come to mean the world to us. Wes brushes his lips against mine once more, then grabs my hand, leading me down the makeshift aisle.
As we pass his father, Elijah reaches for us from his arms.
Unable to walk by him without picking him up and smothering him with kisses, Wes grabs him, nuzzling him. “You hear that, bud. We’re finally a family.”
“We’ve always been a family,” I remind him.
He lowers his lips to mine, kissing me once more, wrapping little Elijah in all the love we share.
A wise man once said, “Sometimes the right path isn’t always the easiest.”
My path to this place has been anything but easy.
But there’s no doubt in my mind all the struggles we’ve encountered have been worth it to finally be in this place. To have love. To have hope.
To have a home.
Thank you so much for reading Atonement. I hope you enjoyed the conclusion to Wes & Londyn’s story.
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Temptation
Reserve your copy of Temptation today.
A sexy Australian surfer.
An attraction she can’t ignore.
Business has never been so pleasurable.
It was supposed to be a typical business trip to Hawaii.
During the day, I’d put the final touches on the new location of my bakery. At night, I’d relax on the lanai while sipping a glass of wine.
But that all changed when I met Lachlan.
Sexy. Intriguing. Haunted.
And easily fifteen years younger than me.
I should walk away. The last thing I need right after turning forty is a mid-life crisis in the form of an Australian Adonis.
But something keeps pulling me back to him.
So we make an agreement.
One week. No last names. No expectations.
It was the perfect plan…
Until it wasn’t.
They say temptation can be dangerous.
I didn’t realize it could be so deadly.
Preorder here:
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Playlist
Moment - Noah Guthrie
Disconnected - Jazz Morley
Been A Long Day - Rosi Golan
The Hollow in Retrospect - Corey Kilgannon featuring Liza Anne
Far Away - Matthew Nolan
Maple Whisky - James Spaite
Calm Down - Sonny
Break My Heart Right - James Bay
By My Side - The Paper Kites featuring Rosie Carney
Texas Wildflower Honey - Ron Pope
If I Have A Son - Ruth B.
Grace - Rachel Platton
Courage to Change - Sia
I’ll Be There - Hadley Hanson
Naked - Brielle Von Hugel
My Sweet Refuge - Roo Panes
My Love Will Never Die - Claire Wyndham
Pictures of You - Lauren Ruth Ward
Sinnerman - Nina Simone
Darkside - Oshins
Things We Lost in the Fire - Janet Devlin
Something in the Rain - Rachael Yamagata
Better Days - Judith Hill
What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
I Can’t Wait - Micky Skeel
Free Book!
A sexy, emotional age gap romance about two strangers who meet on a plane and the secrets that could unravel everything.
DOWNLOAD HERE
He warned me he was dangerous, but I refused to listen.
After all, he’s just a stranger I met on my flight to Rome after running out on my wedding.
A handsome stranger.
A handsome stranger who’s the complete opposite of my ex.
Which is why I make a proposition I never would have in my former life.
It was just supposed to be a vacation fling.
It wasn’t supposed to make me question everything I thought to be true.
Maybe I should have dug deeper into who he was.
Maybe I should have asked more questions.
Maybe I should have realized the truth that was staring at me through his familiar eyes.
They say you can never escape your past.
They were right…
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The Other Side of Someday
Here’s a little taste of a fun and flirty romantic comedy, The Other Side of Someday. If you’re looking for another heartwarming romance, this is perfect. Grab your copy here.
“Mmm…,” I moaned, basking in the luxurious Egyptian cotton sheets caressing my skin. A whisper of breath warmed my mouth, followed by a soft tongue. It had been ages since I had woken up to the feel of a man’s mouth on mine, so I didn’t want the moment to end. Keeping my eyes blissfully closed, I tried to remember the previous night. Nothing momentous stood out in my mind, and I certainly couldn’t recall meeting a handsome young stranger whom I would so willingly invite into my bed.
The mysterious tongue grazed my cheek and I inhaled, only to be assaulted by a vile stench. I flung my eyes open, my dopey beagle-terrier mix smiling his excited smile at me. Wiping my mouth, I turned away from the dog, pulling the duvet over my head.
“Sport, Mommy’s sleeping,” I groaned, still half asleep. I would give anything to return to the dream I had been having. There was a man… I didn’t recall much about what he looked like, but he had the most mesmerizing blue eyes I’d ever seen. Every time he smiled, my heart picked up just a little bit. When he leaned in to kiss me, my leg kicked out slightly, just like the leading lady’s did after her first kiss with the object of her desire in all those romance movies I watched…until the funk of Sport’s breath ruined my perfectly innocent fantasy.
Sport burrowed beneath the comforter and found me. He incessantly licked my face, his friendly reminder that he needed to go for a walk. He’d never let me fall back to sleep, so I sat up. Wiping my eyes, I stretched, yawning as I adjusted to my surroundings.
“California,” I murmured. The past few weeks seemed like a blur as I gazed out the sliding glass doors at the Pacific Ocean from fourteen floors up. The sunlight rising behind the building made the water sparkle and dance.
A month ago, I was living in the same town I had spent the past twenty-
eight years of my life. I was still married to my high school sweetheart. I was happy to maintain the same life I had since birth…until something inside of me snapped, probably the result of walking in on my former husband balls deep in my former best friend on the kitchen island of the house I had paid for with my inheritance.
Despite Will’s begging and pleading, I filed for divorce, hired movers to pack my belongings, and left North Carolina with his dog. I knew it was immature and spiteful, but I couldn’t let Sport grow up in a house with a revolving door of women. Will was pissed and rightfully so, but I knew him. He would simply replace the dog, just as he would replace me with the flavor of the day.
A wet tongue met my cheek, bringing me back to the present. “Okay, boy,” I said to Sport. “Want to go explore your new home?”
The thirty pound dog barked excitedly and darted off the bed, running circles through my legs. I padded across the hardwood floor and rummaged through my suitcase, pulling on a pair of yoga pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt over my tank top. Sliding on my flip-flops, I made my way into the hallway and down a set of stairs, entering the open living area.
I hadn’t had a chance to take in my new home since arriving late last night. Still, I couldn’t really get a feel for the place, nearly every corner filled with boxes the movers had arranged in the condo while I took my time driving across the country. The lower level was flooded with natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows adorning most of the walls. The architecture had an almost industrial feel to it. The kitchen was any chef’s dream and I couldn’t wait to finally settle in and put it to use, despite my relatively mediocre cooking skills.