Happily Ever After: A Contemporary Romance Boxed Set

by Piper Rayne

  “It was this shared look like, ‘man, we almost lost her.’ I remember Laurie was in her pajamas, her hair in a ponytail. A smile was just about to form on her lips as Chevelle grew closer to me. Then it was like a movie. Laurie stepped forward and this loud crack echoed across the lake. The ice splintered like a cobweb. Her eyes widened and terror flashed in them right before the ice broke and she sank down.”

  I almost feel the chill of the air that day. The screams that I recognized as my own later on. The boys coming to the edge of the lake. Me yelling at them to take Chevelle and to call for help.

  “Our neighbors heard the screams and came running. I jumped in the water, but it was so dark. I couldn’t see anything, and the chunks of ice were too big.”

  Marla runs her smooth palms slowly over my skin as though she’s soothing me. And it does help. A little.

  “Eventually I felt my hand brush against something, and it was her. I got her out. At first I thought the same thing I had earlier—that we’d dodged a bullet. You know? I got us to the side of the lake and our neighbor returned with blankets. I remember her dropping them and saying she’d keep the kids busy. She must’ve seen what I didn’t—Laurie’s blue lips and still body. I wrapped her up while her husband tried to wrap blankets around me, but I think my adrenaline had kicked in. I started CPR. An ambulance came and took both of us, but she’d been trapped under the ice too long. She drowned.”

  I release a breath, finding Marla with a familiar expression on her face. The same one of empathy or sympathy I got for years afterward. I haven’t actually relived that story in a while. For the first couple years after she passed, I would run through what happened every day. Try to figure out if there was some way I could’ve saved her, something I should’ve done differently.

  “I’m sorry.”

  I nod, lips pressed together. “Thanks.”

  “I know my words don’t mean anything. I can’t imagine what it was like for you all.”

  “Chevelle was so young. She still has nightmares occasionally, although they’ve gotten far less now. I worry as she gets older about the guilt she might feel, but she was five. She didn’t know any better. So many times I wondered, why wasn’t it me? Laurie could handle the kids so much better.”

  “From what I’ve seen, you’ve done a great job.”

  “Thanks.” I open my arms and she hugs me.

  Her lips skate across my jaw. “Thank you for telling me.”

  I nod and kiss the top of her head. “I’m glad you forced it out of me.”

  She playfully hits me and we both chuckle, though it sounds a little sadder than normal.

  A few minutes later, when we’re still holding each other, I say, “Marla?”

  She looks at me. “Yeah?”

  “I like what you said. About being friends and trusting one another. Having a true partner. That’s a relationship I’d like to be in.”

  She smiles and kisses my jaw, laying her head back on my chest.

  I loved Laurie. We had a good solid marriage. When someone dies, you tend to remember only the good times and the good qualities of that person. Sure, I remember us fighting, but we had five kids. That’s a given. But we had a good life together until it was ripped away.

  Spending this time with Marla makes me remember how much I love being someone’s other half. I want to share that with someone again. But it’s way too soon for me to tell that to Marla.

  12

  Marla

  * * *

  A week after our night at Glacier Point, we’re walking hand in hand across the Sunrise Bay high school football field. After the night we shared together, it was like the flick of a light switch and we turned from budding relationship into a couple.

  Although people have seen us around together, we mostly keep to one another’s houses for the kids. The snow is falling, and I wanted to go somewhere we could see the entire sky. Of course, Hank suggested the football field with some joke about having sex on the fifty-yard line. I might’ve been game if I didn’t fear my ass getting stuck to the icy field.

  “Want to go make out under the bleachers?” he asks, eyebrows waggling.

  “Can we talk?” I ask nervously.

  “Sure.” He stops and tugs my hand, leading me over to the bleachers.

  We sit next to one another, our thighs touching.

  God, this going to sound like I’m giving him some ultimatum, but I don’t have a lot of choice. Our situation is complicated. “I don’t really know how to bring this up—”

  He puts his hand over mine on my thigh. “Just to be clear, if you’re breaking up with me right now, I’m not cool being friends.”

  I laugh. Does he really have no idea I’m falling in love with him? “No. That’s not it. I don’t have the luxury of time at my age and circumstance, otherwise I probably wouldn’t even be having this conversation with you right now. Not that I’m asking for some major commitment. But the kids all go to the same school and it’s hard enough for them already, having had to start new. Especially since Jed is in his senior year. Kids can be cruel, and I just can’t…” I stop. What am I doing? I sound as though I’m asking him for a marriage proposal after only dating for a couple of months.

  “Go on,” he says.

  “Okay, I’m going to own this and if you don’t feel the same, so be it, but I’m done taking the back seat when it comes to my life and what I want.”

  A wicked smile crosses his lips. “Do you want to have sex in the concession stand? I have a spare key.” He starts to rise off the bleachers.

  “Hank!” I shout, although the smile on my face says I get the joke.

  “Sorry. Go ahead.” He eases back down and urges me with his hand squeezing mine.

  “I like you a lot, and although it hasn’t been long, I see this working out between us, as crazy as that sounds.” My stomach pitches at the thought that he may not feel the same. “I guess I’m telling you this because I need to know where you stand. If this relationship is a way to get back at your cousin—which I don’t think it is, but I have to ask because for some reason, my head doesn’t always hear my gut. But if we do this and it crashes and burns, my kids will feel the brunt of the fall and I can’t have that and know I didn’t directly ask. That I allowed it to just play out. I can’t gamble with my kids’ lives.”

  He stares out into the darkness of the field, only illuminated by the full moon above.

  God, say something. Anything. Say I’m crazy.

  “I don’t gamble with my kids either. There are things that scare me with you.” He pauses, and I hold my breath. “I’m terrified of this being harder than either of us imagine. Cade is beyond furious about us dating. Jed never looks too happy either. Posey made me promise when I showed up for our first date that I wouldn’t hurt you.”

  Oh, my sweet girl.

  “When we come out, this town is going to have a field day with the gossip.” He looks at me. “If Jeff comes and asks for you back, what will you say?”

  I shake my head. “That’s over. One hundred percent. What if I don’t live up to what you had with Laurie?”

  His hand moves from covering mine to cupping my chin. “Don’t ever think that. I’m not comparing what I had with Laurie to what we have, and neither should you. I guess what I’m saying is, there’s a lot on the line. More than when we were in high school. But you’ve always been in here in some way. Even when we were just friends.” He covers his heart with his free hand. “I don’t play games or give one shit about Jeff. I want this, Marla, and I think the good that can come from us being together outweighs the struggles we’re going to go through.”

  “So what does that mean?” I ask.

  He leans forward, his lips millimeters from mine. “I’m all in.”

  “Really?” I whisper back.

  “Somewhere in the middle of this, I… oh hell, I’ve fallen in love with you.”

  “Me too.” I sound like a teenage girl who just scored her dream guy, but my heart so
res and my body feels as though it could float away.

  He crashes his lips to mine and his hand on my hip urges me up and over him so I’m straddling his hips. Our lips are frantic. His hands roam my body, falling to my ass, pushing me forward so I rock against his hard dick.

  “God, I want you,” he says, breaking the kiss for his lips to travel down my jaw. My head falls back and he casts open-mouthed kisses along the center of my neck. His hands roam up under the hem of my thick sweater. “You have no idea how many times I’ve beaten off to you in that cami.”

  I giggle, my hand falling down his stomach. I unbutton his pants, digging my hand down the front, past the elastic waistband of his boxers until I hold the weight of his length in my palm.

  “Fuck.” His teeth nip at my neck. “Sweater off now.”

  With the use of one of his hands and one of mine, we discard it, tossing it out of the way. Goose bumps break out across my skin, but Hank is enough to keep me warm. Or distracted at least.

  As his breath is growling when I grip him tighter and he’s bucking into my hand, a flashlight shines into Hank’s eyes from below.

  “What’s going on here?”

  I turn, catching sight of a police badge on the man’s chest, and scramble to get off Hank’s lap.

  “It’s like we’re back in high school.” Hank laughs as I throw my sweater back on. He buttons himself back up and stands, making his way down to talk to the cop.

  I’m mortified as the police officer asks the dreaded question, “What are you two doing here?”

  I can’t help but love the rush of excitement that comes from discovering this playful side of myself—even if it might get me in trouble.

  13

  Hank

  * * *

  Sunday morning, I decide it’s a breakfast out morning for the Greene clan—mostly because I haven’t gotten to the grocery store. We load up in my truck and head downtown to Two Brothers and an Egg. The local station is on the radio, talking about fishing weather and the type of fish that are biting. There’s only ever local news and seventies music because the town voted and since most of our population are my parents’ age or slightly younger, they went with the seventies.

  The DJ, Chip, gets on the air and tells everyone about today’s expected wind speeds and what bait they should use if they’re headed out on the water. “And now I want to welcome a new segment I’ve been asked to add. It’s called ‘Locals Behaving Badly.’”

  “What’s this?” Cade turns up the volume.

  So far today he hasn’t given me a ton of hell, which is a nice change. Then again, he doesn’t know about the cops finding me making out with Marla on the bleachers. Thank God I was able to talk us out of that one.

  “An anonymous follower thought it might be fun to provide updates about any locals caught doing things they shouldn’t. I think it’ll bring some new life to this news station, and to that point, our first story is really juicy. If you have kids in the room, you might want to turn the volume down for a minute.”

  Cade laughs and turns it up louder.

  “Your sister and brother are in the car,” I warn him with a glare.

  “Chevelle and Adam, cover your ears,” he says.

  I watch through the rearview mirror as they actually listen to him. I don’t know whether to be happy or sad that they view him as an authority figure. It probably means I’ve been working too much.

  “Cade, it’s just gossip,” I say.

  “Shh…” His eyes are lit up with anticipation. It’s a look I haven’t seen since Jed showed up at his high school, so I glance one more time at the youngest Greenes to make sure their ears are covered.

  “Everyone is aware that Marla Greene returned to town with her kids but no Jeff Greene in tow. Those of us who went to high school with her know about the brief moment senior year when we thought she was destined to be with another Greene from Sunrise Bay.”

  My hand goes for the dial, but Cade laughs, swiping my hand away. Since I’m stuck in a turn, it’s either let it play out or side swipe a car.

  “Well, get a load of this… last night, Marla and Hank were caught trying to relive some old memories on the high school football field. Things got hot and heavy and they were found making out in the bleachers. Who knows where things would’ve gone if the cop hadn’t found Hank with his pants down?”

  “Dad!” Fisher yells from the back seat.

  I change the station, pissed off.

  Cade throws himself back in the seat with so much force, Chevelle flinches. “My life is officially over.” The smile on his face turns into a scowl.

  I’m officially the worst dad ever.

  “I don’t get it. Why did Dad have his pants off?” Xavier asks.

  “I can’t even think about it,” Fisher says, rubbing his eyes as if the visual of me with a woman will haunt him for eternity.

  “Seriously? Are you trying to kill my entire social life?” Cade seethes.

  I park along the curb outside Two Brothers and an Egg. “Let’s just have breakfast and drop it.”

  Cade looks out the window. There’s already a line forming outside the restaurant. “Hell. No.”

  “Watch it,” I say.

  “I’m not going in there so everyone can stare at us because you can’t control yourself.”

  I run my hand down my face and turn around in the seat. “Listen.” I remove Chevelle’s hands from her ears. Adam removes his. “I want you all to understand that what’s between Marla and I is serious, so you’re going to hear things about us. Yes, we’re dating but it’s more than that. I’m in love with her. I understand that this is the first time any of you have seen me with a woman who isn’t your mother. I know it might make you uncomfortable, but…”

  Cade opens the door, slams it, and walks down the sidewalk.

  I sigh.

  Fisher joins him a second later. It doesn’t take long for Xavier to tag along.

  “Where are they going?” Chevelle asks.

  “Let’s just have some breakfast. Do you guys have any questions?”

  Adam shrugs. “I like Marla.”

  I ruffle his hair. “I’m glad.”

  “Won’t Mommy be mad?” Chevelle asks.

  My heart petrifies and cracks, turning to ash.

  “Mom is dead,” Adam says matter-of-factly to his little sister.

  I glare at Adam, and he shrugs like “What does she not understand?”

  I put my hand on Chevelle’s knee. “I think Mommy would want me to be happy, and spending time with Marla makes me happy.”

  “But…” Her bottom lip quivers.

  God, this is a thousand times harder than I thought it would be.

  “She’s not coming back. You understand that, right?” Adam says to Chevelle.

  Through the window, I spot Chip from the radio station walking by. Obviously the report we listened to was recorded earlier. I wonder how many times that thing is gonna be aired. He’s busy shaking hands and laughing with some of the people in line. Laughing at my fucking expense.

  “Just sit tight for a second,” I tell my two youngest and grab the keys out of the ignition, stepping out of my truck.

  Lucky for me, Chip is at the tail end of my truck. Hopefully what I’m about to do won’t be witnessed by my kids.

  “Chip!”

  He turns around with a smirk as he nods in my direction, saying goodbye to the other guy who must see my expression isn’t a good one because his eyes widen.

  “Hey, Romeo,” Chip says.

  I cock my fist back and punch him clean across the face. “That’s for playing with people’s lives.”

  His hand flies to his jaw and he scrambles to get back on his feet. Not my best moment, especially since there are now faces plastered to the windows of Two Brothers and an Egg, but I’m not gonna let him think he can talk about me and hurt my kids that way. “Hey, man, I wasn’t the one who wanted it.”

  “And who did?” I’m usually a cool-mannered guy. Not mu
ch upsets me, but I have five kids who will have to deal with the fallout from his report. What this will do to Marla and her reputation in town only makes it worse.

  “It was your mom.”

  “What?”

  He steps back as though he’s afraid I’m going to hit him again, holding up his hands. “Her and that new friend of hers. They came to me this morning with the story. Thought it might break the ice for you two so you can stop hiding. And the station’s ratings are down. I’m sorry, Hank.”

  The anger boiling inside me dissipates to a simmer. “I’m sorry, Chip.” I wince at the bruise that’s already forming. “Put some ice on that.”

  I climb back into my truck and start the engine.

  “I thought we were eating breakfast?” Adam asks.

  “Change of plans. We’re going to Grandma’s.”

  “Yay!” Chevelle yells.

  Before I go, I shoot off two texts. The first is to Cade.

  Me: You better watch your brothers. I’m going to Grandma’s if you want to meet me there otherwise I’ll see you at home.

  The second text is harder to find words for.

  Me: You might already know this, but we’ve been outed to the entire town by the local radio station. You might want to talk to your kids today. Don’t worry, I’m handling the source it came from to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

  * * *

  I toss my phone into the center console and head to my parents’ house, which sits just outside of the downtown, up on a mountainside with a perfect view of the bay. I park in the circular drive and slam the truck door. Adam comes to my side, Chevelle skipping ahead of us up the pathway.

  Using my key, I open the front door, but I stop in my tracks when I see boxes stacked everywhere.

  “Is Grandma moving?” Adam asks.

  I look down at him.

  Chevelle skips into one room and right back out. “It’s empty.”

  I shake my head. What the hell is going on?

  14