I had a feeling I’d enjoy living with him, but I didn’t expect to fall more and more in love with him every day. I love coming home to Vaughn at night and waking up to him every morning. I love our calls with Shaw during the week and our drives to Shaw’s place every weekend. Shaw refuses to move in with us and I respect his choice. He needs work space and, while therapy has done wonders for his fears that we’ll leave him, it hasn’t changed his ornery-ass personality. Shaw needs his own space. I love him for it. What he also needs from us is to know we’ll be there, and we will. That’s enough for him to agree to this special day, rings and all.
“Okay, sorry.” Vaughn says, breathing hard. He goes to adjust his glasses, but the frames I finally helped him pick out are sitting perfectly on the bridge of his nose. “I drank, like, a gallon of coffee at the cafe with Silas this morning.”
“You gonna be okay?” I laugh.
“Yeah, I’m good. Ready to do this.”
“Shit,” Shaw says suddenly. “It’s my sister.”
I grip his hand a little tighter as the red sedan joins the row of cars parked just off the dirt road. We invited his whole family. When his father called, just to tell Shaw that he was still very much so dead to him, Vaughn and I had done our best to let him know that he still had us. And Lynetta, Liz and Silas. He wasn’t alone.
His sister steps out of her car and cautiously walks toward us.
“Hey, Chris,” she says, a sad smile touching her lips.
“Hey. Um, you know Vaughn. This is Brooklyn. This my sister, Tanya.”
“Nice to meet you,” Tanya says.
“Likewise. Glad you could make it.”
“Mom was gonna come, but when I went to pick her up, Dad—”
“It’s all good.”
I turn as Lynetta makes her way over. “Is this another Shaw?”
“Hi. I’m Tanya.”
“I’m Vaughn’s mother, Lynetta. Come sit with me. We’ll catch up.”
“Okay. Chris, after—”
“Yeah. We’ll talk just, ya know, hang around.”
She nods and glances at me. I nod, giving her the reassurance that I’m not holding any grudges before she turns and follows Lynetta over to the bar. I squeeze Shaw’s hand again. He lets out a breath. Vaughn leans over and kisses him on the forehead and he relaxes a little more.
When my cousin from Texas who missed her first flight and our party the night before finally arrives we get things started. Miss Lynetta officiates, asking for our vows, and blessing our special union, this bond between the three of us, as we stand on my sister’s sprawling lawn, surrounded by a circle of family and friends.
THE END
Beards & Bondage
We’ve come to the end of this sort of bizarre, extremely horny romantic suspense trilogy and I would just like to thank you, the readers, for going on this journey with me. I very vividly remember the night I finished writing Haven and how overwhelmed I was by the positive reception that it received. I love these characters and their dogs, and it’s been an uplifting experience to write about sex, pain, love, found family and friendship in such an intense way. For now though it’s time to say goodbye to Claudia, Liz, Brook, and the large bearded men who love them.
But who knows, maybe one day we’ll be back at McInroy’s Farm. Until then… xoxo - Rebekah
About the Author
Rebekah Weatherspoon is still exhausted, but optimistic. Kinda.
Be on the look out for Rebekah’s next book, IF THE BOOT FITS, the second in her Cowboys of California trilogy. This Cinderella inspired contemporary Western will be out Fall 2020 from Kensington Books.
Come on by and get to know more about Rebekah on her Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr. You can find more stories by Rebekah at rebekahweatherspoon.com
www.rebekahweatherspoon.com
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Copyright © 2020 by Rebekah Weatherspoon
First Edition: June 2020
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the author.
Credits
Editor: Tara Scott
Cover Design by Bree Bridges
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events are purely coincidental.
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HARBOR: Beards & Bondage Page 22
