An Inevitable Love

by Alayna Scott

  She smiled. Her father always knew her best.

  “It’s not only the issue that it would create between him and Chase that’s weighing on me, Dad.”

  “I know. You’re also concerned about your career. But what I happen to know is that you’re a hard worker and a smart woman. You can build a career here on the east coast the same way you did out west. And you’d have a community of supporters here for you.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” she said, standing up and walking to her father.

  He pulled her into his embrace and kissed the top of her head. “I want you to know that I approve of you and Oakley. And I’m willing to support you in whatever you do.”

  She smiled, but it did not remove the heaviness in her heart that she felt about Chase and Oakley.

  CHAPTER 10 – LAURYN (Three Weeks Later)

  Lauryn had jumped right back into her life upon her return. The breakup with Harry had gone relatively easy, and she had no qualms about ending the relationship. He, in fact, seemed relieved that she had been the one to broach the subject, rather than him having to do so.

  He confirmed the rumor that he and Mona had begun dating. Lauryn wished him luck in the relationship, but she had a feeling that it wouldn’t be long before he would be moving on from Mona on to the next unsuspecting victim.

  “And that’s been your morning news, West Coast! Enjoy your Friday morning, and we’ll see you back here Monday at six a.m.,” Lauryn said, smiling into the camera and folding her hands on top of her papers.

  “We’re off the air!” her producer called out.

  Lauryn nodded her head and turned to her co-anchor, Ben Titan. “So, are you and Rhonda ready for your vacation?”

  He smiled, “We’re flying out tonight. She’s been on pins and needles all week long. We’ll run some last-minute errands and then head to the airport around seven this evening.”

  “Congratulations again on your eighth anniversary, Ben.”

  “Thanks, Lauryn. You’ll be celebrating yours one day, too. Don’t give up hope. And if it makes things any better, he didn’t deserve you. So cheer up, and be glad you’re back on the market. Now you’re free to meet that special one,” he said, winking at her as he stood and left the news desk.

  Lauryn got up and unhooked her mic, heading for her own desk. She still had some research to do on a story she had been working on. She thought about Ben’s advice for her to cheer up. Her sad demeanor that most people were starting to think of as her heartbreak over Harry had nothing to do with him.

  Her mind was constantly returning to Oakley and his promise to come back to her. She had made it difficult to do so. He had called, texted, and emailed her on multiple occasions, but Lauryn had refused to respond. She wanted him to go on with his life. And she was uncertain if that life would include Rianne or not, but what she did know was that the man had spent the first year waiting for her return. He had not started another relationship and had only given up hope of restoring his marriage at the beginning of the year. And now after the divorce had been finalized, Rianne had returned.

  Lauryn knew that Oakley needed some space to sort out his own feelings. After all, he had just come to know that his ex-wife wanted him back after he had kissed Lauryn. What he needed was a chance to think through what it meant for his life, and then he could make a decision.

  She did not want to be a factor in his decision making. But her days had been difficult since she had returned to California. There wasn’t a day that went by that she did not recall that kiss, or how Oakley looked into her eyes, and how his hands felt in her hair. Nor did she forget how her heart pounded when she was so close to him like that, and the excitement she felt at learning, he had feelings for her.

  To have all that taken away by the appearance of his ex-wife was devastating. But Lauryn chided herself and thought it only served as a reminder that he was never hers to begin with. What had she been thinking, considering sacrificing her career for a chance with a man she barely knew anymore? But it did not stop her from desiring another kiss, and her heart hungering to be loved by Oakley.

  She blinked away the sting of tears at the backs of her eyes as she powered up her computer on her desk. The most hurtful part was knowing there could never be a relationship between her and Oakley. Because even if he were to get over Rianne, there was still the issue with her brother.

  He had been adamant that if she and Oakley were to pursue a relationship, he would end the twenty-plus year friendship they had. She would not be the reason for the division between them. There was no way she could live with herself if that were to occur. Therefore, she had to settle with tucking her feelings for Oakley away, and hope that one day they might completely dissolve into nothing.

  She wondered if there might come a day where she would have what Ben and his wife had. Where she would find the type of love that lasted forever. And she could only hope that if she did, she would recognize it and not throw it away like Rianne. Her parents had that type of lasting love. One that made you want to get up in the morning because you couldn’t wait to spend time with that other person.

  She smiled as she recalled her father’s encouragement, that he approved of her and Oakley. All those years, she thought she had covered up her feelings towards Oakley. However, her parents had known all along.

  Her cellphone rang, pulling her attention away from the research she was conducting.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Lauryn, are you at work?”

  She giggled. “Of course, Chase. I was just thinking about you.”

  “I hope it was all wonderful things,” her brother teased.

  “Of course. I just miss you, that’s all.”

  “Well, I want to talk to you when you get off. Do you have plans after you’re done working?”

  “No, I’m going home to read a good book with a glass of wine and dinner.”

  Lauryn laughed at how sad that sounded.

  “I’ll call you around five, Lauryn.”

  “Chase?”

  “Yes?”

  “Is everything okay?”

  She listened to his breathing for a few moments before he said, “Yes, baby girl. Everything is just fine.”

  They made small talk about their parents before hanging up. Her mind searched through the possibilities of what he might want to discuss before she returned her focus to work. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she needed to start doing something in the evenings and weekends that would create the possibility of finding love. Maybe she would go online and join a dating service.

  CHAPTER 11 - OAKLEY

  Oakley scattered the last of the rose petals inside of the heart formed by little votive candles. He looked up at the sky on the private strip of beach where he stood. It would be dark in another half an hour. Glancing at his watch, he figured Chase’s conversation should be wrapping up by now.

  He had risked his longtime friendship with Chase for a chance at love. He hoped that his gamble would pay off and that Lauryn would not turn him away. When he had first approached Chase about his feelings for his sister, he had predictably blown up. The two men had not spoken for a week.

  Oakley would have proceeded without Chase’s blessing, but he knew that Lauryn would not have been okay with that. Her relationship with her brother was important to her, and he knew she was concerned about his and Chase’s relationship. So, if it was important to her, then it was important to him.

  He had shown up at Chase’s precinct for the next week straight, waiting on Chase at the end of each shift. Chase had finally given in on the fifth day and talked to him. It had been his persistence that had won Chase over, and a long talk with Mr. Alexander had also swayed his friend’s opinion.

  But it had taken Mrs. Alexander to convince Chase to make the call to Lauryn. The only unknown variable in the equation was what had occurred with Harry and Lauryn. He followed Mona Portman on social media and saw a few pictures of her and Harry at events. There was nothing in the captions
that would indicate they were exclusive and Lauryn was out of the picture.

  Scouring the internet and Lauryn’s own social media networks yielded nothing. She rarely posted anything about her private life. She shared events that she attended, volunteer opportunities she would be at, and updates on restaurants and movies she had gone to, but never details about her relationships.

  Oakley’s phone buzzed, and he removed it from his pocket and glanced at the text message before he replied with one of his own.

  CHASE: She’s ready.

  Oakley: Thanks again, dude.

  Chase: Remember my warning.

  OAKLEY SMILED, RECALLING the threat Chase had issued if Oakley were to hurt her. That would never be a problem. He had always been protective of Lauryn, and to have an opportunity to love her, he would cut off his own hands and feet before he hurt her. Therefore, Chase’s threat was null and void.

  He walked up the incline and gathered two baskets from his car and parked on the side of the rental house. Ringing the doorbell twice, he turned around and retraced his steps back towards the beach. Oakley removed rose petals stored in the first basket, once again scattering them on the ground at his feet. He created a trail back to the rear of the home.

  He hoped that his plan worked, and she would follow him back out to the beach.

  “Oakley?” she called out at the top of the trail, just as he came to stand in the center of the heart.

  He smiled, opening his arms and beckoning her towards him. Her steps were slow, measured, and unsure at first. But the closer she drew to him, she increased her pace and began running towards him until she was in his arms.

  Oakley inhaled the wild honeysuckle scent clinging to her and squeezed her tightly.

  “You came!” she exclaimed in disbelief.

  “I asked you to think about giving us a shot, and you’ve been avoiding my calls. I told you that I would come for you, and I’m here to get your answer.”

  Her lips parted slightly, prompting him to want to suckle at them just a little. But he couldn’t. He would do nothing more than he had already done to sway her in his direction. He had put in most of the hard work, now it was her turn to take them the rest of the way.

  She bit her bottom lip and looked away. Oakley had no idea what that meant for him. He only knew she initially seemed excited to see him, but that could mean anything. His heart raced in his chest for this woman that he wanted to protect, provide for, and love. But he just needed an opportunity to prove to her that they were a perfect fit.

  “What’s all this?” she asked, looking around at the circle they stood in just before her gaze landed on the second basket in his hand.

  He knew she was stalling and making him hold out before she answered. His heart dipped slightly, but he decided he would play her game.

  “I knew I would be arriving after your dinner, so I figured I could at least offer you dessert,” he said, a smile teasing on his lips.

  “Dessert?” Her dark eyebrows shot up as she looked at the basket again.

  Oakley took her hand and helped her sit down.

  “Yes,” he replied, kneeling beside the basket. “I flew red velvet cupcakes in from Delia’s Kitchen.”

  “Oakley!” she exclaimed, reaching a hand out for the basket. “Those are my favorite cupcakes in the world!”

  “I know. You always loved them, growing up there.”

  “Please,” she begged when he held the basket just out of her reach.

  “Not until I get my answer,” he said, his gaze growing serious.

  “Just one...just a taste,” she begged.

  He lifted the basket and held one up to her lips. Lauryn bit into the cupcake, her eyes closing and a whimper coming from her throat. Oakley was overwhelmed, and he knew he wanted to bring her this type of happiness and pleasure forever.

  Her pink tongue flicked out and licked her lips as he pulled it back. When she opened her mouth for another bite, he stuffed the cupcake back into the basket.

  “Oakley! That’s not fair,” she cried out.

  “You said one taste. I gave you what you wanted, so now...”

  Lauryn’s lips turned down into a pout, but when she saw that he was not caving, she inhaled deeply and gave him what he wanted.

  “My answer...well, I think I'm crazy for considering it, but yes, Oakley. Yes, I’ll give us a shot.”

  A quirky smile lifted one corner of his lips before he dipped his head to press his mouth against hers. He didn’t need to hear another word, just the ones that she had already spoken.

  Oakley softly licked around her lips, tracing the outline of their smooth surface with his tongue. A soft whimper escaped from her as he held her face in the palms of his hands. He rubbed gentle circles on her cheeks, just before he pulled her bottom lip in between his own.

  Slowly, sensually, he suckled at it as he had already imagined doing. A hint of cream cheese on her bottom lip, made him release her lip and slide his tongue into her mouth, capturing hers, begging for more of the sweetness that teased him.

  Yes, this sweet kiss sealed what was an inevitable love between them and was just the beginning of a promise of a bright future between them.

  CHAPTER 12 – LAURYN (3 & 1/2 Years Later)

  Lauryn pulled the brim down low over her eyes, full pouty lips turned up into a half-smirk. Adoring eyes carefully watched as the chubby little legs ran closer to the water’s edge. Peals of laughter competed with the sound of waves crashing against the ocean’s beach.

  Golden curls the same hue as Oakley’s bounced around her son’s little head, as his father scooped him up into his arms. Just as she prepared to relax, Oakley put him down once more, and the toddler took off running with squeals of delight towards the water.

  She sat up, propped on her elbows on her chaise lounge watching, ready to lunge into action. Oakley looked back at her over his shoulder, winked an eye, and then scooped their son up once more. Then she lay back again and raised her sunglasses a little higher, as the two made their way back towards her.

  “I saw you, you know.”

  “Saw what?” she asked.

  “You watching me with Caden. I told you that I had him, but you still don’t trust me. Do you?” he teased, rubbing a thumb down her nose as he sat the chubby two-year-old onto her lap.

  The baby smelled of cotton candy and sunshine as he wrapped his little arms around her neck.

  “Mommy!” the toddler exclaimed. “I swim!”

  “I know, sweetheart. You’re learning to be an excellent swimmer,” Lauryn said to her son, who plopped a thumb into his mouth and then rested his head on her shoulder.

  It was an hour past his naptime, and he had played in the sun for quite some time. Lauryn knew she would get him to sleep in no time, so she sat up and began rocking him.

  “I trust you, baby,” she said, looking up at her husband.

  “Then what is it?” Oakley asked, sitting on the chaise beside her, relaxing his head against the rear of the chaise.

  “The fact that as a mommy, I’ll probably always worry about these little things. I don’t think that will ever change, Oakley.”

  He sighed deeply. “I guess I’d better get used to it. Especially with the twins on the way, it’ll be a thousand times worse.”

  “Maybe,” she teased back with a wink and a smile at him as he stretched his hand to rub her growing belly.

  It had taken Lauryn no time to be convinced that Oakley was her husband. After six weeks of long-distance dating, she had accepted his marriage proposal on the sixth date.

  They had been alternating flying out every weekend to spend time with one another. On the sixth date, she had returned home, and Oakley had proposed to her on the lake, as they enjoyed a picnic under the setting sun.

  They had married six weeks after that in a private ceremony on the lake. There had been no television cameras allowed to her producers’ chagrin. It had been important for her to maintain a sense of privacy for her new relationship.
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  “So, what are your thoughts about Ben coming out to be featured on Wake Up, East Coast with you? Do you think he’s considering relocating?”

  “I’m hoping so. I would love to have him as my new co-host since we’re searching for one. Ben and I worked together for five years, and I enjoyed every moment of it,” Lauryn shared.

  “Well, it’s all under the same network, so I don’t think it will be difficult to convince the producers. They’ll have to search for a new host for their west coast show, but that shouldn’t be a problem either.”

  “Do you think they’d go for it?”

  Oakley chuckled. “Honey, I think they’ll do anything for you. I know I would.”

  “You’re my husband, you’re supposed to,” she said, shifting as her husband lifted the now sleeping toddler from her lap.

  “Well, they didn’t hesitate to create a new show for you to move out here to the east coast when you suggested that the east coast needed their own version of Wake Up, West Coast. And even more so, when you convinced them that it should take place in Portsmouth.”

  Lauryn nodded her head. “You have a point there. Now, I’ve just got to convince Ben that it’s the right thing to do.”

  Oakley laughed. “Again, I don’t think that’s going to be an issue. The last time we were out there, he was talking about relocating. It seems Rhonda has wanted to come out here for some time.”

  “That’s right, I forgot Roanoke was her hometown.”

  “Yep, and Ben’s just like me. There’s nothing he’ll deny the love of his life.”

  “Exactly, which is how we ended up on this wonderful vacation here in the Philippines,” she said, smiling lovingly at her husband.

  “Mm-hmm. And whatever else you want, I’m willing to do.”

  “I know you are, honey. I’m just thankful that you came to love me the way I love you,” she whispered, leaning towards him.