by Harlow James
I lift my hand up in greeting to say hello just as the timer goes off on my phone. “Alright, time to take a break. Grab some water, kiddos. Great job.”
The kids all struggle with taking their gloves off as parents rush over to help them. Ivy comes over to me as I pop the lid on her water bottle and squirt it into her mouth. I convinced her to let me do this instead of taking her gloves on and off each time, and she agreed it was easier. For a seven-year-old, she’s quite adaptable.
“Thanks, Daddy. That was fun, but man I’m gonna pass out later.” I bend down to her level and watch her with fascination, admiring how much she looks like her mom.
“Is that so?” I laugh.
“Yup. You’re giving me a tough workout. I’m gonna be sore.”
“Well, that’s my job. I did the same thing to your mom ten years ago.”
“Yeah you did. Although, I don’t think I’d be able to keep up with you now.” Sydney’s voice comes from over us as I rise from my crouched position to admire my wife. She’s holding our son, Damian, named after my father, on her hip, and the slight bump of our third child under her shirt is starting to become prominent.
A year after we met and fell in love, I asked Sydney to marry me. I didn’t want to waste any more time without her being my wife. We had a small ceremony of close friends and family at the Gibson Ranch in Newberry Springs. Her mother wanted a country club wedding, but Sydney wasn’t having it. We also bought a house in the same neighborhood as Ally and her family, one I actually had a hand in building.
Around that same time I got a promotion to project manager at Gibson Construction. Forrest was impressed with my work ethic and valued my passion for the job. Stepping into management gave us a little more financial freedom, which came in handy when we had our daughter two years later. Sydney was able to cut down her hours at the firm and focus solely on cases related to the legislation she helped pass to relieve people like me who were convicted of felonies with underlying reasons behind the act. She still works a few days at the firm each week, but she values her time at home with Damian and now the new baby that will be here in five short months.
After Selena came forward with the rape charges, two more women felt brave enough to press charges against Jesus as well. The man was sentenced to twenty years in prison and we celebrated with a trip to Puerto Rico. I was able to meet part of my father’s family and celebrate the fact that I was no longer classified as a felon, and that the piece of shit who caused so much havoc in my life was finally behind bars. I’m pretty sure that trip was when Ivelisse was conceived as well.
Since then we’ve been living the American dream—building a life together, growing our family, and celebrating our success with our family and friends. And after little convincing, I got Andre to agree to add self-defense classes at the gym for children, which has increased business tremendously.
“Uncle Javi!” My nephew Adrian and his little brother, Jaxon, come running up to me, arriving in time for the older children’s class that follows this one.
“Hey, boys. Where’s your mom?” I search the room for my sister, but don’t see her anywhere.
“She’s yelling at Dad about something. I’m surprised you don’t hear her.” Adrian says with a roll of his eyes. Even my sister’s kids know about her temper. I don’t know how Andre handles her, but they’re still going strong after all of these years. In all honesty, they’ll probably fight and then fuck each other in his office to cool down. I hate that I know that, but it’s true.
My sister found out she was pregnant with twins a few months after Jesus attacked Sydney, so my nephews were born a little less than a year later. I’ve loved being an uncle, and my mother and Emilio make sure to visit much more often now that there are grandchildren galore.
“Okay. I’m sure she’ll be out here in a minute.” Or twenty. “Go get your gloves on,” I suggest as they run back toward their bags and start taping their wrists.
“Man, they’re getting big,” Sydney says, pulling my attention back to her.
“Yeah they are.” I lean over our daughter and kiss Sydney’s lips. “Hey, Princess. How was your day?”
“Pretty good. Damian resisted a nap, so I didn’t get as much work done as I wanted. But at least I have more energy now that I’m in the second trimester.”
“I know. And don’t worry. Once this baby’s out, I’ll get your ass back in this gym and build up your stamina again.”
She grins at me mischievously. “I don’t need help with all of my stamina.” And she’s right. The woman is a sex fiend when she’s pregnant. I’m the one who needs more energy to keep up with her.
“Well, we can just keep getting that kind of work out together then, if that’s what you want.”
“I’ll never stop wanting you, Javi,” she whispers as I feel a twitch in my dick when she says that. It’s been ten years and I still want this woman every second of the day.
“Ditto, babe.”
“Daddy? Is it time to get back to the class?” Ivy asks, pulling on my shorts as my eyes shift down to her.
“Yes ma’am. Let’s go.”
“Yes!” She pumps a fist in the air and then runs back to the bags.
“She sure does like the class, doesn’t she?” Sydney adds, watching our daughter bounce in excitement as she adjusts Damian on her hip. The kid is almost three, but he still loves being held.
“Yup. And I’m glad. It’s important for her to know how to defend herself. This way, she’ll be just as strong as her mom from an early age.” I turn back to my wife, beaming down at her.
“I love you, Javier Montes. We’ve come so far, haven’t we?”
“Damn right, Princess. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You and our babies.”
“Aw,” she hums, reaching up to cup my jaw, sending a flurry of feelings through my body from her touch.
This woman means the world to me. I still can’t believe she’s mine.
“You love me, don’t you, Javi?”
And I answer her the same way I always do when she asks me. “Guilty as charged, Princess.”
THE END
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Acknowledgments
When I first started toying with the idea to write a book back in January of 2019, this idea popped in my head of a lawyer who fell for an ex-con. I wrote it down, and then brushed it aside as more ideas came to me. But when I finished Emerson Falls, I knew this was the next story I wanted to tell because Sydney and Javier were talking to me and needed to come out. I loved writing these two, and there is something about a broken hero that just pulls at the heart strings.
This story is loosely inspired by my sister’s own love story. She actually fell in love with a guy she knew from high school but hadn’t seen in years at a time in her life when she felt like her world was falling apart. Needless to say, things started falling into place for her when this man came into the picture, and they are very happy together more than a year later.
To L: I remember talking about “The Ex-Con Book” so many times while we plotted other books, that I am so glad it’s now written. You are one of the best friends I could have asked for and I couldn’t do this without you. I love you.
To my hubby: Your encouragement and awe in what I’ve been able to accomplish keeps me going. Even though you’ll tease me about how excited I get about each new idea and walk by as I’m typing and say, “You started another book?”, you never stop supporting me and I couldn’t l
ove you more for it.
To my beta readers, ARC team, and my readers, both old and new: Thank you for taking a chance on a self-published author. Thank you for sharing my books with others. Thank you for allowing me to share my creativity with people who love the romance genre as much as I do.
And thank you for supporting a wife and a mom who found a hobby that she loves.
More Books by Harlow James
One Look, A Baseball Romance Standalone
The Emerson Falls Series
Tangled (Kane & Olivia)
Enticed (Cooper & Clara)
Captivated (Cash and Piper)
Revived (Luke and Rachel)
Devoted (Brooks and Jess)
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