by Erin Rylie
His friend sighed. “Can’t you just let this be a fucking surprise? You’re so damn high maintenance.”
Rafe barked out a laugh and parked his car in the metered parking lot across the street from the courthouse. “Alright, lead the way then.”
Carlos led them into the building and up to the second floor. When they reached an office bearing a name he didn’t recognize, Rafe shot his friend a puzzled look.
“This is your stop. I think you’ll want to walk through that door.”
Rafe scowled. “Unless there’s food in there, I’m going to murder you. I was promised a meal and you brought me to a damn courthouse with absolutely no explanation.”
Carlos scoffed. “I’m sorry, princess, do you need a Snickers? Should I start calling you Officer Hangry instead of Officer Pencil Dick? Just walk through the door, jackass. You’ll like what you find, even if it isn’t edible.”
Heaving a heavy sigh, Rafe twisted the doorknob and entered the room. His heart stopped in his chest at the sight before him. Though he’d been trained for years to take in all of his surroundings when entering an unfamiliar room, he saw nothing but Sophie. She was smiling brightly at him, wearing a white sundress that barely concealed her still-growing stomach. Her hair fell in loose waves down her back, and she was without a doubt, the most beautiful sight he’d ever beheld.
“Sophie,” he breathed her name. He wanted to cross the room and take her into his arms, but he was worried this was all an illusion. He shook his head. “What are we doing here?”
Sophie crossed the room slowly, her smile soft and warm. Rafe’s heart thundered in his chest at her proximity, his fingers itching to find her hips.
“Rafe, I read the letter you wrote to the editor. First of all, let me apologize for ever doubting you.”
“Sophie, you don’t have to—”
She covered his mouth with her hand, effectively silencing him. “I do have to, Rafe. I’ve been working with a therapist for a few weeks now. I’m trying to sort through my trust issues and I’ve realized that I reacted too harshly. Every man I’ve ever been with hurt me, and if possible, I love you more than I loved all of them combined. Honestly, knowing how I feel about you makes me doubt that I ever loved any of them. I wanted to work on myself before talking to you about us, but I’ve realized that I want to work on my issues with you. I don’t think I can spend another moment without you. I’ve been…” Sophie’s breath hitched and tears filled her eyes. Reflexively, he reached up to wipe them away. Sophie placed her hand over his on her cheek, holding it there.
“I’ve been miserable without you. You’re my other half, Rafe. Which is why I’m asking you here, in this dingy courthouse…” She laughed and took a deep breath. “To marry me.”
Rafe’s eyes traced every inch of Sophie’s face, taking in the faint blush tingling her cheeks, the sweet curve of her lips, and the hope in her eyes. She was a dream come true and he couldn’t believe she even had to ask.
“Carlos managed to pull some strings, and all you have to do is sign the marriage certificate. He also used the spare key you gave me to grab a suit from your apartment. It’s waiting for you in the bathroom if you say yes. We can get married right here, right now. That is, if you want to.”
Forcing his gaze from Sophie with some effort, he took in his surroundings. He was in a small office and there, on the desk, was a marriage certificate. He approached the desk slowly, still not fully trusting that this was actually happening. He ran his hands down the piece of paper, his fingers tracing the loops and swirls of Sophie’s signature. This was real, and it was everything he could’ve hoped for.
He must’ve lingered on the document for longer than he’d thought, because Sophie broke the silence of the room with a nervous ramble.
“This was a terrible idea, wasn’t it? Of course you don’t want to marry me. I just admitted I had issues—who would want to deal with that?”
He shook his head and turned to face her. He cupped her cheek with one hand, using the fingertips of the other to trace the familiar features of her face. “Sophie, I’d marry you in a trash dump if it meant spending my life with you. Everyone has issues, babe. Look at Carlos—the man has more problems than the Kardashians.”
A pointed cough and a muttered “jackass” was audible through the closed door, letting Rafe know that his friend was listening in on the conversation. He held back his chuckle and continued.
“What makes a marriage work is the ability to work on issues together. I’m far from perfect, and I’m sure you and I will have plenty of struggles in our long life together, but if we keep the lines of communication open and support each other, we will be just fine. However, I’m a little bummed I won’t get to plan some epic proposal. I mean, let’s face it, I am the romantic in this relationship.”
Sophie’s smile was blinding. “Open and honest communication, huh? I can definitely do that. Now hurry up and kiss me, big guy. We have a ceremony to get to.”
Houston’s Finest Couple
As stated in his letter to the editor, Rafe Pierce is officially off the market. One half of Houston’s Finest was married on a quiet Tuesday afternoon in a small, no-fuss courthouse ceremony. The bride wore a simple, white sundress and a radiant smile as she said her vows, and rumor has it, the best man cried at the couple’s heartfelt impromptu words. Congratulations to our very own Sophie Klein on her nuptials—we are beyond thrilled for the happy couple.
Epilogue
“Mr. and Mrs. Pierce, meet your beautiful daughter. She’s twenty-one and a half inches, and seven and a half pounds.”
Sophie swallowed the lump in her throat as the nurse placed her child into her arms for the very first time. Even covered in goop, she was the most breathtaking sight Sophie had ever beheld. She reached over and grabbed Rafe’s hand, looking away from their baby briefly to meet his eyes. He looked every inch as in love with their daughter as she was. His smile lightened his entire face as his eyes flicked from her face to their baby’s. He leaned down to place a small kiss on the top of her head before reaching a finger out to run along their daughter’s small cheek.
“We have to take her away for a moment to clean her up. Have you thought of a name yet?”
Sophie smiled. “Yes, her name is Donatella Kady Pierce. Ella for short.”
Rafe grinned back. “Now we have two Ninja Turtles in the family. I need you to pop out two boys for me, babe. We need the whole bunch.”
The nurse took Ella from her arms to clean and wrap her up, and Sophie rolled her eyes. “If you think I’m doing that again anytime soon, you’re crazy. You remember all of the screaming, right? Those weren’t exactly painless screams, Rafe.”
Rafe hummed and kissed her softly. “I guess I’ll just have to start seducing the hell out of you in six weeks when you’re cleared for sex.”
Her husband’s eyes gleamed wickedly and Sophie felt herself blush, hoping none of the nurses had heard his lewd comment. She imagined he wouldn’t have to try very hard to seduce her. The man was fucking irresistible.
A few hours later, Rafe and Sophie were in their recovery room resting when they heard a light knock on the door. The baby was sleeping, so Rafe stood up to let their visitors in. He held a finger to his mouth to indicate Kelsey and Becky needed to be quiet as they entered. The pair stopped to quickly hug Sophie before making their way to the small crib Ella slept in. They cooed quietly, telling Sophie and Rafe how beautiful their daughter was.
Another light knock startled them from their gushing, and Rafe walked to the door once again to let in another visitor. An unfamiliar nurse entered the room, smiling at Sophie briefly before turning to Rafe.
“Mr. Pierce?” she asked.
“Yes, that’s me,” he responded slowly, clearly not sure what was going on.
The nurse wrung her hands in front of her, looking down for a moment before meeting Rafe’s gaze. “I’m afraid I have some bad news for you, sir. I’m so sorry to barge in on you right now, but you
were listed as the emergency contact for Carlos Ramirez. We were unable to reach you when we tried to call, but one of the nurses recognized your name and directed me to this floor.”
Dread filled Sophie’s gut and she heard a sharp breath pass through Kelsey’s lips. They all knew that what the nurse was about to say would be devastating. Rafe waved the nurse on, and Sophie saw him swallow, clearly too worried to speak.
“I’m afraid there has been an accident, Mr. Pierce.”
Kelsey rushed across the room, forgetting to lower her voice in her panic. “What kind of accident. Where is Carlos?”
“He’s in intensive care at the moment. He was t-boned by a drunk driver. Fortunately, he was only a few blocks from the hospital, but there was some swelling in his brain, and he hasn’t regained consciousness yet.”
The sound of a stifled sob pulled her gaze from the nurse and she looked for the source. Sophie watched a wide variety of emotions flicker across her friend’s face, ranging from disbelief to overwhelming sadness. Kelsey covered her mouth with a shaking hand, and Becky moved across the room to wrap an arm around her silently shaking shoulders.
“Is…” Rafe took a steadying breath, his fists clenching at his sides. It was clear he was trying to hold himself together. “Is he going to wake up though? You said yet; that means he will wake up, right?”
“We’re hopeful that he will recover, yes. However, we still don’t know what kind of brain damage he suffered. We won’t know until he comes to. I’m so sorry to be the bearer of bad news on a day like today. I’ll be waiting in the hall. Let me know when you’re ready to go down and see him.”
The nurse left the room, shutting the door silently behind her. Rafe walked to Sophie’s bed and leaned his forehead against hers, as though he needed to borrow her strength for what was to come next. His breaths were ragged, and it wasn’t until he wiped away her tears that she realized she was crying as well.
They stayed in the same position for what felt like an eternity, Rafe clearly working to regain his composure while Kelsey’s sobs filled the quiet room.
Coming Next
Now that Rafe & Sophie got their happily ever after, stay tuned for the next book in the Houston’s Finest Series, Needing to Love You featuring Carlos and Kelsey!
Keep scrolling for a prologue sneak peek!
Add to your TBR here!
About the Author
Erin Rylie is a Montana born, Texas raised New Jersey transplant with a degree in hospitality. At 29 years old, she decided it was finally time for to pursue her real passion in life - writing. She’s been writing princess stories and LOTR fan-fiction since she was in middle school, so the transition into romance has been fun!
When she’s not writing, she is reading (fantasy, sci-fi and romance are her favorite genres) or working. She is currently obsessed with Brooklyn Nine Nine which should tell you all you need to know about her sense of humor.
Finally, she is 100% an old cat lady. Her cats, Socks and Kaz are little weirdos and she loves them more than most people.
Find my website here
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Acknowledgments
I’ll be completely honest, an acknowledgments page isn’t something I ever expected to be writing. Publishing a book has been a dream of mine since I was a nerdy little middle-schooler, writing Lord of the Rings fan fiction in the basement of my mom’s house. If this gets a little long-winded, I apologize in advance! There are just so many people who made this possible for me.
First of all, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read Hating to Love You. Rafe popped into my head one day after reading a newspaper article about “Michigan’s Hot Cop,” and I’m so happy that I got to share his story. He and Sophie both mean a lot to me, and I hope that they won you over as well.
A HUGE thanks go out to my Dad, Mom, and Hermine. When I told you three that I wanted to quit the career I’d built for myself to move to NY and try writing a book, none of you batted an eyelash, you just helped me plan my move. I love you all so much for your support.
Kelsey, my bestie, my parabati—I genuinely can’t thank you enough for your help. Thank you for taking every single one of my late-night phone calls, for Facetiming me when I got stuck and needed help plotting, for waking me up from naps with the most ridiculous string of texts you could think of, and for encouraging me to finish a book I never imagined I would be able to write. Thank you for reading the first draft of this book and every draft since. Thank you for being such an incredible friend.
To my editor, Erica—you have gone above and beyond what I imagined an editor would do. Believing in my writing has helped me get through my first editing process and you’ve encouraged me to keep writing. Because of you, I honestly believe I can make a career out of this.
Brooke, our friendship has meant more to me than you could possibly know. You’ve been my mentor and my shoulder to cry on. I am eternally grateful that our random IG messaging turned into such an amazing friendship. Thank you for helping me through the self-publishing process and for editing every one of my teasers for me. Your font obsession absolutely comes in handy!
To Amélie, the little sister I’ve always wanted. I can’t wait for you to grow up and read this book. Yes, you will be a reader—I’m determined. I love you more than you could possibly imagine, and I can’t wait to watch you grow up. Always remember, you can do anything you set your mind to.
Finally, thank you to my Instagram followers for supporting me through this CRAZY journey.
Needing to Love You Prologue
As Kelsey watched the retreating form of her best friend storming across the patio and into the bar, she felt the hammock shift with the considerable weight of Carlos. She was only a little ashamed to admit that she'd blatantly checked him out as they were being introduced. She guessed Carlos was around six feet tall, if not a bit over, and was all solid muscle. He wore dark wash jeans that hugged his muscular thighs and a light pink shirt that complimented his tanned skin and showcased his bulging biceps. His shortish black hair was haphazardly finger-combed back, his brown eyes twinkling with mischief. The man had a jaw that could cut glass, and deliciously full lips that had Kelsey thinking thoughts that a woman in the middle of a divorce had no right thinking.
When Sophie's small form had disappeared from her view, Kelsey looked over at Carlos. His sinful lips were curved up in a smile, and he had leaned back in the hammock, looking every inch the cat who ate the canary.
“How much are you willing to bet our friends are fucking in the bathroom within the next five minutes?”
A laugh burst from Kelsey's lips, surprising her. She hadn't really laughed since she'd left Kyle. The stress of the divorce and custody battle was wreaking havoc on her emotional state.
“I sure as hell hope that’s what’s happening. Lord knows Sophie could use a good, hard dicking. That girl is wound way too tight right now.”
“Be careful. A woman with a filthy mouth is one of my weaknesses.”
Kelsey hid her smile in her glass as she took another swig of Guinness. “Well, being raised with three brothers definitely impacted my vocabulary.”
Carlos raised a hand to wave a waitress over, ordering a Tecate before turning back to look at her. "Three brothers? Shit, I can't even imagine what that life must've been like."
“It was definitely…” She paused, searching for the right word. “Interesting. There was never a dull moment. Plus, my brother Dillon is gay and not even a little shy. I’ve probably heard the word ‘cock’ more than any other.”
Carlos laughed. "I grew up surrounded by Hispanic women. I've had to hide my cursing from my overbearing mother for years."
When the waitress returned with his beer, he gripped the neck of the bottle between his thumb and forefinger, taking a long swig. Kelsey found herself mesmerized by the way the muscles in his throat worked as he swallowed. The long fingers he used to hold the bottle gave her deliciously dirty thoughts that had her
blushing and shifting in her seat. Shit, this man was dangerous.
Looking away before he caught her staring, she continued their conversation. “Overbearing family, huh? That must’ve been rough.”
Carlos sighed. "Yeah, my dad passed away when I was a kid, so it was just me, my mom, and my aunts. Honestly, my mother and I don't have the best relationship because she was too controlling, too involved. I'm glad she's in San Antonio now. That shit was exhausting."
"That sounds miserable. I'm the oldest of my siblings, and my parents haven't always been the most present, so I was always the adult of the house, even as a teenager. Sophie gives me constant shit for mothering her, but I can't help it. I like to think I've gotten better since I had my son though."
Carlos hummed and took another sip of his beer before answering. “I didn’t know you had a son. How old is he?”
Kelsey couldn't hold back the wide grin that overtook her face when she thought of James. "He's three, and he's so damn cute it hurts sometimes. He says the most outrageous things, I swear."
“If his vocabulary is even a quarter as vulgar as your own, I can only imagine how interesting it must be.”
She laughed. “Living with Sophie doesn’t help either. I think she’s intentionally teaching him to say fucked up shit just to mess with me.”
Carlos looked over, and she saw his gaze dip down to her hand, searching for a ring he wouldn't find. She'd returned her wedding ring to Kyle the night she'd left with James. She still wasn't used to the naked feeling, and there was still a faint line where her ring had sat for years. "So is it safe to assume you're single?"
