FOREVER SERIES: COMPLETE BOX SET

by Lynn, Sandi

  “Yes, Mom. I know that.”

  “Okay. I’m just making sure because when your dad says something to you about it, I don’t want you to get mad.”

  “Don’t worry. I already knew that.” I smiled.

  We cleaned up the rest of the dishes, and I headed upstairs to Collin’s room.

  * * *

  We left for Aspen the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. My dad wanted us to have a full day of skiing on Wednesday. Everybody arranged their schedule so they could fly with us. We boarded our plane and Jake was in awe.

  “Pretty cool, huh?” I smiled.

  “Yeah. I’ve never been on a private plane before. This is amazing.”

  Mason and Landon boarded the plane and I ran up to them and gave them a hug and kiss.

  “How’s my princess doing?” Uncle Mason asked.

  “I’m fine.”

  “You’re more than fine. You’re glowing and it must have something to do with that handsome man standing next to you.” He smiled.

  “How are you, Jake?” Landon asked as they shook hands.

  After we took off, Jake and I unbuckled our seat belts and sat down on the couch. We weren’t there long before my dad stole him away from me. Uncle Denny walked over and sat down next to me.

  “How are you, Julia?” he asked.

  “I’m good, Uncle Denny. How are you?”

  “No complaints. You and Jake remind me of your mom and dad. Except Jake isn’t a stubborn ass like your father.” He smiled.

  I laughed as I put my hand on his arm. “No, he’s not.”

  “I heard that, Denny.” My dad smiled as he walked over with Jake.

  “It’s nothing you haven’t already heard, son.”

  My dad sighed. “Come on; I want to show you something in the back, old man.”

  We finally arrived in Aspen. My dad spared no expense renting the eight-bedroom, eight-bathroom chalet. We walked in and the beauty of it overtook me. I heard my mom gasp when she walked through the door.

  “Oh, Connor. This is amazing,” she said to him.

  “I knew you’d love it, baby. It’s all for you.” He smiled.

  “You wait until I get you into the bedroom tonight.” She growled.

  Jake looked at me and laughed.

  “Oh my God, Mom! There are people within hearing distance!”

  My mom looked at me and winked. I gave her a half smile and then grabbed Jake’s hand.

  “Come on, Jake, let’s go find our room,” I said.

  I knew it would only be a matter of seconds before my dad stopped us.

  “Excuse me, Julia. Come back here right now,” he said.

  “What is it, Daddy?” I innocently asked.

  “You and Hailey will be sharing a room and Jake and Collin will share a room.”

  I put on my pout face. “That’s not fair, Dad. Why do you and mom get to have all the fun?”

  The expression on my dad’s face was priceless and I would have given anything to have taken a picture of it. “Julia Rose!” he exclaimed.

  “Let them share a room, Connor. It’s not like they aren’t doing it,” Denny said as he walked by and winked at me.

  “Absolutely not!”

  “Sorry, Julia, I tried. The old man probably won’t let you share a room together even if you were married.

  “Denny!” my dad exclaimed.

  “Calm down, Connor, and go have a scotch.”

  Jake and I started laughing. I gave my dad a kiss on the cheek and told him I was kidding and that I knew we weren’t sharing a room. I made him feel better by telling him that the thought never entered my mind because I was looking forward to some girl time with Hailey. He actually bought my story. The reality was that Collin, Hailey, Jake, and I had already worked out our sleeping arrangements. After we got settled, Jake asked me if I wanted to go for a walk. When we stepped outside the door, the lightly falling snow had created a fresh blanket on the ground. It was the perfect night for a walk with the person you love.

  “I’m glad I’m here with you,” Jake said as he tightened his grip around me.

  “Me too. I wouldn’t have made it through the holiday without you.”

  “I think you would have survived.” He winked.

  “Would you have?”

  “Of course I would have. I would have just found someone else to replace you for a few days.”

  Jake knew he was in trouble when he said that because he let go of me and started running.

  “Jake Michael Jensen! Get back here because I’m going to hurt you!” I yelled.

  As he ran through the snow, I chased him. I stopped long enough to make a snowball and I threw it at the back of his head. He stopped, turned around, and proceeded to chase me.

  “That’s it, Miss Black. Now you’re going to get it.” As I tried to run through the snow, I felt a snowball hit my back. I reached down and grabbed as much snow as I could and threw it back at Jake. He caught up with me and tackled me to the ground, turning me on my back and hovering over me.

  “You know I was only kidding about finding someone else, right?”

  “Yes.”

  He brushed his cold lips against mine and instantly, not only lips, but my entire body started to heat up.

  When Jake broke our kiss, we gazed into each other’s eyes. “I’m going to make you my wife someday, Julia, and I’ll love you forever. I promise you.”

  “I love you, and I promise you forever.” I smiled.

  “Let’s get back to the chalet. It’s cold out here,” Jake said as he helped me up.

  “Do you promise to warm me up?” I asked.

  “I would if your dad wasn’t there.” He laughed.

  “Well, we’re going to have to sneak then, because I need you to heat me up!”

  “I love the sound of that,” he growled as he kissed me.

  * * *

  It was Thanksgiving Day and everyone, except the men, got up early to start preparing dinner. It was a lot of fun with everyone there, helping out. As the day progressed, the men drank, laughed, and watched football. When dinner was ready, my mom called my dad into the kitchen to carve the turkey. The funny part was that she told him exactly how to carve it.

  “Connor, start over here and go this way,” she said.

  “Baby, I know how to carve a turkey.”

  “But, if you go this way, it’s easier and you get bigger slices.”

  “Ellery, I love you, but I got this,” he said.

  “Hey, Mom, I need you over here to help me with this, please. I can’t get this out of the oven.”

  My mom walked over and took the sweet potato casserole out of the oven. I walked over to my dad and put my arm around him as I took a piece of turkey from the plate. He looked over at me and winked.

  “Thanks, Princess, for rescuing me.”

  “Any time, Dad.” I smiled.

  We all took our places at the table and had the best Thanksgiving dinner ever. I was thankful for everybody that joined us and helped us celebrate. Every person here was a part of my family. It was an amazing weekend spent with close family and friends and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

  Chapter 16

  Four Years Later

  I stormed into the penthouse, sobbing, as I threw my purse on the ground. I ran into the living room where my parents were sitting on the couch.

  “Jake and I broke up, and I don’t ever want to see him again!” I cried.

  “What?! No, you can’t break up!” my dad exclaimed.

  My mom got up from the couch and hugged me. I was crying so hard that I could barely breathe.

  “Calm down, sweetheart, and tell me what happened.”

  “He ... he ... he ... cheated on me!”

  “Princess, Jake would never do that to you,” my dad said.

  “He did, Daddy. Do you think I would be standing here like this if he didn’t?”

  I continued to sob into my mom’s arms as she tried her hardest to console me. My dad walked o
ver, took me from my mom, and led me over to the couch as he pulled me into him and held me tight.

  “You need to tell us exactly what happened, baby,” he said as he kissed my head.

  “He was in the shower and his phone rang and it was a strange number, so I answered, and it was a woman. She asked if Jake was there and I said he was in the shower. She asked who I was, so I told her that I was his sister. She said to tell him that she has everything he needs and that she can’t wait to see him again and, when she does, he’s going to be so happy. So I checked his recent calls and they have been calling each other back and forth for about a month. Oh my God, Daddy. What am I going to do?!” I sobbed hysterically.

  My dad didn’t say a word. He just sat there and let me cry until I couldn’t cry anymore. My phone was in my pocket and it kept ringing. I pulled it out and Jake’s picture kept flashing. I raised my hand and as I went to throw my phone, my dad grabbed my hand and stopped me.

  “No, Julia. Don’t break your phone,” he said as he took it from me, turned it off, and set it on the table.

  I continued to cry as my mom sat down next to me and hugged me along with my dad. Neither one of them said a word. They just were there to console me and help me through it. About an hour later, the elevator doors opened, and Jake came walking into the living room.

  “Julia, baby, please.”

  I lifted my head from my dad’s chest. “Get the fuck out of my house!” I screamed. “I don’t ever want to see you again.”

  “Princess, please let Jake explain,” my dad said as he looked at me.

  “Daddy, why are you taking his side? Oh my God, I can’t believe this!” I said as I quickly got up.

  I looked at Jake, who was standing there with tears in his eyes. “Julia, please. I have a good explanation.”

  “Save it, Jake. We’re done, finished, over!” I yelled as I walked past him.

  He grabbed my arm and pulled me back. He shoved a small box in my hand, then held my hand tight.

  “This is the reason Clarisse called.”

  I gulped as my already racing heart picked up its pace and I slowly opened my hand, revealing the blue velvet box. I looked at Jake with my mascara-stained eyes.

  “This isn’t exactly how I planned to do it, but you’ve given me no choice.” He smiled as he took the box from my hand, opened it, and pulled out the most beautiful diamond ring that I’d ever seen.

  “Julia, from the moment Mozart found you on the beach, I was captivated by your beauty. Then, when you invited me to sit down, and we started talking, I was already falling in love with you. You stole my heart faster than I could feel it beating. Now that I’ve graduated college and you’re almost finished, I felt this was the best time to do this. I’ve already asked your dad for your hand in marriage, and I’m hoping you’ll say yes. I love you so much. You’re my entire world, and I can’t see myself living in this world without you. Julia Rose Black, will you marry me?”

  I looked at him as more tears started to fall. I got down on my knees and stared into his beautiful eyes. “Yes, Jake Michael Jensen, I will marry you!” I smiled.

  He put the ring on my finger and kissed it as he wrapped his arms around me and held me tight.

  “I couldn’t tell you earlier because I had it all planned, but you got so upset and broke up with me and I didn’t know what to do. I called your dad and told him what happened, and he said to wait about an hour.”

  “I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you. I’m a horrible person.”

  “No, you’re not, Julia. You’re a beautiful person and I love you so much.”

  As I kissed him, I wrapped my arms around him and I never wanted to let him go. I turned to my parents, who were sitting on the couch, watching us. My mom had tears in her eyes.

  “You two knew and didn’t tell me? You let me spend the last hour thinking that he cheated on me and let me cry like that?”

  “Sorry, Princess, but I wasn’t about to ruin it for you, even though it was killing me not to say something,” my dad said.

  I looked back at Jake. “So tell me who Clarisse is again?”

  Jake smiled and kissed my lips. “She’s the manager at the jewelry store where I had your ring designed and made. Your dad is the one who recommended her to me. She’s one of the best around.”

  I looked at my dad and he winked at me. My mom walked over to me and hugged me.

  “Congratulations, sweetheart. I’m so happy for you. We have to call Mason right now and tell him the news and we have to plan a party. Wait, don’t tell anyone in the family yet. I’m going to have a dinner party and then you can announce it. Connor, this is so exciting. I have so much to do. Where do I start?” she said excitedly.

  My dad got up from the couch and wrapped his arms around my mom. “The first thing you need to do is take a breath and calm down. She’s only been engaged for ten minutes.” He smiled.

  He walked over to me and kissed me on the cheek. “I’m so happy for you. Congratulations, Princess.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” I smiled.

  He turned to Jake and shook his hand. “Nothing pleases me more than to have my daughter marry you.”

  “Thanks, Connor. You know that I’ll take good care of her,” Jake responded.

  “I know you will and if you get out of line, she’ll kick your ass. Just like her mother does to me.”

  “That’s right. I taught my daughter well.” My mom smiled as she winked at me.

  “This calls for a celebration. We’re taking the two of you to dinner,” my dad said.

  We went out that night and celebrated. After leaving the restaurant, my dad took us to a club where we drank, danced, and had a good time. Collin and Hailey met up with us and we celebrated into the wee hours of the morning.

  And that’s how, Jake Jensen, the man of my dreams, proposed to me. It wasn’t how he had planned it, and I screwed it up for him, but we were engaged and that was all that mattered.

  * * *

  As the months passed, my mom and I were busy planning the wedding and I was getting ready to graduate from college. I was sitting on my bed when my dad walked into the room.

  “Good morning, Dad.” I smiled at him.

  “Good morning, Princess. Do you have a minute to talk?”

  “Sure. Come sit down,” I said.

  He sat down next to me and smiled. “I was wondering if you wanted to spend the day with your dad. I haven’t seen much of you lately between all the wedding planning and school.”

  I could tell he desperately wanted to spend some time together, and I felt bad that we hadn’t lately. I had plans with Jake, but I thought he would understand if I canceled them. My dad needed me, and I didn’t want to let him down.

  “I would love to spend the day with you, Dad.” I smiled.

  “Really? You don’t have any other plans?” he asked excitedly.

  “No, not today,” I answered.

  He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into him as he kissed me on the head. “That’s great, Princess. I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Me too.”

  He got up from the bed and walked out of my room. I picked up my phone and called Jake.

  “Hello, beautiful,” he answered.

  “Hey, babe. Listen, I need to cancel our plans for today. My dad asked me to spend the day with him, and I couldn’t tell him no.”

  “That’s okay. You go and be with your dad. I know he misses you. He made a reference about it the other night. I have some work I can catch up on and then I’ll hang with the guys for a while and I’ll see you tonight.”

  “I love you, Jake.”

  “I love you more, Julia. See you later, babe. Have a good day with your dad,” he said as he hung up.

  I showered and got dressed. I walked downstairs and saw my mom in the kitchen.

  “Hi, sweetheart. Thank you for spending the day with your dad. He’s so happy.” She smiled.

  “No need to thank me, Mom. I want to spend the day wit
h him.”

  “Are you ready, Princess?” my dad asked as he walked into the kitchen.

  “I sure am.” I smiled as I looped my arm around his and we left the penthouse.

  Our first stop was at the Central Park Zoo. My mom and dad used to take me and Collin there every year since we were little kids. We walked around, looking at the animals and exhibits. Our favorite had always been the penguins and we would stand there for what seemed like forever, staring at them. After spending some time at the zoo, we headed to The Museum of Modern Art. It had always been one of my and my mom’s favorite places to go. As we walked around and looked at the various sculptures and designs, my dad turned to me.

  “I know we’ve talked about this before, but I want you to know that I’ve created a division at Black Enterprises for architecture and I want you to head it up. I couldn’t think of a better time than now to branch out and expand.”

  “Are you serious, Dad?”

  “Yes, Princess, I’m very serious. You’re going to be graduating in a couple of months and your spot will be waiting for you. As soon as Collin graduates from college, the two of you will be working together and getting to know the ropes of the company so I can hand it over to the two of you when I retire.”

  “I don’t think you’ll ever retire, Dad. You love that company way too much.”

  He laughed and put his arm around me. “You’re probably right, but I will be gone a lot. Your mom wants to travel the world.”

  “I don’t think there’s anywhere in the world that she hasn’t seen yet.”

  “There are a couple places.” He smiled.

  When we were finished at the art museum, we walked down the streets of New York and stopped at Pizzapopolous for some pizza. When we sat down and opened our menus, my dad started to laugh.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked.

  “I’ll never forget the first time I stood outside and stared at your mom through the window. I sent Denny to her work to pick her up to have dinner with me, and she told him no, and that if I wanted to have dinner with her, then I should’ve called her and asked her. Denny followed her here and then came to the restaurant where I was waiting for her and told me where she was. So I came here, and she was sitting at a table all by herself. She looked so beautiful.”