by Gina Azzi
“I know. I know. I’m just… God, I’m nervous for her.”
Jack jumps off the diving board, straight into the clear pool water below. When he surfaces, he shakes out his hair like a wet dog and swims to the side. “You really love my sister?”
“I really love your sister.”
He grins. “I know. I knew it the first time I met you. I knew it two years ago when you broke her heart.”
“How?” I ask, curious.
“Because you always put her first. Her needs, her opportunities, her experiences. They always came at the expense of your happiness. I knew that one day, if you guys could just get out of your own damn way, you’d be together. Today’s that day, Connor.” He nods once before tacking on, “Don’t fuck it up again.”
“I won’t.” I jump in the pool.
As soon as I clear the water, the most beautiful woman in the world walks into the backyard. My eyes latch onto hers and I drink in the happiness blossoming in her expression.
“Well?” Jack asks.
She lifts her hands above her head, her green eyes glittering like emeralds. “I had the best day ever!”
“Hell yeah!” I cheer, climbing out of the pool. Beelining for my girl, I don’t care that I’m soaking wet. I don’t care that she’s wearing a dress that probably costs more than my monthly mortgage payment. I don’t care that she’s a million light-years out of my league. I pick her up and twirl her in my arms.
She giggles breathlessly. “Connor!”
Holding her against me, I run to the edge of the pool and jump in the water. When we break the surface, Harlow is sputtering water, her eyes wide with shock, her hair a mess.
“Connor Scott! Are you crazy?”
I chuckle, pressing a hard kiss against her lips. “You used to like spontaneity.”
She rolls her eyes, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “I used to like you, too.”
I snort. “You’re writing your new chapter, Low.”
“I’m writing my new chapter.”
“And I’m making an appearance?” I ask the only question that matters.
“You’re making much more than an appearance.”
Holding Harlow close, I kiss her in the pool, in front of Jack, in her parents’ backyard. I don’t care who’s watching. The only thing that matters is the woman in my arms.
As she pulls back, her eyes are sparkling, her smile wide, I know she feels the exact same way.
Epilogue
One Year Later
Harlow
I spot him the second he steps into the arrival’s hall.
“Connor!” I lift a hand in greeting.
His face breaks into a grin the moment he sees me and he strides toward me, lifting me in his arms and kissing me like a soldier returning from war instead of a man who hasn’t seen his girl in a week.
“Missed you, Low.” He settles me back on my feet.
“It’s been five days.”
“Five days too many.”
I nod. “How long can you stay?” I ask, biting my lip as I note his backpack and lack of a suitcase.
“Long enough.” He tosses an arm around my shoulders and steers us toward the parking lot. “Thanks for picking me up.”
“How’d everything go this week?”
We step out of the airport into the bright California sunshine and the symphony of honking car horns, blaring radios, and shouting.
“Everything went…”
I glance at Connor, dread sinking in the pit of my stomach.
“Awesome!” He squeezes me against his side and drops a kiss to my cheek. “Soul Sanctuary is expanding so quickly, it’s unreal.”
“I’m proud of you.”
“I’m proud of you too, my little badass.”
I snuggle into Connor’s embrace. Over the past year, we’ve managed to maintain a long-distance relationship. It hasn’t always been easy, but the truth is, it’s always been fun. Of course, I’ve flown out to Chicago every opportunity I had, which was more than I originally thought due to my still working for Eli, although now it’s as a publicist on Helen’s team. Connor spends as much time as he can in L.A. So much so that we picked out a new apartment to be our California home base.
To keep things fun and fresh and a little bit spontaneous, we also met in the middle, visiting scenic places like The Grand Canyon, Lake Tahoe, and Mount Rushmore. It’s been a year filled with adventure, firsts, laughs, and so much love my heart feels like it could burst at any moment.
I unlock my car and toss the keys to Connor, knowing he prefers to drive. He drops his backpack in the backseat as I slide into the passenger seat. Within moments, we’re easing into L.A. traffic.
“How was your flight?”
He rests his hand on my thigh and grins at me. “I slept.”
“The whole way?”
“The whole way. I’m ready for whatever you’ve got in store for me tonight.” He wags his eyebrows and I swat at him, laughing.
“I’m going to pass out tonight. I’ve been in the office early every morning this week so I can take Monday off and be with you.”
“I think we’re going to be really busy.”
“On Monday? Why?” I wrinkle my nose, not wanting to have to share him with anyone. By anyone, I mean my family and friends. Jack and Connor have a legit bromance. Kent thinks he’s great. Even Mom has come around and started asking Connor for his opinion on her home gym and her new trainer’s workout routines.
“I need to scope out a few gyms,” he responds.
“Gyms?”
Connor nods, grinning at me. “It’s happening, baby.”
“What’s happening?” I ask, too scared to give in to the hope rising in my chest.
“Soul Sanctuary is coming to California.”
I gasp. “What?”
Connor’s smile widens as he changes lanes. “I’m moving out here. Permanently. With you. Forever.”
I lean over the center console to kiss his cheek. “Are you serious?”
“I’m serious,” he replies, taking the next exit.
“Wait, where are we going?”
“Just gotta do something else to make it official.”
“Make what official?” Did he already sign with a gym? Is he leasing space somewhere?
Connor ignores me, his eyes focused on the road. Several minutes later, he pulls up to the beach and parks the car. Biting his lower lip, he tilts his head. “Take a walk with me?”
“Okay,” I drawl, unlatching my seatbelt. “Are you meeting someone?”
“You’ll see.”
I step out of the car as the heavy salt air rushes to greet me.
Connor rounds the car and slips his hand in mine. We walk toward the rolling waves as I glance around, waiting to see who we’re meeting.
For the most part, this stretch of beach is empty.
I turn toward him. “Connor?”
He stops walking and smiles at me, waiting for my question.
“What are we doing here?” I ask.
“I’m glad you asked.”
I quirk an eyebrow.
Connor tilts his chin toward the roaring ocean, the waves crashing on the shoreline, throwing foam into the air.
“Many moons ago—”
I snort.
“My grandad, Colin, took a beautiful woman, my Nana Aileen, to the shores of The North Sea. It was a blustery morning, grey and cold. But my grandad always said he was sweating, more nervous than he’d ever been in his whole life.”
I stare up at him, trying not to laugh.
Connor pushes my hair back from my face and offers his lopsided grin. “I’m sweating, Low,” he chuckles. “Anyway, my grandad walked with my Nana for a bit, working up his courage and practicing the words in his mind, wanting to get everything right on the first try.”
“Connor—”
“But then a squall came and my Nana Aileen jumped and started talking about heading back. In that moment, he realized that in life, you n
eed to seize the moments you have. Nothing is ever going to be perfect. Ever. But some moments come as close to perfection as possible and being with you Low, is pretty damn perfect.”
My heart thuds, my hands grow clammy, as I note the seriousness in his gaze. My hands wrap around his forearms and he offers me a shaky smile.
“Grandad Colin got down on one knee,” he explains, dropping to his knee in the sand.
I gasp, letting go of his arms as I stagger back a half-step, one hand lifting to my mouth.
Connor smirks. “Don’t go too far away.” He reaches out and pulls me closer. “And he presented my nana with this ring.” From his pocket, he fishes out a beautiful sapphire ring set in the center of a row of diamonds. “It’s not three carats, it’s not a flawless diamond, it’s not princess cut. But when I found Pop’s note mentioning this ring, I knew it belonged on your finger, Harlow. The same way I’ve always known that I belong to you.”
Tears gather in the corners of my eyes.
Connor’s expression softens, his eyes so tender I lose myself in his gaze. He takes my left hand and holds out the ring.
“I’m going to stop with Grandad Colin’s story now because I think my version is better.”
I laugh.
“Harlow Reid, I’ve loved you for years. You are pure sunshine and I don’t want to know what it’s like to spend one more day without you by my side. Please, baby, make me whole. Marry me, Low?”
I nod, tears streaming down my cheeks. “Yes,” I say, dropping to the sand and throwing my arms around Connor.
He chuckles, the sound reverberating in his chest as he grips my arms. Pulling back slightly, he slides the ring on my left ring finger and grins. “Perfect fit,” he murmurs. His lips capture mine as my eyes flutter closed. The wind whips around us, the sea crashes in the background.
Right now, in this moment, I let myself drown in Connor’s touch. I lose myself in his kiss. My heart sings in my chest and my soul bursts as I live my real-life fairytale, the one I’ve wished for for so many years.
“I love you, Harlow Reid.”
“I love you, Connor Scott.”
Connor grins, clasping my cheeks and dropping his forehead to mine. “I got you, baby. Forever.”
“Forever,” I repeat. This time, I’m one hundred percent certain that I am more than enough for me, for Connor.
For us.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you loved the angst, the truth, and the second chance of Harlow and Connor’s story.
Are you desperate for Evan and Charlie’s book? Healing My Heart releases December 3! Don’t miss this second chance, single dad romance with all the feels, all the heart, and a dash of suspense! Preorder Healing My Heart now.
Or, read Eli and Zoe’s story from their first interaction in this emotional, angsty, Hollywood romance duet: Broken Lies and Twisted Truths.
Healing My Heart
Chapter One - Evan
The sight of my son Ollie placing an ornament on the Christmas tree brings a smile to my face.
I lean back in the comfortable chair in my brother’s living room and lift the tumbler of Scotch to my lips. Taking a sip, my shoulders drop, some of the tension and stress I’ve been carrying around for what feels like eternity receding.
“Do this one, Maddie,” Ollie lifts a snowflake ornament from the box and passes it to my three-year-old niece.
“Ooh, it’s so sparkly,” Maddie breathes, as if the sound of her voice will disrupt the glitter. She takes it gingerly from Ollie’s hand and hangs it on the tree.
“They’re the fucking best,” my brother Eli chuckles next to me, taking a large swig of his beer.
“Can’t believe you’ve got another one on the way,” I glance at him.
He shrugs but I don’t miss the way the corners of his mouth curl up.
My little brother is really something else. He’s the person I’m most proud of in the world. A reckless teenager with a chip on his shoulder, he managed to turn his life around. He moved out to L.A., the stars aligned, and now he’s an A-list Hollywood actor with a beautiful wife, an amazing little girl, and a baby on the way. His eyes gleam, content with the certainty that is his life, as he watches our kids decorate for Christmas.
I used to have that look in my eyes. Once upon a time when I was a happily-married, new dad, the holiday season brought wonder and joy similar to when I was a kid. Even the damn snow blanketing the streets seemed magical instead of a giant pain in the ass.
But that was before.
Now, I’m just grateful to be Dad to the world’s most incredible little boy. A boy who is growing up too fast and asking too many questions about his mom and my lack of a dating life.
I drain my tumbler, the image of Charlie Adams filling my mind, unbidden, like always. If there was one woman I came close to bringing into my life since Sophie left, it’s Charlie.
Long blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, and a personality that outshines the damn sun, Charlie made me feel things I hadn’t felt in years, made me yearn for things I forgot, and made me believe in things I know better than to want. But of course, I fucked that up too.
Our whirlwind romance ended as quickly as it began. We broke up, endured a year of intense awkwardness every time our paths crossed, and then, she skipped town. She moved all the way to New York City for a design program and I threw myself even more into my workaholic tendencies.
“Who wants hot chocolate?” My sister-in-law, Zoe, who also happens to be Charlie’s best friend, pushes into the cozy living room holding a tray with steaming mugs.
At the same time, my brother and I jump to our feet to help her. She laughs as Eli takes the tray from her hands and moves it to the coffee table.
Ollie whoops as Maddie’s eyes grow round. “With marshmallows?” Maddie asks.
“A whole handful,” Eli quips.
Ollie snickers and grabs a bunch of marshmallows, dropping them into his and Maddie’s mugs. “Thanks, Aunt Zo.”
Zoe’s expression softens as she gazes at my son. “You’re welcome. You’re getting too grown-up, Ollie.”
Ollie blushes, ducking his head. “I’ll be eleven next month.”
“Eleven?” Maddie asks. “You’re old.”
I laugh along with Eli and Zoe but the truth is, my son is growing up too fast. A strange sensation squeezes my chest as the realization hits me. In seven years, Ollie will be heading to college and I’ll be an empty-nester. All alone in a big home that Sophie designed and I worked countless hours to pay for. That’s all I’ll have to show for it all?
Disappointment streaks through me. I have a great life; a life people are envious of. A well-paying job, a well-behaved son, a brother I admire.
The fact that it doesn’t feel like enough rubs me the wrong way. Like I’m too selfish to count my blessings.
But sometimes, I wish for more. For me and for Ollie.
Sighing, I swallow back my frustration mixed with Scotch.
“Oh!” Zoe exclaims, her eyes glued to her phone.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Eli narrows his gaze in concern, his hand flying to her belly. “Is it the baby?”
She shakes off his touch and smiles. “Charlie landed early.”
Charlie?
I sit up straighter in my chair but keep my expression unreadable.
“I thought she was coming tomorrow,” Eli says.
“Me too,” Zoe nods, tapping out a message on her phone. “I told her to come by before she goes to her mom’s. If she heads straight home, I won’t see her for days considering how much Mama Adams misses her baby.”
Eli snorts, nodding in agreement and helping Maddie take a gulp of her hot chocolate.
“Charlie’s coming?” my son’s face lights up and I feel a pang of guilt slice through my stomach.
Even though Ollie never knew what went on between Charlie and me behind closed doors, Charlie was a constant fixture in Ollie’s life when she lived in Chicago. As Zoe’s best friend and Maddie’
s godmother, she was at every family event, weeknight game night, and the main bartender/server at Shooters Pub where I regularly eat lunch.
There was no escaping her.
Heat rushes through me as I realize that in thirty minutes, I’m going to come face-to-face with the woman I never forgot for the first time since she moved to New York eighteen months ago.
Eli taps his knee against mine and I glance up.
He narrows his gaze at me, as if asking where my head is at, asking if I’m okay.
I offer him a half-smile and dip my head to let him know I’m cool. Everything is fine.
Just because Charlie and I aren’t a thing anymore doesn’t mean I can’t be polite and cordial when we’re in the same room. We played the charade well for the year-and-a-half after we ended things and before she moved. It was easier to avoid her at a big family event than it will be tonight. But I don’t want to avoid her anymore. Especially not during the holiday season.
Especially when she makes my son smile bigger than he has in a long time.
“Merry Christmas!” she waltzes through the door and my mind explodes with a million memories.
The way her blue eyes dazzle and how her hair falls around her shoulders like an angel’s halo is exactly the same. But there’s also something different about her. Confidence grips her shoulders, keeping her posture erect. She has an air of maturity, of wisdom, that didn’t exist when she walked out of my life over three years ago and I let her go.
I let her go.
Charlie Adams is fucking beautiful. She always was. But the woman standing in Eli and Zoe’s foyer now is just that. A woman. A self-assured, confident, stunning woman with a smile that could grow a garden and a laugh that could tilt the Earth off its axis.
“Merry Christmas!” Ollie exclaims, throwing his arms around her waist.
My chest clenches as I watch her wrap her arms around Ollie, her eyes closing, her smile widening, with no hard feelings, no judgement, nothing but admiration for my son.
