The NOLA Heart Novels (Complete Series)
Page 58
“Typical Jade,” she heard Sammie say, to which Lucia shushed her.
“You got a ticket for that?” Nathan said, sounding absolutely incredulous.
“Yes.”
“Jade, that’s nothing.”
“I was embarrassed! You were attractive and I didn’t know you, and I felt stupid for even saying something at all.”
“So, you find me attractive?”
She rolled her eyes at his flirtatious tone. “You know that I do.”
“That’s good,” he drawled, “because I plan to be the last man you ever kiss.”
There was a collective gasp in the hospital room, none of which belonged to Jade. She was too busy listening to the man of her dreams.
“I’m sorry for not trusting you,” he continued, his voice dropping to a low rasp. “I’m sorry for making you feel as though I don’t respect your independence, your loyalty, your vivaciousness.”
“That’s such a good word,” Sammie quipped, “vivacious. I love it.”
Nathan’s speech bowled right over the interruption. “Jade, I love you. I love you, even when you push me to really look at myself, and who I am. I love your thirst for crime TV, even though I’m sure you’ll get over it after being with me for the rest of your life. I love how you see the best in everyone, and how you’ve pushed me out of my shadows and into the light.”
This time, the tears wouldn’t stop, and her vision turned even hazier as they spilled forth. “Nathan—”
“I’m not done, honey. I’ve saved the best for last.”
There was more? Jade gave a watery laugh through the tears. “Okay. Okay.”
He lifted her hands to his mouth, and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I love you so much that I promise to give you the tips of my pizza for the rest of my life, so long as you promise me one thing.”
She swallowed. “What’s that?”
“Take a chance on me, Jade Lucia Harper. Take a chance on loving me.”
And that was when the dam broke. Maybe it was the medication—Jade had never been a crier—but the tears gushed forth, and the hiccups began, and through it all she could only say one thing: “I love you, I love you, I love you.”
And so that was the day that Jade Lucia Harper, the middle daughter of the Harper girls, truly knew what it felt like to win.
After all, she’d won the heart of her soul mate.
Epilogue
Three years later . . .
“I can’t believe you agreed to this,” Brady muttered from Nathan’s left. “You’re serving pizza at your wedding.”
Nathan grinned as his eyes sought out his beautiful bride. Though there’d been a bit of a tussle between the groom and bride’s families, the wedding was ultimately held in New Orleans, in a little chapel down in the French Quarter, where married dogs were turned into taxidermies after death and a crazy old pastor dressed like Elvis Presley. (Although, to be fair, they’d also requested another J.P. to be on hand, just in case Mr. Simms didn’t properly record the marriage. Nathan was willing to take any chances when it came to Jade).
“Nothing,” Nathan said, “is normal about this wedding.”
“You can say that again,” Nathan’s groomsman, Luke O’Connor, said from his right. “I’ve seen some pretty ridiculous shit in my life, but this . . . ” Luke saluted him with a beer. “This takes the cake, my friend. Or maybe it’s the pizza tip. Sounds ridiculously suggestive when you say it like that.”
“Maybe you should tell your wife that?” Nathan said. “Isn’t she a pizza fanatic? I’m surprised that y’all didn’t think of this yourselves.”
Luke quirked a brow. “We’re classy, Danvers. Classy.”
“Yeah?” Nathan placed his beer on a nearby table. “Well, I’m so classy right now, I’m going to go find my wife for a dance.”
His buddies cheered him on as he stepped down into the main reception area. He and Jade had decided on an outdoor venue, where everyone was invited. Their vows at Heavenly Met had only been attended by a select few.
Nathan waved to his mother and stepfather as they chatted with Lizzie. He passed by Shaelyn and dropped a kiss to her cheek. But he didn’t stop until he’d reached Jade’s side. She stood watching a fountain bubble, and he wrapped his arms around her.
“Hello, Mrs. Danvers,” he whispered by her ear.
She turned to greet him with a kiss. “Hello, Nathan.”
He grinned. His hands slipped down to her belly. “Our friends are making fun of our wedding choices.”
“They’re just jealous,” Jade said, reclining back into his chest. “Did you see Brady’s face when we vowed to let me be buried on your right-hand side?”
Nathan chuckled. “He looked horrified.” Which was saying something, because it was a rare day that anything frightened Lieutenant Brady Taylor.
“Shaelyn looked delighted,” Jade went on, playing with the ring on his left hand. “I mean, obviously Shae is the one who’s always right in their relationship.”
“Obviously.”
She twisted around in his arms, her hands coming to his chest as she lifted her face to meet his gaze. God, she looked beautiful. Vivacious. “So, I was thinking.”
“A dangerous thing,” Nathan said, then laughed when she lightly punched him in the arm.
“I’m going to ignore that.”
“You should.” He leaned down and stamped a kiss over her lips. “Tell me what dangerous thoughts are going on in your head.”
Her lips turned up, and Nathan’s heart squeezed.
“I’m not sure if you noticed it,” she murmured, “but there’s a little alcove along the second floor. And I was just thinking that we’ve been so busy, and you know that my mother hasn’t left my side in days . . . ”
Nathan’s cock hardened. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”
Her palms slid lower, and that naughty smile of hers grew wider. “I might allow myself to be persuaded,” she said, as she took a step back from his grasp. He followed, content to let her lead for today.
They both knew that in the bedroom, she preferred him to take control.
Nathan’s hand skimmed her behind when she turned around. “What sort of persuading are we talking about here?”
And, then, from the folds of her white wedding gown, she pulled out a silky tie.
His mouth went dry, and all he could think to say was, “Your dress has pockets?”
“Yup.” She subtly balled up the tie, and slipped it into his right hand, just before she began to skip away from the crowd. “Are you ready for an adventure, Mr. Danvers?”
“Hell yes,” he grunted, following her up the stairs to the second floor of the wedding venue.
But she paused just at the door to the alcove, and glanced back at him. Emotion swirled in her dark eyes, and Nathan dipped his mouth to kiss her. “What’s the matter?” he whispered.
She pressed a palm over his heart. “You once asked me to take a chance on you, back in the hospital after everything with the Zeker case.”
He closed his hand over hers and squeezed. “I remember, honey. We don’t have to talk about it.”
She met his gaze. “I just want to say, thank you for taking a chance on me. I know we’ve talked about it before, but I just . . . thank you for showing me that I can be more independent with you than I ever could have been without you. When Shawna conked me over the head with the coffee mug”—here she narrowed her eyes at him playfully—“all I wanted was you at my side. And when the doctor said you were there, that you’d come even after our huge argument, I just . . . . you made me realize that I never wanted to live another day without you. Thank you for loving me, Nathan. Thank you for being you, shadows and all.”
His heart thundered in his chest, his hands turning sweaty at his side. She’d been his that day they left the hospital. But today she was his officially, and that was something he’d never take for granted. “I love you, Jade.”
Her bright smile warmed him, li
ke he’d stood too long in the sun. “I love you, Nathan.”
And then, because Nathan refused to let the moment slip by, he whispered, “Now get in that alcove, honey, and I promise to give you the best damn tip of your life.”
She burst into laughter. “Oh, my God. You would say that.”
“You know what else?” he said.
Shaking her head, she stepped back into the alcove. “Tell me.”
“This.” And then he followed her in, crashed his mouth down over hers, and proceeded to make love to his wife, for better or for worse, while the entire wedding party danced away the night downstairs.
His Jade liked adventure after all, and he planned to spend the rest of his life keeping her on her toes.
What happens at Nathan & Jade’s wedding? Find out! Get the exclusive bonus scene here! There are shenanigans and a reveal!
Dear Fabulous Reader
Thank you so much for joining Danvers & Jade during their quirky but hot love story! I so hope you enjoyed it!
For those of you who have never read a book of mine before, this section is a bit of a “behind the scenes” look at the characters, the plot, and even the location! If you don’t want to know what sort of background things I popped in, please don’t read! ***ALL the spoilers ahead!***
To start, I might as well go with my full disclosure – some events in this book have been the product of creative liberty taking (LOL). No, really. Many of you know that my real-life partner-in-crime is a detective here in Louisiana. In the past, I’ve had him read scenes for realism’s sake. Would this work? Yes? No? Well, in the case of Danvers & Jade, I had ideas, y’all. Ideas and plot turns and I was all about this, and then Michael turned to me and said, “You know that wouldn’t happen in real life, right?”
Way to shoot down a girl’s dreams.
Naturally, I paused, fingers hovering over the keyboard and said, “But then the plot won’t work.” [Which part in the story am I looking at? The need to go to Ms. Bev’s house for the signature. A trip to the DMV would have solved this too easily, though! Also – way less fun, amiright?]
Michael glanced over at me, shrugged, and said, “Well, it’s fiction, right? Do what you want.”
…More dangerous words have never been spoken, Fabulous Reader. You can’t tell a writer that and not expect crazy-sauce not to follow!
But, with Michael’s blessing, I went for it full steam ahead. While the majority of the book is quite tailored to the responsibilities and duties of those who work in DIU – Homicide and Crime Lab here in New Orleans, you’ll be sure to find a scene or two where my creative juices truly flowed.
Where did I find inspiration from real life, though, you ask? Many places, actually!
#1: While quite rare that family members might work in the same department and have their connected identities go unnoticed, the Danvers/Cartwell bit was inspired by a similar case in the NOPD. A son got on the job, and his father was the commander of the district. For nearly two years, no one made the connection (neither man offered up the information), because the son wanted to be trusted on his own merits. Coworkers didn’t even realize until the son finally moved to a different district and started telling people! No idea how he kept it in for that long, but clearly he did!
#2: The glass room. No, I have never done “activities” like Danvers & Jade in there (get your mind out of the gutter, people!), but that glass room does exist in New Orleans. It belongs to a massive hotel in the Central Business District. Sometimes, when I need to breathe, I go up to the top and just watch the city come alive below. It’s breathtaking.
#3: Heavenly Met. While the taxidermies bit is my own creation (you’re welcome), a dog-marrying chapel existed down in the French Quarter for a bit. It’s since been closed down for almost a decade, but I just couldn’t resist throwing it in there as a little homage.
#4: The restaurant where Miranda Smiley works is real! Called, quite literally, The Napoleon House, it sits in the French Quarter and has since the late 18th century. Mayor Nicholas Girod owned the place, but he was so obsessed with Napoleon Bonaparte (as were most of the New Orleanians of the day, as they had once been French), that he and his fellow politicians staged an elaborate plan to aid Napoleon’s escape from the island of Elba. They hoped to shelter him in New Orleans, and bring about a new age of French rule. Unfortunately, Napoleon escaped but he did not use the ship sailing across the Atlantic to squirrel him away. Instead, he went back to war before being captured again. Should you ever visit New Orleans, you have to take the time to eat here. It’s one of my favorite restaurants in the city.
I could certainly go on here, but I’ll resist! If you’d like to see more “behind-the-scenes” glances to Take A Chance On Me, be sure to sign-up for my Newsletter here. You’ll not only receive a bonus chapter (what happened at the wedding???), but also character and location photos, playlists, deleted scenes, and more!
Thank you so much for reading. For taking a chance on me. I truly hope I’ll see you for the third NOLA Heart book, featuring Luke O’Connor!
Dare You To Love Me
Anna & Luke
I dare you to find me the perfect match, she said.
Luke O’Connor has never turned down a dare. Ever. But that was before his last deployment left the charming playboy a shell of his former self. Now he just wants to be left alone - no hookups, no relationships.
Single mother and the CEO of New Orleans’ hottest lingerie boutique, Anna Bryce has it all - except that a business can’t keep her warm at night. She’s determined to find Mr. Right, but can’t fight her attraction to Mr. All Wrong, the wounded veteran who says he's not into her.
I dare you to kiss me, she said.
I dare you to love me.
All Luke has to do is resist her dare - but for the first time in his life, he’s betting on losing.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Epilogue
Dear Fabulous Reader
To my very favorite BadAssB*tch – Natalie. From early mornings jaunts to the Quarter, to conversations that encompass nothing but GIFs, to our constant need to talk anything that really is TMI…I love you tons, girl. I may always be shorter; I may always be older; but you will always be the sister I never had.
This one is for you, girl. If it weren’t for Anna, Luke would be your man.
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Good job, honey.
Prologue
The Sandbox, i.e. The Middle East
Three months earlier
Luke O’Connor had three passions in life.
Women.
The Army.
Football.
So it seemed like a slice of poetic justice that his exit from the second came as a result of the first and the third.
Poetic justice was putting it lightly. Really, it was bullshit with a sprinkle of what-fuckery-of-the-gods-is-this.
Luke lifted his gaze from his heavily bundled left leg, past the chrome footboard, and up to the doctor who’d just delivered the bad news.
“You’re telling me that Trinket, the smallest fucking guy in the platoon, shattered my hip?”
The doctor, a
n elderly man who still looked strong enough to run up against the heaviest defenseman, didn’t bat an eye. “Sergeant O’Connor, I’ve already explained to you what happened.”
“What happened isn’t physically plausible,” Luke said, trying for the love of all things holy to rein in his temper. “Trinket weighs in at a buck-twenty soaking wet. On a good day.”
Dr. Manson tucked his clipboard under his armpit. “Yes,” he murmured, “but the laws of physics don’t include football cleats into the equation, do they?”
Luke mulled over that. He’d never done well in school, and fact was, he was a soldier, not a mathematician. But the pain emanating from his left hip signaled that, yeah, maybe the good doctor was onto something here.
Ignoring the burning heat from the pain, he fixed his attention on the doctor. “What’s the prognosis?”
“Your hip is fractured in three different places, Sergeant. That is your prognosis.”
Hearing it for a third time wasn’t making it sound any better.