by Roma, Laurie
“Shut up, you hard ass.”
“My family,” Jared said as he put his arm around Kalista, pulling her close. “Aren’t we a docile bunch?”
Hunter snorted at that. “More like dysfunctional if you ask me.” He turned as someone called his name, then looked back at Kalista and Jared for a second.
“Good luck with everything,” he said, and then he wandered off.
“Idiot,” Evie muttered. Before she could leave, too, Jared stopped her.
“Hey, Evie. A friend of mine is coming into town soon. His name is Daryk Nyght. Can you reserve a room for him at the boarding house?”
Evie choked on a laugh. “Daryk Nyght? Who the hell is this guy, Batman?”
Hammer grinned. “We used to call him the Dark Nyght when I was still in the service. His family are the Nyghts from Atlanta, you know that big international law firm?”
“You mean Nyght and Bristow? Wow, and he was in the Army with you?”
He sobered. “He’s actually a trauma surgeon. The guy is crazy and used to go out with the special teams. He’s been through some pretty rough shit lately, and he’s retiring. Needs somewhere quiet to recover.”
Her eyes went soft with understanding. “Sure, I can set him up. Just send me the info when he’ll be coming to town, and I’ll arrange it.”
“Thanks,” Hammer said as he playfully ruffled her hair. “You’re the best.”
“All the boys say so,” she quipped with a wink, slapping his hand away.
Hammer snorted. “Get out of here, brat.”
Evie walked away, leaving Hammer and Kalista to wander over toward where the puppies were kept. She let out a gasp as she gripped his arm. “Oh no! Jared, Ranger isn’t here!”
“He’s not?”
Tears prickled at the back of her eyes. “No. He always comes over to greet me when I come to visit. Look. I don’t see his little white paws.”
“Someone must have adopted him.”
Kalista noticed that Jared shifted uncomfortably, and she thought it must be because he was worried she was going to burst into tears. Honestly, she felt like she just might. Pulling herself together, she let out a shaky breath and said, “Well, as long as he has a good home now, that’s all that matters.”
He hugged her. “I’m sure he has a great home.”
The rest of the day lost some of its shine as Kalista went back to work in the food tent. She knew she should have been happy that Ranger found a good home with someone, but she had loved the little guy. Part of her was angry that she hadn’t adopted him before today, which meant it was her fault, but another part of her was irritated that Evie and the others hadn’t kept him for her like they said they would.
Jared disappeared for a while with Nate when he and Anna finally showed up. Kalista was happy to hear that the bakery had been packed all day, but the staff had everything in hand so Anna told her not to worry. When the event drew to a close, several of Jared’s friends helped her pack the trays and coolers back into the van. Although the men looked dark and dangerous they were very kind to her, and she liked them a great deal.
“I’ve got this,” Becca said when Kalista told her she was going to go home with Jared. “I’ll drive the van back and close the bakery tonight, so I don’t want to see you back there. It’s Valentine’s Day, and I don’t have a man like you do. Go enjoy for the both of us.”
Kalista hugged her goodbye, then climbed onto Jared’s bike behind him. She put on the helmet he gave her, then wrapped her arms around his waist as he took off down the road. On the drive to his house she had time to think about what she wanted to say to him since she was wearing a helmet and he wasn’t.
All those thoughts fled her head as soon as he pulled the bike into his driveway. Shock filled her as she saw the huge wooden fence that now covered a large portion of his yard off of the garage. She was speechless as he helped her off of the bike, unable to believe what she was seeing and barely noticed the unfamiliar car parked in front of house.
She took off the helmet. “Jared, what—”
He pressed a finger to her lips to silence her. “Just give me a minute and I’ll explain everything.”
Hammer took her hand after she nodded, and he hoped that she couldn’t feel how clammy his palm was as he led her toward the front door. It opened before he could use his key, and his friend Sam stepped out.
“Everything is good to go. Hi, Kali. Later.”
Sam quickly walked to her car and got in as Hammer pulled Kali into the house with him. Earlier at the rescue center, he’d felt like the biggest bastard alive when he saw the tears in Kali’s eyes after she realized that Ranger was missing from the puppy pen. He’d wanted to tell her not to worry, but that would have ruined his plans. He’d felt the distance between them since he’d gotten back from Vegas, and he knew she could feel him keeping secrets from her.
Never in his life had he imagined that it would be so difficult to keep things from another person as it was keeping things from his little fairy. He didn’t like anything between them, even if it was only temporary.
That made this moment even more important.
Confusion filled Kalista as he shut the front door and locked it before dragging her with him through the kitchen, into the mudroom and out the side door. Two exuberant little pit bull puppies ran up to greet them as soon as they stepped out in to the yard.
“Ranger!” Kali cried as she fell to her knees and hugged the little gray dog. Her laughter filled the air as he licked her face, and she looked up to find Jared sitting next to her on the ground, holding a pretty brindle puppy. Ranger ran over to Jared and he picked up the puppy, stroking his fur as the little female dog came over to Kalista with her tag wagging.
Kalista picked up the puppy and looked around the yard in disbelief. Where a few days ago there had just been open land, Jared had built a sturdy wooden fence enclosing a large area. In the far back was a small child-sized pool and an agility course that included a teeter board, an open round tunnel, a jump bar, an agility A-frame, and a raised dog walk for the puppies to play on.
“How…?”
“This is what I was doing yesterday, and Hunter brought the little ones over early this morning.” He nodded his head to the puppy in her lap. “I thought Ranger needed a friend and that little girl seemed smitten with him, so I thought we should adopt them both. That is Tinkerbell.”
She burst out laughing. “You got a fairy to keep Ranger company?”
“It seemed fitting,” he said with a grin, then a serious expression settled over his face as he fiddled with Ranger’s collar. “Go to Mommy,” he ordered as he set the dog back onto the ground.
Dutifully, Ranger ran back over to Kali, and she smiled as she reached out to pet him. Her hand froze mid-air and it started shaking when she saw the ribbon attached to Ranger’s collar that had been tied into a pretty bow. The puppy sat there patiently with his tongue hanging out as if he were waiting for her response.
“Go on,” Jared encouraged. “Happy Valentine’s Day, baby.”
With both hands shaking, Kalista reached out and pulled the ribbon to undo it. The most beautiful ring she had ever seen fell into her hand, and she lost her breath as she looked down at it. It was a large princess-cut diamond with smaller stones surrounding it in an antique looking setting. The ring was something that she would have picked out herself, which made it even more special. The puppies seemed to lose interest in the humans because they ran across the yard and started an impromptu game of tag, but Kalista couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from the ring to see where they went.
Hammer moved closer to her until he was sitting right in front of her, with their knees touching lightly. His heart was pounding so loud it sounded like a drum beat in his ears, and he vaguely felt like he wanted to throw up. Courage, he told himself.
Just say the words and don’t fuck this up…
“I love you, Kali. I want you with me, always. Be mine. Spend a lifetime being my Valentine. Help
me build a family with Ranger and Tink. Marry me.”
Kali looked up and his heart dropped when he saw the tears streaming from her eyes. “What about the job offer from the CFL?”
Hammer let out a soft curse. “You heard about that? I was going to tell you about it later. I said no, Kali. I may go out of town occasionally since I agreed to announce at the championship fights, but my life is here, with you if you’ll have me. I want to build a life together.” He paused, then let out a frustrated growl when she simply stared at him with wide eyes. “Say something! Damn it, you love me, woman!”
She nodded slowly. “I really do.”
His face paled as she held out the ring to him, then he felt his heart burst with joy as she held her left hand out for him to put the ring on. “I love you, Jared. Of course I’ll marry you,” she whispered tearfully.
He slid the ring onto her finger and felt a wave of possessive pride sweep through him at seeing his ring on her finger. He yanked her into his arms and held on tight, loving how well she fit against him. Here was everything he ever wanted, and he almost couldn’t believe she said yes and really belonged to him now. Feeling emotions well into his own eyes, he buried his face into the crook of her neck and breathed in her sweet scent.
“God, I love you, my sweet little fairy. I’m going to make you so damn happy.”
“You already do,” she said as she pulled back to cup his face. They stared into each other’s eyes as she laid her lips onto his and let herself sink into him. His hand gripped the back of her neck as he took her to the ground with him so he was half on top of her. Taking the kiss deeper, his tongue stroked against hers, showing her what she meant to him without words.
Her delighted laughter rang out as he cursed when the puppies ran back over to join in their game and jumped on him. Kali rolled onto her side and she smiled as she watched the two puppies climbing all over Jared, wanting to play.
Her big man was such a wonder to her. He was a fighter and a bad boy, but he could be so sweet and gentle like he was now, playing with their new dogs. He was offering her his heart and his home, and she knew, without a doubt, that she had found her soul mate. He was the perfect mix of everything she had ever wanted in a man.
And he was all hers.
Epilogue
The roar of the crowd filled the Palace Arena as the winner of the CFL Heavyweight Championship match was announced. Kali smiled to herself as she listened to the sound of her fiancé’s voice over the loudspeakers. His deep, gravelly voice sent shivers down her spine every time she heard it, and tonight was no different.
Murmuring her goodbyes to Leanne Durbin, who was seated next to her in the VIP section, Kali made her way through the crowed aisle and left the arena, heading back to the bank of elevators that would take her back up to her and Jared’s luxurious suite in the Las Vegas hotel.
In the last month she had met the Durbins twice when they had come to visit Breakers to personally escort some of their fighters to Fight Hard. She immediately liked the couple, and she and Leanne had become good friends since their first meeting. Kalista knew that Leanne would send Jared up to their room to join her, and she needed time to set the stage she wanted to have ready for when he did.
A few short days after he proposed, she found herself officially moving into his house. Once the decision had been made she didn’t feel any need to wait to start their life together. It had worked out perfectly since Becca’s lease was up, and she had been overjoyed to move into Kali’s apartment over the bakery.
Ranger and Tinkerbell had become the mascots at Fight Hard, and Jared brought them to work with him almost every day. He and Kali liked having both of their dogs close, and she visited them several times a day. If that gave her another reason to stop by the gym to see Jared, it was just a bonus. Fortunately, there was always someone around the gym that was willing to take the dogs out into the yard to play with them while Jared and Kali were otherwise occupied in his office.
When Shane was released from the hospital, he became their official dog walker after school. The poor boy had trouble adjusting to his new life, considering the severe trauma he had endured. He had become extremely introverted, not trusting anyone at first, and it took him weeks to even speak again despite the therapy he was offered. He was able to complete his physical therapy at Fight Hard, and it broke their hearts because no one knew how to help the young boy.
It wasn’t until he started playing with Ranger and Tinkerbell that he became more like the boy he had been before the attack. Taking care of the dogs after school helped him feel more secure with his surroundings, and allowed him to open up again. Pleased with his progress, Anna and her husband started taking him to the Beaumont Rescue Center on the weekends so he could volunteer since it seemed like being around the dogs worked better than any other therapy.
Kali briefly considered calling Anna’s house to check on Ranger and Tinkerbell since Shane, Nate, Anna, and her husband were dog sitting for them while they were out of town, but she fought the urge. Calling to check on her dogs seemed a little extreme, even for her.
Once she was back in their suite, she went to work setting up the room exactly how she wanted it. She pushed the chairs and sofa out of the way and moved the coffee table to make a large, open space in the center of the living room.
Going into the bedroom, she pulled out the bag of candles that she’d hidden after she bought them earlier. She set them up all over the flat surfaces in the living room and lit them so the entire room was bathed in golden light. She pulled out her chosen outfit and changed as she considered her plan again.
Since they had gotten engaged, Jared had become her best friend and closest confidant. They shared everything with one another and there was nothing they couldn’t talk about. She knew that he was anxious to get married, and if it were up to him they would have just gotten it done while they were in Vegas. Despite her own disinterested parents, she still wanted a traditional wedding where they could make their vows in front of all their friends and family.
After a brief negotiation, they planned to get married in three months.
Jared’s own family had pretty much adopted her, and his mother and stepfather had thrown them a wonderful engagement party the weekend after Valentine’s Day. Evie, Hunter, Beckett, and Francesca had become like her own siblings, and she loved spending time with all of them.
When she had told her own parents about her engagement her father had said that he hoped she didn’t expect him to pay for the wedding, and her mother…well, her mother had been so shocked that it had been downright insulting. They had opted not to attend the engagement party since they already had plans. It hurt Kali that they hadn’t bothered to come, but she was used to their indifference. Of course her parents thought it was her fault for not checking their busy schedule before planning the party.
Everything seemed to be going well for her and Jared, but she couldn’t help but be concerned that he missed his old life as a professional fighter. Being in Vegas for the championship fights had made her worry even more. She had seen very little of him the last few days, but she had kept herself busy at the spa and by the pool. It was while she had been sunbathing that she had come up with this little surprise for him.
Checking her makeup and hair one last time, she made her way back to the living room to wait for him. She opened the bottle of champagne that she’d ordered earlier and poured herself a glass. She took a sip just as the sound of the front door opening reached her. Setting down her glass she fisted her hands on her hips and posed, waiting for him to see her.
“Kali? Are you okay? Leanne said you…” Hammer’s voice trailed off as he got his first look at her, and he felt his heart stutter in his chest.
Damn it, she was trying to fucking kill him.
After the last match had concluded, he had sought out his little fairy, wanting to finally spend some time with her now that his obligations had been fulfilled. He was instantly worried when Leanne told him that Kali
had gone back up to their suite. Rushing upstairs to check on her he lost his breath as he saw her standing in the middle of the living room.
Like out of some fantasy, Kali was dressed in a pair of black shorts so short that her ass cheeks were hanging out and a tight hot pink tank top with the words “Rough & Tough” across the front. The tank was so low it had her ample breasts practically spilling out over the top. She had wrapped her hands and wrists with hot pink hand wraps like he had taught her when she was hitting the bags at the gym. With legs braces apart and her hands fisted on her hips she looked sexy as hell staring him down.
“Christ, you look like a wet dream, baby. What is all this?”
He could see the nervousness in her eyes, but had to admire her bravado as she tilted her cute little chin up. “It occurred to me that being here tonight surrounded by all of this, you might miss being a fighter.” When one of his brows quirked up she continued. “I thought we could have our own match…right here, right now. A private, no rules match until we’re naked and sweaty. Winner gets to be on top.”
He slowly smiled. “With an offer like that, it seems like we both win regardless of the outcome.”
“Exactly,” she said with what she hoped was a seductive smile. It seemed to work, because his eyes flared with heat as he gripped the back of his shirt with his fist and pulled it off, tossing it to the side not caring where it landed.
Her breath quickened as she surveyed his naked torso. She loved the light dusting of hair on his broad chest, and her knees always went a little weak watching the corded muscles of his huge arms ripple as he flex. He toed off his shoes as he grinned, knowing exactly what the sight of his body did to her.
Wanting to turn the tables on him, she leaned down and stretched, giving him a perfect view of her cleavage. She looked at him through veiled lashes and felt a surge of satisfaction when he lost his smile and he gulped. Anticipation burned in his dark gaze, and she could all but feel his excitement. She was pleased he liked the little game she’d set up, and couldn’t wait to get started.
