Mine Would Be You: A Bad Boy Rancher Love Story (The Dawson Brothers Book 3)

by Ali Parker

  I sat up on the couch and looked around the apartment, thinking about something that had crossed my mind several times over the last few weeks. I looked over at Amanda and smiled, watching her furrow her brow in suspicion. I laughed loudly, realizing that she always knew when I had something up my sleeve.

  “Why do I feel like you’re planning something?” she said.

  “Because I am.” I smiled. “You know me so well.”

  She burst into outright laughter. “We pretty much spend every waking hour together. Not that I’m complaining.”

  “Exactly,” I said, pointing at her. “And that’s why I have an idea.”

  “Okay,” she said carefully. “What’s up?”

  “I don’t want you and Mikey to live here anymore,” I said.

  “Here as in Chicago or in this apartment?”

  “This apartment.” I laughed. “I want the two of you to move into the penthouse with me. There are two bedrooms not in use, so one can be Mikey’s and the other a guest room for Dalton whenever he’s feeling left out.”

  “Wow,” she said, sitting back. “Well, that isn’t just my choice to make.”

  “What isn’t your choice?” Mikey asked, coming out of the bathroom in his pajamas.

  “Something Elon asked,” she said. “Come here. You get input on this too.”

  “What?” He plopped down on the couch.

  “Elon just asked if we wanted to move into his penthouse with him.” She smiled. “Be a real family under one roof.”

  “Yes!” Mikey jumped up and down. “Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes.”

  “Well, I think we have his answer.” I laughed. “And how about you?”

  “Yeah, Mom, how about you?”

  “I do love the view from your apartment.” She smirked. “And your kitchen is much bigger than mine.”

  “I’m glad moving in with me makes you think of my kitchen and the view.” I laughed.

  “You’re a bonus,” she said. “So, I guess my answer is yes. We’ll definitely move in with you.”

  “Yes,” I said, pulling her and Mikey both in for a hug.

  Her moving in was more than just because I missed waking up with her in my arms. It was because of everything we had become to each other. She was right. We were a family, and we would finally be living under one roof together as such. Mikey could go to whatever school he wanted, we could make his room feel like home, and I would be able to live with the people I loved the most. It was definitely one of the best days I had ever had.

  Chapter 68

  Amanda

  When Elon had asked us to move into his apartment, I didn’t realize he meant literally the next day. When I woke up, though, he was there, boxes in hand, ready to help me pack up our things and get them moved over. Apparently, he had gone home that night and bought a bed, dresser, and everything Mikey would need to set up his room. Well, why the hell not? If we had decided to move in together, why not do it sooner than later? I walked out into the living room and laughed, seeing Mikey taping up one of his boxes. He was more than excited to be making this change, which made me feel better since he never was very good with change before. This would be good for all of us, even if it was a bit overwhelming first thing in the morning. I laughed as Mikey raced past me, walking up to Elon and kissing him on the cheek.

  “You want some coffee?” I asked.

  “Sure.” He followed me into the kitchen.

  “You know I’ll still be paying on this apartment for like six more months.” I shrugged. “My lease is only halfway over.”

  “I thought about that,” he said. “So, I contacted the rental company and paid out your lease.”

  “What?” I whipped around to face him. “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah, I figured why have that kind of stress? Start fresh, you know?”

  I walked over and kissed him, pulling back and looking into his eyes. I could tell he had been waiting for my reaction, and I had to admit, it took me a minute to realize I wasn’t upset with him at all about it. I smiled and walked back over to the coffee maker, flipping it on and pulling down two mugs.

  “So, you aren’t angry?” he asked.

  “No. I’m excited to get this next phase of our life going, and I’m grateful that you’re so thoughtful in your intentions.”

  “Good,” he said. “And I called a designer who will be at our penthouse on Sunday to go over with you some new décor ideas. I figured if you’re moving in, you’d want it to feel like home, and let’s face it, I kind of live in a bachelor pad.”

  “A really nice, clean bachelor pad,” I laughed. “Do I get to keep the housekeeper?”

  “You sure do.”

  “That is the real reason I’m moving in with you.” I laughed at his mock-offended expression, handing him a cup of coffee. “I don’t want to clean anymore.”

  “I see,” he said, pulling me close to him. “Well, at least that hooked you in.”

  I laughed and kissed him again, standing up and sipping my coffee. Life had really changed, and though I was kind of sad to leave the place Mikey had grown up in, I was ready to be a family with Elon. It had only been a few months, I knew that, but I also knew this man was my present and my future. I couldn’t even remember what it was like before he’d come into our lives, and I didn’t want to remember. I couldn’t be without him. Those were just the facts, and no amount of time or lack thereof would change that fact.

  “Oh, I also called Dalton and let him know,” Elon said across the room.

  “Uh-oh.” I grimaced. “How did he take it?”

  “He was excited, especially after I told him he could decorate the guest room and stay there anytime he wanted.” He laughed.

  “Of course,” I replied, rolling my eyes and walking out into the living room. “He’s a sucker for nice apartments.”

  He handed me an empty box. “Here. Start working on your room. Bring everything. We can go through it at my place. I just want to get the two of you moved in.”

  “Okay.” I smiled. “I hate packing, but I’ll do it for you.”

  “Thank you, madam,” he said, walking back over to the bookshelf.

  I took the box to my room and set my coffee cup down on the dresser. I went through my drawers, tossing everything inside the box. I slowly set my jewelry box on the top but stopped and opened it up. I pulled my mother’s necklace out of the top, holding it close to me. We had cremated her, and instead of burning the necklace with her, I kept it safely tucked away in my jewelry box. I sat down on the bed and looked around, remembering when I first moved in there. I had been so young, so scared of being a single mom, and my mother had been there with me every step of the way. It was the place she’d left her home for, and the place she was living when she got into her accident. It was bittersweet leaving the place, but I couldn’t imagine being without Elon.

  Everything had to change eventually. It just was a lot different than I originally thought it would be. I was okay with that, though. I had really learned to open up and lean on someone else. Luckily, he wasn’t just anyone else. He was the man of my dreams. I smiled and put the necklace back in the case and then closed up the box. I groaned, picking it up and carrying it out to be taped. I set it down on the dining room table and looked around but couldn’t find the tape anywhere. I also didn’t see Mikey or Elon in the room. From down the hall, I heard voices, though, so I quietly crept down and peeked around the corner.

  Elon was kneeling on the floor helping Mikey carefully wrap his diorama in bubble wrap. Mikey was telling him all about it and how he had made the whole thing on his own. I smiled and leaned against the doorway, watching them talk.

  “I made one of these when I was your age, but yours is way cooler,” Elon said. “Mine was in a shoebox.”

  “We made one of those too,” Mikey said. “But we made it in class.”

  “Okay,” Elon said. “Now, take this and wrap it gently around the bubble wrap. You want to keep it protected but not so tight
that it snaps the top of the buildings if pressure is put on it.”

  I watched Elon help Mikey wrap up his stuff, having so much patience and caring in his voice. Mikey reacted to it, and in a very positive way, listening carefully and doing exactly what he said. It was so amazing how good Elon was with him, and I sat there thinking about how this was the life I had been missing out on for so long. It was exactly the life I never thought I would have but, deep down, really wanted for both me and Mikey. I walked away from the room and back to mine, packing up the rest of my things. Elon had hired a moving company who came and packed up everything except my old, decrepit furniture, which we would be donating or tossing.

  When the moving van was packed up, Elon, Mikey and I went down to the diner and grabbed lunch. Elon’s complex was going to direct the movers to his place, so we had a little time to kill before we could actually start unpacking. I had never moved so fast in my life, and I was glad we were doing it that day. I was ready to start my life with my two favorite boys. During lunch, Mikey and Elon brainstormed awesome ways to decorate his room, and I just sat there enjoying listening to them. Mikey had all kinds of big ideas, and Elon never even blinked at them. I was pretty sure he would go out of his way to make them happen. I could tell he loved Mikey, something that I’d wanted for Mikey for so long.

  When lunch was over, we headed to the penthouse and started going through the boxes. Mikey was in love with his new furniture. Elon had gotten him a bunk bed, only instead of a lower bed, there was a desk built into it. He had even put up bookshelves for him, something Mikey had never had before. It was the perfect sanctuary for an eleven-year-old boy. We left Mikey to his thing and headed out into the living room. I went through every box, throwing away the stuff I no longer needed and putting away the rest of it. Elon had cleared out an entire dresser and half of the closet. I laughed about it, realizing I didn’t have enough clothes to fill the space. With my new raise, though, maybe that would change, that and the fact that I didn’t have to worry about rent or utilities anymore.

  “Hey,” I said, hollering to Elon. “I have this old newspaper from when my father was born. I was thinking of getting it framed and hanging it. It’s really cool.”

  I walked out of the bedroom and out into the living room. Elon was facing away from me, holding a picture and hanging it on the wall. He stood there in front of it for a moment and then turned to me, stepping to the side. I looked up to see a picture of my mother with Mikey hanging on the wall. It was my favorite picture, the same one that had sat on my desk at work. My hands dropped to my side, and I smiled, shaking my head.

  “I thought it would be nice to have a picture of your mom up,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  “God,” I sighed. “Not at all. She makes me feel at home wherever I am. Thank you for that.”

  He walked over to me with a wide smile on his handsome face. “Of course. I have this feeling your mom was just as amazing of a woman and mother that you are.”

  “She was even better.” I tried to hold my smile through the tears pulling at my eyes.

  He kissed me on the cheek and rubbed my shoulder, walking past me and opening the next box. I set the paper down on the table and turned around, watching him pull my things out and stack them on the counter. My heart fluttered in my chest and butterflies filled my stomach. I couldn’t believe Elon Truitt had become the man I couldn’t live without. He had been such a pain in the ass when I’d first met him, but at that moment, I couldn’t love anyone but my son any more than I loved Elon. He was the man of my dreams, someone I never thought I would find. We were now a family living under the same roof, and I would get to curl up in his bed that night and go to bed, never again worrying that Mikey would get hurt. I could tell Elon would go to the ends of the earth for both of us.

  My heart swelled as I stood back, watching our lives meld into one. I had never thought that happily ever afters were anything more than something found in a fairy tale. I was wrong, though. They were real, and I had finally found mine. I had the job of my dreams, the man of my dreams, and an amazing son. I no longer had to be a single mom because I had a partner in life who loved us both more than himself. Life had really turned around, and I couldn’t be happier than I was right then in that moment, or at least I thought so.

  Epilogue

  One Year Later

  Amanda

  It had been a year since Mikey and I had moved in with Elon, and I never felt more at home than I did by his side. Every day was something special, and every day seemed to get better and better. The company had taken off beyond all expectations, smashing every goal along the way. I had received another raise, but I didn’t really have anything bill-wise to take care of, so I started a savings account and a college account for my son, something I never imagined I would be able to do. I had learned to lean on Elon without fear, and it actually was freeing not to always feel like the entire world was weighing down on me.

  When school had started back up, Mikey had decided he wanted to go to a private school that specialized in sciences. We took him out of public school and enrolled him. Before I could make the tuition payment, though, Elon had paid the whole three years’ worth of tuition. All I could do was laugh and thank him, no longer caring where the money came from as long as Mikey was happy and made available all the things I’d always wanted for him. It was summer vacation again, and his first year at the private school had gone off without a hitch.

  That Saturday morning, I hadn’t set an alarm, figuring I could get an extra hour or so of sleep. When I woke up, I rolled over, reaching for Elon, but all I found was an empty bed. I turned over and propped myself up, listening to the whispers coming from the other room. Elon and Mikey were in the kitchen talking about something. I immediately got the feeling the two of them were up to something, and though I was curious, I also loved how well they got along. Mikey really looked to Elon like a father figure, and Elon treated him like his own son.

  “I think she’s up,” Elon whispered to Mikey.

  I pulled my brows together and headed into the bathroom. I changed my clothes and brushed my teeth, pulling my hair back into a ponytail. I could still hear them moving around the house, dishes clanging together as they planned whatever it was they were planning. They made me breakfast as a surprise a lot, so I figured it was probably just that. However, as I pulled open the bedroom door, I got the whiff of candles, and I could hear Mikey running down the hall toward my room.

  “Good morning, madam,” Mikey said with a dramatic bow.

  “What is going on?” I laughed.

  Mikey smiled, standing tall in front of me, wearing a tuxedo with a towel draped over his arm. I had never seen him in anything fancier than a pair of khakis and a Christmas sweater, so I was a bit taken back when my eyes dropped to his bow tie and pressed tuxedo pants. He turned and waited for me to follow. I looked down at the tails on his jacket and held back a giggle.

  “Wait,” I said, putting my hands on my hips. “What are you two up to?”

  “Please, madam,” he said, nodding at me. “If you would just follow me, all of your questions will be answered.”

  I stood there for a second, not sure if I should go along with it or not. For some reason, I felt like there was more to this than breakfast. I sighed and jogged to catch up with him, looking around as I walked out into the main area. No one was in there, though, and I wondered where Elon was. Mikey walked over to the front door and opened it, standing to the side and nodding his head.

  “We’re leaving the apartment?”

  “Yep.” He smiled, though still trying to stay in character.

  “All right,” I said. “Why not?”

  I followed Mikey out of the apartment and into the elevator. I stood quietly to the side watching him press the button and stand back. I tried to hold back my laughter, watching Mikey stand there so seriously, really taking on the role of whatever he was trying to be. I couldn’t help thinking about how adorable he was in his litt
le man tuxedo. I didn’t even know they made tuxes for twelve-year-old kids. When we reached the lobby, I followed Mikey to the left, going down a hallway to a door to the center courtyard. Mikey held open the door for me, and I walked out into the sunlight. I squinted, letting my eyes adjust for a moment before looking around me.

  I gasped, putting my hand over my mouth and gazing around the space. I had only been in the courtyard one other time, but it was beautiful with trees everywhere, flowers bordering the walkways, and a large fountain in the middle. In front of the fountain was a small round table set for three with candles burning in the center. Elon was standing next to the table dressed up in his nicest suit with my favorite blue tie. He smiled and nodded at the seat he had pulled out. I shook my head and laughed, not believing the two of them had gone to so much trouble for me.

  “Right this way.” Mikey took my hand and pulled me toward the table.

  I stopped in front of Elon and smiled, tilting my head in curiosity. He didn’t say a word, just pulled out my chair and nodded for me to sit down. I cleared my throat and turned to the table, seeing it filled with danishes, fruits, and yogurts. There was a coffee carafe as well and pretty much every kind of flavored creamer a person could ever want. It was beautiful but not the normal surprise pancake breakfast they would fix.

  I sat down in the chair as Elon pushed it in for me. He ran his hands across my shoulders and took the seat next me. He smiled calmly at me, but his hands were clutched together like he was nervous.

  “Amanda,” he said. “This breakfast is more than just a surprise for you. It is a culmination of the amount of time we have spent together. It’s a representation of the family that we have found with each other and with Mikey. I have been in love with you from the first moment you yelled at me.”