by Dawn Martens
A text comes through and I grab it quickly, stumbling slightly, and see it’s an ultra sound picture. ‘It’s a Boy’ printed on it. I’m having a boy. Holy shit.
I grab my keys and stumble out of the house, kicking over a few bottles of Jack I had laying around and get in my car. I shouldn’t be driving, not being this drunk, but I need to go see her. I need to make her listen to me.
I need to tell her I love her, that I want to marry her and spend our lives together.
As the light changes I start to go but get blinded by bright lights, coming directly at me from the driver’s side, and before I can figure out what’s going on, everything goes black as I try to swerve out of the way, but I’m not fast enough.
Kristi
As I’m about to fall asleep my bedroom door crashes open causing me to jump up. “What the hell? You scared the shit out of me.”
“Sweetheart, we have to get to the hospital, Bryce was in an accident,” Dad says, going through my drawers and tossing a few things on the bed. “Get dressed quick, and we’ll head out.
Oh God, Bryce. I was going to surprise him tomorrow, ready to talk, ready to try and work this out between us. Now I’ve lost my chance.
Scrambling out of bed, I stumble a bit as I pull on my pants, throw my hair up in a messy bun, and run down the stairs, out the front door, quickly get into the car.
As we’re driving on the highway, the sound of bikes fills the silence. Looks like we have a convoy. They speed past us, and Dad speeds up some more, keeping in pace with them.
We make it to the hospital in record time, all the bikes and my dad’s car parked illegally as we all rush inside.
We’re all ushered to the family waiting area and I feel as if time doesn’t move, as if it’s frozen. I pray to God Bryce is okay.
Two hours later my name is called. “Kristi.” I look up to see Vinny standing in front of me, with his hand held out. I grab it and he pulls me up from my seat. “He’s okay, a few cuts and scrapes, but otherwise he’s fine. Idiot was driving drunk, which is going to earn him a beat down when he gets out of here.”
I sag with relief. “Can I go see him?”
He smiles at me. “Yeah, when he heard you were here, he demanded you be brought in.”
He walks me down the hallway and into a private room. I see Bryce on the bed, look bruised up. Tears rush to my eyes as I stand there looking at him.
He looks up and gives me a sad smile and whispers desperately, “Please, Kristi, forgive me, I’m so fucking sorry.”
Rushing to him I take his hand in mine. “I’m so sorry for being such a bitch and taking so long to come to you.”
“Nothing to forgive. I’m sorry I caused all this shit in the first place.”
“I love you,” I tell him, as tears fall.
“I love you, too.” He wipes my tears away.
Chapter 26
One year later
Emma
Knocking on the door to give everyone a warning that I’m coming in, I smile. Today’s the day.
“How you feeling big sister?” I ask Kristi.
She smiles brightly at me, she looks stunning, sitting in front of the mirror, with her friends Alix and Hayley doing her hair and makeup.
“I’m feeling amazing. I can’t believe I’m getting married today.”
I smile back at her. Kristi forgave me, and everyone else, for what we did to her. Although she forgave them more than she did me. Our relationship hasn’t been the same, she’s still a little standoffish toward me, but at least she doesn’t hate me anymore.
As Alix finishes shaving a star into the side of Kristi’s head, I look around the room and see my seven-month-old-nephew, Vincent, crawling around, chasing after Ava’s daughter, who is running around giggling, knowing she can move faster.
I wasn’t in the room with Kristi when she gave birth, but I sure could hear her screaming. I think I even learned a few new words that day.
Six weeks after he was born, Bryce finally proposed, well, more like told to by Kristi. He tried asking when she was pregnant but she said no, saying she would never be walking down the aisle to him while pregnant and that he was to wait until they got the all clear from the doctor after giving birth to do it. So the second she came home from the doctor, and said she was cleared for sex, he proposed right then and there. Dad and I had to quickly leave the house because they were getting raunchy right in front of us, as if they forgot we were there.
“Alrighty now, we’re done. Let’s get this dress on and get your ass down that aisle,” Alix shouts as she looks over her masterpiece.
Everyone cheers quickly and moves around the room to get in place. Ava and Alana go to the kids and pick them up, taking them out of the room, smiling as they pass by me.
Once the dress is on, I can’t help but cry. Kristi might not look like a traditional bride, more like a rockstar wearing a short white dress, but she looks stunning as hell.
“Let’s do this,” she whispers, giving me a hug.
Epilogue
Kristi
Bryce and I started out as childhood friends. Years passed and we drifted apart. Of course, when we found each other again, we didn’t start out in the best of ways. All the lies and secrets. But looking back, if it wasn’t for my meddling sister and Alana, Bryce and I wouldn’t be where we are today. Fifteen years, four boys. I’m glad I fell for him. The man I wasn’t supposed to love, but I did. I always wanted to move back home to Airdrie after I finished school, but because Bryce’s business was in Calgary, we stayed there.
Bryce’s shop has blown up. I can’t believe he started out with a simple BMX store, and now it’s a full-blown custom bike and car shop. He wanted to keep the BMX storefront, but after a few years it dwindled down to almost nothing, so now the front part of the shop is mostly just office area, but he still keeps a webpage tab on his site for people that do want custom parts. Doesn’t have many sales with that part of it, but he has a nine-month-long waiting list for the rest of his business.
I might have dropped out of college once I was pregnant, but I didn’t stop working. I freelance. I work with my husband to keep his website going, as well as keeping the Haylix Salon website up-to-date. I even help Alana keep her website updated. She launched her own lingerie store, and she’s been doing stellar. When Bryce and I got back together, I refused to spend time with Alana when Bryce was around, and vice versa. The first time we tried a group outing, I had gotten pissy when I saw the two of them talking. Everyone understood my problem, so they were okay with it for a while. Of course, after a month of that everyone started telling me I needed to stop it since I’m the one in Bryce’s heart. Even then it still took me a bit of time, but I got over it. Giving birth to Vincent, who is named after his Uncle Vinny, let me expel a shit load of rage at everyone once again, and once he was placed in my arms, I was well and truly over all the past hurts. Alana and Matt got married about a year after Bryce and I did, and a year after that Matt retired from his BMX career, and now works at Bryce’s shop. They are expecting a set of twins, which has caused Alana to turn into the crazy girl from the Exorcist, so Matt has decided to work a lot of overtime at the shop, so he can avoid the crazy episodes from his wife. I find they amuse me, so I visit with Alana often.
Then you have Ava and Cameron, who are doing fantastic. They ended up with only three kids, because Ava couldn’t handle the pregnancy part of having kids. She loved her girl and two boys more than anything, but the pregnancy part? Not so much. Never heard a woman complain so much in my damn life. And every other minute she was cussing at Cameron for making her pregnant.
Emma and Seth got married when they finished college. I was a little surprised by it, because I didn’t think they would last, since Emma is always scheming and trying to play matchmaker with everyone around her. Seth just laughs at her when she tries something. They have one child together, she wanted more, but it’s never happened, so of course my niece, Jenny, is spoiled rotten. They also decided af
ter they were married, they wanted to move back home. They actually live next door to my dad, and Seth works at the Angels’ shop, while Emma works as a cook at Eden’s Diner.
And then finally, the lawsuit Bryce brought upon his mother, since she didn’t have the money, she had some prison time. It wasn’t much, considering our justice system is a joke, but at least she had some to pay for what she did. She got out of prison after a year, and at first, Bryce thought she might seek him out, but neither he nor Vinny have heard anything from her. And they hope it remains that way until the day she dies.
I never again heard from or saw my own mother, and I’m glad for it. Emma, however, did and the confrontation went about the same as when I first saw her. No one knows where she is, or what’s she’s doing, and I’m so thankful for that. I didn’t need her anyway, I never did, or ever will.
I look over to my four boys playing hockey with their dad and grandpa, on our homemade ice rink, I smile.
I have the best life any girl could ask for.
The End
Some characters in this book already have their own stories!
Never Letting You Go, book 1 in the Being Yours Novella series
Ava and Cameron
When Avalynn fell in love with Cameron, she was sure he was the perfect man. Once she said I do, she realized it was all a lie.
Marrying Avalynn secured Cameron's future as the CEO of James Enterprise and cemented the lies he told.
After thinking they were finally going somewhere, Ava see's Cameron on the news, with his very pregnant ex-girlfriend. With the marriage contract up, Ava files for divorce.
There's just one problem--Cameron never wants to let her go, vowing to show her she's more than just a security deposit.
It’s Just Love Not a Time Bomb
Alix and Hayley(Alix is the main character, Hayley is her best friend of course)
When Jordan moves in with his friend’s cousin, he thinks things will be easy. Yeah, screw that. The woman is a pain in his ass from the start, giving him whiplash with her hot and cold act. Still, Jordan can’t help wanting Alix—even if he does spend half the time trying to decide if he wants to kiss her senseless or choke her.
For Alix, men are worthless jerks. She’s made a vow to steer clear of relationships, but the moment Jordan pushes his way into her life, her vow is shot all to hell. Every attempt at avoiding the cocky bastard ends in tangled sheets and Alix wanting to kill the man. But she wants him, more than she cares to admit.
Will this jaded couple give into their feelings? After all, it's Just Love, Not a Time bomb.
UnTouch Me – Angels Warriors MC Trilogy, book 2 (these books are NOT standalones)
Vinny and Lilly
The truth always comes out, no matter how deep you try to bury it. Secrets never make their way to the grave.
Lilly Mayer has always lived a simple life. She’s loyal—maybe too loyal since faithfulness cost her the love of her life. Keeping Eden’s whereabouts a secret from everyone, including Vinny, has ripped away Lilly’s future.
Vincent “Zippo” Torino knows he’s a Goddamn bastard. And he’s willing to use Lilly’s loyalty to Eden as his own escape from a hell he created. He doesn’t give a damn that he’s leaving the woman pregnant with his child behind—not when he has to protect his own destructive secret. And not when he’s sure she’s going to beat him to the punch and leave first.
As the dangers to the club escalate, nobody’s hearts—or lives—are safe.
COMING SOON FROM AUTHORS DAWN MARTENS AND GLENNA MAYNARD.
You Wreck Me - Book one in A BRAND-NEW BIKER SERIES! “A BIKER BOOK THAT MAKES SONS OF ANARACHY LOOK LIKE BARNEY”
If you’re a fan of bikers, and all that comes with it (cheating, murder, violence, threesomes, and much much more) then trust me, you won’t want to miss out on this new series!
About the Author
Dawn Martens is a young, spunky Canadian Author. Being a wife to Colin, and a mother to three beautiful little girls (Sarah (2007), Grace (2010), and Ava (2014), hasn’t stopped this Canadian Firecracker from pursuing her dreams of becoming a writer! Dawn’s number one passion in life is the written word, and she’s extremely thankful that she has the ability to share the ramblings from the characters inside of her head with the rest of the world! She also may or may not have the hugest girl crush on Author Kristen Ashley, who is her personal idol and helped inspire Dawn in the beginning of her Indie career.
Connect with Dawn on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDawnMartens/
Twitter: @Dawn_Martens
Email: [email protected]
More from this author
Stand-Alones
It’s Just Love Not a Time Bomb
Twisted Up In You
Resisting Love Series
Derek (Book Four)
Being Yours Novella Series
Never Letting You Go
Wasn’t Supposed To Love You
Angel Warriors MC Trilogy
UnKiss Me
UnTouch Me
UnBreak This Heart
UnLove Me (The Angel Warriors MC Complete Trilogy Box Set)
New Love (Angel Warriors MC Novelette)
Co-written with Glenna Maynard
The Boom
The Prospect Series
Wreck Me – coming soon
Co-written with Emily Minton
Renegade Sons MC Series
Renegade Lady
Renegade Reject
Renegade Wedding
Co-written with Emily Minton
Love Song Series
Whiskey Lullaby
Broken
I Hope You Dance
Love Song Series Box Set
Co-written with Chantal Fernando
Resisting Love Series
Chase (Book One)
Kade (Book Two)
