Starting Over (Paradise Place Book 3)

by Natalie Ann

  He wanted to growl at her but knew they wouldn’t get anywhere. “Blair.”

  “Don’t say anything. I’ve thought it through. I’ve talked to my grandmother and my fathers. Everyone tells me I’m wrong. I didn’t need them to tell me what I already knew. I shouldn’t expect you or anyone to jump when I say those things. And when you don’t I shouldn’t get mad either.”

  “I get it. I told you before that I’ve had dreams too. We all do. It’s normal. And though I don’t believe that my dreams come true, I can appreciate and value your sensitive and intuitive nature. I really can. I shouldn’t have jumped down your throat either. That I will apologize for. Your dreams are a part of you. The part that cares about people and I’ve come to accept that too. I’m guessing others haven’t in the past when you told them?” he asked. “I don’t want to be like those other people.”

  “No. That’s the funny part. Most times people say it makes them uncomfortable or they laugh it off. They make me feel silly, but I never get mad or upset like I did with you.”

  “Why did you with me?” he asked.

  “Because I love you! More than I’ve ever loved another person that wasn’t family before. I love Livi too and it scared me so much. I have these dreams and half the time I brush them off myself. But when I dream of you and Livi it hurts. It’s like it’s so true and I want you to know so maybe it won’t come true,” she said.

  “So it’s a control thing?” he asked. “That if you tell me you dream of me cheating on you you think it won’t come true? That if I was going to do it I wouldn’t now because you might know? I hate to break it to you, but if I was the type of person to cheat, getting caught wouldn’t really stop it from happening.”

  “I know that. I know that when I feel the way I do about dreams it’s more that I know they might happen but it doesn’t mean I ever could control it or stop it. It’s more like my subconscious preparing me for things in my life. My grandmother pointed out that when I was a kid I used to say that if someone had warned my mother what was going to happen she might still be alive.”

  So this did go back to when she was a kid. Damn, he was proud of himself for figuring that out.

  “You don’t know that,” he said. “And all you do is beat yourself up over those things.”

  “I do know that. I don’t need someone to tell me either. So I guess I’m here to say I’m sorry. That I acted like a child. I told you something and you didn’t listen to me and then I got mad. My father and Pops always told me the best relationships have clear lines of communication and I clearly muddied them up.”

  “You did. But I also understand you did what you did because of your love for Livi. You think of her as yours, don’t you?”

  Didn’t he want that out of a woman someday? That if he ever remarried again the woman would take Livi as her own daughter. He had that with Blair, he knew he did.

  “I do. I love her so much. I keep saying that I want a traditional family because I never had one, but then I asked myself why? The one I have is pretty great and what does it matter if it’s traditional or not if everyone loves each other?”

  “That’s right. It doesn’t mean a thing if the love isn’t there. And I love you, Blair.”

  She ran over and jumped in his arms, wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him on the lips. “I love you too. I’ve missed you so much.”

  “It’s only been a few days.”

  “A few is more than I ever want it to be again. I promise to never be that foolish. I promise if I tell you my dreams you can laugh at me if you want and I won’t care. And if it comes true, I won’t say I told you so.”

  “And I promise to listen to you and keep my skepticism to myself. Unless of course you see the winning lottery numbers. Then I’m all over it.”

  “Who needs lottery numbers? I already hit it big with you!”

  Epilogue

  The following summer, Philip was grilling chicken while Blair and Livi were cleaning the vegetables they’d just picked out of her garden. This living between two houses had its benefits and drawbacks, but after tonight he was hoping they’d just have one home soon.

  “I’ve got the vegetables ready to roast,” Blair said, carrying out a tray.

  “Can we do it now, Daddy? I don’t want to wait any longer.”

  “What’s going on?” Blair asked, looking back and forth between him and Livi.

  “Sure, Livi. I don’t think I can wait any longer either.”

  Livi ran into the house and then came back out a minute later with a little plant in her hand.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s a baby rose bush,” he said.

  “I know that,” she said, reaching for it.

  “I thought maybe we could plant it together in your yard. The start of a plant together. When you first came to my house you brought me a plant.” He used that aloe plant all the time with the way Livi ran and tripped in the yard.

  “I think that’s a lovely idea.”

  “Dig in the rose bush’s dirt, Blair,” Livi said.

  Blair frowned. “What?”

  “There’s something in the soil for you.”

  “Oh.” Blair used her finger to push the soil around, then pulled out a small foil-wrapped package.

  “I was hoping you’d find it when we went to plant it later, but Livi kind of gave it away. That’s fine. This is better.” He took it out of her hand and removed the foil to show her the diamond ring in his hand.

  “Oh dear,” Blair said, her hand going to her mouth.

  “Daddy wants you to marry him,” Livi said before he could get the words out. “He asked me and I said yes. And that I want to live in your house, not here. I like your house better because there is more to do.”

  He rolled his eyes at the words his daughter just rambled out, ruining everything he’d had planned. “Well, she is good at spoiling everything, but she said it well. What do you think? Will you marry me?”

  “Yes!” Blair said, hugging him tight.

  “Now I know I hit the lottery!”

  The End!

  Read Eternal next. Blair’s cousin Brina and Josh Turner’s coworker Nathan!

  Eternal- Prologue

  Brina Shepard looked in the side view mirror, saw it was clear, put her blinker on and passed the car. She glanced down at the number on her dash. She was going twelve miles over the speed limit. On this stretch of Central Avenue people went even faster so she’d be fine.

  And if she wasn’t fine, too damn bad. She needed to be in court in twenty minutes. It was going to take her fifteen minutes to get there. That didn’t count traffic or finding a parking spot.

  Damn her for being caught up meeting her client. She should have put it off until after court, knowing she’d be sucked in like she always was. She had a bleeding heart at times and couldn’t walk away.

  She was just getting ready to turn off onto Wolf Road to get to the Town of Colonie courthouse when she noticed the red lights flashing behind her. No!

  Maybe they weren’t for her. She hoped. She prayed.

  It didn’t help when the state trooper car got on her rear bumper and turned the siren on.

  She put her blinker on again and turned on Wolf, and then pulled into the first parking lot, the trooper right behind her.

  Her head dropped back against the seat. Since she was in a hurry she opened the glove box up and was pulling out her registration, while she hit the button to roll down the window.

  She waited for the trooper to come to the window, knowing she was definitely going to be late now. The judge hated when people were late in his courtroom and she knew that.

  “Do you know why I pulled you over?” the trooper asked. She hadn’t even heard him walk up to the car and almost jumped out of her seat.

  “Sorry,” she said. “I’m in a hurry to get to court. The judge doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

  “You’re a lawyer?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

  She put a smile
on her face. “I am,” she said back. She had her registration in her hand along with her license now but was hoping she wouldn’t need it.

  “Then you won’t have any problem getting out of a ticket,” he said, his hand held out.

  Her smile dropped when she placed the documents in his palm.

  Shit, shit, shit. When would she learn? Instead of being most likely to succeed in her senior year of high school she should have been voted most likely to be late to her own funeral.

  The trooper came back faster than she expected. She looked up and couldn’t really see much of his face with his sunglasses on. He was tall, at least she thought he was since she was in an SUV and he was bent over to talk to her.

  He smelled good. What the heck? How could she tell that when she was in a parking lot on a summer day?

  “Here you go,” he said, handing her back her registration and license and another piece of paper.

  “My ticket?” she asked.

  He tilted his head and, damn, if he wasn’t extremely hot too. She should be completely annoyed right now, not noticing how good-looking he was. If it weren’t against every principle she had, she’d flirt with him.

  Nah, she’d said she was going to the courthouse and he didn’t care. Not that she said it to get out of the ticket because she didn’t really want to do that either.

  “You broke the law,” he said. “Lawyers know all about that.”

  “Yes, I do,” she said, tossing it all on the passenger seat. “Have a great day.” She wanted to add, “jerk” to it but wouldn’t. Like he’d said, she’d broken the law. She may be a lawyer but she was an honest one.

  “You too,” he said, smiling...no, it was a smirk.

  She rolled her window up, put the car in drive, and pulled back into traffic.

  She was running into the courthouse eight minutes later and through the doors. At this point she was just shy of being ten minutes late. She supposed it could be worse.

  “Counsel Shepard,” the judge said. “You’re late.”

  “I am. I’m sorry. I was rushing to get here and, well, I was pulled over by a trooper. I was trying, I really was, to get here on time, but traffic is crazy today.”

  The judge smirked at her like the trooper did. “Did you get a ticket?”

  “Yes, sir, he gave me one.”

  “Did you tell him you were an attorney?”

  “I mentioned I was on the way to the courthouse and the judge didn’t like me to be late.”

  “And you still got a ticket?” the judge asked, laughing this time.

  “I did.”

  “Can I see your ticket or is it in your car?”

  She pulled it out of her briefcase where she stuffed it when she grabbed everything moments ago. “Sure,” she said, wondering what was going on. Was he going to take care of it for her? Not that she’d ask that.

  “What’s the name of the officer?” he asked when she moved closer to the bench. She felt like she was the main act at the circus right now with all eyes on her.

  “Trooper N. Randal.”

  The judge took his pen out and wrote something down. “Good to know for future reference if he’s ever in my courtroom.”

  “Why is that, Judge?”

  “Because he isn’t swayed or doesn’t back down. I like men like that. It reminds me of a younger me. Now, can we please get on with your case and client?”

  “Yes, sir,” she said, walking back to the desk where her client was waiting. She hoped she didn’t chip her tooth with as hard as she was grinding her teeth. The only way this day could get worse would be if she lost her case.

  Eternal- Cynical Cousin

  “So you had a bad day?” her cousin Blair asked her.

  “It wasn’t just a bad day,” Brina argued. “Aside from being late, getting a ticket that is probably going to raise my insurance rates and the judge making a spectacle of me in the courtroom, I lost my case. I thought it was a slam dunk.”

  “You should know better than to assume anything,” Blair said, picking up her wine glass. The two of them were sitting on Blair’s deck relaxing. There was something about Blair’s house in Paradise Place that drew Brina in.

  Maybe it was the flowers and herb gardens surrounding the property. Her cousin Blair owned The Healing Touch and made lotions and candles using herbs and flowers in gardens. Her workshop was right in the backyard and it always seemed wonderful and calming here.

  “I know. My client lied to me. I hate when they do. I always ask them to be honest with me. I don’t care what they tell me, but I can’t help them fully if I don’t know the truth.”

  “And lying has always been the one thing that you can’t stand.”

  “One of many,” she said, sipping her wine. “Where is your fiancé tonight?”

  “He went to dinner with Livi. They were just going to have a father daughter night.”

  Blair had recently gotten engaged to single father Philip Aire and his sweetheart of a daughter, Livi. They lived in the house behind Blair’s. Pretty soon they’d be moving into Blair’s house.

  “That’s nice.”

  “It’s very sweet,” Blair said. “Admit it.”

  But Blair was a romantic, Brina anything but. “I guess. I know I’d like having my time away, but you probably wish you were with them.”

  “When I can spend time with you?” Blair asked. “Please! Who needs a sexy man when I’ve got a cynical cousin?”

  “Very funny. I’m not cynical.” At least she didn’t think she was. Just because she didn’t believe in happy ever after or love at first sight. Maybe not even love at all at this point in her life.

  Years ago she had, but those days were long gone.

  Her career was first. She’d always said that and she was sticking to it. If a guy couldn’t accept the time and dedication she put into it, then too darn bad.

  “I’m not sure what you are,” Blair said. “You’ve got this unrelenting belief in right and wrong which most lawyers don’t have. Or most live in the gray area, where you are pretty much black and white.”

  “What’s wrong with being black and white?” she asked.

  “Nothing at all. Only you know that is part of the reason you struggle so much. You can’t be Rudolph and not join in the reindeer games.”

  Brina laughed. “They don’t exclude me like Rudolph. Or they didn’t in the beginning. Most know me by now.”

  Colleagues knew she didn’t play the whole “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” game. She didn’t ask for favors and she didn’t make too many deals unless it was in her client’s best interest.

  “You’ve always had your own code, Brina. It’s what makes you such a great person.”

  “Not everyone thinks that way,” she said.

  “Not everybody is an asshole either,” Blair said back.

  “You swore. You never swear. That would be me.”

  “I love it when you swear. In this case I felt the need to. I still think Ben is the one that turned you into a sourpuss.”

  She narrowed her eyes at her cousin, picked up her wine, and downed it. “Don’t ruin my night even more by bringing his name up.”

  “Sorry,” Blair said. “I told you all along he wasn’t for you.”

  “Don’t start on your dreams again.”

  She stood up and walked into the house to the sound of Blair’s laughter. Blair always had weird dreams that came true. Or usually did. The family was used to it by now, but Brina hated it when Blair would tell her about those dreams.

  More so when they ended up true. Like when her ex-boyfriend turned out to be the douche that everyone in the family told her he was. That he lied, he cheated, he manipulated, he threw it in Brina’s face that she wouldn’t ever be good enough for him and no man would want to be saddled with her. That was when she realized she was better off alone. No reason to burden any man, like Ben had said.

  She’d been so hurt hearing those words and wondered if it was true now considering her
pathetic dating life.

  In the kitchen, she opened the fridge and grabbed some sliced cheese and fruit that Blair had put together and told her to get when she was ready. She was ready for the conversation they were having to be over more than needing food, but it was as good of an excuse as any to walk away.

  When she came back, Blair had filled both of their wine glasses back up. “No more for me,” Brina said.

  Blair picked up Brina’s glass and put half in her own. “You’ll be here long enough for it to wear off before you drive. Or are you afraid of another ticket?”

  “Don’t be cute.”

  “I can’t help it,” Blair said. “I am cute. So tell me about this trooper that pulled you over.”

  “What? What about him?”

  “Was he cute?”

  “Not really. I guess rugged would be a better word to describe him.”

  “Why? Was he big?” Blair asked.

  “I was sitting in my car. How would I know?”

  “You’d know. Was he?”

  “He seemed tall. His hands were big. I couldn’t help but notice when I put my license and registration in his palm. Or when he gave them back to me with the ticket.”

  “And didn’t I tell you I had a dream that you’d run into a guy with big hands and feet?”

  She shook her head. “Blair...”

  “Did I, or didn’t I?”

  “Do you know how many people I cross in a day that could fit that description?”

  “You didn’t want to hear about my dream before, do you now?”

  She didn’t think she had a way out of it so she picked up the wine glass and drank some more. “If I say no you’re going to keep bringing it up.”

  “I will. He was tall. He had sunglasses on and smelled musky. Not musky like a smelly man, but musky like a man.”

  Yep, and this was why she didn’t want to hear about Blair’s dreams. The trooper did have on sunglasses and he smelled really good. Those were just details that bothered Brina when she heard them.