Blinding Echo

by Tina Saxon

  “Oh, you win. All I brought in here was Reed and he was more interested in the bullet.”

  “What time is it?” I grab Kase’s hand and peek down at his watch. My racing heartbeat won’t let me sit still. I cross and uncross my leg, fairly certain if I had a skirt on it would’ve chaffed my inner thighs already from the movement. I glance around the small office, papers askew on the bulletin board and the need to fix them makes me hop up. By the time I’m done, they are straight and lined up. Kase keeps quiet knowing I need something to do while we wait.

  The zipping sound of a plane landing outside grabs my attention and I run to the window. “Is that them?” I ask.

  “There shouldn’t be any other plane landing here,” Kase jokes. I narrow my eyes at him and he laughs. “Yes, it’s them. Let’s go.”

  I push the door open and rush out, waiting for the plane’s engine to turn off. When the plane door lowers, Max is the first one out, followed by the others. I bounce on my tiptoes until I see him. He walks off with aviators on and a scruffy beard, glancing around. When he sees me, a smile spreads across his leathered face.

  I jog toward him, still not all the way healed, but Kase would be all up my ass if I full out run. “Dad,” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck. I keep it loose knowing he had it rougher than I did since he was shot a few times.

  “Hi, sweetheart.” His arms tighten around me. “It’s so good to see you.”

  Old Spice fills my nose, a smell I’ve always found relaxes me. It means he’s close. “I’m so glad you’re all right.”

  “Right back at cha’,” he says, pulling back, and his eyes move down to my stomach.

  “It’s healing great. Stop, worrying.”

  “Never.” His eyes shift behind me. “You must be Kase.”

  Kase steps forward and they shake hands. “Yes, sir. It’s great to meet you.”

  “Call me Dalton. Thanks for sending a private plane. It’s better than the commercial planes who cram you in like sardines.” His gruff voice makes my heart happy. He’s rough around the edges and soft as butter on the inside, but he’d never admit it.

  I sit in the back of the Jeep, letting Kase and my dad get acquainted. I knew they’d get along great. It’s been a month since Ray shot me and Kase’s focus has been razor sharp on one thing, helping me heal. He’s pretty much spoiled me to death. The only thing he hasn’t done was talk about getting married. Every time I bring it up, he changes the subject saying we have our whole future to plan it, let’s focus on healing.

  Well, I’m healed.

  I figured I’d wait until my dad left to have a serious talk about what we’re doing. I haven’t worn my ring since I left Texas and Kase hasn’t brought it up even though he’s made it clear that we’re together. Chalking it up to him needing time to deal with his feelings too, I haven’t pushed it.

  Everly and Reed are coming out next month. She wanted me to heal without distractions and let Kase and I work our stuff out. He told me about the kiss in Texas. It stung to hear, but in the end, I’m glad he did. It helped him realize he wanted me. I talk to Everly almost nightly, but I keep my frustrations about Kase limited to Tori. I know I won’t ever feel comfortable talking about Kase to Everly, but it’s a small sacrifice in the grand scheme of things.

  Kase carries my dad’s bag up the stairs as we take the elevator. “He’s a good man,” my dad says as we wait for the elevator.

  “He’s the best. But there’s a story, a huge story, behind our relationship.” I lean my head on his shoulder, my heart warms, so happy he’s here.

  “He told me.”

  I jerk my head up. “He did. And you still think…” I wince, afraid he’ll change his mind about him.

  “So, it was an unconventional way to meet,” he shrugs. “Look at how most the youngsters meet now, online. Talk about being impersonal.”

  We step into the elevator. “But—“

  “No, buts. He’s told me how much he loves you and I believe him. He told me about the Lighthouse and the work you’ve started there. Ell, I’m so proud of you. I really wish I could’ve been here to see you graduate.”

  “I know. But thanks to Kase, you can visit anytime you want,” I say as we walk down the hallway. Kase is already in the apartment by the time we get there and as soon as I walk in, I freeze. He’s down on his knee, holding my ring up. “Kase, what—”

  He holds his finger to his lips, stopping me. “I actually never thought I’d have to do this again, but this is the important one. I got approval from your dad this time.” I glance at my dad and he’s sitting on the chair, watching us, smiling. Kase pulls in a deep breath and I run my hand through his hair. “We’re secret-free this time…” He pauses with a lifted brow and I nod. He blows out a quick breath, making me laugh. “Ellie, you were always my destination, even though our starting point was flawed. Your heart is one of a kind and it’s mine. I love you with everything I am, and I promise to not make you swim in the ocean.”

  I cover my burst of laughter with my hand.

  “Ellie, will you marry me? For sure this time?”

  “Yes,” I murmur through my tears. He slips the ring on my finger and the wind tunnel I’ve been stuck in the last month slows down. Everything suspends in the surrounding air, the quiet moment bringing clarity. My life might be a puzzle, but with Kase by my side, I’ll always be able to piece it together.

  Ugh! I groan, staring at Kase walk around the apartment in his board shorts and then plop on the couch. No shirt. Abs on display like a jewelry store case, the one you’d like to have one of everything in. He cannot walk around here half naked. I stomp over and stand right in front of him. He’s reading a magazine, so I wait for him to glance up. He lifts his head and flashes a sexy half-smile.

  “Ellie?” He cocks his head to the side, probably wondering why I’m irritated.

  “So, I know you and your ego barely fit into this room and as much as you think it’s so, your dick is not going to kill me.”

  He belts out a laugh. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t. It’s been two months and I’ve been given the green light to do all activities.”

  “Your doctor doesn’t know how big I am,” he jokes. I smack my forehead knowing he’s being serious despite his playful tone.

  “I specifically asked her if I could ride a Cowboy.”

  His brows pop up. “And what was her response?”

  I climb on top of him, straddling his hips.

  “‘Giddy up, cowgirl.’”

  Epilogue

  Ellie

  A YEAR Later

  Serendipitous.

  That’s our family, our story unique and puzzling, and explaining it takes longer than I care to, so it’s rare I share the story in its entirety. I gaze at the family picture we just took on the camera’s screen and the only appropriate response is to laugh. It’s been a year and I’m still trying to grasp how we got here.

  Everly and I have grown close. She tells me about Kase when he was young, but we don’t talk about them as a couple. When we looked at each other as sisters rather than the women Kase loved, the bond forged quickly. Considering she lives close, we spend a lot of time together.

  And I wouldn’t wish it any other way.

  “Would you lay the camera down and come dance with me, woman?” Kase insists, grabbing the camera out of my hands himself.

  “I needed to make sure we got a good one.”

  His brow pops up. “You made us stand there for like ten minutes taking picture after picture. There has to be at least one.”

  I run my fingers against his rough jaw, humming at the feel of a couple day’s growth. He knows how much I love it. “There is. It’s perfect.”

  “It’ll be more perfect in a couple of months.” His smile touches his eyes, and he lays his large hand across my protruding belly.

  Ray took away my chances of having a baby ten years ago, but he also gave it back when he shot me. The doctor didn’t realiz
e when he cleaned up old scar tissue that had formed around my fallopian tube close to where the bullet hit me, that he opened it up enough for an egg to squeeze through. We didn’t learn this, of course, until I went to the doctor sick as a dog and told I was pregnant. After picking my jaw up off the floor and running to the trashcan to throw up, I cried for our little miracle.

  I cover his hand and a little kick bumps against us. She’s a fighter already and her daddy is ready to spoil her rotten. He’s already started. I glance around the tent, filled with pink and white, twinkling lights, and the high pile of presents. Our friends and family wear smiles, laughing and dancing. Today is our baby shower. Bentley Rose Nixon doesn’t know the craziness she’s about to be a part of. But it’s the only crazy she’ll know so it’ll be her normal.

  At the request of Everly and I, Stone found our birth mom. Her name was Rose, and she was seventeen when she had us. We don’t know her story, but we know her ending. She passed away fifteen years ago of a drug overdose. Who knows how she got pregnant, but if not for her, I wouldn’t be here today, so I wanted to find a place for her in our family. It was obvious when we found out we were having a girl that was where she belonged. I would honor her by giving my little girl her name.

  “Once Little B gets here, I’ll have to share you, so I need you to show me a lot of love right now so I don’t feel neglected,” he says, pulling me to the dance floor, swinging me out and back into his chest. The band sings “In My Daughter’s Eyes” by Martina McBride. Their song choices have brought me to tears about ten times. Make that eleven. I sniff and pat under my eyes before my tears escape. “Don’t cry, beautiful, I’m not that bad of a dancer.”

  I chuckle as we sway to the music, my belly snug against his. “Cowboy, you’re not bad. But you’ve come a long way from the sprinkler.”

  He throws his head back in laughter. “Holy shit, I can’t believe she told you about that.”

  “Yeah, I heard about your moves. You might have to show me some.”

  “Babe, you’ve seen all my moves.” He grinds his hips against me and I wrinkle my nose in amusement when his thigh barely touches the inside of mine. “It’s not funny. Little B is already cockblocking me.”

  “Dad, what’s that mean?”

  I peek around Kase, Reed stands there with a shit-eating grin on his face. I can’t get over how much he looks like Kase, especially when he smiles like that. Biting my lip, I look at Kase, waiting for his answer. Can’t wait to hear him get out of this. Instead of answering, he puts him in a headlock and tickles him.

  “What have I told you about eavesdropping?”

  Reed squeals as Kase tortures him.

  I love seeing them together. Reed decided that he wanted to call him dad. He still calls Wayne dad and sometimes it gets confusing when we’re all together, but the guys don’t care. Both are happy to be in his life. I think I was the most difficult for him. Did he refer to me as his aunt or his stepmom? He settled on ant-mom, coincidentally after a certain Marvel movie came out.

  Ten months ago, Kase bought an acre of oceanfront property and built our house on it. He surprised me last week, taking me to the house. Going there, I thought we were viewing a house to buy, I didn’t realize it was ours already. The property and the view are amazing and I can’t wait for Bentley to love the ocean as much as her daddy does.

  “I’m stealing your wife,” my dad says, wrapping one arm around my waist and the other holds my hand in the air. Kase stops tickling Reed long enough to wink and mouth “I love you” and then he pulls him off the floor.

  “How you feelin’?” We two step around the floor to a quicker song, one that doesn’t have tears running down my face.

  “Wonderful. Everyone I love is here, including you.”

  Kase and I got married the month after we found out I was pregnant. He was adamant there wasn’t any reason to wait. I didn’t need a big wedding. So, we had the perfect small beach wedding where Tori was my maid-of-honor and Cody was Kase’s best man. Max and the team were there alongside our new family. One of the best parts, my dad was there to give me away.

  Marrying me and having a son released the remainder of Kase’s trust. He wasn’t sure if having a son with a different last name counted, but it was a loophole his grandfather didn’t plan for. I’m a little bitter that his grandfather made it a requirement for him to have a son, not a daughter, before receiving the rest of his trust. The money wasn’t a big deal, I mean Kase already had enough money to last us two lifetimes, but it was the principle. Reed and Bentley, and probably their kids, will be set for life. But I hope they learn from their dad that money doesn’t replace hard work, loyalty, and being a good person.

  Everly gave Wayne another shot. While I had mixed feelings about it, he loves her, treats her like a queen and she loves him. Kase and Wayne’s relationship is strained. They’re working on it, but they’ll never be best friends again. Everly wanted to be closer to me and Reed closer to Kase, so she made Wayne move a town over from here. I was ecstatic about the move.

  I also met Everly’s mom who decided I needed a mother figure in my life and she graciously volunteered. Kase thought it was a little awkward at first until I reminded him we lived a town over from his first fiancée, who was my twin. He shut up after that. Things just can’t get any more peculiar.

  Later that evening, Everly and I sat on the sidelines, watching our worlds collide again. It only took twenty-nine years and one man to bring it all back. The cool spring breeze coming off the ocean fills the tent. It feels fan-freaking-tastic after dancing and being on my feet for hours. So does this white wooden chair. I plop my feet on another one and take a deep breath, reminding myself this isn’t a dream. It’s my life.

  “It’s so sweet to watch them,” Everly says, eyeing the dance floor. I open my eyes and follow where she’s looking. “Who knew that would happen?” I nod in agreement. The grumpy old bastard was never married for a reason. I think he’s softened in his old age. We both watch in awe as Everly’s mom and my dad dance across the floor, her tight in his arms, both gazing into each other’s eyes. They met at my wedding and unbeknownst to us, they continued their little fling back in Texas. They told us a month ago they were moving here, to be close to us. Together.

  It‘s as if we’re living the movie, Parent Trap.

  “You know, nothing is surprising anymore.” I grab her hand, so thankful she’s here and part of my life.

  I came to Gilley Cove hiding, and alone.

  Now it’s filled with family and friends.

  Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this life.

  All because I was a blinding echo.

  Acknowledgments

  I’ll preface this section that this has not been edited. This is me, raw and unedited. And unlike writing a book, I’m allowed to use exclamation points, so I will. I’m crazy excited, so it’s warranted.

  First and foremost, I want to thank all the readers! I’ve never met a more loyal group of people. I LOVE Y’ALL! It’s because of you that I keep writing. Thank you for hanging with me while it took forever to release this book. And don’t worry, I’m working on Twisted Wings. For readers who are new to me, thanks for taking a chance on Blinding Echo. I hope you enjoyed this book as much as I did writing it.

  To all the Bloggers who have read, reviewed, and help spread the news about Blinding Echo, THANK YOU! You are an author’s phone a friend and we couldn’t do this without you.

  Tiffany, Lori, Traci – you are the solid base to my unsteady author life. Your words and excitement have lifted me up and made me want to keep going. You guys are always there to listen when I need someone and I LOVE you three to death! THANK YOU for being my tribe!

  To my husband, who is always there to offer one liners (whether I ask for them or not), I love you! Thank you for letting me follow this crazy dream of mine and being there for me 100% of the time.

  My book team who helped package the book, y’all are kickass amazing! Hang, my cover
is life. I think I’ll keep you forever. You understand where my head is at with just a few words and I love that, because my imagination is larger than my words could ever convey. Ellie, thank you for making my words look like I know what I’m doing. You helped make my story be the best it could be. You and your team are top on my list!

  Xoxo,

  Tina

  Other Books By Tina Saxon

  TWIST OF FATE Trilogy

  Fate Hates

  Fate Heals

  Fate Loves

  COMING SOON

  Twisted Wings (early 2019)