by Candis Terry
Nicole gasped. Shrieked. And ran from the room.
Lili slid to the floor covering her face.
And Dec didn’t know which way to run first.
Chapter 20
“What a clusterfuck.” Parker peeled the label from his Rock Bottom Red Ale.
Ryan grabbed the bottle of Jameson and poured several shots into his glass.
“Pour one for me too,” Dec told him.
“Me three,” Ethan said.
Jordan held up his bottle of Naked Blonde Ale. “You know we’re not going to find any solutions by sitting here getting shitfaced.”
“I’m not getting shitfaced,” Parker insisted. “I have to drive home and then sleep on a houseboat all night. Drunk doesn’t go well with a floating house.”
“Then move to dry land for God’s sake and quit your whining.” Ethan punched Parker in the arm.
“I’m not whining.”
“Dude, you totally are.”
Dec groaned. “You guys are a bunch of idiots. But I love you.”
“Don’t you start getting all sappy and shit,” Jordan said. “That’s Parker’s job.”
They all laughed even though there wasn’t a damn thing in the world funny right now. They’d left Brooke and Lucy up at the main house with Nicole to help calm her down because she’d refused to see her brothers right now. The diss hurt because Dec only wanted to help. But Nicole, being Nicole, made it perfectly clear that the male species in her life were not needed or wanted right now. Neither was Aunt Pippy, nor their newfound sister who, as soon as the arguing began, had quietly disappeared out the front door.
Brooke had calmly taken Dec aside and given him her promise that between her and Lucy they’d talk Nicki down off the wall. And then they’d find Lili and help her out too.
His heart squeezed.
God, he loved that woman.
There were so many facets to her personality. She could belt out a karaoke tune so horribly it was unrecognizable. Dance in the rain to the song in her head. And completely melt his heart. She could be mad and spitting fire one minute then love him until his eyes crossed with pleasure the next. She was not the woman he’d once thought she was.
She was more.
She was a woman who’d survived a dreadful life and come out the other side with an enthusiastic outlook on the future. And she inspired him to do the same.
And yet he hadn’t told her he loved her.
That needed to happen ASAFP.
“I’m asking Brooke to marry me,” he announced to his half-drunk brothers who were crowded together in his grandfather’s living room.
“When the fuck did all this happen?” Parker wanted to know. “I was going to ask her out.”
“Do and I’ll have to break your pasta making fingers,” Dec said.
“Proud of you, bro.” Jordan clamped his hand over Dec’s shoulder. “You finally got it figured out.”
“Yeah. With my help.” Ethan grinned as he raised his glass. “Here’s to smart little brothers pushing stupid big brothers in the right direction.”
“I’m not drinking to that.” Dec tossed a magazine at him. “You are not smarter than me.”
“Says you.”
Ryan—Mr. Serious—piped in. “You sure about this, Dec? You’ve only been together for a short time.”
“We’ve been together for four years. We’ve only been sleeping together for a short time.” Dec drained his glass. “I know her better than anyone I’ve ever known, excluding present company. And she knows me.”
“Yeah.” Parker scoffed. “So she’ll probably say no.”
“Have you even told her you love her yet?” Ryan asked.
“Nope. Just figured it out.”
“Thought you were planning to open an office in Chicago,” Ryan said.
“Change of plans.” Dec held out his glass to Ryan for a refill. “Brooke wants to buy a piece of property over on Parkway just off Main Street to build a family fun center.”
“Sounds like a great idea.” Ryan nodded. “This area could use something to help the kids burn off energy. And that comes from the dad of a lively nine-year-old.”
“So how are you going to manage a long-distance marriage?” Parker asked. “I mean, with you in Southern California and her in Sunshine, she might need a little company now and again, right?”
Dec knew his brother was teasing him, but his threat remained the same. “I guess you really don’t need those fingers to use for cooking on that food truck of yours.”
“My fingers are staying right where they belong.”
“On a hot blonde?” Ethan asked, laughing. “Redhead? Or brunette?”
“All of the above,” Parker answered. “And all at the same time if I’m lucky.”
“Oh God.” Jordan laughed. “The shit is getting deep now.”
“I’ll be moving here too, jackass,” Dec said. “Don’t see why I can’t open that second office in Portland or Vancouver.”
“Damn, bro.” Ethan slapped him on the back. “You are serious.”
“Always.” Dec looked at his chirping phone. “Now get the hell out of my house because my woman’s coming home. And I’d much rather look at her pretty face than your ugly mugs. We can figure out what to do about our new sister another day.”
“Where exactly are we going?” A day later, Brooke studied the concentration on Dec’s face as he sat behind the wheel of Jordan’s borrowed SUV. The road had turned from paved to gravel to dirt as they climbed higher and higher up the mountain.
“It’s a surprise.”
“What if I said I don’t like surprises?”
He chuckled then reached across the armrest and held her hand. “You love surprises.”
“How do you know that? Maybe I’m like you and appreciate a well-planned-out day.”
“I’m turning over a new leaf, remember? I’m the new fun guy.”
“Oh. Right.”
Moochie crawled up from the backseat and into Brooke’s lap.
“I’ll bet that’s hard to keep in mind with everything that’s been going on lately,” Brooke said, knowing that with all he’d been through, it must be like trying to keep a canoe from tipping over.
“It’s been challenging.” He squeezed her fingers. “With Nicki going back into her sullen mood and Lili going back to the East Coast, everything seems to be splitting in different directions.”
“How are you holding up?”
“I’ve got you.” He kissed the backs of her fingers. “And you’ve got me. We’re together and that’s all that matters right now.”
“Awww. I like this new sweet side of you.”
“Great. Because we’re here.”
“And here is exactly where?” Brooke looked up just as the sun dropped below the mountain ridge and lit up the blue sky in shades of pink and gold. Tall stands of pine trees stood among aspens, ferns, and wildflowers in every color. “Wherever we are, it’s beautiful. I feel like we’re on top of the world.”
“Almost.” He opened the car door. “Come on.”
Moochie leaped off Brooke’s lap and into the tall grass to sniff around. Brooke stepped out of the SUV and inhaled a breath of crisp, cool air. “Like I said before, exactly where are we? And now I’ll add, and what are we doing here?”
He opened the back of the SUV and pulled out several plastic crates filled with camping supplies and food. Then he brought out two sleeping bags and pillows. He placed everything in the center of the clearing then came back to where she stood, still beside the SUV. He took her hands in his and her heart filled with love. The way he looked at her now was completely unguarded. And though he hadn’t said the words, the way he looked at her was filled with love.
“On the drive up the coast you told me the top things on your bucket list,” he said. “You said you wanted to see the aurora borealis, sleep under the stars on the top of a mountain, kiss the Blarney Stone, and own your own business. I can’t provide the aurora borealis right now, but I can
provide this amazing sunset. I can’t help you kiss the Blarney Stone, but you can kiss me.”
“Even better.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and showed him how much better.
“And you’re on your way to owning your own business,” he said with another quick kiss on her lips. “So now, I’m offering you the chance to sleep under the stars on the top of a mountain.”
“Oh Dec. I can’t believe you remembered all that.” She hugged him tight. “That’s so thoughtful. I love you for thinking of this.”
“Do you love me, Brooke? The mess that I am? The workaholic I can be?”
“Yes. I love you, Dec. The new fun guy who wants to dance with me in the rain, who doesn’t laugh at my horrible karaoke, and who loves his family so much that he wants to make everything better for all of them. I love you, Dec, whoever you happen to be at any given moment.”
He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her so sweetly her heart nearly pounded from her chest. That he did not return the words stung only slightly, because she knew that someday when he was ready to completely let go, he would.
She hoped.
When the kiss ended they stayed in each other’s arms, rocking to a song they could only hear in their hearts.
“I realized something,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“That I’ve missed my family. And I’ve realized that more than they need me, I need them. So I’m scrapping the Chicago office idea and I’m planning to build one either in Portland or the Vancouver area.”
“Really?” Brooke leaned her head back and looked up at him. “When did you decide this?”
“The moment I realized I couldn’t be without you for one minute.” He tucked his fingers beneath her chin. “The moment I realized that for four years I’ve been crazy in love with you but I’ve been too afraid to break the bonds between work and home to admit it.”
“You . . . love me?” How could her heart keep beating when she felt like time had just stopped?
“I love you, Brooke. I’m in love with you. More than I can ever even try to define.”
“Oh my God.” She reached for him but he held her hands tight.
“Hang on, karaoke queen. I’m not done.” He kissed her fingers. “You also said that the number one thing on your bucket list was marrying the love of your life.”
“You’re right. I did.”
“You want to know the number one thing on my bucket list?”
“Absolutely.”
“Marrying the love of my life. If she’ll have me.”
Brooke’s heart turned somersaults as he dropped to his knee, reached in the pocket of his hoodie, and pulled out a sparkling diamond ring.
“I love you, Brooke Hastings.” He kissed the backs of her fingers. “Build a life with me. Have children with me. Let me be the hand you want to hold in good times and bad and I promise I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you smile every day. Please say you’ll marry me.”
It was hard to speak through all the tears pouring from her eyes, but somehow Brooke managed. “I will, Declan Kincade. And do you know why?”
He nodded. “Because we’re perfect for each other.”
“Indeed we are.” He slipped the ring on her finger just as the moon rose in the sky above them and the first star twinkled. As he swept her up into his arms, Brooke knew that if perfection was in the eye of the beholder, she was never going to have to wear rose-colored glasses.
Acknowledgments
No book is written alone, and I have a team of the most inspiring and brilliant people who make me look a whole lot better than I really am.
The beginning of a new series is scary and I’m honored to have my hand held by my incredibly smart, savvy, and beautiful editor Amanda Bergeron. I don’t know how I got so lucky to have our stars cross, but I am ever grateful.
Sometimes I need to hear the voice of reason. Thanks to my amazing agent, Kevan Lyon, who keeps me informed, grounded, and leads my future to a brighter place.
There are people you know who will be friends for life. I’m lucky to have several and yes, I plan to keep them there until I go to the big bookstore in the sky. My publicist Caroline Perny, you are simply the best. I adore you and I thank you from the bottom of my goat-loving heart. Pam Jaffee and Jessie Edwards, you freaking rock! Elle Keck, where would I be without you to keep me straight? Happy blueberry Pop-Tarts! Lisa Filipe, from the moment we started chatting, I knew we’d be BFFs. Thank you for working so hard for me and cheering me on. Shawn Nichols, you are a total marketing badass and I sincerely appreciate you. To the pair of gorgeous ladies who create my gorgeous book covers, Gail Dubov and Nadine Badalaty, thank you so much.
And always, thanks to my family—the Hubster, Picklehead, and Binks—for your love, your patience, and your forgiveness. I love you all more than you will ever know.
Excerpt from A Better Man
Don’t miss Jordan’s story and the beginning of Candis Terry’s Sunshine Creek Vineyard series in
A BETTER MAN
Meet the Kincade brothers: they’ll do what it takes to protect their legacy—but what happens when love gets in the way?
Hockey star Jordan Kincade wasted no time ditching Sunshine Valley and everyone who mattered for a career in the NHL—a truth Jordan confronts when his parents’ deaths bring him home. Now he’s back to make amends, which begins with keeping his younger sister from flunking out of school. It’s just his luck that the one person who can help is the girl whose heart he broke years ago.
Lucy Diamond has racked up a number of monumental mistakes in her life, the first involving a certain blue-eyed charmer. She has no intention of falling for Jordan Kincade again, but when he shows up asking her to help one of her students, Lucy just can’t say no. Worse, the longer he’s back the more she sees how much he’s changed. And so when a blistering kiss turns to more, she can’t help wondering if her heart will be crushed again . . . or if she’ll discover true love with a better man.
Chapter 1
The pungent scent of sweat-soaked bodies and the ice beneath Jordan Kincade’s skates filled his nostrils. He devoured the energy, the thrill of the game, and the barely controlled chaos like a perfectly grilled steak. Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and anticipation vibrated through the jam-packed arena as he skated to face-off with his opponent on a power play. The Carolina Vipers might be down by a goal, but he knew the high-decibel, foot-stomping boost from the home crowd would pull them through.
It always did.
After an earlier vicious cross-check delivered by Dimitri Pavel, Jordan—much to the crowd’s delight—racked up five for fighting. Now it was time to cut the shit and focus. He couldn’t allow Pavel’s toothless sneer to tempt him into chalking up any more penalty points. There was just too damn much at stake.
“Gonna vipe smile off dat pretty face, kinky man.”
Pavel spat when he spoke, a habit that tempted his opponents to dodge the spray and miss the drop. Jordan, who had mercifully retained all his own teeth, imagined it was hard to speak properly when you had the gums of an infant. Still, Pavel could have strings of snot hanging from his nose and Jordan wouldn’t care. He didn’t dodge anything if it meant he’d lose the face-off.
“Your saggy jock calls bullshit,” Jordan shot back. Yeah, okay, the bait had been too strong to resist the smack talk. So sue him.
Like a wolf focused on its prey, Jordan’s attention sharpened as the ref lifted his hand and dropped the puck in front of Jordan’s skates. Jordan wasted no time in pushing the biscuit across the ice into Tyler Seabrook’s stick. The center took control. Dodging sticks, skates, and elbows, he managed to set up a shot in the sweet zone. Jordan snagged the pass and slapped it through the five-hole before the goalie could get his glove on it.
Red lights flashed behind the net and the horn blew, signaling the goal. The crowd leaped to their feet in an ear-splitting roar as the players came together for congratulatory slaps on the back. Nothing felt better
than a team celebration after an important goal. The one he’d just scored had been vital and hopefully took the burn off the penalties he’d drawn earlier. With the score now tied, the Vipers would have to quickly score once more or win it in overtime. The chances of either were iffy.
The shift change gave Jordan a chance to catch his breath and rest his legs. During a regular season game he didn’t usually tense up. But the closer they got to making the playoffs, the more he tended to tighten every muscle to the extreme. By the time he made it home tonight he’d feel like he’d been hit by a bullet train. Once his team claimed victory and made it into the locker room, he’d need to have his favorite masseuse make a house call. Lucky for him his favorite masseuse came with a pretty smile, long blond hair, a taste for fine whiskey, and preferred to work in the nude.
A smile curled his mouth as he watched Beau Boucher press his opponent into the corner boards with a glass-quaking thud. The hulking defenseman used his weight and muscle to steal the puck and slide it across the ice to power forward Scott O’Reilly. O’Reilly sank it into the net so fast the goalie barely saw it flash by.
With only two seconds remaining on the play clock, the Vipers bench emptied and the entire team roared onto the ice to celebrate the win. Unless a miracle materialized for the other team in the next blink of an eye, the Vipers were one step closer to the Stanley Cup.
Hallefreakinglujah.
About the Author
CANDIS TERRY was born and raised near the sunny beaches of Southern California and now makes her home on an Idaho farm. She’s experienced life in such diverse ways as working in a Hollywood recording studio to chasing down wayward steers. Only one thing has remained the same: her passion for writing stories about relationships, the push and pull in the search for love, and the security one finds in their own happily-ever-after.
