by Brooks,Anna
“Well I’ll wear it on our wedding day, how about that?”
“Okay. Now kiss me.”
I smile before pressing my lips to hers. When I pull back and rest my forehead to hers, I find her eyes. “Best birthday ever.”
Epilogue
Jessa
thirty-two years old
I pull into the shop at closing time and slide out of my car. After pressing the button to lock my car on the key fob, I go right inside and ring the bell on the desk.
Ty, my handsome husband, comes around the corner, wiping his dirty fingers on a rag. “Hey, baby.” He smiles bright and leans over the counter to kiss me. He learned a long time ago that when he’s all greasy and nasty with oil, he’s not supposed to touch me.
Except if he’s going to help get me clean. Then he can touch me all he wants.
“Hi. So my car’s making a funny noise.”
He raises a brow at me, because he knows damn well that he’s meticulous about keeping it running smoothly. “What’s it doing?”
“It’s clunking. I dunno? Thought maybe you’d want to check it out before I pick up Sadie from daycare.”
His eyes light up at the mention of his daughter whose eyes look so much like his. He’s such a good daddy. I knew he would be, but he broke through any and all of my expectations. His love for his little girl is something fierce and beautiful. He’s fierce and beautiful.
“Yeah, sure. Keys.”
I toss my keys at him and walk into the bay while he pulls my car in. I admire him while he bends over the hood; his strong, muscular body has only gotten bigger over the years.
“Stop checkin’ out my ass.” His voice echoes from under the hood.
“It’s a nice ass.”
“I know, but unless you want my face between yours, you’d better stop lookin’ ‘cause you know what happens—”
“Okay, I’ll stop!” I laugh and walk around his shop, slapping his firm butt as I pass him.
After everything that happened four years ago, it took a little time to adjust and get used to a normal life. I went back to work twelve weeks after Sadie was born, but Ty wasn’t ready to leave her just yet. I think he was still worried about some kind of retaliation, and honestly, I think he was just enjoying normality for once. He ended up staying home with her until she was almost two years old before he went back to work.
He’d already dropped out of the undercover gig and decided not to pursue law enforcement any further, but finally opened up his own mechanic shop. All the money he’d been paid from the government was virtually untouched, and Ty used that to buy the shop.
He fiddles around under the hood as I run my fingers across the shelf where he has pictures of Sadie and me. I laugh as I look at the one of us from the beach last year. Ty let us bury him in the sand, and I gave him a pair of boobs and a little penis when Sadie wasn’t looking. Of course, that’s not the picture he has up, but it’s what I remember from that day.
We have so many memories over a lifetime. Some of them years apart, but each one no less special than the next.
“How the hell did this get loose?” he mutters to himself.
I want to tell him the truth, but I bite my tongue. Perfectly timed, my phone goes off with a text. “Hey, my brother’s in town, and he picked Sadie up from daycare. Wanna go to my parents for dinner?”
“Yeah, baby. That’s fine with me.”
He loves to go to my parents’. Loves the dynamics of a loving family. He and my brother get along well, even though it was a rough at first because Landon is a little protective of me. But when I delved further into our past and told them of all the times Ty was there for me, I saw a bit of understanding in Landon’s eyes.
After some more tinkering and filling up oil or something, Ty washes his hands and follows me to my parents’ house.
As soon as he walks in the door, everyone screams, Surprise, and Ty’s face pales. I try to hide the moisture from my eyes, but when he squeezes his hand around my hip, I can’t hold it in.
My parents, brother, our mutual friends, Jay and Rico, the guys who work for him – Perry and Tom, and Sadie clap and start singing “Happy Birthday” to him. Sadie wiggles out of my brother’s arms and runs to her daddy. Ty scoops her up and buries his face in the top of her head, hiding his emotions.
When he told me the night Sadie was born that he’d never had a birthday party, I knew I’d change that just as soon as I could. He refused to do anything for himself on their birthday since she was born, only wanting the focus on her … my selfless man.
He turns to me and raises a brow.
“I had Perry mess with the car to buy some time,” I explain.
Ty shakes his head, kisses his girl, and then puts his arms around me, pulling me close. His lips brush over my ear. “Love you so much, Jessa.”
“Love you too, Ty. Always have.”
“Always will.”
Ty
I hold my wife as my daughter clings to my leg and I ignore the voices around me. I don’t care what it cost me or how much time I lost. I’d do it all over again to have this moment … one that I didn’t even know could exist for a punk like me. I don’t question how I got here, or why I was one of the lucky ones who was able to pull myself out from under the thumb of the streets.
Jessa was the one who finally made me realize it didn’t matter where I came from. What matters is that I love her, and she loves me, and nothing — nothing — can take that away from us.
Love wins, always.
Other Books by Anna Brooks
It’s Kind of Personal Series
Make Me Forget
Show Me How
Prove Me Right
Tell Me When
Remember Me Now
Give Me This
Not Your Hero
A preview of:
MAKE ME FORGET
Prologue
Six months ago
Even though I’m blindfolded, I squeeze my eyes shut, willing my body to cooperate, while my mind screams at me in protest. Todd grunts as he picks up his pace, effectively slamming my head into the wall. I’m grateful for the pain, as it distracts me from what I’ve allowed myself to become.
“I’m coming!” He never talks when he fucks me, except to tell me that he’s coming.
I can’t say anything, can’t move, can’t see. I can do nothing but wait. He collapses on top of me for a few minutes before pulling out and sitting up. Then he unties my ankles and wrists. Next, he removes the blindfold, followed by the gag. I rub my wrists and take a deep breath.
“Be right back.”
He disappears out of my bedroom, returning a moment later with a wet cloth to clean between my legs. What I thought at one point was a sweet gesture turns into another moment I have to endure his touch.
“That was amazing.” He runs a hand through his curly blond hair and smiles at me.
Even with the gag removed, I still can’t speak to him right now. I fake a smile and crawl under the covers.
“I have to go to that conference in Boston this weekend. Be a good girl when I’m gone?”
I’m not sure if he’s asking or telling; either way, I nod and shut my eyes. If he thinks I’m tired, he’ll leave sooner. He’s never stayed the night, not once in three years. He always says he has to go back to work. He doesn’t know that I know the real reason.
“Good girl.” He kisses my forehead and shuts off the light.
I watch his tall, lean figure exit my bedroom and wait until his car pulls away before I hop out of bed. I run to the bathroom and barely make it to the toilet in time. Once I'm done losing the contents of my stomach, I quickly brush my teeth, but avoid looking in the mirror, because I know what will be looking back at me: sad blue eyes that used to be bright with excitement and hope, framed by blond hair that is dull and too long.
I grab the packed bags I have hidden in my closet and set them by the front door. I can’t be here anymore. Not in this house, not in this city, an
d definitely not in the same state as him. I know his routine, and he won’t know I’m gone until next week. I have time, but I’m still paranoid. Running back upstairs, I grab anything and everything that is of value to me. Not that there’s much; my mom’s jewelry, some photo albums, paperwork, things like that. I shut all the lights off upstairs, do the same in the kitchen, and make my way out the front door. I have to make a couple trips to my car, but once I have everything packed, I drive away without looking back.
A preview of:
NOT YOUR HERO
1
Sam
“YOU SURE YOU DON’T wanna come with us?” Nate, my one and only employee, asks.
I shake my head. “Nah, man.”
“Come on, Sam. You never hang out. It’s one night.”
He hops up on the bed of the truck where I’m reorganizing my tools. I don’t have an actual job title. Handyman, I guess. I fix shit. Clocks, bikes, broken chairs—anything really. If it’s too big to move, I go to their homes. I repair fences, sinks, and anything in between.
“It’s my bachelor party. Lots of titties. Maybe you can pick up a chick and get laid.”
A small smile pulls at my lips—because really, I don’t need help in that department—but I quickly replace it with my ever-present scowl. “I don’t need to go to a strip club to get laid. Go. Have fun.” I give him a shove, and he jumps down.
When he reaches his Jeep, he stands on the running board and glares at me over the hood. “Ya know? One of these days, you’re gonna stop being such a prick and actually enjoy your life. I’ve worked for you for six years, Sam. Not sure how much longer I can put up with your shit.” And with that, he slams his door and peels out.
He’s right. No longer the sixteen-year-old I hired because he reminded me of myself, Nate’s a man now. He’ll be a dad soon, too, making something of his life. And I’m happy for him, but that life isn’t for me.
My home and business are the two things that mean something to me. My grandparents handed the house down to me. It’s actually a duplex, and when they passed away a few years ago, I didn’t know what to do with the extra space they lived in. I felt weird going in their side of the house without them, so I left it empty for a while. About four months ago, I decided to put an ad out to rent the place.
“Hi, Sam.”
I look down to see my little neighbor, Ben, waving with a baseball glove in his hand. His mom, Courtney, answered my ad for a tenant.
My business is based out of the garage, so Courtney has to park in the street, but she didn’t seem deterred by that at all. She was just excited to have a backyard to let her rambunctious five-year-old run around.
“How was school today?” I get off the truck bed and slam the hatch closed.
“All right.” He kicks his feet in the dirt and watches the dust fly.
“Why just all right?”
“I hate kindergarten. Mommy says I’m not old enough to go to the park by myself after school with everyone else.” He throws his mitt on the ground and stomps on it.
I get down on my haunches and he looks at me with his innocent green eyes. They look just like his mother’s. “She’s right, little dude. You’re only five.”
“But Tyler’s five, too, and his mom lets him go.”
Ben’s mom, Courtney, appears next to me with her arms crossed tapping her foot. I stand and step back, not wanting to intrude.
“That’s because Tyler has an older brother. Are we having this conversation again? Because I warned you, Benjamin, if we do, you’re losing video games for a week.”
Ben shakes his head.
“Shaking your head is not an answer to my question.”
“No,” he mumbles.
“Good. Now go in the backyard and play with your new baseball.”
“Can you play catch with me?” he asks her, perking up.
I see the hurt cross her face when she answers. “Sorry baby, I have to go to my other job. Mona will be here in ten minutes. I have just enough time to make you some supper.”
Ben’s little lip sticks out in a pout. Courtney blinks her eyes rapidly and looks away from her son. She’s a good mom—wants to be there more—but she works two jobs to support them. But that’s not my problem, right?
“I’ll throw the ball with you for a few minutes.”
Both of their heads whip in my direction, and I mentally kick myself in the ass.
“Are you sure, Sam? I know you’re busy,” Courtney asks.
“Sure. Only a few minutes, though. I’ve gotta get ready for a party.” Fuck me. What in the hell am I doing? Going to Nate’s party just to get out of this shitty situation I put myself in. I don’t get close to people. Especially not a single mom and her kid.
“Yay! Come on, Sam! Let’s go!” Ben grabs my hand, and I walk to the backyard with him.
She’s never mentioned Ben’s dad, so I don’t know the story there. And I don’t care. She pays her rent on time and leaves me alone. Ben, on the other hand, doesn’t. If I’m ever outside, he comes over and tries to help me with whatever I’m working on.
“Do you need a glove?”
“No. I’m all right, buddy.” I actually laugh a little when he bends over, squints his eyes, and raises his leg before throwing the ball. I shake my hand when I catch it. “Ouch. That’s some heat you got there.”
“I know.” He shrugs his shoulders and gets in a catcher’s stance to catch the ball when I toss it back.
After about ten minutes, Courtney yells out the kitchen window. “Time’s up, Ben. Say thank you to Sam and come eat.”
“Aww. Two more minutes, Mom, pleeease?”
She looks at me, asking for approval. I nod, actually having a good time with the kid.
“Two minutes, Ben. When Sam says it’s time to come in, you do it with no argument, understand?”
“Okay! Thanks, Mom!” He laughs and throws the ball so fast I almost miss it.
“Can we do this again? Every day?”
I laugh and toss a pop fly. It lands right next to his foot, but he dives onto it and rolls around before throwing it back. “I don’t know about every day. But I’m sure we can play catch some other time.”
“Cool. Sam?”
“Yeah, buddy?”
“What’s a prick?”
I freeze mid-throw and lower my arm. “Where did you hear that?”
“Your friend. He called you a prick. It doesn’t sound nice.”
Biting the inside of my cheeks, I suppress a laugh. “It wasn’t nice.”
“Okay. So I shouldn’t call Mommy that?”
“No. Don’t call your mom a prick.”
“Okay. Sam?”
Sighing, I answer, “Yeah?”
“Thanks for playing catch with me.”
“Sure, buddy. But I’ve gotta go now.”
“Okay. Bye.”
I watch until he gets in the house and Courtney waves out the window. “Thanks.”
Nodding, I cross the lawn to my place.
I change out of my dirty clothes and hop in the shower to get ready for Nate’s party. He’s been a good employee, and is about the only person in the world who I trust. And I still don’t, really. Trust is a fickle bitch, and it doesn’t come easily for me.
* * *
I went to the bar around the corner from my house for a couple hours before heading to the strip club. There was a hot little blonde number offering her own personal performance, but I decided to show up for Nate’s party instead.
“Holy fucking shit. You came!” Nate stands and staggers over to me, obviously enjoying his last hurrah as a bachelor.
“Yeah.”
When he reaches me, he pulls me in for a hug and pats my back. I awkwardly return the gesture before pushing him off.
“Thanks, Sam. It means a lot that you showed.”
“No problem.” I follow him to the table and flip a chair so I can straddle it.
“Guys, this is Sam.” He introduces me to about ten guys. I nod
but forget all their names before they’re even out of Nate’s mouth. I’m not going to be friends with any of them. I don’t have friends. Acquaintances, yes. But friends, they can’t be trusted.
I laugh at some of the guys’ lame jokes and do a couple shots toasting Nate. We watch each of the new acts, and the guys salivate over fake tits and bad dancing. Not really my thing. I prefer more action and less watching.
“Refills, anyone?” I freeze in my chair at that sultry voice. When I turn my head slightly, I see Courtney’s tits covered only by little tassels. My eyes wander up to her almost unrecognizable face adorning a shit ton of make-up. A platinum blond wig has replaced her normal chin-length light brown hair. She hasn’t noticed me yet, and frankly, I don’t want her to.
When it’s my turn to state my order, I lower my head and shake it.
“Dude. You suck. At least do another shot with us,” Nate bellows. “Maybe Misty here will even let you do it off of her tits.” I glare up at him, hoping he takes a hint to shut the fuck up, and he does.
“So, you want a shot or no?” ‘Misty’ asks.
I shake my head, and she leans down so her chest is pressed against my back. “Your friend’s right. I’ll let you take it off my tits. For an extra fifty.” Then she pushes off me and walks away. Fuck if she doesn’t make my dick twitch.
Hell, no. I don’t need that kind of complication. She’s my tenant, a mom. Even if she screams great fuck, with her rounded hips and heavy breasts, I won’t go there. I stand and keep my back toward the bar.
“Congrats, Nate. I gotta go.” I throw some money on the table, walk out without another word, and slam the door to my truck.
Courtney Gallagher is not the type of woman for me. Sure, I’ve watched her from my garage. She’s hot, no doubt about it. But she’s a good woman, and she deserves better. She wouldn’t be an easy lay. And I only do easy. Courtney’s got emotional written all over her. Whenever she’s home, she’s a mom, a great mom, and I’ve never seen a guy over. She works hard and seeing her here tonight is proof of that. It’s also another reason to stay the hell away from her.
