Admission of Love
Page 30
∞
Devon drove slowly, his thoughts filled with all the day’s events. His Nana was gone. When he went inside the house tonight, she wouldn’t be there. The house would never be the same again. His life would never be the same again.
Chloe had come. When he needed her the most she had been there, appearing suddenly as if she were his own guardian angel. And she suffered to help him through this horrible grieving he would have to deal with. What did he do?
Distance himself, afraid he would tell her just how much he loved her, pull her into his arms and not let her go . . . ever.
When he first started work on the garden at her house it was a way for him to express the deep love he had for her. Nana Lil had said, after she joined him in the planting, that Chloe would love it when she returned. She had always been so sure that Chloe was coming back home, when he had nothing but doubts.
And now here she was, as beautiful as ever and back in Holtsville, but for how long? If only he could force her to stay and never leave. If only he could force her to love him the way he loved her, deeply and passionately with no remorse.
He thought of the look in her eyes when she came to the hospital, stood before him and pulled him into a tight comforting embrace. It had immediately warmed and soothed him. A look of—
Devon slammed on the brakes, his mouth ajar as he made a very sweet and indulging discovery. But was he wrong? He had to know.
There was only one way. He had to tell Chloe he loved her. Lord knows why, but he suddenly had the courage he lacked all these months to do just that.
The tires squealed against the pavement as he did a wicked U-turn and headed back to his woman.
∞
It was déjà vu. Just like their very first meeting. As they both raced down the road in opposite directions, their vehicles almost collided, both having to brake with a loud deafening squeal of tires. Almost as if by miracle, they stopped directly across from each other. They both jumped out of the cars and came to stand in front of one another.
They both swore they could hear the electricity crackle between them, just like their first meeting in this very same road, but there also was the sweet refrains of love this time. Clearly the emotion showed in each of their faces as Devon pulled her into his arms, and kissed her with enough passion to spread love across the world.
“Chloe . . . I . . .”
“Devon, baby I . . .”
They both spoke in unison, after they slowly broke the kiss, the words blended together in perfect harmony as they looked deeply into each other’s eyes. “I love you.”
∞
"Now you know, I can get real used to this. I did more good up here in heaven to get them two together than I did down there with them.”
Nana Lil smiled down on them from the heavens above. “Don’t you worry, babies, your Nana will be with you always," she said softly.
She had found her own happiness on the other side as she reunited with family members and friends long since passed. Never had she known such joy as when she was again in the arms of her beloved mother. She felt whole as she then embraced her own son and daughter-in-law. But there was one person she had yet to greet and that was her next mission . . . meeting Adell Bolton.
∞
Devon caressed the side of her beautiful face where they stood embraced in the middle of the road. “Chloe, I never knew when you came into my life that you were the woman who would make me whole, who would fill so many needs that I didn’t even know I had. I’ve been a fool, afraid of my own feelings and still believing the worst of you. I love you from the very depths of my soul and I do not, no I will not live my life without you any longer. Say you’ll grow old with me as my wife.”
Chloe’s knees buckled. She was so overwhelmed that this strong, brooding man loved her just as much as she loved him. Did anyone deserve such happiness? And now he wanted to share his life with her. “I have loved you since before I was willing to admit that I did. I don’t want to ever go through what I’ve gone through these past three months. I have missed you until I ached. I’m sorry for whatever part I played in keeping us apart. We were meant to be. I love you so very much, Devon. I would be very honored to grow old with you, in Holtsville.”
“Nana Lil would be so happy, I just . . . wish she was here.”
His saddened voice hurt her as she wrapped him into a tight embrace. Soon she felt the dampness of his tears soak her neck. Gently she kissed his cheek. “She’s here. You may not see her, but you can feel her in the wind blowing across your cheek, or the sun warming your body, or in the very air you breathe to survive. She’s all around us. Nana Lil would never leave any of us all alone.”
Epilogue
Six Months Later
“Now doesn’t your baby make the most beautiful bride, Adell?"
Nana Lil came to stand next to her as they stood looking down at Chloe and Devon’s wedding. Tessa, Odis, Adell, Daniel, Reena and Nana Lil all peered through the break in the clouds to the joyful gathering below.
Adell smiled. “This is the most beautiful I've ever seen my baby. It must be the love for your handsome grandson. And just look how pretty Anika is. She’s like my other daughter.”
“Yeah, it seems Deshawn has noticed that too.”
They all laughed as they watched him attempt to attract Anika’s attention, to no avail. "Seems I might need to be stirring the pot again. Lord know my boys can’t seem to handle love by themselves.’’
Nana Lil hugged Adell tightly. “I wondered if those two would ever get it right, but here they are.”
“I just wish I could be there with her like a mother should," she said softly, her voice filled with sadness.
Tessa came over to pull her daughter’s hand into her own. “She knows you’ve always watching over her. Don’t you worry, that’s one wonderful grandchild you raised for me.”
They all held hands and smiled down from the heavens at the union of their children. The vows were exchanged and the women all sighed as Devon kissed Chloe with such loving tenderness that they all felt warmed by it. It was a match made in the heavens.
All Romance Books by Niobia Bryant
Special 15th Anniversary eBook Editions
Admission of Love *
Three Times a Lady
Heavenly Match *
Can’t Get Next to You
Let’s Do it Again
Count on This
Strong Family Series
Heated *
Hot Like Fire *
Gave Me Fever *
The Hot Spot *
Red Hot *
Strong Heat *
Make You Mine
Want, Need, Love *
* Books set in Holtsville, South Carolina (Hot Holtsville series)
About the Author
Niobia Bryant is the award winning and national bestselling author of more than thirty works of romance and commercial mainstream fiction. Twice she has won RT Magazine's Best African-American/Multicultural Romance Award, her most recent book written under the pseudonym of Meesha Mink was listed as one of the Library Journal's Best Books of 2014 (in the African-American fiction category), and her books have appeared in Ebony, Essence, The New York Post, The Star Ledger, The Dallas Morning News and many other national publications. Her bestselling book, Message from a Mistress, has been optioned to be adapted to film in 2015.
"I am a writer, born and bred. I can't even fathom what else I would do besides creating stories and telling tales. When it comes to my writing I dabble in many genres, my ideas are unlimited, and the ink in my pen is infinite." –Niobia Bryant
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