“I can’t believe he was doing that shit right under our noses.” I huff. “I feel as stupid as you do. You know he used to sell when we were in high school?”
“What? No, I didn’t know that.”
“Yep, but I just thought it was him being a stupid teenager. I never thought he would continue.”
“He thinks I’m going to come around, but it’s not happening.”
“Kolton mentioned you and Zane moving in with Keegan. He said it would be safer.”
“What else did he say?”
“That’s it. He wanted to explain the entire story, but he said he can’t until Keegan speaks to you. They feel you deserve to know the truth first.” The truth is, he wanted to tell me, but I wanted to wait. Blakely deserves to know the truth first.
“I was thinking about talking to him,” Blakely admits. “To at least hear him out.”
“I won’t tell you what to do, but I think that would be a good idea.”
“And if we moved into Keegan’s place, would you move with us?”
Shit! I wasn’t planning to say anything about Kolton asking me to move in with him yet, but I can’t lie to her… I won’t.
“S?”
“I was…” I take a deep breath, trying not to appear too excited. I don’t want her to base her decisions on me. “I was actually thinking I could move in with Kolton.”
Blakely’s eyes bug out. “He asked you to move in with him?”
“He did. He said the only reason he didn’t ask sooner was because of everything going on, but now that it’s done, he wants me to move in. But I told him I had to speak to you first.”
“I would never keep you from moving in with him,” she says softly.
“Are you upset?” I stand and walk over to her. Blakely and Zane will always come first. If she doesn’t want me to move, I won’t.
“No… I guess I’m just a little sad. It seems like everything is changing. I just learned Keegan is a cop, and now you’re talking about moving in with your boyfriend. Brenton was my best friend for years, and now he’s being cut out of my life. It’s just a lot to take in, you know?”
“I know.”
“Mommy! I’m ready for bed,” Zane yells, making Blakely and me laugh.
“I wonder if all kids love to nap the way Zane does.”
“I doubt it,” I tell her. “Watch, you’ll have another kid one day, and he or she will despise naptime, and you’ll never have a moment to yourself.”
“Wow, you’re not only knocking me up, but you’re cursing me. Thanks.” She stands to go tuck Zane into bed, and there’s a knock on the door.
“I’ll grab it while you tuck him in,” I offer, already heading to the door.
I open it up and find Brenton standing there, only before I can yell at him and tell him to go fuck himself, an officer steps between us. “Sir, there’s a restraining order.” The officer hands him a piece of paper. “If you come within fifteen hundred feet of Blakely, Sierra, or Zane Jacobs, you will be arrested. This is your one and only warning.”
“This is bullshit,” Brenton hisses, but does as the officer says and walks away.
“Thank you,” I tell him.
He nods once. “Someone will always be here to make sure you’re safe.”
“Who was it?” Blakely asks as I close the door.
“Brenton.”
“What? He came here?”
“Yeah, but he only made it to knock on the door before a police officer stopped him and made him leave.”
“I think maybe I should take Keegan up on his offer to move in there with Zane.”
“I think so too,” I agree. Even if they can’t make it work, I know Keegan will keep them safe.
“I’m going to speak to Keegan today. Let him explain. I don’t know where we’ll stand afterward, but at least that way you and Kolton can move forward.”
I wrap my arms around her and give her a hug. “I’m not going anywhere. Not until everything is figured out.”
Chapter 12
Kolton
* * *
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I jump up and sprint to the door, hoping like hell it’s Sierra. She texted me earlier that she was watching Zane so Blakely and Keegan could talk. Then, a few minutes ago, Keegan sent me a text that said he told Blakely everything, and they’re okay. I was dying to text Sierra to ask her to come over to talk, but I didn’t want to appear too crazy.
“Hey,” she says when I open the door.
“Hey.”
“My answer is yes.”
“Yes?” I quirk a brow up, confused.
“I’ll move in with you.” She steps inside, and I close the door. “I needed you to know that before we talk. No matter what you have to say, I need you to know that I’m one hundred percent in.”
We sit on the couch, and as much as I want to pull her onto my lap, I refrain, needing to tell her everything. But before I can start, as if she can sense what I really need, she edges closer and then climbs on to me, straddling my thighs.
“Talk to me, Kolton. Tell me everything.”
I close my eyes, taking a deep breath, then open them, ready to tell her the entire truth. “When I was nineteen, and in college, I did the stupidest thing someone could do. I was struggling to keep up with my classes, and I went in search of drugs to help.”
I search Sierra’s face for judgment, but she doesn’t give anything away as she waits patiently for me to continue. “A friend of a friend referred me to this guy, Miguel. He sold all types of shit, including pills he swore would help me stay awake and focus. One pill turned into several, and soon, I was addicted, relying on them to help me function. I didn’t know it at the time, but my brother Keith was a narcotics officer investigating an influx of drug dealing on campus…”
Sierra’s arms snake around my neck, and I grip her hips, needing to feel her to keep going. “I was buying another bottle from Miguel when Keith approached. Miguel took one look at Keith’s badge and pulled a gun on him. Shot him dead right there.”
Sierra gasps, and her hold on me tightens.
“That’s right. I was buying drugs from the man who killed my brother. Everyone went into panic mode, and Miguel got away. Keegan became a narcotics officer, determined to follow in Keith’s footsteps. A few months back, there was a whisper that the dealing was happening again. Keegan was brought in undercover as a college student to catch the guy.”
“Brenton,” she breathes.
“Yep, he was selling. Only, he wasn’t doing it on his own. The man running the operation was his ex-stepfather… Miguel Sanchez.”
“Oh, my God!” Tears prick Sierra’s eyes.
“Keegan not only brought Brenton down, but he also brought down our brother’s killer,” I choke out. “It won’t bring him back, but…”
“But your family will at least have some closure.”
I nod. “Yeah. I can’t bring him back, but at least I could give them that. I went in and identified it was him.”
“Oh, Kolton. I can’t imagine that was easy for you. Having to see that piece of shit.”
“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but something I deserved because it was my fault…”
“Stop it,” Sierra demands. “That man choosing to kill an officer was not your fault.”
“If I hadn’t been buying from him—”
“You can’t live like that. It’s unhealthy. But I get it,” she says. “When my parents first died, I used to blame myself. I overheard my dad hurting my mom so many times, yet I never told anyone. I used to think, what if I would’ve told someone: a teacher or another parent. Or what if I would’ve told my mom I knew. Maybe she would’ve left him sooner… But eventually, I realized that there was no point in wondering what-if. We all make choices, and many of them are mistakes, and most of the time, we get a chance to right them.”
“But sometimes, our choices are deadly.”
“Yeah,” she agrees. “But in our case, they wer
en’t our choices. My dad chose to put us in the car and drive drunk, and Miguel chose to pull that trigger. They don’t deserve to be let off the hook. They made those choices, not us.”
I lean forward and nuzzle my face in Sierra’s neck, so fucking thankful for her. “You’re perfect,” I murmur. “Don’t ever leave me, please. I need you. Forever.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she says, lifting my face and kissing me hard. “It’s like you said. You and me… we’re inevitable.”
Epilogue
Sierra
* * *
Five Years Later
* * *
“Holy shit.” I stare down at the test, then look up at my sister. “Tell me I’m reading this wrong.”
Blakely laughs. “Sure, you’re reading it wrong… and so am I.”
My head pops up. “You’re…”
She nods. “Yep.”
“Babe!” Kolton yells from outside my back office. “Get out here. We need to celebrate! I ordered some apps and drinks.”
“I’ll be right out,” I yell back even though the last place I want to be is out there, in my new restaurant, smelling all that food and not being able to have a single drink.
Blakely giggles. “I can’t believe this is happening… again.”
“That’s what we get for marrying brothers.”
We both walk outside to find our families sitting at the table. Kolton and Keegan are each nursing a beer while Zane plays a game on his phone.
“Mom! Can I borrow your phone?” Colby, Kolton’s and my four-year-old son, asks. “Mine is dead.”
“Mine is too!” Finn, Blakely and Keegan’s son, who is also four years old, says.
That’s right. A couple of months after I moved in with Kolton, and Blakely moved in with Keegan, we both found out we were pregnant and due the same week. Neither of our guys knew, but they found out at the same time when they both proposed together.
Six months later, we were married on Cocoa Beach alongside each other, and three months after that, we both gave birth to our little boys only three days apart.
“There she is,” Kolton says, wrapping his arms around me. “That article in Foodie is amazing! And the critique was right on all accounts.”
I smile, replaying the article in my head. When I found out a food critic had stopped by anonymously, I freaked out. What he wrote and published could make or break me. But Kolton told me it would be okay. What I’ve built here is solid, and I had nothing to worry about. The article came out today, and he was right. The critic loved the restaurant and gave it three Michelin stars, the highest compliment a restaurant can receive.
I’m so proud of what I’ve created, but I’m also scared. It took four years of saving to come up with enough down payment for a loan to open my own restaurant. I decided to buy one that was failing and resurrect it. I couldn’t do it with The Orange Sunrise since it closed less than a year after I predicted it would. I had just given birth and wasn’t in a position to save it.
I’d busted my ass for almost a year getting the restaurant ready, and for the past six months since it opened, I’ve been working even harder to make it a success… only to find out tonight that I’m expecting again. I knew it was a possibility, but I kind of thought it would take a little longer than a month for it to happen. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited, but I have no clue how I’m going to juggle running a new restaurant, raising a four-year-old, and being a wife while baking another little one in my oven.
“We have shots,” Keegan says, handing one to Blakely and me.
“To Sierra,” Kolton says. “For following her dreams.” He leans over and kisses my cheek. “I knew you could do it, baby. I’m so damn proud of you.”
The guys both throw back their shots and then look at Blakely and me in confusion when neither of us does the same.
“What’s wrong?” Keegan asks Blakely.
“I’m pregnant,” she blurts out.
“What?” His entire face lights up. “Are you serious?” He stands and pulls her into his arms. “Hell yeah! That’s what I’m talking about.” He releases her and glances at his brother. “Looks like you owe me a hundred bucks.”
“For what?” Blakely asks.
“I knocked you up first.” Keegan shrugs.
“You bet on which one of us would get pregnant first?” Blakely laughs, smacking her husband in the chest.
“The other night while we were watching the game, Kolton mentioned they were trying again, and I told him we were too, so we made a friendly wager… Whoever’s sperm was stronger wins.”
Blakely snorts out a laugh, glancing at me knowingly.
“I’m pregnant too,” I announce.
Kolton’s eyes go wide before a shit-eating grin spreads across his face. “You’re pregnant?” He looks from me to Blakely and back to me again. “You’re both pregnant.”
“Yeah,” I tell him, rolling my eyes playfully. “We’re both pregnant.”
He fist pumps the air before he pulls me onto his lap. “I’m so fucking excited,” he murmurs into my neck, kissing the sensitive spot beneath my ear. “I can’t wait to see you growing my baby again.”
“I’m a little scared,” I admit. “Do you think maybe we’re taking on too much?”
Kolton pulls back slightly, his eyes meeting mine. “We’ve got this, Sierra. You and me together… we can handle anything.” The moment his mouth connects with mine, my entire body visibly relaxes. He’s right. We’ve got this. Not a single day has gone by that Kolton hasn’t been my partner in all things. Supporting and encouraging, standing by my side.
“So…” Keegan starts, making Kolton and me look his way. “Which one of you is further along?”
* * *
The End.
* * *
Thank you for reading! 100% of the profits from this anthology will be given to the Live A Thousand Lives charity.
This charity donates audio players - equipped with hundreds of hours of classic stories - to low-to-no mobility patients in nursing facilities and hospitals.
The Live A Thousand Lives Project has been fueled by prolific Romance writers and unabashed book lovers who appreciate that audiobooks boost mental health, improve memory and stimulate the brain in ways that mirror reading printed text.
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Want to read Keegan and Blakely’s story? You can find them in Fool Me Once.
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About the Author
Nikki Ash resides in South Florida where she is an English teacher by day and a writer by night. When she’s not writing, you can find her with a book in her hand. From the Boxcar Children, to Wuthering Heights, to the latest single parent romance, she has lived and breathed every type of book. While reading and writing are her passions, her two children are her entire world. You can probably find them at a Disney park before you would find them at home on the weekends!
* * *
Reading is like breathing in, writing is like breathing out. – Pam Allyn
The Scene
By Marni Mann
The Scene
James
“Cut!” the director shouted across the set, his loud, baritone voice vibrating through my ears.
My co-star, Sabrina Perry—one of Hollywood’s most respected and sought-after actresses—glanced in his direction, watching as the director observed the playb
ack on the camera.
I did the same, the anxiousness building in my chest as I waited for his response.
Today was the first day of shooting and the room was full of executives and our other cast members and every assistant and grip who’d been hired for this movie. Everyone wanted to see how Sabrina and I were going to transform into our roles. So far, she had been outstanding.
Me … not so much.
This was only the first scene and we were already on our fifth retake.
I’d rehearsed my lines for hours last night, practicing my facial expressions and body placement, and the emotions I needed to conquer to deliver my best performance.
But something was off.
The words weren’t clicking when they came out of my mouth. My face wasn’t matching the angst I needed to show. And each attempt was only getting worse.
The director’s eyes landed on me and I sucked in a breath as he said, “James, go take thirty.” He shook his head, his disappointment so obvious. “When you come back, prove to me that you’re worth the millions we’re paying you.” He stood, his arms crossing, brows pushed so far together there was a valley of wrinkles between them. “We certainly don’t have the budget to retake every scene this many times, so don’t make me regret casting you.”
Dick.
Except … maybe I deserved that.
Ugh.
Sabina and I were huddled near the fake fireplace, a scene where, as her daughter, I was admitting to having an affair with my high school teacher. One that was supposed to involve heavy tears on my face and quivering lips and a consuming amount of guilt in my expression. None of that had happened, not even during my fifth attempt.
Just as I was about to get up from the rug, I heard the director mumble to one of the executives, “Brett Young promised me she would be the best for this role. Is this what the top agent in the industry considers the best? If so, that man is fucking delusional.” He chuckled, the sound dripping in sarcasm. “The best, my ass.”
I Have Lived And I Have Loved: A Charity Romance Collection Page 14
