Tough Tackle

by Harper Lauren

  I laughed, too. “The title suits you. But I guess there’s still plenty to be learned.”

  He nodded in agreement. “Definitely, Globally Awarded Doctor.”

  That made me laugh, but I beamed with pride, too. “It’s because of you, silly…”

  He leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine. Even after all this time, his spontaneous kisses still gave me goosebumps and made my heart jump and race.

  “It was you who got my article published,” I reminded him.

  “Yeah, but it was all your work,” he said. “I just submitted it. And then from there, the gates opened and you simply showed them how brilliant you are!”

  I slightly blushed. “Thank you.”

  He then took my hand and led me to the front of the stables where some of the guests were riding horses. We immediately saw Alex, one of Drake’s football teammates and friends, who ran this whole horse farm with his wife Rosie. He waved us closer, and we smiled and nodded at him.

  “Hey, Drake, my man!” Alex greeted cheerfully, giving Drake a hard pat on the back. Then he turned to smile at me. “Looking lovely as always, Dr. Hill.”

  I smiled but said, “Shut up, Alex. Just call me Georgia.”

  Alex laughed. We had certainly gotten closer since Drake and I have been hanging out almost every weekend with his football buddies and their women.

  “This is an amazing place,” Drake said.

  “Yeah, isn’t it?” Alex answered, gesturing to the horses and the vast fields beside the lake. “Rosie built all this from scratch. Apparently, I was the reason she was so motivated to succeed after that time when we had first broken up.”

  “I’m never going to get tired of this love story!” I said, laughing. “So where’s the new mommy, anyway? I can’t wait to see your baby!”

  “Rosie’s in the house,” Alex replied, beaming and obviously very happy to actually be a dad now. “She’ll be glad to see you all. And little Renee will surely be, too.”

  “Oh, man! I can’t believe you’re a dad!” Drake said, chuckling.

  “Don’t worry, buddy,” Alex said jokingly. “You will be, too, one day. Maybe sooner than you think.”

  Drake and I exchanged glances, but we didn’t burst out laughing. It had actually crossed my mind—how it would be like to get married to him and to bear his children. Not a lot, though. Perhaps just two kids.

  As we turned to walk together toward the house, Drake placed an arm around me and rubbed my shoulders affectionately.

  “Burchnell is something else, huh?” he whispered to me with a smile. “You think a city woman like you could live here long?”

  “Well, it depends on who I’m going to be with,” I teased. “Just maybe I could get used to quiet living in a beautiful place like this.”

  “Yeah, who knows?” Drake said. It seemed he wanted to say more, but he hesitated. I could sense that he was also thinking the same thoughts that were running through my head. Yet we were still not that open about building a future as husband and wife. It was probably still too early to tell, but the mere thought made my heart soar with happiness.

  The house was painted in white and had a charming rustic look to it. There was a huge patio in front, with long patches of colorful, fragrant flowers that danced in the breeze.

  Inside, there were pastel-colored paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling. One wall had been decorated with fresh flowers that spelled out their newborn’s name Renee. The dining table had been set up, too, with a centerpiece of flowers and candles in the midst of trays of delicious-smelling food.

  There were several guests sitting and standing in small groups, happily chatting and eating. Before Drake and I could go look for Rosie and her baby girl, a couple came rushing toward us to give us a welcome hug.

  “So glad you guys could make it!” the stunning woman in front of me exclaimed. It was our good friend Cassy, together with her boyfriend Ivan who was also part of the Windfield Warriors. As always, she looked like a celebrity model, wearing one of her fashionable creations. She was, after all, a successful businesswoman and dressmaker.

  We exchanged hugs and greetings, and Cassy quickly led me away from the men. “I can’t believe Rosie’s a mom now,” she said. “I wonder how it feels like…” Then without warning, she lifted her hand in front of my face. I was temporarily blinded by the shiny diamond on her ring finger.

  “Oh, my God!” I cried out, embracing her and saying congratulations over and over again. We jumped and swayed together, causing some others to turn their heads and give us queer looks.

  She immediately launched into the story of Ivan’s recent proposal to her. I was listening attentively when a lovely woman in blue jeans joined us. “What’s this fuss all about?!” she demanded.

  Cassy and I both laughed as we turned toward Tasha, who’d been dating football player Stryder for a long time now. She looked amazing, too, and her eyes were glimmering with joy and contentment. She grabbed Cassy’s hand and admired the huge diamond. “Oh, this is crazy!” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. There was a huge smile on her face, nevertheless. We were both really happy for Cassy and Ivan.

  We finished up our conversation fast while walking toward the room that had been set up as Renee’s nursery.

  Rosie was standing by the baby’s crib, swaying tiny Renee in her hands. She put one finger to her lips and pointed toward the newborn who was sound asleep.

  “Oh, she is sooo cute…” I gushed as I came closer.

  Rosie smiled and whispered thank you. She looked every bit the happy new mom she was.

  The four of us chatted in whispers for a while, before Rosie finally put Renee down in her crib. “She’ll be asleep for a while, so time for me to see to the guests. Aren’t you guys hungry?”

  “Starving!” Tasha said, to which we all agreed to while laughing.

  We all headed out to the dining area where we saw our men gathered together, already munching on pizza and chugging down some beer.

  Tasha came forward with hands on her waist. “You guys didn’t even wait up for us?!” she said in pretend anger.

  Her boyfriend Stryder gave us all a sheepish smile. “Sorry, football players like us can’t go hungry for a long time.”

  “Even a short time!” Alex quipped. But he did come forward to kiss Rosie and ask about the baby. They talked in hushed voices for a while before going off to entertain their visitors and invite everyone to eat.

  Drake handed me a plate of goodies, which was really thoughtful of him. I was looking forward to spending the entire weekend with him here in Burchnell. Rosie and Alex had been generous enough to offer us all free stay here at their farm. The other couples had stuff going on and needed to get back to Windfield tomorrow. But Drake and I had planned well, so that we could take this weekend off and just be together in this small, peaceful town.

  As we were eating, we heard the distant sounds of a baby crying. Rosie quickly disappeared to see to her daughter. She soon came back with her chubby little one who was now all smiles. As the guests played with Renee, I could hear her making all sorts of gurgling, sort of laughing noises. Gazing at those miniature toes and precious little fingers simply amazed me. I couldn’t imagine myself yet as a mother.

  I glanced at Drake. First things first.

  He was actually staring at me. When he saw me turn to him, his eyes lit up and his lips turned up in a smile. Even without words, we understood each other. Our connection had deepened even more over time, which gave me daily inspiration and joy.

  After the snacks, we all headed out to stroll in the fields. I saw Cassy and Ivan holding hands, heading over to the lake. I think that place was somehow memorable to them, the way their eyes twinkled as they kidded each other and pointed to the lake.

  Meanwhile, Tasha had dragged her boyfriend over to the stables. Drake and I watched in amusement as she showed off her stuntwoman skills by doing a double somersault and landing on top of a very surprised horse. She raised her hands ove
r her head in triumph and dared Stryder to top that.

  “You call that a stunt?!” Stryder said haughtily, chuckling as he sauntered over to a huge, beautiful horse. Then jokingly, he suddenly hopped on one foot and turned around before ending right in front of the horse. We all laughed. Then to our further amusement, he started petting the horse and saying, “Here, horsey-horsey… Here, horsey-horsey…” Producing these sounds that seemed as if he were petting a kitten.

  Some of the other football players guffawed. Even Drake found it funny. We all had a good laugh.

  Tasha was laughing, too, as she rushed forward to kiss her man on the lips. Their lips locked into a lingering kiss. These two made such a comical but sweet couple.

  “Whoa,” I whispered, grinning.

  “I second that,” Drake said with a laugh as he guided me toward a waiting horse. He helped me up before hoisting himself to my back.

  Our sudden closeness caused ripples of electricity to shoot up through my skin. He even leaned forward to plant a kiss on my hair and then brush his lips softly against the skin at the back of my neck. I could feel my heart pounding harder and my body temperature rising.

  Without a word, he led the horse to a walk across the fields and then to a slow trot. The wind blew on my face and flapped my hair around. I closed my eyes for a while, simply immersing myself in the moment and letting my other senses be engulfed by the wonder of nature.

  I opened my eyes and smiled. Renee’s welcome party guests seemed so far away now. We were out there in the fields, seemingly all alone in the midst of serene silence. I treasured that simple joy, that valuable moment, with Drake. It was definitely refreshing to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and still be with the man I was crazy about.

  We rode the horse farther. Drake led us to a pathway behind the lake house, which seemed to follow a trail going to the mountains.

  “Are you sure you know where we’re going?” I asked him, suddenly worried. “We might get lost, you know. And nighttime is just around the corner…”

  “Relax,” he answered, massaging my shoulders from the back. He placed his hands back to the reins and slowed the horse to a steady walk. We were on the other side of the lake.

  Finally, we stopped at a certain point beside the lake. He climbed down from the horse and then helped me do the same. The enormous horse walked over to the edge and began drinking water. He must have gotten thirsty from all that walking and trotting!

  We sat down on a patch of grass, just quiet for a while.

  Finally, after a few seconds, I couldn’t help but ask. “What are you thinking?” I said. “Don’t tell me you’re just communing with Mother Nature. I won’t buy that.”

  My remark made his eyes crinkle on the sides as he laughed. “Yeah, certainly not that.”

  “So what is it?” I probed.

  He held me closer and leaned his chin on top of my head. “It’s just that I’ve never been this happy…”

  I smiled for a while, but then narrowed my eyes. I turned toward him with a puzzled, bothered look. “Well, isn’t that supposed to be a good thing?”

  “It is,” he answered quickly. “Believe me, it is. I’m so grateful that we got past all our bullshit and came together. We make a good team, Georgia. At least that’s what I think.” He seemed to wait for me to agree, so I didn’t say anything just to tease him.

  He actually began to look worried, so I smiled and said, “Of course, we do. We make not just a good team, but a great one! Just look how far we’ve both come from the start when we were just beginning to date.”

  “You’re absolutely right,” he agreed, hugging me closer.

  We talked a bit more just as the sunset was starting, painting the sky in hues of purple, orange, and pink. From where we were sitting, this natural masterpiece looked even more spectacular, especially with the way the splashes of colors were reflected in the lake. I was so mesmerized that I hardly felt Drake stand up and leave my side.

  One moment he was right there and the next he was standing by the horse. I had just stood up, concerned that it might be too dark already to make our way back.

  “I think we have to go now…” I began to say. But when I saw him standing there with a silly grin on his face, I stopped in surprise. “What are you up to?” I asked suspiciously.

  He stepped aside, revealing a clearer view of the horse behind him. “I think horsey here’s got a gift for you,” he said.

  My eyes traveled down to the horse’s neck around which a rose had been tied along with a red pouch. I smiled but said in a semi-whining voice, “But it isn’t my birthday yet until next week.”

  Drake just shrugged and waited for me to claim the gift.

  I came forward and untied the rose and pouch from the horse’s neck. “A rose again, huh?” I said.

  “Are you complaining?” Drake asked.

  I threw my hands around him and kissed him, to which he responded passionately. For a short while, we were lost in our own little world, unaware that the sun had completely gone down on us. It was a good thing there were makeshift lampposts surrounding the lake area, as well as lighted lanterns hanging from trees. The moonlight was also glowing on us like a spotlight from the heavens.

  “Who’s complaining?” I whispered jokingly, making us both laugh.

  “Open it,” he urged, motioning to the red pouch in my hand.

  I did as I was told, eager to see what he had gotten for me for my upcoming birthday. “You shouldn’t have gotten me something too expensive,” I warned, knowing how he tended to splurge with gifts for me.

  When I took out the small jewelry box, I remembered the gold bracelet I’d checked out at the mall when we were together. It had cost a fortune!

  “I sure hope you didn’t—” I started to say as I opened the lid. When I saw what was inside, the words died out from my mouth. My jaw dropped open and my hands began to shake.

  Smiling, he took the box from my hands and with one finger he tipped my chin up so that I would be gazing into his eyes. It was like our souls were speaking, even embracing one another.

  I couldn’t control the trembling of my hands as he took out the piece of jewelry from the box and turned it over in his fingers. My eyes followed the gleam that stood out in the dimness. I had never seen anything like it!

  Slowly he knelt down before me and held out the heart-shaped diamond ring to me. “Geeky Georgie, I’ll always regret doing what I did on prom night. But I’m glad that destiny brought us together again and allowed us to get to know each other better…”

  Tears had now begun streaming down my cheeks as I listened to his emotion-laden words. He took my left hand, pausing as he bent down to kiss the top of my palm.

  He continued. “...I have never been happier than when I am with you, Georgia. And I’m hoping I could spend the rest of my life building a bright future with you, taking care of you, making you as happy as you make me…”

  I held my breath.

  “Will you, Dr. Georgia Hill, do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Drake Walton?” he asked with all sincerity, his eyes shimmering meaningfully.

  I let go of my breath, my constricted heart beating faster than ever as I smiled through my tears. “Yes,” I whispered. “I want to marry you, Drake Walton.”

  He smiled and placed the engagement ring on my finger before standing up and pulling me into the warmth of his embrace.

  “I love you, Georgia,” he whispered as he held me even tighter. “I want to make babies with you and grow old and wrinkly with you…”

  I laughed at that, my head overflowing with imagined images of us as an old but happily married couple with loving children. “I’d like that very much,” I answered, melting in his sweet, strong arms. “I love you too, Drake.”

  That evening, we rode the horse back to the others as a future bride and groom. What a beautiful, unforgettable day it has been.

  THE END

  Just For You

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  The Conquest – Excerpt

  Santa you gotta be kidding me.

  One hot Xmas encounter in Jamaica has haunted me for an entire year.

  Just when I was about to give up the search,

  Guess who do I see sitting at my secretary’s desk?

  Forget about beaches and bikini,

  even in her boring suit Hannah had me hooked

  But she was so stubborn and proper, refusing me in every turn

  Yet always teased me with a glimpse of desire in her eyes

  Oh my girl, you had no ideas how I enjoy a challenging conquest

  ***

  Chapter One

  Hanna

  “Coffee?”

  I groaned as I slouched down at the kitchen table and rested my chin in my hands. It was six-thirty in the morning – an ungodly hour to begin with – but it was also Monday, and there was nothing I was dreading more than going into work and sitting at a desk for nine hours, pretending to smile.