by Serena Vale
“I just can’t do this anymore.”
“What do you mean? Why?”
“I just can’t Tate. We both said that we could end this at any time that we wanted to. Well, I’m ending it now. Thank you for an amazing few months. And, I really hope your reputation keeps on getting better. You never deserved that bad reputation to begin with. I’m going to think twice about simply listening to the media now.” Then before he could say anything, she leaned forward and kissed him. Then, she got up and left. She heard him cry out her name but she ran off before he could stop her.
The next few days she ignored his calls and spent most of the time in bed. She’d been feeling nauseous anyway and lying in bed seemed to be the only way of feeling better. That night, when her mom came in the room to see her she had just had another bout of nausea. Her mom sat at the edge of the bed and placed her hand on top of hers. “Alexis, my girl, I think I know what’s wrong.”
“I’m fine mom.” She was expecting her mom to launch into a story about love and loss and about how maybe she should’ve given Tate another chance. Her mom still had no idea about the whole contract between them and simply thought that the two of them had just broken up.
“Alexis, I think you might be pregnant.”
At that, Alexis threw up again.
Chapter 5
Tate
It had been a few days since Alexis left and she was not returning any of Tate’s calls. So far, thankfully, none of the media had picked up on the breakup, and he’d been quite busy with an upcoming game. The focus in the last few days was all about the game and whether Tate could pull off yet another flawless win for the team. The distraction had been good but he still could not get Alexis out of his mind. He had always known that the two of them would eventually ‘break up’ – that had been the deal from the beginning. But as far as he was concerned things had been going so well for them. Perhaps she just simply didn’t feel as strongly as he did.
He was scrolling through his Twitter feed when he saw a blurry picture of a woman walking into a doctor’s office. The tweet read, “Alexis Washington visiting the doctor. Is this perhaps why she’s been so quiet lately?”
The doctor? He tried to find out more but couldn’t find anything else on the matter. It was perhaps just a routine visit, he kept telling himself. But he couldn’t shake off the uneasiness that was building up inside of him. Eventually, after a few hours of walking circles of his living room, he walked out and went straight to her house. He had only been there to drop her off before and hadn’t yet been inside or met her family. Alexis had not wanted her family to get too involved over something that was simply going to end. Now, he knocked on the door and took a deep breath. He hoped he was doing the right thing.
An older lady opened the door. There was no doubt that this was Alexis’s mother. The same hair, although somewhat more tamed and with a bit more grey, the same eyes, and the same look of defiance.
“Tate Henderson – what, may I ask, are you doing here?” Her hands were on her hips and she did not seem at all impressed to see a famous football player at her door. Alexis had told him that her mother was a huge fan and squealed every time she saw him on the TV, and yet here she was barely giving him the time a day. Either Alexis had been lying or else she felt him responsible for her daughter being upset. But was she upset? I thought she just didn’t like me. He felt a sense of hope fill him.
“Mrs Washington. I’m so sorry to barge in like this and it’s a pleasure to meet you. But Alexis, is she here?” He tried to peer inside but she stopped him.
“Alexis is not in a position to see anyone right now.”
“Not in a position? What do you mean? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. But I think it’s better if you leave.”
“Mom, it’s okay, let him in.” The voice that came from inside was soft but there was no denying that it came from Alexis herself. Her mom sighed and opened the door. Alexis looked just as beautiful as ever, only sadder.
“Alexis. Are you okay?” He asked, moving closer to her.
“Tate. We need to talk.”
Alexis led Tate up the stairs and while they walked he was aware of her mother glaring at him. He didn’t dare look back. When they got inside his room he smiled.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“I’ve just never been inside your room. Also, your mom did not seem happy to see me. I feel like a teenager sneaking into the room of a girl that I like.” This, at least, made her giggle.
“Tate, stop it. You’re not supposed to be making me laugh.”
Alexis then went on to tell him the reason why she left. The whole time she kept her head down, staring at her hands intently, and not daring to look him in the eye.
“Alexis. Oh no. I wish you had come to me first. Alexis, you have no idea how hard it has been without you. I… I love you. I know that this is not what we had intended to happen. But it did. Seems Sally knows me better than I know myself. She probably knew this would happen the moment she met you. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.” But now, tears were streaming down her face and she finally looked up.
“Tate, there’s something else. I only just found out.”
“What? What’s wrong? Does it have something to do with you going to do the doctor? I saw something on Twitter about it.”
“Yeah. Uh… Tate, I’m pregnant.”
“Pregnant!”
“I think we took this job far too seriously. This should never have happened. We weren’t supposed to get this close Tate. I cannot believe I let it go that far.”
Tate knew he should be upset. He knew he should be anxious. But the fact remained, Alexis was just as in love with him as he was with her, and that was the only thing that he could think of. It was the only thing that mattered. He took her hand.
“Alexis. Will you marry me?”
“What?” Her head shot up.
“Will you marry me Alexis? I mean, that was the whole agreement from the start wasn’t it?” She started laughing.
“Well yes, but you didn’t really have to go through with it.”
“Forget the agreement anyway. I’m asking you for real now. Alexis, I’m scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I’m with you.”
“That’s Dirty Dancing!” She burst out laughing, “I see your movie repertoire goes beyond just thrillers and horrors.”
“I can be romantic when I need to be.”
“I need to get to know my movies better though. One day you’ll be quoting something from a movie and I’ll think it’s something you can came up with yourself.”
“I maybe quoting the movie, but the sentiment is all mine.”
“Well nobody puts Alexis in a corner.”
“Is that a weird movie way of saying yes?”
“Yes, Tate ‘The Great’ Henderson – I will be your wife! But only if you give me one more quote.” She leaned forward and laughed.
“You’re a tough one, you know. ‘Sometimes, the only way to catch an uncatchable woman is to offer her a wedding ring.’”
“I have no idea where that is from. But I must agree. I love you Tate.”
“And I love you, Alexis. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. You saved me from myself.”
“Oooh, good one. Where’s that one from?”
“From me.”
Epilogue
Tate and Alexis surprised the world by having an intimate and personal wedding. Alexis looked beautiful in a simple gown that offset beautifully against her dark skin. The top was detailed in intricate white lace and the bottom was sheer champagne colored silk that flowed out all the way to the ground. There was just a hint of a bump showing which Alexis was proud to show off. What was strange was that nobody queried whether they were only getting married because she was pregnant. There must have just been something about the way that they looked at each other that made it obvious that they were in love.
For a while, the two of them were in the papers almost weekly and they were the most talked about couple in town. Everyone wanted to get an inside glimpse into their wedding, to their life as a married couple, and then to their life as parents. People were fascinated by them. Of course, it didn’t harm that Tate was still playing the best game of his life and was now popular both on and off the field. It didn’t take long for ‘Tate the Great’ to get his name back. And what did they name the baby? Well, Sally of course!
The Highlander’s Surrender Bride
Chapter 1
Scotland 1788
Abigail Castlerey patted Chestnut as the dun mare plodded slowly up the winding, rocky path. She looked around the wild landscape and tried to fight back the sharp stab of fear that threatened to cut through her. Lord, she hoped she was doing the right thing. But what other options were left to her?
She unclenched her fist just enough to see the words spelled out in her uncle’s scrawling handwriting. The piece of parchment was stained with wine and whatever food he’d been eating at the time. Honestly, she was surprised he’d penned it himself. Usually, he thought he was above such menial tasks, but she supposed he didn’t want anyone hearing the terrible words written there.
For years her uncle Travis DuBois Castlerey had harbored an insane jealousy at her father’s wealth and success. His brother had never understood that it was hard work and fair business, not some whim of fate, that had made her father successful, and had eventually earned him a title and a piece of land in one of the most fertile foothills of Scotland.
They had made a more than comfortable life for themselves, and the township they provided for, her father, the new Earl of Castlerey and his only daughter. Her mother had died of an illness when she was just a child but they had always had each other. Grief struck her, as it always did when she thought of her father. He had been a great man, and the six months since his death had been pure hell for Abigail. She was the last remaining heir.
Abigail closed her eyes, trusting that her horse would make her way with a sure footing along the uneven path. She didn’t need to look at the letter to know what it had written on it. There terrible words were branded onto her memory and she doubted she would ever forget them. He was coming. Her uncle was coming to take everything her father had built and to marry her off to some horrible duke that she’d had the misfortune of meeting once, and that was more than enough for her.
The worst thing was, despite being the last surviving heir, that was nothing she could do about. Except the one secret he didn’t know. As part of the contract for receiving the land and the manor, and even the title itself, she had agreed to an arranged marriage between herself and a neighboring Scottish lord when she came of age. That time had come and past and now at almost twenty one she was well past the age she should have married. Her father had never pushed her, however, and she had never brought it up, content to stay in her position of lady of the manor and steward of the estate after her father had taken ill a few years before.
But now her uncle had forced her hand. He was coming to steal away everything she had ever loved, and at the same time condemn her to a life basically as a prisoner to a man she detested. Abigail clenched her fist again as the familiar anger suffused her body. Chestnut nickered softly, dancing slightly beneath her as the mare sensed her mistresses temper rise.
Abigail patted her softly, calming the horse as they continued on their journey. It was just a half day’s ride from Castlerey manor to her destination. The home of the man she had been betrothed to since a little girl, but had never met. All she had to go by was his reputation and it was blacker than sin. Lord Aryen MacCalium was known across the Scottish countryside as the devil himself and she desperately hoped that his reputation was just that, rumor and hearsay.
She sighed, staring at the beautiful landscape, wild and untamed. So much like the man she was riding to meet. Riding to marry. She knew her only option was to force his hand and make sure the ceremony was performed right away, so that there was no chance her uncle could go through with his dastardly plan.
Apparently, according to the note, her uncle had incurred some very hefty gambling debts whilst in London. The man to whom he owed these debts was an incredibly powerful and influential man, and absolutely horrible. Her uncle, completely broke and facing debtor’s prison had been overjoyed to hear of his brother’s demise because it meant he could pay off a portion of his debt, but even the annual earnings from the manor wouldn’t be enough. So, in a desperate and despicable ploy, her dear uncle Travis had offered her as payment. Her hand in marriage in return for a forgiveness of the debt owed. He had agreed.
The idea made her so furious all over again that she didn’t even notice when MacCalium castle rose above the nearest rolling hill, reaching into the clear blue sky in its grandeur. Her breath caught as she finally realized just how close she was to the biggest risk she’d ever taken in her entire sheltered life. Lord, she really did hope she was doing the right thing. Because there was no turning back now.
Fighting back the fear trying to drag her under, Abigail straightened her spine and kicked Chestnut into a quick gallop, desperately trying not to focus on anything at all, especially not the massive stone structure getting ever closer. There was a heavy nausea laying across her stomach and she felt like she couldn’t breath, but she knew in the end she really had no choice. The man they called the Black Lord was her only hope, the devil her only salvation.
Frantically, she leaped off of the horses back completely ignoring the damage done to the hem of her scarlet red dress. It was her favorite one, and now one of her only ones as she’d been forced to flee only with the things she could carry in the small chest strapped to the back of Chestnut’s saddle.
Abigail tried hard to breath, to stay calm, to stay focused on putting one foot in front of that other. That’s it. Now, slowly raise your arm and grasp the knocker shaped like a lion. Good. Now knock on the door. Wonderful. She took a dizzying step back just as the door was flung open. Abigail squinted as her vision tunneled. How odd. She raised one shaky arm and pointed at the muscular chest in front of her.
“I am Abigail Cecilia Dubois Castlerey, and I am here to marry the Black Lord.” She just had time to slur the words out before she crumbled to ground in a dead faint. Luckily for her, there was a set of strong arms to catch her.
Chapter 2
Aryen MacCalium stood there for a long moment looking down at the little slip of a woman who had just proposed, nay demanded, marriage to him. He shook his head in utter bafflement. So this was Abigail Castlerey, the girl his father had promised him to over a decade ago. He had been barely eleven years old at the time, and thought nothing of it. Of course, over the fifteen years that had passed since then he had given quite a bit more thoughts, but even now at twenty six it seemed like more a fairy tale to him than anything else. He had never even met the lass before now.
And he still hadn’t really. She’d just sort of yelled that she was here to marry him and then fainted before he could get a word in. Black Lord, she had called him. Aye, he had earned the name, if not for the reasons most people thought, but it still made him cringe, especially when uttered from such gorgeous lips as these.
He stole the moment to look at her, drinking in her beauty and sweetness. She was the total opposite of what he’d pictured. The few English ladies he’d met had all been pale haired and paler spirited. The perfect gentlewomen. How boring. It was part of the reason why he had put off following through with the arrangement for so long, besides the fact that he’d had no real intention with going through with it.
Her dark brown hair hung in heavy waves that draped over his arm where it had come undone from the pins. Her skin was sweet peaches and cream and had his mouth watering for a taste, her lips pure and unadulterated sin. They were closed now, but when he’d first opened the door, expecting one of his men, he’d been struck by her wide, grey eyes. Like a storm falling over the Scottish moors. They had trapped him,
entranced him.
As he began walking through the front room and down a back stairway to avoid unwanted eyes, Aryen couldn’t help but feel her sweet curves pressed against him under the deep red fabric of her dress. He noticed how travel worn it was and wondered what had brought her so far with nothing but her horse. He knew Castlerey manor was several miles off, and not the easiest of rides. Her clothing could attest to that.
He would have to get someone to take care of the lass’s horse, he thought idly, trying to fill his thoughts with anything besides just how right she felt in his arms, cradled against his chest.
“My Lord! What are ye doing with that poor girl!” He froze as Mira’s voice washed over him. Mira Tomgunney, the steward and head maid of Castle MacCalium, and a stricter taskmistress he’d never met. Without her, they would all surely fall into ruin and he made as sure to let her know that every day as he did to try and avoid her.
“It’s…she’s…” Aryen stopped, cutting off his nonsensical words. “She is my fiancé.” He finally said, as calmly as he could, and immediately panic flooded his veins. Why in the bloody hell would he say that? Because it would the simple truth, he realized then, standing there and staring down at her. He may have denied it for the past fifteen years, but it had been there, she had been there, always a part of him.
“Oh, bless my soul! A fiancé! Who is she? Ach! What are you doing carryin’ around an unconscious fiancé, my laird?” Mira made it sound more like a nickname than a title of respect but he put up with it because, well, she didn’t give him much choice in the matter. Besides, it was hard to demand respect from the woman who changed him as a child and wasn’t afraid to throw him over her knee even after he was twice as tall as her if she thought he stepped out of line.
“She fainted. I was carrying her to my bedroom so she could rest and recuperate.” He said the words slowly, making sure to enunciating his words so he didn’t feel like such a complete fool in front of the the older woman.
