"You know it. I'll come to your place that way we can bring some of your things here tomorrow. Sound good?"
"Sounds great. See you soon."
I slipped my cell into my purse and left my condo. I walked down to Aroma Mocha. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and I couldn't wait to share the news with Jenna. I felt like I'd been holding this secret long enough. I walked in and placed our order—coffee and muffins as always—and took a seat over in the back corner.
I'd been waiting for ten minutes when I finally saw Jenna pull the door open and walk in. She looked around the fairly empty diner and finally saw me. I had to keep my head down to contain the smile that I had hidden on my face.
"Sophie, look at you. You're an utter mess," she bit out as she slid into the seat across from me. It was true. After the realtor left, I had thrown my hair up in a messy ponytail and put on an old T-shirt and jeans. If I was going to be packing later, I didn't want to wear good clothes.
I shrugged. "I guess, but I didn't think I looked that bad," I mumbled.
"Honey. You can't keep doing this to yourself. You can't keep hiding in your condo. We all miss you, and we are all very worried about you. I figured that after last weekend you would be good to go, but you've now been avoiding me. You didn't show up for yoga on Saturday either."
Shit, I had forgotten all about yoga, and I had promised Jenna I would be there too. I was about to explain when our coffee and muffins were placed down in front of us, and as Jenna thanked the waitress, I pulled my hand from below the table and grabbed my coffee mug.
As the waitress walked away from our table, Jenna turned towards me and was just about to say something else that would either be in the form of yelling and giving me shit or trying to comfort me, when her eyes spotted the ring I wore.
"What on earth..."
"He asked me to marry him. Obviously, I said yes," I said, wiggling my fingers.
Jenna reached for my hand, gripping it tightly and pulling it towards her.
"My God, girl, that is gorgeous," she said as she continued looking it over. Then she raised her eyes to mine and smiled. "Are you happy?"
"Jenna, seriously, I couldn't be happier. He's everything to me. I mean, there aren't many people who can say they are lucky enough to marry their best friend."
"My God, I have to call Matt," Jenna said, rifling through her purse for her cell phone. "We need to celebrate."
"Hold up. I know Chase wanted to tell Matt, so don't ruin it for him." I giggled.
"Okay, fine." Jenna pouted, putting her purse down.
"We have lots to talk about. I need a dress, and you need a dress," I said.
"We get to shop together for our wedding dresses," we sang in unison.
I could feel the excitement building, and before I knew it, we had been sitting in the coffee shop for over three hours. We had gotten lost in plans and locations and flower choices and honeymoon spots.
"This is going to be so amazing. I seriously cannot wait," Jenna said, laughing.
Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Chase standing beside me, and Matt trailing behind with a tray of coffees. We had been so wrapped up that we hadn't noticed the time.
"Congratulations, guys!" Matt said, setting the tray down on the edge of the table and passing each of us our coffees.
Chase slid in beside me, putting his arm around me and pulling me into him. "I was getting worried. I called Matt to see if you were over there, and he was the one who led us here." He leaned in and kissed me.
"Sorry about that. We got caught up in wedding plans," I said, kissing him.
“And so, it starts!” Matt laughed.
"We were both afraid of that." Chase chuckled, fist bumping Matt.
We spent the better part of the night talking, laughing, and throwing around ideas. It had been one of the best days the four of us had shared together, and only the beginning of many more to come.
24
Chase - One Year Later
I stood at the altar with my brothers and Matt. The girls had already come down the aisle and had taken their places across from us. The doors opened at the back of the church, and the second I set my eyes on Sophie, I could feel the tears start to form. I swallowed back the lump in my throat and watched as Sophie walked down that aisle, leaving me weak in the knees. She looked absolutely stunning. Once she stood before me, I leaned in and kissed her cheek. I couldn't wait for her to be mine.
After the ceremony, we had partied the night away with our friends and family. It was midnight, and we had just finished sharing another dance when I pulled her into me and whispered that I thought it was a good time to get going. I watched the look in her eyes as she silently agreed with me. We said our good-byes and left the venue.
I rolled over and looked at my sleeping wife. Glancing at the clock, I saw it was only five; the sun was barely up. I slid my arm under her and pulled her against me, listening to the soft moan that escaped her lips. We were leaving for our honeymoon in six hours. Two weeks in Hawaii, just us, no distractions.
"Baby, good morning," I whispered, sucking her earlobe into my mouth.
"Morning," she mumbled sleepily and stretched.
"Are you ready for our next adventure?"
She opened her sleep-filled eyes and looked at me. "What time is it?" I could hear the panic in her voice at the thought we had slept in.
"It's only five. We have lots of time."
Sophie raised herself up onto her elbows and looked around the hotel room. "I almost forgot where we were." She mumbled, laughing, "Guess we should get up then and have some breakfast."
I grabbed her, pulling her back down. "No way, not yet. I haven't made love to my wife yet this morning," I mumbled, kissing the side of her neck and rolling her so I was on top.
"We can't be late." Sophie laughed and then sucked in her breath as I sucked her nipple into my mouth.
"Are you already making up excuses? My brothers did warn me of this you know.” I chuckled. “Calm down. We won't be late, no worries. Just relax and let me work my magic."
Sophie let out a laugh as I squeezed her sides before kissing my way down her body. I loved watching my wife come undone, and make her come undone I did.
Three hours later, we walked hand in hand through the airport to our gate. We had lots of time, so as we wandered, we stopped in some of the shops along the way. We browsed around, each of us grabbing a couple of books and magazines for the beach. We grabbed a couple coffees and bagels along the way, too, since we hadn't had time for breakfast at the hotel.
We were now seated at the gate, both reading, both eating breakfast and sipping on hot coffee.
I looked up from my book and watched her. The soft smile on her lips as she read what must have been a funny part in her favorite author's newest rom-com. It was in those few moments that I realized I couldn't have been happier. I had married my best friend. Someone who had always understood me, always listened when I needed her to. I was only sad for a second when I realized that I had wasted all this time. She had been right in front of me all along. What mattered now was that we start our lives together.
"What's got you so serious?" she questioned, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Nothing." I smiled and shoved my head back into my book. When I looked up again a few minutes later, I caught her watching me.
"What were you thinking about, Chase?" she asked.
"Just how much I love you," I answered, grabbing her hand and lacing my fingers through hers.
Her cheeks lit with color and she smiled. "I love you too."
The overhead speaker called out our flight number. We gathered our stuff, grabbed our bags, and made our way over to the boarding gate. I was beyond blessed, and I couldn’t wait to start forever with Sophie.
A Note from the Author
Dear Readers,
I would like to thank you for taking the time to read Finding Forever with You. I hope you enjoyed Chase and Sophie’s story. If you did
, I would love it if you would drop me a review. Reviews are so important and really help me; plus I love to hear what my readers think.
What started as a single story with Hunter and Autumn has turned into two years of writing about these four brothers. It is going to be hard to for me to say goodbye to Hunter, Carter, Bryce and Chase. I hope you have enjoyed the journey as much as I have.
Coming Soon
My Darling Christmas
Ace (Vegas MMA)
Constraint (Everyday Heroes World)
About the Author
S.L. Sterling had been an avid reader since she was a child, often found getting lost in books. Today, if she isn’t writing or plotting, she can be found buried in a romance novel. S.L. Sterling lives with her husband and dogs in Northern Ontario.
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Sterling’s Silver Sapphires
Titles by S.L. Sterling
It Was Always You
On A Silent Night
Bad Company
Back to You this Christmas
The Malone Brother Series
A Kiss Beneath the Stars
In Your Arms
His to Hold
Finding Forever with You
Vegas MMA
Dagger
Finding Forever with You (The Malone Brothers Book 4) Page 13
