Earning Her Love

by Hazel Gower

  Alex had barely finished work when he received the phone call from the pre-school telling him that an older couple was at the school, claiming to be Zane’s grandparents. They were insisting they had a right to see him and had visitation. Melissa, the director of the pre-school, told Alex that they even had a lawyer with them. Melissa informed him before she’d gotten a hold of him she’d spoken with his mother, Catharine, and that she was on her way to school. He told Melissa not to bother Mia and that he would deal with it, but Melissa said she’d already tried to contact Mia, but she couldn’t get in touch with her and she’d left a message. Melissa also told him that she’d called the police for assistance.

  In that moment he was so grateful for a lot of things. One, that he had adopted Zane. Two, that he was a cop. And three, that he was a Douglas, because not only did people know the name, thanks to his brothers, but his mother was a woman you never messed with, and if her grandchild was involved, look out.

  He knew he’d broken a bunch of laws just getting to the pre-school. How dare these people come in after not having anything to do with Mia for over four years, and probably having never even met Zane, and think they could just see him.

  He ran into the pre-school and paused at the entry hall. Melissa, Zane, his mother, and his father stood before three very well-dressed people—two men and one woman. He knew the lawyer was there as a scare tactic. Alex could see the resemblance to Mia in the couple, the woman had the same strawberry blonde hair as Mia, but with a lot of white scattered through. The man had the same skin tone and chocolate brown eyes as Mia.

  Alex didn’t care if they were Mia’s parents, they had no right to see his son. He narrowed his gaze on them and came up behind his parents. Zane was clutching Alex’s father’s neck, and as soon as Zane saw Alex, he squealed, “Daddy.” And jumped over to him. Alex opened his arms for his son, caught him, and kissed his forehead.

  “Hey, buddy. How’s Daddy’s boy?”

  Zane burst into tears, and Alex hugged him tight. His anger rose as his son’s body trembled. These people had scared him.

  “Do you want to tell me why you were trying to see my grandson without our permission?” His mother glared at the people before them, and Alex could see his mother was furious. Before Alex could say anything to Mia’s parents his mother snapped at them. “Do you see what you’ve done to him? This…” His mother waved her hands around. “...was unnecessary. If you’d phoned Mia, or even gotten in contact with myself or my son, we could have talked to you about options before you charged in thinking you have rights.”

  “Ma’am, this child is Zane Lexington. His grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Lex—” The lawyer spoke up, but Alex was too angry to hear anything from him.

  “No.” Alex didn’t like the lawyer talking; he shouldn’t even be there in the first place. The lawyer ignored Alex and continued talking to his parents. Alex didn’t want to hear any story about Mia’s parents and wanting better for Zane, they’d abandoned Mia and didn’t deserve her or his son. He held Zane tighter against his chest. “His name is Zane Douglas,” he gritted out, still ignored.

  Alex heard a familiar voice behind him and turned to see his friend Anthony in uniform with a newer recruit, Levi, and a woman who was a worker at the center. The woman left when she showed Anthony and Levi the scene.

  Anthony came up beside him and raised his eyebrow. “What trouble you in now, Douglas?”

  Alex rolled his eyes at the smirk on Anthony’s face, but Alex knew once Anthony learned who these people were and what they’d done to Mia, Anthony wouldn’t be any help to them. Anthony adored Mia, and Alex had to practically kick him out of their house to get rid of him.

  Mrs. Lexington’s gaze widened as she looked him up and down, huffed, then mumbled, “Look what that daughter of mine has stooped to now—a criminal.”

  What the hell? Alex knew he looked a little rough, he wasn’t what most people pictured a cop to look like, but in his earlier years he’d done a lot of undercover work and the tatts and larger build helped. He was in sweats and a tank top, but he’d only just finished work, showered, and then got the phone call. He usually finished work and went home and dozed for a couple of hours before picking Zane up from pre-school. He had no reason to dress up or cover his body and tatts. He didn’t care what the people before him thought of him.

  Anthony laughed, and so did Levi, but he at least coughed to cover it up. Anthony didn’t. “Ma’am, I suggest you keep quiet until Officer Levi and I have this situation under control. I would also suggest you refrain from calling Detective Douglas a criminal.”

  “Daddy.” Alex’s heart melted every time Zane called him that. Zane came away from his chest and gave a shy wave at Anthony before gazing up at him. “The old man and lady said they knows Mummy’s. They’s saided that iza have to go with them. I don’t wanna, Daddy. Pleasezed don’ts lets them takes me.” Zane’s speech got worse the more hysterical he got.

  “Listen to him,” Mia’s mother said. “He’s four and still not speaking properly, and Mia hasn’t done anything about it. She cannot look after this child.” Mia’s mother spoke to the lawyer, but she’d said it loud enough for everyone to hear.

  That was it. Alex had had it. This woman had no right to talk like this. He knew Anthony wouldn’t do much to stop him. Stepping forward toward Mia’s parents, Alex straightened and glowered down at them. “How dare you. You have no right to say what Mia can and cannot do. Mia is amazing. She has done everything on her own without even an acknowledgement from you two and done a damn fine job of it.” He sneered at them. “I couldn’t be more proud of her if I tried. She has done the best with the shitty hand you helped deal her and has come out of it stronger and better for it. So, if you think you can come in here now and try and take over, you have a rude awaking coming to you. I can tell you now that no judge in their right mind would give you any rights to my son or any say in Mia’s life. Not only is Mia a great mother, who makes sure Zane has everything he needs, she is now a university student, advancing her career so she and Zane can have a better life. She is a well-loved woman, and a fantastic mother. I know there isn’t a person in this room, besides you three, who doesn’t agree with me.”

  Everyone nodded and Alex gazed around the room see his parents, Melissa, the director of the pre-school, Anthony, and even Levi agree with him. Alex was shocked though when his gaze landed on Mia, who must have come up beside him at some point.

  She beamed up at him. “God, I love you.” She turned her back on her parents and hugged him, Zane between them.

  She’d said it. His heart soared, and right now he didn’t a give a flying fuck about anything else. Wrapping his arm around her, he squeezed her tight and leaned down, kissing her forehead. “I love you too.”

  * * * **

  Mia had never felt so drained in her life. She loved uni, but juggling everything was starting to get to her. Alex had convinced her to turn her phone off while she was in afternoon classes as this month he was on all morning shifts, so he finished at lunch time and he could get Zane if anything happened to him. So when after her class she turned on her phone to find a message from Melissa, the director of the pre-school, telling her that her parents were at the pre-school and demanding to see their grandson, she’d freaked and left university and went straight to Zane.

  The drive to the pre-school had been the longest in her life as scenarios of what could happen swirled around in her mind. She knew her parents couldn’t just take Zane, but that didn’t stop the thoughts of them doing it. She was terrified and sick to stomach of what they might say to Zane or even Alex and his family. Mia didn’t want her parents anywhere near Zane or the Douglases, they were way too good to be exposed to them.

  A million scenes ran through her mind, but what she came upon wasn’t what she expected. She come in as her mother criticized Zane’s speech. How dare that evil witch think she could come in after all this time and criticize her baby. Mia had been about to tell her mother where she
could shove what she thought, when Alex spoke and ripped her mother a new one and told her just what he thought of her and Mia. By the time he finished Mia’s heart was beating so fast and her stomach was fluttering so much she had trouble breathing for a moment as she realized how lucky she was to have Alex and how much she loved him.

  She’d ignored her parents and told the man she loved her feelings for him for the first time. “I love you too,” he said loud and clear back.

  Mia ignored the people around them and stared up into Alex’s dark blue eyes. “Thank you. No one has ever done what you’ve done for me.”

  Alex smiled and Mia melted against him. She was so lucky.

  “I would do anything for you, Mia. You and Zane are my whole world.”

  Mia couldn’t help the tears that slipped down her cheeks at his beautiful words.

  “As long as I have breath in my body I won’t let anyone hurt you.” He wiped her tears away and brushed his lips over hers.

  Zane broke their moment on a load groan. “They’re kissing agains, Grandma. They’re always kissing.”

  Mia turned to see Catharine with tears running down her cheeks but a huge smile on her face.

  * * * *

  Anthony and Levi had escorted Mr. and Mrs. Lexington and their lawyer out of the pre-school. Later they found out that Mia’s parents had kept tabs on her for years. When they were told she wasn’t working and didn’t have a flat they decided to intervene and try to take Zane. They hadn’t done their homework right though, because they didn’t know about Alex and his family.

  Alex had his lawyer send the Lexingtons a formal letter with both his and Mia’s signatures on it, stating they wanted them to stay away from Zane, and if they saw them or heard about them trying to get access to him, they would take legal action. Mia wrote a letter stating she disowned them and didn’t want to see or hear from them again. Any chance she might have given them vanished when they tried to see Zane without her permission. Other than receiving a formal letter from the Lexingtons’ lawyer saying they would stay away, they hadn’t heard from them, and Alex was glad about that.

  “Are you ready?” Owen patted his back.

  Alex looked around him at the pool he’d hired. The pool where he’d meet the two most important people in his life. It was decorated with white, peach, and pink roses, something called baby’s breath, greenery, and orchard vines and fairy lights were weaved around everything. The small field now had tables across it, and where the seat stand had been was now clear and a makeshift dance floor was there. Beth, his mother, sister, and sister-in-law had done an unbelievable job. Now he just had to surprise the woman he loved and get her to not only agree to marry him, but to do it now.

  Beth and his sister had taken Mia on a girl’s day out and told her they were going out to the theater tonight. His sister had messaged him five minutes ago to tell him to keep everyone quiet because they were just around the corner.

  Alex stood just after the entrance, ready to ask his big question. “Yes, I’m ready.” He was. He just hoped Mia said yes. His stomach flip-flopped, his palms were sweaty, and his heart was already beating so fast he was surprised it was still in his chest.

  “Good luck. We’re all here behind you.” Owen squeezed his shoulders.

  “Thanks. Tell everyone it’s quiet time. She’ll be here any minute now.”

  “Sure, bro.”

  Alex listened as Owen told everyone to stay quiet, and Alex took deep breathes in and out, trying to calm his nerves. It wasn’t long in the quiet when he heard the car on the gravel and then his sister and Beth talking especially loud.

  “I just want to pop in here and grab something I left behind. The owners said they’d be here,” Beth yelled.

  “They had a work thing here today and a bunch of people left their cars,” his sister Steph yelled. “The owners said they’d stay so people could pick their things up.”

  “Did you two have more than a glass of wine? You’re both talking really loud.” Alex could hear Mia’s soft voice getting closer.

  “No. Only one.” Beth gave the fakest laugh he’d ever heard, and Alex hoped she hadn’t been acting strange all day and giving away that something was happening.

  “Are you okay, Beth? You’ve been off all day.”

  “What, me?” Beth’s voice was so high that he had difficulty not laughing. Now he also knew who couldn’t keep secrets.

  The gate rattled, and he took a step forward. Alex watched as Mia came through the entrance. She stopped short when she saw everything. She looked stunning in a blue summer dress with silver on the bodice. The hem of skirt sat just above her knees. Her heels were silver and made her legs look amazing. Her hair was piled on top of her head in an elaborate twirl with a couple of curls hanging down to frame her face. The gasp Mia gave was loud, and Alex didn’t miss her tremble when she spotted him. Her hands covered her face, and tears slid down her cheeks.

  Oh shit. She wasn’t supposed to cry. Going to her, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. “Sweetheart, you’re not meant to cry.”

  “I’m not. I’m happy. It’s just I love you so much.”

  “Loving me makes you cry?” Alex eased away and gently wiped her tears.

  Mia shook her head. “No. It’s just... You did this, didn’t you?”

  “I had help. I couldn’t have done it without my family and Beth.”

  Mia nodded and beamed up at him. Alex loved her smile, watching as her eyes light up and her face transformed from beautiful to breathtaking.

  Now was his time. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he eased down onto one knee and opened the box and held it up. “Mia Lexington, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  Before he’d even gotten the words out he was tackled to the ground as Mia threw herself at him, yelling, “Yes. Yes. Yes.” She peppered him with kisses all over his face before her lips took his in a kiss that went on and on, until loud cheering reached his still ringing ears.

  Alex sat up and placed the ring on her finger just as a little body squeezed itself between them. Zane looked adorable in his tux and his hair gelled.

  “Wow. Don’t you look handsome, baby?”

  Alex helped Mia stand, and she picked Zane up and hugged him, kissing both his cheeks.

  “I knows.” Zane nodded enthusiastically. “Grandma, Grandpa, and everybody’s have tolds me.”

  Mia laughed, and so did he.

  Before Mia could go see all the people Alex held her hand and brought her closer to him. “There is more.”

  “More,” she whispered like she was unsure she’d heard him.

  “Yes, more.” Smiling at her, he took a calming breath in and slowly let it out, letting his fluttering stomach settle. “Mary me now. Marry me now in front of all my family and our friends.”

  Her gaze widened, and she looked around her again and Alex saw the realization hit her. She opened her mouth and closed it several times. He swore his heart stopped beating as he awaited her answer.

  Finally, she mumbled, “Now? I don’t have a dress though.”

  He laughed in relief and gathered her to him, kissing her.

  Zane pushed at him. “Argh, they’re kissing again,” he groaned.

  “Beth has your dress. So will you?” he asked. Tears streamed down her face as she nodded frantically. “So yes?”

  He smirked when she giggled and then yelled so everyone could hear. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you now.”

  Everyone cheered and whistled around them, and before Alex could say anything else Mia was whisked away from him by his mother, sister, and Beth to get ready.

  Now that the hard part of asking was out of the way, the easy and best bit was to come—marrying the woman he loved.

  * * * *

  “How does it feel to be married?”

  Mia stared at her smiling best friend, Beth, and couldn’t shake the dreamlike daze she was in. She had given up on fairytales long ago, but today Mia felt like a princess, and her
day had ended with her marrying her prince. Her Cinderella-style dress sparkled in the night as the fairy lights caught the shiny sheen of the fabric. Mia had never felt more beautiful than she did tonight.

  After she’d said yes to Alex she’d been whisked away to the bathrooms that had been fixed up with carpet and lit up with lights. A table sat in one corner with a makeup artist and the dress hung in another corner. Beth and Alex’s family had gotten her dream wedding down to the very last detail. Mia had become a blubbering mess as she thanked them all and found out what more was going on. Half an hour later, in record time, thanks to all the help she had, Mia walked down to the grass area where a flowered-covered arch stood and a man she didn’t recognize stood with Alex.

  Alex’s father agreed to walk her down the aisle. The man she didn’t recognize was a celebrant, and he performed the ceremony. After signing the marriage certificate she was announced as Mrs. Mia Douglas. Mia knew that once the celebrant had sent the records off to the national registry she could legally change her name, and she would. She felt so privileged to become a part of the Douglas family.

  “It feels great. Amazing. Happier then I can ever remember being,” she answered Beth.

  “Good. You deserve that and more.” Beth hugged her again, and Mia squeezed her tight.

  “Thank you again for all your help in this.” Mia kissed Beth’s cheek.

  “It was nothing really. I would do anything for you, Mia. You’re my best friend.”

  Pulling Beth to her again for another hug, Mia kissed both her cheeks and resisted the urge to cry. She was the luckiest woman on earth to have all these amazing people in her life.

  Arms wrapped around her waist and brought her against a hard body she knew very well. She shivered as heat raced through her when his husky voice reached her ears. “It’s time for us to leave, wife.” His breath heated her neck before she felt his lips brush over her tingling skin.

  Biting her lip to contain her moan, she leaned back against her husband. “Let’s go, husband.” She grinned in pleasure at his new title, spun in his embrace, and kissed him. Easing away, she smiled up at him. “I love you, husband.”