Snowfall and Secrets (The Omega Mu Alpha Brothers Book 1)
Page 15
“Also, there’s circumstances, but it’s not my place to be the one to tell. There is more to Tess’s story.”
“This isn’t about Tess not telling me. It’s about the fact she’s pregnant. I can’t be a father again.” He looked over the lake. That day was so clear in his memory. The shouting, Stacey screaming, the sirens. He shuddered.
Estelle put a hand on his arm. “You were a good father.”
“No, I wasn’t. How could you say that? I neglected them.”
“You set them down in front of a movie so you could get some work done. I dare you to find one parent who hasn’t done something like that before. TV’s not terribly good for kids, but it sure helps our sanity. You paid the ultimate price for something that parents do every day.”
“That’s not what Stacey said.”
“Did you know your kids could quote the entire movie of Toy Story by heart?”
Lukas creased his eyebrows. “No.”
“That’s because they watched it every morning while Stacey got ready. She once told me that if Toy Story didn’t exist, she’d never get her makeup on, and she wore gobs of it. It must have taken forever to slather on. I think she felt guilty because you did something she did every day, and the kids died on your watch. It doomed the two of you. You weren’t a great match and without the boys, there was nothing left to save. She’s gone on to find her own thing. You shouldn’t sit here and let your ghosts win.”
Lukas clenched his fists together.
“I don’t know that this changes anything. I don’t think I could bear the thought of that kind of heartbreak again. What if I do everything right and something bad still happens?”
“Then it happens. Life sucks sometimes, but it’s so much easier to deal with when you’ve got someone you love by your side. Someone like Tess. That girl has spunk and she can learn to play a decent hand of canasta.”
Lukas looked at Estelle. She was his second mother, one of the three women in his life that he knew he could always count on. Was he ready to add a fourth?
The next evening, Tess sat on her couch eating ice cream and watching the final season of Downton Abbey. She binge watched the whole six seasons, getting lost in that world so she didn’t have to think about her own.
Tess cried a lot. Work would call tomorrow, and she would try to act normal, but for tonight she could still wallow.
Someone knocked on her door. She ignored it. There was absolutely no one she wanted to talk to right now. Marie and Estelle had both been by, though neither said much. There had been lots of hugs though. Estelle patted her belly and said she was hoping for a girl.
Tess mentioned finding a new place to rent. Marie shook her head, and Estelle only clucked her tongue.
The knocking stopped, and the handle twisted. Someone walked in anyway. Damn. She forgot to lock it.
“Tess, I’m coming in. I hope you’re dressed.” The voice was female, but she didn’t recognize it.
Jessica poked her head around the corner.
“How are you doing?”
Tess shrugged. “As good as could be expected. Thanks for listening yesterday. I needed that.”
“No problem. I’m here to help out again. You need to go shower, sweetie, because we’re going out.”
“No offense, but I don’t want to go anywhere.”
“I know you don’t, but you have to. Come on, you get in the shower, and I’ll pick out an outfit.”
“No, I want to stay here. I’ll turn back on tomorrow, but for tonight I just want to be heartbroken alone.”
“Not letting that happen. Sorry. Up you go.” Jessica removed the remote from Tess’s hand and pulled off her blanket. “Shower. Now.”
Tess grumbled all the way to the bathroom. She stepped in the hot shower and immediately felt better. Ten minutes in, Jessica shouted from her bedroom. “We don’t have all day. Get a move on.”
She quickly rinsed her hair and stepped out. She wrapped a towel around her body and went into the bedroom. Jessica had laid out one of her nicer dresses and a pair of high-heeled boots.
“Where are we going?” Tess asked.
“Someplace nice. You’ve got great taste in clothes, by the way.”
“Thanks.”
Tess got dressed and did her hair, still not convinced she wanted to go out, but Jessica did not seem like the type of person that anyone could say no to.
Jessica was texting on her phone when Tess made her way into the living room.
“You look fantastic. Let’s go.”
Waiting by the road was a horse-drawn carriage. Tess had ridden the taxis of the island, but this one seemed nicer somehow. Jessica helped Tess up and then backed away from the carriage.
“Aren’t you coming?” Tess asked.
Jessica shook her head. “No. Have fun.” She shut the carriage door.
The carriage pulled away from the house and Tess got a bit nervous. She was thinking this was a girls night or something. Now she didn’t know what to expect.
The carriage drove toward the Grand Hotel. The lights were on for the first time since she arrived on the island, but they weren’t supposed to be on until the spring thaw. Tess leaned out the window to see it. The horses stopped in front of a tiny chapel halfway up the hill.
The driver opened the door for her and pointed toward the church. She hurried into the small building, eager to get out of the cold weather. She stopped as soon as she saw who was inside.
Lukas.
She sucked in a deep breath. It was too soon to see him. He looked amazing, of course. Black pants and a white button down. Her fingers curled in as she remembered the feel of those abs under that shirt.
Had he sent for her, or did Jessica and Conner set this up? She couldn’t bear the thought of him breaking her heart again, and she mentally cursed Jessica.
Lukas turned to look at her, and his eyes lit up. He moved toward her, and she reached for the door. She wasn’t going to go through this again.
“Tess, wait. I need to talk to you.”
She spun on him. “I think you did enough talking yesterday morning, thank-you-very-much.”
He shoved his way between her and the door. He reached for her hand then dropped it back to his side at the last minute.
“I know. I’m sorry. You took me by surprise, that’s all.” He chuckled nervously. “Surprised. You shocked me. I reacted badly.”
Badly was an understatement.
“If it helps, Estelle has called me an idiot in ways I didn’t know existed.”
He was trying to be charming. He was failing.
“I needed some time to think about what I wanted.”
She crossed her arms. “And what is that?”
“You. Tess, I want you.”
Hope blossomed in her chest. That was the exact thing she wanted to hear him say. Before she could throw herself in his arms, she needed to know he understood her.
“You realize I come with a baby, right? You said you never wanted to have kids again.”
“Yes, I realize that. I was terrified of failing again. I’ve discovered though, that I want you no matter what. No matter how scared I am. In fact, I’d be honored to be this little one’s father.”
Tess’s heart caught in her throat. “I don’t know. What happens when you change your mind?”
“I’m not going to change my mind. I’m in this for the long run.”
He knelt down on the ground and pulled out a small box. “I should’ve done this properly last time. Tess, will you marry me?”
She gasped. “Lukas, I don’t know. Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. In fact, the preacher is waiting in his office to make this official today if you want.”
“Today? You want to marry me today?”
“I never want to spend another day without you. If you’ll have me.”
Tess didn’t hesitate. She loved Lukas and could never be happy with anyone else.
“Yes.”
He grinned and stood
, pulling her to him.
“I will make it up to you for yesterday.” He breathed into her hair. He went to kiss her, and suddenly Dio was there, pushing between them with red roses tied to her collar.
“Damn dog,” Lukas muttered before finally capturing Tess’s lips.
Thank you so much for reading.
I hope you enjoyed reading Snowfall and Secrets. If you are interested in the next book in the series, it will be released in May 2016 and can be purchased here: www.kierraquinn.com/promises
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Also, if you loved the book (and even if you didn’t) please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads.
Thanks go first to my awesome editor Suzi Ratcliff. Seriously girl, you cleaned it up good. Also, a huge shout out to Rebecca Frank, the cover is amazing. As always, Coleen Sheehan, the book wouldn’t look pretty without you.
Thanks to the early beta readers for your input and love.
Also, a big thank you to my husband for his unflinching support (and sometimes inappropriate comments) and willingness to eat Quaker oatmeal so that I could finish the book.
Virginia dear, you surprised me. Thanks for loving adult romance too.
Of course, I can’t leave out my two biggest supporters, Kristin and Karen. Seriously, how did I ever write before I met you?
Michelle, for all the rants and raves and pics of Daryl that push me through, you always have my back with a crossbow, a hot movie star and a dragon.
Deb, there are just no words. For every ounce of energy you have spent believing in me more than I ever could, thank you feels so inadequate.
Kierra Quinn and her husband Michael love to travel the world together. From the hills of Scotland to the beaches of Thailand, their wanderlust takes them on adventures all over the world. But their favorite corner of the Earth is their home on Nova Scotia, that they share with their two Dobermans, Calcifer and Turnip. Kierra dyes hair by day and at night she loses herself in the worlds of her romance novels. She loves to cook, binge watch Netflix, and cuddle up with her boys and watch storms roll in over the ocean.
Table of Contents
Snowfall and Secrets
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Acknowledgements
About the Author