We come around the corner and Ryder removes the cover. Brayden stares silently for the longest time.
“I know it looks a mess. It’s your Charger though. Dave’s son wrecked the car driving it too fast on a trip in the mountains. The title is salvaged, but the car can be repaired. It’s yours baby, just like you it can come back and be even better. I love you, Brayden.” The tears are slowly falling out of my eyes.
He wraps me in his arms and kisses me with more passion, fire, and love than ever before.
“Thank you. No one has ever done anything for me like this before. I love you, Maggie.”
Brayden
Well, here we sit all our family and friends together. I’m working up the courage to ask Maggie to marry me. I guess we are both full of surprises. I never thought I would have the chance to drive that car again. It was Valerie and Vanessa’s mom’s first car. She sold it to me when I got my first job. Until I got in such a mess I never imagined being without it. To have it back is like getting a good piece of my past back.
With everyone standing around us, I immediately drop to my knee holding Maggie’s hand in mine.
“Margaret Rose Lawson, I love you. You’re amazing and full of surprises. My plan for today was to do this later when we’re alone, but I can’t wait any longer. Will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife? I promise to love and cherish you always even above and beyond any car or drug. I promise to be honest with you always, and to continue to grow to be the man that is worthy of your love. I promise to stay clean. I promise to grow old with you, shower you with love and affection. I promise to take care of you and give you as many babies as you want. I love you Maggie for now, for always.”
She’s crying and silent again. The suspense is killing me, surely she wouldn’t turn me down a second time. She’s still not speaking, nodding, or moving. I stand up because it’s embarrassing to be down a knee and no answer.
Finally, Harrison speaks up. “Maggie, would you answer the man?”
She still says nothing. I lean in and whisper. “It’s okay Maggie, I understand. You don’t have to say it, I get it. I won’t ask again.” I feel defeat washing over me. I start to walk away when she reaches out to grab me.
“You’re right Brayden you won’t ask again. My answer is yes. Yes, I will marry you. Yes, I will stand beside you through all of life’s ups and downs. Yes, I will be honest with you and grow with you. I will love every minute of growing old together, loving you and showering you with affection. I promise to take care of you and give you lots of babies. I love you, Brayden for now, for always.”
Oh yes, I kiss my fiancé right there in front of everyone. I basically make love to her mouth. There is not a drug in the world that could give me a greater high than the one I feel right now. I’m completely consumed in my high on life and love.
Epilogue
8 months later
Harrison
Maggie’s wedding day is here. To see my precious baby sister all dressed in white coming down the sand to a very anxious Brayden is absolutely beautiful. Since they chose to have the wedding on the beach the bridal party is barefoot and I’m thankful for it. I hate stuffy shoes after my time in the Marines. I stand as a groomsman in the wedding with the honor of escorting the lovely Sophia.
She and I have become good friends since I moved to Charlotte. We’re really great friends with some even better benefits. My time in South Carolina seems almost a vague memory now as I have come to call Charlotte home.
The reception time arrives. We’re outside of Dina’s beach house, having a dance floor made up beside her pool. The back drop of the beach, salt in the air, music playing, and love surrounding us all. The bridal party song is played, so I pull Sophia into my arms. She is shorter than Dina, maybe five foot one or two, so I tower almost a foot over her. Maggie and Brayden went with white and sage green as their wedding colors. They are made to go against the tan of her skin. I could wrap her up and take her off to one of Dina’s spare rooms right now so easily.
Instead, I spend the evening dancing with my sister, my mother, Dina, and Sophia. I have not a care in the world. The time for the sendoff comes, so we all make our way out front to the limo awaiting the newlyweds.
No one, especially me is expecting or prepared for the woman standing in the driveway. It has been over two years since she shattered my world. I must be drunk or dreaming there is no way Tiffany is here right now.
“Hello, Harrison.” She says.
This is not a dream. What the hell am I in for now? Sophia beside me, and Tiffany in front of me.
While our couples have been on the roller coaster to repair their hearts, our dear Jake and Kenna have a story of their very own. Are they able to move beyond on their issues and Full Throttle into their future? Read on to find out.
Curious to know the history between Harrison and Tiffany? Find out if their relationship is Beyond Repair!
Full Throttle
Copyright © Chelsea Camaron 2013
First E-book publication August 2013
Published by Whiskey Girls Publishing
Cover Design by: Jessie Lane
Editing by: Asli Fratarcangeli
Formatting by: IndieVention
All Rights Reserved: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction in whole or in part, without express written permission by Chelsea Camaron.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
This work of fiction is intended for mature audiences only. All sexually active characters portrayed in this ebook are eighteen years of age or older. Please do not buy if strong sexual situations, violence, domestic abuse, and explicit language offends you.
To My Readers,
Full Throttle is intended as a Bonus Story to the Love and Repair Series, however, it can be read as a stand-alone novella. If you want to read the series, the order would be
Crash and Burn -1- Dina’s Backstory
Restore My Heart -2- Ryder and Dina
Salvaged -3- Brayden and Maggie
Full Throttle -4- Jake and Kenna
Beyond Repair -5- Harrison and Tiffany
Stalled -6- Sophia
The timeline of this book follows that of Salvaged so if you plan to read the series and haven’t yet read Salvaged it will give a spoiler away, but nothing that impacts reading either book.
Thank you for taking a chance on an indie author like me. I appreciate your support. I hope you enjoy this love story.
Much Love,
Chelsea Camaron xoxo
Chapter One
Gotta Find the Balls
Kenna
So much for the slogan ‘one weekend a month, two weeks a year’. Jake has just returned from yet another deployment. His unit in the Army National Guard had been activated again. He’s returning from their most recent deployment a little over six weeks ago. The time has gone by fast, since we have been so busy. Homecomings are wonderful after being so far apart from one another. I just wish we could have taken some time off together.
Jake and I have been together nine years now; seven of which he has been in the Army reserves. We met in high school and began dating our junior year.
When it came time for college, Jake’s family couldn’t afford to help him financially. He decided to join the reserves for tuition assistance and future benefits.
Jake and I are both only children. I am blessed to also be the only grandchild. My family came together to pay for my degree in accounting from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Go Seahawks!
Thanks to some help from my parents, Jake and I were able to share an apartment in Carolina Beach. Jake worked full time at one of those quick stop oil change places while attending Cape Fear
Community College at night.
After graduation, I wanted to pursue better career opportunities in the Charlotte area. Luckily for us, Jake grew up in Concord before relocating to Elizabeth City, in high school. His best friend since elementary school, Ryder, owns a garage in the area. He immediately offered Jake a job, working around his demanding schedule of duty and service to the reserves.
Ryder and Jake go way back, no matter the distance, they have always remained in close contact. Ryder would visit us in Wilmington; boy, he was wild. If I had to describe Ryder back then, one word comes to mind: reckless. He was always drinking, fighting, street racing, and the girls, oh the many girls. Now Ryder is solid, calm, and very committed to Dina. They live next door to us.
The first time I met Dina, was one evening while the guys were working late. We instantly became friends. She introduced me to Maggie, who I am also happy to call a friend. It’s nice to get along so well with them, since the boys all work so closely together. Maggie is in a relationship with Brayden, a close college friend of Ryder’s.
Dina and Ryder haven’t been together too long now, but have a connection that is serious and runs deep. Maggie and Brayden have been together a little over four years now. Something is going on with them. Brayden has been really distracted lately.
Our life here in Charlotte is fabulous. We both love our jobs, have amazing friends, a great house we recently purchased, and best of all, we will always have each other. The only thing missing is the ring.
Jake
It’s beyond the time for me to get the balls to propose. Hell, I bought the ring eight months ago, while on deployment. Ryder picked up the custom setting for me and has kept it in the safe at work. There is no question Kenna will say yes, but damn, marriage is a big deal.
Seeing Ryder so headstrong and determined to make such a commitment to Dina has opened my eyes to possibilities. Not too long ago, I had my ass handed to me by Dina on the subject of marriage; talk about a swift kick in the nuts. She got so fired up when she learned how long Kenna and I have been together.
“Hey asshole, she may not ask for a ring, but that doesn’t mean she lacks the desire for one.” Dina chastised, “Kenna may understand your apprehension on marriage Jake, but that doesn’t translate into her not wishing for it for herself. She has dreams of her own, you know.”
Shit, I’m a total ass. All these years, I’ve been quick to make it clear to Kenna that marriage isn’t something I want in my future. There is no way she would ever feel comfortable telling me that she wants that level of commitment, as I’ve clearly defined my opposition.
Kenna grew up so differently from me. Her parents have surrounded her in love and security. They’ve been happily married for thirty-five years. Her grandparents have been together over sixty years. Kenna is the center of all of their lives. She has always been able to rely on their unconditional love and support.
Kenna and I met my first day, sophomore year of high school. Having just been dumped off at my aunt’s house the day before, I was in no mood to be at school. One smile from Kenna, though, and in that moment my troubles just washed away.
My mom had decided it was best for me to live with my aunt until I was eighteen. Her new boyfriend wouldn’t marry her as long as she had a responsibility to me, a teenage boy. Hell, he was only ten years older than me at the time. He felt the situation would look bad for his up and coming career; at least that was his excuse.
Cheryl, my mom, was only seventeen when she had me. At thirty-two, she didn’t look her age and people often mistook us for siblings. Typically, if her man of the month didn’t want to deal with her baggage, me, I would be sent to stay with my grandfather.
When he passed away two years before, my mom was forced to take me back in. Playing dad to someone else’s kid wasn’t in husband number four’s life plan. David or Jeff, whatever number four’s name was, left not long after I arrived. The divorce papers cited irreconcilable differences, but I had overheard him tell my mom the only difference they faced was me showing up at her door.
Ryder lived with his grandmother, Mimi. She offered to let me live with the two of them. My mom wasn’t comfortable with the idea of me being close by. Her fear was that I would show up and ruin what she was building with soon to be husband number five.
My aunt, not so kindly, opened her doors to me. We had a clear cut agreement; I was to get a job, pay room and board, as well as provide for my own needs- food, clothing, and supplies. Those rules came courtesy of her husband number two. On my eighteenth birthday, I had to be out, that was the rule addition from her husband number three. My aunt and my mom had great relationships with their lawyers because they both always benefited in their divorce settlements.
Here we are ten years later and I still can’t grasp why people want to get married. I know I can’t just give Kenna a ring. To ask someone to marry you with no real intention of ever following through would be a real asshole thing to do. Kenna is the woman for me; of this, I’m confident. It’s the title of husband and wife I can’t move past. It’s the risk that those titles change things. It’s the fear that things will mess up, costing me the security I have in Kenna. My future is with Kenna. Could I really do this? Actually get married? How do I move past the fears? And that word divorce...it always lingers in the back of my mind.
Chapter Two
A First Time for Everything
Kenna
What do you do when the person you want to marry, detests the thought of it? Jake and I share totally opposing opinions on the idea of marriage.
To be fair, he has been honest with me from day one: he never intends to get married. Being young and naïve I thought, in time, my love would make him feel differently. I have never dated anyone other than Jake. In my little girl dreams, Jake and I would get married one day. Why did I ever allow myself the illusion that he would change?
Thinking back to when we met, I still get butterflies. That first day he walked into US History class, as the new kid, I was smitten. Small town, small school, everyone knows everyone; he was like a cool drink of water on a humid Carolina day. I watched him walk past me to his seat and shivers coursed through my body. When he smiled at me I felt the Earth turning on its axis. I felt like the luckiest girl on the planet when we were assigned to be study partners for the semester. Over time we developed a close friendship with a more than obvious attraction to one another.
Jake respected that my parents were strict. He didn’t bat an eyelash at the rule that I couldn’t date until I was sixteen. My folks were a bit old fashioned. Our first few dates were at their dinner table, in their presence. Never once did Jake give me a hard time about my nine o’clock curfew during the week and even on weekends. He made sure to have me home on time. Always the gentleman, he went so far as to always pick me up and drop me off at my doorstep.
My dad’s biggest issue with boys was that they never escorted girls properly. He would tell me, “Kenna, this is a house not a drive thru, if a boy wants to date you, he will come to the door and greet you. He’ll open all doors for you. And when he brings you home, he’ll walk you safely to the door making sure you are inside before he even thinks of stepping off that porch. The little things, Kenna, my baby girl, will show you if a boy is really growing into a man.”
Over time my parents became a little more lenient, realizing Jake was the kind of boy they wanted their daughter dating. Also, I think they were aware of how serious Jake and I were about our relationship and our future.
Even though my parents approved of our relationship, I wasn’t sure they would allow me to go to prom. Much to my surprise, they not only allowed me to go, but also permitted me to spend the night away. Our senior prom was a special night. Jake had been patient with me, understanding that I felt we were too young to rush into sex early on in our relationship. At this point we had been together almost two years. I was ready and wishing for a magical evening, in giving myself to Jake.
Graduation was fast approaching. I ha
d watched many of my friends turn in their ‘v card’ only to learn that college was going to separate them from their boyfriends. Some ended up dumped because a lot of teenage boys were more interested in the conquest than the girl. Knowing Jake was in love with me and was going to Wilmington with me only solidified my decision to give my innocence to him. I knew what we shared was special and destined to be long term, beyond a high school romance.
My parents, surprisingly, let us get a hotel for the night. Really, I think they had long assumed Jake and I were already having sex because we had been together so long.
Jakes favorite color was blue, making my choice of a cobalt blue, fitted, floor-length gown perfect for our evening. It was a halter top with a low back, accented with silver jewels. He looked stellar in his tux, with a blue vest to match my dress. We stayed at our prom long enough to take pictures, see friends, and watch the crowning of queen and king.
We left prom not long after that. Once at the hotel, we slowly began kissing, nervous energy consuming the air around us. By this point in our relationship, Jake and I had spent a lot of time learning one another’s hot buttons in foreplay and oral sex. As he tenderly undressed me, Jake trailed kisses across my shoulders, neck, and collar bone. He gently laid me on the bed. Jake started a slow, delicate massage of my entire body, taking in every inch as if burning it into his memory.
Once he was satisfied with how relaxed I was, he gently spread my legs apart. Kissing my inner thighs, he began to run his fingers over my folds. Quickly, I had become primed and ready for him. I cried out wanting him so much. While he was drawing circles around my clit, he reminded me that he was making sure I was ready. Jake had been nervous about hurting me the first time. We had talked, over the course of time, of us both being nervous in this new experience.
Love and Repair Series Box Set Page 21
