by Jane Anthony
“You still owe me one later, city boy. Don’t forget.” She giggles.
The hair on my arms stands on end. Ten years together, and that little laugh of hers still makes me tingle all over. “Don’t you worry, cowgirl. I’m gonna plow you like fertile land,” I joke, patting her on the ass before I head into the kitchen door to greet the family waiting there for me.
It’s been a year since we’ve all been together, and I’m happy they’re here. We try to talk as often as we can, but life gets in the way. They’re busy, we’re busy; it is what it is. The visits are never as long as I hope. Morello and Tate is left in good hands, but business awaits and they can’t stay. However, we all agreed this day is the one day of the year that we will all be together, no matter what.
“Hey there, bumpkin.”
My sister’s embrace is so tight it strangles me, but I don’t pull away until she does. I feel the wetness in my eyes, and it doesn’t embarrass me. Dad was right. Family is everything.
“I hear your dad’s got you helping out at the shop. Don’t let the old man boss you around,” I say to Zakk, whose lazy smile reminds me so much of his father I want to smack it. He still resembles me a little, but this kid is a Tate in every way. Sarcastic as fuck and super chill.
An original Morello and Tate tee hangs on his slender frame as he casually leans against the counter. At ten, he’s almost as big as his mother is already. He’s even gotten in trouble at school for kissing girls, too. I always said Jill was going to have her hands full, and I was right.
“Can I hold the baby?” My niece, Nikki, bursts into the room. She’s six, the same age as Jackson, but she’s not shy like he is. She’s just like her mother: little but with a personality that can suffocate a room with its size.
“Me first,” Jill coos, cuddling Gabby in the crook of her neck. “Jameson, look how sweet she is. I want another baby.”
“Oh, jeez. I’m going to have to get a vasectomy after this trip, aren’t I?”
“Y’all are crazy. C’mon, I set up lunch outside.” Casey grabs a platter of salad and ushers everyone out the back door, while I head to the sink to wash up.
Through the window, I see them all laughing and playing. Talking like no time has passed at all. The bitter sting of emotion hits me as my gaze falls on the pasture. It is a perfect day. The sky is like a painting. It’s one of those stop-and-take-it-in kind of moments. Everything I ever wanted is here, except for the one person I miss most.
“What’d I miss?” I ask, joining them in the yard.
“Jameson was tellin’ us about the time y’all were sellin’ Christmas trees by the shop.”
Laughter cracks the sky as I throw my head back; encased in a memory I’d long forgotten yet remember like it was yesterday. Business took a hit that year, so to supplement our income my dad got the brilliant idea to sell Christmas trees off our lot after the shop closed for the day. He hired Jameson and me, only fifteen at the time, as his lackeys. “We froze our asses off! What a nightmare that was!”
“Seriously, dude. Your dad was a sheisty bastard!” he cries, rolling with laughter so heavy it’s pooling in his eyes. “To this day, the sound of Christmas carols still gives me the chills, and not in a good way.”
“Man, the things he used to make us do. Remember when he took us down the shore and insisted we all wear matching sweatbands? Mom refused because she was worried about her hair.”
Jill smacks the table, sucking in wind while cackling like a hyena. “Oh, yeah! Mine was pink. I was so pissed!”
I grab a plate of uncooked burgers and carry it to the grill, still laughing. He would have loved this. I feel his presence all around me and see it in the smiles of my children, but it’s not the same. He should be here. Laughing about old times and sharing a cold Bud with us. The life I live isn’t the one he’d planned for me, but I know he would have been proud of the man I’ve become anyway. He would have been sixty today, and not a day goes by that I don’t think about him.
The cold meat sizzles on the grill, and I turn to back toward the table. “To Dad.” I raise a beer, and everyone follows suit. “Thanks for the laughs, old man. Until we see each other again.”
The End
PLAYLIST
Twisted Sister—“I Wanna Rock”
Judas Priest—“Touch of Evil”
Johnny Cash—“Ring of Fire”
Pantera—“Cemetery Gates”
Jason Aldean—“She’s Country”
Tim McGraw—“Meanwhile Back at Mama’s”
Luke Bryan—“Move”
Lee Brice—“I Don’t Dance”
Queensryche—“Spreading the Disease”
Luke Bryan—“Pray About Everything”
Carrie Underwood—“Heartbeat”
Metallica—“Fade to Black”
Randy Houser—“We Went”
Florida Georgia Line—“H.O.L.Y”
Jason Aldean—“Burnin’ it Down”
Kansas—“Dust in the Wind”
Tesla—“Love Song”
Rush—“La Villa Strangiato (An Exercise in Self-Indulgence)”
Carrie Underwood—“Starts with Goodbye”
Iron Maiden—“No More Lies”
Guns N Roses—“Estranged”
Lee Brice—“You Don’t Sound Like You”
Eric Church—“Springsteen”
Jennifer Nettles—“Unlove You”
Scorpions—“No One Like You”
Dierks Bentley—“Say You Do”
J. Geils Band—“Love Stinks”
Maren Morris—“My Church”
Cam—“Burning House”
Metallica—“The Four Horsemen”
Tim McGraw—“The Highway”
Zebra—“Tell Me What You Want”
Chris Young—“Who I Am With You”
Garth Brooks—“You Move Me”
Cole Swindell—“You Should Be Here”
OTHER NOVELS BY JANE ANTHONY
Secrets and Promises
“He was everything I desired except for one thing I needed most: My brother’s approval”
KADE: A Second Chance Rockstar Romance
One night. No rules. No strings
. . . until he fell for her.
Now, Kade Black is returning to claim what’s his.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JANE ANTHONY IS a romance author, fist pumping Jersey girl, and hard rock enthusiast. She resides in the ‘burbs of New Jersey with her husband and children. A lover of Halloween, vintage cars, & coffee, she’s also a cornucopia of useless 80’s knowledge and trivia. When not writing, she’s an avid reader, concert goer, and party planner extraordinaire.
Jane loves hearing from her readers! Connect with her on these social media sites, and don’t be too shy to say hello!
Contact Jane
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Jane’s Romance Addiction
Pinterest | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter
Amazon Author Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
“THE END.” THOSE two words leave such bittersweet fingerprints on my heart, and this time is no different. The Morello family has always had a special place in my heart since the first word I wrote in my first book over a year ago. Jillian and Jameson had such a sweet love story, I couldn’t help but fall for them, but AJ’s story had gone untold. The amount of people who asked me—actually BEGGED me—to give him a story all his own was astounding. I hadn’t considered the possibility before, but the more people asked, the more his story came to life in my head. He started banging around in my brain and wouldn’t stop until he finally had the happy ending he deserved, and boy, did he make me work for it. At times, his brooding, selfish behavior was enough to make me curse his name. He was stubborn and we fought a lot. In addition to that, Austin literally came out of nowhere! I hadn’t intended to write a love triangle, but his story flew from my fingertips and once it was there, that was it.
That being said, I didn’t do it alo
ne. I have so many people to thank for making this story a reality that I don’t even know where to start! So, I guess I’ll start at the top. . . .
My master-betas—Robin W., Jenny G., Devon C., Jamie O., Betty Shreffler—you guys are absolutely amazing.
Robin—you are my “master-beta” in every sense of the word. Girl, you put up with so much! All my questions, all my comments, all my “what do you think of this?”, “What do you think of that?” so on and so on. Even from Oxford, you never kept me waiting and were willing and happy to catch the brunt of my insanity. I don’t think I could release a book without you at this point!
Jenny—you’ve been my cheerleader since day one. You read this manuscript not once but TWICE in one weekend because I lost my mind and rewrote it after sending it to you! You have no idea how much your effort and support means to me.
Devon—I love how much you hate AJ! HAHA You brought such an amazing aspect to the table—the hard-handed feminist point of view. You humbled AJ; knocked him down a few pegs. He doled out so much shit, and you called him out on it EVERY SINGLE TIME. As usual, your brutal honesty is what helps make my work what it is.
Betty—when I desperately needed another person’s POV you jumped in with both feet and offered to read it. Your notes were wonderful, your help was invaluable, and your support through all of it gave you a permanent place in my heart. We haven’t known each other very long, but thank you so much for being such a good friend to me.
Jamie—this was the first book you beta’d for me and I was not disappointed! You went beyond my expectations. I can already tell that you’re going to be a fantastic addition to the team!
I need to give a special little fist bump to Cordelia Michelsen, Sandy Ebel, and Hope Pennie as well. All of you read snippets, gave me your opinions, and talked me off the ledge more than once. Sometimes, just having a sounding board there to listen when I’m “thinking out loud” is all I need to get it together. Thank you for always being there, and double thanks for the delicious man candy!
Stephanie H.—what is there to say that hasn’t already been said? You’re the wind between my cheeks, sister. Love love love to you always.
Candice Royer—you made the leap from Beta Reader to Editor and did an amazing job! I’m such a pain in the ass, I know. I keep making changes, relentlessly pick at things, and never stop rewriting! You not only helped polish this manuscript, but you shouldered all my crazy with a smile. At least, I imagined you smiling . . . ;) I’ve said it a zillion times, but I truly can’t stress how much your opinion means to me. If it doesn’t pass ‘the Candy test,’ it’s not worthy of putting out to the public. Period.
Marisa Shor at Cover Me Darling—OMFG this cover! Seriously, the cover is art! When I have zero idea what I want (which is, pretty much, always) you wave your wand and create a masterpiece that is so perfect that I can’t even believe it. You’re amazing.
Speaking of pretty—Holy effing sh*tballs, Dani Rene’. The teasers you made are too gorgeous for words! You are seriously unbelievable! Thank you so much!
Christine at Type A Formatting, this is the third book we’ve done together and working with you is always delightful. Even though I technically write this before it’s formatted, I don’t have to worry because I know that it’s going to be beautiful!
Same goes for Jenny at Editing4Indies! I know even before you get it back to me that it’s going to be perfect! My grammar is crap on it’s best day, but I know you’ll always be there to fix it. That’s if I don’t take it back from you to add/change more stuff!
To all the bloggers—there aren’t words in the English language to thank you enough for all your hard work! You guys are an indie author’s BFF. Our life’s blood. We’d be nothing without you! Special love to Socially Awkward Book Nerd for always taking the time to pimp me out.
As usual, I saved the best for last—my readers! I love all of you—especially my Addicts! Getting to know you has been a privilege for me. Your messages, posts, comments, and shares have warmed my heart more than you will ever know. This was the first story I wrote not only for me, but also for you. You wanted AJ to get his ending, and I hope it was everything you hoped for.
Thank you!
