Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters Collection (Eight Fun, Romantic Novels by Eight Bestselling Authors)

by Violet Duke

  “You did?” Maddie’s smile had scarcely stretched her face before it vanished like it had been slapped away and her stomach filled with a terrible sinking feeling. “That means I didn’t need to say any of the things I said, did I?” She winced. “I’m sorry. Now I feel awful.”

  “Don’t. It was good for me to hear it again from someone whose opinion I trust as much as yours.” Jake smiled. “That brother of mine is a lucky guy.”

  “I am,” came a voice from deeper within the house, a voice that made Maddie’s heart lift and her cheeks heat at the same time.

  It was Jamison. Jamison was here, right on the other side of the door, and chances were he had heard every word she’d just said.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  JAMISON APPEARED NEXT to Jake, looking amazing in a pair of battered jeans, a white undershirt, slightly damp hair, and an expression that made it clear how happy he was to see her. “Sorry, I showed up somewhere in the middle of the shake down and couldn’t bring myself to interrupt.”

  Maddie bit her lip. “Did I sound like a crazy person?”

  Jamison shook his head. “You sounded great. I like hearing you all fierce and protective. And the saying how much you loved me part was nice, too.”

  Maddie sighed, meeting Jamison’s eyes enough to make her certain she’d made the right decision. Ever since she’d left Summerville Thursday night, she’d been feeling off-center. She’d assumed it was because she was finally sorting through all her feelings about her divorce—and spending an hour on her birthday writing Serge a long email saying she wasn’t ready to be friends, after all—but now the reason for those off-center feelings became abundantly clear.

  She and Jamison hadn’t been in sync, and she’d felt it in every moment of every day. In the past three weeks he’d become more than a dear friend, he’d become a part of her heart, and Maddie wasn’t the kind to walk around without her heart fully up and functioning and feel everything was right with the world.

  “I’ll give you two a minute,” Jake said, backing away from the door, clearly sensing that Jamison and Maddie should have some time alone.

  “Hey,” Jamison said after Jake had retreated into the house, a hint of shyness in his voice. “Thanks for coming to my rescue.”

  “Looks like you didn’t need rescuing, after all,” she said.

  “But I’m sure I’ll need rescuing again, sooner or later.” Jamison stepped out onto the stoop beside her and shut the door, moving close enough to set Maddie’s entire body to tingling. “I’m assuming telling Jake how much you love me means you’re up for the job long term?”

  Maddie nodded gently. “If you’ll have me.”

  “Always. Forever.” Jamison pulled her into his arms, sealing the promise with a kiss Maddie felt flood through her body like warm cider filling up a glass.

  It was a kiss that cleared out the last of the cobwebs lingering in her heart, leaving no room for doubt. Jamison was her One—the man she’d been waiting for, the one who’d never leave her or betray her or treat her love as anything less than a precious gift—and she was his.

  As Maddie kissed him back, hands tangling in his still damp hair, body pressing closer and closer to his, she swore to make the most of every day, to treasure each moment and never let fear steal another second from her and the man she loved.

  “Thank God,” Jamison murmured against her lips as they pulled away to catch their breath. “I’m so glad you’re back. Let’s never do that again, okay? Thinking I’d lost you took a year off my life.”

  “I’m sorry,” Maddie said, running a gentle hand down his lightly bruised face. “I should have stayed and talked things through, or at the very least made sure you were okay. Are you okay? You look better than I expected, aside from the stitches.”

  “I’m fine,” Jamison said. “I’m sorry I screwed up. I know it was before we started dating, but it was a dumb, selfish thing to do and I regret it. I wish like hell I could go back and put a stop to things with Wendy before they ever got started.”

  “I know,” Maddie said. “I’m not thrilled that she was married, but I overreacted, too. The cheating thing reminded me too much of my ex. It brought a lot of feelings to the surface that I’d been doing my best not to deal with.”

  “What kind of feelings?” Jamison asked.

  “Anger, hurt, betrayal…more anger,” Maddie said with a short laugh. “But I wrote Serge an honest email yesterday and I feel so much better now. I feel…ready. Completely ready.”

  “How ready?” Jamison studied her carefully.

  “Totally ready,” Maddie said, without a shred of doubt. “If I could marry you today, I would do it. In a heartbeat.”

  Something sparked in Jamison’s eyes, a tiny flame of mischief she usually associated with fun of the no-clothes-required variety.

  “What?” she asked, a smile teasing at her lips. “What are you up to?”

  “Well, I don’t think we can get married today—since Jake and Naomi kind of have that locked up. But I can give you this.” Without another word, Jamison reached into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out a ring. Before Maddie could catch her breath, he was down on one knee, right there on Jake’s front porch.

  “Maddie Whitehouse, I have loved you my entire life,” he began, sending tears springing to her eyes. “It wasn’t always romantic, as you know, and there were probably too many slugs involved…but it was love. It was real and what I feel for you now is the truest thing I have ever known. I don’t want to move forward with my life without you in it. You make me a better person, and when I’m with you I feel like the luckiest man in the world.”

  He paused, reaching up to brush a tear from her cheek with a smile. “I love you, and I will spend the rest of my life making sure you know it…if you’ll agree to be my wife.”

  “Yes,” Maddie said, her voice thick with emotion and fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. “A zillion times, yes.”

  Jamison smiled his biggest, brightest smile as he slipped the ring on to her finger. “Don’t cry, baby.”

  “I can’t help it,” she said. “It’s so beautiful. It’s perfect, Jamison! I love it.”

  “The flower shape reminded me of you,” he said as he pulled her back into his arms, “and the flowers you wear in your hair.”

  Maddie’s hand flew to her head with a cry, feeling the red scarf tied tight around her curlers. “Oh my god. I forgot I had rollers in my hair. And no make-up, and I’ve had this tee shirt since I was in eighth grade.”

  Jamison only smiled wider. “You look hot. Kind of like that lady on the pancake syrup before they took her scarf off.”

  “Aunt Jemima?” Maddie rolled her eyes when he nodded. “Thanks, Jamison. I always wanted to look like Aunt Jemima when I was proposed to for the first time that really matters.”

  Jamison’s smile softened. “I like that.” He hugged her closer. “I like being the one who matters.”

  Maddie relaxed against him, letting her arms twine around his neck, unable to stay stressed about her appearance when he was looking at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. “Well good, because it’s you and me from here on out. There’s no shaking me once I dig my heels in.”

  “I don’t plan on trying to shake you,” Jamison said. “At least not anywhere but on the dance floor tonight. You want to be my date to the reception?”

  Maddie grinned. “Does a bear shit in the woods?”

  Jamison laughed. “Good. I can’t wait to dance with you.”

  “
And I can’t wait to get you home after the dancing,” Maddie said, pressing up on tiptoe to claim his lips for another kiss. And another, and another, until their breath was coming faster and Jamison’s hands were wandering and Maddie was starting to think she couldn’t wait for tonight.

  She was getting ready to pull Jamison to her car and abduct him for a quickie when someone cleared their throat and she and Jamison’s kiss startled apart.

  “So I guess she said yes!” Jamison’s father boomed from the doorway, a twinkle in his eye that reminded Maddie of his younger son.

  “She did,” Jamison said, as Maddie slipped out of his arms, mortified to have been caught by her future father-in-law.

  “Well, congratulations,” his dad said. “Hate to interrupt, but Jake sent me to check on you two. He said something about making sure you don’t run off together before he and Naomi get hitched.” His hazel eyes shifted to Maddie. “How are you, Maddie? Good to see you.”

  Maddie blushed. “Hi Mr. Hansen. I’m good.” She glanced sideways at Jamison, fighting a grin. “Really good.”

  “Glad to hear it,” he said with a nod. “And welcome to the family. Not that you weren’t already family, but it’s nice to see my boys settling down with such fine women. They’re lucky men.”

  “We are,” Jamison agreed, meeting Maddie’s eye before glancing back at his dad. “I’ll walk Maddie to her car, and be right in.”

  “All right. See you soon, Maddie,” his dad said, before disappearing into the house.

  As soon as the door shut behind him, Maddie and Jamison both erupted into laughter.

  “I’ll never be able to look him in the eye without blushing again,” Maddie said as she and Jamison turned to descend the steps. “I’m so embarrassed.”

  “It’s all right.” Jamison slipped an arm around her waist. “Dad doesn’t care.”

  “I care,” Maddie said. “My tongue was in your mouth, Jamison. That was no sweet kiss. I was getting ready to drag you off to my car and molest you on an abandoned stretch of country road.”

  Jamison paused on the sidewalk, turning to her with a look hot enough to melt butter. “Let’s go.”

  Maddie shook her head, even as her pulse leapt with excitement. “No, we can’t. You promised you’d be right in.”

  “I didn’t promise.” Jamison’s other hand came around her waist, pulling her in for a kiss as he backed her slowly toward the car.

  “No,” Maddie mumbled against his lips. “We have to be good. At least until after the wedding.”

  “Does that mean we get to skip the reception?” he asked, still kissing her between words, making Maddie’s head spin.

  “No,” she said, fingers digging into his biceps. “But the venue is in the middle of nowhere. I’m sure we can find somewhere to sneak away for a while.”

  “Reception sex,” Jamison said in an approving tone. “I like the way you think.”

  “And I like the way you kiss,” she said, pushing him reluctantly away. “So we’d better stop before my irresponsible side takes over.”

  Jamison sighed. “All right.” He stepped back, running a hand through his damp hair as his eyes flicked up and down, taking Maddie in with a seriousness that made her shift from one sneaker to the other.

  “What?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “Nothing. Just memorizing how you looked the morning you agreed to be my wife.”

  Maddie’s heart did a delicious flip inside her chest before oozing down into her stomach. “You say sweet things.”

  “I can say even sweeter things…if you’ll let me in that car with you.”

  Maddie laughed even as she pointed a stern finger toward Jake’s front door. “No, now go. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  Jamison winked. “I’ll be counting the minutes, hot stuff.”

  Maddie stood on the sidewalk, shaking her head as she watched him go, letting her eyes do their own sweep up and down. Jamison was undeniably gorgeous, with a body men envied and women drooled over, but what made him truly extraordinary wasn’t anything that could be seen from the outside. It was his heart, his good, sweet, loyal heart, and it belonged to her.

  With a soft sigh and a prayer of thanks, Maddie slid into her car and headed to her mom and dad’s to pick up Naomi, feeling like the richest woman in the world.

  *

  By the time Jamison slipped back into Jake’s house a little before eleven a.m., he was already having the best day of his entire life. Maddie had agreed to be his wife—as far as he was concerned, things couldn’t get any better.

  Turns out he was wrong.

  A little after four o’clock, he got to stand beside his brother and watch the woman he loved walk down the aisle in a red chiffon dress, with her dark curls piled on top of her head and her eyes shining with happiness. She was so fucking beautiful it stopped his heart, only to jump start it again a moment later when she looked across the church with a smile meant just for him.

  Their eyes met and held and something special passed between them, filling Jamison with so much raw emotion it felt like his soul was overflowing the boundaries of his skin and bones. It was a feeling so strange, but so perfect and intense and wonderful and right, that he didn’t want it to end. He wanted to stand there at the front of the church for hours, sneaking glances at Maddie as Father Seamus spoke, feeling a fresh rush every time their gazes connected and he realized that beautiful woman looking back at him was going to be his wife.

  But soon, the ceremony ended, Jake and Naomi started back down the aisle, and Jamison realized there was something even better than staring at Maddie across the altar. There was racing with her to his car, stealing kisses in the church parking lot, and feeling her fingers tease through his hair as they drove out into the country to a building that looked like a French castle, surrounded by rolling hills covered in peaceful green woods.

  There was walking into the reception with his girl on his arm and seeing the surprise on their families’ and friend’s faces turn to shared excitement as they realized another wedding was on the horizon. There was sneaking ass grabs as he tailed Maddie through the appetizer buffet and laughing when she pretended to be scandalized and eating the cheese puffs she fed him from her plate before letting his teeth nip her fingers.

  There was resting his hand on her thigh beneath the table during dinner, listening to her sweet voice as she toasted her sister and new brother-in-law, and meeting her eyes over the rim of their champagne glasses, knowing it wouldn’t be long now. There was a first dance and a second dance and then her hand in his as they crept down the stairs and out the back door, hurrying across the lawn to a gazebo where the caterers had set out a dessert spread and a bucket of chilled champagne on a table for two.

  And there was deciding the dessert could wait and heading up a trail leading into the darkening wood, following it to a clearing where Jamison spread his tuxedo jacket on the ground for Maddie to lie on and showed her how much he’d missed her.

  As he pushed inside her, feeling the woman he loved tight and hot around him and her arms holding him close and her breath warm against his lips as she whispered his name, he stopped wondering if things were going to keep getting better.

  Of course they were, because Maddie was his, finally his.

  “You feel so good,” Jamison murmured, pulling back to the end of her, only to slide right back into her sweet heat with a groan. “God, I love you.”

  “I love you,” she said, breath coming faster. “I’m so glad I let myself get tangled in your smolder web.”

  “It was your smolder web.” He cupped her thigh in his right hand, guiding her leg around his hips. â�
�œYou’re the one who wanted to go skinny dipping.”

  “Thank God for whiskey,” she said, her laugh becoming a moan as Jamison thrust deeper.

  “Thank God for you,” Jamison said, quickening his pace as he brought his fingers to tease the top of her, bringing her over seconds before he lost himself, coming so hard the world blurred and his ears rang and his heart fell out of his chest and into Maddie’s hands where it was going to stay.

  Until death did them part.

  OTHER TITLES BY JESSIE

  Always a Bridesmaid Series

  Betting On You

  Keeping You

  Wild For You

  Catching You

  Taking You

  Wild Rush Series

  One Wild Night

  This Wicked Rush

  One Perfect Love

  Cupid Island Series

  A Cupid Island Christmas

  Auditioning You

  Daring You

  Cupid Island Wedding Anthology

  Fire and Icing Series

  Melt With You

  Hot For You

  Sweet To You

  Saving You

  Perfect For You

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  www.jessieevansauthor.com

  Jessie Evans gave up a career as an international woman of mystery to write contemporary Southern romances and sexy, boundary-pushing New Adult reads. She enjoys sweet, small town romances, and fictional walks on the wild side, and can’t imagine a better job than playing pretend for a living. She’s married to the man of her dreams, and together they’re raising a few children in a cabin in the boonies. She grew up in rural Arkansas, spending summers running wild, being chewed by chiggers, and now appreciates her home in a chigger-free part of the world even more. When she’s not writing, Jessie enjoys playing her dulcimer (badly), sewing the worlds ugliest quilts to give to her friends, going for bike rides with her house full of boys, and wandering the woods, glass of wine and camera in hand, on the lookout for Bigfoot. A southern girl, born and bred, Jessie loves writing romances with sizzle, and hopes you’ll enjoy her stories set in the south.