The Workaholic and the Realist (New Hampshire Bears #2)
Page 21
“Keaton, what is it? Don’t be nervous about this. It’s Harlow, and she loves you.” She rubbed my arm.
“I’m not thinking about that, actually.”
“Well, what is it?” She sounded concerned.
I acted on impulse and leaned over and kissed her cheek, the way I did with Grams. “Thanks, Mom. For everything.”
Felicia’s eyes widened and tears formed. “You called me mom. You’ve never called me mom.”
“Please, don’t make me regret it,” I begged softly.
“I’ll buy you a promise ring if it’ll help.” She laughed, and I joined her. “I won’t ruin this, Keaton.”
For some reason, I felt she was telling me the truth, and it warmed my heart a bit to know she was in my life. Would our relationship be perfect? Nope. But, I felt like we had a good foundation now.
“I’ll let you know what happens.” I said, jumping from the car and rushing into Harlow’s house.
It’s now or never.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Harlow
Dacey’s and my to-do list was beyond long, but slowly, we’d been knocking it down task by task.
“Harlow, I will need to leave soon. I’m sorry. My mother is in town for the wedding stuff.” Dacey didn’t sound pleased by any account.
“Go on. I’m good.” Just I finished saying it, I heard Keaton yell out my name from downstairs. “In the office.”
He seemed to appear in a flash. “Hi.” He breathlessly smiled.
“Hi.” I greeted him back, confused as to why he seemed paler.
“Hi, Dacey.” He nodded at her.
“Hi, Keaton. I’ll see you both tomorrow.” She grabbed her purse and headed out the door.
Keaton said nothing, just staring at me. “Something wrong with my hair?” I teased.
“No, you’re the most beautiful being ever created.”
I giggled. “Working on your new poetry book, are we?”
“Not really.” He took a deep breath and walked up to my desk. “We need to talk.”
My stomach dropped. “About?” I held my hands together, and they shook slightly.
“Wait. Before you flip out in that realist head of yours, I have a disclaimer to say before I give you something.” He pulled out a small black velvet box, and I leapt up from my desk chair, knocking it over.
“What the fuck is that?” I pointed at the ring box. “What the fuck?” I stared into Keaton’s eyes.
“Honey-Bunny, I just said I have a disclaimer.”
“Talk fast, puppy. Talk very fast.” My finger still pointed at the box.
“I love you.”
“That’s great. What’s in the box?”
Keaton signed. “Listen to me. Stop flipping out, and listen to me.” He held up his hands.
I put my finger down and crossed my arms, protecting myself.
“I love you,” he started again. “I can’t apologize enough to you about hurting you. I know you want my word, and I’ve given it to you. I even swore on my dick, but you want more, and I’m willing to give it.”
“Marriage is not more to me,” I rushed out. He knew I didn’t want to get married. Hell, he didn’t either.
“I’m not asking you to marry me.” He picked up the box and opened it. Inside, cushioned in the pillow slit, was the most stunning ring I’d ever seen. But it wasn’t a diamond.
“What is it?”
“A promise ring.”
I scrunched my face up. “You mean, you promise to marry me later.”
Keaton shook his head. “Again, no marriage. Nothing I’m saying has anything to do with marriage.”
“Talk faster,” I growled.
“This is a promise ring, and every time you look at it, you will see the promise and love I’m giving to you forever.” He held the ring out to me. “You don’t even have to put in on your left hand.” He smiled.
Tears formed in my eyes. “You’re serious?”
“For you. Yes, I am. We have a lifetime together, and I just want this to symbolize us. No marriage, just us.” He took the ring out of the box and came closer to me. “What do you say honey-bunny? Are you ready to give us a full clean slate and promise to love me as much as I love you?”
It took me a full ten seconds while the tears fell. I couldn’t say the words because the emotions were coming over me.
“Honey-Bunny?” Keaton wrapped me in his strong arms. “Please, don’t cry. You don’t have to take the ring. I have no other way to show you how sorry I am.”
I buried my face in his neck and sobbed. He and I were more similar than I’d thought. “I love you, Keaton. I want a clean slate with you.” I stepped out his embrace and took the ring.
I knew what my left ring finger meant, and it was for Keaton and me. For us. I slipped it on and gazed deep into his eyes. “This doesn’t get you out of sending me chocolates everyday though.”
Keaton laughed loud, kissing me hard. “You’re the greatest woman ever.” When he kissed me again, I knew my life was finally beginning.
Next Installment:
The next book in the New Hampshire Bears series will introduce you to Remington Rosin and Maxima Keck.
Be on the lookout for the June 2016 release!
About the Author
Best Selling Author, Mary Smith, has been coming up with stories her whole life. She has written A HOCKEY TUTOR and THE NEW HAMPSHIRE BEARS SERIES along with numerous other titles, as well as co-authored THE PENALTY KILL TRILOGY, OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN SERIES, and THE NINTH INNINGS SERIES with Lindsay Paige. When not busy writing or rooting for the Chicago Blackhawks you can find her with her nose stuck in her Kindle.
You can visit her website at: www.authormarysmith.blogspot.com
Follow her on Twitter: @maryms1980
Or Faceook: www.facebook.com/authormarysmith
Books By Author:
The Ice Series (Adult Sports Romance trilogy):
Melting Away the Ice
Breaking the Ice
Shattering the Ice
Thawing the Ice (A Novella)
A Hockey Tutor (New Adult Sports Romance)
Dart and Dash (New Adult Sports Romance)
Always Forever (New Adult Rocker Romance)
DREAM (Adult Romance Suspense)
The Matched Trilogy (Paranormal Romance Trilogy):
A Royal’s Love
A Protector’s Second Chance
A Controller’s Destiny
New Hampshire Bears Series (Adult Sports Romance)
The Muse and the Fairy Tale
The Workaholic and the Realist
The Fat Girl and the Hero (coming summer 2016)
The Arrangement (coming summer 2016)
Books with author Lindsay Paige:
A Penalty Kill Trilogy (New Adult Sports Romance):
Breakaway
Off the Ice
Game Over
Our First Christmas (A Novella)
Oh Captain, My Captain Series (Adult Sports Romance)
Looking for You
A Hockey Player’s Proposal
Finding Carson Lee
Let’s Be Crazy
Their New Beginning
You and Me, Forever
Tainted
The Ninth Inning Series (Adult Sports Romance)
Felix
Blake
Hector
Trent (Releasing March 2016)
Jordan (Releasing April 2016)
Colby (Releasing May 2016)
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