She stared at him with a smile tugging at her lips. “So I’d need a contractor. Do you happen to know someone reliable I could hire? Maybe who’s an architect too, so he could help me put all my wonderful ideas down on paper? Someone who’d like to share this dream with me?”
“Hmm… let me think…” He rubbed his chin and avoided her gaze. She poked him in the chest and he chuckled. “I think I know a certain Bob the Builder who would be happy to take on the job.”
“I’d love that,” she said, encircling his waist with her arms. Then she looked up at him, a sultry look in her eyes that he felt deep down in his soul. “Now, are you going to kiss me anytime soon, Bob? ’Cause I drove three hundred miles to find you, and it wasn’t just so I could stare at your pretty face.”
He chuckled. Here was the feisty Tex-Mex tornado he’d missed and longed for. He pulled her face close to his, his lips only a breath away from hers. Her eyelids fluttered closed and he took a moment to drink her in, this beautiful woman who’d stolen his heart.
“Now would be a good time, Bob,” she whispered with her eyes still closed.
He smiled. “Yes, ma’am.” And when his lips finally locked with hers, the time they’d been apart no longer mattered, as if he’d kissed her just the day before. As if she’d never left. As if he’d never known what loving someone really meant until this gorgeous woman aimed a .45—no, a .38—at his face.
He hadn’t planned for things to go this way when he left Spring, but he was happy that for once, life had decided to take matters into its own hands and mess with his carefully thought-out plans. After all, this unplanned twist of events had been only for the better—just like their unplanned love.
Epilogue
“Charli, I love you, but this is the last time I’m moving the beam. Are you sure this is where you want it?”
Charli tilted her head to the side and stared at the gorgeous man in a checkered shirt with rolled-up sleeves and a tool belt around his hips—and, as usual, she lost her train of thought. Now that he was back in town, after spending three months in Portland when they saw each other only on the weekends, he’d been carving out time from his busy schedule to work on the renovations of his parents’ house. Dreams On The Hill, their very own B&B, would open in March, just in time for the spring festival. They’d spent the second half of October going over the details to make sure everything would be just like she’d envisioned in her mind, and over the last three weeks he’d been working on making it happen while also juggling other projects he’d taken on.
Once he’d completed the job in Portland, Kean decided to keep in touch with his client on any new projects he might have in the surrounding area. The man had been amazed by Kean’s work and had promised to recommend him to anyone looking for a good architect. The website Charli created with the help of a couple of geeky teenagers from the book club brought his company the attention it deserved—he hadn’t been out of work since coming home and he already had a full schedule until early next year. Most projects so far had involved only his architectural skills, while other clients wanted the whole package, but the money he made now allowed him to hire extra workers, especially if the sites were farther out. Since he’d come home, he’d never been away longer than two days in a row, and they’d been spending a lot of time working together on the B&B.
Sometimes her excitement tested his patience, though. Like today, when she’d changed her mind for the fourth time about the position of a beam—which she no longer wanted in the center of the room.
“You’re ogling.”
His serious tone pulled her out of a daydream that involved him, his tool belt, and no clothes. Yes, she was a perv like that—and it was all his fault.
“You know what? Just place it wherever you think is best. You’re the architect, I trust you.” She smiled when he rolled his eyes, and moved closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him. “I love you, too. And I’m sorry I’m driving you crazy. I just want everything to be perfect.”
Her phone beeped and she pulled it out of the back pocket of her jeans. “I have to work on Jocelyn’s party now. Do you mind if I disappear into my office for an hour or so?”
While Kean was in Portland, she’d kept herself busy with Shotgun Events, her very own event planning company. The name had been Kean’s idea, as a reference to the day they met, and she’d thought it was perfect. Once she’d told Kean’s family, word of mouth had done the advertising for her, and she already had a full schedule of events, parties, and celebrations.
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Go ahead. I’ll finally be able to get something done if you’re out of my hair.”
She huffed and slapped his arm. He chuckled, and the sound made her insides melt. Holy guacamole, he’d turned her into a lovesick mess.
“Have you heard from Adam yet?” she asked as she stepped away from him, determined to get some work done before she changed her mind and kissed him until they were both breathless.
Kean placed the beam against the wall, then pulled out his phone. Ellie was due any day now, and this morning Adam had taken her to the hospital outside town for a checkup. He shook his head. “No messages. But hey, I forgot to tell you I heard from Kyle this morning.” His face lit up at the mention of his baby brother. “His rehab is going better than they’d expected, and he should be able to come home for a quick visit on Thanksgiving. The kid’s always been tough and I’m sure his determination will help him recover faster.”
His phone rang then, just as Charli’s did. They stared at the screens, then at each other.
“It’s Adam,” Kean said, just as Charli said, “It’s Ellie.”
“Do you think…?” they said at the same time. His eyes widened, and they both answered the calls. Five minutes later, they were in Kean’s truck, headed for the hospital.
* * *
Later that night, Charli lay snuggled in Kean’s arms, her cheek on his chest and his hand rubbing up and down her arm in the soothing way she loved. Seeing her best friend’s twins and holding baby Cory in her arms had felt like an emotional storm had hit her. But seeing Kean cradling that tiny bundle in a pink chenille onesie, watching his strong arm supporting that tiny body, his big hand stroking Lily’s cheek ever so lightly, had all but razed her defenses to the ground like the worst of hurricanes. Eight months ago she’d been scared of kids, terrified by dogs, wary of men, and determined to have a successful career in a big city.
But this man, this handsome, loving, and deliciously infuriating man had turned her life upside-down, changing her mind about everything she thought she wanted. In one of her usual introspections she was now used to having, minutes before falling asleep in Kean’s arms, she’d realized that the person she was now was the woman she was meant to be. The one who loved having her hair braided by a four-year-old and going to her tea parties. The one who lived in a house with three dogs because she couldn’t bear to see them go to another family. The woman who greeted people on the street by their names and didn’t need to order her coffee or her favorite muffin because they would already be at her table two point five minutes after she’d walked into the bakery. He’d made her understand what was really important, he’d helped her remember the dreams of that eight-year-old, and he’d opened her eyes, making her see who she really wanted to be. She wasn’t going to get rid of her fancy clothes and stilettos—mainly because Kean wouldn’t let her—and she wasn’t going to stop driving into the next bigger town for her shopping. But she’d started enjoying the small-town charm Kean had kept advertising from the moment they met. Actually, she loved it. But maybe it had to do with the gorgeous man sleeping next to her.
“You still ogling me, Lioness?” His raspy voice made her body tingle—no surprise there. One look, one word, one touch, and she lit up like a fire torch. He squinted one eye open and grinned. “I know I have a drool-worthy physique, but you can’t spend the nights watching me instead of sleeping. It’s not healthy.”
“
I love your humble side,” she said, smiling. “But I wasn’t ogling. At least not this time.”
“Then what was going on in that pretty little head of yours? I’m positive I could hear the cogs turning.”
They’d only been officially together on and off for five months, but he could already read her better than anyone else.
“I was thinking about today, and my life, and how meeting you—falling in love with you—changed everything I thought I knew.”
He smiled—lazy and lopsided, and plain gorgeous. She leaned closer and brushed his lips with hers. “I’m no longer the woman who got stranded outside town and wrinkled her nose at small-town life.”
“I kinda liked that feisty city girl, though,” he said, before returning her kiss with an equally chaste one.
“Don’t worry, you won’t be able to take the feisty girl out of me.” She winked, and he chuckled. “But I see things differently now. I’m no longer scared of kids or dogs, and I’m happy my job doesn’t rule my life anymore.”
She pushed herself up against his chest and stared down at him. In the light coming from the lamp on the nightstand, his eyes were as dark as the most delicious, most intense dark chocolate, smoldering like the hot coal he used for his barbecue. They locked with hers and she temporarily lost her train of thought.
“I know I said I didn’t want a family of my own, but seeing you with Lily, holding Cory in my arms… I forgot the reason why I don’t want kids. Or a husband. Or the whole fairy tale.”
She saw the moment her words registered—his eyes filled with love and adoration and they crinkled at the corners, as his lips curled in a sweet smile.
“I’m not saying I want to get married tomorrow and pop out three kids within five years,” she said, making him chuckle at her choice of words. “But I’m no longer opposed to having some tiny Bob the Builders running around our backyard, chasing puppies.”
“What exactly are you saying, Lioness?” The smirk on his face showed he knew precisely what she was saying, but no, of course he had to tease her just to get a kick out of it. She rolled her eyes.
“I’m saying that one day, in the not too far but not too near future either, if you showed up with a small velvet box and asked me to marry you, I wouldn’t tell you to get lost.”
He laughed. “That must be the most romantic declaration I’ve ever heard. You should ask Hallmark to put it in one of their Valentine’s Day cards.”
She huffed and moved as if to get out of bed, but his strong grip made it impossible for her to move a muscle.
“Chill, babe. You know I love messing with you.” His grin would let him get away with anything. She couldn’t be mad at him when he smiled like that, damn him. “And I love the idea of feisty little girls running around our backyard, too. Do you think it would be too early if we started trying for kids now?”
She rolled her eyes. “I said one day, not tomorrow. I don’t want to risk ending up like Adam and Ellie. If your genes are so, um… efficient, I’d get pregnant on the first attempt. I’m not quite ready, thanks very much.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Fine. But nobody says we can’t, you know, train for it, while still using protection? Just to make sure we’re not newbies when the time comes to, um, work on it?”
She laughed as he rolled her over and pinned her on the mattress simply with an intense stare. There were so many reasons why she loved him: he made her laugh, he made her hot, he drove her crazy. And eventually he’d made her realize that, even though she’d spent most of her life planning everything, the most beautiful thing had ended up being completely unplanned. A crazy, illogical, and decidedly unplanned love.
Coming soon…
He wanted to be her happily-ever-after, but his dream of being a professional baseball player tore them apart. Now his career his over and he’s back in town, but her heart already belongs to someone else. Is it too late for their fairy tale to come true?
Look out for Kyle and Lauren’s book, coming in 2018. If you’d like to be notified as soon as the book is available, as well as get updates on my writing and be the first to know about special offers, new releases and giveaways, please subscribe to my monthly newsletter. I never spam and usually only e-mail once a month, unless there are any special events. Additionally, upon signing up you will receive an exclusive short story in the Angel series.
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Please read on for the blurbs and buy links of my other books.
Would you like to read a bonus scene? Click here (or enter this link in your web browser: https://bookhip.com/VMJFMG) to get an exclusive glimpse into Ellie’s hospital room and see how Charli and Kean react to the newborns. You will be redirected to BookFunnel and you will be able to download an epub or a Mobi file.
You will not be asked to subscribe to my mailing list in order to download the story; it’s just something I wanted to do to show you my appreciation for purchasing this book (and also because I loved that scene, but for editorial reasons I could not include it in the book).
I hope you enjoy it.
Other Books By Roberta
Roberta’s books are available exclusively on Amazon, and if you are a KU subscriber, you can read them all for free!
No End To Love (Love In Spring, #1)
Ellie lost her faith in love when believing a lie cost her everything. Adam lost his faith in love when his wife died in his arms, leaving him with their six-month-old daughter. When their lives entangle, can they get over their fears and let their friendship become love? A new small-town series for fans of sweet romance.
Buy it on Amazon
The Melody In Our Hearts (Melody, #1)
For seventeen years Valerie and Ryan have convinced themselves, and everyone around them, that they were just friends. But when Ryan’s life is hanging by a thread after a car accident, and they nearly lose it all, will their true feelings finally come to the surface?
Buy it on Amazon
A Christmas Melody (Melody, #2)
Although they’ve been living the American dream in Boston for more than ten years, Valerie and Ryan are convinced a Christmas wedding back home in Dublin is the perfect way of celebrating the most important day of their lives. Surrounded by the love of their families and the festive atmosphere, doubts fill their minds as homesickness creeps in, making them question their choices. Are their hearts trying to tell them it’s time they finally came home?
Buy it on Amazon
Hugged By An Angel (Angel, #1)
How can you ever love again when tragedy has crushed your heart?
Colin’s job as a physiotherapist was only to help Kathleen get out of the wheelchair she’s been confined to since the accident that killed her brother and left her paralyzed. But when professional lines start to blur, is the relationship still just that of a physiotherapist helping his patient, or has it become something deeper, that might just heal them both?
Buy it on Amazon
Saved By An Angel (Angel, #2)
Soul mates always find each other…
Claire is busy building a new life for herself, and falling in love isn’t her plan—until she meets him. David has been hiding his grief behind a mask, and thinks he’s getting by just fine—until he meets her. They never expected to meet again after their serendipitous encounter, but fate has its own plan…
Buy it on Amazon
Hold On To Love
A three-week vacation on a dude ranch in Wyoming was meant to give Alyssa a reprieve from a stressful situation. But it ends up being long enough for a city girl to fall in love with country life. Is it lon
g enough for her to fall in love with a grumpy cowboy, too?
Buy it on Amazon
Before Us
A collection of four short stories, prequels to the first four published books by Roberta. This sampler includes special bonus content to introduce you to the characters from her novels, and draw you into her world of sweet romance.
Buy it on Amazon
Acknowledgments
As always, when I sit down to write the acknowledgments at the end of a book, there are lots of people I feel the need to thank—and with this book more than ever.
While writing this book I’ve gone through some tough times, days that tested my determination and self-confidence. I thank God for always giving me the strength I needed to never give up.
When I questioned myself and wanted to give up, some wonderful people gave me the figurative kick in the backside I needed to keep writing. Joslyn Westbrook, Julie Archer, Maria Luis: I am grateful for your support, for the advice, for the patience to keep up with my moods and “I suck” moments, and for just being there for me, proving that distance doesn’t really get in the way of friendship. I hope one day soon we will be able to organize that writing retreat and plot, brainstorm, and write amazing stories—possibly while lying on poolside lounge chairs.
A huge thank you to LaVerne Clark, who beta edited the very first draft of the book and convinced me it wasn’t such a horrible thing, after all. Your help and feedback have been invaluable.
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