“Tyler and Rachel, by the power vested in me by the state of Texas and God himself, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride,” the pastor said loudly in order to be heard over the whooping and hollering that the small group created. Tyler leaned down and kissed her softly. “I’m gonna see that reflection tonight, Mrs. Howe,” he whispered to her intimately, a gentle reminder of the bed she’d picked out for the house.
“Not before you wash my back, husband,” she taunted and her laughter echoed through the trees as he lost his footing.
Tonight at ten: our favorite redneck billionaire is off the market, ladies. Today, in a very simple ceremony in the forest, Tyler Howe, the owner of Milton’s grocery on South Main, married his bride-to-be, Miss Rachel Thorpe from Kansas. It’s not entirely sure how the two met, but one thing we can tell you is that it must be love. The two could not stop smiling or laughing happily at each other, but we’ll have more coverage later in the show.
Epilogue
Rachel sat in the parking lot staring at the tiny picture in her hand. It looked almost like nothing, indistinguishable circles and smudges, that the doctor assured her was their babies. She was pregnant with twins. She’d gotten the confirmation today that everything was fine and they seemed to be progressing at a good, healthy rate. She was three months along and could no longer hide her stomach, blaming it on the ice cream sundaes that she’d been craving as of late. Tyler had joked that he liked a woman with meat on her bones in the bedroom, but this was different. She was going to get a lot larger, a lot faster, with blessed results.
He was going to be a daddy.
She got out of the car and walked around the store absentmindedly, looking at everything in just sheer shock. She’d had weeks to think about this and wondered how Tyler would take the news. It seemed surreal yet the proof was tucked safely in her purse. She’d been picking up different swatches of fabric every time she was at a fabric store, claiming that she thought of taking up quilting or that it was for a project she was working on.
Oh, she was working on a ‘project’ all right… she was growing two of them in her abdomen! Picking up odds and ends, she knew it was time to start thinking of how to do their children’s nursery. Little pink and blue camo booties, white ceramic deer antlers to hang ribbons from, several pastel deer prints, and two stuffed Bambi’s would help cement the idea. She ordered two cribs to be delivered to the house and a matching glider for their room. The bedroom was already painted a pale mint green which would be a perfect neutral color until they learned the sex of the babies.
Babies…two!
Rachel walked into the house with the bags in a stupor. That was one thing that was simply wonderful, Clara gave the newlyweds space to be alone. They invited her to join them every evening to watch the Wheel of Fortune on the big screen that Tyler had bought for football season. He claimed it was a ‘cardinal sin’ to watch the Cowboys play on anything less than a 72-inch television.
The house was silent, giving her time to think. She was beyond excited and terrified at the thought of two children at once, especially since she knew nothing about taking care of a baby. They’d given her a diaper bag with all sorts of manuals and samples at the doctor’s office, scheduled her for Lamaze classes as well as penciled her in with a lactation consultant. Her mind was whirling as her life was slowly being taken over by two little people that had yet to make their appearance – and she loved them already for it.
“Hello? Rachel?” she heard Tyler call out as he tossed his keys onto the kitchen island. It was the same thing every afternoon when he got home. The man was a creature of habit. Boots dropped by the front door, keys on the counter and then he always rushed in to whatever room she happened to be in, to kiss her and tell her he missed her. I love his sweet habits, she thought with a smile.
“I’m in here,” she called out nervously. Might as well take the bull by the horns, a phrase Tyler used often. “Can you help me hang this up when you get a chance? I want to take a good long look at my next project and see what you think.”
“Sure,” he chimed in, pushing the bedroom door open. “I missed you,” he told her tenderly, kissing her softly. “What are you doing in here?”
“My next project.”
“Oh? Whatcha’ making?” he asked curiously, looking around at the stack of frames propped up against the wall and swatches of fabric.
“Our babies,” she whispered, tears of happiness spilling over her lashes as he suddenly grew pale and sat down hard on the floor. “Tyler, I’m pregnant and there is two of them.”
“Twins? Oh mercy,” he said, fanning himself for oxygen. He shut his eyes and swallowed several times, hanging his head between his knees where he sat. “I think I might pass out.”
“Well you’d better not because if I can handle getting big as a whale, you can too.”
“It’s not that,” he said weakly. “I just…I… oh mercy. Two of them? You’re sure?”
“Positive,” she affirmed and was stunned to see him get up onto his knees, pulling her towards him. He placed his cheek flat against the soft rounding of her stomach. She felt his shoulders quiver as he became overwhelmed. The man was extremely strong but when it was too close to his heart or too emotional, her big bear of a man wept and always tried to hide it. Rachel held herself still as she tenderly cradled his head. Her heart did a flip-flop with emotion as she heard his voice whispering softly to her stomach in the silent house.
“You two are so lucky and so blessed already but you don’t know it yet,” he said tenderly, kissing her belly button underneath her shirt. “You’ve been given to the best mama there is in the whole world. I’m your daddy but she – she’s everything to us and will love us all unconditionally. She’s got the biggest heart I know of- she’s my entire universe and I can’t wait to share her with you both.”
“I love you,” she said, her voice thick with unshed tears as the truth of his words echoed on the barren walls of the soon-to-be nursery. Her entire world was right there in that room and she felt like the luckiest woman in the world- winning his love.
Afterword
Thank you for taking the time to read Winning the Billionaire. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Doesn’t have to be much, just a simple rating and a few kind words work wonders <3 Your thoughts, opinions and feedback are much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Ginny Sterling
Sienna Angelica has climbed her way to the top of the fashion world, one stitch at a time with the guiding hand of her boyfriend/manager, Joel Fischers. Pushed, manipulated and twisted until the point that their relationship had become a hostile takeover of her clothing line as well as her life, Sienna finally stands up for herself. It had taken everything for her to escape his clutches only to find now, two years later, Joel is trying desperately to stake his claim on her fortune once again.
Harper Etan has discovered a new life and renewed faith after a serious mistake on the job nearly cost him the use of his legs. Shaken to the core, he found a way to serve people in the form of a hired bodyguard instead of an officer of the law. When he received a call from a terrified young woman, he finds that it's the same female that had caught his eye a few weeks ago purchasing self-defense items. Harper realizes that Sienna needs protection as well as a friend to have her back when things get rough.
Can a road of self-discovery and freedom from a bad relationship lead to having her heart stolen by the man she's hired to protect her?
Lawfully Indulged: A Billionaire Bodyguard Lawkeeper Romance
Married at the brink of the Civil War, young Ava Buchannan dutifully bids farewell to her new husband as any proper southern woman would. The problem is she never dreamed that it would be the last time she ever saw him. In her heart, she knew she should wait for his return, yet her mind told her differently. In the seven years that have passed since her marriage, she’s seen other women move forward with their lives. Yet she is tr
apped maintaining the family business of undertaker for the town of Maypearl, Texas. Seeing so much death, having no prospects of happiness, and a squeamish constitution were all taking their toll on her… until hope arrived in the form of a letter.
Desperate for a fresh start after the war, Jeremiah Ellington responded to an ad in the paper for a job. His home had been razed, his family gone, and he had only the items on his back to begin his life again. When he received a response to the ad for an assistant to the town’s undertaker, it seemed to be a perfect solution for a former surgeon in the army. One look at the lovely undertaker and his dead heart came alive. Jeremiah would do anything to have Ava in his life, including making her forget her long lost husband.
Can Ava let down her guard enough to begin to enjoy the life around her? Can Jeremiah find a way to break through the shell that is protecting her heart as they are suddenly hopefully matched together.
Hopefully Matched - A Match Made in Heaven
Officer Cindy Lance had waited eagerly for a K-9 position to open up in the small town of Mayhew, Texas. Her career choices were driven by personal tragedy and shaped her life. She vowed to make a difference in the community. She accepted the challenge that being a K-9 officer could bring but that hadn’t been the tough part. It was dealing with the arrogant instructor!
“Mad-dog” Enoch Wesson had no intention of taking it easy on the pretty blond officer that was selected to attend K-9 training class. Her career was full of promise, yet she had the nerve to challenge him at every turn in front of the others. He wanted nothing more than to make sure she knew who the boss was at the training facility.
Cindy strived hard to gain the respect of her handsome instructor and worked diligently with her dog, Duchess. She wanted to make sure she was ready to resume her career with the force. But when an assignment hits too close to home, she finds herself bonding with the one person she thought hated her most of all, only to find that maybe they aren’t so different after all. Can she find the strength to perform a job that could break her heart and crush her soul? Could he overcome his own personal nightmares and be the man she needs?
Lawfully Challenged
Zach Turner is a dedicated search and rescue cop. The only wife he needs is his work wife, Aiden O'Connell, and his K-9 partner, Harley. That doesn't mean he's not into the ladies, because he totally is, but he doesn't want anything serious. Casually dating is more his speed, that is until he meets Erica Cruz through Aiden's girlfriend. Something about her intrigues Zach, but she wants nothing to do with him because of his playboy ways and lack of faith.
Erica Cruz has a great life. She enjoys spending time with her best friend, Lindsay, serving at church with the junior high kids, and working as a dental assistant. The only thing missing is a good, Christian man in her life. She's tried all the different ways of finding one from the church singles' group to online dating, but she's had nothing but bad luck. The worst of the worst is Zach, who she has avoided since she met him through Aiden, Lindsay's husband. He's done nothing but hit on her since they first met. All she wants to do is stay away from him, but fate has a different idea.
Erica never knew her father, so when he dies and leaves everything to her, she's surprised. But when she finds out her inheritance is worth billions, surprise turns into shock as her world turns upside down. To make matters more complicated, she starts receiving threats against her life. As she digs into her father's corrupt past, she realizes that money isn't the only thing she's inherited. She's also gained a massive list of her father's enemies and one of them is willing to kill her to set things right. Erica decides to reach out to her friends on the Clear Mountain Police Department, but the only person able to bodyguard her and go with her to Amsterdam to find out the truth, is Zach.
Can they find a way to get along for the sake of Erica's protection? Will they find out who is trying to harm her and why before it's too late? And will they finally give into the attraction that has been secretly simmering just below the surface?
Lawfully Devoted - Preorder now!
About the Author
Ginny Sterling is an avid romance writer. She lives to tell sweet, inspirational, tender tales that tug at the heart-strings. She enjoys reading and creating stories that leave the reader smiling, laughing or crying. She favors writing western or contemporary books - several of which are included in The Lawkeepers Series. Ginny is a co-creator of A Match Made in Heaven Romance Series with Jenna Brandt and Marie Higgins. She is also proud to announce that she will be participating in the Silver Pines Series in 2019.
Growing up, Ginny traveled extensively visiting family, seeing the sights, and learning that everything in life worth having revolves around love, faith and home. Having lived in several different parts of the United States, she and her family have settled in Kentucky. When not at work, she spends all of her free time writing, quilting, or shopping for coffee mugs to add to her collection.
Writing under an alternate pen name, Gina Cole- She dabbles in a fantasy world that whisks you away from the daily doldrums of reality with steamy contemporary and time travel romances. Her Bride series throws fate to the wind, bringing together two hearts...whereas her Timeless Brides series is more like a crash course in life, somewhere in the past, with a Hunka-hunka burning love.
Each book written is sure to be an adventure designed to bring laughter and love to your heart!
www.GinnySterling.com
Winning the Billionaire, Copyright © 2018 by Ginny Sterling
These books are works of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of these books may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without express written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Thank you for supporting the author’s rights.
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