by Alice Ward
I flung my arms around Shep’s neck and pressed my lips against his cheek. The sheet fell from my body, and I shivered as the cool air of the apartment brushed against my bare skin.
Shep’s hands instantly warmed me, caressing my back and my sides. “I’m suddenly not very hungry,” he said playfully.
I nuzzled his neck. “Neither am I.”
He scooped me into his arms and carried me back up the steps and to his room. I laughed when he tossed me on the bed.
“I love it when you’re rough,” I told him and grinned when he ripped his shirt open, causing buttons to fly everywhere. His pants were next, and my stomach twisted when his cock popped free.
“I also love it when you’re gentle,” I said as he crawled across the bed toward me, his eyes burning into mine.
He stopped when our noses were only an inch apart. “You seem to love a lot of things,” he said, and I cupped his cheek with my hand.
“Yes.” My heart picked up speed, the roar of my blood pounding in my ears. “And I’m falling in love with you.”
His smile was beautiful. “I’m falling in love with you too.”
He leaned forward to kiss me, but I held him back, moving my fingers to cover his lips. “Thank you, Shep. For believing in me and supporting me, even when I didn’t deserve it. For not judging my actions or thinking me foolish as I explored a world that was so unknown and new.”
He kissed the pad of my thumb.
“Remember my story of how fucked up I was a few years ago?” he asked, and I nodded. “Do you hate me because of my past?”
Of course not. “No.”
“Did you lose respect for me because of it?”
“No.” Then I grinned. “Maybe a little.”
He grinned too. “And you forgave me because you know I learned from my mistakes and strove to do better. You’re falling in love with the man I am now because I lived through those lessons.”
“Are you saying everything happens for a reason?”
He sat back on his heels and pulled me up until I was straddling his thighs, his erection the only barrier between us.
“I’m saying that everything happens. Good or bad. Right or wrong. It happens, and it’s our job as humans to do the best we can in response.”
“How’d you get so smart?”
He kissed the tip of my nose. “Because I learned a shit load of lessons.”
We both laughed. And we were still laughing as he rolled on a condom and when he lifted me onto him, connecting us. Laughter melted into passion as our lips met, our fingers gripping each other tightly, digging in, not letting go.
Hours later, we were eating the bagels in his bed, ravenous and sated at the same time.
“So, what are you going to do now that you’ve won?” he asked.
“I have no idea,” I admitted as I wiped a dot of cream cheese from his chin.
“How about you take a world food tour with me?”
I stared at him, my mouth full of bagel. I chewed quickly, swallowing it in a huge lump. “Are you serious?”
“Completely.”
“Serious, serious?”
“Completely, completely.”
He was. His eyes were serious and intense. I couldn’t believe he was asking me to go away with him. “Yes, I would love that!” I yelled, launching myself into his arms. “When? Where? How?”
He stopped my questions with a kiss. I was breathless when he let me back up for air.
“The show’s due to air next week, so let’s go now,” he suggested. “Be out of the spotlight while all the tabloids go nuts.”
I thought about my life. I had nowhere to live. Everything I owned was packed and in storage or in my suitcases. Nothing was stopping me from going. It was as if some divine timing had set me up for this moment.
“Yes. Let’s go.”
His eyes sparkled, and that beautiful smile lit up his face.
“I have to call Lauren and Kennedy,” I said, jumping up from the bed and grabbing my phone.
He winked and picked up our trash. “I’ll give you some privacy.” He closed the door softly behind him.
“Claire, I was hoping you would call soon,” Lauren’s voice sounded frantic the moment she answered the phone.
“I’m sorry, so much has happened,” I gushed.
“You had me so worried last night.”
I didn’t want to tell her about the video or the threats, but I knew I needed to. She was my best friend, and she always knew when something was wrong. I took a deep breath and told her everything.
“That sick little fuck,” she shouted. “Kennedy will handle him, Claire, don’t you worry.”
“Well, she couldn’t do anything until after it was released. But that won’t happen. Shep handled it, and there’s nothing to worry about now.”
“Shep?” Lauren asked. “How?”
I explained everything the way Shep had explained it to me, and I heard Lauren let out a long relieved sigh. “Tell him thank you for me, please,” she said.
“You can tell him yourself. We want to have dinner with you guys before you head back home. And…” I drew the word out, “before we leave for our world food tour.”
Lauren didn’t let me slip that one by her. “World food tour?” she asked. “You and Shep?”
“Yes, just us.”
Her voice turned motherly. “Is it a good idea to prance across the globe with a man you barely know?”
I laughed. “I know him better than you think.”
“Sooo… are you a couple now?”
I couldn’t hide anything from Lauren, not now, not ever. “He told me he loved me,” I said. “Well, that he was falling in love with me.”
“Oh my God, that’s so soon,” Lauren scoffed.
“I told him first,” I admitted. She laughed, then was sniffling as I told her the conversation we had.
“That’s so sweet,” she sighed. “Maybe what the two of you have is real. I know from experience that things like that can happened quickly. Besides, on tour, you’ll get the chance to really get to know each other. If things don’t work out, you can come right home.”
“Exactly. With new lessons under my belt.”
We spoke for a few more minutes, mostly about making arrangements for dinner that night, then I hung up and called Kennedy.
“I’m so glad to hear your voice,” she squealed.
“Trust me, not nearly as glad as I am to hear yours.”
I launched into the entire story, starting with the bad before moving to the good.
“I knew I liked this Shep guy,” Kennedy said firmly once I’d finished.
“Yes, you were pushing for him early on,” I said with a laugh.
“And, if anything else happens with Aiden, you call me pronto. I’ll slap him down so hard he’ll be shitting whisks for months.”
God, I loved my friends.
I promised to plan my tour so that I would be close when she was ready to deliver. I wasn’t going to miss that day for anything, not even Shep.
A little later, Shep came back into the room and snuggled into the bed beside me. I told him about dinner plans and Kennedy’s reaction to our new relationship. He smiled and said he couldn’t wait to meet her. I knew he would love her just as I did.
Dinner was nice, but too quick. Asher and Lauren were heading out later that night, and Jackson had to leave before dessert arrived to catch his plane. He had been away from Kennedy too long, so I understood.
Lauren and Asher were rolling out a new software program that was supposed to change the world, or so they said. Lauren warmed up to Shep nicely once she saw how he looked at me. There was no denying the man loved me. Even if he hadn’t said as much, I could see it in his eyes.
I hugged them all goodbye while Shep extended his hand to Jackson and to Asher, but Lauren pulled him in for a hug. I heard her whisper, “Take care of our girl,” as she squeezed him.
“Of course,” he said and squeezed her back.
“Sure, but what’s the reason?” he asked. “Is there someone there?”
I smiled and remembered Big Jake and his dream of getting back home. “No, but there’s someone who should be.”
Shep looked confused but agreed to make that our first stop without asking further questions. A few days later, we were on a plane, and I was sharing in detail my experience with Big Jake and how much my short time with him had helped me.
On the ground, we scoured the area until we found the little restaurant that had a worn out sign that still read “Big Jakes.” It was sad to see the man who helped me with my dream have his sit empty. Most of the places had rebuilt, and the city was thriving again, but Jake’s insurance company had gone bankrupt, leaving him empty handed and needing to deal with it one dollar at a time.
We spoke to some of the locals about Big Jakes, and they all had great things to say. It was one of the best barbecue joints on the strip they told us, and Big Jake was the most generous kind hearted man they all knew. I teared up when I heard he used to feed them when they were hungry. He didn’t care if you had money, he just wanted you to smile.
“This is what I want to do with my winnings,” I told Shep. He agreed it was a good cause but urged me to find investors and not do it all alone. He offered to join my efforts, and when he disappeared around the corner, I could see him on the phone. Within minutes, he returned with a grin. “We have investors,” he said. “I called the show and found Big Jake too. Gretchen is working it out for him to fly here to meet us.”
I knew I loved this man. Officially and wildly.
Big Jake was confused as the private car dropped him off in front of his old restaurant. Tears filled his eyes as some of the locals greeted him, and then he made his way to me. Asher and Jackson were standing on the corner talking to Shep about the plans, while I opened my arms and hugged the man that had helped me through a very tough day.
“Why are you doing this for me?” he asked.
“Because you played fair, and now, it’s time for you to win fair,” I said.
It took about a week to get the place back up and ready. It was better than it had ever been Big Jake boasted as he ran his fingers across the stainless steel grill and the granite counter tops. We bought land behind and beside him and expanded so he could have several smoke pits running at once without disturbing the patrons with the heavy smoke. He gushed over us and cried like a baby when we handed him the key.
“The building is paid for; it’s all yours,” Shep said proudly.
Big Jake fired up the smoker and started working on creating some of the most delicious aromas I’d ever smelled. We stayed for dinner and the grand re-opening and then we all went our separate ways.
Shep and I had agreed that we would work our trip around Kennedy’s delivery date, ensuring we were no more than a few hours away for at least two weeks before the due date. I also wanted to see my parents. I’d missed them so much.
“Thank you,” I told him for probably the millionth time, and I owed him at least a million more.
He kissed the top of my head and held me tight. “We make a good team, sweetheart.”
I snuggled closer. “The perfect recipe?”
He laughed. “Yeah, a little bit of you and a little bit of me. The perfect recipe indeed.”
EPILOGUE
Two years later…
The Thompson family’s church was a small white brick building with a tall steeple. It was old fashioned but had a unique charm that I loved.
Lauren fussed with my veil as Kennedy tried to fix Little Jackson’s tie. The bridal room was small and had little space to maneuver with a toddler running loose, but I couldn’t think of any other place in the world I would rather be in that moment.
“You look so beautiful,” Lauren said tearfully. Kennedy gripped Little Jackson and leaned in to kiss my cheek before Lauren dropped my veil over my face.
“This is it,” I said.
They both smiled and nodded.
“Are you ready?” Kennedy asked.
“More ready that I’ve ever been for anything in my life.”
And I was.
Lauren held her belly and smiled. “She’s kicking.” Kennedy and I both swarmed her, putting our hands on her belly to feel the life inside. A soft kick pushed against my fingers, causing me to let out a squeal. Tears formed in my eyes and Lauren quickly wiped them away from under my veil.
“I just got your makeup done again,” she complained. I’d cried so much that day that Lauren was about to run out of makeup from the many touchups that were needed on my face.
I couldn’t believe how far we’d all come. Kennedy was a mother. A mother! It was surreal. She still worked hard as a lawyer, and even though they had plenty of money, she didn’t hire nannies like her friends did. She worked around Little Jackson’s schedule and had him in a great daycare. We had all laughed when she told us he was attending the uppity school for toddlers, mainly because Little Jackson was so outspoken and nothing like her elite friends’ children who sat in a corner and spoke only when spoken to.
“Let us know how that works out,” Lauren had teased when she first told us.
She was raising little Jackson to be his own person, to express himself, and while that may all sound good on paper, it apparently made for a rough life of parenting.
“No!” Kennedy yelped and ran after Little Jackson, who decided to express himself by peeing down the hallway of the church.
Lauren snickered. “This one,” she patted her belly, “there will be no free expression.”
“We better go,” Kennedy said, her voice somewhat stressed. We knew she wasn’t going to be able to control her son much longer, so we went towards the door.
As I walked down the small hallway, butterflies fluttered in my stomach. We stopped just before the entrance into the church where I knew Shep was standing.
Mrs. Thompson gripped my hands and pulled me towards her. “I knew you were the one the moment I met you,” she said sweetly. She hugged me and then Asher ushered her to a seat.
I thought about how Mrs. Thompson and even Shep knew this was right so quickly. I wondered why I didn’t. There were so many things that clogged my mind when I first arrived at the show, and one of them was that I didn’t want a man. So how did I end up with Aiden? Then Shep?
There were several bad choices made on my part, and Shep was there through them all. He held my hand, held my head up high, and always kept his hand on my back. I didn’t regret the decisions that were made. They were necessary steps to ready me for this moment. I’d been with Royce for years, and marriage was never a thought in my mind. I wasn’t sure why at the time. I guess I’d convinced myself that we were happy and didn’t need the piece of paper to prove it, but now I knew different.
I knew that the reason I hadn’t thought about marriage with Royce was because he wasn’t the one. The one was standing at the end of the aisle I so desperately wanted to peek down right now.
I glanced at Lauren and smiled softly as my eyes fell to her belly. She was ready to pop at any moment, and I kept telling her I wanted it to happen on my wedding day.
She laughed. “You don’t want me ruining your day.”
I didn’t see it as ruining it. I imagined it would be an amazing blessing to say our vows and then have a life brought into the world right after. “We could share our anniversary with her birthday,” I pleaded. “That way I’ll never forget it.”
“You wouldn’t forget it anyway,” she said, leaning forward and then backwards to stretch her tight muscles. “And besides, I don’t have control over when she comes, so you can quit your begging.”
I couldn’t wait to start a family with Shep. I knew he would be an amazing father. We had a baby already, a restaurant in Austin that was turning six months old today. Shep let me pick out the décor when we built i
t, and he worked with Jackson on the building design. Kennedy was our lawyer, ensuring we were up to code and that we never had to worry about violations. Lauren’s paintings were hanging on the walls of the restaurant, proudly displayed with love. Shep and I both controlled the day to day logistics of the kitchen and the front of the house. It was perfect, our life was perfect, and I couldn’t wait to bring it to the next stage.
The music started playing, and my heart fluttered. The butterflies were still flying around in my belly, and I knew my eyes were going to well up with tears again. “Don’t you cry until we get some pictures,” Lauren warned playfully. I nodded and sniffed hard.
Each bridesmaid and groomsmen walked down the aisle arm in arm. I looked at my father who wore a tuxedo and a bowtie. He looked regal and so proud I thought he’d burst through his jacket.
Little Jackson galloped down the aisle like he was riding a pony and dropped the pillow with the ring several times. We knew to put fake rings on the pillow, so our real bands were in Asher’s pocket.
My father extended his arm to me, and I took it. I stopped at the entrance of the church aisle and whispered, “I love you,” to the man who raised me so well. I was so glad he never had to be faced with the video Aiden had threatened to air. If it hadn’t been for Shep, I knew this moment would have been tainted. I’d never seen disappointment or shame when Dad looked at me, only pride and love. I thanked God and Shep every day that I was saved from that.
Shep stood at the altar, his tuxedo perfectly customized to his build. His thick dark hair was slicked back away from his face in a wave, and his dark eyes glistened under the lights gleaming through the stained-glass windows.
This is it, the beginning of the rest of my life.
My father’s hand shook as he released his grip on me and handed me to Shep. I took his hand. It was strong and secure, the way I remembered my father’s as a young girl. I looked over at my mother sitting in the front pew and could see the lifetime of happiness the man who just gave me away had given her. I wanted that with Shep. I knew I would have that with Shep.
