Homegoing

by Janae Keyes

“Girlie, please let’s talk first. Why are you running away?” I stepped to her. I pulled her into my arms as she cried on my chest. I held her tight, determined to not let go again. We’d walked out of one another’s lives too many times. There would be no more.

  “Liam, you know we can’t keep this up. It’s impossible,” she whined.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “I can’t run back and forth between here and L.A. like I’ve been doing and you don’t want to live there. That’s always been our problem. My dreams took me far away from where you are comfortable. How could we possibly make a marriage work?” She tried to break away from me, but I wouldn’t let her. I held her firm where she stood. I glared into her eyes

  “Bethany, Baby, I’m ready to follow you anywhere you want to go. L.A. I’m there. Seattle, New York City, the motherfucking moon. I don’t care. I’m there, always.” I held her firmly and I saw the disbelief in her eyes.

  “What about Renni?” she asked, clearly worried about my daughter.

  “She can come too. It will be good for her. We’re in this together. I can’t wish for anything better than the chance for my daughter to experience the world in a way I never could. I want her to thrive and you are the best person to help me make that happen. Just marry me, baby.” I felt like I was begging her and I was. I needed Bethany in my life, no matter the circumstances. I couldn’t live without her.

  “Yes,” she breathed. I stared at her as if I didn’t believe her, because I honestly couldn’t. She’d just run away from me when I originally asked and now she was saying yes to spending the rest of her life with me.

  “Really?” I asked in confirmation.

  “Really, Liam. I’ll marry you.” She gave me the biggest grin and I kissed her with all my might. Her fingers gripped my shirt as she held onto me. She was assuring herself we’d never part. This time it was real.

  I couldn’t take it. I needed every part of her as close to me as possible. Breaking away, I pulled her blouse over her head and my fingers unbuttoned her jeans as quickly as possible.

  “Liam, stop. This might be too much for you. You’re still healing,” Bethany mentioned as I shoved her suitcase to the ground and laid her over the couch and climbed over her, unbuckling my belt.

  “Fuck that. I’m healed enough to love you, baby,” I grumbled as I ripped my shirt over my head and kicked my jeans off.

  Bethany’s eyes stared at my chest and the scars that were a reminder of the night I was nearly no longer in her world. Her fingers reached up and trailed along my surgery scar, followed by my gunshot wound.

  “So many memories in those scars,” I mentioned down to her. “The best part was seeing your face before it all went black.”

  “I love you,” she whispered.

  “I’ve loved you forever.” My fingers made a gentle trail up her legs to the band of her panties. I pulled them off her legs and spread them.

  I bent to her stomach and pressed my mouth to her skin, leaving simple, and loving kisses behind. I made a path of kisses down to the junction between her thighs. My tongue lapped her sweetness and she moaned, her hips rising to greet my hungry mouth.

  “You’ve always tasted so good,” I mumbled with my lips between her folds.

  I lapped over her clit, evoking her cries. With each lick her wails of passion grew louder and louder, all while my dick got harder and harder. I needed her more than ever. Skin to skin, heart to heart, and the promise of forever.

  I moved up her body as she panted. I took no time before I sunk into her. Our bodies were automatically in sync as she wrapped her legs around my waist. I gripped at her curves and drove myself into her deeper. Bethany’s cries were silenced by my mouth taking hers in a sweet kiss. I swallowed her cries and we both collapsed a heated mess onto the couch.

  “Will you really follow me anywhere?” she asked in my ear.

  Using my elbows, I propped myself up and stared into those sweet blue eyes of hers. I nodded in response.

  “Anywhere.”

  “Good,” she responded as she ran her fingers through my hair. “What about Portland?”

  “Portland sounds good to me,” I said with a smile as she bit down on her lower lip. “What’s this about Girlie?”

  “I was offered a job up there. It’s not as big as L.A. and between here where your family is and Seattle where Olivia is. L.A. is so far and I really don’t have anyone there. I think a change of scenery is in order.”

  “You’re amazing. You know that Dr. Cross?”

  Bethany only grinned before I kissed her hard. I was willing to follow her absolutely anywhere. Always.

  Epilogue - Six Months Later

  Bethany

  “Have the bouquets arrived yet?” I asked frantically.

  It was my wedding day and I was freaking out. Nothing had gone to plan all morning. I just wanted something to go right for once, but the beautiful day I had planned was a mess from the start.

  “Bethany, stop freaking out. Everything will be beautiful,” Olivia tried to reassure me. I was possibly freaking out because my hormones were all over the place, being three months pregnant could do that to a girl.

  “I’m trying. Just tell me the bouquets have arrived and I can calm down. I think,” I said as I peered up at my best friend who was typing away on her phone.

  “Yes, I just got a message Mrs. Stevens has arrived and has all the bouquets,” Olivia cheered as she sprinted to the door in her red bridesmaid dress.

  The last six months had brought so many changes to my life. Leaving Los Angeles was easier than expected, I adored my new hospital and practice in Portland. Liam and I settled into a new home with Serenati and it didn’t take long before I was pregnant.

  Liam opened his own garage and he had a pretty steady client base of people who owned classic cars. It seemed the news of his knowledge spread quickly among the community. He couldn’t be happier to live out his mechanic dream.

  Being closer to Fort Shasta, we were able to keep an eye on the building of the new community center. We’d come down to attend the grand opening and I announced my pregnancy. The only thing left was getting married and we’d decided to do it in the church where Liam’s parents had married. It meant so much to him.

  “I have bouquets!” Olivia announced as she entered the room in the church we’d used to get dressed in.

  She handed me the bouquet of roses and I turned to the mirror behind me. It was the first time I was seeing myself ready to get married the man who’d always had a hold on my heart.

  “You look beautiful,” Olivia whispered as I wiped a tear away.

  My blonde hair was pulled back in a bun with a few strands left out in front. My dress a simple lace that fit my body like a glove, showing off my small bump. Only one thing was missing. My fingers gripped onto the pendant of my necklace. It was a little something Liam had gotten me, a locket.

  I clicked open the heart shaped pendant and stared down at the smiling man in the photo inside. He held a cigarette in his hand as he always did and on his lap was a little blonde girl. I sniffed as my tears dripped from my eyes. He was missing from my day, Dad.

  As a little girl and growing up, he’d tell me about how one day he’d walk me down the aisle. He couldn’t wait for that day, though I could never imagine him in a tux.

  “He should be here,” I told my best friend who wrapped her arms around me.

  “He’s here in spirit. He’s watching and he’s so happy,” she said as I ran my finger over the photo of the man who gave his all for me every single day until his final breath. Not a day went by that he didn’t cross my mind.

  “It’s time ladies,” a voice called from the door.

  “Can I have just a minute?” I asked Olivia.

  “Yeah. I’ll be waiting.” She patted my shoulder and left me alone.

  I stepped to the window and peered outside. The sun was shining bright and the snow peaked top of Mount Shasta in clear view. I smiled up at the only place besides Crossro
ads Dad would find his peace. I sat on the window sill and thought of the man who raised me all on his own.

  “I miss you so much Dad and today I marry the only man who could love me just as much as you. I never thought this day would come and you wouldn’t be here with me, but you are here. You’ve always been here and you’ll always be with me. I love you Dad, more than anything. You’re my angel.”

  I wiped away my final tears and stood. It was time and nothing would hold me back from my bright future. I wouldn’t have Dad giving me away in person, but I think he’d placed his truth in Liam to keep my heart safe a long time ago.

  Maybe it was all part of a plan. Some big and elaborate plan that was meant to bring Liam and I together again. It was almost like Dad was in on it and his Homegoing was a chance to bring my heart home to Liam. It was home–I was home.

  THE END

  Acknowledgments

  Finishing a book is always such an amazing experience for me. I am blessed to be able to share these characters with all of you.

  Homegoing started as an IR short story for an anthology and for some reason I couldn’t keep at it. Something was wrong with the story. Eventually, I sat it to the side. I was looking at photos on Depositphotos and I came across the cover photo. I knew I found the characters for this book. Sometimes we plan our characters one way, but the come out another.

  I know a majority of my readers come to me for my Interracial stories and I will continue to write those as passionately as I wrote this book, but sometimes when characters speak to you, you’ve got to write them how they want to present themselves. In this case, my characters were of the same race, both Caucasian.

  The fun part of this book despite the grim storyline was introducing an interracial couple that you will get to know better in a later book, Olivia and her husband. See I threw some nuggets in.

  I want to thank those who will follow me anywhere. You guys are amazing and I appreciate the faith you put in my work. Nicole, you are my bomb ass editor and I appreciate you so much.

  I won’t keep you all any longer. Be on the lookout for my first historical romance and so much more.

  All my love,

  Janae

  About the Author

  Janae Keyes is an American mom, wife, and hopeless romantic living in Europe. She loves to explore various cultures coming together through the magic of love. Residing in a suburb of Brussels, Belgium, with her husband and daughter, Janae loves to share her passion for romance with others.

  For more from Janae visit:

  www.JanaeKeyes.com