“So,” I said hesitantly. “Your wife, huh?”
“Fuck,” he growled and stomped out the front door to his car, totally freaking me out. He reached into the glove box and grabbed something from inside. He stormed back up the stairs, slamming the door behind him. “He might have fucked up my plan, but we aren’t doing this down here. Not like this. Upstairs,” he ordered.
I shook my head in confusion and before I knew it, Drake had picked me up in a fireman’s hold and was marching up the stairs.
“Drake,” I yelped.
“Calm down, baby. I’ve got you,” he answered with a pat on my ass. As soon as we made it to my room, he tossed me on the bed. I leaned up on an elbow to find him dropping down to his knees at the edge of the bed and pulling a small blue jewelry box out of his pocket.
“Ohimigod,” I breathed out.
Drake glanced down at the floor before looking up and locking his eyes with mine. I knew he loved me. He had no problem showing me how much I meant to him each and every day in so many different ways. But his feelings had never more shown more clearly than right here, right now as his love blazed from his dark eyes.
“This isn’t how I planned this at all,” he started. “I wanted this moment to be romantic. Something you could tell our children and grandchildren about as we grow old together. But I don’t think I can wait to ask, so I guess they’re going to end up with a whole different story when we share how I popped the question.”
I giggled in response as he pulled a gorgeous ring out of the box and pushed it onto my finger. “I don’t recall hearing any questions being popped,” I teased.
He shook his head at me before responding. “Alexa, will you be my wife? Let me love you and protect you for the rest of my days? Wear my ring so that nobody will ever doubt that you’re mine?”
“Are you sure?” I asked, worried that this was just a heat of the moment decision.
“Lexi, baby. I bought this ring months and months ago,” he said as he rubbed his finger across the ring that was nestled on my finger. “If I’d thought you were ready, you would have been wearing it at Christmas.”
“You’ve had it that long?” I asked, shocked to hear that he’d been thinking about marriage when I’d had no idea.
“Longer,” he answered. I smiled at him, with tears running down my cheeks and nodded. “I don’t recall hearing an answer,” he teased.
“Yes!” I shrieked as I threw myself off the bed and into his arms. “A million times yes.”
Hold Your Horses
Prologue
Charlotte
I watched Kaylie as she scoured the internet in search of an apartment for her and Jackson’s move to New York and couldn’t help but feel a little irritated at her excitement. I knew it made me a bitch, but I just couldn’t stop myself from feeling this way. Graduation was just around the corner, and she had a plan for what she was going to do, where she was going to do it, and who she was going to be with while she was doing it. At the start of the semester, she’d had no clue, but everything had just fallen into place for her since she met Jackson. He’d worked hard to make sure that it had done so.
Don’t get me wrong. I was beyond thrilled that Kaylie had found Jackson. That he had managed to break down her walls and get her to see that life was worth living again. I wanted the best that life had to offer for my best friend. I really did. I just wanted it for myself too.
I couldn’t wrap my head around the decision I needed to make. After four long years, Shane couldn’t wait to get me back home so that we could finally be together without the distance that had separated us for so long. And I wanted to be with him so much. Both of us had put a lot of effort into making sure our relationship survived while I was away at school. And now that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, I just wasn’t sure that I wanted to go back home and live my life in our small Tennessee hometown.
Moving there the summer before my senior year of high school had been difficult for me, but my parents had to do what was right for our whole family. My parents had inherited the bar from a great-uncle we hardly even knew, my Nanny’s brother. And boy, doesn’t that make us really Southern, calling my grandma Nanny because her name is Annie. As if having six siblings didn’t make us hillbilly enough when I was growing up in Knoxville, Tennessee. When my parents found out he had left them a huge, rambling house along with the bar, it was a no-brainer for them. They moved us all a little farther south to a much smaller town where everyone knew each other because their families had lived there forever. And I got to spend my final year of high school feeling like an outsider before I headed out of town for college.
The one bright spot while I was there was Shane. I met him my first week of school and was instantly smitten. Not that I let him know how into him I was right away. He was the guy that every girl wanted, so I had to play hard to get just a teensy bit. He sure did make the chase worth my while once he caught me. Unfortunately, that just gave the other girls at school a reason not to like me other than my not growing up there with all of them.
They sure didn’t warm up to me when Shane and I continued to date while I was away at school either. I was the outsider who’d swooped in and stolen their most eligible bachelor away and then had the gall to go to college out of state without letting him go. Which led me to my current problem—did I really want to spend the rest of my life around people who had made it clear that they thought I didn’t belong in their town and that I certainly didn’t deserve to be with Shane?
Chapter 1
Shane
After four long years, the time had finally come for Charlotte to graduate from college. There had been times over the years that I’d wanted to jump into my pickup truck and drag her ass back home where it belonged—with me. But how could I have done that when I’d known damn well that she wouldn't be happy without earning that piece of paper that meant so much to her parents? She was the oldest and they wanted her to set an example for her younger brothers and sisters. And if it had just been that, I might not have resisted the urge to go get her, but I’d also known that she’d needed the time away from this town to spread her wings so she would be ready to come back to me and settle down.
People around these parts didn't always take to newcomers very quickly, so things had been tough for Char when she moved here as a senior in high school. I was pretty sure I hadn't made things any easier for her by setting my sights on her right away either. The girls didn't like that I had gone after her like a dog in heat, but shit if I could have helped myself. She had been so different from all the other girls, not giving a damn that I was interested until I made her pay attention. She’d made me work for it, and I’d enjoyed the chase a helluva lot.
Maybe if any of the other girls around these parts hadn't been so damn easy, I would have wanted one of them instead, but I didn't think so. There was just something about my sassy redheaded girl that made every part of me stand up and take notice. Before I knew it, she had me wrapped around her finger and acting like a pussy-whipped fool. Hell, she had me doing all sorts of things that were out of character—like agreeing to a long-distance relationship so I wouldn't lose her. I'd never been good at waiting. But for Char, I'd wait just about forever.
Hell, she had even gotten me into a suit for today. I was stuck sitting here in the audience with the sun beaming down on me in a damn monkey suit, waiting for her to walk across the stage to get her diploma. At least I hadn't budged on wearing my boots. I'd even agreed to give her youngest sister a ride in the truck all the way up here when she had turned those bright green eyes at me with a huge pout on her face that made me think of Char. I just hadn’t been able say no, even though it’d meant I had to drive slower and didn't get here in time to see my girl before she had to be here with the rest of her class. So I sent her a quick text before we hit the road to wish her luck today because I wasn't going to get to see her until it was all over. She promised to make it up to me since she knew how happy I had made her sister.
And boy, did Char know how to make things up to me. I could almost picture her on her knees in front of me, her hair fisted in my hands as she wrapped her lips around my cock.
I tried to adjust myself as subtly as I could now that I'd managed to give myself the hard-on from hell. Fuck, I couldn't think about that right now, sitting here surrounded by her family. But it had been almost two months since we had been together. Those damn Skype calls just didn't cut it when we had to go without for so long. Sure, they were fun and sexy and they helped us get over the dry spell, but it just wasn't the same as sinking inside of her. And there I went again, except now I was picturing my dick in her pussy instead of her mouth. I had no fucking idea how the hell I was supposed to make it through the day without getting at least a little taste of her, but I was pretty sure it wasn't going to happen. Not until I could get her alone back home. This was going to be one of the longest days of my life. And that was saying a lot considering how slowly the last four years had crept by.
The sound of Char's name being announced ripped me out of my fog. I leaned forward a bit, determined not to miss a moment of her walk across the age. She looked fantastic, even in that ridiculous robe and cap. Her red hair flowed down her back, a huge smile was spread across her face, and her legs looked incredible in the black fuck-me heels she was wearing. I glanced over at her mom and saw tears streaming down her cheeks. Her dad stood next to her, hooting and hollering wildly for his baby girl. I jumped to my feet to join in and realized we were probably embarrassing the shit out of her, but it didn't matter. I wasn't the only one excited to have her come back home.
I waited with everyone once graduation was over, and Char launched herself into my arms first thing.
“Hey, sugar," I whispered into her ear, holding her tight against my body. I didn't want to let her go, but I knew she needed to say hi to everyone else too. I slowly released her to set her back on the ground.
She shook her head when she realized her mom was still crying and headed over to her dad next.
"Aren't you happy to see your daddy?" he teased as she gave him a big hug.
He winked at me over her shoulder, already used to how his daughter and I were around each other. At least enough that I didn’t have to worry about him coming after me with his shotgun anymore. Somewhere around the two-year mark, he’d realized I was sticking around and started to cut me some slack.
"Of course I am, Daddy," she sighed.
"I know where I rank on your list, sweetie," he joked.
"Right where you belong," her mom chimed in, bumping him out of the way to wrap her arms around Char. "I'm so proud of you, honey. I can hardly believe it. My little girl graduated from college today."
"Oh, Mama. Stop! No more tears today," Char chided before her brothers and sisters offered their congratulations too.
“Now you know your mama is gonna cry as much as she wants. There’s no stopping her once the waterworks start,” her dad reminded.
“Very true,” Char agreed. “But today should be about celebrating the fact that I survived college. No tears allowed.”
“They’re happy tears, sweetie,” her mom murmured as she pulled her back in for another hug. “Very happy ones. I finally get my baby girl to come back home. I know I agreed it was best for you to go away to school, but I’ve just missed you so much. I can hardly wait to have my baby girl living under my roof again.”
An odd look crossed Char’s face at her mom’s words—a flash of concern that made me wonder if she knew about the ring in my pocket. If I had my way, her mom wouldn’t have her home for very long. She’d get to see her a lot more than when Char was up here for school, but I wanted us to start our life together so that I could wake up to her in my bed each and every morning.
I glanced over at her dad and caught him watching me with a knowing look on his face. I didn’t think he was going to be surprised by my plans. His next words gave me hope that he’d be in my corner.
“Now why don’t we help our girl get her stuff packed up into the back of Shane’s truck before we head out to celebrate at supper?” he asked.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” I answered just before I heard someone shrieking Char’s name and turned to find her roommate Kaylie coming towards us, dragging her boyfriend Jackson behind her.
“Hi, everyone!” she said as she stopped to give each person in Char’s family a quick hug before wrapping her arms around Char and bursting into tears. “I can’t believe we aren’t going to be roomies anymore!”
“Hey!” Jackson protested. “What am I? Chopped liver?”
“Yeah, Kaylie. You’re trading me in for the new and improved model. He comes with all sorts of upgrades that I don’t,” Char teased her.
“Damn straight I do,” Jackson muttered under his breath, quiet enough so the kids didn’t hear him, but I couldn’t help myself from busting up laughing.
“I sure as hell hope so, man,” I joked with him. I’d only met Jackson once over the last few months, but he was easy to get along with since he treated Kaylie so well, which made Char happy.
“I didn’t mean it that way,” Char pointed out as she nudged me in the ribs, blushing once she’d caught on to the direction our thoughts had gone.
“Okay, boys. Enough teasing Charlotte. We’ve got lots of things to get done today,” her mom said, urging us to focus. “Kaylie, do you need help packing anything up, too?”
“Nope. Jackson has us covered, but we aren’t going anywhere until tomorrow so we can help y’all for a little bit if you’d like,” she offered.
“No helping for you, sweetie. We can’t risk you getting hurt before you head to the Big Apple. I can hardly believe we’ll be able to say we knew you when once your name is up there in lights,” Char’s mom said.
“Yeah, no helping for you,” Jackson agreed. “You sit there looking pretty and I’ll help Shane load up the truck. It will probably save us loads of time later too so you won’t have to repair any damage you manage to do before we meet back up with my parents again. Are you sure you can’t all stay for the open house at their place?”
“I really wish we could, but I’ve got to be up to work the horses in the morning,” I declined.
“I wish we could, but we’ve got to make sure the kids are all back and ready to go for their last week of school, too,” Char’s mom added. “C’mon. You two can chat while we put the men to work. And you can always talk on Skype whenever you want, just like you did with Shane, so you can stay in touch with each other.”
As we headed back to the dorm, the girls broke into giggles because of the mention of Skype since their calls would be quite a bit different from mine with Charlotte. No doubt about that, because I don’t share my girl with anyone else.
Chapter 2
Charlotte
The drive back home was bittersweet. We’d packed everything up so quickly. Four long years’ worth of stuff had been put into boxes to bring back home so very easily. Almost like those years away had never even happened. I’d said my final goodbyes to Kaylie, wrecking our makeup in the process because neither of us could stop crying at the thought of being halfway across the country from each other.
Dinner out with my family had been crazy as usual. Not that I should have expected anything less. It was impossible for it to be any other way when we were all together, everyone trying to talk at once. It had been really nice to be with my family again and to have Shane at my side, but I’d still felt sad as we’d pulled out of the restaurant parking lot to head back home. A chapter in my life was ending and I wasn’t sure in which new direction I wanted to go yet.
The silence between us as I rode back with Shane was awkward—at least to me. He’d turned the radio on low, one soulful Southern song playing after another. My sister Molly had insisted on coming along with us, and she acted as the perfect buffer for me. I wasn’t ready to explain what was going on in my head to Shane yet. I hadn’t been able to figure it out myself yet and wasn’t about to scare him if I didn’t
need to. I hoped like hell that once we got back home my nerves would go away. That it would feel like home to me in a way it never had before. The way that Shane felt like home to me.
“Char, we’re here.”
Shane’s whisper woke me up. I didn’t remember when, but I must have fallen asleep at some point on the drive home. Molly was sprawled halfway in my lap, as much as her seatbelt would let her, while I was resting against Shane’s shoulder.
“We’re here already?” I asked as I realized we had pulled into the driveway of my parents’ house. “Shit, I’m sorry you got stuck driving while we slept.”
Shane leaned over and kissed my forehead before answering. “Like I didn’t know that would happen anyway. You always fall asleep in the car unless we’re just driving in town.”
I loved that he knew that about me. That he pretty much knew everything there was to know about me and still loved me so much—little quirks and all. While I stretched, he hopped out of the truck and came around to the passenger’s side to lift Molly out and carry her into the house. My parents’ car was parked in front of us, and they must have beaten us home because it was already empty and the lights were on in the house.
By the time I managed to fully wake up, Shane was already back. I started to slide towards the passenger’s side door, but he climbed back in that way and pushed me across the bench towards the driver’s side. I glanced at the house nervously and saw the front porch light turn on before he grasped my face in his palms.
The Blythe College Complete Series Box Set Page 39
