However, I doubt my brothers, or my dad, would appreciate seeing that.
“Please, sweetheart. Let me get this out.” His Adam’s apple bobs in his throat, and it shows how truly nervous he is.
“I won’t interrupt. Go on,” I urge.
“I felt like I failed you when you lost the baby. Because I wasn’t there, and I knew you were under a lot of stress, and I blamed myself for that.”
It’s so hard to stay quiet. To hear the torment in his voice and do nothing to reassure him. But I promised I wouldn’t interrupt, so I start a mental checklist of all the things I want to say to him later.
“I also blamed myself for my inability to comfort you appropriately in the aftermath. I wanted so much to help you, but I didn’t know how, and I was hurting. It was my little munchkin too,” he whispers, tears filling his eyes. My fingers automatically curl around the locket I never take off. Ryan gave it to me for Christmas and it has the initials S, LM, and R intertwined in three interconnecting hearts. I don’t even remove it to shower, and during the long months of our separation, it has given me some measure of solace.
“You have always been so vibrant,” he continues, “so full of life, and you weren’t in those weeks, and I hated myself for what I’d done to you. It felt like I dulled your light, and I never wanted to do that.” Emotion slashes across his face, and I want to hug him so badly.
So, I do.
Screw my family and what they think.
I fling my arms around him, resting my head on his chest, listening to the wild thumping of his heart. We cling to one another, and no one at the table utters a word. Ryan pulls back a few minutes later, still keeping his arms loosely around my back, and I keep my hands planted on his waist. “I made a mistake, Summer.”
He caresses my cheek, his eyes burning brightly. “I love you. I’ve always loved you. I never stopped. Not for a second. And if you still feel anything for me, I’m begging you for another chance. Let me prove to you we belong together. Let me love you the way you deserve, and I promise you won’t regret it.”
I don’t realize I’m crying until tears drop off the edge of my chin, trickling down my neck. Some girls wouldn’t back down, even in the face of such a romantic declaration, making the guy work harder to win back her love.
But I’m not like other girls.
I’ve always marched to my own beat.
And I won’t torment either of us any longer.
“Ryan,” I choke out, my throat clogged with so much emotion. I cup his face. “I’ve loved you from the minute I met you, and my feelings have never changed. I still love you every bit as much. Maybe more after you risked the lion’s den to pour out your heart,” I tease, giggling. “You don’t need to beg for another chance. I want that too.” I take his hand, placing it on my chest, in the place where my heart beats in sync with his. “My heart still belongs to you. You own every part like you own me body and soul.”
We move at the same time, our lips meeting in a tender kiss suffused with every emotion we’re feeling. Vaguely, I hear the restaurant break out in a round of applause, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a video popped up online at some point later.
But I don’t care about anyone else.
All I care about is the man kissing me like I’m the only oxygen he needs. And, as we cling to one another, kissing like we’re in our own little cocoon, I know I was right to believe in our love.
I had faith we’d find our way back to one another, and now we have.
EPILOGUE 1
Ryan – Three years later
“I’m so proud of you, baby.” I pocket my keys and wrap my arms around Summer from behind. She tosses her graduation cap onto the counter, leaning back against me.
“I can’t believe I’ve graduated.” Her voice is giddy with excitement as she turns around, circling her arms around my neck. “And I can’t believe we’re going traveling in two days!” Her squeal of joy does twisty things to my insides. I love seeing her so happy.
“Believe it, babe.” I kiss the tip of her nose, surveying the boxes littering our apartment and the half-packed suitcases open on the living room floor. We bought this place when we got back together, and we’re renting it out for the next year while we’re overseas. “It’s happening.”
“You’re the absolute best boyfriend in the whole wide world,” she says, pressing her hot body into me. “And I’m the luckiest girl in the whole wide world.”
“Hey.” I swat her ass. “Stop stealing my lines.”
Her eyes fill up. “I love you, Ryan. Thank you for making all my dreams come true.”
This girl.
She gets me in the feels every damn time.
“Waking up with you every day by my side is a dream come true for me. I’d do anything for you, Summer. I want you to be happy.”
I remember the dark days, when we lost the baby, and the way her light dimmed. I’ve made it my mission since then to ensure her light shines brightly. We’ll never forget our little munchkin, and not a day goes by where our little angel in heaven isn’t on my mind. But life has to go on. And I look forward to giving Summer plenty more babies. But she’s only twenty-two, and even though I’m feeling broody as my thirtieth birthday approaches, I can wait a little longer before taking our relationship to the next stage.
She hugs me close, and her heart beats strongly against my chest. “I never thought it was possible to feel so happy,” she whispers into my ear, her warm breath tickling me and stirring my desire. “And I know it’s because I get to share my life with you.”
I hold her tight, knowing I will never let her go. She’s mine. For now and always. “Ditto, babe.” I kiss her deeply, and every kiss is like the first time we kissed. Even after years together, I still lust after her so much. “Why don’t you take a shower while I put the champagne on ice?” I suggest.
“Only if you join me.” She looks up at me through hooded eyes that blatantly transmit her longing.
“I thought that’s a given.” I smirk, swatting her butt and shoving her toward our master bedroom. “I won’t be long.”
I set the champagne in a bucket of ice, grab two glasses from the cupboard, and remove the chocolate-covered strawberries from the refrigerator before walking toward our room, shedding my clothes as I go.
Steam swirls around the en suite bathroom, masking my view of my girl, but I can hear her. Singing to herself like she usually does in the shower. Summer has a fabulous voice, and I could listen to her sweet tones all day long.
I slide the door open and join her, pulling her back into my chest and brushing her wet hair to one side so I can kiss her neck. She stops singing, and a little whimper emits from her mouth as I press my hard cock against her ass while my hand slides around to her stomach, my fingers inching lower.
She’s filled out a little more, sporting shapely curves in all the right places, and it only makes me love her body even more. “You still turn me on so much, Summer,” I rasp, nipping at her earlobe as my fingers sweep over her pussy.
“Same for me, babe,” she murmurs, angling her head so she can kiss me. My tongue plunges into her mouth the same time I slide two fingers inside her, and her pleasurable moan has precum leaking from the tip of my cock.
We continue kissing, our tongues dancing wildly as our desire elevates, while I pump my fingers in and out of her, using my thumb to swirl circles around her clit. I know when she’s close, because she bites down on my lip, her breathing is ragged, and she’s riding my hand with wild abandon. “Come for me, babe,” I say, pinching her clit, and she detonates in my arms, screaming out my name as she orgasms.
She reaches around, takes hold of my aching cock, and starts leisurely stroking it from root to tip, just how I like it. But I’m impatient today. And I just want to be inside her. “Hands on the wall and ass in the air, baby,” I command, moving us both a little more directly under the water.
Summer places her hands on the tile wall and tilts her peach of an ass up. I rub
my fingers from her pussy up along the crack of her ass and she sucks in a sharp breath. “This is gonna be hard and fast, baby, because I can’t wait a second longer.” Gripping her hips, I position my cock at her entrance and ease inside her. This is one of my most favorite things. Taking my time inching into her, feeling her walls grip my cock, her hips jerking with need, as she demands I give her all of me.
As soon as I’m fully seated, I pull back out and then slam back into her, over and over, hitting the top of her pussy with my cock, ensuring she feels every part of me. Releasing one hand from her hip, I move it down to her clit, rubbing her swollen nub as I ramp up the pace of my thrusting, pounding in and out of her as warm water cascades over both of us.
My orgasm hits out of nowhere, tingling sensations darting up my spine as my balls tighten up, and I release inside her, shouting her name as we both fall apart together.
After, I bundle her up in a towel and carry her into our bedroom where we make love and drink champagne until the early hours.
✽✽✽
The next year is, hands down, the best year of my life. We planned our itinerary carefully, and it paid off as we travel between continents enjoying the best of different cultures.
We visit the pyramids in Egypt, the Colosseum in Rome, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, go up on the London Eye, and kiss the Blarney Stone in Ireland on the first leg of our journey. We can’t resist returning to Venice, enjoying another romantic sojourn in the historic city. Venice will always have a special place in our hearts because it was our first foreign trip together, and it’s the city where we fell in love with one another all over again.
From there, we travel to Asia, visiting the bustling city of Hong Kong, walking the Great Wall of China, and the Cu Chi tunnels in Vietnam, gawping in awe at the Borobudur Temple in Indonesia, and sampling the wonderful cuisine in Thailand.
In between exploring, I do a couple hours work a day, managing the business finances, acquisitions, and expansion plans and working on our new franchise business model while Austin holds the fort back home. We have weekly conference calls to discuss key decisions, and the business is going from strength to strength. We now have ten gyms in Delaware and Philadelphia, and with our franchise plans, we have the ambition to grow it to fifty locations within the next five years.
I’m lucky I run a business that allows me to take a year off and that I have a business partner who loves his sister so much he was willing to take on the bulk of the responsibility while I’m traveling. I had returned the favor, somewhat, when Miley and Austin had their first child last year, running things single-handedly while he took three months off to be with his new family.
Once Summer and I got back together, Austin and Miley agreed to take over the Dover gym while I moved back to managing the original Newark one so I could be close to Summer while she finished her studies at UD. Now, we have managers running each location, and Austin and I recently set up a small operations office in Milford.
When we return from our year abroad, we plan to sell the apartment and buy a house in Lewes, and I’ll work out of the operations office while spending time on the road traveling to the various gyms.
But I need to make things official first, and I can’t wait any longer. I’ve been dying to make Summer my wife for years, but she was too young, and the timing wasn’t right.
Eight months into our trip, we relocate to Australia, and I propose to Summer on the steps outside the Sydney Opera House. I’m a basket of nerves, but she says yes before I’ve even finished speaking, flinging herself at me with tears of joy rolling down her face.
We spend three more months touring Australia and New Zealand before flying to South America on the last leg of our trip. Hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu was at the top of Summer’s list, and we kept the best for last.
By the time we return home, we’re exhausted but happy, and I’m looking forward to starting this next stage of our lives.
“Now, don’t be mad,” I say to Summer as we exit our flight, heading into the airport terminal. “But I have a surprise.”
“What kind of surprise?” she asks, hooking her hand in mine.
“I sold our apartment and bought us a house.”
She slams to a halt, her mouth trailing the ground. “What the what?”
I pull her into my arms, walking us over to the side of the hallway, out of the way of the throngs rushing through the airport. “I wanted us to come back to a fresh start, so I’ve been looking for houses online, and I found a few that looked promising. Austin helped me sell the apartment, meeting the realtor and sending me the paperwork to sign, and Gabby and Slate helped me find the new place. It’s in Lewes, like we discussed. I paid a deposit, but I haven’t completed the paperwork yet in case you don’t like it.” I peer into her eyes. “Are you mad?”
“I haven’t decided,” she says, her lips fighting a smile. “I’ll reserve judgment until I see the place.”
✽✽✽
“I freaking love it!” Summer exclaims, twirling around on the wide lawn at the rear of the property. We have our own apple orchard, a small vegetable patch, neat, and pretty flowerbeds, and it comes equipped with a small children’s playground. The house itself is a modern build, and it’s in walk-in condition although I know Summer will want to put her own stamp on it. With four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a study, a dining room, a large living room, and a massive homey kitchen, it’s the ideal family home. I had a good feeling about it when I first saw it listed online, and Gabby and Slate loved it when they visited.
If we go ahead with the purchase, we’ll only be five minutes from their place and only twenty minutes from Austin and Miley.
Summer jumps into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist. She peppers kisses all over my face. “It’s absolutely perfect, and I am definitely not mad. Thank you, babe.” She plants an excitable kiss on my lips, and it quickly grows heated.
A throat clearing reminds me we’re not alone, and I reluctantly place my fiancée’s feet back on the ground.
“Does that mean you want to go ahead with the purchase?” Mrs. Johnson, the realtor selling the property, inquires with a warm smile.
“Absolutely,” Summer says, clapping her hands before she leans into my side, clinging to my arm.
I circle my arm around Summer’s back as I face Mrs. Johnson. “How quickly can we close the deal and move in?”
EPILOGUE 2
Summer – Six years later
“It’s time to sing Happy Birthday to Harper,” I holler out the kitchen window, where everyone is congregating to enjoy the glorious summer sunshine. Our youngest is two today and both families are here to help us celebrate.
We’re a lively bunch now with more kids than I can count. Gabby and Slate’s eldest son Billy is fourteen and getting more grown up by the day. He towers over Gabby and me, and he’s already pushing six feet. Daisy is ten, and they also have Jayden who’s eight and Olivia who’s six. Caleb and Terri’s two are fourteen and twelve, respectively. Ryan’s eldest nieces, Mia and Tia, are turning eighteen soon, but neither of them is here today as they are on a cruise with their mother and her third husband. Dean is here with his wife Alice though. They found out after they got married, and were struggling to conceive, that Alice can’t have children, which was a huge blow to them, but they got through it, and they love having their nieces and nephews to stay, especially now Dean’s girls are grown up and heading to college in New York in September.
On my side, Miley and Austin are here with their two kids. Landon is almost eight and Lillian is five. Marc and Eric couldn’t come because of work commitments, as they both still live in New York, but they mailed an extravagant gift for Harper, which she loved. Charlie is here with his wife, Evita, and their twin four-year-old sons. Charlie is running the farm full-time on his own since my dad passed away three years ago. He had a massive heart attack, and it was a huge shock. We were all so upset because it was so sudden, and we never got a chance to say goodbye.
>
Mom still hasn’t gotten over it, and I don’t know if she ever will. I cast a glance over my shoulder, watching her chatting with Miley, noticing how much she seems to have aged since Dad died. They spent almost forty-five years together, and they were soul mates in every sense of the word, so it’s really hit her hard.
We’ve offered Mom the opportunity to come live here if she wants. We got permission to build a small two-bed bungalow on the grounds of our property, so she’d have her own space. She turned us down, citing her inability to leave the farmhouse, and I understand it. She spent her entire married life there, and all her memories are tied to that house. Still, she knows the offer is there should she ever want to avail of it.
“The cake monster is here!!!!” Brayden proclaims, bursting through the door into the kitchen. He’s our eldest. He’s five, and he was a honeymoon baby. Ryan and I got married a couple months after we came home, settling for a small ceremony with family and a few close friends.
I discovered I was pregnant the day the local elementary school offered me a teaching position, but, thankfully, they were good about it. I still teach there although it’s only on a part-time basis as I want to be around for my kids as much as possible in their early years.
We’re incredibly lucky Ryan and Austin’s business is doing so well. They have fifty gyms now in eight states with sixty percent franchised and forty percent directly owned. I’m very proud of them, and it’s given us a very comfortable lifestyle. I don’t have to work at all, but I like the few hours I do three days a week, and it helps me keep my identity outside of my important role in the house.
“Calm down, Bray,” Ryan says, chuckling as our son races around the kitchen with his cousins, screaming and shouting. He’s closest to Olivia and Lillian, which isn’t surprising because they’re all the same age and they’ve grown up together.
No Feelings Involved: A Brother's Best Friend Standalone Romance Page 24
