Backroom Boy: All American Boy Series

by Marika Ray

  Mr. Bishop gave her a quick pat on the back and then marched back inside without even giving me a glance. Typical and expected. I didn’t hope for more. He’d always see me as the backroom boy renting his pool house, not the man who’d give his daughter everything she ever wanted.

  Once her parents left, I helped Delta move her suitcases into the back of her car. Her friends argued over who would drive with who as they caravanned to campus. When Delta was busy fitting another bag into the car, I pulled Natalie aside. Despite her obvious flirty nature, she remained serious, like she knew I wasn’t up for joking.

  “Hey. Promise me you’ll look out for her. If she’s having any problems, you’ll call me?” I handed her a Black Bishop business card with my name and cell number on it.

  She took it, tucking it in her back pocket and giving me a genuine smile. “I promise you. She’ll be fine, but if not, you’ll be the first to know. I’m just glad to see Delta so happy. You’re good for her, Lukas, so you’re all good in my book.”

  “Thank you.” I rushed back to Delta’s side, not wanting to miss a second when we had so few left.

  She shut the trunk and dusted off her hands. I could feel the sense of dread pouring off her in waves.

  “Hey.” My hands settled on her hips and pulled her close. “You can come home and see me anytime. You’re just a short drive away. This isn’t a goodbye that leads to sadness. This is just a time for us to go after our dream. Together. No amount of miles can separate us.”

  She nodded despite the tears in her eyes. “I know. I’m just so damn impatient to start that part of our lives now.”

  I kissed her quick. “All in good time.”

  Without wasting another second, I pulled a ring out of my back pocket and held it out to her. The shiny gold reflected the sun. She glanced down at it and then back up at me.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s our own start. And it’s my promise to you. We may be starting with very little, but I promise to give you everything.”

  Delta leaped into my arms, the ring crushed between us. “You already have, handsome.”

  Eventually, I got to slide the ring on, a tear or two tracking down her cheeks. It was a perfect fit on her left ring finger. The perfect promise of our bright future. Her friends finally got restless and nagged her to get going, interrupting our moment. I didn’t blame them. I could have spent days out here saying goodbye to Delta and still not be ready.

  I gave her one last kiss, memorizing the feel of her lips against mine, the way her body’s curves fit tucked against mine. And then she climbed in her car, shut the door, started the engine, and rolled down the window.

  With a tear spilling over, she smiled so big her dimples popped out.

  “See you later, alligator,” she hollered out the window.

  “In a while, crocodile,” I said right back, waving like the lovesick guy I’d become until her car was out of sight.

  Time to put our plan in motion and get to work on building a life worthy of Delta. Because once I’d done that, I could slide another ring on her finger and make her mine forever.

  Epilogue

  Lukas

  Two years later - Auburn Hill, CA

  “You look amazing.” I could barely get the words out of my mouth, seeing Delta sashay her way into the small tasting room.

  Her red dress fluttered on her tanned thighs, the top part fitted to her curves like a second skin. She’d been growing out her blonde hair, teasing that she wanted me to have plenty to wrap around my fist when we made love. She teased me a lot the last two years while she was away at college. Flirty texts, mailed love letters, sexy video chats with very little clothing involved, and the occasional surprise visit when she just couldn’t stay away.

  Two years had done nothing to dampen our youthful infatuation. In fact, our love had only grown deeper. Stronger. The kind that could last a lifetime and beyond.

  Much to her parents’ disappointment.

  We’d invited them to our opening-day ceremony, but they’d declined, saying they had a prior commitment. I knew their response hurt Delta and I despised them for it. How could they not see what an amazing woman she’d become? How could they not want to celebrate her accomplishments?

  Delta twirled in a circle and I forgot about everything else. Her dress dropped to a steep V in the back, leaving her silky skin bare. I clenched my jaw and realized I’d have to work hard all day to keep my focus on our opening ceremonies when all I really wanted was to strip Delta down to her high heels and touch every inch of her body.

  “You keep looking at me like that and we’ll be late to our own party,” she murmured, coming close enough I could drag my hands up her arms.

  “You keep wearing dresses like that and we’ll never leave this place,” I answered back, my nerves at an all-time high.

  Today was the fulfillment of our dream. The opening of our tasting room, which Delta knew about. Tomorrow, we’d plant the first field of grapevines in the plot of land behind us that we’d just purchased which would produce our first estate-bottled wines. What Delta didn’t know about was the diamond ring I intended to slide on her finger tomorrow. Yeah, we were still young at twenty-two to be getting married, but we’d waited long enough for our dreams. It was time to start living them.

  “Let’s go before you ruin my dress or my carefully applied makeup.” She gave me a saucy wink and wrapped herself around my arm, reminding me of the first night I’d met her, walking home drunk by herself.

  I’d never been more proud to have Delta on my arm. We walked across the new oak floors my friend, Titus Jackson, had put in recently. The whole build-out of the tasting room had gone surprisingly smooth, but then again, using contractors you’d grown up with usually meant they wouldn’t screw you over. Living and working in my hometown fulfilled something deep inside of me I couldn’t quite describe.

  We exited the heavy wooden door to squint our eyes in the midday sunlight as we stood on the expansive porch. A soft gasp came from Delta’s mouth. There before us on the small patch of grass stood a crowd of Auburn Hill citizens. I spotted Dante, who gave me a head nod of congratulations, my parents, my sister and her husband and kids, many of the people I’d gone to high school with, even my old math teacher and the gossip-loving town mail carrier.

  A car door slammed and footsteps crunched over the gravel parking lot as another couple approached. Delta gasped again and I looked over to see her parents joining the party. A little spot of hope bloomed in my chest and dialed the nerves up another notch.

  The circle of California winemakers was a small one. Everyone knew everyone else. After my summer working for Mr. Bishop, he hadn’t exactly been warm and friendly, but he also hadn’t gone out of his way to make it hard for me to work my way into the circle. In fact, he’d been the one to introduce me to the grower we currently bought our grapes from. I owed him a great deal professionally, and certainly personally, for giving me the love of my life.

  I wrapped my fingers around Delta’s and stood tall. “Thank you all for coming here today. River Delta Wineries welcomes you today and every day going forward. We have a full tasting prepared for you, so come on in.”

  One by one, the group came into the tasting room, where Delta poured efficiently, all the while answering questions and walking everyone through the flavors of our first batch of wines. I helped her pour, feeling only slightly awkward being front and center. The tasting room was Delta’s stage. I liked being in the background making the wines, but for opening day, I’d do whatever was necessary.

  Nearing the end of the two-hour opening, we’d sold almost half our inventory of wine bottles already. If we kept up at a normal pace after today, we’d need to dramatically increase our quantity of wine for next year to keep up.

  Mr. Bishop clapped me on the shoulder. “Well done, Lukas. The varietals don’t taste like a first run.”

  High praise indeed from a guy who owned a winery that had been around for almost a hundr
ed years.

  “Thank you, sir.”

  He put his hand out and I shook it, both our grips firm. Something crazy ran through my head, and unlike me, I jumped at the idea without thinking it through.

  “Can I talk to you privately for a moment?”

  Mr. Bishop frowned, but nodded. He walked with me to the back room where the used glasses had stacked up by the industrial sink. Here I was, the owner of a winery, and I knew I’d still be the one doing the dishes later that night. It did not escape my notice that I was once again the backroom boy as I asked for Mr. Bishop’s acceptance of me asking Delta to marry me.

  “I intend to give Delta an engagement ring tomorrow. I’m not asking your permission as I don’t feel Delta would want that. But I am asking for your acceptance of our marriage. It would mean a great deal to Delta, and therefore to me, that you and your wife accept our relationship.”

  Mr. Bishop didn’t move, his frown frozen in place. I was just about to concede that he would never accept me when he finally answered.

  “It’s not what I had planned for Delta, but even I can see that you’re a good man and will give her a good life. Maybe later when River Delta is firmly established, we can discuss you and Delta also taking the reins of Black Bishop. It’s her birthright and now yours, as her husband if she says yes.”

  My brain blanked out. Was he saying he’d one day give the winery to us? He trusted Delta and me enough to give away his family’s winery? All I could think about was Delta’s face when she heard her father trusted her with her birthright.

  I stuck out my hand, my throat closed too tight to speak. Mr. Bishop shook it, all the while staring me down. He could stare all he wanted. I wasn’t intimidated. I was already living my dream with the love of my life.

  Delta

  “Holy shit, I’m exhausted!”

  Every muscle in my body ached, but it was a delicious pain. The type that told me I’d done an honest day’s work alongside my boyfriend. I’d take manual labor over boring classes any day of the week, especially after the success of our opening yesterday. Which was good because we still had a long way to go to get this field planted.

  Lukas had been right last year when he’d bought the land for the tasting room. He knew the land behind it would eventually go for sale when the owner passed away and it was the perfect spot for grapes. Little bit of sun, little bit of shade, lots of ocean breeze and gentle hills.

  “Come here,” Lukas wrapped me up in his arms, all sweaty and dirty, just like me.

  “Ew! We’re stinky!” I huffed.

  “Don’t go sorority girl on me, woman,” he teased, knowing all too well how I’d shown him the true strength of a sorority girl. “Seriously though. Come over here. I have a surprise for you.”

  He tugged me toward the huge oak tree on the far side of the property line. “I called in a few favors from my sister and her gaggle of friends she calls the Hell Raisers. You remember meeting them? They still live up to their name, even though they’re all moms with minivans and diaper bags now.”

  I did remember meeting them. They were pretty badass in the way they welcomed other women into their group and had each other’s backs. I was hoping to find the same type of friends now that I lived in Auburn Hill.

  We crested the slight hill and I saw a whole picnic laid out under the tree. A red-checked blanket, a basket, and a battery-operated lantern. My heart squeezed, seeing the effort Lukas went to, the sight a reminder of our first date when he’d made the same picnic in Merlot. I hoped this date ended the same way that one had. My insides went molten at the thought, dirt-covered skin be damned.

  We sat and ate, enjoying the shade and the chance to relax. We went over sales from yesterday and discussed our harvesting goals. Then I forgot all about the winery when Lukas stood up, his eyes an intense dark blue. Finally, the part of this date I’d been hoping for as dessert.

  But then I was confused. Instead of stripping like I assumed, he reached into his back pocket and then knelt on one knee. I sat straight up and sucked in air that had gone thin on me.

  “Delta Bishop. I’ve loved you near and far. I’ve loved you when I didn’t want to and when I probably shouldn’t have. I’ve loved you when we were young and I promise to love you when we’re old. My dream was always a winery, but I had no idea the real dream was you. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?” His eyes were shiny, but his jaw was firm.

  Lukas held out a stunning diamond ring I knew we couldn’t afford in the palm of his dirty hand. My whole body shook and his words buzzed in circles in my head. My throat decided to seize and I had to gulp repeatedly to clear it.

  “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you!” I said the moment I could get the words out.

  I scrambled to my feet and Lukas grabbed my hand to slide the ring on my finger. The second it was on, I jumped, tackling him and tumbling us both to the blanket. His grin and the unfamiliar weight on my finger made my heart soar to impossible heights. How could one girl be so damn happy? I peppered his face with kisses until he rolled us over and took charge.

  Somehow our clothes found a new home in the dirt, our bodies like two magnets coming together by a force much stronger than we could deny. He filled me so completely I knew I could never breathe a day without Lukas on this earth. He was part of me and I was part of him. He whispered all kinds of things in my ear, some filthy, some sweet. But most of all, we whispered our love for each other, painting our land with a foundation strong enough for generations to come.

  He may have started out as the backroom boy, but Lukas would always be front and center to me.

  Want to read more about Lukas’s sister, Lenora? Start with the first book in the Jobs From Hell series, Love Bank, and get all the craziness of love in a small town!!

  Don’t forget to download the FREE novella, Man Glitter! All that sawdust in every muscled crevice of my half-naked neighbor looks like man glitter when he handles his wood…

  Acknowledgments

  I hope you enjoyed Backroom Boy, part of the shared world of the All American Boy Series.

  Want to read all of them?

  Find them here on Kindle Unlimited:

  Sierra Hill The Boy Next Door

  Poppy Parkes Boy Toy

  Evan Grace The Boy Scout

  Emily Robertson The Boyfriend Hoax

  Kaylee Ryan and Lacey Black Boy Trouble

  Kimberly Readnour Celebrity Playboy

  Marika Ray Backroom Boy

  Leslie McAdam Boy on a Train

  KL Humphreys Bad Boy

  Nicole Richard Hometown Boy

  Remy Blake That Boy

  Stephanie Browning The Boy She Left Behind

  Stephanie Kay About a Boy

  Renee Harless Lover Boy

  SL Sterling Saviour Boy

  Special thanks to Jo-Anna Walker for the incredible Cover Design. Thanks to Judy Zweifel for cleaning this book up and trying to teach me how to use a hyphen appropriately.

  To my Rays of Sunshine: you give me life. <3

  Also by Marika Ray

  Steamy RomComs:

  Love Bank - Jobs From Hell #1

  Uber Bossy - Jobs From Hell #2

  Unfriend Me - Jobs From Hell #3

  Side Hustle - Jobs From Hell #4

  Man Glitter - Jobs From Hell Novella - Grab it FREE here!

  ***

  Ridin’ Solo - Sisters From Hell #1

  One Night Bride - Sisters From Hell #2

  Smarty Pants - Sisters From Hell #3

  Ex Best Thing - Sisters From Hell #4

  ***

  The Missing Ingredient - Reality of Love #1

  Mom-Com - Reality of Love #2

  Desperately Seeking Househusbands - Reality of Love #3

  ***

  Happy New You - Standalone

  Steamy Beach Romance:

  1) Sweet Dreams - Beach Squad #1

  2) Love on the Defense - Beach Squad #2

  3) Barefoot Chaos - Beach Squad #3

  * N
ovella - Handcuffed Hussy

  4) Beach Babe Billionaire- Beach Squad #4

  5) Brighter Than the Boss - Beach Squad #5

  * Novella - Christmas Eve Do-Over

  Sweet Romances:

  The Marriage Sham - Standalone

  ***

  The Widower’s Girlfriend-Faking It #1

  Home Run Fiancé - Faking It #2

  Guarding the Princess - Faking It #3

  ***

  Lines We Cross - Nickel Bay Brothers #1

  Perfectly Imperfect Us - Nickel Bay Brothers #2

  About the Author

  Marika Ray is a USA Today bestselling author, writing steamy RomCom and sweet romances to make your heart explode and bring a smile to your face. All her books come with a money-back guarantee that you’ll smile at least once with every book.

  If you'd like to know more about Marika or the other novels she’s currently writing, please find her on Facebook, or her private Reader Group. Or you can find her in-person, on the beach in Southern California, frolicking like a Baywatch babe.

  If you want to take your stalking to the next level, here are other legal places you can find Marika:

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