He truly did love her.
He lifted his hands to clasp her face between his palms and he kissed her. He kissed her as if the world around them had ceased to exist. He kissed her as if she was the only woman on the planet.
He kissed her with all the love in his heart.
Her heart thumped painfully against her chest as she kissed him back. “I love you,” she whispered between kisses, a surge of joy making her knees weak at the sheer pleasure of being able to say it.
Being able to say it, and knowing that her love was returned.
Life was good.
Life was so freakin’ good.
He groaned as he let her go. “We’re making a scene.”
His eyes danced with laughter and she felt her heart trip over itself in response. It was so rare to see him this lighthearted, this open, this...happy.
She leaned into him. “Why on earth would you ever think that you weren’t good enough?”
He shook his head. “I guess I had some baggage to get over, you know?”
She nodded. “Yeah, and I guess…” She took a deep breath. It was hard to admit this, but now that he was holding her in his arms, she had a whole new perspective of the last five years. “I guess in a way you were right to push me away.”
He arched his brows and she hurried to add, “I still don’t like it.”
He gave her a small smile. “Noted. And I promise I will do everything in my power not to hurt you again.”
She grinned up at him. If there was one thing she knew about James—he kept his promises. “I believe you.”
She was rewarded with a sweet kiss that had her aching for more.
“But,” she said with a sigh when he pulled back. “I think maybe I did have some growing up to do. I mean, I loved you and I think we could have made it work, but you were right that I was still a kid in a lot of ways. I had to come up with my own dreams—ones that didn’t revolve around you.”
He nodded slowly. “Yeah, I get that. And I guess I wasn’t ready for that kind of love. I didn’t believe I was worth it.”
She wrapped her arms around him tighter. “And now?”
He dropped his head until his forehead touched hers. “Now you’ve helped me realize that my past doesn’t have to hold me back, and that my future….” He kissed the tip of her nose. “My future is with you.”
She grinned, her heart threatening to burst with sheer happiness. “That’s right, it is.”
He laughed and the soft sound warmed her all the way through. “So, what do you say? Do you want to go back in there and order another sundae or should we head back home and tell your brothers that you agreed to give me a second chance?”
“Let’s go home,” she said.
He took her hand in his and started to head to the truck before she stopped, forcing him to stop as well.
“Wait a sec,” she said slowly. “Do my brothers know what you came here to tell me today?”
His wince told her everything.
She sighed. “We are never going to hear the end of this.”
He pressed his lips together as he nodded.
“The teasing will be relentless.”
He laughed as he threw an arm over her shoulder and kept walking toward the truck. “Would you have it any other way?”
She sighed again with resignation because she knew he already knew the answer. “No.”
Because home was home, and her home…?
It involved big brothers and teasing.
Chapter Sixteen
The girl standing next to Alice gasped as James galloped past.
“Did you see that?” the girl whispered. “He’s amazing.”
Alice grinned. This LA chick hadn’t seen anything yet. “You should see him at the rodeo,” she said. Her smile was admittedly smug. But then, it wasn’t every day she got to watch her boyfriend show the world how skilled he was on a horse.
When the director yelled “cut,” James slid off his horse, handed over the reins, and headed straight toward her. “Hey, babe,” he said as he pulled her into his arms, kissing her long and hard, regardless of the bystanders.
She supposed after a few weeks working on set and he was already getting used to being the center of attention.
“You looked great out there,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
He ducked his head. His modesty was adorable. Completely unwarranted, but totally adorable.
“We’re almost done here and then we can head home,” he said.
She nodded. “Sounds good.”
Home, these days, was still Katy’s apartment. One month had passed since their return to Lulu and they’d come back to Hollywood together.
But this time as a couple.
Her smile was goofy and she knew it. They came back as a happy couple.
His answering smile was just as silly.
She had a feeling the people around them were rolling their eyes. She knew she would have been if she’d seen such a ridiculously in love couple.
He slung an arm around her shoulders as he led her over toward the trailer he’d been given for shooting days. He wasn’t exactly some A-list actor, but this small part with no lines in a commercial was keeping him busy and all part of the grand plan.
When he’d told Alice he wanted to go back to California with her, she’d been worried. He was a cowboy through and through. But he’d explained that on the ride back all alone he’d given it a lot of thought and what he needed was to figure out who he was away from the ranch. Away from Lulu and his family history and his own preconceived notions about himself.
So now they were both figuring it out, which was equally exciting and terrifying for them both. But, as Dax and Cole had pointed out when they’d seen them off, Twilight would always be there...for both of them. And she had a suspicion—no, a hope—that one day they’d be back there when they were ready to start a new adventure...together.
“How’s your day going, sweetheart?” James asked as he dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
“Good. Hannah’s next fundraiser is going to be the hottest event in town.”
“Of course it will be if you’re the one planning it.”
She laughed. “Spoken like a lovesick boyfriend.”
He chuckled and squeezed her closer to his side. “Guilty.”
When they got into the shaded area by his trailer, they stopped to watch the action on set. “I’m so proud of you, Alice. I don’t think even Katy knew how much you could grow her business in one month. It’s amazing.”
“Aw shucks.” She joked but she could feel heat stinging her cheeks at the praise. “But what about you? Getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things…”
He shifted them so she was standing in front of him and his arms were wrapped around her from behind. “Thanks. Truth be told, I guess I am a little proud of myself.”
She squeezed his hands, which rested against her belly. “Admit it, though. You miss the ranch.”
She felt his nod of acknowledgement against the side of her head as he nuzzled her temple. “I do. But not as much as I would have missed you.”
She turned her head to the side and met his lips for a kiss that made her sigh. “I don’t even want to think about how much I’d be missing you if you’d decided to stay in Lulu.”
“Then don’t think about it,” he said with a laugh.
“Done.” She turned in his arms so she could loop her arms around his neck. “Speaking of Lulu…”
He arched his brows.
“Thanksgiving is coming up.”
“That’s true.”
Something about the look in his eyes gave her pause. “I want to be home for the holidays...if that’s all right with you.”
“Of course.” He shifted her weight so they were partially hidden from sight. “You know I want to be wherever you are over the holidays.”
“Great.” She grinned. “To fly or drive.”
He brushed his nose against h
ers, his smile soft and warm. “I’ve gotten pretty fond of our road trips together. What do you say?”
She nodded. “That sounds fun. Maybe we can make some stops along the way. Make a trip out of it.”
“I love that idea.” He opened his mouth to say something else but his name being shouted from the set cut him off.
“Work calls,” he said with a rueful grin.
“Oh the glamorous life of a TV star,” she sighed, making him laugh as he walked away.
“Wait here,” he said as he left. “I have plans for us when I’m done.”
She gave him a mock salute. “Yes, sir.”
Much as she wished she could spend the rest of her time on set ogling her handsome boyfriend, she had work to do. And lots of it. Not that she was complaining because this was why she was here and she loved it.
Every day she was learning new things, about the industry and about herself. She and Katy were working together to grow the business here and on the ranch and their efforts were paying off.
Hannah was still their main client, though her events had shifted from wedding prep to fundraisers as she threw herself into charity work to get over her rejection and the ensuing drama.
Much to Liam’s dismay, Hannah was still in Lulu, and as far as Alice knew, she had no immediate plans to return. It seemed that she, like Alice and James, had desperately needed a change of scene to get some perspective and clarity.
Alice spent the next hour or so catching up on emails and responding to texts, and when it was time to go, she slid into the passenger side of James’s truck.
The sun was starting to set as he headed west...in the opposite direction of the apartment.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“You’ll see.”
That was all he said on the drive. Literally, those were the only words he uttered despite her persistent pestering.
One thing was still the same between them and she suspected it would never change—this guy could drive her nuts with his long silences.
It wasn’t until they were on the beach watching the sunset that he finally broke his silence. “You know, I was thinking about doing this over Thanksgiving but...I realized today that I couldn’t wait.”
She arched her brows in surprise. “Are you being cryptic again? Should I know what you’re talking about?”
His slow smile made her belly flip and her heart race. “Alice Deckland, I love you. I love you more than anyone or anything in this world. I love you more than I ever knew that I was capable of loving, and the love I feel in return…” He clasped her hand in his and held it over his heart. “Your love has filled a void I didn’t even realize was there. You are my family, Alice Deckland. You are my home. Wherever you go, that’s where I want to be.” He squeezed her hand. “You are my heart.”
Her eyes were wide and tears were streaming as his words washed over her and made her tremble. Her guy might not talk a lot but, man, when he did…
He dropped down onto one knee and reached in his pocket. When he pulled out a jewelry box, she gasped, throwing her free hand over her mouth to stifle a sob.
She’d never thought she’d be the type to weep when she was happy but right now she had too much love and joy in her heart to contain.
“Alice Deckland, will you make me the happiest man alive and be my wife?”
“Yes,” she managed through her sobs. “Yes!”
He was standing and pulling her into his arms before she could say any more. And then she couldn’t have said any more if she’d tried because he was kissing her as though his life depended on it. As though she were the air that he needed to live.
And she knew exactly how that felt, because this man was her other half. Her one true love.
He was her home.
Thank you for reading! If you missed the first two books of the series, you can find them here:
Homecoming Promise (Cole & Claire)
Promise to Return (Dax & Katy)
For more sweet small-town romance, turn the page for a free sample of Fake Dating the Unsuspecting Heiress, the first book in Maggie Dallen’s Fake Dates series.
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Fake Dating the Unsuspecting Heiress
Going to the post office should not be this big a deal.
Addison Reginald’s knuckles turned white as she gripped the steering wheel of her parked rental car, peering out the passenger side window to the sidewalk in front of the post office.
It was open, there was no doubt about it. The tiny town of Cyrano, Wyoming, might not have a crowded Main Street, but Addison would definitely call it bustling. Well, at least…it wasn’t deserted. Nine o’clock on a Tuesday morning and at least a handful of people had just passed by her car.
No, not people. Strangers.
Her knuckles turned a shade whiter as she stared at them. Release the steering wheel, Addison. She took a deep breath and tried to obey her mental command.
Her fingers had other ideas.
Let go!
One by one she uncurled her fingers as she exhaled. She was being ridiculous. It was just a post office. She’d gone to several in her lifetime, often by herself. This was not something to be anxious about. It was just that ever since she’d arrived in town the day before, she’d been overwhelmed by the newness of it all.
But that was the point, right? She was twenty-five, after all. She was an adult, fully capable of standing on her own two feet. Sure, this might have been her first time away from home on her own, but this was what she wanted.
Her phone lit up with a text on the passenger seat. It was her dad. Again. Just remember, sweetheart, you can always come home.
She frowned at the screen. Sometimes she could have sworn her father was psychic.
Or maybe he just knew her.
That thought had her scooping up the letters she needed to send and snagging her purse, irritation overriding anxiety—although she couldn’t say whether she was angrier with herself for being anxious over a stupid trip to the post office or with her father who expected her to fail at this newfound step toward independence.
She went to reach for the car’s door handle but dropped her hand with a sigh. She’d better reply to him right away or there was a good chance he’d go all overprotective papa bear and sic the local police on her. Worse, he’d get one of his security goons to track her down. As the CEO of one of the country’s largest tech companies, her father had the sort of power and influence, not to mention money that got things done.
His only daughter lost track of time in the library? The entire college campus security team had been put on red alert. She was late for dinner because her car wouldn’t start? He’d sent a police escort. If she failed to check in on her first day on her own in a new town?
He’d probably send out the National Guard.
She wished that was an exaggeration, but she wasn’t entirely certain it was.
It’s only a month, Dad. I’ll be fine. She hit send before this new, persistent guilt could stop her. Technically, she was only here for a month. Vanessa, Addison’s best friend from college, had invited her to stay at her place while she was out of town for work.
More than anyone, Vanessa had been her biggest cheerleader when it came to striking out on her own. But then again, for Vanessa being independent seemed to come so easily. Her college bestie might own an apartment in the town where she’d been born and raised, but Addison was fairly certain her friend never actually used it. Not for any length of time, at least. She’d gone off to college in California and since graduating she’d either been living in New York City or traveling the world for work as a hotshot marketing executive.
These past few years, Vanessa had been living the dream while Addison had been living…in her dad’s pool house. Granted, it was a really, really nice pool house, but it was still her father’s. And it came complete with his twenty-four hour security su
rveillance and his hovering paranoia every time she so much as coughed.
Anyway, as far as her dad was concerned she was only here for a month. But if it were up to her—which is was, she reminded herself sternly—she’d be staying for much longer. Her plan was to look for a more permanent living arrangement while staying at Vanessa’s and focus her time and energy on the side gig she’d built up while still working for her father’s company. She’d given her notice months ago, and now she was free to pursue her passion full-time.
She took a deep, shaky breath to keep from hyperventilating. Four weeks to make sure her part-time graphic design company could supply a full-time income so she could prove to herself and her dad that she didn’t need his help. Nope, she wasn’t panicking at all.
But if she could make it happen, then the world was her oyster. She would be her own woman, not beholden to her father for money or security. If all went according to plan, she’d be sticking around this quaint little town for a lot longer than a month.
Her gaze darted up and down the street, taking in the low, squat buildings that lined Main Street. It was exactly as Vanessa described. Cute, quaint…charming.
Her father would hate the idea when she eventually told him. He’d become convinced that she couldn’t handle life on her own. He meant well, he truly did. It was just that she hadn’t had the most normal of childhoods, and making friends hadn’t come easily for her. There may have been some times in her life when she’d trusted the wrong people. Like her ex-boyfriend, for example.
And her mother.
But, just because she’d put her faith in the wrong people twice—okay, maybe a few times. Really, who was counting? That didn’t mean she couldn’t be trusted to be on her own.
Taking a deep breath, she finally opened the car door, her purse and letters in her arms as she scurried around the back of the car and headed toward the post office. She’d just reached for the door when someone ran into her.
Her envelopes and purse went flying, and she might have gone flying too if the man who’d hurtled into her hadn’t wrapped his arms around her to hold her upright. Instead of falling flat on the hard ground, she found herself pressed flat against a hard body.
Promise Me Forever (Sweet Beginnings Book 3) Page 12
