I pull apart. “This means you’ll call me your boyfriend now, right?”
She laughs. “Yes.”
I laugh as I close the distance between us again.
Epilogue
FOUR MONTHS LATER…
* * *
“Look at how beautiful that baby is,” I gush, resting my head against Liam’s chest as we stare down at Lucy’s new foal. She’s so tiny, and she has a dark brown coat that shines.
“I think she’ll fit in perfectly.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head as he pulls me closer to his chest. His heat radiates off me, and I absorb it like I’m freezing. I can feel his soft heartbeat against my back and it grounds me. The butterflies in my stomach tell me I’m exactly where I need to be. That I didn’t make a mistake in my decision to move forward with him.
“Me too,” I agree, enjoying this warm feeling that’s pumping through my chest.
I never thought that I’d have my happy ending so soon, but Liam and I are together and happy. I recently gave up my apartment and moved into the farmhouse on the ranch. My mom is already going crazy, asking for grandbabies, but I keep reminding her that I’m not ready for that just yet. I just accepted the fact that I’m in love and in a real relationship. Babies? Maybe in the distant future. I love having Liam by my side every night and terribly miss him when I’m traveling to the location of the new clinic.
With the money I made working for Liam and overseeing Lucy’s pregnancy, I managed to get enough to build my second clinic an hour away. A lot of my time is spent driving back and forth, but it doesn’t bother me at all. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m getting closer to that vision I’ve always had in my head: having my own chain of veterinary clinics, working a ranch with a cute cowboy by my side who loves me.
It’s always been my dream to own a whole chain of clinics, covering the state and maybe, one day, the country. But all that starts with one little step. I’ve hired two more vets for my clinic here in town, and the new location will have two as well, along with a full staff.
I feel like I got my happy ending, but at the same time, I feel like my life is just starting. I know Liam and I will have many happy years together, and I can’t help but look forward to them. I want to be in this relationship. I want to plan our wedding, go on a honeymoon, have kids, and grow old together.
“Come on. Let’s go inside and make lunch,” Liam says, taking my hand and tugging me toward the house.
He drops my hand to slide open the barn door, and when he does, there’s a group of people standing on the other side: my mom and dad, my sister Aria that’s been away at college, Amy, Tyler, and, Dillon the new vet. They’re all holding balloons.
My mouth drops open. “What is this?” I ask, stepping out. I turn to look back at Liam who is still standing at the doorway to the barn, but my eyes fall to see him kneeling on one knee, holding out a little black box.
“Will you marry me, Ves?” His blue eyes glisten as the setting sun shines against them. A light breeze blows, causing his neatly styled dark hair to move with it. He’s wearing a hopeful smile, but I know him well enough to see that there’s more than hope in his eyes. There’s also a little bit of nervousness.
Liam and I have come a long way. I went from being a girl with a dream who didn’t want any relationship to moving in with him and dedicating my time to making this commitment work for both of us. We still have our ups and downs, but we both know that what we have is special and worth fighting for. Looking back now, I can’t believe how easily I almost gave up.
I suck in a deep breath as my eyes zero in on that shiny ring. “What? Liam?” I look at all the people gathered behind me.
Tears fill my eyes as goosebumps prickle my skin. Covering my open mouth with my hand, I nod, and everyone behind me cheers.
Liam smiles wide as he gets off his knee, rushing over to pull me against his chest where his lips find mine. His tongue sweeps out, twisting with my own.
“I love you, Ves,” he whispers against my lips.
“I love you too, Liam.”
He takes the ring from the box and slips it onto my finger. Everyone behind us cheers louder. They clap and throw confetti that blows around us with the light wind.
“You do realize that now you have to call me your fiancé, right?”
I laugh and nod my head. “I’d be happy to.”
His lips press against mine again while his hands cup my cheeks, holding me close to him.
My parents interrupt our kiss, Dad shaking Liam’s hand and Mom pulling me in for a hug. She’s so happy that there are tears in her eyes and her cheeks are flushed.
“I’m so happy you came around to your senses,” she says, wiping away her tears.
I laugh. “You finally got your way.”
Mom moves in to hug Liam, and Dad steps over in front of me, pulling me for a giant bear hug. He pulls away and his dark eyes zero in on me. “I like the guy, Vesper. I really do. But if he hurts you, I know where to get the equipment to bury his body.”
I laugh loudly, smacking his shoulder. “I don’t think we need to go that far, Dad.”
He holds up both his hands, palms facing me. “Just letting you know. Keep that in your back pocket in case you ever need it.”
I roll my eyes with a shake of my head. My little sister, Aria, walks up and pulls me against her for a hug.
“Congrats, big sis.”
“Thank you,” I tell her, looking her over. It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. She usually skips coming home for vacations. Her hair that used to match mine is now bleached blonde and she wears it in long, loose waves. She’s wearing a pair of skinny jeans with gold sandals and a flowing shirt. It’s a long way from her usual sweats that she used to always wear.
“You’re really growing up. You know that?”
She blushes and rolls her eyes.
I wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her closer. “Before you know it, it’s going to be you getting married.”
“Ha,” she loudly mocks laughter. “No way will I ever get married. I’m going to spend the rest of my life traveling the world and taking my pictures.”
“Staying young and free forever, huh?” I tease her.
“Absolutely. There’s nothing worse than getting tied down. I mean, you’re only twenty-six, Ves.” She looks up at Liam. “But I guess if I had to get married, a sexy billionaire would be my first choice too.” She laughs, and I playfully push her away.
“Everyone, please come into the farmhouse for some champagne,” Liam says, motioning toward the house.
He wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him as he leads the way. I happen to catch a glimpse of Amy and Tyler over my shoulder. Her face is pink and he’s wearing a wide smile. It makes me wonder if he’s asking her out. They did seem quite taken by one another on that one date we went on. Amy needs someone to make her settle down. She’s still just as wild as she was when she was a teenager. She goes out, drinks, has her random flings, but nobody has been able to keep her attention for long. I have a feeling that Tyler is the perfect guy for that.
Liam leads us all into the kitchen where he pulls out a bottle of champagne and pops the top. I squeal with delight when it pops, causing the rest of us to giggle. Liam pours us all a glass, and we all lean around the island to cheers.
Liam looks at me. “To us.”
I smile and agree.
“To my baby girl that I didn’t think I’d ever get rid of,” Dad jokes, causing everyone to join in on his laughter.
“To many healthy grandbabies,” Mom adds on.
“To someone else babysitting those grandbabies,” Aria says.
Amy and Tyler are too busy holding their own conversation at the back of the room to add anything else but I don’t mind. I’d rather see them find the happiness that Liam and I have finally found.
Mom and Dad turn to have their own conversation, and Aria pulls out her phone while sipping her champagne. Occasionally, I notice h
er eyes drifting toward Dillon, who is sitting at the table, looking at the screen of his phone. Leaving Liam and me to have a few minutes alone.
“You have no idea how happy you’ve made me today,” he says, pulling me closer to him, my chest pressing against his.
I smile and wrap my arms around his neck. “I think I do.”
“Yeah?” His eyebrow arches. “Care to prove it?”
“How?” I ask, brows furrowing together.
He shoots me a grin, his eyes quickly flashing from mine to the other room.
My face heats up as I gently smack his chest. “My parents are here,” I whisper.
He glances over at them. “It looks like they’re pretty busy. I bet nobody would even notice if we slipped into the other room right now.”
I look around the room. They all did seem pretty occupied. “Okay, but you better be quick.”
He takes my hand and quickly pulls me into the dining room, down the hall, and into the little bathroom tucked away at the back of the house.
His hands find my hips, and he pulls me against him, lifting me and setting me on the countertop.
“I love you, Ves,” he whispers against my lips.
“I love you too, Liam.”
His mouth presses against mine and he kisses me deeply, making me wonder why I ever wanted to wait for this.
Dreams are good, but that’s what they are: dreams. They are goals to work toward. There’s no guarantee. And they’re not written in stone. Being here with Liam, moving forward in our relationship, it’s only now that I realize that this is my real dream. Expanding my clinic, that’s just extra. Work won’t love me and keep me safe. Love does that. Love should always come first. And I plan on spending every day of my life putting Liam and our love first.
* * *
KEEP READING FOR BOOK 2 IN THE SERIES!
Protect Me
MOUNTAIN RIDGE SERIES
BOOK 2
A Novel
By
ALEXIS WINTER
© Copyright 2019 by Alexis Winter - All rights reserved.
* * *
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.
Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
The arrogant bastard is back…
After one too many failed relationships, I promised myself I was done with men…Then Tyler pressed his muscular mountain man body against mine and that vow I made?
* * *
It went out the window.
* * *
He rescued me from the hell I was living in.
Made me feel wanted, needed, safe from the heartache that came along with raising myself.
* * *
And I fell for him. Hard.
Then he left with no explanation other than a pathetic goodbye note.
* * *
Now he’s back and at my best friend's wedding of all the damn places, demanding a second chance.
I’m so done with him.
* * *
Except, I can’t stop thinking about ripping that suit off his delicious body.
* * *
But it’s fine, I’m fine.
* * *
As long as he doesn’t kiss me or touch me or look at me, I’ll be fine!
* * *
Scratch what I said before because I'm so screwed.
Chapter 1
The alarm clock blares from beside my bed, stirring me from the most perfect sleep I’ve ever had. With a groan, I roll over and smack it off the table, silencing it.
“Too early,” I mumble, forcing myself to sit up. My back curves, shoulders slumping forward and my head hanging as I rub the sleep from my eyes. “Why did I think it was a good idea to drink last night?”
I push the blankets from my body and nearly sleepwalk to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Luckily, I have one of those fancy coffee makers that always keeps the water hot. By the time I get out of the shower, I’ll have a whole pot of freshly brewed coffee—my reason to live.
After pouring the water into the back, I place the carafe on the burner and turn toward the bathroom, hitting my head on the corner of the wall. “Ow!” I rub the sore spot on my head as I push myself through the dark living room and into the bathroom.
Stepping beneath the hot stream of water feels amazing. I dip my head back, letting the water rain down over my soft brown hair. Pouring a heaping handful of shampoo into my palm, I work it into a thick lather, deeply breathing in the scent of coconut. I love smelling like I’ve just stepped off the beach. Why I didn’t move to California to become a beach bum after college is beyond me.
I pour my coconut-lime body wash into a loofah and scrub every inch of my body with it. The hot water helps to relax my muscles and wake me up. I almost don’t want to step out. But I know that if I’m late, Vesper will have a fit—even though she’s been keeping extra busy between the clinic and training the new vet at the O’Connor Ranch.
With a heavy sigh leaving my lips, I turn off the water and step out, wrapping my pink fuzzy robe tightly around my now cold, wet body. Slipping my feet into my matching house shoes, I shuffle back through the living room and into the kitchen to reward myself with that cup of coffee. The aroma fills my nose, instantly making my mouth water. After four spoonfuls of sugar and a nice big helping of hazelnut creamer, I take the first sip. “Mmm, so good,” I mumble around the cup as the warm, sweet liquid makes its way past my lips.
With the cup still attached to my mouth, I head for my bedroom to fix my face for the day. Sitting behind my vanity, I pull the towel from my hair to let it air dry a bit while I apply my daily makeup.
It takes me at least a good hour to fix my hair and makeup, but I have plenty of time to spare. I’m not one of those girls who can slap on some tinted moisturizer and lip gloss and call it a day—like Vesper. I’m envious of her in so many ways. She’s smart, naturally beautiful, and always in a good mood. Me, I’m the complete opposite. I feel like I need a full face of makeup to look decent. I wasn’t one of the smart girls either. In high school, I did okay—got decent grades, but I was more the popular party girl than the academic girl. In college, that party girl label only sunk in deeper. To be honest, I’m surprised I graduated at all. I skidded by, hanging on by my teeth and fingernails—basically clawing my way to graduation day.
Finishing off my coffee, I go for my second cup and take it back to the bedroom with me while I dress. I’m also not one of those girls who feel the need to dress up often. I mean, when I go out, I make an effort, but that’s a completely different wardrobe than work attire. Luckily for me, I get to wear jeans and tank tops or t-shirts.
I slide into a pair of form-fitting jeans that hug my every curve, then tug on my “Rescue All Animals” t-shirt. I pull on a pair of boots and look myself over in the mirror. My long, dark hair is straight and hangs down to my mid-back. My green eyes are lined darkly, and my cheekbones are perfectly contoured. Finishing off my coffee, I grab my purse, heading for the kitchen.
I drop everything onto the kitchen table and wash my coffee cup, knowing it will drive me crazy if I know it’s sitting dirty in the sink all day. Taking my favorite thermos from the cabinet, I fill it with the rest of the pot, topping it off with probably a pound of sugar and a whole cup of creamer. Grabbing my jacket, keys, and purse, I head out for the day, locking the door behind me.
I’m the first one to the clinic, as usual, so I unlock the door and turn off the alarm. I walk through, turning on lights and starting up computers. Just as I’m switching off the answering service, Vesper walks in, her strawberry blonde hair blowing behind her.
“Good morning,” I greet her.
“Hey, sorry I’m late. I got caught up with Dillon, the new vet at the ranch.” She walks
behind the counter and reaches for my thermos.
I look at the clock on the wall. “You’re not late. Right on time. And give me that.” I reach out and take my coffee. “That’s mine. Your pot is already brewing right over there.” I point at the corner that holds the free coffee for everyone to enjoy.
She rolls her eyes. “You’re so weird about your coffee.” She lets out a loud sigh and moves to pour herself a cup.
“How’s the new vet doing, by the way?” I ask, just to be nosy.
She shrugs. “Good, I guess. He just needs time to be broken in. It’s all still new, you know?”
I nod once. “I’m sure he’ll get there. Just give it some time.” I place my elbows against the counter, leaning down. “And the new clinic? How’s it coming along?”
She takes a sip of her coffee as her eyes grow wide with excitement. “Really great! Ahead of schedule, to my surprise.”
“I’m kind of sad you won’t be here every day. Dr. McStuffy isn’t any fun.” I roll my eyes, referring to the new vet she hired to cover her place here while she goes back and forth with the new clinic being built.
Her brows draw together. “Give him a shot. He’s not that bad.”
“Not that bad? He has the driest sense of humor I’ve ever seen. I mean, I talk to the guy and I need a drink of water.”
She laughs. “I’m sorry, Amy. I can’t do everything myself. I mean, it’s like I’m working at three different places with this office the new clinic, and everything going on at the ranch. Once everything is up and running over there, I’ll transfer him and be right back here bugging you every day.” She offers up a wide smile as she passes me to head to her office.
Claimed By Him: (Contemporary Romance Box Set) Page 14
