She laughs and rolls her eyes. “When I was checking in, they said my carryon was too big and made me check it. I totally forgot I had my phone in there. By the time I decided not to go, I couldn’t get any of my luggage back. I had to wait for it to go there and back. And of course, they lost it along the way.”
“You still don’t have it.”
“Nope. They said they’re still trying to locate it.”
“I’m sorry.”
She shrugs like it’s not even a big deal.
“Where were you going?”
“Guam.”
My eyes widen because I’m kind of impressed. “Wow.” I gesture with my head. “Come on. Let’s sit down.” I lead her by the hand over to the couch and when we sit, I wrap my arm around her shoulders.
“Yeah, I wanted to go where there was a big need for nurses.”
My chest tightens at the thought of taking her from something so important. Being someone who has served the people and my country, I understand the need and want she feels.
She must have read my reaction in my expression. “Hey, it was my choice not to go, but someday I’d still like to do it.” She puts her hand on my thigh. “Maybe we can do it together.”
“I’d love that.” I turn my body and wait for her eyes to meet mine. “Because I don’t ever want to be apart again.”
Her eyes say the same.
“Mollie, I know things are not going to just magically work out, but I believe we can do it. I have some work to do, but I will do it with you by my side.”
“I’ll be there every step of the way.”
My gaze falls to her parted mouth as she speaks the words I need to hear. My heart thrums into a quick staccato and my body reacts, reminding how long it’s been since we were together. I cover her mouth with mine, slide my tongue along with hers, tasting her sweet warmth. We spend a few moments reuniting our mouths and hands and bodies. Her moans are needy and it’s all I can do not to satiate the longing we both feel and have felt for so long. Slowly, I rein myself in and pull back. “Mollie…”
“If all this is too soon…” she cuts in with an endearing smile.
“No, it’s not that. I think it’s fairly obvious it’s not too soon for me.” I’m still trying to slow my breathing and I let out a short laugh. “Hang on a minute.” I jump up and run over to my bag that’s still by the front door. I rummage through until I find what I need and then return to sit next to her. “I have your Christmas present.”
Her eyes light up and she scoots herself up on the couch. “I have one at my place for you too,” she says.
I hand her the small square box and she takes it giddily. “Is it a new phone?”
I cock my head and glare. “Not even close.”
She rips the paper off and pulls the cardboard lid up and stares for a few seconds. “Logan, it’s gorgeous.”
I slide from the couch and kneel in front of her, reach in and take the silver charm bracelet from the box. She holds out her wrist so I can affix it. “This isn’t to replace the others that jarred my memory. I’m not going to run from my past, Mollie, but I want to start making new memories with the woman I love.”
She was watching me put the bracelet on but when I uttered my last words her head slowly rose. Her eyes fill with liquid and she licks her beautiful full lips. “The what?”
“The woman I love. I think I fell in love with you the moment you stepped out of my cousin’s hospital room. I know I stumbled and fumbled all through our relationship. I tried to be your friend, your friend with benefits, and your somebody…and the truth is, Mollie, those were all accurate depictions. I want to be your everything and I hope you’ll be mine too.”
Mollie leans over and wraps her arms around my neck. “You are my everything, Logan. You have been for a long time. I was just waiting for you to see it. Accept it.” She places a gentle kiss on my lips. “I love you, Logan. And thank you for the bracelet.”
I kiss her dimple, the side of her mouth, her lips. “I love you, Mollie. Thank you…for loving me and making me whole again.”
Epilogue
Mollie
The sound of laughter blooms through the open windows as Logan and I make our way to the backyard on a gorgeous spring day. I’ve been to dozens of these Saturday breakfasts, but today feels special because we’re doing it out back.
We’re greeted with boisterous hellos and I give big hugs to our chef, Bud, and his assistant, Lou. “Are you sure I can’t do anything?” I ask as Logan wraps his arms around my waist from behind.
Lou gestures to the long picnic table set up on the patio. “It’s all set. We were just waiting for you two love birds.”
“Sorry,” Logan says. “Mollie wouldn’t let me out of bed.”
My face flushes with warmth and I elbow Logan, though he wasn’t exactly lying. Since he moved in with me a few months ago, we’ve spent so much time in that bed it probably has permanent indentations.
Belle runs from the swing set and slips onto the bench right next to me as we all converge on the table. Since Lou joined the crew, she’s been adding some unique dishes to their traditional eggs and bacon lineup. Today, it looks like she’s made mini frittatas and homemade biscuits, and they smell divine.
Panning around the table, I notice so much change and so many happy faces, joy floods my body. I place my hand on Logan’s thigh, feeling so lucky to be here and so proud of him all at once. He no longer talks about his experience coming home as a sacrifice. We both know what a blessing it was, and now his relationship with everyone at this table has grown into something beautiful. I catch Ryder eyeing his big brother, and it warms me from the inside out. Though Logan didn’t make the cut in the second qualifying round of the competition, Ryder still talks about his brother, the warrior.
“When are we having a sleepover, Mollie?” Belle asks.
Logan and I have been promising her she could spend the night, and she reminds me every time we see her. We wanted to move in together sooner, but he wanted to wait until Frank and the kids were settled into their own house, and the moment that happened, he packed his stuff and showed up at my doorstep. He’s been working as a personal trainer at Roger’s gym and still helps out with Belle and Colton some.
“How about this weekend? If it’s okay with your dad…” I look across at Frank, who smiles and nods.
“Sounds good to me.”
“What about me?” Colton says, dragging two pieces of bacon onto his plate.
Ryder steals his bacon and moves it to his own plate. “You can spend the night here if you want.”
Colton brightens and grabs more bacon. “Awesome, yeah.”
“No playing in my room, runts,” Justice says, emerging from the sliding glass door.
“Guess it won’t be your room much longer, college boy,” Logan says, scooting to make room for his brother.
“You guys gonna miss me?” he says.
“No!” Ryder and Colton say in unison and everyone laughs.
Mason and their father sit at the other end and when my gaze travels that way, Ed stands. “Don’t stop eating. I just wanted to say a few words without you all staring at me.” He looks across the yard at the beautiful purple rhododendrons. “We lost two great women almost two years ago. They were everything to this family and we almost fell apart.”
Uncharacteristically, none of the boys make comments.
“But I know in my heart they’d be proud of all of you.” He sits quickly as if the moment might overtake him, but in the still-quiet wake of his words he speaks again. “And I also know they’d be as grateful as I am to Mollie for being a big part of how we got here.” Ed looks right at me and I hold his stare, smiling and trying not to turn into a blubbering mess.
Thankfully, conversation continues, taking the spotlight off me, and we all happily gorge on our breakfast feast.
“This frittata is amazing,” Gramps says and winks at Lou.
“I second that,” I say, adding to her blush.
“Yeah, it’s pretty dope,” Justice says.
“Now stop, all of you. I’m just happy to be a part of this tradition. Thankful. Blessed, actually. Grateful, giddy—”
Just then Gramps leans over and plants a kiss on her cheek.
“Oh my,” Lou says.
“So that’s the trick,” Logan whispers to me.
As the kids clear the table—a job Ed assigned them a few weeks back—I head to a lounge chair and enjoy the warmth of the sun on my skin, basking in not just the sun but the love of this great big family I somehow fell into.
I close my eyes and keep them that way even though I feel the weight of a body take up space on the edge of my lounger. His hand takes my wrist and he fingers the bracelet he bought me two Christmases ago when we found our way back to each other.
I feel his lips on mine and I open my eyes. Logan laces our fingers together and with his other hand touches the bracelet. “I think we need to add some more charms on here,” he says with a gleam in his gorgeous eyes.
“I think you need to stop buying me presents.”
“That’s a tough request, but I’ll try.”
I shake my head and close my eyes again, feeling more relaxed than I ever have.
“After this one, though.”
Confused, I pop my eyes open and see him holding a small square box. “What have you done, Logan?”
“It’s not what I’ve done; it’s what you’ve done. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you. First, you were my guardian angel, by my side at my lowest point in life. Then, you jumped into this crazy situation with me…” He smiles and I can’t help but mirror it. “Smile bigger,” he says, reaching his hand to my cheek. His thumb rubs one side as if I’m a magic lamp and my grin grows wider. “There is it.” He breathes out what looks like a sigh of relief and then leans forward and kisses my dimple. “I think I decided this is my good luck charm,” he whispers in my ear.
“What do you need luck for?”
“This.” He pulls back and opens the box, revealing a crystal clear, princess cut diamond set in white gold.
I gasp and freeze, staring at the ring while I get my bearings. Slowly my gaze pans up to meet his. There’s nothing but pure love in his eyes, as if he has no doubt about my answer. That’s because he knows me better than anyone has ever known me.
“I could have taken you to some restaurant and hid this at the bottom of a champagne glass…but—”
I quickly lean forward and stop his words with my lips. “I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s perfect. And the ring…it’s, my God, it’s gorgeous.”
“It was my mother’s.”
My breath hitches and I wonder how much more my heart can take. I just breathe at this revelation, unable to find words.
He chuckles and takes the ring from its home. “An official response would probably be good here.”
“Oh, yes. Yes!” I hold my hand out to him, noticing a slight tremble. My heart is racing but something pulls my gaze over his shoulder. Everyone is standing by the back door, staring at us with huge silly grins, and as soon as he slips the ring on my finger, they erupt into a ruckus of whoops and congratulations.
Logan and I embrace and I smile at them over his shoulder, a tear slipping down my cheek.
We stand and they all shuffle over in a clump of excitement, blurry faces attached to bodies with grabby arms, hugging and patting us.
“Guess you better get used to it,” Logan says with a smile. “This is life in the Bridges family.”
“I can’t wait.”
Thank you for reading Building Bridges, the first book in the Bridges Brothers series. I hope you enjoyed it and will help spread the word to new readers, or consider posting a review.
The Bridges Brothers series follows four brothers as they attempt to navigate life and love after a tragic family loss. Each book can be read as a standalone but is more enjoyable read in order. You can preorder Broken Bridges, book 2 in the series, now. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083874GTJ
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lia Fairchild writes romance and women's fiction. Fans of her books praise her endearing, real characters that come to life in stories that will touch your heart.
Fairchild is addicted to the warmth of Southern California and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and a multiple-subject teaching credential. She is a wife and mother of two.
Building Bridges (Bridges Brothers Book 1) Page 23
