The Second Time Around: a Hope Valley novel

by Prince, Jessica

  My mouth dropped open, and I looked up at him, speechless.

  “Open it, baby,” he coaxed, bringing the box even closer.

  My hands shook when I took it, and when I finally managed to flip it open, my lungs deflated completely.

  Pillowed inside was the most exquisite ring I’d ever seen. The thin platinum band was covered in a row of tiny diamonds with more surrounding the enormous round cut stone that sat high in the very center.

  “Oh my God,” I wheezed, looking up at him with watery eyes. “Bryce, this is gorgeous.”

  “This is the ring you always deserved,” he said as he pulled it out of the box. Taking my left hand, he slowly slid it down to the base of my ring finger. “It took me a while to find the perfect one, but I finally did. Now everyone’ll know you’re mine. Do you like it?”

  “I love it,” I whispered as moisture hit my cheeks.

  Bringing my hand to his lips, he placed a kiss on the ring while looking in my eyes. “Good. That makes me happy. But you know what this means, right?”

  “What?”

  “It means now you have to get me a ring.”

  Launching myself at him, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and peppered his face with kisses. “I’m going to get you the coolest, most badass ring ever, so when everyone sees it, they’ll know you are mine.”

  Taking me back down to the mattress, he used his knee to kick my legs apart and settled his hips between, already hard and ready to go.

  “Won’t hear me complainin’.”

  God, but I loved my husband.

  * * *

  I frantically put the finishing touches on dinner, my eyes continuing to shift to the clock on the microwave.

  Bryce was due home any minute, and I wanted everything to be perfect before he came through the door.

  All had been going according to plan until I’d stepped out of the jewelry store after picking up Bryce’s wedding ring and discovered that some jerkoff had slashed the passenger tires on my car.

  A tow truck ride to the mechanic hadn’t been on my schedule, and it put me way behind, but the guys at the auto shop got my car in and out as fast as possible.

  The security system chirped when the front door opened, and I rushed to my purse, pulling out the ring box as Bryce called out, “Baby, I’m home.”

  “In the kitchen,” I returned, fidgeting in place as I waited for him to appear.

  The second he cleared the hall his eyes came to me and a smile stretched across his face. Then the flickering candle on the table caught his attention. He turned that way and came to a dead stop. “What’s all this?”

  I started speaking as I moved slowly in his direction. “Did you know there’s a really great sushi place in Grapevine? I was surprised myself, but I looked it up online, and the place had like a billion five-star reviews.”

  His lips trembled with humor. “A billion, huh?”

  I pulled one hand from behind my back and tapped my chin. “Well, maybe not that many. But it was still a lot. And Eden swore up and down the place was excellent, so I have faith.”

  Grabbing hold of my hips, Bryce pulled me against him and lowered his head, speaking against my lips. “So you were in the mood for sushi tonight?”

  “Not particularly,” I answered softly. “But it only seemed fitting that we have it tonight, considering it was what we were eating when you fake proposed to me back in Vegas.”

  The green in his gaze flared and his fingers pressed deeper into my hips. “And what makes tonight so special, beauty?”

  I leaned back, bringing my other arm from behind me, and flipped the velvet box open.

  I’d spent weeks looking at what felt like a thousand rings, trying to find the absolute perfect one for Bryce, and when I found the two-toned black ring with a satin finish and beveled edges, I knew it was the one. My husband wasn’t about flash or diamonds. My husband was all man and cool as hell. This ring was Bryce, through and through.

  He stared at it for several long seconds, not moving except to blink.

  “Take it out, honey,” I whispered. “There’s something on the inside you should see.”

  Etched on the inside of the ring were the words my mother had inscribed on my father’s watch. They were words that had come to define my feelings for Bryce, and I wanted him to have them pressed to his skin every time he wore that ring.

  My heart and soul. My other half.

  The air expelled from his lungs with a sharp exhale as he slowly turned the ring to read the words.

  “So?” I asked, feeling a little nervous. “What do you think?”

  Slipping the ring onto his finger, he lifted his head, his fiery gaze landing on me and instantly heating me from the inside out.

  “I’m thinkin’ dinner needs to wait, ’cause I need to take my wife upstairs and show her exactly how much I love my gift.”

  A shiver worked its way through my body, centering between my thighs and making my panties damp. On tiptoes, I pressed my breasts against his chest and whispered, “Why go all the way upstairs when there’s a perfectly good kitchen island right here?”

  * * *

  “God, Bryce. Yes.”

  It was coming, and it was coming fast.

  We’d started with me bent over the counter, but my husband had a thing about seeing my face when he was inside me, so we were on the kitchen floor with Bryce on the bottom, one hand braced behind him while the other cupped my breast so he could suck my nipples as I rode him hard.

  “That’s it, baby,” he groaned against my skin. “Fuck me. Show me how wild you get for my cock.”

  “Like this,” I moaned as the pressure built inside me.

  “Christ, do you have any idea how good you feel? Goddamn, Tessa. Nothin’ feels as amazing as your pussy wrapped around me.”

  My movements became erratic as the coil in my core grew tighter and tighter. “Close, baby. I’m so close.”

  “Give it to me,” Bryce growled, fisting my hair and pulling my face closer to his. “It’s mine, baby. Let me have it.”

  My walls clamped down, and I splintered into a million pieces, crying out his name as I came.

  My release was still coursing through me when Bryce moved, flipping us over. He drove inside, over and over, prolonging my climax until I thought I might pass out.

  “Love you, Tessa,” he grunted as his hips slammed against me. “Christ, beauty, I love you so much.”

  “Love you too,” I panted as one orgasm quickly bled into another. God, I didn’t think I’d ever get enough of him. Enough of this.

  Ten seconds later, he drove in deep and let out a carnal bellow from deep in his chest, flooding me with his own release.

  We were still breathing heavy a minute later when he pushed up to his forearms, looking down at me as he brushed a strand of sweat-damp hair from my forehead.

  “Love my ring, honey,” he murmured before going in for one last kiss. “And the fact that you gave me those words . . . Those mean everything to me, Tessa. You mean everything to me. You’re my heart and soul, baby.”

  Reaching up, I dragged my finger across his stubbled jaw. “And you’re my other half.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Tessa

  Winter had officially hit Hope Valley, and with Halloween over, everyone was gearing up for Thanksgiving. For the first time since losing my parents, I was actually excited for what was to come.

  I’d usually spent the holidays alone, going about those days like they were any other since I didn’t have anyone to celebrate with, but this year was going to be different.

  Bryce’s family was coming back so they could help us celebrate with the kids at Hope House. There was going to be a massive feast, games, and after dinner, the adults were going to set up a tree in the common room for all the kids to decorate.

  Everything was absolutely perfect . . . with two tiny exceptions.

  First, Bryce had been called out of town on a job that had lasted five days already, and I
missed him like crazy. I’d gone more than ten years without him, but now that I had him back, those few, short days were proving to be downright brutal.

  To keep my mind off of missing him, I’d buried myself in all things at Hope House, going as far as staying well into the evenings to spend time with the other volunteers and kids. But that only did so much.

  Second, someone had decided to mess with me.

  The slashed tires the other week had only been the start. After lunch with the girls a few days ago, I discovered my car had been keyed. Then my front window had been smashed while I was in the grocery store.

  I had my suspicions as to who was behind the vandalism, but without any real evidence, I knew there wasn’t much the police could do to Ava Winslow, and I didn’t want to worry Bryce while he was out of town.

  “Considering the hours you’ve worked this week, I’m startin’ to think you’re tryin’ to show the rest of us up. What time did you get in this mornin’?”

  Looking up from my computer, I smiled at Reggie and leaned back in my chair, stretching my muscles. “Around six thirty. And I’m not trying to show anyone up. The house is just too quiet right now.”

  The big man moved into my office, taking a seat across from me. “Bryce still outta town?”

  “Yeah. He should be back tomorrow, and I can’t wait. I haven’t been sleeping well.”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t know which one has it worse, you or him. You turn into a workaholic when he’s outta town, but even when you’re in the same room together, he watches you like you’re the sole reason he’s breathin’. Not sure I’ve ever seen a man as gone for a woman as Dixon is for you.”

  “I’m not going to lie, Reg. I love hearing that.”

  “As you should,” he said. “You two went through a lot to get where you are today. Not sure I’ve met a person who deserves happiness more than you, darlin’. Just glad you finally found it.”

  “Careful, Reggie,” I said in a teasing tone. “You keep being sweet like this and the kids’ll likely take advantage.”

  He sat back in his chair, the grin on his face showing he was already wrapped around all their fingers.

  The phone on my desk rang a second later, cutting into our conversation.

  “This is Tessa.”

  “Tessa, it’s Miranda. I need you to get up to the high school as quickly as you can. It’s Charity.”

  And just like that, the ease of only moments ago vanished.

  * * *

  My heart was in my throat as I raced across town. Miranda was waiting for me when I parked and shot out of the car, taking the steps to the entrance two at a time.

  “What’s going on? Where’s Charity? Is she okay?”

  “She’s fine,” Miranda said, laying a comforting hand on my arm. “She’s in class; the principal is pulling her out right now. I asked him to let me speak with you first so I could fill you in on what happened.”

  “Okay, so what did happen?”

  “Ava Winslow and her boyfriend were spotted on school property today.”

  I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath until my lungs began to burn. I let out a rush of air on a sharp, “What?”

  They’ve checked the cameras around the school, and it doesn’t look like either of them made an approach, but they were sitting outside in their car for about an hour before someone noticed them, just . . . watching the building.”

  “Jesus,” I spit, raking a hand through my hair. “What is that woman up to?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m growing concerned. I think it would be best if Charity was moved from Hope House. At least for the time being.”

  “What? No!” I shouted. “That’s her home, Miranda!”

  The woman held her hands up in a placating gesture. “It would just be temporary. It’s becoming clear this woman is unstable. I haven’t’ mentioned it to you, but I’ve been receiving threats.”

  “Are you kidding?”

  It wasn’t until right then that I noticed the stress lining the woman’s face. “Believe me, I wish I was. I’m worried she’ll do something that could put Charity or any of the other kids in the house in danger. If we were to relocate her without her mother knowing where she is, that might help.”

  “None of this is Charity’s fault. If we pull her out of Hope House now, she’s going to think we don’t want her anymore.”

  “I know this is hard. It’s the last thing I want to do. She’s been doing so well the past couple of months. This is liable to set her back, but you have to think of the other kids, Tessa. If they’re at risk . . .”

  She let that sentence hang, knowing, in the back of her mind, I knew she was right. And I hated that she was.

  “There is another alternative,” she said after a few seconds of brutal silence.

  “Yeah? And what’s that?”

  She gave me a cunning smile. “Tessa, you’re a certified foster parent.”

  Holy shit. I was! “Holy shit, I am! I hadn’t even thought of that.”

  “I didn’t want to suggest it right away on the chance you wouldn’t be willing—”

  “I’m willing,” I spouted. “I’m totally willing. Charity can come stay with me. She’ll be completely safe there.”

  Miranda looked almost as relieved as I felt, which was really saying something, because I was so damn relieved I could have kissed her.

  “Should you run this by your husband first? I’d be happy to step inside if you need to make a call.”

  I waved her off. “He’ll be fine with it, trust me. And even if he wasn’t, I’m all for asking forgiveness, not permission.”

  “Well, then,” she said, the tension in her shoulders melting away, “it looks like the problem’s solved. What do you say we go in and tell our girl?”

  * * *

  Charity moved slowly, stepping through the front door and into the entry, her head tipped back, taking everything in. “Wow. You’ve got a really nice place.”

  I stepped in after her, closing the door and locking it behind us. “Thanks. We like it.”

  She looked back over her shoulder, fiddling nervously with the straps of her bag. “You sure Bryce doesn’t mind me being here?”

  On the way back to Hope House to collect Charity’s things, I’d called Bryce to let him know what was happening. Before I could mention I was moving the girl in with us, he’d made the suggestion himself, pointing out that our house had a state-of-the-art security system, so even though he wasn’t currently there—something he wasn’t happy about—Charity and I would still be safe until he got home.

  “I’m positive, sweetheart. I’ve already talked to him, and he thinks this is the best possible arrangement. We have a guest room already made up, and you’ll have your own bathroom. You want to see it?” A look of wonder blanketed her features, and she nodded excitedly.

  I showed her where she’d sleep before giving her a tour of the whole house. I ordered pizza for dinner, and the two of us spent the rest of the night vegging out in front of Bryce’s massive TV, watching a bunch of chick flicks and romantic comedies.

  She’d gotten more comfortable the longer she spent with me, but I could tell something was weighing heavily on her.

  When the credits began to roll on the movie we’d been watching, I turned to her and spoke. “I can’t imagine the toll all of this has taken on you, but I want you to know, if you ever feel like talking, I’m here. I’ll always be here for you, Charity. I hope you know that.”

  Her head twisted toward me, her eyes full of worry as she chewed on her bottom lip. “Thanks, Ms. Tessa.”

  I waited for her to say more, but when she didn’t, as hard as it was, I let it go and started another movie. We were ten minutes in before she spoke again, and when she did, her voice was barely more than a whisper. “Just so you know, I’m really glad you moved here.” Her eyes returned to me. “And I’m really glad I met you.”

  “I am too, sweetheart.”

  That was all tha
t needed to be said. We resumed watching the movie and enjoyed the rest of our evening.

  A short while later, the stress of the day finally won out and Charity fell asleep on the couch.

  As I helped her navigate the stairs to her room, I couldn’t help but notice that like this, partially asleep with her face washed completely clean, she looked like the little girl she’d never had the chance to be.

  I helped her into bed, pulling the covers over her and tucking her in tight. Unable to help myself, I leaned down and brushed a light kiss to her forehead before finally forcing myself to move toward the door.

  I shot Bryce a text to let him know I was calling it a night, and with my girl tucked safe and sound in the bed down the hall, I fell asleep, eased by the knowledge that everything was going to be all right.

  I wouldn’t realize until later that night, just how wrong I’d been.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Tessa

  I awoke to the sound of breaking glass and the blare of the security alarm. Shooting up in a fright, I threw the covers back and ran out of the bedroom, snatching my phone off the bedside table along the way. I cleared the door just as Charity’s frightened voice called out, “Ms. Tessa?”

  She was halfway down the hall by the time I reached her. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

  A loud voice traveled up the stairs, and I was suddenly filled with rage. “Charity? Baby? It’s momma. I’ve come to take you home, sweetie.”

  The color leached from Charity’s face, and tears poured down her eyes as she looked back at me in panic.

  Grabbing her hands, I pushed my phone against her palm and curled her fingers around it. “Here, I want you to take this, go into my room, and lock the door. Call 911 and tell them there’s an intruder in the house.”

  “I don’t want to go with her,” she whispered frantically. “Please. Please don’t let her take me. I wanna stay with you.”