My Paranormal Valentine: A Paranormal Romance Box Set
Page 109
So while the muses were plotting to surprise Mel, they had their own surprise coming…
John came in the door with his wife, Beth, and Nate introduced her to Mel’s sisters.
Nate shook John’s hand and kissed Beth’s cheek. “I’ll be back soon.” He turned toward Maggie. “Ready to pick up Mel?”
Maggie bounced to her feet. “Yes! But I won’t tell her about the party.”
He held out his hand and she took it, waving at the others. “See you soon.”
The plan was to grab Mel from the hotel where her folks were staying. It would give them time to sneak over to Nate’s place with the others and also give Mel and him a private moment to talk to Maggie.
The second they entered the hotel lobby, Maggie made a break for it, running to hug Mel. “I was scared.”
Mel smiled at Nate from over Maggie’s curls. “I’m all right.” She pulled back, holding Maggie out at an arm’s length. “So what’d I miss?”
That was all it took. Maggie rambled on about school, her new friends, and her teacher, while Nate said his good-byes to her parents. He turned toward Mel and smiled. He loved seeing her with Maggie. He hoped the feeling wouldn’t ever wear off. He never wanted to take his new family for granted.
Once he had them both in the car, he glanced at Mel and she squeezed his thigh. He winked and pulled out of the parking lot. Instead of heading back to his place, though, he drove to his spot at the beach.
Maggie got out of the car and frowned. “This isn’t where we’re a-post to be, Uncle Nate.”
He caught Mel’s hand, his fingers twining with hers. “We came here first so we could talk to you before we went back to my house.”
She glanced between the two of them and finally nodded. “Okay.”
Nate herded her over to the bench. It seemed like ages since he had sat in this spot and first shown Mel his birthmark, when she’d told him the truth about their connection.
Maggie was between them now, swinging her feet that didn’t quite reach the ground.
Nate patted her leg. “We wanted you to know our surprise before anyone else.”
Her eyes widened. “A surprise?”
Nate nodded slowly, his eyes meeting Mel’s. “I asked Mel to marry me.”
Maggie’s jaw dropped.
Mel grinned. “And I said yes.”
Maggie put a small hand on each of their knees, her gap-toothed grin at full power. “You’re getting married?”
“Yes.” Mel placed her hand over Maggie’s. “And if you’re okay with it, we want you to come live with us.”
Nate held his breath. Maggie spun toward him, her bright eyes brimming with tears. “You mean it?”
Nate nodded, his own eyes burning. “I’d like to be your dad if you’ll have me.”
Maggie lurched forward, her arms clamping around his neck and her little sobs breaking his heart. He held her close while Mel embraced them both. He didn’t know how long they sat like that, clinging to one another, but Maggie finally whispered, “I love you.”
He laughed, choking on a tight throat. “I love you, too, Maggie.”
Mel pulled back a little, her voice soft. “We have one more surprise.”
Maggie loosened her hold on Nate and turned toward Mel, her breath still hitching. “Another one?”
Mel nodded slowly and met his eyes. Nate wanted to memorize every second of this moment. The way the sea breeze pulled at Mel’s hair, the way her skin glowed, the way she looked at him and told him she loved him without saying a word.
Her gaze moved to Maggie as she took her hand. “You’re going to be a big sister.”
A wrinkle formed in the middle of Maggie’s forehead for a second, and then it gave way to a joyful smile. She hopped off the bench, facing both of them. “You’re having a baby, too?”
“Yes.” Mel paused. “And it would be the luckiest baby on earth if it got to have you for a big sister.”
Maggie took each of their hands and squeezed them tight. “This is the best day ever!”
Nate couldn’t contain his joy any longer. He shot out from the bench and caught Maggie around the waist, lifting her into the air. He spun her in a circle, drinking in her laughter before hugging her again, his eyes on Mel over at the bench.
“I agree, kid. Days don’t get much better than this one.”
Mel held Maggie’s hand as they walked across the parking lot toward Nate’s condo. Half of her still struggled to believe that today was real. She was going to marry the most amazing man she’d ever met, become a mother to a feisty seven-year-old, and in a few more months, she’d have two children.
Her head was spinning, but as much as her mind fought to work through all the new changes coming her way, her heart was overflowing with joy. There were so many more blessings in her life than she ever dreamed she’d have.
Nate opened the door to his place then, and a roomful of her favorite people shouted, “Welcome home, Mel!”
Her heart nearly burst. “Aw, thanks, you guys…”
The second the door closed behind them, Maggie squealed, “They’re getting married, and we’re going to be a family!”
Mel laughed while Nate mussed Maggie’s curls.
John made his way through all her sisters and stood in front of her, his expression blank. “I told you, Nate doesn’t do relationships.”
Mel wasn’t sure how to respond, but before it got too awkward, John grinned and opened his arms. “Glad you showed him the light.”
Mel accepted his hug, and John whispered against her ear, “Take good care of my partner.”
She nodded as she pulled back. “I will.” Then she noticed her parents lurking over in the kitchen area. “You were in on this, too?”
Her mom had a sheepish grin on her face. “It was Nate’s idea.”
Before Mel could reply, Callie came up to her with a hand on her hip, a smile threatening to break through her mock anger. “We had a pact, remember?”
Nate stiffened, but Mel shook her head. “I love you, Callie, and I hope the fates put a man in your path that makes you kiss our pact good-bye, too.”
“Don’t wish that on me.” Callie chuckled and came forward to hug her. “We still have a theater to restore.”
Mel squeezed her tight and stepped back. “I know. And we’ll have even more hands to fix it now.”
Nate slid his arm around her waist. “Maggie and I will help.” His green eyes met hers, making her tingle all over.
Mel pulled her gaze back to her sisters. “And one more thing…” She ran her fingers through the back of Maggie’s curls. “You want to tell them?”
Maggie nodded with a grin. “I’m going to be a big sister.”
Mel’s sisters surrounded her while Nate stood beside John. He smiled at her and mouthed, I love you.
Her eyes brimmed with happy tears. The muse was silent inside her. Today, her glass wasn’t half-empty.
It was overflowing.
The End
* * *
The series continues with
Legend of Love
* * *
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Acknowledgments
When the idea for the Muse Chronicles came to me, it was my amazing agent, Laurie McLean, who first encouraged me to self-publish this series. Then my grandmother helped me to make it a reality. Thanks for your support for this new venture!
Self-publishing is a big project that I couldn’t do alone, so first off, thanks to Danielle Poiesz from Double Vision Editorial. It’s so great to work with you again! And a big thank-you to Fiona Jayde for taking my vision for the Muse Chronicles and making such a gorgeous logo and cover. You rock! Thanks to my intrepid beta readers, who also helped me on the back cover copy. Denise Fluhr, Heather Cox, and Elizabeth Neal, you guys are the BEST!
Big thanks to the Night Angel Legion for all your support! It’s scary to dip my toe into indie publishing, but you all have my back and I love you for it
!
I also need to give a shout out to Eleanor Nystrom and the RWASD Sprinters for inspiring me when I was in the homestretch, writing this book until all hours of the night. You guys made it fun!
Big thanks to Arianne Cruz for proofreading for me, and Guillian and the team at Inscribe for helping me get the word out about the new series!
And finally, thanks to my family and my husband, Ken, for all your support. I couldn’t do this without you!
About Lisa Kessler
Lisa Kessler is an Amazon Best Selling author of dark paranormal fiction. She’s a two-time San Diego Book Award winner for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror and Best Published Romance, an Award of Excellence for Best Paranormal Romance, as well as the Romance Through the Ages Award for Best Paranormal and Best First Book.
Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.
When she’s not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, and has performed with San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego.
Lisa-Kessler.com
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