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“Did your mother show up?” I inquire. I’m not sure whether now is the time to address it or not, but I can’t help but ask. Her mother and this court hearing have been weighing on her. Since Jen’s parent’s divorce was finalized, the two have slowly been working on rebuilding their relationship, but this hearing was like facing all of those demons again for her.
Jen’s eyes cast down to the floor. Immediately, I reach out and grasp her hand to give it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. My touch draws her attention back to me and her eyes meet mine.
“I didn’t invite her. I just couldn’t,” she explains. “I asked her to go to di
Seeing the emotion build in her eyes, I pull her close and wrap my arm her. “It’s alright, sparky. You don’t have to explain,” I murmur. Jen nods into my chest and relaxes into me. Our moment is short lived though, as Ryker begins to whine from being smashed between us.
“Sorry little man,” Jen chuckles as we pull away from one another. “I’m going to go let Abby know,” she adds, kissing me and Ryker before ru
It’s hard to believe a few months ago I almost lost her. When they wheeled her away to the operating room, I thought it was over. Seeing her open her eyes after surgery in the recovery room gave me a relief I don’t think I’ll ever find a comparison for. It was the worst and best day of my life.
Noticing Jen’s departure from the conversation, Carly and Campbell hustle to mine and Vivian’s side.
“Give me that baby,” Carly says, taking Ryker from my arms and snuggling him against her shoulder. “Ah, I love that smell,” she adds, inhaling deeply.
“What? Has he pooped?” I ask.
“No,” she laughs. “Baby smell. I think you need to let me babysit more often.”
“Anytime.”
“Enough baby talk, she’ll be back any minute. Let me see it,” Campbell interrupts.
“Did Lakin get the camper all ready for us?” I ask her.
“Everything is good to go,” she answers quickly. “We got back this morning.”
“We?” I question, but she ignores me and gestures to move it along.
I grab the diaper bag and unzip the inside pocket where I had stashed the ring. I knew the girls would want to put their seal of approval on it, so I brought it just in case. The three of them circle around me to shield any viewing eyes.
“Really? The diaper bag?” Vivian asks disapprovingly.
“What? It’s the one place Jen wouldn’t look,” I explain. “I love her, but when is the last time she changed a diaper? Seriously, girls.”
They giggle and agree, but once again Campbell pushes us along by grabbing the black velvet box from my hand and snapping it open. The shimmer from the diamond prompts them all to sharply inhale.
Vivian and Campbell both squeal.
“Gorgeous.”
“It really is, good job, Casen.”
“It’s yellow,” Carly says confused. “You know it’s supposed to be an engagement ring, right?”
“It’s a canary diamond…the color of dandelions,” I explain.
“I don’t get it,” she says.
I take the ring from Campbell and run my fingers around the yellow stone and the two white diamonds, which sit on either side, signifying our children. Looking across the room, I find Jen looking right back at me. Her playful smile makes me smile as well, our love silently being expressed. She is what I’ve been waiting for…the weed amongst the flowers, the dandelion amongst the roses.
My eyes follow her as she moves in our direction. “Don’t worry, girls,” I say keeping my eyes glued to my future bride. “She’ll understand.”
The End
LOOK FOR CAMPBELL AND CARLY’S STORIES EARLY 2015.
REVIEWS MAKE THE INDIE BOOK WORLD GO AROUND. PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS BOOK ON AMAZON.
Jen Andrews
The Reason (Book One of the Just Say Yes Series)
This is book one of three for characters Zoey and Andy.
Zoey James is in a funk. She has been through more in her twenty-three years than most people have experienced in their entire lives. After her ex-husband tries to take everything she’s worked so hard for, she makes one rule: Never date someone she works with.
When her father’s newly hired mechanic moves into the apartment above their family-run business, Zoey’s lonely life is flipped upside down.
As a teenager, New Zealand native, Andy Tate’s family is tragically killed in an accident, and he is taken in by his aunt and uncle. Andy is pulled away from the only place he’s ever known as home, and moved halfway around the world to Northern California.
Ten years and one failed marriage later, Andy finds himself living in a new city, with a new job at James Racing, and living in an apartment next door to Zoey, his new boss’s beautiful and damaged daughter.
After an interesting chain of events over one weekend, Andy and Zoey form an unexpected bond. Even though he’s the only one who can get through to her, she will do all that she can to keep him at a distance and not break her one rule.
Will Andy be the reason for Zoey to start living her life again, or will she continue on her downward spiral, until she finally hits rock bottom?
Book two, Just Say Yes, is also available.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M7N1Q6U
A.D. Ellis
For Nicky, A Torey Hope Novel Book 1
bit.ly/NickyAmazon
Elizabeth Decker views herself as shy, totally average, and pretty much insignificant. She’s nothing special, at least not compared to her little sister, Audrey. Elizabeth is content with her plain and lonely future; she’s too insecure to contemplate a relationship thanks to her sister. Audrey is a bombshell and uses this to get what she wants. She’s a girl who will stop at nothing to control anyone and everything around her. She craves power and doesn’t care if she has to hurt Elizabeth to get it.
Nathaniel Morgan has spent his whole life fighting for his twin brother, Nicholas. Somewhere along the way, he lost himself. Now he’s just getting by. He’s devoted to his family, but emotionally detached from the women he burns through like wildfire. He has no plans of getting into something as complicated and committed as a “relationship”.
Nicholas Morgan has placed the new librarian, Miss Elizabeth, on a pedestal and is begging her to meet his twin brother, Nathaniel. Elizabeth and Nathaniel agree to meet, for Nicky. Both are caught off-guard when unexpected sparks fly between them. This was not in their plans. Will Nathaniel and Elizabeth be able to escape a past that still plagues them? Or, will the past, suspicions, and insecurities come between them one too many times?
**This is a contemporary new adult romance. It should only be read by ages 18+ due to adult themes and situations. This book is a stand-alone but should be read before book 2 in the series. This book is not a cliffhanger.
Because of Beckett, A Torey Hope Novel Book 2 by A.D. Ellis also available.
bit.ly/BeckettAmazon
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