“Actually, as a boat builder, I think he’s quite talented,” my dad replied.

  I would’ve stood up for Dylan, but the fact that he took the money had left me reeling. I picked at the Mesclun salad and hoped that the main course would be a bit more appetizing.

  “That’s not what I heard.” My mom glared at my father. “I’ve heard that he cuts corners, and the quality isn’t that great. He’s just some local trying to take advantage of us.” This time she looked at me. I gripped the fork tightly, but while she was wrong about the quality, he certainly had taken advantage of the situation with me.

  The main course was presented by the bowtie-wearing waiters. The traditional silver domes were removed, revealing that dinner was Lake Casper trout. With the head still on. I pursed my lips and tried not to throw up as the beady little eye stared up at me. I usually enjoyed the fish from the lake, but right now, almost everything made me feel nauseous. I concentrated on the painting of the Woody on the wall as the waiters deboned the fish in front of us.

  As the staff filed out of the room, a clatter and commotion came from the kitchen.

  “Manny, what was that?” Grandmother sent her butler to find out what was happening.

  “My apologies, I don’t know what’s going on in there,” Grandmother’s face was flushed. The Hutchinsons didn’t seem to care.

  “Sir. Sir. You can’t go in there.” Manny’s voice sounded panicked and then the wood-paneled door to the dining room flew open. “Sir,” Manny yelled.

  It was Dylan.

  My dad stood. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  My mom set down her glass of Chianti so hard it sloshed over the top, leaving crimson drops on the white tablecloth. “Get him out of here,” she screeched.

  “Wait.” Dylan held up his hands and planted his feet wide like a football player about to receive a hit. “I just want to say one thing.”

  Dad strode to Dylan and grabbed him by the back of his shoulder, like a bouncer. “You need to leave.”

  “Please, Sir. I just want to say one thing to Bronwyn.”

  The Hutchinsons’ eyes were wide as they took in the debacle. So were my grandmother’s. “Peter.” My grandmother stood and placed her napkin on the table beside her plate. “Who is this young man? What is going on?

  “He’s no one,” my mom said. “He’s just a Laketownie.”

  My father tried to push Dylan out of the room, but he held his ground. He kept his hands held high and didn’t touch anyone, but his voice had grown loud. “Please.”

  “Peter. Sit down.” My grandmother raised her voice – something I didn’t think I’d ever heard in my life. My dad let go of Dylan and returned to his chair but did not sit.

  “You.” She pointed her hand, heavy with diamonds, at Dylan. “Who are you and why are you interrupting my dinner party?”

  “Ma’am.” Dylan took off his Otters’ hat and looked at me before focusing on my grandmother. “My name is Dylan Moss and I’m in love with your granddaughter.”

  There’s silence and then there’s silence. You could’ve heard a cotton ball fall on a pile of other cotton balls in the dining room.

  “You’re in love with my granddaughter?” Grandmother looked over her glasses with an amused look on her face. “Bronwyn. Do you know this man?”

  “I do.” I could’ve won at poker with the lack of expression on my face.

  “Could I have a few words with Bronwyn? Alone?” Dylan’s voice was confident, but he was gripping the brim of his hat like an old lady wringing her hands.

  My grandmother let out a laugh. “Young man. You don’t burst in and interrupt a dinner party like this.”

  “I’m sorry about that. I just need to talk to her – in person.”

  “She’s part of this family. What you need to say to her, you can say in front of her family.”

  That was more like the ruthless grandmother of my youth. Although, I was surprised that she wasn’t worried about causing a scene in front of her guests.

  Dylan cleared his throat and approached me, taking my hand that was resting on the table. I could feel his hand trembling as it held mine, or it was mine that was shaking? At this point, I couldn’t tell.

  “Bronwyn, I love you. I’m in love with you – all of you.”

  I could feel every eye in the room trained on us, but I wasn’t going to let him come after me for more money.

  When I didn’t say anything, he licked his lips and continued. “I don’t care if I’m the father of that baby or not. I will raise him or her like my own.”

  My mother stood. “Get him out of here.” Her voice was hysterical, and she pointed to the door. “Manny, call the police.”

  Manny looked to my grandmother for instruction. “Manny, don’t do anything – just yet.”

  “I’ve heard enough.” My mother stood up. “You little piece of trash, you need to get out of here.”

  “Joan.” My grandmother seemed shocked. “What’s gotten into you?”

  The scene was getting out of control. I pulled my hand from Dylan’s and stood. “Grandmother. This is Dylan Moss. He’s the father of my child.” I watched Dylan as I spoke. His eyes grew wide and filled with tears. “But he’s decided to walk away.”

  “What?” Dylan reached for my hand, but I held it high in the air. “My mother offered this man fifty thousand dollars to walk away from me.” The air seemed to get sucked from the room as everyone gasped. “And he took it.” I narrowed my eyes at Dylan. “I was only worth fifty thousand dollars to this guy.”

  “Is this true?” Eloise had taken a seat and had her hands folded on the table in front of her.

  “Yes. It’s true.” Dylan said.

  My heart sank.

  “She offered me the money, but I didn’t take it. She also didn’t tell me that the baby was mine. That’s news to me.”

  “You didn’t take the money?” My bottom lip quivered.

  “Of course, I didn’t take the money. I was upset and I was an ass. But Bronwyn, I love you.”

  It was all I needed. I let Dylan pull me from my seat at the table and in front of my parents, the Hutchinsons and Grandma Eloise, I kissed a Laketownie in the main cottage at the Yates Estate. “Come with me,” Dylan whispered in my ear. I glanced around the room, at my tipsy, evil mother, my absentee father, and my confused grandmother, and didn’t have to think twice.

  “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

  Twenty-Nine

  Dylan

  No one stood in our way as Bronwyn and I fled the main cottage.

  “Bronwyn.” Now that I could now identify Mrs. Yates’ voice, I could tell it was her screeching after us. Her cries echoing down the hallway behind us. “Stop them.” Her screams were louder and more panicky sounding. But the staff stepped aside; eyes wide as we hurried through the hallways. One of the butlers even opened the main door for us as we reached it.

  I held Bronwyn’s hand as she trotted behind me in her red heels. She looked curvy and gorgeous in her dress, like an apple, and all I wanted was a bite. A glance told me that no one had followed us to the driveway and my heart was pounding as I pressed Bronwyn against the side of the Volvo and kissed her hard. She moaned into my mouth and pressed her hips against mine.

  “I love you, Bronwyn.”

  “I love you, Dylan,” she replied without taking her lips from mine. She kissed me again. “Now, get me out of here.”

  The two of us sped away from the Yates Estate in a cloud of dust and smoke. Beside me, Bronwyn let out a combination of a laugh and a scream. “I’m free,” she shouted, tears flowing down her face.

  The green of the maple and pine trees blurred past the window as we sped towards the highway.

  “I can’t believe you did that.” Her full breasts were heaving with her heavy breaths. “I can’t believe you fucking did that!” She arched her head back and screamed again.

  I glanced at her to ensure that it was a scream of joy, and the wide cherry red lips in a huge smile confirmed it – joy.

  “I would do anything for you, Bronwyn. I was an asshole. I meant what I said back there, but for real – the baby is mine?”

  She rubbed her slightly rounded belly. “You’re the only man I’ve been with in years Dylan. This little guy – he’s one hundred percent yours.”

  “I’m going to be a father.” My voice shook. “I’m going to be a father,” I repeated and turned to look at my beautiful girlfriend. “I’ll never let you down – either of you.” I slipped my hand from her thigh to her belly, and I could’ve been imagining it, but I felt a different kind of warmth under my hand. The swelling of my heart was followed by the swelling of desire between my legs.

  I glanced in the rear-view mirror and confirmed that there weren’t any luxury vehicles in hot pursuit behind us.

  “Dylan.” She rested her hand on top of mine. “You know that if I’m with you, I’m no longer a Yates. I’m out of the will, disowned…”

  The pieces were clicking together, and I nodded. “That’s why you asked about the money.”

  “It is,” she whispered. “I was planning to leave everything to be with you.”

  “You were?” My eyes welled with tears. “You were going to give all of that up for me?”

  “I was. I am.” The realization of the enormity of what I’d just done was settling in. “The reason I hesitated, Dylan…” her voice was quiet. “I didn’t want to put all of this…” she pressed her hand on mine, which was still on her stomach, “on you.”

  I could see where she was coming from but couldn’t believe it. “Bron. I told you, I’d do anything for you.”

  “I thought that I was setting you free.”

  “Bron.” The tears started to fall. It had been years since I’d actually cried tears – and I don’t think that I’d ever cried tears of joy. “This is as free as I’ve ever felt in my life.”

  “Me too.” She wiped the tears from my cheeks with her thumb and then licked it. “So, we’re doing this? You and me?”

  As I turned onto my street, the car shuddered, stalled, and then steam hissed out from under the hood. I reached across Bronwyn opened the door and then held her chin as I kissed her. “We are doing this – but you have to make me a promise.”

  “Anything.” She smiled.

  “No more secrets.” I kissed her softly.

  “No more secrets,” she murmured.

  I got out of the car and pulled her from the passenger seat. “I have one more secret though, one that I can’t wait to tell you.” I slipped my fingers through hers and pulled her away from the car.

  “What’s that?” Her heels clicked on the sidewalk as she fell into stride beside me.

  “Giving up your fortune for a Laketownie, I can’t believe that you did that--”

  “We’ll figure out a way to get by,” she interrupted. “In reality, I have an idea for a business.” There was excitement in her voice. “Plus, I learned how to do the laundry and I can make smoothies. I’m sure that I can learn how to cook.”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa. I wasn’t finished. I would’ve made it work, Bron. I would’ve worked nine jobs for you and our baby.”

  “I know.” Her hair was blowing in the breeze, and she looked like royalty – but in a tight red dress. “But your Laketownie just got called up to the National League.”

  She stopped abruptly. “What?”

  I turned to face her and held both her hands. “I’ve been called to training camp. You might have given up billions to be with a poor man, but babe. We’re going to be more than okay.”

  “You know that doesn’t matter to me. But Dylan…” She slipped her hands around my waist. “…I’m so proud of you.”

  I brushed her hair behind her ear. The setting sun had cast an orange glow on her eyelashes. “You’ve never looked more beautiful.” There, on the tiny Laketown side street, I knew that I was going to be with Bronwyn forever. I kissed her and she wrapped her arms around my waist. “I love you more than anything in this world.”

  “I love you too, Dylan. No matter where we are or what you do. I’ll always love you.”

  The steam from the car stopped hissing by the time we stopped and pulled apart from each other. Cars had been honking at us, but the small Laketown side street and its traffic had disappeared, and it was only us. The three of us.

  I tossed the keys to the Volvo on the passenger seat and draped my arm over Bronwyn’s bare shoulders.

  “Where are we going?” She looked back at the car.

  We were a few blocks away. I bent down and took the shoes from her feet and swept her up in my arms.

  “Home. Bronwyn. We’re going home.”

  Epilogue

  Twinkle lights sparkled high in the rafters of the barn. My heart was pounding against my ribs and the expensive suit I was wearing felt too tight.

  “Are you ready for this?” Jessie straightened the bowtie.

  “I think I’m supposed to be the one asking you that question,” I laughed and wiped the sweat from my brow. It was October, the leaves had changed and at dusk, the temperature was cool – but it felt like a million degrees.

  Jessie looked like a Gaelic Princess. Her brown hair tumbled down her back and the diamond tiara shaped like a flower sparkled in the reflection of the lights. “You look perfect.” I gave her a hug.

  “I wish Mom and Dad were here for this.” Jessie’s eyes glistened.

  The wedding planner counted down, and the first bridesmaid started down the aisle, into the barn.

  I took the silk handkerchief from my pocket, a gift from Bronwyn, and handed it to Jessie. “Bronwyn thought these might come in handy. The small white square had a monogrammed M in the corner. “And Jess…”

  Bridesmaids two and three were off.

  “Mom and Dad. They’re here.”

  Jessie handed the handkerchief to me. “Looks like you might need this too.” She dabbed at the corner of my eyes as the first notes of Pachelbel Canon sounded from the harp.

  The wedding planner spoke into her headset and then nodded to us.

  “Ready?” I whispered.

  “Ready.” She took my arm and the two of us held our heads high and our shoulders back as we supported each other down the aisle. I kissed my sister on the cheek as I passed her hand to Kane’s and took my seat beside my beautiful date – Bronwyn.

  As we watched the ceremony, I handed the handkerchief to her, and she held it bunched in her hand on top of her now swollen belly and we threaded our fingers together as we watched Kane and Jessie declare their love for each other.

  As the dinner was being cleared, Leo and Brodie Bishop, two of my old Otters teammates joined us at our table. “Congrats, dude.” Brodie clapped me on the back.

  “Thanks, man. What for?” I grinned. There were so many things in my life that deserved a congratulation.

  “Dude. Two years ago, I thought we were going to find you dead in a ditch.” Brodie’s voice was grim. “Sorry if that’s harsh.”

  “It’s okay. It’s the truth.” I looked at Bronwyn, she knew my history and she reached to hold my hand.

  “And look at you now.” Brodie poured both Bronwyn and me a glass of sparkling water – I had become a water expert over the past couple of months and preferred an expensive European sparkling water from a specific spring. He held up his glass of champagne and Leo followed suit. “You’ve been drafted to the New York Thunder, have a gorgeous girlfriend, and are going to be the best dad out there.”

  Bronwyn slipped the handkerchief into my hand, but I didn’t need it. We clinked our glasses together. “To new beginnings.”

  The group echoed my sentiment and hearing Bronwyn’s sweet voice made my heart soar.

  Over the past two months, we had grown together as a couple. The first time we made love – the night that I extracted her from the Yates’ compound, had been everything that I’d imagined and more. Of course, I was nervous about the baby. I was an idiot and didn’t know anything, but when I pushed my cock into Bronwyn that night, it was like it was the first time again for both of us. I explored her body with my lips, kissing every square inch of her gorgeous body. I had taken my time with her, thrusting slowly, staring into her eyes, but when I slipped into her from behind, the months and months of waiting, brought out the animal in me. I kissed the back of her neck and she moaned and reached to grab my ass as I thrust into her hard. “Is this okay,” I remember whispering in her ear.

  “No,” she replied.

  I almost pulled out, but she gripped my ass and pulled me back in. “Harder.”

  Our sex life was incredible. No one tells you that making love to your soulmate is going to feel so different. It was as though every night it was new. Almost like our first time – but at the same time, it was like we’d known each other for fifty years. It was fucking perfect.

  We left the wedding just after midnight. I wrapped my suit jacket around Bronwyn’s shoulders and started the car, a brand-new Yukon, before we left so that it would be warm inside for her.

  “Dyl.” Bronwyn yawned and stretched her arms over her head. “I’m tired, but there’s something I want to show you.”

  I could’ve said the same thing to her.

  “What is it?” The full moon shone brightly into the cabin of the SUV and cast a glow on top of Bronwyn’s existing glow.

  “It’s at the building site.”

  “You want to go to the site, tonight?”

  “I do,” she nodded.

  “Whatever you want, Bron.” I pulled a U-turn in the middle of the road and headed to Cherry Point Road. The driveway was bumpy and full of ruts from the construction crew and the lights from the car shone on the construction paper covering the workshop.

  The advance from the league had been enough to purchase the piece of land on Cherry Point. We were building our dream home – a log cabin on Lake Casper – with space for Bronwyn’s new business. The Lake Casper Skin Care line – with its flagship product – Thelma’s body butter. Bronwyn had finally convinced Thelma to give her the recipe, and the two of them decided to go into business together.