Once pictures were taken and dinner served, the DJ started to play and people got on the dance floor. He couldn’t wait to put his hands around Brina in her sexy black dress.

  “Are you all done dancing with Ruby’s sister?”

  “I am,” he said. “She’s with her boyfriend now and I’m all yours for the night.”

  He was shocked to find out Ruby’s half-brother was giving her away and her half-sisters were in the wedding party. He knew Ruby’s story. That she’d grown up in foster care and learned of her father and half siblings last year.

  Her father had died and there was no lost love between them, but Ruby’s brother wanted to get to know her. Slowly his younger sisters came forward too.

  Ruby had every right to not want anything to do with them, but she opened her heart and accepted them in.

  It was just a reminder to him of his mother’s conversation. He hadn’t made any decision on contacting her just yet. He hadn’t even talked to his father or brother about the call but knew he would at some point.

  He and Dylan talked once a week or so. The same with his father. They kept in contact enough that they knew what was going on in each other’s lives, but he withheld that phone call from them.

  In one way, it made him realize how much he really loved Brina. In another it reminded him of the family he’d lost too.

  The guilt he’d lived with because his mother put some of the fault on his shoulders that he should have known what was going on with Cassie.

  He didn’t know and he couldn’t change that. Even if he’d known, maybe he couldn’t have changed the outcome either.

  His family seemed to be bound to self-destruct one way or another.

  But he could control his own life and he had every intention of doing that with Brina.

  “I’m glad it’s not going to be a long reception,” she said. “Then we can go back to your place and pick up where we left off before the guys showed up.”

  “Josh said they wanted to have it be short and sweet. He wanted to get a move on with his honeymoon and then fly to Hawaii to soak up the sun.”

  “Hawaii sounds fine just about now,” she said.

  “Maybe we can plan on a trip in a few months. If you can squeeze it in with work?” he asked. He’d never done that before either. Taken a vacation with a woman.

  “I’ll let you know,” she said, looking away from him. He didn’t know what to make of that and just pushed it off.

  Two hours later they were back at his place. “I can’t wait to get you out of this dress,” he said. “I’ve been fantasizing about it since I saw you at the church.”

  “Not as much as I’ve wanted to get you out of this tux,” she said, her hands going up his shirt and releasing a few buttons. “But I’ve got something special I planned on changing into for you.”

  “Even better.” They heard the dinging of a phone. “Is that mine or yours?” he asked patting his pockets. “You’ve got my phone still, right?”

  “Yes, it’s in my purse. That’s yours. I’m going to go up and change. Don’t be too long.”

  He watched her strut out of the room on her ice pick heels and went over to her purse on the table. When he opened it up the first thing he saw was a pregnancy test.

  Ignoring the phone call, he pulled the test out and marched upstairs, pushing the door open to his room and then into the bathroom. “Couldn’t you wait?” she asked, then saw what was in his hand.

  “Care to explain this?”

  “There’s not much to explain. You can tell what it is.”

  “Are you pregnant?” he asked.

  “Since the test is unopened your guess is as good as mine.”

  “How late are you?”

  “A little over a week. Nothing to really get nervous about. As we know, I’m always late for everything.”

  “Don’t make a joke about this,” he said. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling right now. Frustration. Definitely frustration. “Why haven’t you said a word to me?” Didn’t he feel like she was the one for him? If so, she wouldn’t have kept something this important from him.

  “Because I was waiting to see what the test said. I don’t feel any differently. I haven’t wanted to panic you.”

  “Are you panicked?”

  “Slightly,” she said.

  “Why? I thought you were all about being independent and wanting a kid on your own if you didn’t have one by the time you were thirty-five.” He didn’t mean for that to come off as sarcastic, but he was still reeling from her keeping this from him.

  “You don’t have to throw that in my face,” she said, the tears gathering. “I’m scared, okay? I just realized I love you and you said it back. Everything I’ve spent years saying I didn’t want or couldn’t have was happening and it was taking time to get used to. Then this. It’s all so much.”

  “And you figured you had to shoulder it yourself,” he asked. “You don’t trust me enough to be there for you?” he asked. “Is that it?” Now he was getting pissed off.

  “No!” she yelled. “I realized that I actually want this child and what if I’m not.”

  He didn’t know what to say. He ran his hand through his hair. “You always manage to confuse me.” And now he wondered if he didn’t express his love to her as much as he felt it. Maybe she didn’t get the magnitude of how it was in his heart for her to not be as forthcoming.

  “I know,” she said. “I confuse myself. I feel like I’ve been living this lie for years about what I wanted or needed in my life. Then I find you and realize I want so much more.”

  “Why can’t we talk about these things?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I guess it’s one of my many faults.”

  “Or mine,” he said. “You know about my family. You know about my mother. For years I just didn’t think I was capable of loving someone. Then I wondered if it was worth it to try. That it might hurt too much if it didn’t work out. I saw what my father went through. And how he still blames himself.”

  “He shouldn’t,” she said. “No one is perfect. I know that. Maybe that is what makes us so good for each other.”

  “Maybe. But you need to know that finding you, loving you—this is it for me. It’s forever. It’s eternal. It’s infinity. All those words and more. My father will never have another love and I know in my heart, that’s me. That’s where I am. And if I don’t tell you this, you’d never know. I need you to know. I need you to understand so you can be open with me. So you can tell me anything even if you’re scared.”

  She wiped the tears from her eyes. “I feel the same way. I couldn’t say it nearly as well as you did though.”

  “Take your test now,” he said, hugging her. “I can’t wait to know.”

  “And ruin the surprise I had for you?” she said. “So much for my romantic night.”

  “You were going to give me romance?” he asked feeling oddly touched. Maybe she didn’t need to always say the words because her actions showed it too.

  “I’m trying.”

  “We can do that later. I need to know. And regardless of the answer, we’ll get through it because we are just meant to be together.”

  “You’re right. I know you are.”

  She took the test out of his hand and gave him a shove to leave. He was sitting on the bed when she came out for them to wait together. After a few minutes she went back to look and then came out crying.

  “I’m not sure what the answer is by your response,” he said.

  “It’s negative. I didn’t want it to be negative.”

  “Come here,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “There is plenty of time for us to try again.”

  “I know,” she said.

  “And I think we should get married. At least be engaged while we try,” he said.

  “Yes,” she said crying even harder.

  “That proposal lacked any kind of romance on my part or acceptance on yours. Your tears make me feel like I’m forcing it.”

  “You aren’t,” she said, looking up to kiss him. “I’m just so overwhelmed. I’m happy and I’m scared and I’m excited for our future.”

  “So am I. And first thing on Monday I guess we should go see your uncle.”

  “My uncle?” she asked. “Why?”

  “Uncle Jake,” he clarified. “He said he’d hook me up if I wanted to get you jewelry. Guess we need to get you that ring.”

  She laughed. “There is that romance we’re both lacking!”

  Epilogue

  Eight months later

  “You are going to take his breath away,” her father said when she was getting ready for her wedding. They were in a room in the back waiting for the ceremony to start.

  “That’s the point,” she said. She was in love with her white gown. She’d never thought she’d want to look like a princess on her wedding day, but she found there was so much she wanted that she never thought she’d find.

  “I wasn’t sure I’d ever see this day,” her mother said.

  “I guess we were all surprised,” Hannah said.

  “Not me,” Blair said, her hand going to her bulging belly. Her cousin hadn’t gotten pregnant the month of her dream like she’d thought, but had two months later.

  “And Nathan’s even okay with you keeping your own name,” her father said.

  “I’m hyphenating it,” she said.

  “Really?” her mother said. “What made you change your mind?”

  “When we have kids someday I want people to know I’m their mother since they’d be taking their father’s last name. I’ll still have my identity. It’s the best of both worlds.”

  “I bet Nathan was shocked to hear this,” Blair said.

  “No. He said it was my decision and he was good either way.” Another thing she loved so much about her future husband.

  “Then you found the perfect man for you,” Hannah said.

  “Don’t worry,” her father said. “Your time will come, Hannah.”

  “I’m sure. But it seems like it’s Brina’s year. A big win for her firm with the AEA case and that massive paycheck with it.”

  “Hannah,” Brina said. “Money means nothing and you know it.”

  They would have never had enough to win if Michele hadn’t come forward with the information they’d needed. One of the partners at Ben’s firm had wanted to settle two more times, but Carol and she refused. In the end the win was not only sweeter but also more lucrative to everyone involved.

  It didn’t make her greedy for more money like so many people thought it would. It just made her in more demand for the little guy. For the underdog.

  She was going to be a champion for them and that was what she always wanted.

  “But it helps you move forward,” Hannah said.

  Brina reached her hand out for her sister’s. “Everything is going to be fine. You are stressing over your shop for nothing.”

  “It will,” Blair said. “I told you I dreamed it. Ask your sister. If she can believe in my dreams then everyone should.”

  There was laughter over that statement. Brina wasn’t acknowledging the truth to it.

  And two hours later when she was on the dance floor with her new husband, she decided to tell him a secret.

  “I can’t wait to get you out of this tux later,” she said.

  “I’m thinking the same thing about you in that dress. If I can figure out where the buttons even are. Or if my hands can get them undone.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll help you.”

  “You’ve got a look in your eye that you want to tell me something.”

  “I do,” she said. She knew she’d never be able to keep secrets from him now, not that she’d ever want to. “Lean down here so I can whisper in your ear.”

  He smiled at her, leaned down and said, “You had the honeymoon room turned into a sex room.”

  She started to laugh. “I should have thought of that. No, I’ve got another project for you when we get back from our honeymoon.”

  “Oh really?” he said. “A sex room?”

  “You’ve got sex on the brain. I like that. But I was thinking more along the lines of a nursery.”

  He leaned back fast, looked in her eyes. “Are you...”

  “I am. You’re going to be a daddy. It’s early, but I couldn’t wait to tell you. I found out yesterday and almost couldn’t hold it back.”

  He held her tighter, then twirled her around on the floor. “And it all started with a ticket,” he said. “By the way, not only was your brake light out and you were speeding, but you were one hot chick I just had to meet.”

  “Are you kidding?” she said, laughing. “You made me late for court because you thought I was hot?”

  “When it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be,” he said.

  “Just like us!”

  The End!

  Check out Falling Into Love next!

  Soft. Tender. Gentle. Not any of the words ever used to describe Ryan Butler. He’s determined, hard, and oftentimes grumpy. Women only want to be with him to change his bad boy ways. Finding love—never in the equation—and probably never will be. Not after witnessing the heartache his sister went through.

  Shannon Wilder was living the dream with her wonderful husband and beautiful children. She had the picture perfect family she’d always dreamed of. Until tragedy struck and her world was flipped on its axis. Now someone from the past won’t leave her and the children alone so she does the only thing she can think of. She picks up and moves across country to a development called Paradise Place. What better way to start her life over.

  Also by Natalie Ann

  The Road Series-See where it all started!!

  Lucas and Brooke’s Story- Road to Recovery

  Jack and Cori’s Story – Road to Redemption

  Mac and Beth’s Story- Road to Reality

  Ryan and Kaitlin’s Story- Road to Reason

  The All Series

  William and Isabel’s Story — All for Love

  Ben and Presley’s Story – All or Nothing

  Phil and Sophia’s Story – All of Me

  Alec and Brynn’s Story – All the Way

  Sean and Carly’s Story — All I Want

  Drew and Jordyn’s Story— All My Love

  Finn and Olivia’s Story—All About You

  Landon Barber and Kristen Reid- All Of Us

  The Lake Placid Series

  Nick Buchanan and Mallory Denning – Second Chance

  Max Hamilton and Quinn Baker – Give Me A Chance

  Caleb Ryder and Celeste McGuire – Our Chance

  Cole McGuire and Rene Buchanan – Take A Chance

  Zach Monroe and Amber Deacon- Deserve A Chance

  Trevor Miles and Riley Hamilton – Last Chance

  Matt Winters and Dena Hall- Another Chance

  Logan Taylor and Kennedy Miles- It’s My Chance

  The Fierce Five Series

  Gavin Fierce and Jolene O’Malley- How Gavin Stole Christmas

  Brody Fierce and Aimee Reed - Brody

  Aiden Fierce and Nic Moretti- Aiden

  Mason Fierce and Jessica Corning- Mason

  Cade Fierce and Alex Marshall - Cade

  Ella Fierce and Travis McKinley- Ella

  Fierce Family

  Sam Fierce and Dani Rhodes- Sam

  Bryce Fierce and Payton Davies - Bryce

  Drake Fierce and Kara Winslow – Drake

  Noah Fierce and Paige Parker - Noah

  Wyatt Fierce and Adriana Lopez – Wyatt

  Love Collection

  Vin Steele and Piper Fielding – Secret Love

  Jared Hawk and Shelby McDonald – True Love

  Erik McMann and Sheldon Case – Finding Love

  Connor Landers and Melissa Mahoney- Beach Love

  Ian Price and Cam Mason- Intense Love

  Liam Sullivan and Ali Rogers - Autumn Love

  Owen Taylor and Jill Duncan - Holiday Love

  Chase Martin and Noelle Bennett - Christmas Love

  Zeke Collins and Kendall Hendricks - Winter Love

  Troy Walker and Meena Dawson – Chasing Love

  Jace Stratton and Lauren Towne - First Love

  Gabe Richards and Leah Morrison - Forever Love

  Blake Wilson and Gemma Anderson – Simply Love

  Brendan St. Nicholas and Holly Lane – Gifts of Love

  Paradise Place

  Josh Turner and Ruby Gentile – Cupid’s Quest

  Harris Walker and Kaelyn Butler – Change Up

  Philip Aire and Blair McKay- Starting Over

  Nathan Randal and Brina Shepard – Eternal

  Ryan Butler and Shannon Wilder – Falling Into Love

  Amore Island

  Family Bonds- Hunter Bond and Kayla Rivers

  Family Bonds- Drew Bond and Amanda Moore

  Where to Find Natalie Ann

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  Natalie Ann, Eternal (Paradise Place Book 4)

 

 

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