“I’m proud of you, Jennie.”

  “I’m proud of myself. Griffin and I made peace. He said things I never knew and I won’t repeat.”

  “As you shouldn’t. That is between you and your brother.”

  “He understood. I understood more. Then I felt like shit I was putting this on him when it was on me too. We just had to handle things differently. He had more knowledge than me and tried to shield me from it.”

  “I’m sure he did,” he said. “And pride is hard to swallow when you feel guilty you failed someone.”

  “On both of our ends. But Griffin told me that some of the fears I had about my temper and anger with my father, he did too. Penelope made him realize how crazy that was. That we are nothing like my father. Continuing to think that was letting him win. We can’t let him win anymore.”

  “Your brother is pretty smart too,” he said.

  “I love you, Alex. We are going to have ups and downs. I know that. We are both stubborn.”

  “You’re stubborn,” he said, standing up and pulling her into his arms. “I’m laid back. I’ve always been that way.”

  She laughed. “I’ll agree with that. I am stubborn. But you handle me well.”

  “You let me handle you to a point. I’m smart enough to know that.”

  She hugged him tight. “We’re both smart enough to know these things are going to happen in any relationship. But we will get through it if we talk it out.”

  “I have no problem with that,” he said. “No more secrets.”

  “No,” she said. “No more. You’ll come to my place tonight and stay? I want to be with you. I missed you the last two nights and this place is a mess. I don’t have the energy to clean it for you.”

  He kissed her on the lips loudly. “I don’t have the energy to clean it either, but I’ll do it tomorrow when I come back home, because yes, I need to be with you tonight too.”

  Epilogue

  Two Months Later

  “Zandra’s first Halloween,” Jennie said. “Are you going to bring her to my house tomorrow for candy?”

  They were having Sunday dinner at Penelope’s. She’d gotten the invite last minute and didn’t want to say no. She did enjoy spending time with her brother and his family.

  “I have to go too,” Penelope said. “Otherwise Griffin is going to raid her bag and eat it all.”

  Alex looked at her and grinned. “We are handing candy out at Jennie’s tomorrow. I had no idea she was into decorating so much. You should see all the stuff on the front porch.”

  “Alex told me to stop or it would be a fire hazard,” she said, laughing. Though Alex had just as much fun as her putting everything up a few weeks ago.

  She’d never had her own place to do that before and couldn’t believe how excited she’d been to do it this year and couldn’t wait to decorate at Christmas too.

  “I’m sure it looks great,” Penelope said.

  “Why are you looking at Alex like that?” Jennie asked.

  She’d noticed a lot of looks between the two cousins since they’d arrived an hour ago and wondered what was going on.

  “My wife has no poker face,” Griffin said.

  “For what?” she asked.

  Alex sighed. “So much for doing this on my terms.”

  “Doing what?” she asked, looking around.

  “Don’t get pissed,” Alex said.

  She was going to soon if someone didn’t tell her what was going on. “About what?” she asked.

  Alex stood up and got down on one knee in front of her. “Asking you to marry you in front of your family. They helped me do this today.”

  “Oh shit,” she said.

  “Shit in like,” he said, “are you going to tell me no? You’ve got a panicked look on your face.”

  Penelope and Griffin started to laugh. “This is great,” Penelope said. “I had no idea it’d go this way.”

  “Quiet,” Griffin said. “Why don’t you ask her to find out, Alex?”

  He flipped the lid on the ring box. “Jennie Zale, I’m asking you in front of your family to be my wife. I could have done this so many ways, but it had to be this way. You need your family to share this with you. I knew that.”

  She started to cry. “I did. I do. I mean yes.”

  He stood up and pulled her into her arms. “You say I do when we are having a ceremony. Yes for now works.”

  “I said yes,” she said.

  He kissed her. “I know you did. You’ve made me the happiest man on the island.”

  “Only the island?” she asked, laughing. “And how did you two keep this a secret? Especially you, Penelope?”

  “It was hard,” Griffin said. “I had to all but sit on her. I’m the one who used her phone and texted you to come to dinner so she didn’t give it away.”

  Penelope grinned. “He’s right. I would have said something stupid like Griffin can give you this now.”

  “Give her what?” Griffin asked when he saw the envelope that Penelope pulled out of the drawer.

  “What’s that?” Jennie asked.

  Penelope moved over and set it down. “Your brother needs to tell you this and he needs a push. That’s what we Bonds do, right, Alex?”

  “I’m guessing we do,” Alex said, smiling.

  Griffin’s shoulders dropped and he picked the envelope up on the counter and brought it over. “Don’t yell.”

  “It’s the paperwork to the house, isn’t it? You put it in my name?” she asked. She wasn’t getting mad. Something told her he’d done this all along.

  “I did,” Griffin said. “Sorry. My wife isn’t the only one that is pushy.”

  “Tell her the rest,” Penelope said.

  “Now what?” she asked. “You’re taking away Alex’s thunder on the day he proposed.”

  “No, he’s not,” Alex said. “This is fun to watch. Give him hell.”

  “I might, depending on what is coming next,” she said, crossing her arms.

  Griffin walked into his office and came back out and handed over another envelope. “Your wedding fund. It’s basically all the rent you’ve been paying me plus some more.”

  “Griffin!”

  “Jennie, Mom had a life insurance policy. I had no idea. Last year after Dad was gone I started looking into more things. I didn’t want to tell you. It didn’t matter. But I found out that there was money you should have gotten.”

  “We should have,” she said.

  “I don’t need it. You don’t either. But Mom would be excited over this. Use it for something she would have wanted. Something good.”

  “I’ve got everything I always wanted in life now. And it’s more than good. It’s wonderful.”

  She hugged her brother, then turned to Alex and yanked him into her arms, plastered a kiss on his lips and said, “Should we follow in Griffin’s steps and have a baby before the wedding?”

  “Jennie!” Griffin said.

  Penelope burst out laughing.

  “I’m not saying a word,” Alex said, winking at her. “But you know I sure do love trying.”

  Jennie looked at the frown on her brother’s face and knew she got the last word in...for now.

  The End!

  Check out the next in the series…Roark French!

  Roark French has put his career first for years. Ever since he got his heart broken by his first love he’s only focused on the law. He always said he’d try to find someone again, yet he couldn’t bring himself to. Work was kicking his butt so he decided to go to the family home on Amore Island for the weekend to take a break. The last thing he expected was to not be able to get his one night stand out of his head and he has no way of finding her...until fate is working in his favor. He wasn’t letting her go this time!

  Chelsea Fiason knows what it’s like to reinvent herself. When she discovers her younger sister is going through the same things she did, she steps in to take over for her mother. She is starting life over on Amore Island with a teenager in tow. A place she visited when she needed a break and did something she’s never done before. A one night stand. The last thing she expects is to find out that the hot guy who made her forget the drama in her life for a night not only works for the same firm as her but is her boss’s first cousin.

  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

  Justin Cambridge and Taryn Miles – One More 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

  Jade Fierce and Brock James – Jade

  Ryder Fierce and Marissa McMillan – Ryder

  Fierce Matchmaking

  Devin Andrews and Hope Hall- Devin

  Mick McNamara and Lindsey White- Mick

  Cody McMillian and Raina Davenport – Cody

  Liam O’Malley and Margo West- Liam

  Walker Olson and Stella White – Walker

  Flynn Slater and Julia McNamara – Flynn

  Ivan Andrews & Kendra Key- Ivan

  Jonah Davenport & Megan Harrington- Jonah

  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

  Brian Dawson and Robin Masters – Mistletoe Magic

  Caden Finley and Sarah Walker- Believe In Me

  Evan Butler and Parker Reed – Unexpected Delivery

  Trey Bridges and Whitney Butler – Forever Mine

  Dylan Randal and Zoe Milton- Because Of You

  Cash Fielding and Hannah Shepard – Letting Go

  Brent Elliot and Vivian Getman – No More Hiding

  Marcus Reid and Addison Fielding- Made For Me

  Rick Masters and Gillian Bridges – The One

  Amore Island

  Family Bonds- Hunter and Kayla

  Family Bonds- Drew and Amanda

  Family Bonds – Mac and Sidney

  Family Bonds- Emily & Crew

  Family Bonds- Ava & Seth

  Family Bonds- Eli & Bella

  Family Bonds- Hailey & Rex

  Family Bonds- Penelope & Griffin

  Family Bonds- Bode & Samantha

  Family Bonds- Hudson & Delaney

  Family Bonds- Alex & Jennie

  Family Bonds- Roark & Chelsea

  Blossoms

  A Love for Lily – Zane Wolfe and Lily Bloom

  A Playboy For Poppy- Reese McGill and Poppy Bloom

  A Romantic For Rose – Thomas Klein and Rose Bloom

  A Return For Ren – Ren Whitney and Zara Wolfe

  A Journey For Jasmine- Wesley Wright and Jasmine Greene

  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

  About the Author

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  Natalie Ann, Family Bonds- Alex & Jennie (Amore Island Book 11)

 

 

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