A Fighting Chance (21 page)

Authors: Annalisa Nicole

Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Women's Fiction, #Contemporary Women, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Contemporary Fiction

BOOK: A Fighting Chance

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Pulling her to my side, I drape my arm over her and kiss the top of her head. And like every night I plan for the rest of our lives, tonight she’ll sleep soundly in my arms.

Chloe and I are only able to take one week off from work for a honeymoon. It’s not your traditional honeymoon, either. We spent that time at furniture stores, do it yourself stores, kitchen and bathroom stores, and every other store in the greater Seattle area buying furniture and appliances to make our house a home. Every day I come home from work, the love that fills these four walls hits me like a ton of bricks and cleanses my soul.

We moved Savvy into Ava’s condo, and they seem to be getting along just fine. Savvy works almost full time for me during the day. Deuce’s finally reopened, and she works a few nights a week there, too. She’s still in school full time and I’m not sure when the woman sleeps. We get updates about Ava and none of them are good. She’s hardly home, and when she is, Savvy says she does nothing but work there too, and usually falls asleep in a face full of paper work.

Chloe’s wedding gift to me is a trip to Sturgis, in the rolling Black Hills of South Dakota next year on their seventy-fifty annual Sturgis motorcycle ride. I can’t wait to ride side-by-side, Harley by Harley, with my wife next August.

Chloe got her first tattoo and it was all her idea. We each got matching tattoos on our wedding ring fingers. On the top is an infinity sign, purple and black ink lace together in an infinity symbol of our love. On the underside of hers is my name and the underside of mine is her name.

Progress on Chloe’s House is well underway. My mother has taken on the huge roll of taking lead in the project, along with Adrian and Shay. Shay’s agreed to come out of semi-retirement just for this project. With Adrian in charge of the construction, I know things will get done right. Chloe planted that garden, and it flourishes like nothing I’ve ever seen. The flowers seem brighter and taller somehow.

My mother and I continue to build our relationship. She comes to Sunday Wellington dinners with us, and her and Samantha have formed an unbreakable bond. Samantha even helps out with Chloe’s House whenever she can.

That file in my safe labeled ‘Dead Beat” still sits there, unworthy of my time. I don’t care where he is or even if he’s still alive. I’m surrounded by enough love between my wife, the Wellington’s, my mother and my friends to last ten lifetimes. Oh, he still better pray that if he is still alive that I never run into him. He’ll pay, eventually, if it’s not in this life then for sure there’s a greater power just waiting to deliver to him what he deserves.

Things have finally calmed down when Chloe suggests we take that ride to Samuel’s grave. I’ve made peace with his passing, but we both feel the need to pay our respects to one of the greatest men to ever live.

We ride out on my Harley, me, decked out in black, and Chloe, decked out in purple. I’ll never get tired of her arms wrapped around my chest and her thighs pressed against mine. Chloe insists that one day she’ll get me on the back of her Harley and I can ride bitch. I don’t see that happening any time soon.

We pull up to the grave that Asher told us is Samuel’s, just as another car is leaving.

“Hey, isn’t that Adrian and Shay’s car? I think that’s Ava in the back seat too,” Chloe says. A man standing next to Samuel’s grave stares blankly at Adrian’s car. Chloe taps my leg and whispers in my ear, “And isn’t that the chef from that one new restaurant in town, Jax?”

“I wonder what he’s doing here. Does he know Samuel?” We wait a few minutes to give him his space. He shakes his head, and then steps in front of the grave next to Samuel. He kisses his palm, and then places it on the name inscribed in the stone. He turns around, walks to his car with his head down and drives away.

Chloe and I shrug it off. I help her off the bike and we walk to Samuel’s grave. We kneel in front of the beautiful marble stone holding hands. I can feel Samuel’s love surrounding us. I know how proud he is of me. And I know how happy he is that Chloe and I are husband and wife. I couldn’t have done it without him. Without him in my life we would never have had a fighting chance.

The End

The Running Into Love Series will continue with:

Ava Wellington and Jaxon “Jax” Landry’s story in:

Unavoidable Chance
– Running Into Love Book 5

A little about Annalisa Nicole:

I am an “Indie” contemporary romance author. I live in California with my husband and two teenage boys.

I never liked reading as a kid. I only started reading romance novels in the past few years. My Kindle and I are inseparable now. A thought occurred to me in December of 2012 that maybe I could write a romance novel. So I went to work with the encouragement of my husband and my sister-in-law. It didn’t take me long to figure out that I really enjoyed writing.

Today I am a self-published author and it has been an amazing journey.

Other books by Annalisa Nicole:

Take A Chance
– Running Into Love – Book 1

I’ll Take A Chance
– Running Into Love – Book 2

Second Chance
– Running Into Love – Book 3

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Acknowledgements:

To my amazing husband and my two fabulous teenage boys, I love you to the moon and back. Thank you for believing in me and your constant encouragement and never ending love.

My fabulous beta readers thank you for continuing to put up with me and my last minute demands. Task Mistress Annalisa appreciates it! Erin Dolin, Kellie Donaldson, Kristine Barakat, Amanda Farmer, Cristie Lagarde, Amber Nation and Michelle Hart.

My editor, Sara McCluskey from Serendipity Editing, I appreciate everything you do.

Lindsay from LTE Editing, you are a lifesaver and I thank you from the bottom of my heart! You are an angel.

Najla, from Najla Qamber Designs, for yet again another kickass cover! I love everything this cover says about the story! I tell you my vision and you make it happen.

Tami, from Integrity Formatting, you are a rock star! Thank you for speedy, amazingly awesome formatting! I love you!

The Crazy Kick Ass IndiePendents girls, thank you for always being there for one another! Spork friends for life! I love you girls so much!

Annalisa’s Angels, thank you for all the love and support! Thank you for continuing to believe in me day in and day out! I love you girls. Thank you, Kellie Donaldson and Giana Racine for running the team and making it a success.

Giana Racine, my wonderful PA. Words cannot express how much stress you take off my shoulders! Thank you for everything you do! I love you!

Amber Nation, words just can’t explain how much you mean to me. You are always there for me and keep me from freaking out and exploding on a daily basis. I love you, so much!

My bff’s, Julie Mahloch and Julie Franke, thank you for always believing in me. Thank you for all your encouraging words to keep doing what I’m doing. I’d be lost without you two. I love you both!

Ena Burnette from Enticing Journey Book Promotions, thank you for organizing my blog tours you have mad organization skills.

And last but certainly not least, to readers, reviewers, and bloggers thank you for continuing to read what the characters in my head make me write. Thank you for leaving reviews and putting a smile on my face with personal messages and e-mails telling me how my words have affected you. Thank you bloggers for reading, reviewing, posting, and pimping and helping me get my work out there. From the bottom of my heart to all of you, thank you!

Character Glossary

Asher Wellington
– CEO of Wellington Corp. Second oldest of the five Wellington siblings. He is married to Willow.

Willow (Emery) Wellington
- Breast cancer survivor. Found the love of her life, “Running Into” Asher leaving chemotherapy treatment. She is married to Asher.

Abbey Olivia Wellington
– First daughter born to Asher and Willow.

Aaron Wellington –
Second born son to Asher and Willow.

Amelia (Wellington) Peters
- VP of Marketing at Wellington Corp. Fourth oldest Wellington sibling. Found the love of her life, “Running Into” Dr. Kyle Peters at the birth of Abbey.

Dr. Kyle Peters
– OB/GYN married to Amelia. Twin to Chloe Peters.

Noah Maxwell Peters
– First born son to Amelia and Kyle Peters.

Adrian Wellington
– Oldest Wellington sibling. Owns Wellington Construction. Married to Shay Wellington.

Shay (Bradshaw)
Wellington–
Architect, found her true love “Running Into” Adrian ice skating on his family pond.

Micah Wellington
– Adopted son to Adrian and Shay.

Makayla Wellington
– Adopted daughter to Adrian and Shay.

Aiden Wellington
– Third oldest Wellington sibling. Lawyer at Wellington Corp.

Ava Wellington
– Youngest Wellington sibling. Lawyer at a firm just outside of Seattle.

Dr. Chloe Peters
– OB/GYN, Kyle’s twin sister, dating Max “Slick” Jones.

Max “Slick” Jones
– Friend to Asher, helped rescue Chloe and Amelia. Dating Chloe Peters.

Samantha and Samuel Wellington
– The Wellington siblings’ parents.

Mary and Steve Peters
– Parents to Kyle and Chloe