Jack Hammer (30 page)
I smiled at her, my cheek aching. I was sure most of the bones in my body were broken, but none of it mattered. All that mattered was I was alive, and my girl was at my side.
“Don’t apologize,” I said, running my fingers through her hair. “Let’s move past all of it. Let’s do it together. I want to start over with you Chelsey.”
She nodded. A tear moved past her lashes, and she lifted her hand to wipe it away. My eyes landed on her finger, and I smiled when I saw she was wearing the promise ring I’d given her on her eighteen birthday.
I took her hand, running my thumb over the ring. “You kept it.”
“Of course I kept it. You gave it to me. I guarded it with my heart.”
“I love you so much, Little Doe,” I said, bringing a smile to her face.
“I love you, too. That’s all that matters. The rest can wait until you’re all better.
“You’re here,” I said, brushing my lips across her fingers. “That’s all the better I need.”
EPILOGUE
CHELSEY
SEVEN YEARS LATER
“CHELSEY WESLEY.”
I stood when my name was called and walked down the aisle to the stage. My palms were sweaty and I felt dizzy, but I pushed forward without regard to the crowd of people there for the Commencement Ceremony. There were camera’s everywhere and the road running in front of Butler Library was completely blocked off. The ceremony was a big deal, and the amount of people who were in the audience showed that.
Tucking my fingers into my light-blue gown, almost an exact match to my husband’s eyes, I took the stairs. A tornado of nerves twisted my stomach as I walked toward the man holding my future as a doctor in his hands. I swallowed hard over my parched throat and smiled into the audience.
I needed to see him. He was my sense of calm, he was person who made everything right in our family. I found his handsome face among the sea of people, and instantly I felt at ease. I smiled through my tears as Blaine held our bubbly two-year-old on his lap, holding his chubby, little arm, and waving it back and forth at me. Our daughter bounced up and down in her chair next to Blaine, pulling on her daddy’s arm and pointing in my direction.
Blaine’s grandma had passed two years before, and Maddie now lived with us. She was growing like a weed and starting middle school soon. Still, she stood next to Blaine and smiled up at me with the love of a sister in her eyes.
Lynn and Marshall, who’d married right after Blaine and me, were a row behind my family. Lynn waved with a smile as she clutched her newborn daughter to her chest. Marshall turned out to be amazing. He’d even made sure the frat boys who’d beaten Blaine years before got what they deserved. Actually, all the men at The Golden Banana had made sure of that.
With a heart full of love, and a deep breath, I took the few short steps that brought me face to face with Dean Michael’s. He smiled at me as he held my diploma out in my direction. I shook his hand and he nodded.
“It’s been my pleasure to have met you, Mrs. Wesley. Congratulations on all your hard work. You’re going to do great things.”
“Thank you, Dean Michael.”
I took the diploma and turned around to share one of the biggest moments of my life with the most important people in my world.
I laughed, my heart flooding with love for the chaos that was my beautiful family. Blaine was standing with our babies as they cheered at the top of their lungs for me. He winked, whistling loudly, before mouthing
I love you
. I mouthed it back and blew them a kisses.
I caught my father’s eye and I smiled at him, loving him more than anything for being there for me, too. He stood next to Blaine, his hand on my daughter’s shoulder, and so much pride in his expression. My father and I had been through a lot over the years, but we were closer than ever.
It’d been four years since my parents divorced, and as much as I hurt for my father, he actually seemed happier. He was seeing a nice woman, Linda, who was visiting her sick sister in California for weekend. She was the complete opposite of my mother, and even though I was way past the age of being mothered, she was doing a great job at being a grandma to my kids.
I walked toward the side of the stage, feeling a sense of pride over everything I’d accomplished over the last seven years. I went through years of therapy with Blaine for the loss of our baby, and then I married him. He was the most beautiful and loving man on the planet, a man who worked hard for his family and was there no matter what.
I had a daughter with icy eyes and olive skin like her Daddy, with the attitude to match, and a son who was my twin. Blaine called him Mini Doe, and every time he looked up at me with his big, brown, doe eyes, I knew the name was a perfect match.
Life was good, and I’d never been so happy.
I gave Blaine one more glance before I stepped off the stage, and his blue eyes were waiting for me. He was older, and like a fine wine, he’d gotten better with age. He was tall, dark, and handsome and totally mine. Even seven years later, he was still able to work my body into a frenzy and leave me breathless in bed.
After the ceremony, we went out to dinner as a family. By the time we pulled up at home, I was exhausted. The kids were asleep in the back seat, and I found myself nodding off in the passenger’s seat. Blaine and I unloaded the kids and took them inside. We dressed them for bed and tucked them in for the night.
By the time we made it to our room, I was dead on my feet. I fell back onto the bed with a sigh.
“Today was the longest day of my life,” I said with closed eyes.
“Today was the greatest day of your life,” Blaine countered. “I’m so proud of you, baby. Have I told you that today?”
I smiled. “Yes you have, but I’ll have you know today was
not
the greatest day of my life. I have quite a few of those and they all star you.”
“Is that so?” he asked, kneeling on the floor in front of me and peeling my heels from my feet. I moaned with satisfaction when he began to massage the balls of my feet. “Tell me what they are.”
“Well, there’s the day I met you.”
“Uh huh. And?”
“And there’s the day we got married.” I sighed when he moved his hand over the bottom of my foot, digging deep into the soreness. “The day our beautiful kids were born. I think those were the best.”
“Definitely the best days,” he agreed.
He continued to massage my feet, moving his adept fingers and making my eyes roll in pleasure. Then he moved his hands up my ankle, followed by the back of my leg. He worked his way up my leg, his fingers loosening the sore muscles, and I was in absolute heaven.
“God, Blaine. You make me so happy, baby,” I sighed.
“I aim to please, Mrs. Wesley,” he said. I could hear the grin in this voice.
“Yes, you do.”
He chuckled. Then his hands moved up higher, his fingers tickling the sides of my panties. I bit into my bottom lip and enjoyed his touch.
“Is there anything else I can do to make you happy?” he asked, his lips brushing the back of my knees.
I sat up, sliding myself to the edge of the bet and wrapping my legs around his waist. I leaned down and kissed him, his tongue teasing mine and making me groan with want.
“Actually, there is something you can do for me,” I said, pulling at his tie.
“Oh really?” he asked with a lifted brown. “Anything you want, baby. Just name it.”
His eyes were dilated, his breathing erratic. I pulled his tie from around his collar and tossed to the floor before wrapping my arms around his neck.
“I want to be teased and pleased,” I said, biting into my lip. I grinned slyly. “Now, strip for me, Jack Hammer.”
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