Just My Luck (A Shamrock Falls Novel) (Entangled: Bliss) (16 page)

“Oh, hon. Don’t say that. No one can blame you for trying to get your little piece of happiness,” Rowan told her.

Betsy looked at her. She was tired of looking at the ground and not in people’s eyes. “I really was happy.”

Sidney sighed. “I think he was happy, too.”

“I
know
he was,” Rowan added. “In the beginning, I had my doubts. I knew something was going on, but things started to change. He watched you differently. Smiled differently. It was really amazing to see.”

Betsy’s heart jumped at that. “Really?”

Rowan nodded. “Really.”

“Did you tell him how you feel?”

Betsy opened her mouth to say no. She could never do something like that, but…well, why couldn’t she? People put themselves out there all the time. She’d kept herself protected in her little bubble for so long. That’s what life was about, right? The things that her mom missed. Pain, rejection, and learning to stand again. Happiness. Knowing you gave your all even if the outcome wasn’t what you wanted. She’d done nothing but walk away and give up. Betsy was tired of walking away.

“Did I tell you we chose a name for the baby?” Rowan asked, surprising Betsy with the change of subject. “Well, Breck did really, and I love it. We’re going to name her Cherish. Because there are so many things in life we all need to take the time to cherish. Breck and I could have easily lost what we had because we were too busy living in the past or couldn’t stand up and fight for what we wanted. We will spend every day of the rest of our lives cherishing our little girl and the lives we’ve been lucky enough to have.”

Cherish…

Could Betsy do that? She looked at her friends and realized how lucky she was to have them. How much her mom had lost out on because of her disease. Betsy wanted a life. Wanted to fight for it and to…cherish it. And if Jace didn’t want her back, she would know she gave it her all and she could be proud of that.

“I have to go.” Betsy stood. “I have to go right now.” She grabbed her purse from the table, which held her keys. She didn’t even worry about her phone as she headed to the door. “Can you guys lock up for me? Or don’t. It doesn’t matter. I just have to go.”

Betsy jerked the door opened.

And almost fainted.

Jace stood on the other side, his fist raised as if he was about to knock. Her heart swelled at the sight of this beautiful, wonderful man.

“Hey, honey,” he said.

“Hi.”
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
Her heart was going crazy.

Jace looked over her shoulder and said, “Can you guys give me a few minutes with Betsy… With my wife?”

Her friends moved around behind her. She didn’t look at them. Couldn’t take her eyes away from Jace. He was all she saw and felt and smelled. She wanted to touch his smooth jaw. To kiss his lips. To feel him touch her the way only he ever had.

Rowan and Sidney snuck toward the door, but Betsy couldn’t make herself move. Jace had to step really close to her to get fully inside.

“I love you!” she blurted out, even though her friends weren’t out of the house yet. She couldn’t hold it back, but then she realized how ridiculous it sounded. But she’d needed to say it. For once in her life, she needed to be strong enough to go there.

Before promptly burying her face in her hands. She. Could. Die.

“I’m not good at this,” she said through her hands. “I did it all wrong. I just needed to…say…” She slowed as she felt Jace’s hands on hers. As he pried them away from her face. As he looked at her with the biggest smile she’d ever seen from him.

“I think you’re doing just fine.”

She remembered when he said something similar to her before. That he’d liked her just fine. She wondered…could he love her as well?

“Though I have to admit, I’m caught between jealousy that you stole my line before I could say it and being incredibly happy you feel the same way.”

Sidney and Rowan both “Awwwed” at the same time, but Betsy ignored them.

The same…
“You love me?”

She was shocked when Jace grabbed her hand and put it to his chest. “I married you because I thought I needed my house. I thought the place would give me the love I needed safely, but I didn’t realize I had it in here. That place doesn’t matter, it’s who’s living in it. Who cares if I have my house if I have no one to love? If I don’t have you. And you live in here, B.” Two of his fingers patted her hand, which he still held over his heart. “And I hope like hell I’m inside you, too.”

Dizziness swirled around her. Jace. He was here. He loved her. He… “I think I’m going to pass out.”

Jace snickered and wrapped his arm around her. “We got a little ahead of ourselves, didn’t we?”

The door clicked behind them, telling her Rowan and Sidney snuck out. He helped her to the couch and they sat down. His words played in her head over and over again. It was like a dream. Better, even.

“How…why…”

“I’ll answer the why first because it’s easiest. Because you’re you. How could I not?” And then he shook his head. “I’m apparently not very good at this either. I guess that sounded more like the how, didn’t it?”

She would never get used to seeing this vulnerable Jace. The one who looked at her as if he was unsure.

“I think you’re doing just fine.”

That seemed to help him compose himself. “I went to see Debbie today. I needed to tell her the marriage was off and that that house was hers—”

“Oh, Jace. I’m so sorry!”

He shook his head. “It’s okay. It’s not what matters. I talked to her for the first time. Really spoke to her and she made me see…” He took a couple deep breaths. “I felt abandoned when my parents passed. And then even more so when my grandfather wasn’t around. I also saw myself as an obligation to him. I’ve spent my whole life looking for love in all the wrong places. Or not love. Just acceptance maybe. Or to feel important, but none of it worked. None of it made me happy…until you.”

“Me?”

“Yes.” He pushed her hair behind her ears. “You’re so beautiful, honey. Do you know that? How beautiful you are? Inside and out. You showed me beauty and I want nothing more than to give that to you too. Just me. Our dates might not be perfect and I might not always do the right thing, but I promise you, I will love you. I’ll show you every day how much I love you.”

Tears spilled down her face, and it was Jace who wiped them away.

Betsy’s hand shook as she placed hers over his, making him cup her jaw. She nuzzled him. Closed her eyes and savored the feel of him. No, she
cherished
it.

“I’m sorry I didn’t open up to you. I should have known you’re not the kind of guy who would bat an eye at me because of my mom. I just…I felt like I was so far behind you already. Like you were so above me, I was scared of anything else pushing me farther behind.”

“Impossible. We’ll walk side by side, B. You’re exactly what I want. Exactly what I need, and I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have you love me.”

“Things might be hard… Because of my mom’s issues.”

“Shh.” Jace put both of his hands on her face now, one on either side. “We’ll deal with it together. Whatever you need, okay? If one day I can meet her, I’d love that. If not, we’ll make it work. All that matters is we have each other.”

Betsy smiled. Took a deep breath and did what she never would have had the guts to do before. “I love you,” she said before she crawled on Jace’s lap and kissed him senseless.

Epilogue

Betsy’s hands shook as she looked out at her friends. At half of Shamrock Falls if her estimation was right. Everyone was blowing bubbles and waiting for her and Jace to walk through the magic and love they were sending at them. Tiffany was there. She really liked the woman. She’d become a friend. Rowan stood next to Breck with baby Cherish in her arms. She was only a couple months old, but had a head full of curly red hair like her mom. And Breck’s eyes.

Breck looked at Jace and winked before bending down and kissing Rowan’s cheek and then Cherish’s.

Jace led her to them first. He shook Breck’s hand and hugged Rowan.

“Have fun on your honeymoon. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Rowan smiled and Betsy’s cheeks warmed.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Breck asked right before Rowan swatted him.

They moved on to Sidney and Kade next. “You look beautiful,” Sidney told her.

“You made the most beautiful dress in the whole world,” Betsy replied.

Jace had insisted on marrying her again. He’d wanted to do it right this time. To do it out of love. Betsy had been slightly giddy at the idea.

“I’m a little jealous this one is yours.” Sidney fingered the lace.

Betsy laughed. “Yours was just as beautiful.”

“It was, wasn’t it?” Sidney smiled and leaned in to Kade, who wrapped his arm around her. Betsy and Jace had decided to wait until after Sidney and Kade’s wedding to get remarried. It would be hard to plan two weddings at once, so as soon as Kade and Sidney got back from their honeymoon, they’d begun planning her second wedding with Jace.

“You guys better go. I’m sure you have better things to do than talk to us.” Kade shook Jace’s hand. Betsy hugged Sidney before latching her hand onto Jace’s. They made their way through all the bubbles and people to Jace’s car, where Debbie stood. She silently hugged them both before disappearing into the crowd. Jace opened the door and Betsy climbed inside.

They were quiet most of the way to Seattle, where they’d stay in a honeymoon suite before catching a plane tomorrow.

“I love you.” Jace reached over and grabbed her hand.

“I love you too.”

“Are you okay? With your mom not being able to come?”

Her mom knew about Jace now. Betsy wasn’t keeping that a secret. It had been difficult, but Betsy had to hope things would get better with her. And little by little they were. They also talked more about Betsy’s upbringing and her father. She realized that it had affected her more than she ever thought it had. It was another reason she kept herself at arm’s length, but now she was determined not to. Her new therapist was really proud of her, as was Jace.

“It’s hard. I love her and wish she didn’t suffer the way she does. I want her to be happy too.”

“I know, honey. I know.” Jace raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it. Warmth shot up her arm like it always did at Jace’s touch.

Not much longer after that, they were standing in the middle of their suite. It was the most gorgeous thing Betsy had ever seen, with a hot tub in the room and a beautiful canopy bed.

“I feel like a princess,” she said.

“You’re even better.” Jace pulled her close and kissed her. Teased her lips open with his. She was so familiar with his mouth by now, how he moved and how he tasted. She lost herself in his kiss. In the feel of his hands as they unbuttoned the back of her dress.

She smiled at him as it dropped to the floor. She wasn’t shy. Wasn’t embarrassed. She trusted Jace with every part of her.

He kissed her as he removed every bit of her clothes and then she did the same to him. Feeling the chest she used to only admire and running her hands through his hair.

“Oh!” Betsy said as Jace lifted her and set her in the middle of the bed.

“Thank you.” He held himself up, over her, peering down.

“For what?” Betsy touched his cheek.

“For teaching me how to love.”

And then he kissed her. She clutched his back as he lowered himself. Betsy arched under him as they became one. As he made the kind of love she’d only ever been able to dream about before him.

Acknowledgments

I couldn’t do what I do without so many people. Always thanks to my husband and two girls. I am so lucky to have you. Mom for believing in me. Wendy Higgins for being so supportive and always being there. Jolene Perry and Kelley York for dealing with my crazy e-mails. HUGE thanks goes to my editors Stacy Abrams and Alycia Tornetta. I’ve learned so much from you both. Thanks to Entangled Publishing for helping me share my books with the world.

About the Author

Kelley has been writing for as long as she can remember. She won her first writing contest in third grade for an essay she wrote entitled, “Tomorrow’s Leaders on the Move”. Like dreams sometimes do, they fell to the background for a while. She married her best friend, worked full time, and started her family. In 2004 Kelley, her husband and their new baby girl made a move from Oregon to Southern California and that’s when everything changed. As a stay-at-home mom for the first time, her passion for writing flared to life again.

Things haven’t been the same since.

With two incredible daughters, an awesome husband, and her days spent writing what she loves, Kelley considers herself the luckiest girl in the world. She still resides in sunny Southern California, where she loves spending time with her family and sneaking away to the bookstore with her laptop.

www.kelleyvitollo.com

www.twitter.com/kelleyvitollo

http://www.facebook.com/kelley.vitollo

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Vitollo/377170388965628

Visit Shamrock Falls and fall in love!

Don’t miss Kade and Sidney’s story,
Lucky Break

When living the LA life becomes too much for Sidney Williams, she heads back to her small hometown. Kade, the new owner of Lucky’s bar and Sidney’s former best friend, is determined to bring the place back to its former glory, and the attraction between him and Sidney is a distraction he doesn’t need. Now, with the possibility of her first major acting role looming, Sidney must decide if her lucky break is in Hollywood or right where she left it.

Don’t miss Breck and Rowan’s story,
Luck of the Draw

Rowan McKinley isn’t looking for one wild night while vacationing in Vegas, but she gets it anyway when she meets professional poker player—and professional ladies’ man—Breck Wilder. After their crazy one-night stand she never expected to see him again, but when he shows up on the doorstep of her B&B looking to get away for a few weeks, she takes him in anyway. Can two people unlucky in love find luck in each other?