Second Chance at Forever (Forever Book 2) (47 page)

“You are my heart, now and forever. I love you, Reese, and you will always belong to me, as I belong to you. We were always meant to be together, I knew that from the very first day I saw you gnawing on your pencil in the library.”

She laughed, and her soft giggle was the best sound my ears could hear right then. That, and an eventual “Yes.”

I took a deep breath in and began. “I should have given you this a long time ago, but today is my second chance to right that wrong.” I pulled out a ring box from my pocket. Reese gasped, because she knew this was our moment that was stolen from us all those years ago. She looked like she was fighting to hold back her tears. I took her hands into mine and slowly opened the ring box.

“Marry me, Reese. Let me be your husband and love you for the rest of my life.”

My beautiful girl was crying, smiling, shaking, and nodding her head all at the same time. I waited so long for this day, and finally I was looking into her caramel eyes, waiting to hear that one little affirmation from her.

“Ask me again,” she said. I smiled.

She wiped away her tears, but more fell as she leaned in to kiss me. Her kisses were sweet and mixed with her salty tears.

“Reese Mitchell, make me the happiest man in the world, and marry me.”

“Yes. I will marry you, Walker Reed.”

I slid the ring onto her finger, and I placed a kiss on it.

“This was my mother’s ring.” Reese recognized it immediately. “She never took it off, and I remember when I was little watching my father kissing her hand. He never stopped showing his love for her.”

“Neither will I, baby. I can’t wait to marry you and make you mine. We are where we’re supposed to be, and these arms will never stop holding you. Come on, baby. No more tears.”

“I can’t help it, Walker. I made so many mistakes, and leaving you was the biggest regret of my life. I should have trusted you to help me fight your father. I should have told my family and Freddy, but I was a coward who ran. You begged me to believe in us, and although I told you that I did, in the end, I ran. I don’t believe I will ever truly forgive myself for hurting you like that.”

“Reese, can you say with your whole heart that you believe in us now? Do you trust me completely? Do you love me?”

“With every breath I have in my body, yes, Walker. You own me, body and soul.”

No more words needed to be said between us. Reese was here with me, and said yes to become my wife. I craved her, and I needed to be inside of her, marking every inch of her delectable body. Reese needed to be worshipped like the princess she was. I held her in my arms and slowly began to separate her from her clothing, piece by piece. My body covered hers, and I made slow sweet love to my future wife, savoring every inch of her. She urged me to move faster as she clawed her nails up my back, her markings I would proudly wear as a badge of honor.

“Walker, please move faster. I won’t break,” she called out to me.

“I know what you desire, but right now, I need to take it slow,” I whispered back.

I could feel her body tensing up as she was close to her release. We matched thrust for thrust and came together with Reese biting down onto my shoulder.

“I love you, Reese. Today marks the beginning of our Happily Ever After, our fresh start.”

We cleaned ourselves up and packed to head back to Pottersville.

“Will you tell my grandparents about the proposal?” she asked me.

“I think once Lila sees our faces, she will know. Your grandmother has been waiting a long time for this day. I don’t think she will be surprised by it.”

“Walker, if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to keep today between us until my divorce is finalized. As put together as Riley appears to be, she is still hurting, and I don’t want to flaunt our engagement in front of her right now. Are you okay with that?”

“Truth?”

“Yes, that would be nice.”

“No, I’m not okay, but I will do it for you. I want to scream it to the world that you’re finally mine and we’re getting married. As soon as the ink is dry on your divorce papers, I will have my PR department issue a press release. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

WE ARRIVED BACK at my grandparents’ home and found Nana and Granddaddy sitting on their porch. They were enjoying some sweet tea, while under the guise of waiting for us to return. Nana must have had her alerts on, because her eyes went right to my hand as I got closer to her. She pulled Walker and me into a hug and whispered low enough for only us to hear.

“I don’t want to be the one to say it, but I will. I told you so, Walker. Never give up on love.” We all laughed, and I watched Walker hug Nana and give her a quick lift off the ground.

“Thank you, Lila, for your blessing. I promise I will love and protect her for the rest of my life. Not a day will go by that I won’t make her smile.”

“I don’t doubt that, son. I never did.”

Granddaddy interrupted their moment and gave Walker a slap on the back and then a hug. He never mentioned Samuel. I guess that was his discreet way of minding his own business. Nana must have told him, but Granddaddy, the man I knew him to be, didn’t need the play by play of our very long and complicated story. He only ever wished for me to be happy and to follow my dreams. The day I left his home here in Georgia for my new home in New York City, he wished me well. I was nervous but not afraid. I was excited for what was next to come, and who knew that New York would bring me Walker?

I would never understand all that happened to us, but Walker was right, along with Nana and Freddy. The past was the past, and that’s where it belonged. I couldn’t change our story, but I could promise the man I love my heart—my whole heart—that would belong only to him.

Taking in the scene unfolding in front of me was beautiful. Everyone that I loved was here with me, and I had never been happier. I looked up at the twinkling stars above and thought of my parents. I carried their love with me each day. The love they shared and time spent together was short, but they lived each day to the fullest. As a child, I never understood how mama could give up so easily, but it all made sense to me now. She could not live one day without her beloved by her side.

I left Walker then, and it nearly destroyed the both of us. Our lives were always intersected with the yearning desire to be together, but that part of our story was over. We had a new story to write as husband and wife. I loved him with all of my heart, and I completely, undoubtedly trusted him with it.

Pottersville was indeed a magical place. This home was extraordinary and not one day went by when I didn’t feel love in it. With my eyes still focused on the night sky and completely tuning out the conversations around me, a shooting star flashed above me. Two tears fell at that moment, one on each cheek. One for mama, one for daddy. My angels in heaven.

I blinked and looked over to Granddaddy who smiled at me. He watched me the entire time my head was deep in thought, and then he gave me a wink. I loved his signature gesture that signified all was right with the world.

His world.

Our family.

THE FOLLOWING WEEKS after Pottersville were non-stop happy events after another. We watched our children become high school graduates. Their prom pictures were now lining the walls of Nana’s home, as well as Walker’s home and office. Riley looked amazing in her Freddy Mac Original, designed by the man himself. I could hear the shrieking sounds of my very excited daughter resonating all throughout the house as she opened the door to see Freddy behind it. He was carrying her dreams wrapped up in one large, beautifully wrapped box. I watched my daughter bounce up and down in excitement, and when I finally reached her, I encouraged her to let him in.

My best friend was smiling, trying to hold back his laughter. Introductions were made, and he handed her his gift. Ever so gently, she opened up the box, as if it was in slow motion, and she gasped when she lifted the tissue paper that was holding her dress. At that moment, Riley lunged at Freddy and gave him the biggest hug I had ever seen her give. They laughed together, and I laughed along with them and may have shed a few happy tears too!

Freddy and I had easily picked up where our friendship left off. I loved him so much, and I was forever thankful to him for bringing a smile to my daughter’s face. She was not the same girl I left with when we went to New York. Her head was not in the clouds and holding on to the fantasy of her father and me reuniting. Divorce is never easy on children, and I hated that my daughter was hurt by my choices. But hopefully one day my choices would make her stronger for the ones she decided for her own future.

All the time I spent worrying about Samuel, and his feelings were finally put to rest the day I came home to see the “For Sale” sign on my front lawn. He put our home up for sale without even discussing it with Riley or me. I was so angry with him, not for me, but for Riley. He once again was punishing me and not caring about who he would hurt. I thought we reached a turning point after he returned from his London trip. He seemed different, more at peace. I was not under any false illusions that Samuel and I would ever truly be able to be friends again, even for the sake of our daughter. He was stubborn through and through, and I silently prayed that he would change and move on with his life.

With graduations and proms behind them, Jackson and Riley began their new adventure in California for the summer. The first stop on their trip was Big Sur. Jackson was the adventurist enthusiast, and Riley not so much, but she promised she would try. Jackson texted his father a picture of a tree he marked in the deep forest of Big Sur. He carved a heart with both of their names inside of it. I cried when I saw it. Jackson was so much like Walker, and no matter how young they were, their love was real.

We were easily blending our lives together as one. I couldn’t wait to marry Walker and become his wife. He was forever surprising me with flowers, gifts of his devotion, and whispering sweet words in my ear as we endlessly made love.

Soon I found myself standing in my big, empty house in Maryland for the very last time, but Walker was with me. I had to pick up the last of my things and say goodbye to my old life. I couldn’t deny the happy moments I shared here with Samuel and Riley. My beautiful daughter was born and raised in this house. We measured her growing height against the wall in her nursery. I glided my hand over the bannister where I nearly had a heart attack when I saw her slide down it. Multiple birthday and sleepover parties were held here. Yes, that home did hold good memories for me. It was a good house and would give its new family the chance to make new memories there too.

“Are you okay, baby?” Walker asked. He put his strong arms around my shoulders and breathed me in.

“I am, honey, more than okay. I’m completely happy and so in love with you.”

Crashing his lips down onto mine, I melted as his tongue entwined with mine.

“I have to make some calls, baby. Can I use that room to do so?”

“Well, that used to be Samuel’s office, but it appears to be empty now, so yes, you may use it. I’ll just go upstairs and take one final check before we leave.”

He smirked. “I won’t be long, baby.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Walker. Never again.”

OH, HOW I love that woman.
I walked over to Samuel’s former office and called my assistant, Jenny. I noticed some boxes in the corner and realized that Reese must have forgotten about these.

The day her divorce became final, Reese and I turned our phones off and locked our doors. I proposed to her again in front of my fireplace back in my New York penthouse. I took her to the library at NYU and I proposed to her there, and then I did the same thing at her old apartment building in Tribeca. She laughed and cried every time I asked her, but she indulged me, and I loved her even more for it.

“No, Jenny, I can’t make that meeting. That one will have to be handed off to Donovan. What’s next on my calendar?”

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I spun around to see a very angry Samuel standing before me.

“Jenny, I’ll have to call you from the plane…Oh, and Jenny, Reese can’t wait to meet you.” I ended my call to look into the eyes of my girl’s ex-husband.