Steal My Heart, Trevor (Best Friends To Forever Book 2) Page 21
“She might surprise you.”
“You seem to have the inside story.” Twilight cast mysterious shadows over his face. Could the man be more handsome?
“Your mother was pretty honest with me. Shared things she’d kept locked up for a long time.”
“Really? Doesn’t sound like her.” His eyes wanted answers. But Bryn wanted Cornelia to dispel that puzzled look on his face. Only she could tell her own story.
The glider gently swung back and forth. Trevor’s arm around her, Bryn closed her eyes. “You know I’ve been thinking.” Trevor’s serious tone flipped on a red alert in her head.
Her eyes flew open. “Yes?” Turning, she didn’t like the line between his eyes.
“This friend thing we’ve got going?” His brow wrinkled.
“Yes. It’s really important to me.” And she meant that with her whole heart.
“I’m not sure it works for me.”
“What?” The air whooshed from her lungs.
His knuckles skimmed her cheek. “As usual I’m not saying this right. Yes, I want to get to know you better. But I also want more.”
“Oh, you do, do you?” Her worry dissolved into a chuckle.
Trevor had that focused glint in his eye, like when he was trying to sweet-talk Mr. Daly into an A instead of an A minus. “The thing is, I love you.”
Her heart did a lift-off. “So kiss me.”
“Bossy again.” So he did.
“I love you too, Trevor,” she whispered, trying to catch her breath. “With my whole heart.”
Looking pleased, he played with one of her curls. “Do you think you’d want me around for a long time?”
“Hmm.” She settled back. “You mean like ten years or so?”
He shook his head slowly. “Oh, more than that.”
“Fifteen maybe?” His lips were doing crazy things to her. She could hardly get two words out.
“The girls might want you to see them graduate from college,” he murmured.
“I see. That’s a long time away.”
“And then there will be weddings. For the girls, I mean.”
Bryn took a long look at the future and she liked the view. “Are you open to negotiation?”
When he laughed, she gave him a little nudge. “It’s not funny.”
Trevor settled back. “Of course.”
“What if there was more than the girls?”
“More twins?” His eyes brightened. Trevor could be such a dickens. At that moment she almost sympathized with Cornelia.
“Twins?” She flattened a hand on her tummy. “I don’t know about that.”
“Come on. Everything’s negotiable, as long as you say yes.” That coaxing arm around her shoulder tightened.
Trevor held her in his eyes. She could see her own reflection and everything else fell away. “Bryn, I’m asking for forever.”
A dizzying wave of happiness hit her, the kind that knocks a woman off her feet. “Forever’s a long time.”
“I hope so.”
“Yes.” After all, this was Trevor and he needed the words, empirical proof of everything. “Oh, yes indeed.”
Epilogue
One Year Later
The smell of a roast reached Bryn as she set the picnic table. Cornelia appeared on the deck, waving a meat fork. She was quite a picture in the frilly pink apron the twins had picked out. Bryn still was not used to seeing her mother-in-law in slacks.
“Bryn, can you tell Trevor it’s almost time to carve?”
“Sure. No problem.” Her eyes drifted to the adjoining lot Trevor had bought for their new house.
“Where is my son?” Cornelia scanned their backyard.
“Checking the carpenter’s work. Something about hanging the doors right.” Bryn motioned toward the large Lowcountry home that looked as if it belonged on that lot. Her heart turned over every time she looked at it.
“And the girls?”
Bryn pointed to the turtle box.
Cornelia smiled. “Of course. They can’t get enough of those turtles.”
“Just like their daddy.”
“What time are your friends coming?”
“In time for dessert.” Bryn walked closer to the deck. “Nanny is bringing coconut cream pies from Victoria’s Pantry.”
Trevor had added another picnic table to accommodate guests. Their yard had been extended since he’d added that extra lot to build their dream house. When he told her he wanted to raise the children in Sweetwater Creek, Bryn had been so relieved. Now his house in Asheboro was on the market. If all went well, Cornelia might move into Bryn’s original family home. Something about returning to her roots.
Cornelia disappeared just as Trevor came loping over the lawn in his shorts and T-shirt. Marriage suited him. He’d become a lot more casual. Waving, she walked to meet him.
“Hey sweetheart, is everything set?” Giving her a quick kiss, he looked over her head to the picnic tables.
“Yes, and Mom––um, Cornelia says it’s almost time to carve the roast.”
Trevor drew back. “Did you almost call my mother Mom? Will she allow that?”
She threw up her hands. “Since your mother started working part time in the shop, we’ve gotten closer.”
“Hi, Daddy!” Daisy and Annabelle sang out. They’d left the turtles for the Barbie dolls spread out on a blanket.
Trevor waved. “Are you two behaving?”
Daisy rolled her eyes. “Of course.”
“Let the girls help you with the table,” Trevor said. “With the baby coming, you have to do more delegating.”
What a great idea. “Girls, can you help me fold the napkins?”
Without any encouraging, Annabelle ran to the table. Daisy followed, bringing her doll with her. Soon they were folding the napkins into triangles, arguing about whose looked better.
“I think you need to sit down.” An arm draped over her shoulder, Trevor led her to the glider. “Your friends are coming later?”
“Yes, for dessert. Emily, Josie and Victoria. Nanny will eat dinner with us.”
“Is Emily bringing the baby?” Trevor helped her in and they sat down. Glad for a moment off her feet, she relaxed against him.
“She sure is. Your mother wanted to see the baby. Says she’s in grandmother training.”
Cupping Bryn’s head, Trevor cuddled her to his shoulder. “I don’t remember my mother being this excited about the twins.”
“Maybe she just didn’t show it.”
“You know her so well.”
Bryn blew out a breath. “That’ll be the day.”
“I’m beginning to think she loves you like the daughter she never had.”
Bryn pulled back. “You’re kidding, right?”
But he shook his head. “Not at all. Of course, she’ll never love you as much as I do.” Hands cupping her face, he kissed her.
Coming up behind them, Annabelle and Daisy began to chant, “Mama and Daddy sitting in a tree, K-i-s-s-i-n-g.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Trevor told them, pulling away.
Bryn laughed. “They learned that at summer camp.”
“Can’t they learn how to do the dishes or fold the towels––something useful.”
“That’s okay as long as Sheldon learns those tasks too. No gender discrimination in this family.”
“If you say so. Still bossy.” But he was smiling as he turned. “Quiet down now, the neighbors will complain.” Giggling, the twins scampered back to the picnic table. Trevor and Bryn shared a smile. Nanny was their only neighbor and she loved having the girls around.
The baby moved in her tummy and Bryn shifted.
“Sheldon giving you trouble?” Trevor laid a protective hand on her stomach.
“He’s a rascal, all right. Kind of concerns me.” Bryn covered his hand with her own.
“The gestation period...”
“Stop, stop talking scientific stuff.” She tapped his hand. “Talk like a cuddly daddy.”
“You mean, like this?”
When Trevor wrapped both arms around her, Bryn was just where she wanted to be. “Yes. Like this. Forever.”
***
Thanks for reading my book! Note from Barbara: If you have a few minutes, I hope you’ll leave a quick review. Amazon will ask you to rate this book but authors never see those stars. Readers appreciate your reaction so they know whether they’d like the book. Writers want to read your response too! When I know how readers feel about my work, it helps me get up at five a.m. to write. Kind of like getting your annual review at work. The one where you get a raise!
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Other Stories like This...
If you haven’t read Marry My, Jackson from this same Best Friends to Forever series, here’s an excerpt:
Emily Sommers stood in the hardware store, a tube of industrial strength glue in her hand. Was this what she needed? Her head throbbed. Bright lights bounced off the tubes, rolls and spray cans crammed on shelves or tucked in bins. Way too many options here. Somewhere a saw screeched and she rubbed the back of her neck. Maybe duct tape would work better on the pipe?
Whoever said ignorance is bliss did not have a dripping sink.
The pinging of the water into the pan below had kept her awake all night. She had to fix this, and she was tempted to call her father. But Emily hadn’t come home to Sweetwater Creek to have Daddy take care of everything for her.
When she was growing up, Buster’s Hardware had been a weekend destination for the two of them. Everything about this place seemed magical. The smell of wood shavings. The creak of the old wooden floor. Her father let her choose five things from the bins of nuts and bolts, hooks and nails.
But she’d never learned how to use any of it.
Emily was way out of her element here.
Frustration steamed behind her eyes. She strained to read the tiny print on the tube. Right now she should be home, writing the next post for her nutrition blog.
“Emily Sommers, is that you?”
Emily hadn’t heard that voice for a long time. She turned.
“Jackson? Haven’t seen you in ages.” Like maybe since college graduation. Anyone else and she would have felt self-conscious about her messy ponytail and paint-stained jeans.
But Jackson Hart had seen her a lot worse. Study sessions at the library or the campus coffee shops didn’t call for makeup or dangly earrings that caught in your hair. No, he was the brother she’d never had. “So good to see you.” And she gave him a hug, quick but tight enough to tell her Jackson had changed. The strong shoulders and muscled arms? He wasn’t a skinny kid anymore, hauling a heavy backpack around.
The dark hair contrasted with the warm brown leather of the bomber jacket. But his sky blue eyes still sparked with fun. “Long time, no see.”
“Right. It’s been a while.” Who had sent the last email? She’d known this boy since grade school. But he wasn’t a boy anymore.
“Do you remember working on that group project in economics? Maybe six years ago?” Leaning against the shelf behind him, Emily’s old friend smiled.
“Eight.” She almost whispered the word, like a secret she didn’t want to share. Yep, she was almost thirty and college seemed so long ago. “The project was about new business startups, right?”
She’d always felt comfortable around Jackson. He never cracked weird jokes or did stupid stuff to get attention. Now his smile widened in that slow, quiet way he had. For a second she wondered how that new dusting of facial hair would feel.
What? Slow down, Missy!
“You got it. We wrote a plan for a startup company,” Jackson said. “Knocked it out of the park. Professor Hennessy’s own words.”
“Yeah, I owed my A in that class to you.”
Stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets, he shrugged. “Pay back time. I never would have passed Spanish in high school without you.”
“Those sessions were fun.” She was still studying those broad shoulders. “The teachers liked you too much. They never would have flunked you.”
His face flushed. “What are you doing in Sweetwater Creek? Visiting your folks?”
“I live here now. Got back a couple of weeks ago.” Emily tried to inject a bright note into her voice.
“No kidding.” Jackson rocked back. “You mean to live?”
“I decided the big city wasn’t for me. Something you probably knew all along.”
Picking up on her playful tone, he grinned. Yes, this was the Jackson she remembered. “I’m almost unpacked,” she said, trying not to think of all the unopened boxes crammed into her small living room. “You were smart to come back home after graduation.”
“Not a difficult decision at the time.” His jaw shifted.
This was delicate territory. “How is your mom?”
“Doing great.” His upbeat attitude was back. “The treatments seemed to work and she’s been declared cured. We’re thankful.”
“Glad to hear it.” Jackson’s mom was a widow. When she got sick their senior year, he almost quit school. But his mother wouldn’t have it. They compromised and he drove the four hours from Chapel Hill to Sweetwater Creek every weekend.
“So did you start your own company?” he asked. “You took off for Atlanta, right?”
A young mother came along with a toddler in her arms. Hand on Emily’s shoulder, Jackson moved her aside.
Her eyes followed that little tot, so darn cute working on that pacifier. “Yep, I moved to Atlanta.” The most foolish thing she’d ever done. Well, one of the foolish things.
“What was his name again?” Jackson gently prodded.
Emily picked at the price tag on the tube in her hand. “Macon. I thought we had a future so I found an apartment in Atlanta.” Apparently, Macon hadn’t agreed about the future part. And she’d wanted to live in a bigger city for a while.
“What brought you back here?” Jackson asked. “Why, I thought by now you’d have...”
She knew what he was thinking. I thought by now you’d have a husband and children. Man, it was getting warm in here. She unbuttoned her jean jacket. “You sound like my parents.” How could she admit that after graduation, she’d been a coffee barista, a nanny and a sales clerk? Not exactly the career path she’d envisioned.
He seemed to turn that over in his mind. “I guess some women would rather work than get married right away.”
“Exactly. I started a company. Healthy Eating, Better Life. I’m a nutritionist. Look me up.” Her mind went to her small home office and laptop. But she was supporting herself doing something she loved.
“Excellent. Did you snap up one of those new condos down near the marina?”
“Don’t I just wish. I’ve got my own place, but it’s not on the water.” Didn’t that sound grand? She was as close to lying as pecans were to the molasses filling in a pecan pie. With a dry laugh she hoped sounded convincing, she motioned to her stained jeans. “Trying to get everything fixed up.”
Settling back again, Jackson looked like he wanted more details. “Nutrition? Right, all those science classes you took. So where are you working?”
“I work from home. Advise people about their food choices. Produce tailored menus for my clients.” Maybe she wasn’t working for a Fortune 500 company or a large medical center, but she had created her own future.
“Wow. Excellent.” He sounded delighted. Anything was possible with Jackson and it was all good. “That’s so you, Emily. Always ready for the next adventure.”
A pleased flush heated her cheeks. “You got it. So what are you doing now?” Enough about her. She was running out of half-truths.
“I started a company,” he said, as if this were no big deal. “You know, like we talked about in class.”
He dipped his head to one side. “More like a bunch of smaller companies.”
“Wow. I’m impressed.
His eyes wandered away. “No big deal, trust me. One is named Call Your Brother. We repair stuff. Fixit guys.” He chuckled dismissively.
That poor tube of glue held tight in her hand was starting to feel warm. “So what about you? Have you got a wife to cook dinner and kids to drive you crazy?” Nothing like getting to the point, Emily. But she was curious.
“Nope. Not married. Haven’t worked that into the business plan yet.” Jackson nipped his lower lip between his teeth and his eyes went to the glue. “So, you’ve got trouble at your place?”
“Nothing big. Some tweaks I have to make.” As if she knew how. “I’m renting the apartment over Minerva’s Collections. Remember that shop on the square? She moved to Florida to be near her daughter.”
Guys didn’t have much use for the essential oils, crystals and the other gadgets Minerva carried. But Jackson nodded. “Right. I know that piece of property.”
“It’s empty now. Well, except for my apartment. She rented it to me before she left.”
“Minerva was a sweet lady. Remember when we’d go there for Halloween trick or treating?” When he chuckled, she joined right in.
“Wasn’t that great?” In Sweetwater Creek they didn’t have to worry about weirdos slipping needles or worse into the candy. Emily had loved the kooky shopkeeper. “She’d dress as a witch and stir that big cauldron out front.”
“Scary sounds came from her shop.” Jackson shook his head. “Man, that was terrifying when we were kids.”
“Smoke from dry ice she kept in a pail poured out.” Felt good to share that memory with him.
“Remember the year I was Han Solo and you were Princess Leia?” His smile softened.
“How could I forget? My mother was so mad when I used her best white sheet.” Things had been so simple, so easy back then. For a second they smiled at each other, remembering.
“So what’s going on at your place?” Taking the tube that had gotten squishy, he turned it over in his hands.