Her son snorted. “I’m not missing this show for anything.” Evan made himself comfortable on the stool.
“Hi, Mama!” Aurora chirped. “Bucket made pancakes!”
“I see that, sweetie.”
Aurora clapped as Evan dumped a river of syrup on her plate.
Beckett skirted the island and met her in the living room. He took her hands in his, finding the ring in her grasp. “I see you found it.” He smiled down at her with such tenderness that Gia couldn’t stop the tears from spilling over.
She nodded.
Beckett brushed his thumbs across her cheeks, swiping away hot tears.
In the tiny space that separated them, Gia could feel the warmth, the strength of him. His steadfast loyalty, his love.
“I love you, Gianna.”
“I love you, too, Beckett.” She sniffled.
“I know I screwed up. Big time,” he said, holding her hand in his, his face close to hers. “And I’m pretty sure I will again, but I can promise you that I will stick and I will fight and I will be there, every day. For you and for Evan and Aurora.”
Gia was getting perilously close to humiliating herself with a tearful wail.
“I’ve asked your father, I’ve asked your kids, I’ve asked this whole damn town and now I’m asking you. Gianna Decker will you be my partner, my wife, my other, better half?”
Gia closed her eyes and let her heart tell her what to do. “Yes.” She had barely whispered the word when she was swept up in a crushing hug. Beckett spun her around, kissing her until she was too dizzy to stand on her own.
Evan and Aurora jumped around them cheering and laughing. Evan jumped on Beckett’s back and it was just enough for everyone to lose their balance. They landed in a heap on the living room floor, laughing like idiots.
“Mama! Bucket said ‘damn.’”
“Dibs on the secret passage room!” Evan hooted.
Beckett found Gia’s hand in the pile of chaos and slid the ring onto her finger.
An excerpt from the 3rd story in the Blue Moon series…
Joey Greer let the night wind from the open car window whip over her bare arm. She was three days away from turning eighteen and five from graduation. The freedom looming on the horizon burned like embers inside her. Or maybe that smolder came from the driver whose hand rested possessively on her bare thigh just below her ragged cutoffs.
She shot a look in the dark at him. He looked like one of the gods in the Greek mythology section of her World Cultures book.
Jackson Pierce’s profile was just as fine as the rest of him. The perfect blade of a nose over lips that were either spread wide in a mischievous grin or attached to Joey’s mouth. His square jaw and high cheekbones gave him the same ancient warrior look his older brothers shared. He was leaner than his brothers and his gray eyes had a hint of icy blue to them. But there was no mistaking him for anything but a Pierce.
Jax was six months older and miles more experienced than Joey. But it wasn’t his fault he hadn’t fallen for her in kindergarten as she had for him. He was making up for it now.
In the end, all it had taken was for Joey to accept Bannon Bullock’s invitation to Homecoming last year. One look at the basketball captain’s wandering hands on the dance floor and Jax had finally laid claim. Joey’s virginity had lasted all of a week after that.
She loved him completely, simply, unconditionally, and knew that as surely as her heart beat he felt the same about her.
She felt the purr of the engine ride up her spine as Jax accelerated toward her home to meet curfew. The ’68 Camaro had been Jax’s first love, until Joey.
Everything about him — about them — was fast, dangerous. She wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I’m serious, Jojo. Think about it,” he said, his voice low and smooth. “Forget college. Let’s see what’s out there.”
Joey laughed as she always did when Jax pitched his see-the-world quest. “College is seeing what’s out there. I’ve got plans. You’ve got plans.”
Those plans included partial rides to Centenary where Joey couldn’t wait to try for a spot on the equestrian team. Jax was already guaranteed to start on the Cyclone’s lacrosse team.
He gripped her thigh tighter and she felt the thrill she always did at his touch. “Come on. There’s got to be more to the world than Blue Moon and college.”
Joey rolled her eyes and calculated how far they were from home. Her curfew was non-negotiable, set in stone. Her father didn’t like Jax. Thought he was too smooth, too charming, too rebellious. Joey’s mother, on the other hand, adored him … and had insisted on scheduling a doctor’s appointment for birth control as soon as Joey told her they were dating.
“Okay, where would we go?” Joey said, spreading her fingers as if to caress the night air. His answer was always different. One night they’d build a cabin in the hills of Montana. Another and they’d backpack their way down to Florida where they’d set sail for the Caribbean.