by Vi Keeland
I gripped my shaft and guided myself inside her. Our groans blended into an achingly erotic song as I simultaneously pulled her onto me and lifted until I sank balls-deep inside of her. Then, I stilled to take in the feeling. Nothing had ever felt so damn good.
I tried to start slow, easing in and out in a smooth rhythm, but it didn’t last. Before long, I was pounding into her. But she was right there with me, begging for more, telling me to go harder, faster…more.
That word…more…it was everything about how I felt about her. I wanted more—more of her heart, more of her body, just more.
I pulled my head back to look at her, and our gazes caught. Val’s voice shook. “I love you, Ford.”
“I love you more.”
As I came, her body shook, and I mumbled her name over and over.
“Thank you, Ford. And if what we just did is the payment BJ Cummings wants, he’ll be getting plenty of those in the future.”
“BJ plans to collect every one of those payments—but this is a fifty-year mortgage.”
“Fifty years?” Her eyebrows raised. “I don’t even want to do the math on how old I’ll be by then.”
“Good. Because age is just a number to use to count all the years I’m going to love you.”
Epilogue
* * *
Valentina - Almost two years later
Go commando under my dress.
I peeled the sticky note off the coffee pot and smiled from ear to ear. Ford must’ve snuck in during the middle of the night to put this here. Considering the girls and I didn’t go to bed until after one in the morning, he had to have been up pretty late. I laughed to myself—Tom definitely didn’t keep him company next door. He conks out by nine. At least he had Ryan over there.
After a rocky start, my two guys had grown close. Lately, Ryan had even been talking about changing his major to architecture. He’d spent all last summer working with Ford on a building renovation, and it seemed to have given him some direction for his career path.
“Good morning, almost-Mrs. Donovan.” I turned to find my almost-sister-in-law rubbing the sandman from her eyes as she padded into the kitchen.
“You’re up early.” I reached up and took two mugs out of the cabinet over the coffee pot.
“My brother is still a pain in the ass.”
“What did he do now?”
Bella squinted and leaned in to read a sticky note on to the refrigerator. Her face twisted like she’d smelled something bad. “Ugh. Really? It’s too early to read that from my brother. ”
I hadn’t noticed the other one. I quickly snatched it down.
Bend over naked in mirror and send Ford an ass selfie.
I chuckled but then glanced around the room and swiped three other sticky notes. I couldn’t have my future husband’s sister going blind on our wedding day. Which she might have, considering the other to-do tasks included Sneak next door and blow my boyfriend one last time, and Insert butt plug to prepare for wedding night festivities. Though, the last one confused me a little: Get licked by wedding gift.
Bella poured half and half into our coffees and lifted a mug to her lips. “You guys are really gross. You’re going to make me toss my cookies.”
“Did someone say cookies?” Eve wandered into the kitchen.
She had on a T-shirt that barely covered half her round belly and a pair of sweatpants rolled underneath it. She scratched her very pregnant tummy.
I walked over and dipped my head to talk to my future goddaughter. “Good morning, my little princess.”
“Or prince.”
“There’s no way my goddaughter is a boy.”
Eve and Tom had been pretty shocked to discover they were pregnant eight months ago. When they first got together, they’d decided to leave having children up to fate. With Eve almost forty and nothing having happened, she’d pretty much concluded they wouldn’t have a family. So it was a shocker when Eve’s stomach virus had turned out to be that she was two months pregnant.
I myself had thought I might be pregnant last week, but I’d taken a test, and it was negative. The stress of the wedding and moving into Ford’s place must’ve just thrown off my cycle. Like Eve and Tom, Ford and I had agreed to leave adding more members to the family up to fate. Though, I’ll admit, I was a little sad when a minus sign appeared on the stick last week.
“Oh shit. I almost forgot. My brother woke me up for a reason.”
“What?”
“He called and said to go to the front door. Apparently he left a wedding gift for you there, and I’m supposed to bring it to you.”
My brows furrowed, and Eve and I followed Bella to the door.
I shrieked, finding a cage. “Oh my God! A puppy!”
The adorable little pug started to bark and jump up and down. He was so excited, he kept banging his head on the top of the plastic carrier. “Bring him in. Bring him in.” I laughed. “He’s going to get hurt doing that.”
Bella carried the cage inside, and I sat on the living room floor and unlatched the metal door. The little guy sprinted out and right onto my lap. He actually knocked me over and started to lick my face.
“Well, look at that,” Eve said. “He reminds me of your fiancé when he first saw you.”
Ah. That last sticky note makes more sense now.
I’d been bugging Ford about getting a puppy for a few months now—one of the last few items left on my My Turn list. At first, we’d put it off because of the year I taught in Rome. Then I’d gotten a new tenure-track position at my school, and Ford was busy getting the new temp office space building ready for the grand opening. Life had just been busy the last two years. But this summer, our plan was to slow down, and the timing was perfect to train this little guy. Our Memorial Day weekend clambake wedding was only the start of a long and lazy summer back in Montauk.
“I cannot believe he did this. He’s so adorable.” I scratched behind his ears, and the puppy’s left hind leg started to spasm. “Bella, would you mind getting my cell so I can text Ford? I don’t want to let go of this little guy. It’s on the kitchen counter.”
Bella found my phone and snapped a picture of my new puppy licking my face while I smiled. She showed it to me, and I told her to send it to her brother.
A minute later, my phone buzzed with an incoming text.
Ford: I’m jealous of a dog. How do I get me some of that?
I smiled and texted back. My sweet little pup had knocked himself out in less than two minutes and was now snuggled in my lap.
Valentina: I’ll let you lick my face after you say I do.
Ford: It’s not your face I’ll be licking tonight, sweetheart.
Bella groaned. “You two should get a room. I can’t even look at you texting each other. You get that…” She waved her hand around in front of my face. “…that look that says you’re sexting with my brother. Gross.”
I laughed.
Valentina: BTW…your sister found one of your sticky notes this morning.
Ford: What the hell was she doing up before you?
Valentina: We were up late, and I slept in. The Montauk air must’ve wiped me out.
Ford: Well, you better relax and save all your energy for tonight.
Valentina: I will. And thank you for the puppy! He’s so adorable. Though now I have a child out of wedlock for the second time. You couldn’t have waited a few hours to give him to me? ;)
Ford: I can come take him back?
Valentina: Too late. I love him already. Does he have a name?
Ford: Nope. That’s all you. Pick something good.
Valentina: Are you nervous about today?
Ford: Not at all. You’re already my forever. This is just a formality.
***
Oh my God.
I covered my mouth and stared down at the stick. The plus sign was a deep, dark blue. I must’ve taken the first test too early. My hand shook, and I just kept whispering Oh my God, Oh my God over and over. I think I was in more
shock than I’d been at seventeen the first time it happened.
“Everything okay in there?” Eve knocked on the bathroom door.
The sound made me jump.
“Ummm. Yeah.” Achoo! “Everything is fine. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
“Alright. Fifteen minutes to show time. Don’t take too long.”
I’m pregnant.
Oh my God.
My son is twenty-one.
And I’m pregnant again.
My ex-husband and I had tried for years after we had Ryan, so I’d just assumed it couldn’t happen. Then again, Ryan and I never practiced getting pregnant anywhere near as much as Ford and I do. I had my doubts about lots of things with my future husband, but his desire for me was never one of them. The man was insatiable, so I really shouldn’t be surprised he’d knocked me up.
Oh my God.
I need to tell him.
I’d gotten him an antique pocket watch for a wedding gift. This was so much better.
Still shaking, I tossed the stick in the wastebasket and unlocked the bathroom door. My maid of honor and bridesmaid were downstairs waiting for me. In the excitement, I’d forgotten that this was the first time they were seeing me in my wedding gown. I’d picked a simple, lace dress with a mermaid silhouette and slight train. It had a beachy vibe to it and was perfect for a barefoot wedding in the sand.
I walked slowly down the stairs.
“You look…” Eve wiped her eyes. “Gorgeous. You’re glowing, Val. I’ve never seen you so happy.”
Glowing. Good choice of words.
I hugged my best friend and almost-sister-in-law. “Thank you. You both look beautiful.”
“You ready to get married?”
“Actually, no.”
Eve’s smile fell. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing. Nothing. But I need to talk to Ford before the ceremony.”
“He’s already outside on the beach, waiting for you.”
“Can you…go out and ask him to come over? It’ll just be a minute.”
“Sure. Of course.” She hesitated. “Are you sure everything is okay? I heard you sneezing in the bathroom.”
I smiled. “It’s just pollen. I’m good.”
Eve and Bella went out the back, and a few minutes later, Ford knocked on the door.
“I thought you didn’t want to see me before the wedding because of the silly superstition?”
My feet were frozen to the living room floor. Ford had to walk to me. I couldn’t even meet him halfway. The minute he got a good look at my face, his grew pale.
“What’s going on, babe? Are you nervous?”
I nodded.
He immediately wrapped me in his arms. “It’s okay. That’s normal. Just take a few deep breaths.”
I did, but it didn’t make me any calmer. After a minute, Ford pulled his head back to look at me. “You’re shaking.”
I nodded. “Ford… I…” I choked up, and a fat tear spilled out and ran down my cheek.
He wiped it away with his thumb. “Don’t cry, baby. Everything is going to be okay. We don’t have to do this if you’re not ready.”
Oh my God, no. That’s what he thought? I couldn’t pull my head together enough to explain, so instead, I just blurted, “I’m pregnant.”
He froze. “What?”
I nodded. “When I went to put on my lipstick, a wave of nausea came over me from the smell of it. I still haven’t gotten my period, and I just got a funny feeling. The test I bought last week had two tests, so I did the second one. It was positive. I’m pregnant. We’re pregnant.”
Ford’s head dropped. “Jesus Christ, Val. I thought you were having cold feet. You scared the shit out of me.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
He lifted me up off my feet into the air. “You’re really freaking pregnant? We’re going to have a kid?”
I laughed. “We are.”
He spun me around twice and yelled louder, “We’re going to have a baby! We’re going to have a baby!”
“Ummm…Ford, if you keep spinning me like that, you’re going to be getting married with puke all over your shoulder. I’ve been queasy ever since I tried to put on the lipstick. I thought it was just my nerves, but apparently not.”
“Oh shit. Sorry.” He set me down and wrapped me in his arms—so tight, I could barely breathe. “I didn’t think…” He shook his head. “I just didn’t think it would happen. And I would’ve been fine with that. But now…holy shit, I guess I really wanted this.”
I smiled and sniffled back tears. “Me, too. I didn’t actually realize how much so until I saw that plus sign a few minutes ago. I couldn’t even wait until after the ceremony to tell you.”
Ford took my cheeks into his hands and spoke with his lips pressed to mine. “My wife is going to have my baby.”
“Well, technically, I’m not your wife yet. We do have to go outside and get that part over with. There are fifty or so people out there that we’re keeping from a clambake.”
He kissed me hard. “Let ’em wait.”
After a long, emotional kiss, Ford leaned his forehead against mine. “You know what I just thought of?”
“That I can’t seem to get married before getting pregnant?”
He chuckled. “No. But that is pretty funny.”
“What did you just think of then?”
“Do you remember when we first met, I told you Mrs. Peabody had a dream that I’d met my future wife?”
I nodded. “I do.”
“Do you remember what else she said?”
I thought back. He’d said something about her throwing up. “She got sick after the premonition, right?”
“She woke up and smelled cinnamon buns cooking in the oven, and then threw up. Bun in the oven.”
I covered my mouth. “Oh wow. That’s crazy.”
“Well, that’s not the half of it. This morning she called and asked me if I had two little girls in our wedding party. I said no. She said she’d dreamed twin girls were at our wedding.”
I got goosebumps down my arms, and my eyes widened. “Oh my God. You don’t think…”
Ford shook his head and his smile fell. “Fuck me. Two girls.”
I laughed. “We don’t know that’s true.”
“Yes, I do. We’re having twin girls. And I’m gonna need a shotgun if they look anything like their mother.” He kissed me again. “Come on, I need to go marry my baby momma so I can at least qualify for some conjugal visits while I’m in prison.”
We laughed and walked out onto the back deck together. Down below were all of our friends and family, casually milling around, waiting for the ceremony to start. We stopped at the railing to take it all in. Two big, white party tents were set up right on the beach, and a wooden walkway led from the bottom of the stairs of both houses, down to a flower-filled archway. White chairs had been set up on both sides of the wooden path. This little summer town held so many old memories for both of us. And now, we would make new ones of our own as a family.
I looked around at all of the people waiting to share our day. It was pretty amazing, really. We go through life picking up puzzle pieces, and we never really know where they’ll fit or how they’ll come together to form the big picture. I’d spent years trying to fit pieces into places they didn’t belong, but never really felt complete. Until today. All of my puzzle pieces finally clicked into place, and I could see the beautiful picture.
I took a deep breath and seared the moment into my memory before turning around in Ford’s arms. “You ready to marry me, Mr. Donovan?”
He brushed his lips with mine. “I’ve been waiting my whole life to marry you, Mrs. Donovan. Let’s do this.”
Dear Readers,
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Acknowledgements
* * *
To you – the readers. Whether this was your first book of mine, or your twenty-fifth, I am so grateful that you’ve allowed Ford and Valentina in to your hearts and homes. I hope you enjoyed the escape to Montauk and you’ll come back in the fall to see where we’ll travel to next!
To Penelope – Things keep getting tougher in booklandia, which only makes our friendship even more important to me. Our partnership is so valuable, but knowing that if it all went away tomorrow, I’d still have the dearest friend, is invaluable.
To Cheri – Thank you for always being up for a crazy trip! Signings would be no fun without you. I’ve said it before, but it still holds true today: Books brought us together, but friendship made us forever.
To Julie – Thank you for being one of the most dependable friends I’ve been lucky enough to cross paths with.
To Luna – Thank you for your friendship and love. And for making my books come alive with your beautiful graphics—every single time!
To my amazing Facebook reader group, Vi’s Violets – This group is a gift. You not only celebrate my successes, but you bring me the encouragement and support I sometimes need when things get difficult. Your love and kindness is my daily motivation!
To Sommer – Once again, you wrapped my book in the perfect cover. Thank you for your attention to every detail and for not firing me as a client when I drive you nuts.
To my agent and friend, Kimberly Brower – Thank you for all of your hard work and always going above and beyond what is expected. There is no agent who works as hard as you do!
To Jessica, Elaine, and Eda – Thank you for being the dream team of editing! You smooth out the all the rough edges and make me shine!