Wilde Forever (Wilde Women Book 1) Read online

  “He wants to marry me,” she whispered in a small voice.

  Rhiann quirked a half smile and snickered. “Uh, you conveniently left that part out. So….Mrs. Butt Whacker, hmmm?”

  Brynn smiled. “It was me who was doing the foot dragging, Rhi. He was pissed about Nana’s interference ‘cause he felt it made me question his feelings. He was right, of course. If we’d met months ago, things would probably be different, but I was so wrapped up in everyone thinking they knew better than me …”

  “Nana’s a piece of work, I’ll grant you that. She makes me so mad sometimes, but she really did mean well. At least I think she did. Um,” she quipped with a sardonic lilt, “I have news on that front by the way.”

  “Oh God, what?” Brynn choked out. “Please. I can’t take any more nonsense right now.” She pressed her hand onto her tummy. “Have enough to deal with, y’know?”

  “You’ll like this,” Rhi chuckled. “I have it on good authority,” Mom she coughed, “that Seth and a certain ex-husband got their asses handed to them in right royal fashion. Seems Nana burst their bubble in a Tony award winning performance. Apparently, Roger sold out the family business to one of those big time home improvement centers. He and Seth are ‘partners’ now. They have some crazy plans to flip houses and buy up struggling companies and sell them for a profit.”

  “Jesus. What assholes,” Brynn murmured. “I knew it was something like that when they turned up here together.”

  “Yeah, well—Nana invoked dire threats of retribution if they tried any fuckery where Wilde House was concerned. Told Seth if he knew what was good for him to stay the hell away from you too. Mom thinks she may even have had that horrendous clause struck from her estate but until Nana confirms that, we don’t know for sure. Apparently, our grandmother was quite taken with your Butt Whacker.”

  “Rhi….you didn’t tell Mom about the baby, did you?”

  “Of course not! Good Lord, sis. I’m not insane. There’s been enough family interference. What you decide to do is only the most important decision of your life and until ten minutes ago when I stumbled upon those sapphires, I was hoping you’d kick Mr. Sexy Ass to the curb for being such a pussy.”

  “He’s not a pussy Rhi. He’s got, uh…well that is to say, he’s dealing with some PTSD problems.”

  “What?” Rhiann asked shocked.

  “Yeah. Didn’t I tell you this? Jax is an Iraq War veteran. He served in the Army Medical Corps. Came back with more than medals—he’s had to learn how to live with all that horror, and I guess sometimes shit gets a bit too real. That’s why he’s not here right now. Something happened—I’m not gonna tell you what that was—and he needed some time to get his head together.”

  “Wow,” Rhi groaned, shaking her head. “I feel like such a bitch for the unkind thoughts I had toward him.”

  Brynn got misty eyed and smiled. “He’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I don’t care that he’s been knocked around. Sometimes the dented and dinged cans are the best deal, y’know?

  All of a sudden the noise level coming from the second floor where Jonas and his team were working on her new dressing room got louder and louder.

  “What the hell are they doing?” Rhi bitched with a scowl. “Sounds like the damn end of the world.”

  Just then, Jonas came tripping quickly down the stairs with an apology at the ready. “Sorry about the noise ladies. I’m afraid it can’t be helped. Next hour is going to be a bit loud.”

  Brynn was confused. Aside from using some power tools and hearing the occasional nail gun, she thought the closet install would be easy. What was going on now did not sound simple.

  She tried to reassure Jonas with a smile, and asked, “What are you guys up to? That sounds like more than just a closet.”

  He shuffled his feet with an awkward golly-gosh-gee-whiz expression on his face and looked back and forth between Brynn and a still scowling Rhiann.

  “Um, actually Ms. Wilde. We’re tearing up the tile in the bathroom.”

  Rhiann exploded with an exasperated, “And you had to do that now? While Brynn is supposed to be resting?”

  Brynn shushed her with a quick wave of her hand and offered Jonas a shrug. “Don’t mind my sister, Jonas. She can be an awful pill at times.” Rising from the sofa she motioned to the upstairs with her head and asked for clarification. “The tile? I don’t understand.”

  “I dunno, Ms. Wilde. Got a message from the Boss that said, rip out the tile. Something about it looking like a restaurant bathroom?”

  Brynn bit back the laugh pressing against her lips. So. Mrs. Merrill had delivered her message. The heavy weight that had been sitting on her shoulders melted away. Jax didn’t need to send a message back. She heard his reply loud and clear as the men tore out the offensive tile. She thought of a new playlist she’d made that included “Happy” by Pharrell and started singing and clapping in her thoughts. The damn song was infectious to begin with but with each loud sound from the second floor, Brynn wanted to start dancing around the room to the tune.

  Brynn giggled and threw her arms around Jonas, startling him as he staggered from the quick embrace. Rhi threw up her hands and looked at her like she was crazy. “What the hell are you grinning about?”

  A red-faced Jonas kicked some invisible dust on the floor and handed Brynn a stack of cards that she saw had pictures of various tiles in a rainbow of colors and textures. “Um, Mr. Merrill said I was to give you these and tell you that he wanted to help you choose something else.”

  Brynn’s face hurt from the wide, toothy grin lighting her up from the inside out. “Thanks Jonas. I’ll look these over. Guess I better decide on a couple if Jax wants the final say.”

  The shy man nodded enthusiastically then turned and fled back up the stairs after giving Rhi a wide berth after flinching at the black look her sister clung to. Brynn was in the mood for hugs so she wrapped her sister in a big one and gushed, “Everything’s gonna be all right.”

  Rhiann smirked and shook her head. “I’m guessing there was some sort of hidden message in all that, huh?”

  “Yep, there was. Hey. I’m hungry. What’s to eat?”

  Her sister started laughing like they did as kids and slung an arm around Brynn’s shoulders, quite literally shoving her in the direction of the kitchen. “Well Brynnie, I’ll take it any way I can get it if it means you finally eat something. C’mon little mama. Let’s feed you and junior. Looks like that dark cloud hanging over your head has moved on, thank God.”

  JAX PULLED INTO THE BAKERY parking lot just like he did that first day and parked in the exact same spot. Showtime, he thought as he composed himself and made a mental list of everything on the agenda. On the passenger seat of his truck sat a tremendous bouquet of roses in every imaginable shade of autumn colors—red, orange, yellow—and in the pocket of his jeans was a Tiffany box holding a delicate ring with a halo of pink diamonds surrounding a flawless center stone that he spent hours choosing. It was feminine and unique just like his Brynn. No matter what it took, he was determined that she’d be wearing his ring and adding a matching wedding band to it, sooner rather than later.

  He also had a few other tricks up his sleeve, including a new business plan that he and his dad had poured over, pinning down every conceivable detail and contingency until Jax was sure he had all the bases covered. It was time to stop fucking around, settle down, and get started on that family he wanted with his lady. He’d keep the fact to himself for now that he called her mom and dad just last night to tell them about his impending proposal. Having been married before, Brynn carried a bit of baggage when it came to holy matrimony—but Jax was an old fashioned guy at heart. One with a proper southern mama who wouldn’t have it any other way, so he’d bucked up and done what he thought was the right thing. Seeing as how both sets of parents had pretty much set this whole thing up from the beginning, he hadn’t so much asked for permission to marry Brynn as informed that that was what he intended to do. Come hel
l or high water.

  Knowing Brynn’s love of music, he’d stayed up half the night making a playlist too. Chicks loved that sort of thing and since he was willing to do almost anything to ensure the success of his plan, he made sure to come prepared with song. Oh, and that ancient edition of love poems with the cracked spine he’d paid a fortune for in an antique shop, bookmarked to Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s How Do I Love Thee. Memorizing the classic words he’d been endlessly chanting, ‘I love thee to the depth and breadth and heightMy soul can reach’ throughout the arduous drive. Goddammit, he was prepared.

  When he stepped into the shop with the impressive bouquet, Amy was right there with a stunned expression on her face. He quickly put a finger to his mouth indicating she shouldn’t announce his presence and asked with his eyes and a nod toward the kitchen if Brynn was in there. She eyeballed him a good second or two, then got teary eyes when she focused on the flowers. She held up her hand in response, telling him to hold up, then went to the doors leading to the kitchen.

  “Terry, Sue. Can you come out here and help me for a moment?” he heard her call out. When Brynn’s two bakery helpers came into the shop, Amy waved him on. As he passed her, Jax blew her a kiss and winked. She whispered, “Make it good Jax or I swear, your head will be on a platter.”

  He saw her the instant he passed through the swinging doors. She was sitting at the desk under a window with the late morning light shining on her looking angelic and more beautiful than he remembered. Brynn’s back was to him so he had a good couple of seconds to compose himself as he strode closer to where she was. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the music dock she used when she was in the kitchen, so he swiftly and quietly snapped his phone into the dock, cued up the playlist, and adjusted the volume.

  The minute Justin Timberlake’s voice began singing “Not a Bad Thing”, she whipped around, wide-eyed and startled. Jax stood there with the humongous bouquet held out in front of him and held his breath. She knew the lyrics, because he’d found her singing along one day, enthusiastically dancing around the kitchen with moves even Justin might find adorable. With the book of poetry tucked under his arm, an engagement ring in his pocket, the help of some spot-on lyrics, and a colorful handful of flowers, he waited.

  Her face lit up when she understood that it really was him. He watched her eyes soften when she took in the flowers, then glanced at the music dock and nodded. She swallowed a few times as the song spoke for him more eloquently than he felt he could. When her eyes came back to his, he saw tears then her lips began quivering with emotion.

  Oh Jesus. He hurried to her, dropped the flowers and book on a work table, and scooped her up from her seat, folding her in his arms. Her body shook as the tears flowed while she clutched at his shirt. Jax picked her feet off the floor and sat her on the desk, pushing her legs open so he could step between them and hold her close. With his face in her hair he breathed deep and savored the smell of his Brynn. Sweet, like sugar cookies with a dash of the cinnamon he loved, along with a scent that was hers alone. He groaned.

  “I love you Brynn,” he murmured. He was getting ready to say more when she reared back and looked into his eyes.

  “I love you too.” It wasn’t the first time she’d actually said the words, but Jax felt dizzy as the blood rushed from his head and went straight to his heart. Holy fuck. She still loved him. Even after what he put her through, she was willing to say it. Now the tears were his too.

  “I’m sorry baby girl,” he choked out. She immediately put her fingers against his lips and shook her head ‘no’.

  “There’s no sorry between us Jax. Maybe I didn’t like that you went away—but I understood.”

  He rested his forehead on hers as their tears ran freely and Justin sang in the background.

  “Baby, will you marry me?” he asked as he pressed soft kisses on her face.

  She gasped and pulled back to look at him. Jax wiped her tears away with his thumbs and smiled into her surprised face.

  “I fell in love with you the moment you spoke that first day. Back then I couldn’t even imagine what our relationship would evolve into. My life is incomplete without you. Baby, I promise to never leave you alone again, to catch you when you stumble, protect you when you need me to, and hold you when life gets confusing. I love you more than I can say and that love will be there for you, forever. Please say you’ll marry me. I want to be your knight in shining armor Brynn.”

  She looked stunned. “Jax, there’s something you should know,” she whispered.

  “Whatever it is Brynn, it can wait. This is about us. About you and me. We come first. Always, baby.” Punctuating each word with a kiss he said, “Will. You. Marry. Me?”

  His beautiful Brynn choked on a sob then whimpered, “Yes,” a second before he claimed her mouth in a tender kiss.

  Jax pushed his hands under her ass and picked her up from the desk as she wrapped her legs tight around him and hung on. Continuing to kiss her, he kicked open the back door and began trudging along the familiar path that led to Wilde House. He knew Jonas and the guys would be working so he detoured toward the studio and fumbled to get his key from his pocket while Brynn devoured his tongue. He got them inside and the door kicked shut before he let her legs slide to the floor.

  She was tearing at his shirt to get it off when he grabbed her hands to stop what she was doing.

  “Hold on a minute baby. We skipped a step.”

  Reaching into his pocket, Jax extracted the distinctive blue box, absorbed her happy gasp, ripped the top off, and slid the enclosed black velvet ring case into his hand. Dropping to his knee at her feet he cracked the lid, showed her the exquisite pink and white ring and grinned. She put her hand out, and it was shaking, which was alright by him since his were trembling too. He plucked the engagement ring from the velvet and gently pushed it onto her finger. He knelt there for the longest time, staring at her delicate hand with the vivid sparkling ring, then bent and kissed it. He felt her other hand touch the back of his head. As he looked up at her he said, “I love thee to the depth and breadth and heightMy soul can reach.”

  The love shining in her eyes would be forever tattooed on his heart. She started to say something, then hesitated and bit her lip. Jax stood and held her close. Man. They’d been down this road before. “Whatever it is Brynn, it’ll be fine. Remember?”

  She smiled and a big, fat tear fell from one eye and rolled down her cheek. “We have to get married soon,” she whispered.

  “Fine, honey. Whatever you want.” He kissed her deep, slow and long. “Wait. What did you say? You want to get married soon?”

  “Mmmm, hmmm,” she murmured softly.

  “This isn’t about your grandmother’s bullshit is it?” he asked.

  “No,” she chuckled.

  “Well, good. Because we’re the only two involved.”

  “Um, well…that’s not entirely accurate,” she giggled.

  Jax was missing something. If it wasn’t her family, what was it?

  “What’s going on, baby girl?”

  Brynn grinned at him and blushed. “You might have to find another pet name for me…oh, in about seven months. “

  What the hell was she talking about? Seven months? What the fuck was wrong with him calling her his baby girl? Dammit. He thought they were past this. Trying to figure out how a woman’s mind worked was…wait a fucking minute.

  “Oh my God!” he shouted. “Are you pregnant?”

  After a bit of lip biting and some twiddling of the buttons on his shirt, she let out an excited giggle and nodded.

  He was momentarily paralyzed. Numb. Shock raced through his veins replaced swiftly with pure, unabashed, delirious joy.

  “Holy fuck!” he barked, picking her up and swinging her around in a circle. When it sank in, he fell to his knees again, this time with reverence, pushed up her t-shirt, and unsnapped her jeans until he could see her belly. Kissing her just below the navel, Jax nuzzled his face at the spot where his baby
was growing inside her. When he looked up at her with adoration glowing in his eyes, she smiled.

  They were going to be parents. She was going to be a mommy and him a daddy. Could this day be any more perfect? Growing suddenly somber, Jax thought about all he’d put this woman through the past few weeks. If it took him the rest of his life he was going to make up for leaving her alone and not being with her when she found out they’d made a baby together.

  He felt her hands frame his face as she said, “Don’t. What’s done is done, Jax. I’m okay, and you’re here now. That’s what matters. You’ll be with me for the first ultrasound—we’ll see our baby for the first time together.”

  “Oh Jesus, Brynn. I can barely wrap my mind around what that even means, and I’m the one with the medical background. Have you seen a doctor? Of course you have,” he answered his own question with a laugh. “Are you okay? Is everything as it should be? I mean, fuck! I don’t know what I mean. Is there anything I can do?”

  “Well, Mr. Sexy Ass, I think you’ve done enough,” she teased. “But there is one thing you could do for me right now.”

  He jumped to his feet, ready to run to the store, buy pickles and ice cream, whatever the fuck she wanted.

  “What do you need, babe?”

  Brynn shook her head and gave him a crooked half grin. “Really? You just asked me to marry you, and I’m pregnant. What the hell do you think I need? Sheesh!”

  Jax threw back his head and barked out a delighted laugh. “Ohhhh, that!”

  “Yes. That. It might be early, but let me tell you daddy, what they say about pregnant women being insatiable? It’s true. So you take me to bed right fucking now or I’m buying a vibrator and you can sleep on the damn sofa.”

  “Oh, no you don’t,” he bellowed. “I think we’ve already established that your orgasms are my job.”

  He hefted her over his shoulder like a fifty pound sack of flour and smacked her ass for good measure as she screeched with delight. Making for the stairs to the loft he took them two by two then lowered her onto the mattress like a fragile piece of glass.