Chloe Read online

  “You remember Brett? That’s good John. Yes, he came and Elle, Finn, Tate, and Reese.” I watched his expression as I said each name. He didn’t flinch.

  “I had a dream Brett was here telling you it was okay to let go of me, and that he would be here for you. He held you and comforted you and I wanted to scream and tell him to back off, but I couldn’t wake up.”

  “I should have known you would have felt that wherever you were John. You could have stood to lose a bit of that you know. He helped me, that’s all. He knows I love you John.” I reached down and touched his lips with mine for the first time in what felt like eternity. The softness drew me in and the sweet kiss lingered until a growl escaped his lips.

  “I need to get out of here Chloe. Do whatever you can to make that happen…now!” I laughed at his moving his hips as best as he could to situate himself.

  “I hate to tell you, by the looks of that leg, you’re not going to be moving around too good anytime soon.” He grabbed my waist with his weakened strength and pulled me up to him, covering his body with mine.

  His eyebrows pinched together with a question, “Why do you feel so much lighter, and you look wafer thin? What’s going on Chloe?”

  “Gee thanks, you’re not looking like you’ve been filling up on home cooked meals either. Mr. Rojas will be itching to feed you.”

  He smiled at the mention of his name. Good, he remembers him too. Then his smile quickly fell. “Don’t change the subject. I’m worried about you.”

  “I’ll be fine now, don’t you worry.” I hugged him tight.

  “Wait!” The word scared me as he put such fear behind it. “Who did this? Please God tell me you’re safe now. Tell me they caught him?”

  I stood up a little too quickly, nearly losing my balance from being dizzy. “Yes, thank goodness. They caught him and his father. It was Sam, John. Sam Draper. Your father’s ex-partner’s son. The Sam that used to be your good buddy, or so you thought.” His eyes grew wide, then he slung several curse words in the air.

  “I’m going to kill that son of a bitch for doing this, and for threatening you.”

  After I calmed John down, I told him how Sam and his dad would live the rest of their lives in prison. I told him about the deaths and the injuries at the Houston office, and he broke down in tears for the families. I didn’t know names of individuals by heart, but I had sent cards and flowers to each home at least once with my dad’s help. I would remember their names if I saw them. Knowing John, it would take him years to get over the guilt of this happening to his employees, even if it wasn’t his fault.

  We talked about his dad, and he got teary eyed when he mentioned missing the funeral. I told him we would have a memorial service by the graveside later on once he had fully recovered from his injuries. He mentioned everyone he would want there, including Harrison and Maura, and even Brett. Thank God he remembered his best friends.

  He grew tense when he asked how his mother was. I didn’t have the heart to tell him yet how much she hated me, and how cold she was over him missing. I was silently hoping she would come around, especially now that she had her son back after all.

  “You need rest Chloe. Let’s find that doctor and nurse Della and see when I can spring this place.” I took one look over him, his burns and his leg, and knew that wasn’t happening for a few days. He would have a long road ahead of him to be able to look exactly the same again, and I would be with him every step of the way.

  “I’ll find them, but you’re not going anywhere, and neither am I.” I kissed him once more. “I’m not letting you out of my sight for longer than it takes to walk in the hallway.” I smirked at him as I stood up. “By the way, you better be glad you look as pitiful as you do. Otherwise I would have slapped you the second I laid eyes on you for leaving me John. I mean, you convince a woman she’s yours, and then you step out on her?” I raised my eyebrows at him.

  “Say that again.”

  “Which part?”

  “The You’re mine part.”

  “Okay, You’re mine.” The corners of my mouth rose up, trying to suppress a chuckle.

  John moaned and closed his eyes. “Okay that part too, but the other part. Say it BB.”

  “I’m yours.” I stared right in his eyes. My voice not wavering in the least.

  “Ya damn straight.” He grinned again. That smile that would melt the panties right off a girl, even with his scruffy beard and all.

  As I walked out of the door, my entire outlook had changed. My dad’s face lit up as he saw me walking towards him.

  “Oh Chloe. It’s so good to see you smile. I’m so happy for you.” He hugged me tight.

  “Hey, I wanted to check with the doctor and with Nurse Della about when John can leave.” I was looking all around. “Have you seen that sweet nurse?”

  “I haven’t seen her since she walked down that hall around twenty minutes ago, after you went in to see John. I was expecting her to check on him again while you were in there.”

  “I guess she was just giving me time.” I walked over to the desk and asked them to page his nurse when they had a minute. When I heard them overhead page someone named Kelly, I was confused. “Oh, did Nurse Della leave for the day already?” When they said they didn’t have a nurse named Della here, I was even more confused. Then the secretary told me his nurse had been tied up in a room for a while where the pipe under the sink had busted, and they had to switch the patient to a different room. My dad and I turned to each other at the same time with stars in our eyes. We didn’t say a word, we just hugged each other tight again. I was sure one day, maybe when our emotions weren’t so high, we might could talk about what that angel of a nurse really meant.

  I stopped at the entrance of John’s door, letting the events swirl around in my mind. I was getting another chance. My hand flew to cover my belly. Not only with my own father, but with my husband who would soon be a father as well. My face was hurting from the size of my grin. This was happiness. This was true love.

  Epilogue

  I was about to topple over - I was sure of it. Why, o’ why, did Elle have to pick heels for us to wear? I know she said she wasn’t planning on me being seven months pregnant, but how hard is it to change shoes at the last minute?!

  I laughed thinking about when I told John he would be a father. He had finally made it home to his Houston ranch after a week more of in-hospital rehab. We had scheduled a memorial service for all of the employees and family members involved in the explosion. Each individual that had been affected had a plaque filled out by a family member for the dedication. As John was reviewing them he picked up the last one and scanned it over as the words seem to click. His eyes lifted to mine, as new tears danced in them. “How? Is it true?” I shook my head yes, and he lowered his head and cried. All that I had engraved on the plaque was ‘I’m proud of my daddy. I’m so glad he’ll be all healed to play with me soon. Love, Baby BB.’ John knew right away. He hasn’t let me lift a finger since.

  He even carried me into the church tonight. He regained full use of his leg again, and made a complete recovery of his memory. He still had a few minor surgeries to have for his burns, but we would get through them together. Elle and Finn’s Christmas wedding was not quite as she expected. Maura had been pale and sick as crap since a couple of months ago when she and Harrison came back from their honeymoon. At least they made it a month past their wedding date before she realized she was pregnant, unlike Reese who had gotten pregnant on her wedding night.

  Speaking of Reese, she was pregnant with baby number two…a little girl this time, just like John and me. Our girls would grow up together – as it should be, I suppose. Maura was secretly hoping for a girl as well, and Elle was already talking about trying to catch up after the wedding, while Finn rolled his eyes.

  As I looked out at the wedding guests, my eyes locked on John’s mom. She was sweetly smiling at me. I’ll never forget when Mr. Rojas shared the news with her about John being alive and well. Sh
e literally screamed the relief she felt, as the pain of the loss she was hiding slipped away. John laid into her on how she had treated me, threatening to cut her off from our lives. It didn’t take her long to come around and to start trying to get to know me. At first John thought it was entirely due to needing money and prestige. I knew differently. I knew she had gotten a taste of a real family, and real love, just like I had. It’s hard to let it go once you find it.

  She’s still a bit overbearing, but she is so excited about her soon to be granddaughter. My eyes roamed over to my dad sitting on the other side of the church. He was strikingly handsome, and his green eyes were twinkling up at me. I was in awe of his growing love more and more every day. Sitting beside of him was my Aunt Ronnie. Her new hairstyle, and new clothes suited her well. John was paying for Ronnie to finish cosmetology school. Her dream had always been to own her own beauty shop, and do something she loved for a change. She doesn’t know it yet, but my father and John bought and updated a shop downtown Penderton. They plan to surprise her when they put her name on the window this coming week. They both wanted a way to thank her for taking care of me all these years.

  Remembering my youth made me think of John’s childhood and his father. I remember the day we read Mr. Rider’s letter together. I brought it to John in the hospital. It was several pages long, and page after page, his dad had recounted all of the ‘little things’ he remembered about his son - even down to the type of pajamas he wore when he was little, running around the house pretending to be batman. He also had several paragraphs of things he was so sad he had missed out on. Things like, riding him around on a lawnmower because he never took the time and always had someone else doing the yard work. He also regretted forcing business down John’s throat. He regretted most though, not treating John like his own dad had treated him all those years and how he had not loved him like he should. He asked for John’s forgiveness and signed the entire company over to him, no strings attached. No need for any special arrangements after all. He encouraged John to love me and not take me for granted. He said it was another of his many regrets…not embracing what he was given, meaning John’s mother, and enjoying and nurturing what they could have had.

  As my eyes landed on the man sitting in the pew directly in front of me, my heart skipped a beat. The look on his face was one of pure contentment. Of course, it could have been from our sexy romp in the back of the limousine on the way to the church. The awkward, seven months pregnant sexy romp. But I think, no I know, it was more to do with life. He was happy, in love, and well…content. Thank God for true love, and for helping me find it. Forever.

  The End

  Check out other books by J. H. Cardwell. The Attainment Series (Attainment, Atonement, and Chloe). Also her first stand-alone book, Identical Dream, coming mid to late 2014.

  Keep up with Julie at: www.jhcardwell.com

  www.facebook.com/jhcardwell

  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3395785.J_H_Cardwell

  https://twitter.com/jhcardwell

  If you enjoyed Julie’s book, please take a moment to leave a review. You can’t imagine how invaluable each one of your reviews are! Thanks again for spending time with this story and these characters.

  Acknowledgements:

  Wow! What a journey thus far. Thank you God, for the chance to do something I love so very much. Writing is and always has been an outlet for me - therapy in a sense.

  I want to thank my family for putting up with the attachment of my fingers to the keyboard. A big thank you kiss to my husband for understanding my passion for writing, and giving me the ‘added mommy time’ to do it. I appreciate you kids, for allowing me a little peace and quiet. Well, occasionally anyhow. I do my best not to let my writing interfere with your lives too much, I hope you’ll see it the same way when you’re older. I’m so proud of each of you, and have witnessed you growing into even better versions of your dad and me.

  A Huge thank you to my biggest, most supportive fan. That would be my mother-in-law, Patsy. I truly wouldn’t have taken the plunge in releasing a novel if weren’t for your encouragement. Thank you for reading and re-reading over and over. And more importantly, thanks for helping carpool your four grandchildren and help them with homework. You rock! And to my aunt (even if it is by marriage) Sheila for being one of my first readers each time. I appreciate your constructive critique, and am thankful for your insight.

  Thank you to my friends and family for supporting me, and encouraging me. Especially, my parents whom I am so blessed to still have as active role models. (Mom, the kids and I look forward to your Monday and Friday breakfasts SO much!!).

  Another huge thank you goes out to Dwayne Holt. The way you create and edit the book covers i truly magical.

  Thank you to my local and now national and international fans. The internet is such an awesome tool to get to know other readers and authors. I’ve been so blessed to have beta readers, bloggers, and reviewers give honest feedback. I appreciate your patience with me as my writing evolves and grows book by book. I also enjoy hearing from you!

  Julie has gathered mounds of experience both personally and professionally to pour into her long-time passion of writing. After years in the medical field, the first few as a Cardiac Specialty Nurse, and over the last decade as a pharmaceutical and medical sales representative presenting power points in the corporate world, she is tapping into her fiction side with romantic suspense/women’s fiction novels. Her first novel in the Attainment Series earned her a number one position on Amazon. She recently published the sequel, Atonement and now the third in the series, Chloe. She is currently working on her first stand-alone romance suspense novel, Identical Dream.

  Julie resides in a small town in NC with her husband and four children. She continues working full time in sales, exploring her writing late at night and in the wee hours of the morning when her children are tucked safely in bed.