Forever Love on Fireweed Island (Island County Book 4) (29 page)

“Jake, Todd’s your problem now,” I teased.

Jake walked into the barn, and Todd immediately began chewing his lips. A smile confiscated my expression.

“Not this time, Todd. It’s about time I show my man card.”

I couldn’t stop giggling as Jake attempted to wrestle the big teddy bear back into the barn. A few other alpacas slipped inside, but Dotty stood by her man.

“They really do have a lot of character.”

Jake let out a guttural groan, which seemed to do the trick.

Todd stopped twisting his lips and walked right inside with Dotty on his tail.

“What the heck was that?”

“Desperation,” Jake said, grabbing my hand and whisking me to the barn.

He slid the door closed, and we made our way to the helicopter out in the field. I was so excited to spend Labor Day with Hildie. My parents and sister were taking the ferry over tomorrow. It was going to be the first time we all got together as a family.

Jake opened the door, and I climbed in and harnessed myself into the seat like a professional.

“I’m truly impressed,” Jake said, climbing into his side.

“Thank you. I learned from the best. So tell me, what exactly should I expect for our trip to Alaska next week?”

Jake’s smile deepened, exposing a dimple I’d never seen before, and I couldn’t help but return one back.

“Expect the unexpected.”

“I think I can handle that as long as it’s not too unexpected.”

Jake’s laughter filled the small cockpit, and I grinned, tipping my head back in the seat. It was hard to believe how much my life had changed in a few short months. Jake leaned over and placed a sweet kiss across my lips before preparing for our flight, and I closed my eyes, not because I was afraid, but because I wanted to remember this moment.

The helicopter lifted, and I opened my eyes to see our home slowly turn into nothing more than a small blot on the face of the earth. I watched the beautiful coastline fall away as we flew over the Sound.

“It never ceases to amaze me. The beauty never gets old.”

Jake nodded, and I leaned my head against the seat as Jake whisked us to the Purple Farm before dusk settled, comfortable silence settling between us.

“So, Jewels.” Jake’s tone changed from earlier as we closed in on Hound Island.

“Yeparoo?” I turned to face him and saw his smile deepen.

“I’ve been giving life a lot of thought.”

“I know. I’ve been reading your blog,” I teased.

“Exactly.”

We were getting close to the farm, and Jake began lowering us down, sweeping across the last of the lavender meadows before frost took them out.

“You have changed my life in inexplicable ways.”

“I feel the same. You’ve made my life an adventure, but you still give me plenty of time to read.”

He laughed, and I noticed a group of people congregating near the herb gardens.

“I love you, Jewels.”

“I love you,” I said softly, unsure of where things were going.

“I never wanted perfection. I wanted someone who fit me perfectly,” Jake said. “And that’s you, Jewels. We understand each other in ways I didn’t know possible.”

Rather than land, Jake went out to sea and turned around, and that was when I saw it— a message in the middle of one of the fields.

Will you marry me?

My throat tightened, and my world spun into a dizzying array of emotions, and for once, it wasn’t vertigo. My hands had clasped my mouth, and I just stared at the beautiful words as he stayed hovering right above.

“Do you see it? I really hope you see it.”

I nodded, looking over at the most incredible man in the world.

“Jewels, will you marry me?”

I let out a squeak and nodded, happy tears streaming down my face as he landed the helicopter in the open pasture. He flipped switches and did his usual procedures as I sat stunned while he reached under his seat.

“Safety first.” Jake smiled and turned in his seat, opening the box. “You have made me the happiest man alive.”

I looked down at the princess-cut diamond, and my jaw dropped at the beauty of it. “This is my mom’s wedding ring with some modifications. I hope it fits. Natty helped.”

I was stunned silent as I saw the group of people slowly make their way toward us. Everyone in the world who meant something to me was here. I spotted my sister and her fiancé, my parents, Nick, Sophie . . . the list was endless. Hildie was wiping away tears, which only made my steady stream intensify.

“You’ve made me the happiest librarian on the planet.”

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted,” Jake said, bringing his lips down to mine, and I knew he was right. We might not be perfect, but we fit perfectly together.

Thank you for reading the fourth book in the Island County Series! I hope you enjoyed Jake and Jewels. Be on the lookout for Nick’s story, which will be out this summer. Sign up for my newsletter for release updates.

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Have you read the Beyond Love Series yet? Keep reading for Gabby’s story in Beyond Control.

“Knock. Knock,” Brandy hummed, tapping on the door lightly. “You ready?”

“Not really,” I replied, pointing at the stack of papers piled on my desk. “But I guess that probably doesn’t matter.” I smiled and pushed myself away from the desk.

“Not when it comes to your father.” She grinned. Brandy stepped into my office, and I gasped when I saw her. She was in the most gorgeous blue dress, and her dark brown hair was piled in loose curls on top of her head. With every movement, her dress shimmered and clung to all the right places, highlighting the beautiful caramel color of her skin.

“Whoa,” I said, grinning, suddenly feeling completely underdressed for tonight’s function. I looked down at my silver blouse, black pencil skirt, and red stilettos. I was proud of myself for wearing what I thought was a day-to-evening outfit like I always saw in the style magazines… and then Brandy steps into my office, blowing my wishful thinking to smithereens. It must be wonderful to always be so stunning.

“Your assistant cleans up nicely, huh?” she teased. Brandy was my best friend, who I’d met in college, and she knew me better than anyone.

“Your father figured this would happen,” she laughed. “So he sent something over. A courier brought it about an hour ago. I didn’t even peek.”

“You mean my stepmom knew this would happen,” I laughed.

“Same difference.”

I blew the stray hairs out of my face and couldn’t help but smile as I thought about my father. He always took such good care of me, especially since my mother’s death. Actually, that wasn’t completely true. His money always took very good care of me. I only saw him more now because I worked for one of his companies.

“Okay, let’s see it,” I sighed.

“Don’t even pretend you don’t want to play dress up.” She left my office and returned in a heartbeat with a garment bag and a Nordstrom sack dangling around the hanger.

“I honestly didn’t know it was such a big deal,” I said, tucking my hair behind my ear.

“That’s what black-tie means, dummy.” Brandy extended the garment bag toward me and gave an exasperated huff.

I peered nervously through the glass wall that looked over the sea of cubicles. This wasn’t something I wanted the rest of the employees to see. I’d already caught the animosity in the air about the fact that I worked here and didn’t have to start at the bottom. Brandy saw my apprehension and quickly closed the door and shut the automatic blinds.

“It’s not like I got an invitation. I’m his daughter. I just show up,” I replied, unzipping the garment bag to reveal a beautiful flowing chiffon dress. The fabric was soft lavender with tiny pearls stitched at the waistband, and beautiful lace appliques spreading from the hem up the skirt of the dress.

“I wanna see,” Brandy whined.

“It’s amazing and so… me,” I replied, taking the hanger from Brandy so she could take a look.

I loved Brandy’s dress on her, but it was so not me. Why? Because it was really tiny! One false move and nothing’s left to the imagination, but that was exactly how she liked it. I, on the other hand, built a world that kept ‘em guessing. That was my motto.

“Suddenly I’m no longer the belle of the ball,” she laughed. “Holy. Shit. Is this Valentino?”

I shrugged and felt the familiar heat run up my face. My fingers instinctively ran up the scar along my breastbone as I eyed the neckline. There was no hiding it in this dress.

“Nobody will care what’s being auctioned off tonight. They’ll all want you,” she gushed, noticing where my hand stalled. I could always count on her to make me feel better.

“Oh, please. This covers me all the way up. You’ll definitely be the one who everyone’s looking at,” I assured her.

“Doubtful,” she whispered, running her fingertips along the dress. “Let’s get you in this. We’re running late.”

I laid the garment bag across my desk, careful not to knock any of the papers onto the floor, and worked the dress cautiously out of the bag. Brandy unhooked the shoe bag and opened the box up.

“Of course, Jimmy Choo,” she said, dangling the lace pumps from her fingertips.

I glanced at the shoes, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit just how pretty they were. But it was uncomfortable. I’d made it all through college without anyone really knowing about my family’s wealth.

“You like them? You can have them after tonight,” I replied.

Brandy looked over at me and smiled, shaking her head. “Nope. They’re yours and I’m not going to accept them. Never have taken your icky hand-me-downs and never will.” She laughed and began unhooking the straps on the Choos.

I kicked off my heels, stripped out of my blouse and wriggled out of my skirt. So much for my bra in this dress. I unclasped it quickly and tossed it on the floor.

“Classy,” Brandy said, picking everything up for me. “Oh, I almost missed this,” she said, looking into the Nordstrom bag, pulling out a large jewelry box. “Want me to open it?”

I nodded as I slipped the dress over my head and felt the soft fabric cascade over my skin.

“Whoa,” she uttered, opening the box. “This is beautiful.”

She turned the box toward me, and the knot in my stomach—that I didn’t even realize was there—immediately diminished. So much for being cool and confident when it came to strapless dresses. As I looked in the box, a collared, sterling silver necklace with a large stone pendant was perfectly situated in tissue paper. This would cover up most of my scar…

“Nice,” I replied, smiling.

I positioned the front slit over my leg as Brandy zipped me up and centered the necklace around my neck, locking the clasp in place.

“You look stunning,” she said, stepping back.

The feeling of security the pendant provided as it dangled in the perfect place, gave me an extra dose of courage for the night. Something very few even knew I needed. I’d done a great job over the years explaining to everyone how well adjusted I’d become. Apparently, I hadn’t fooled my stepmom or Brandy for that matter.

“Hair okay?” I asked. I had placed it in a loose French knot this morning, and last I looked, it was still holding on.

“Yep. Let’s get going.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door. I snatched my purse out of the chair and followed her to the elevators.

“There should be plenty of cabs at this time,” I said, as we wound along the far wall of cubicles and waited for the elevator.

“Umm.” Brandy stepped into the elevator, refusing to look at me.

“Oh, no. Please tell me we aren’t going in the limo.”

“Your father sent it over. He texted me,” she replied, trying to hide her smile.

“That thing is such a spectacle, especially in Seattle. I always feel like I should see my high school date inside as it pulls up. Besides, Seattle thrives on bicycles as the main mode of transportation,” I protested.

“Sorry,” she squealed. “But it sounds like the beast is going to be picking us up. And besides, can you really see yourself peddling on a bicycle in that outfit? Get real.”

I rolled my eyes and smiled as we stepped into the lobby. Sure enough the black stretch sedan was waiting for us beyond the doors.

“Let’s just hope we’ve got some hotties waiting for us at the ball,” Brandy said, winking. “Firemen, maybe, or how about some lawyers?”

“Yeah. Because that’s what always happens for us,” I retorted.

“Maybe we’ve struck out lately, but I know there’s hope out there for you and me. I mean if we can move past the whole blind date fiasco, it would be better for us all. You don’t have to keep reminding me. It was bad for us both.”

“Yeah. But you weren’t the one who wound up with Squiggy for an entire night. I was!” I shuddered at the memory.

“Right. Because my date, Father Time, was a far better choice,” she shot back.