Surrender (28 page)

I cringe. I fully understand his way of thinking. It’s justified. I never intended to stay in the club business. I never intended to fall in love, either. “I’ll find a regular job,” I promise.

“No, baby.” He pulls me closer, and my head rests on his chest. “You don’t have to work anymore. Go to school full time. Get pregnant. Redecorate the house. Be my wife. Do whatever you want.”

I pull back so I can see his face. “You don’t want me to get a job?”

“I want you to finish school. You don’t need some crappy minimum-wage job. I want you to thrive, Robyn. Experience happiness for the first time in your young life.” He cups my face.

I don’t know what to say.

“Will you let me do this for you?”

“What about you?” I ask.

He laughs. “What’s good for the goose . . .?”

I nod.

“I already put in a month’s notice.”

“Really?” I’m shocked.

“I’m going to start a consulting firm, nothing big at first. But my contacts through BP will help.”

I hug him so hard he groans. “I’ll give notice, too.” I smile.

“No,” he says gruffly. “We’ll drive down today and talk to Darren together. I don’t want you onstage
ever
again.”

My beautiful, well-intentioned alpha. I smooth a stray hair from the side of his face. “Yes.” All my dreams have finally come true.

“There’s more,” he says. “You know how much I miss my parents, how difficult it’s been moving on and taking care of Gretchen.”

I nod, remembering the haunted look in his eyes whenever he talks about them.

“I’m not satisfied just starting over together,” he says. “I think we should work together to come up with a plan to try and reunite you with your family—really make an effort to heal the pain between you and your mother.”

I turn away, unprepared for this discussion. “Why?”

“Because family is family. No matter what happened, somewhere down the line you have to let the pain go or it will consume you, the way it’s slowly eaten away at your mother. I see past her cold façade, Robyn. Deep down, she wishes she could change.”

I turn around, facing him. He’s right. But something inside me refuses to let go of my negative feelings. “What if I don’t want her in my life?”

“Think of Marisela and your father. What about your brothers and older sister? Don’t wait until it’s too late,” he advises. “What if ten or twenty years from now you get a phone call in the middle of the night alerting you that someone died before you made peace with them? Are you willing to risk that level of pain because you’re too stubborn to realize what you need to do now?”

That kind of pisses me off. “You blame me?”

“No.” He takes my hands. “Absolutely not. I blame your parents for giving up so easily, for forgetting what promises they made as Christians—as parents. And when it’s our turn to have a family, know this . . .” He cups my face. “We’ll never give up on our kids or each other.”

I believe him. My heart flutters, and those tears I’ve been trying to fight finally win. I’m a blubbering fool as I sink into his arms. Loved. Protected. Appreciated. Completely understood.

“You win,” I surrender. “Everyone deserves a second chance. I promise to try. It won’t be easy, Garrick. I don’t even know if my parents will be receptive to starting a new relationship with me. God help me.”

He tilts my head up. “
I’ll
help you.”

That’s what I’m counting on—for him, for all of this to be real. My happily-ever-after, the kind I like to read about in those romance novels Macey always makes fun of. I smile. “The end,” I whisper.

“What?” He gazes at me, those dreamy eyes melting my heart.

“Nothing,” I fib. I said it for myself.

Epilogue

One month later . . .

It’s a Friday night in late November. My engagement to Robyn has given me new purpose. I never thought I’d find it after my parents died. But I did, in the arms of the most beautiful woman I’ve ever set eyes on. I smile as I pull into Luciano’s, our favorite Italian restaurant. I jump out and hurry to open Robyn’s door. She’s dressed in a strapless black cocktail dress. I love her neck and shoulders. I love seeing the necklace I gave her back where it belongs. I grab her hand and brush feather-light kisses across her knuckles. She shivers, the promise of sweet lovemaking in her smile.

I open the restaurant door and she steps inside. We’re glued to each other as the hostess escorts us to our table. Robyn doesn’t notice who’s waiting. She only has eyes for me. I cough and point. She looks up and gasps.

Her mother and father, Marisela, Wesley and Macey, Gretchen and her fiancé, and Winston and his date clap. “Oh. My. God.” The surprise on her face is priceless. “When did you have time to plan this?” she asks, amazed.

I squeeze her hand and kiss her cheek.

Dr. Gonzalez stands and smiles. “Congratulations on your engagement, Robyn.”

Robyn glances at me. “Don’t be afraid,” I whisper in her ear. She only needs a little encouragement to get over that initial fear. She nods and releases my arm, then rushes around the table. Seeing her wrapped in her mother’s arms brings tears to my eyes.

“I can’t believe you’re here, Mom.”

“Well,” Dr. Gonzalez answers, throwing me a soft smile. “Your future husband is very persuasive. And . . .” She reaches for her husband’s hand. “Your father and I are pleased with your choice to get married. As for your brothers and sister, I have cards in my purse. Everyone knows. Father Ryan wants to meet with you both next week to start planning the wedding. There are classes to take—amends to make.”

“I know.”

I smile at them both. This is what I wanted to see, what Robyn needed to start her healing process.

“I’m still shocked.” Robyn releases her mother and rests her hand on her father’s shoulder. “Dad?”

Mr. Gonzalez stands. “I’ve missed you, Robyn.”

When they hug, I swallow the big lump in my throat. Wesley hands me a glass of wine. I grab a fork off the table and tap it on the glass. “A toast,” I call. “To my beautiful fiancée and new beginnings.”

“To new beginnings,” our friends repeat.

After we greet everyone individually, Robyn faces me before we sit down. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

I sense the depth of her emotions. I’m moved by her reaction to this small gathering. “I’d do anything to keep a smile on that beautiful face.” I caress her cheek.
My God,
she belongs to me. And for the first time in my life, I belong to someone. I kiss her tenderly. As I back away, I realize life isn’t perfect, but this is a promising start.

To Milisa Zornes, thank you for everything

and

Victoria Vane—thank you for all the encouragement and wisdom. You are a true friend.

Acknowledgments

Much love to my husband, Jeff. I don’t even know where to start—thank you doesn’t begin to cover it . . .

Jill Marsal (my true agent love), you are patient and kind and so supportive. Thank you for taking a chance on me—we did it!

To my exceptional editor, Sue Grimshaw—wow, you are wonderful.

My deepest appreciation to Jessica Jefferson, Kelly Graham (reading a manuscript over the phone in one night is crazy—loved it), Meredith Mix, Carol Cork (hugs), Rudy Nino, J.J., Daniel Skrzynski, Milisa Zornes, Johnny Read, and Ross Reed.

I still believe listening is the greatest gift you can give a writer.

By Violetta Rand

Devil’s Den

Surrender

Seduction

Sin

Violetta Rand holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy and a master’s degree in Environmental Management. Serving as an environmental scientist in the state of Alaska for over seven years, she enjoys the privilege of traveling to remote places few people have the opportunity to see. Violetta has been “in love” with writing since childhood. Struck with an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age, at five, she wrote short stories illustrated by her best friend and sold them in her neighborhood. The only thing she loves more than writing is her wonderful relationship with her husband, Jeff. She enjoys outdoor activities, reading whatever she can get her hands on, music, and losing herself in the worlds she enjoys bringing to life in the pages of her stories.

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