Unexpected Chance (25 page)

“Are you ready to go?” I ask in her ear.

“Yep, all ready,” she says, turning in my arms.

“Jade or Ruby?” I ask.

“Ruby, and I’m driving,” she answers.

We head into the garage where Ruby and Jade finally are parked side by side again. It took Savvy two months to go through all the boxes and decide what to do with the furniture. Some of the smaller personal items are scattered throughout our house, and some of it is in a local storage unit waiting for the day that maybe we’ll be blessed with a daughter of our own. Savvy also donated a fair portion of items to Goodwill.

Savvy heads to the passenger side of Ruby. “I thought you were driving?” I question, confused. She opens the door and gestures with her hand for me to get in. “Sir,” she says.

“You’re a goof,” I tell her. I get in, then she closes the door.

She heads around the car and gets into the driver seat, and then I watch for it. Every time she gets in the car, her entire face lights up like a kid on Christmas morning. She lovingly runs her hand on the soft leather, red trimmed steering wheel every time before she starts it.

As she drives to my mother’s for Sunday family dinner, I rest my hand on her thigh. She smiles at me out of the corner of her eye, as she pulls up to the curb outside my childhood family home.

The noise is at its usual deafening level. Children run around shrieking and screaming. Savvy joins the women in the kitchen to help finish dinner, while the men set the table and keep the kids entertained. Of course, we still set a place setting at the head of the table for my dad. Just as Savvy once said, there are mismatched chairs gathered from all over the house sitting at the table, just to accommodate my very large family.

“Dinner’s ready,” my mother says, setting a roast on the table.

There are mashed potatoes, carrots, dinner rolls, and red wine. Everyone takes their seat. Some kids even sit on laps, but no one ever minds. Family Sunday dinner is the one time when we can all come together and just be a family. No work, no television, nothing but family.

“Doesn’t that annoy the crap out of you?” Ava leans in and whispers.

“Does what annoy the crap out of me?” I ask confused.

“Savvy’s incessant gum smacking!” she replies.

“She’s chewing gum?” I ask, turn the other direction and look at my wife. Huh, I actually thought she’d given up chewing gum.

“Oh God, it’s happened. Never mind, you’ve gone love blind,” she replies, then rights herself in her seat.

Savvy digs in her pocket, removes a gum wrapper, then puts her gum in it and shoves it back in her pocket. She digs her fork into her mashed potatoes and just before it enters her mouth, Asher stands and clinks his glass.

“If I could have everyone’s attention,” he starts. He looks down at his very pregnant wife. Willow’s due to give birth any day now. I’m surprised my mother didn’t make her sit on the plastic covered chair. Hey, it’s happened before. Willow and Asher’s third child is a girl, and they’re going to name her Avery. Asher takes her hand in his, and continues. “Every December I have the unbelievable honor of adding to my wife’s charm bracelet. This year marks the fifth anniversary of Willow being cancer free,” he continues, but starts to get choked up. He takes a ragged, deep breath, then continues, “I know I say all the time that I’m the luckiest man alive to have met you. On a daily basis, you prove that to me over and over again. I stand here today, and I look at our family and at our children, and I just don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t have run into me and thrown up on my shoes.”

“Oh my God, get out!” Amelia shouts.

“What?” Ava questions.

“Do you all realize that we’ve all, like literally, run into our spouses?” Amelia replies.

“You know what? You all actually have! Willow, you ran into Asher while going through chemo and barfed on his shoes. Amelia, you ran into Kyle at the hospital the day Abbey was born and cut your hand. Then Shay, you ran into Adrian ice skating on the pond at the family cabin. Then Ava, you ran into Jax and were knocked on your ass at Samuel’s grave. Then Savvy ran into Aiden while she was being tossed out of a bar,” Chloe says. “I’ve never thought about it, but it’s true. Each of you met the loves of your lives by physically running into them.”

“I think it’s romantic, and I think it’s a fantastic way to meet someone. I think everyone should do it,” Amelia says.

Asher clears his throat, then he reaches into his pocket and takes out a small box and hands it to Willow. Asher leans down, kisses his wife, and has a seat.

Willow takes the box and cracks it open. Tears run down her face as she takes out the charm. Asher reaches for her bracelet, then unclasps it from her wrist. Willow places the charm on, then he clasps it back on her wrist. She kisses him and whispers, “Thank you.” She wipes the tears from her eyes, then squeezes Asher’s hand.

“Here’s to throwing up, cutting hands, ice skating, being knocked on your ass, and being tossed out of bars,” I say, raising my glass in the air.

Everyone laughs, then Max and Kyle both stand and start clinking their glasses.

“Good gravy, I’m starving. Now what?” Willow asks, slamming her fork back down.

“Oh, you go first,” Kyle says to Max.

“No, after you,” Max quickly returns.

“This is your first time clinking a glass at family dinner, I insist,” Kyle says, waving his hand toward Max.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Amelia says. She stands up, then gives Chloe a smile. Chloe stands, then smiles back at Amelia. Amelia walks over to Chloe, takes her hand and at the same time they both say together, “We’re pregnant.”

“Yay! Double baby shower!” Ava screams, rushing over to Chloe and Amelia.

“Triple,” Savvy says next to me.

“Triple what?” Chloe asks.

“Triple baby shower,” Savvy says with a smile.

“What?” I ask stunned, turning toward Savvy. That’s the only word I can squeak out. I had no idea. I have so many emotions running through my mind right now, I don’t know if I should laugh or cry. I grab Savvy around the waist and twirl her around. I set her back on her feet and bury my face in the crook of her neck, and cry happy tears.

“Are you happy?” she asks.

God, I love this woman.

“Am I happy?” I return, playing the all too familiar game.

“Yeah, are you happy?” she smiles.

“Savvy, I’m over the moon happy. I love you so much,” I say, and hug her again.

Everyone stands and congratulates Savvy and I, along with Max and Chloe and Kyle and Amelia. Dinner tonight, just like so many dinners before, will go very cold before anyone takes the first bite. No one will mind. It will taste just as amazing as if it were piping hot straight out of the oven. I look down the table at my mother. She sits at the end of the table just looking at all of her children. She has the most beautiful smile as tears stream down her face. This family has evolved, grown, and changed so much over the years. All of us are married. All of us have children of our own either by blood or by adoption, or are expecting. Some in this family aren’t related by blood or marriage at all, but are a family all the same just because we say so. But family is what we are. Together, we’re one crazy, amazing, happy family.

The End

I want to thank you so much for reading and enjoying the Wellington family with me. Although this is the last book and the last Wellington sibling keep a look out you may just hear from the Wellington’s again soon.

A little about Annalisa Nicole:

I am an “Indie” contemporary romance author. I live in California with my husband and two teenage boys.

I never liked reading as a kid. I only started reading romance novels in the past few years. My Kindle and I are inseparable now. A thought occurred to me in December of 2012 that maybe I could write a romance novel. So I went to work with the encouragement of my husband and my sister-in-law. It didn’t take me long to figure out that I really enjoyed writing.

Today I am a self-published author and it has been an amazing journey.

Other books by Annalisa Nicole:

Take A Chance
– Running Into Love – Book 1

I’ll Take A Chance
– Running Into Love – Book 2

Second Chance
– Running Into Love – Book 3

A Fighting Chance
– Running Into Love – Book 4

Running Into Love Box Set Books One to Four

Unavoidable Chance
—Running Into Love Book 5

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annalisanicole.com

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Acknowledgements:

To my amazing, loving, supporting, wonderful husband, I love you forever and always. And to my two boys, you are the light in my life given from above. Thank you for always standing by me and encouraging me to follow my dream.

To my fabulous beta readers, thank you so much for all of your valuable feedback and continued support. I love you all. Master Beta Erin Dolin, Kellie Donaldson, Kristine Barakat, Amanda Farmer, Cristie Lagarde, and Crissy Sutcliffe. I have mad love for all of you!

To my amazing, fabulous editor Lindsay from LTE Editing, you are amazing and I absolutely love working with you! Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart

Najla, from Najla Qamber Designs, you’ve done ever cover in the Running Into Love series and each of them have knocked my socks off, they’re so amazing and beautiful! Thank you!

Ena from Enticing Journey Book Promotions, thank you for organizing all of my blog tours. You have mad skills.

Tami, from Integrity Formatting, you are a rock star and do amazing formatting! Thank you for always being there for me!

The Crazy Kick Ass IndiePendent girls, thank you for always being there for one another.

Julie Franke, thank you for always being a constant in my life. Thank you for always listening to me and encouraging me to live my dream. I love you to the moon and back.

Kellie Montgomery from Eye Candy Bookstore, thank you for always being there for me when I need someone to talk to. Thank you for your friendship and for your mad PR skills. You are a super star!

Di from Di’s Dazzling Dezines, thank you for the amazing awesome Kindle Couche creations! I love them all SO much!!

Thank you to you the readers, reviews, and bloggers for continuing to stay with me on this amazing journey. Thank you for continuing to read what the crazy characters in my head make me write. Thank you for all the wonderful personal messages, the emails, and the reviews. I read each and every one of them. From the bottom of my heart thank you!

Character Glossary

Asher Wellington
—CEO of Wellington Corp. Second oldest of the five Wellington siblings. He is married to Willow.

Willow (Emery) Wellington
- Breast cancer survivor. Found the love of her life, “Running Into” Asher leaving chemotherapy treatment. She is married to Asher.

Abbey Olivia Wellington
–First daughter born to Asher and Willow.

Aaron Samuel Wellington—
Second born son to Asher and Willow.

Amelia (Wellington) Peters
—VP of Marketing at Wellington Corp. Fourth oldest Wellington sibling. Found the love of her life, “Running Into” Dr. Kyle Peters at the birth of Abbey.

Dr. Kyle Peters
—OB/GYN married to Amelia. Twin to Chloe Peters.

Noah Maxwell Peters
—First born son to Amelia and Kyle Peters.

Adrian Wellington
—Oldest Wellington sibling. Owner of Wellington Construction. Married to Shay Wellington.

Shay (Bradshaw)
Wellington–
Architect, found her true love, “Running Into” Adrian ice skating on his family pond.

Micah Wellington
—Adopted son to Adrian and Shay.

Makayla Wellington
—Adopted daughter to Adrian and Shay.

Samuel “Sammy” Wellington
—Son to Adrian and Shay.

Aiden Wellington
—Third oldest Wellington sibling. Lawyer at Wellington Corp.

Savannah “Savvy” Russell—
Friend of the Wellington family.

Gary
—Owner of Deuces Bar.

Ava (Wellington) Landry
—Youngest Wellington sibling. Lawyer at a firm just outside of Seattle. Found the love of her life, “Running Into” Jax at her father’s grave. Married to Jax Landry

Jaxon Landry—
Owner of Jax Restaurant. Father to Skylar and Hope Landry. Married to Ava.

Quinn Landry
—Jax’s sister.

Dr. Chloe Peters-Jones
–OB/GYN, Kyle’s twin sister, married to Max “Slick” Jones.

Max “Slick” Jones
—Married to Chloe. Owner of a private PI firm. Employer to Levi and Chase. Honorary Wellington sibling.

Levi—
Works for Max at his PI firm.

Chase
—Works for Max at his PR firm.