Happily Ever After: A Contemporary Romance Boxed Set Read online

  “Thanks, Mom.” He leans in and hugs me.

  “That’s why I’m here.”

  “Can I tell you something?” he says in my ear.

  “Anything.”

  “I don’t like playing quarterback.”

  I pull back and we laugh until we’re unsure if our tears are from the crying or the laughter. Finally, I have my son back.

  17

  Hank

  * * *

  It’s the last Friday night football game of the season. This could be Marla’s last one, but with three boys coming up the ranks, I might as well pitch a tent and call the bleachers home. Marla and Posey are waiting for me at the field entrance, and I kiss Marla hello and pick up Posey.

  “Let’s stop at the concession. I need candy today,” I say.

  “Twinsies!” Posey agrees. “Third grade is for the birds.”

  Marla laughs, and I swing an arm around her back.

  “I heard Cade is starting tonight?” Marla says.

  “I heard that too.”

  She’s giving me the look. The one she gives when she’s apologizing. I can’t wait until she trusts my reactions enough to never give me that look—I’m pretty sure it spawned from Jeff’s reactions to things. But it will take time and I’m a patient man.

  I drop Posey on the ground. “Go get whatever you want.”

  I position us so we can keep an eye on Posey and talk privately. I tuck a section of hair that’s fallen out of Marla’s knit hat behind her ear. She looks as if she has something to say.

  “What?” I ask.

  “I just can’t believe Jeff did it. I mean, who pays off a high school coach?”

  I chuckle. “Jeff apparently. But unless you cut the check, I’m unsure why you’re apologizing to me.”

  Her forehead falls to my chest. I place my finger under her chin and force her to look me in the eye.

  “Cade missed this entire season.”

  “He played. Not as much as he wanted, but he wasn’t going to be drafted. I think both the boys learned important lessons this year. Hopefully they’ll develop a friendship that will stand a long time.” I refrain from telling her I hope they find a brotherhood since with any luck, they’ll be stepbrothers one day.

  Looking out onto the field, I spot Cade with Coach Justin, going over a play. Zeke was let go this afternoon. I always liked Torres. But the surprise is that Jed is in their circle too.

  “If they win this, they might get a spot. Sure, Greywall has to lose which…” My head moves side to side because they are a powerhouse. “But they could.”

  “All ready. They said they’ll put it on your tab, Hank,” Posey says.

  “Posey, what do you have?” Mandi yells from the side of the fence where she’s with Adam and a mixture of girls and guys huddled together.

  “They only want me for my candy,” she says before walking over.

  A few minutes later, Chevelle and Posey emerge from the crowd with less candy than Posey started with. They climb the bleachers and sit down together, watching the cheerleaders.

  “Come on. Let’s go watch our boys play what might be their last game.” I hold Marla’s hand and she comes with me. “What did Jeff say?”

  “He tried to deny it, but then said he didn’t see the harm in what he did. Jed asked me to tell him that he wouldn’t be moving to Arizona. Jeff said he was going to fight me, but I’m not worried. He won’t.”

  “He’s missing a lot,” I say, my gaze bouncing over all of our kids.

  We walk up the bleachers and sit down near Chevelle and Posey. Marla says, “He wouldn’t appreciate it anyway.”

  The game starts and Cade runs out to quarterback with the first true smile I’ve seen on his face in a long time. Surprisingly, Jed jogs out right after him. Derek hikes the ball and Cade does what he does best, staying patient until he has a clearing. He throws it and Jed catches, running into the end zone for a touchdown.

  The entire stadium goes crazy and the boys on the field chest bump. When Cade and Jed come face to face, there’s a slight pause before they jump and bump chests, smiles on both their faces. Cade smacks the back of Jed’s helmet, congratulating him on the catch, and they both get in position again.

  “He wouldn’t. The best things in life don’t have monetary value, and he hasn’t figured that out yet. Lucky for me.” I kiss Marla as tears of happiness stream down her face.

  Epilogue

  Cade Greene

  Three years later

  * * *

  “You do realize they’ll be in their sixties when the kid graduates high school?” Jed laughs next to me as our Uber drives past the city limits sign of Sunrise Bay.

  Anyone who knew us when we first met would be shocked to hear that we don’t just attend the same college, we room together. Who would’ve known Jed is a pretty great guy? Still a little cocky at times, but I can be too. Our senior year, we scored the last spot in the playoffs but got eliminated right before state finals. As my dad and Marla always say, it’s the journey, not the end result.

  “They’ll be showing up in walkers at his graduation.” I slap the seat. “Our family can’t get any weirder anyway.”

  “True story!”

  There’s a new baby in the Greene family. Rylan Greene. Only Hank and Marla Greene would decide to have a baby when there’s light at the end of the tunnel of having nine kids out of the house. Though Jed and I have money on the fact that they didn’t plan the pregnancy. No one really wants to think about how that happened, so we didn’t ask.

  I pull up to what was my grandparents’ house and is now Dad and Marla’s. They were quick to move in after their engagement that turned into an even quicker wedding. But Grandma Ethel is happy the house is in use. Jed and I both have dibs on it after they die (joking, obviously) because we had to put so much work into renovations being Dad’s manual laborers.

  The Uber parks on the hill where we can see the blue stork sign with Rylan’s name, length, and weight. This kid’s gonna be spoiled beyond belief.

  “I’m starving,” Jed says, getting out of the car and thanking our driver with a mumble.

  “Thanks, man.” I get out too, and we each retrieve our weekend bags from the trunk.

  We walk into the house to find that it looks as if a baby store has exploded inside.

  Jed picks up a box. “What the hell?”

  “That’s a breast pump, man.”

  His body shakes and he drops it back into the pile consisting of a swing, a stroller, two car seats, and a stack of laundry baskets.

  Posey runs out of the family room, and her socks slide along until Jed grabs her and tickles her. “I’m too old for that.” She squirms out of his grip but then attaches herself to his stomach. “I missed you guys.”

  She comes to me next. It’s kind of cool having so many siblings now, even if they are stepsiblings but also our second cousins.

  “Come on. Rylan’s awake,” Posey says.

  Jed looks back at me and we share the look to say, “Here we go.”

  We walk into the living room to find there’s no baby. Marla’s got a blanket over her shoulder. Dad’s sleeping next to her. There’s an entire playpen or something along the wall and a changing station next to it.

  “A baby needs all this stuff?” I ask, looking around.

  “Hey, Mom.” Jed leans forward to kiss Marla on the cheek. “Whoa. Fuck.”

  Marla slaps his arm for swearing.

  Jed shuts his eyes and turns away. “You’re lucky I’m not blind now.”

  Dad stirs awake and blinks.

  “I did it for you too. Hank is taking the real brunt of me breastfeeding. A new man has taken over his duties.”

  My head falls back and Jed looks as if he might lose it. “Seriously, keep that to yourself!”

  Marla laughs, and Dad rises from the couch to hug us.

  “Boys, you’re old enough to understand I had to go cold turkey. It could be over a year.”

  “What’s a little
breastmilk,” I say, and Jed picks up a stuffed bear and throws it at me.

  It’s not that I don’t see Marla as a mother figure, but it doesn’t gross me out the same way it does Jed.

  “Good to see you guys getting along.” Dad hugs both of us.

  Jed seems oddly comfortable with the affection. But he keeps a lot in about his relationship with his dad. There’s animosity there, but he never wants to talk about it.

  “Where is everyone?” I ask.

  “Here and there. No one is ever in this house at the same time, I swear.”

  Marla rolls her eyes. “They have lives.”

  We sit down while Jed heads to the fridge, grabs a bunch of containers, and fixes a plate.

  Posey disappears upstairs.

  “Hey, Dad, you mind if I borrow the truck?” I ask.

  He nods and pulls the keys from his pocket, handing them to me, knowing where I’m going. It’s usually my first stop before I come home, but with Jed with me, I couldn’t.

  “Family dinner tonight, okay?” he says.

  “Yeah. I’ll be a half hour tops.”

  Ten minutes later, I pull into Sunrise Bay Cemetery and wind down the path to my mom’s burial plot. I park my dad’s truck and walk up the short hill. Sometimes I’m still surprised to read her name on the stone.

  “Hey, Mom,” I say. “Just got in from school. Marla had the baby. It’s a boy. They named him Rylan. He’s healthy.”

  My eye catches sight of a blonde a few rows away. She looks familiar, but I can’t really place her. She’s openly crying on a new grave site filled with dirt and no plaque.

  I shake my head. “So, anyway… school’s good, and before you think about it, there’s no one serious in my life.” I laugh.

  The girl lies down on the dirt and her head is turned. Is that Clara, Xavier’s friend?

  “Clara!” I yell, but the girl doesn’t say anything or look my way. I turn my attention back to my mom. “It’s amazing how things have changed. Jed’s probably my closest friend now. Crazy, huh?”

  The girl gets up, and yeah, it’s totally Clara. Xavier and Clara have been friends since they were in diapers. The girl slept over at our house a million times and went everywhere with us.

  “Grades are good. No worries there. No Dean’s List or anything though. Sorry, Mom, hold up.”

  I jog over to Clara. The closer I get, the more positive I am she’s Clara. “Clara! It’s me, Cade. Xavier’s brother. Are you okay?”

  She looks me dead in the eye and scowls. The hairs on the back of my head rise, and my gut tells me something I can’t decipher or put into words.

  “My name isn’t Clara, and no, I’m not okay.” She walks down the hill and gets into a car before the tires squeal, announcing her exit.

  The End

  Travel 10 years into current day and read Cade Greene’s story, My Beautiful Nemesis

  * * *

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  About the Author

  Piper Rayne is a USA Today Bestselling author duo. Our goal is to bring you romance stories that have "Heartwarming Humor With a Side of Sizzle" (okay...you caught us, that's our tagline). A little about us... We both have kindle's full of one-clickable books. We're both married to husbands who drive us to drink. We're both chauffeurs to our kids. Most of all, we love hot heroes and quirky heroines that make us laugh, and we hope you do, too.

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  The Peculiar Sensitivities of Princess Peabody

  By Erin Lee

  Erin Lee

  The Peculiar Sensitives of Princess Peabody – a retell based off ‘The Princess and the Pea’ – is the story of a Faerie princess betrothed to an evil prince and doubted by her kingdom because of her dormant wings.

  Darian Peabody sleeps upon layers and layers of mattresses. Under them rests a single pea – a test demanded by Prince Zane to ensure Darian is royalty. A true princess, he says, would have sensitivities to such things. But for Darian, who is aware of the prince’s true mission—to damage her wings—there are far bigger things to be sensitive about.

  They begin with the tiny, human man in the cage; trapped in the kingdom on a witch’s curse and the first person to believe she is, indeed, a royal princess.

  When Darian’s father demands wedding plans move forward and the man be put to death, Princess Peabody must show an entire kingdom her worth; beginning with those who’ve questioned her. True blooded or not, you never mess with an exhausted, sleepless, over it, purple-winged Faerie princess…

  Part I

  Once upon a time…

  Princess Darian Peabody

  Status: Stuck in fairyland, damsel

  * * *

  Like my mother before she went missing, I almost always kept my wings tucked away. In fact, they were somewhat weak from lack of use and, lately, always sore from Zane’s stupid pea. In that one way, I was close to human. And there were benefits to this. Since I ran or walked almost everywhere, my tiny legs were strong and quick. I’d never raced, especially a creature of the human sort, but would bet good money I could outrun anyone in the Kingdom of Peabody. It was part of what made everyone doubt I was a true fairy princess at all. But that didn’t matter, not anymore. For the first time in as long as I could remember, I had purpose. He’s cute too – in an odd sort of way.

  I ran back to the dance with a little thrill traveling through me for being able to do something for this mysterious, shrunken human stranger. Everyone at dances had always treated me as if I were invisible. I was the one no one quite believed was a real princess simply because I came off more human than fairy and, well, because of my mother. At least my peculiarity and even family history would come in useful now. I wouldn’t have to explain to anyone where I was taking all the food. They already looked at me and my behaviors as freakish. I was the anomaly no one wanted to really see, though I never knew quite why. Nothing I did that was out of the ordinary was ever brought into question by anyone but Simon, who watched nearly every move I made but was already passed out for the night on purple wine.

  On my way back to the forest, I grabbed Sebastian another seed husk full of wine. I’d heard humans liked to drink nearly as much as we fairies. When I returned to him red-faced, out of breath and bearing a small feast, he smiled at me.

  “Did you run?” he asked in disbelief.

  “Well,” I gasped, “I hate when people stare at my wings, or laugh at them, or—”

  “No, I just meant... You really hurried, for me? You didn’t have to do that, or any of this. Thank you.” He had a wide, easy grin. It was like nothing I’d ever seen from the fairies. Our realm simply wasn’t like that. I’d heard enough about the human realm and even taken trips to visit with my mother but had never thought of humans as particularly friendly. Sebastian had a lot to teach me. I knew very little about the world outside the Kingdom of Peabody, I thought, frowning.

  “Well, here,” I said, passing a second meal through the bars. “I hope you enjoy it.”

  “Thank you,” he said, his expression sobering as he peered at me. He sat with his food, not even eating it. Then, he sniffed.

  “Are you...crying?” I asked. I could see moonlight reflecting off his wet eyes. He had to be. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” he half-laughed, half-cried. “Nothing’s wrong. I just haven’t seen a bit of kindness for a long time. Now on top of visiting me, you’ve brought me all this food and wine. Fast as you could too, as if I matter. I don’t even have any way to thank or repay you.”

  “You’ve already thanked me twice,” I said. “And listened to my silly problems all night.” Then, the alcohol spoke again, “But if you really want to repay me, will you tell me more about the witch and why she shrank you?”

  “Why? Well, I can’t really talk about that now. I mean, it’s embarrassing. It was ridiculous for me to even attempt to find anything in this realm. Obviously, I’m not a fairy. I should have stuck to the human world and
stayed out of the woods. …For now, I’ll just say there was something I wouldn’t do for her.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry.”

  “Not at all. Your interest is quite flattering, to be perfectly honest.”

  I was glad he was focused on his food, because I felt myself blush. “Have you any family anywhere?”

  “No, I’m just a traveler.”

  “How did you happen across the witch, Regina?”

  The wine was working on him now too. He spread his hands comically and said, “Traveling,” with a bellowing laugh.

  With his silly gesture, I hated more than ever to see him in that cell. He was no thief and certainly no danger to anyone. He was really a nice guy – even if he was a human man.

  “She heard me speaking at an inn. That’s what I do. I travel and speak to people. Most don’t like what I have to say. She did. Or, looking back, maybe that was all an act. It should have upset her as much as anyone. Like I said, it’s confusing. I just need to sort it out. If only I hadn’t followed her into the woods.”

  “Well, what do you have to say?”

  “I don’t think it would apply to you folk, being immortal, anyway. In short, I talk about how I think we should live. Die. I don’t know anymore. I’m what they call a life coach. I travel around just sharing thoughts; a philosopher of sorts. Public speaking, all that.” He yawned. “I’m a little drunk. I’m enjoying your company very much, but I must ask your forgiveness if I happen to doze off.”

  “Of course,” I said, feeling my cheeks flush again. I was shocked to realize how foreign it was to be welcome anywhere. No one had ever wanted me around, not since my adoptive mother died and my mother before her left the kingdom out of nowhere.