My Unexpected Vow: California Billionaires Book 2 by Harlow James (children's ebooks free online TXT) 📗

I still discover new things about Alec and we’ve been married for almost thirty-five years.”

Waverly’s eyebrows pop up. “Wow, has it really been that long? What an accomplishment. I’m in awe of you two.”

“It’s not easy, but when you marry the right person, it’s worth the effort.”

I stare down at Waverly, but she avoids my eyes. “Well, this woman has her own quirks I’m discovering as well.”

She shoots me a daring glare. “Don’t start already, Hayes. We’re in front of your parents.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not about to air all of your dirty laundry to my parents, babe. Some secrets belong at home.” I shoot her a wink, but she just rolls her eyes at me.

When my gaze falls back to my parents, my mother is grinning and my father’s left eyebrow is arched.

“Would you two like some wine?” my mother asks, moving to the wine fridge in their kitchen.

“You know I’ll have a glass with you, Mom.”

“Of course, Hayes. What about you, Waverly?”

I direct my eyes to her, but she’s staring up at me. “You drink wine?”

“Yeah. I always have a glass of red with my mom. It’s our thing.” I shrug, but she tilts her head up at me in wonder.

“Waverly?” my mom asks, pulling her attention back to her.

“Oh, yes, please. Thank you. Red sounds lovely.”

“It will go really well with the steaks too.” She reaches for four glasses and pours a generous amount in each before dispersing them among us. “To new beginnings, to new love, and to new family. We are so thrilled to have you here, Waverly.” My mom’s eyes well with tears as she shifts her gaze between the two of us.

“I’m so happy to be here,” Waverly replies with a hint of emotion in her throat as we all clink our glasses together and then seal the toast with a sip.

“Okay, now get out of here,” my mother says with a wave of her hand. “I’m going to sear off these steaks and then we’ll eat.”

“Sounds good, babe,” my father declares before kissing her on the temple and then suggesting we follow him with a flick of his head. “Let’s go sit in the study.”

As we traipse down the hallway, Waverly stops to peruse some pictures hanging up in the hallway. “I recognize this one,” she says, pointing to a picture of Wes and me at our high school graduation. “Wes has the same one.”

Taking note of our thin frames and hair with bleached tips, I can’t help but smile. “Yeah, we were hot shit.”

Waverly laughs. “That’s what you thought, but I’m here to inform you, you weren’t as hot as you thought you were.”

“That’s a matter of opinion, babe. I had no lack of girls thinking I was hot.” The moment the words leave my lips, I regret them, especially when I see the demeanor of Waverly’s face change. She moves away from me, and I instantly feel like shit.

“So, Waverly, how have you been? It’s been years since we’ve seen you,” my father prods as we enter the study and take a seat on the leather couches and chairs. I sit on the couch, hoping Waverly will sit beside me, but she chooses one of the singular chairs across from me. Okay, then.

“I’ve been well, Mr. Weston.”

“Please, call me Alec.”

She nods before taking a sip of her wine. And then she proceeds to answer all of his questions about her schooling, finding a job, and how Wes is doing.

“No luck on the job hunt then?”

Waverly grimaces with disappointment in her eyes. “Sadly, no. I had an interview last week, but I didn’t get it. I don’t have enough experience.”

I remember coming home that night and seeing her defeat. She insisted she wanted to be alone, but all I wanted was to hold her and promise everything would work out in the end.

See? That is the type of shit that’s messing with my brain.

“You’ll find something,” my father encourages.

“I hope so. I have another interview in a few weeks, but until then, Hayes actually hired me to work on his new club in Vegas.”

My father’s eyes shift over to me. “Mixing business and pleasure, huh, son?”

“Waverly nailed the design. I didn’t have a choice but to hire her.” I shoot a wink over at Waverly as my father directs his attention back to her as well.

“You’ve been busy, it sounds. But not busy enough to marry my son without us knowing, huh?” He lifts his glass to his lips as I feel the energy shift in the room.

“Well…uh, yes, I guess so.”

“Dad,” I warn, wondering how the man I’ve always admired can be so crass right now.

“I’m just trying to wrap my head around this still, son. Forgive me.” He shrugs casually, but I know he’s boiling inside. Fuck, this is worse than I thought.

“Well…” Waverly starts, but I cut her off.

“I pulled my head out of my ass a few months ago, Dad,” I state, standing up and walking over to Waverly, pulling her up by her hand and then leading her back to the couch to sit beside me. Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I kiss her temple and then get more comfortable. “Wes, his fiancé, her friend, and Waverly all came up to visit me in Vegas. We went out, had a few drinks, and then started dancing with each other.”

I recall that night back in November, remembering how much I pissed off Waverly at dinner that night, but then how I couldn’t take my eyes off of her at the club. She was wearing a deep-red, banded dress that clung to every curve on her body. And I tried not to notice, even focused my efforts on one of the cocktail servers that I eventually went back to my room with later that evening. But the way she looked that night, it was a vision I had a hard time forgetting.

“Holding her against me… it just felt right. Everything shifted, Dad. And I realized how alone