Twist of Fate by Louise, Tia (free ebook reader for ipad .txt) 📗

I hug him, breathing him in, doing my best not to cry. “Then it was delayed again, and I couldn’t stop thinking… What was I doing there? And the longer I sat, the angrier I got. Until finally, I was so pissed, I walked out and rented a car.”

I sit up, wiping the tears that have spilled over onto my cheeks. “But… why were you angry?”

“I was angry at myself.” His brow is furrowed. “I don’t want to go back to L.A. I want to be here with you and Melody.”

My heart swells in my chest. “You do?”

His pretty blue eyes meet mine, and he cups the side of my face with his hand. “It’s the only thing I want. All that shit happened so fast, it took me a minute to catch up.”

I nod, blinking, taking in his sexy smile, his beautiful face, my protector… my hero.

“Sitting in that airport, all I could think was you’re the person I want to share my dreams with. I love to act, but I don’t love Hollywood.” His voice turns gentle. “I love you, Daisy. I belong with you.”

A smile splits my cheeks, and he goes blurry in my tears. “You love me?”

“I love you.” He pulls my lips to his, kissing me sweetly. “I want to marry you. I want to be a family with you and my little princess. Will you marry me, Tink? Will you be my wife?”

I’m nodding as I say the words. “Yes…” A laugh breaks in my throat, and I hug myself to his chest again. “Yes, I’ll marry you. I’ll be your wife.”

Strong arms wrap around me so tight. He stands holding me, and I’m laughing and crying, cupping his face and kissing him.

“This is the movie I want to star in.”

“Not the one that ends at the prom?”

“No.” His voice is husky, hungry. “The one where I get to keep you, and we’re together forever.”

Our eyes meet, and I look so deep into his. “You chose my dream over yours.”

“I chose our dream.”

“I love you, Scout Dunne.”

That smile that could light up all of Hollywood breaks across his face. “I love you, beautiful Daisy.”

Another long kiss, lips parting, tongues curling together. Heat rises between us, and he carries me to the bedroom, spreading me out on the bed. As he strips off his shirt and slowly works his way up, worshiping my body, my eyes roll shut.

His warm tongue slides between my thighs, and my back arches higher as pleasure floods my body. My eyes flutter shut, and I realize, even though we have our own dreams, we’ve always had this dream together.

He kisses me, until I’m coming, then enters me with a long thrust. We moan and move together like the waves on the ocean. I wrap my arms around his shoulders. His arms are around my waist.

My eyes are closed as we become one, as our souls unite in a future together.

It’s not what fate had in mind. It’s the ending we never saw coming. Maybe sometimes you see the twist, and sometimes it catches you by surprise. Whichever way you get there, whatever path it takes, the best kind gives you exactly what you’ve always wanted.

No more fear, no wrong choices. A love that started in a junkyard and ended up a happily ever after.

Epilogue

*Author’s Note: The epilogue contains spoilers for THIS MUCH IS TRUE, J.R.’s single-dad romance. If you hate spoilers, hop over and Read TMIT first (link—it’s FREE in Kindle Unlimited and on audio!). Then come back and finish reading when you’re done!

* * *Scout

We’re standing on a patch of white beach under an arbor covered in roses, lilies, oversized white hydrangeas, and of course, daisies.

Sly went all out on the flower decorations for our wedding, putting J.R. and me to work carrying scrap metal, hammering, and building the base of an oversized structure. When she finished, she’d made a living arrangement of Daisy as Tinkerbell, Melody as the quarterback princess, and me as the brave knight Daddy.

Daisy complained none of these characters go together, and I was quick to correct her. We go together like chocolate and peanut butter… She made a face. Peanut butter and jelly? A nose wrinkle. Oreos and milk. Bingo. With ice cream on top.

“Do you, Bradley Scout Dunne, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?” The minister stands between us with Melody in the middle, holding both our hands.

“You bet I do.” I give Daisy a wink, and she shakes her head.

She’s so pretty in a short, chiffon dress with a headband of daisies in her hair. Melody’s in a lace dress wearing her “flower crown” as well.

Daisy said something about how their dresses are vintage Givenchy. Then she went on to tell me how much they were worth and how worth is determined by who wore it and if there’s a photo… I kind of zoned halfway through.

In case you’re wondering, I’m in a plain black suit. No pedigree.

Melody put her toy football in my pocket, and when I was still too plain, she put her little knight figure in my other pocket, because that’s who I am, she said.

“Do you, Daisy Kate Sales, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do.” Her voice is soft, so serious, and I’m ready to kiss her.

Kind of like every day.

The minister pronounces us husband and wife, tells me to kiss my bride, and I do just that as the small group of friends and family bursts into applause. The ocean breeze rises around us, and our daughter wraps her arms around our legs and buries her face between us.

“Come here, princess.” Breaking away, I scoop her up. She pulls the football from my pocket, creating the perfect photo op and making everyone laugh.

Our reception is steps away at the largest hotel on Oceanside Beach, where a live band plays standards for the first few hours, long enough to allow the older guests to hang out and