Secret surrender, p.26
Secret Surrender, page 26
“You know, if it weren’t for the sheriff, and even my pain-in-the-ass ex being on your side, making me feel like maybe I wasn’t totally out of my mind for caring about you…” She smiled, lifting her hands now and returning his embrace, her heart swelling, while his heat finally seeped into her cold and rattled bones. “I’d be more likely to run you over right now than say what I’m about to say…”
His pupils narrowed, an element of his enticing wickedness coming through. “And what’s that?”
“First, that while you’ve been quick to point out how much you think I love you, you’ve given a bunch of apologies and not nearly enough claims of your own love for me.” He moved to speak, but she shook her head, cutting him off. “Second, when I commit to trying something, it’s impossible for me to be half-hearted about it. So, if I do say yes to trying to make a relationship with you work, you have zero chances to mess up again, got it? You better damn well not let me down, or I swear to the devil herself, I will run you over.”
He let out a chuckle and caressed her face with an endearing level of firmness. “Shit, woman. I’ve had literal bullets flying at me tonight, and even those weren’t half as scary as you are right now.”
She tilted her chin down and stared up at him, holding back a chuckle while she warned him to let loose with the promises, or else…
“Dean…”
“Sarah…” A smile tugged at his lips, one he soon let run wild into a foolish grin. His dimples finally shone through, and that sweet expression caused her heart to do a quick double beat. “I love you.”
Everything within her stilled. As much as she’d told him to say it, those words nevertheless floored her, the entire world seeming to disappear.
Those words spilled forward. Free and easy. As though he’d kept them safe his entire life just for her. And maybe he had, because right then, in that moment, her tears spilled again. Happy tears. And he leaned in and sealed his words with a kiss, one that devoured her with force and significance, his hands pulling her in and crushing any last speck of doubt.
He pulled away, his smile softened, and this time when he spoke, emotion seemed to turn his voice into a rough whisper. “Sarah Overton, I love you.”
Epilogue
Epilogue: Two months later
Sarah smiled at Dean seated beside her in the bleachers at Memorial Stadium, a midseason baseball game playing out on the field. The Harlow Braves played the Marston Giants, and in light of recent events, her brother, Chip, had come home from Boston to reconnect with her and to not-so-secretly suss out Dean.
Chip, also a more-than-decent baseball player, stood at the plate. In her years away from the tennis court, he’d taken over as the family’s overachiever, both in sports and through his software engineering major at MIT. Sarah wasn’t all that surprised when he swung the bat and hit a home run.
The Harlow crowd roared and he threw the bat, bolting past the bases and back to the home plate in no time at all. Dean shuffled beside her for what seemed like the millionth time, his behavior generally unsettled all day.
She leaned into him and whispered through gritted teeth, “You okay?”
This was his first large-scale social event since that dramatic week where Blaine and Emilia had outed him as a former syndicate member, only for the syndicate itself to come looking for him. She could kind of understand his discomfort.
“I’m fine.” He reached across and patted her knee. “Just have one of those feelings, you know?”
She peered up at him and raised a brow. “Ahh. No. I have no idea what ‘feeling’ you’re talking about.”
He kept his attention pinned ahead, posture still stiff and jaw equally rigid. “Never mind. Hard to explain. Just feel like something big is about to happen.”
She chuckled to herself, shaking her head. What was with his staccato phrases?
He turned to her and smiled, a hard worker who hadn’t let adversity stop him, yet still carrying the pressure to reinvent himself in the eyes of this entire town. Things hadn’t been easy in the days after everyone found out he was staying.
Even as she’d learned of Ramos and his involvement in saving her life, there’d been little time to thank the man properly. He’d decided his presence would cause Dean more problems and promptly returned to LA with promises to visit Harlow when tensions died down. Given the deluge of side glares and painful silences that followed, he’d been right. Though no one was outwardly horrid to Dean, it was clear many wanted to keep their distance.
So, she’d come up with the idea of setting him up on a stool at the bar, and anyone who gave him time and a chance to explain, got a free drink. Of course, the idea horrified Dean, but bless Aggie, she’d been the first to throw her hand in the air and quite literally cuddle up to him.
The sheriff had been next, though without the cuddling. The mood at Maynard’s truly changed when Blaine and Emilia went next. Emilia had shed tears, her full-circle moment clear to everyone when she threw her arms around Dean and parted with a smile. More and more people approached him after that.
The “redemption” stool remained at the bar for a full month, and one by one, Dean won most people over, all while he insisted on paying her and the bar back for each drink. Now he and Sarah fielded lunch invitations more than they did glares, even though a small minority of people still weren’t convinced, Ally included.
Meanwhile, Dean’s years of storing evidence proved invaluable to the case against Luciano Conti. Luciano’s East Coast syndicate arm was fast falling apart, many of his cronies having bailed the day the sheriff arrested Luciano. Dean’s corroboration meant he was able to negotiate a reopening of his military case.
A lot of his service peers had retired over the years and didn’t have to fear professional repercussions, which meant new hope they might start talking about what they saw the night of Dean’s altercation with his sergeant.
Sheriff Marlin had discussed maybe retiring in the coming years if Dean’s case went well. His past charges were limited to misdemeanors that would be cleared if his case reopening went well. He’d be starting over with a clean record, and his military training, and even his experience with the inner workings of the syndicate, made him a good candidate to take over as sheriff if he wished.
Sarah stared down the row of seats to her right, her gaze catching with Blaine’s. He gave her a gentle smile, his arm wrapped around Emilia, while Ally sat next to them busy watching the game. Sarah smiled back at Blaine, her hand over Dean’s on her knee. Somehow things had worked out for her and her ex-fiancé.
She turned toward the field where play paused for a break, her brother running up the bleachers in her direction. Eventually, he puffed and stood before her, his hands on his hips, and his hazel eyes glinting. “Did you see that?”
“Sure did.” She nodded and rose, instant joy taking up space in her chest while her brother wrapped her in a hug. “What did college do to my weaselly little Chip?”
He laughed and pulled away, adjusting the blue baseball cap crammed over his dark blond hair. “I do occasionally step away from my computer.”
“Seeing as you moved into my house three days ago, and this is the first time anyone in town has seen you, I’m going to assume you’re not joking when you say occasionally.” She waited as he laughed again and ripped off his baseball cap to swipe sweat from his brow.
While Chip used her house to work on some special software project, she’d moved into Dean’s—a win-win situation since she got more time with the man she loved. Well, between her shifts at the bar and him trying to establish things with work. She’d even started to genuinely consider applying for local funding to set up a tennis program in Harlow, so unlike her, residents of all ages wouldn’t have to go out of town to learn or play.
Chip’s smile faded a little, and she followed his gaze to Dean—firmly lost in his own world, his unfocused attention still pinned forward.
“Hey.” She nudged him with her knee. He blinked and snapped his gaze to her, yet still said nothing.
“I think the man’s seen better days.” Chip maintained his cheeky grin.
She frowned at her brother before inspecting Dean again, his face lifted and his expression tight, as if he had something serious to say to her but couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Oh no. Her heart sank and she shook her head, her mind running over the last couple of months and every horrible thing that had happened.
What now? What else could go wrong?
Chip had a goofy grin on his face, one he pointed at Dean, only adding to her confusion. “You better come out with it, man. She looks like she’s about to curl up on the ground and cry.”
She scowled at her brother, but Dean gave him a slow, resigned sort of nod, his hand disappearing into his pocket.
Despite what Chip had said about her going to the ground, Dean slid from his seat and onto one knee. The softened edge to his gaze had her backing away, the slight tick of his cheek through his sheepish smile turned her insides all weak and pained. She continued backing away, but Chip caught her at the shoulders. “You’re gonna wanna stay for this, sis.”
She gave a numb nod, her attention glued on Dean, for once in her life merely doing as she was told.
“Sarah Overton.” A quick hush took over the hundred or so people around her, Dean’s voice holding a low and raspy tone that still somehow made her feel like the only woman there. “This might seem a bit fast, but I can’t imagine any other future or even a single day without you. So, please—if you need me to, I’ll beg—but please, will you marry me?”
A pitchy laugh tumbled from her lips. One that made her sound momentarily manic, her hand flying to her mouth before her laugh turned into a strange sort of laugh-cry, and a swell of tears washed down her cheeks. “You’re sure about this?”
He nodded, the tension on his cheeks slipping away in a look of empathy. “Never more sure.”
Chip gestured to the world at large. “Hey, sis. A bunch of these people are going to fall straight outta their seats if you don’t reply soon.”
She peered about at all the gaping and wide-eyed faces staring back at her before scowling at her brother, that scowl holding no real malice. “You knew about this, didn’t you?”
The stupid grin on his face grew even wider. “A good best man knows how to keep a secret.”
Her jaw dropped open, and she turned to Dean, another incredulous laugh breaking passed her messy tears. “Best man? You’re already making plans?”
“Plans…” Dean shrugged. “Dreams…” He produced a loose ring, with a thin, yellow gold band and a small blue sapphire edged with white diamonds, from his jeans pocket. “What I don’t have is an answer.”
He smiled now, and those stunning blue eyes of his glittered. She shook her head and laughed again, lighter this time, while she leaned down and cupped his face, pulling him up so he stood before her.
Much to everyone’s apparent despair, she drew the waiting out a little longer, wanting to savor the hope on his face, this moment like a gasping breath at the end of a long dive.
Despite all the Harlow residents leaning in to hear what she would say, Dean was close enough that she could whisper her answer for him alone. “Yes, Mr. Holloway. Yes. Yes. And yes.”
Instant relief spread through her body, releasing a strain that had been there for years. Dean swept her up, and her feet dangled as he unleashed a full-bodied kiss. A roar of cheers exploded all around her. Suddenly, and for the first time ever, everything about her life felt right.
He lowered her to the ground and opened his hand, the diamonds on her ring glinting in the sun atop his giant palm before he placed the ring on her finger.
She turned to Chip. “Happy with yourself now?”
He shook his head all too eagerly. “We’re not finished.”
Trumpets erupted around her—literal trumpets—and she startled and spun toward the field where Harlow High’s marching band entered the pitch flanked by cheerleaders. She turned to her brother to say something, but he was busy gawping into the crowd—his line of sight leveled on Ally Egan, someone who'd meant so much to him, and someone he hadn't seen in ten years.
Chip marched off, ignoring the band, and Sarah laughed, slapping her palm playfully to the solid wall of Dean’s chest. “For a rough, tough man of mystery, you sure are a dork. A really big dork.”
“The best part is…” He nuzzled into her and pressed a kiss to the top corner of her forehead. “I don’t have to pretend anymore. I’m your dork, you love me, and you’re stuck with me.”
She tilted her head against his shoulder and watched the show ahead, happy tears still rolling down her cheeks because, despite all odds and assumptions, she and Dean had learned from each other. Not all stories were set in stone. At any moment, something or someone could come along and unlock a whole other future, one fuller and brighter than anyone could foresee.
“You bet I love you. And Dean Holloway, you’re stuck with me, too.”
***
Dear Reader,
I hope Secret Surrender was a thrilling read for you. I would love to keep connecting with you as a reader, so this is an official invitation for you to join my newsletter.
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Now, you’re probably wondering about a number of hanging details from this book, like, will the tension between Sarah and Ally continue? And, woah, Chip’s back, what will happen with him and Ally? And of course, we all know the syndicate won’t stop now that Luciano has been caught, which means you must delve into Secondhand Secrets — The Harlow Series, Book Three, to find out what happens next!
Flip the page for the blurb to Secondhand Secrets so that you can get a better idea of the intrigue to come. But rest assured, this charming small town still has a lot more danger and drama coming its way.
Happy Reading!
x Katerina Simms
Secondhand Secrets
THE HARLOW SERIES, BOOK 3
Small town romance meets high-tech suspense. Can a software genius defeat a mafia kingpin?
Ally Egan is a starry-eyed artist with a broken heart. She would do just about anything to get away from her close-knit small-town and travel the world. But her childhood friend, Chip Overton, has returned to make her escape even more unlikely.
Chip, software genius extraordinaire, has always loved Ally. The peace of home should have given him a break from his domineering father, whilst providing space to make the breakthrough that would define his career. But with Ally back in his life, he’s determined to have her see him as more than her geeky best friend.
Pity a ruthless crime boss has set his sights on Chip’s work. Now Chip must race against time to keep everyone in Harlow safe. Most of all, Ally!
If you enjoy Virgin River, slow-burn romance, quaint country towns, and a touch of suspense; you’ll love Secondhand Secrets.
Buy today to curl up with this bold small town romance with a sinister mafia twist!
*Turn the page for a sneak peek of a preview chapter!
Secondhand Secrets (Preview)
CHAPTER ONE
Ally Egan gawped at the wayward baseball shooting across the field toward her head, her eyes instinctively—and perhaps, nonsensically—clenching shut against the eminent impact.
“Whoa, Ally!”
A hand yanked her off-balance, and she re-opened her eyes just in time to land on Emilia Bonacci; Emilia’s fiancé, Blaine, catching both women before they hit the ground.
The moment of collision passed, and Ally turned to Fred Harding in the bleacher behind, the sixty-year-old doing a little jig while waving his wrinkled-leather mitt in the air, the ball inside.
“You okay?” Emilia’s voice cut through again, and Ally set about straightening and brushing stray locks of cropped blonde hair from her eyes.
How embarrassing. Still, she couldn’t exactly complain about being spared an excruciating meeting with a hard, white orb, so she twisted around to Emilia—her friend of just a few months—and offered an appreciative smile. “Yeah, thanks for the save.”
The fuss over the stray ball settled, and she tugged at the crooked hem of her baby pink cardigan, the bitter scent of beer wafting around her. Next, she steeled her focus back to the pitch where an early summer game played out between the home team, The Harlow Braves, and neighboring rivals, The Marston Giants.
The next batter stepped to the plate, some new guy she’d never seen in Harlow before, much less play for Harlow… How odd. She cupped her hand over her brow and squinted for a better look, struggling to figure how this person had joined the team so fast, much less without her notice or any mention in this gossipy town.
I guess this is what I get for avoiding Maynard’s Tavern or, more precisely, the owner, Sarah Overton…
