“Don’t have the best track record with parents.” His lips purse at the sides. “They see some tatted-up, tall and dark football player with too much money and freedom and they tend to not want me to date their daughters.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” I kiss him. I kiss my boyfriend. “Stop worrying. They’re going to love you. I promise. And Derek and Demi, too. You’ll get to meet everyone, and they’ll just love you.”
He kisses me back, his big hands circling my waist. “If you say so.”
“I know so.” I push off of him, rising slowly. “Come on. Let’s finish packing. I’ve been waiting months for this day.”
I skip toward the kitchenette and work on wrapping dishes in newspaper, humming a quiet tune under my breath, when I spot Zane checking his phone.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Contractor, calling about Magdalena’s,” he says. A couple months ago, Magda’s old house finally hit the market, and he made an all-cash offer that day. Little by little, he’s been hiring contractors to fix it up. It’s been hard to give it the attention it needs when we’re in the throes of football season, but come spring, that place is going to be fully restored and the most beautiful house on its block. “Just letting me know the drywall guys will be there Monday.”
“Perfect.” I beam. “Everything’s running on schedule.”
Zane isn’t sure what he’s going to do with the house when it’s done. He might rent it out or he may donate it to charity. He’d been tossing around the idea of starting a football club for underprivileged youth, a way to sort of “pay it forward,” and they could use the house as headquarters. I told him it was genius, and I offered to do whatever it took to get it off the ground.
He seals up the box on the floor, standing up and stacking it on top of two others by the door.
“Just about finished,” I call out.
“I’m going to start loading up.” He lifts two boxes, making them look light as feathers in his broad arms, and I get the door for him. “Sooner we get going, the sooner our happily ever after can finally begin.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, de la Cruz.” I let out a happy sigh. “It began the day you showed up at my door.”
THE END
AUTHOR’S NOTE: There is a BONUS series epilogue at the end of this book!! Pull up the Table of Contents and click on “Rixton Falls Bonus Epilogue!”
ROYAL (Rixton Falls Book 1)
Copyright
COPYRIGHT 2016 WINTER RENSHAW
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
COVER DESIGN: Louisa Maggio, LM Creations
EDITING: Valorie Clifton
PROOFREADING: Janice Owen and Carey Sullivan
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or, if an actual place, are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
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Quote
“Here lie remains of a ship that sailed too close to the storm
Capsized, grounded, washed-up, sounded . . .
. . . I hear their voices, sirens calling out emergency
for you, for me, for you, for you, for you
for you, for you, for you, for me . . .”
- Sirens, by The Weepies
Description
His name is Royal, but he’s no prince charming. He’s not even a prince—though you could say I loved him once upon a time.
He was my older brother’s best friend.
Growing up, he sat at our dinner table every Sunday, teased me mercilessly, and pretended I annoyed him.
When I was old enough, he took me on my first date.
Royal taught me how to drive. Escorted me to my junior prom. Gave me my first kiss—amongst other things. He was my first taste of toe-curling, all-consuming, can’t sleep love.
We had our whole lives ahead of us. There was never anyone else for me but him.
And then he disappeared. No letter. No explanation. Not even a goodbye.
My sisters and brother never forgave him, and my parents forbade me from speaking his name in our house ever again. For all intents and purposes, we were to pretend that Royal Lockhart never existed.