Second Chance Christmas Bride Read online

  She smiles that breathtaking smile I love. “Okay, Braxton. It will be hard sometimes, but I will do it.”

  “It will be hard, Lil, but that is what makes it fun or, so my dad says.” I never thought I would be quoting my old man.

  “Your dad was always a smart man,” she replies. and it gives me an idea.

  “I’m sure he would he would like to see you again. How about I call him and see what he is up to?”

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” she agrees.

  I call Dad and make sure he is home before Lilly and I get ready. The drive to dad’s takes a half an hour as he lives on the outskirts of town. My mother passed away when I was two of cancer, so I don’t really remember her. She was a beautiful woman from the pictures I have seen, and everyone has always told me I look just like her. I see it too. I have her eyes, her smile, and her cheeks. Dad often told me growing up that I acted just like her.

  Dad owns a small brick house that sits off the road a little bit. Smiling, I grip Lilly’s hand in mind and walk up the steps, letting myself in.

  “Dad,” I call out, letting him know I am here.

  “In the kitchen, Son,” he replies. The smell of lasagna hits me, making my stomach growl.

  When we enter the kitchen, Dad automatically looks up and he smiles when he sees who I brought with me. “I was hoping you would bring her by to see me,” Dad says as he walks over to give Lilly a hug.

  “It’s great to see you, Mr. Baker,” Lilly beams. “It smells wonderful in here.”

  Dad gives me a hug before heading back to the stove. “You both arrived just as I was pulling it out of the oven.”

  “Let’s eat then,” I said, my stomach growling on cue.

  The three of us gather around the kitchen table, with dad sitting at the head of the table and Lilly and I on each side of him.

  “Tell me what you have been doing all these years, Lilly,” Dad says.

  I listen as Lilly catches Dad up on her life. I listen intently as she talks about a decade of her life that I missed. To think of all the memories, we could have made.

  Ridding my head of those thoughts, I continue eating and listening. It’s not going to do me a bit of good to dwell on the past. Lilly is in my life now and we have all the time in the world to make lots of memories.

  Chapter Eight

  Lilly

  “So, there is a ball in December,” I tell Braxton as we lay in bed tangled up in each other’s arms.

  “Oh yeah? What for?” he asks, sounding intrigued.

  “Delilah sent out an invitation to us. It came in the mail today.” I reach over to the nightstand and pick up the invitation, handing it to him. The words are etched in red with a gold background: You’re cordially invited to attend the Elite Matching Making Services Ball. “Do you want to go? It’s December 22nd.”

  “Yeah, it sounds fun and I get to dance with my beautiful woman all evening.” My face turns bright red as it normally does when he compliments me or says something sweet. Braxton is such a sweetheart and I am so lucky to be back in his life.

  I fill out the RSVP and set it aside, hoping I remember to mail it out later. If nothing else, I can just swing by Delilah’s office and drop it off. I have been meaning to call her anyways and catch up. It’s been a while since we have had lunch and talked.

  “Ugh…I don’t want to get ready for work,” I whine, noticing what time it is. “I wish I could skip and lay in bed with you all day.”

  “I wish you could too, Lil.” I love it when he calls me Lil. He is the only one who calls me that, so I cherish it.

  Pressing my lips to his, I kiss him one more time before climbing out of bed and dragging my butt to the shower.

  The day flies by surprisingly quick and before I know it, I am home, packing my bag for a night at Braxton’s. I take a quick shower to get the smell of food and grease off me. We were slammed all day so my feet ache and while I am tired, I am excited to be spending the night with Braxton.

  An hour later, he greets me at the door with a hug and kiss. The smell of food assaults my senses and my stomach growls loudly.

  Braxton chuckles. “I figured you’d be hungry after a long day at work.”

  “Thank you for cooking me dinner. That’s so sweet of you,” I gush, letting him take my hand and lead me into the kitchen where two plates and two wine glasses are placed on the table.

  “I’ve been known to be sweet at times,” he replies with a wink. “Sit down and I will fill your plate for you,” he says, kissing my cheek.

  I take a seat as Braxton pours me a glass of wine. After today, a glass is much needed.

  “I’ve been thinking,” Braxton says and worry courses through me for a split second. I hope it’s nothing bad. “I can see the wheels spinning in your head and judging by the look on your face you’re scared, but I promise you it’s good,” he assures me.

  I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

  “What do you think about us living together?”

  Shocked, I stare at him for a second wondering if he is joking. Braxton and I have only been seeing each other for a couple of months. Is it not too soon to be thinking about this? “Isn’t it too soon. I mean our relationship is still new.”

  Braxton takes my hand. “Lil, I love you. Yes, we have only been together a short time, but you are it for me remember? So, yes while it may sound fast, it’s not for us, not because of our history. You know as well as I do that, we are meant for each other. There is no one else I’d rather spend the rest of my life with than you. What do you say, Lil? Move in with me?”

  I smile, knowing he is right. Neither of can deny the fact that it is meant to be for us. Like Delilah said, we were matched for a reason. “Yes, I will move in with you.”

  “I can’t wait to hold in my arms every night, Lil.”

  Me either, Braxton.

  *~*~*~*

  The next day I head to Delilah’s office with a basket full of goodies for us to eat in her office. Levidia, her assistant, said she has been busy today, so I figure she wouldn’t take time and stop for lunch. It’s noon and I know she doesn’t have another client until one, so I know I’m not interrupting a meeting.

  I knock lightly on the door and let myself in. “Hey, I bro-“ is all I can get out before I gasp and slam the door shut. Oh my god, I did not want to see that. Walking in on Delilah and her husband Kyle having sex in her office makes for an interesting morning.

  “Sorry, Lilly!” I hear Delilah yell.

  “I will just be in the lobby when you are finished,” I reply, clearly embarrassed. My face is ten shades of red for sure.

  A few minutes later, Delilah appears in the lobby, looking rather embarrassed herself. “I am so sorry you walked in on us.”

  “Lock the door next time, will you?” I laugh. “Anyways, I brought you lunch and Braxton and I’s RSVP for the ball. We are looking forward to it!”

  “Awesome, we can eat in my office-”

  I put my hand up to stop her. “No offense, but we are not eating in your office.”

  Delilah blushes again. “Lobby okay?”

  Opening the basket, I pass her a turkey sandwich, a bag of green grapes, and a glass of sweet tea.

  “So, how are things between you and Braxton? Still going strong?”

  “Oh yes, last night he asked me to move in with him.”

  She eyes me curiously. “What did you tell him?”

  “Is it crazy that I said yes?”

  She shakes her head. “No, as long as you and Braxton are happy that’s all that matters. People get too caught up in what other people think and it’s not healthy for a relationship. As long as you and him are happy and your relationship is staying strong then don’t worry about it.”

  It is hard sometimes not to wonder if you are making the right decisions, but Delilah is right. As long as Braxton and I are doing what makes us happy nothing else matters.

  Chapter Nine

  Braxton

  �
�You look stunning, Lil.” Breathtaking is more like it. Lilly will wow people tonight at the ball in her ruby red dress with a slit up to the middle of her thigh, paired with gold high heels and red lipstick. The thought of us skipping the ball and ravishing her all-night crosses my mind, but I push that thought aside. I am going to enjoy a night of dancing with my beautiful woman.

  Her cheeks flush the color of her dress. I love making her blush. “Thank you, Braxton. You clean up well yourself.”

  Lilly and I have been dating for five months now and we moved in together a couple of months ago. Things have been going great. So great that I went out and bought a ring. I have no idea when I plan to ask her either. It’s currently in my pocket for that special moment. I’ve been trying to come up with a romantic setting to propose in, but nothing seems to fit or stand out. Nothing seems good enough or perfect for Lilly.

  I’ve never been to a ball before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but whatever my expectations were, they were completely blown out of the water. Red and gold décor fill the room. There is a chocolate fountain which I will be hitting up later for sure.

  Lilly gasps next to me and I know exactly what she is thinking. Wow! Delilah really outdid herself. But then, I wouldn’t expect anything less from her. Glamourous is the first word to come to mind.

  Delilah steps on stage and everyone grows quiet to listen to her. “Thank you all so much for coming. I’m so happy all of you are here! Tonight, is a night to celebrate love. The love between you and your partner. Tonight, is also a thank you for choosing my business and trusting me to match you with your soulmate. So, have fun, have a cocktail, and dance the night away!” Everyone applauds Delilah for her wonderful speech.

  When the music begins playing, I lean over and whisper in Lilly’s ear. “Dance with me, baby?”

  She smiles up at me. “Of course.”

  As I lead my girl to the dance floor, I notice how happy all of the couples are. Delilah is really good at what she does, and I am so thankful I took a chance on her. I would still be miserable and wondering if I would ever get my happily ever after if I hadn’t trusted her.

  I spin Lilly around on the dance floor a few times until we both need refreshments. We find the bar and grab our drinks before heading to a table. We find a table with a couple sitting at it and decide to join them.

  “Hi, do you mind if we sit by you?” Lilly asks.

  The girl shakes her head. “No, not at all!”

  Lilly introduces us as we take our seats. “My name is Lilly, and this is my boyfriend, Braxton.”

  “It’s nice to meet both of you! I’m Whisper, and this is Luke,” she says, gesturing to the gentleman beside her.

  All four of us getting to chatting and I can tell we will be all hanging out together soon. Lilly and Whisper act like they are best friends already.

  “You Make it Easy” by Jason Aldean begins playing and I instantly know this is my moment. Taking Lilly’s hand, I guide her back to the dance floor and pull her close.

  “I love you so much, Lil,” I murmur, my heart pounding in my chest. “I never knew how miserable I still was until you walked back into my life. You make me so happy and I want to spend forever with you.” Her eyes well with tears and when I drop to one knee they spill down her cheeks. “Marry me, Lilly. I love living life with you and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.”

  “Oh, Braxton, of course I will marry you!”

  Relieved, I slide the ring on her finger and rise to my feet. I capture her lips as I hear cheers erupt around us.

  This night couldn’t be more perfect.

  Epilogue

  Fifteen months later

  Braxton

  Watching my gorgeous woman walk down the aisle in her wedding dress is a moment I will remember for a lifetime. Her form fitting gown shows off her swollen belly. Lila Claire will be making her appearance in just a couple of months and Lilly and I are over the moon excited. When I proposed to her little did I know that I would find out I would be a dad a week later.

  As Lilly places her delicate hand in mine, I know that I have everything I ever wanted with her. I always knew she was the perfect and only girl for me.

  Our wedding was simple and small. Neither of us wanted anything grand so it was perfect that we got married in dad’s backyard. It turned out to be beautiful. Lights hang over the back patio which is currently the makeshift dancefloor for our first dance. Lilly and the wedding planner did a phenomenal job decorating. We invited maybe thirty people to our wedding. I didn’t care if no one showed. As long as my dad was there, I would be happy no matter what because I was marrying my soulmate.

  Everything has fallen into place and I couldn’t be happier. Lilly and I found the perfect home for us to raise a family in and we both have our dream jobs. Lilly opened her own restaurant three months ago and business is booming. I couldn’t be prouder of her. All of her hard work finally paid off. She was scared to take that leap of faith, but with my encouragement and support she did it. With Whisper managing the restaurant, it has been a huge help to Lilly. After the ball, we kept in touch with Luke and Whisper and we all get together for a double date once a week.

  Placing my hand on her swollen stomach, I lean in and capture her lips. “I can’t wait for our daughter to be here, Lil.”

  “We have to be patient remember? I would love for her to be here now too, but she still needs to cook a little while longer. I want her to be perfectly healthy.”

  *~*~*~*

  Lilly

  Two months later

  Lila Claire Baker has finally made her appearance and she is so beautiful. Braxton and I are so in love with her and we both may have shed a few tears when she was first placed in my arms.

  “You did so good, Lil,” Braxton murmurs, kissing my temple as I cradle Lila against my chest.

  “We did good,” I correct him.

  The door opens and in walks George, Braxton’s dad. “It’s Grandpa’s turn now. Stop hogging her. You’re her parents so you will have all the time in the world with her.” Braxton chuckles and I smile at his dad as I hand over Lila to him. All of us are going to have a hard time not holding her constantly. I guess everyone is like that with their new baby.

  Then George asks a question that leaves Braxton and I speechless. “So, when am I getting another grandbaby?”

  “Dad give us time. You have one to spoil for now until we decide to have another,” Braxton says. Braxton and I have discussed how many kids we each would like to have a few months ago. We both agree that we would like a big family so more babies are definitely in the future.

  “I’m not getting any younger, son.”

  “You say that all the time, old man.”

  “You will be the first to know when we decide to have another baby,” I add. For now, Braxton and I need time to adjust to be new parents. Maybe a year from now we can think about baby number two.

  For now, Braxton and I will just enjoy Lila.

  As I reflect on the past couple of years, I realize that everything happens when it’s supposed to. Life is never straight and narrow as it takes you on several detours of heartbreak and struggles, but in the end, you reach your destination. Braxton was my destination. I know that no matter what other obstacles life throws at us, we will always be holding hands and helping each other through it.

  He’s my forever.

  I can’t wait to see what else is in store for us.

  *~*~*~*

  Five years later

  Braxton

  Life with Lilly and the kids is never dull. Lila, our oldest daughter is five, Lincoln, our son is three, and our twin girls, Lillian and Lilliana, are one. Lilly’s restaurant, which she named after our first child, Lila, has still been going strong. I’m still at the law firm, which I own now. Dad has retired and is now a full-time grandfather.

  Lincoln and I are definitely out numbered at home, so he and I usually end up getting out of the house for some guy time each day.

/>   Today, when I get home from work, the house is unusually quiet. “Lilly?” I call out for her.

  “In the bedroom,” she calls back.

  “Lilly, where-” I’m at a loss for words when I see my wife lying on our bed, naked. “Holy shit,” I murmur, drinking in my wife’s beauty.

  “Come here, husband,” she says, crooking her finger at me. My wife never ceases to amaze me. “I have a surprise for you.”

  My lips are so close to devouring her, but I refrain. It takes every ounce of will to keep from mauling her. “Oh yeah? I kind of thought you being naked and waiting for me was the surprise.”

  “Are you ready to add to the madness?” she asks.

  I’m momentarily confused, but when I gaze into her eyes and notice her watery smile, it hits me. “Are you pregnant?”

  “Yes, we are going to have another baby, Braxton.”

  I grin from ear to ear. “I love you so much, Lilly.” Kneeling down, I press a kiss to her flat stomach. “You better be a boy. Lincoln and I are outnumbered here,” I say to my unborn child.

  My restraint breaks and my lips find hers. I will never be able to get enough of my wife.

  It’s crazy to think that a matchmaking service brought Lilly back to me. We got our second chance at love and have made the most beautiful life with it.

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to everyone who supports me and my writing. I am so very thankful for your support. Thank you for being patient with me while I try to get something published for you guys.

  To Sarah, thank you for being my bad ass friend and for being there for me this past year. I love you chick!

  Readers, I wouldn’t be where I am today without you! Thank you for continuing to love my characters and their stories.

  And finally, thank you to MK Moore and KL Fast for letting me be a part of this!

  Shelby lives in Sweet Home Alabama with her son. When she is not working you can find her spending time with family, sleeping, or going on adventures. Shelby loves to travel and is obsessed with Harry Potter, Alabama Football, and One Tree Hill.