"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"No, it's fine. I guess I was just a little lost in thought. I hope you don't mind me hanging around."
"Not at all. I'm glad you stayed. I'm sure Mia wants you here. I owe you an apology. You did what you thought was best in order to protect her, and I'm not just saying that because she came through this relatively unscathed. Mia and I have a pretty rocky relationship. I've given her a hard time about her career over the past few years, and this situation made me realize all the time I'd wasted because I was too busy critiquing her choices. Today, before we knew how badly she was hurt, I thought I might lose her. I was petrified I'd never get the chance to make things right between us. I know you probably think I'm a wacko for laying all of this on you, but I just want you to understand why I reacted the way I did. It doesn't excuse my behavior, but I hope you can forgive me."
"If we're being honest here, can I tell you something?"
"Of course."
"I'm in love with your daughter. I've never felt this way about anyone before. So I was more than a little nervous when you, um… reacted to me earlier. I was scared I wouldn't get a chance to redeem myself."
"I'm so happy you did."
"Me too."
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
"I'M GLAD MOM IS COMING HOME today. I miss her so much."
"She's going to need lots of help when she gets to your grandma's house. But I know you've got that covered."
"Yep, Grandma and I set up her old bedroom so she'll be super comfortable."
"She's lucky to have you for a daughter, you know that?"
"Yeah. And I think she's going to be really excited about her treat."
"Sounds like you might be a little excited too. But you didn't cheat and steal a sip. I'm impressed."
"Mom should have the first sip."
"Gotcha." He pushed the door open to find Mia sitting on the bed in the sweats he'd brought the day before. Her eyes lit up as Chloe ran to her. "Hi, baby! I missed you."
"Mommy, I love you so much. And look! We brought you a smoothie from Jamba Juice."
"I can think of no better treat, other than the two of you, of course."
Chris handed her a large plastic cup. "How do you feel today, gorgeous?"
"So much better now that you guys are here. Although, I could probably do with a little more Motrin." She took a long pull on the straw. "Mmm. This is almost as good."
"So what's next? Do we need the doctor to discharge you?" He looked around at the vases lining the room. "I hope you're not in a rush. It's gonna take me a few trips to get all these flowers out of here. Good thing I brought Rachel's car."
"Yeah, a lot of this stuff is from Paul. He's stopped by every day to check in."
"You're his right hand. He was pretty rattled by the news and wanted to make sure you had everything you needed."
Chloe hopped onto the bed and tapped a finger to her cheek. "Um, excuse me, but can I ask a question?"
"Sure, sweetie, what's up?"
"Well… I was just wondering. Are you guys… like boyfriend-girlfriend now?"
"If we were, how would you feel about that?"
He gnawed his upper lip. They'd never gotten the chance to talk to Chloe about their relationship before the attack. She'd never had to worry about anyone else claiming her mother's attention before. Would she be able to deal with it?
"I see how happy Aunt Jana and Uncle Sean are together and how much they love each other. I want you to have that too. I think you should definitely be boyfriend and girlfriend."
The deep breath he'd been holding was finally expelled. "I can't think of anything I'd want more."
"Yay! This is awesome! Two basketball coaches!"
"Whoa! That one's still up for discussion." Mia pointed at Chris, a playful grin on her lips.
"Here we go again. Your mom's not so impressed with my basketball prowess."
"Prowess is a pretty powerful word, don't you think?"
"You're lucky I have a weakness for smoking-hot, Type-A Jamba Juice junkies," he breathed against her ear.
"Believe me, I know."
"Aww." Chloe slurped the last of her smoothie. "You guys are so cute, I can't take it."
EPILOGUE
"SHOW SOME HUSTLE, CHLOE! DON'T LET him get away with that." Mia stretched her hamstrings. "Chris, you're so competitive. She's just a kid."
Chloe giggled as Chris playfully hovered around her, making the shot impossible. "No fair. You're totally fouling me!"
"Aww, do you need your mommy to come out here and help you?" Chris tapped the ball out of her hands and trotted backward down the other end of the court.
"Oh!" Chloe ran after Chris and smacked the ball away from him. It bounced out of his hands, and she spun to grab it. Her feet pounded the concrete as she raced down the opposite end of the court at full speed, and shot from the foul line. The ball sank into the net with a clean swish.
"Yeah! And that's how it's done! I'm taking a break." She pulled out a bottle of water and held it up, a wide smile plastered on her face. "Hey, Chris, do you want some water? You look a little thirsty. Bet you're not used to being beaten by a kid."
"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to gloat?" He grabbed Mia and nuzzled her neck, sending shivers down her back. "I love her, you know."
"I do know. She loves you too."
"So you decided to mess around on your phone instead of helping her out, huh? Not cool, Mom."
"I was reading an email from my friend at Major League. I really can't believe how things turned out."
"Yeah. Crazy shit. The guy was really messed up, way more than anyone knew."
The events of that fateful day were forever etched into her memory. The fear and panic remained for months afterward. So much had happened since then. But they were safe now, and that was what really mattered.
"It was all over the news this week. They said his body was barely identifiable in the wreckage. I still can't believe those attempted murder charges didn't hold up in court." Her muscles tensed. "That bastard lawyer had some nerve. Insanity plea?"
"Well, Daddy's big-time legal team got him off and gave him just enough rope to hang himself. The newspapers said he was so doped up he probably didn't even know what planet he was on when he crashed into that tree. It's over now. We never have to think about him again."
Mia gave the rim of his cap a playful slap. "Are you done with your little show? I know you're trying really hard to impress me, but I'd like to play for real now."
"Are you implying my game is weak?"
"You're pretty perceptive. Now, are you gonna do something about it?"
"Yeah, I am. But first…" He waved his arm overhead. "Hey, Chloe, can I get a towel please? Your mom doesn't seem to believe it, but I did work up a sweat."
"Here you go. It's probably a good time for a break anyway."
"All you guys want to do is rest. Talk about two peas in a pod."
"Actually, it's more like three…" Chris took Mia's hand and pulled off his cap.
"Huh?"
He flashed that dimpled smile, the one that made her heart flutter every time, and fell to one knee. Oh God… was he…?
With a flourish, he pulled a tiny velvet box out of the towel and opened it to reveal a large, glinting diamond engagement ring.
"Oh!" Her eyes filled with tears. Her heart hammered in her chest, the gentle touch of his lips to her skin sending tingles up her arms.
"Mia, you've made me feel more alive than I ever thought possible. Before I met you, I never realized what I was missing. But now I know, and I can't live without you. You and Chloe give my life meaning, and I want us to be a real family." He paused with a smile. "I love you so much. Will you marry me? Even though you can run circles around me on the basketball court?"
"Yes!" She threw her arms around him and buried her head in his neck. "I love you. I always will."
"Yay!" Chloe danced around them, clapping and cheering. "We really got her, did
n't we?"
"We sure did, kiddo." He held up the ring. "Can I put this on you now?"
Mia nodded, mesmerized by the facets sparkling in the sunlight. "It's so gorgeous."
"You can thank The McMillen Group. Good thing the check came in when it did."
"Big spender. Diamond ring, new car. Good thing they're letting you keep your day job, otherwise you'd be broke pretty soon."
"Well, I needed the new car. I couldn't very well operate with a two-seater anymore, right?"
"Absolutely, and an Aston Martin is totally a family car. Bond… James Bond."
"Hey, I got the four-door coupe, didn't I? Gotta take good care of both my girls." He slid the ring on Mia's finger.
"It's absolutely perfect," she breathed.
"You changed my life, and I want to spend the rest of my days making you as happy as you've made me. What do you think? Can you handle me forever?"
Mia grazed his flushed cheek, drinking in the bliss of that precious moment. Everything she'd ever wanted was watching her expectantly, awaiting the answer. "Of course. You know how much I love a challenge."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KRISTEN LUCIANI is a self-proclaimed momtrepreneur with a penchant for Christian Louboutins, Silicon Valley (the place and the show), plunging necklines, and grapefruit martinis. As a deep-rooted romantic who prefers juicy drama to fill the lives of anyone other than her, she tried her hand at creating a world of enchantment, sensuality, and intrigue, finally uncovering her true passion. No pun intended…
Connect with Kristen:
Author website: www.KristenLuciani.com
Blog: www.TheIdeaMama.com
Twitter: @kristen_luciani
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Kristen-Luciani-613340008713414
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/KRISTEN/LUCIANI
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/8341231.Kristen_Luciani
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/kluciani0320
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I AM SO THANKFUL TO EVERYONE who made Nothing Ventured come to life! I feel incredibly blessed to have such an amazing support network. Terry, I love you more than words could express. Thank you for always encouraging me to follow my dreams and to keep driving forward. Lulu, Cooper and George, you guys light me up every day and I'm so lucky to have you in my life!
To Ryan, we may be an unlikely pair but we're fabulous together… as business partners, as fellow authors, and most of all, as friends.
To my fearless P4 cohorts, Shealy, Ryan and Mia, you're amazing and I'm so glad we found each other. #leadingladies
To Becca, I'm so grateful for your friendship. I am thrilled we met and I look forward to eating trash pie with you and the head stylist of The Stiletto Click, the lovely Emmy. We will, one day…
To Cindy, thank you for always getting my head in the right place. I'm a better author for it.
To my new friends at Blue Tulip Publishing, Nate, Rachel, Paula and Kathleen, thank you for this incredible opportunity! I am so excited to work with you and look forward to great things in the future!
To the best fan club ever, The Stiletto Click, I'm so thankful for your support! I love our chats about the finer things in life, like key lime martinis, sexy stilettos, steamy romance novels and smoking hot heroes. You're the best!
To my readers, I couldn't do any of this without you. You inspire me to create and share the best stories possible. THANK YOU!
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Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
EPILOGUE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ALSO FROM BLUE TULIP PUBLISHING