So Much More: An Alabama Summer Novella Page 7

  “I’d like to take care of this today, if everyone’s finished speaking up and ruining the moment.” I sweep my gaze across the table, brows lifted in question. “We good? Anything else?”

  “You might wanna kneel,” some guy I don’t even know suggests from the crowd.

  I realize then all eyes are on us, on me and what I’m about to do. And looking to Riley, to her sweet face studying that box like it’s the most precious thing she’s ever held in her hands, the tears in her eyes, her head nodding like crazy, already answering the question I have yet to even ask, suddenly, I forget why the fuck I was nervous about this in the first place.

  I’m doing this here in front of everyone for a reason.

  I’m giving her this moment to look back on and remember who she shared it with, knowing the most important people to Riley are filling this room, and the ones that couldn’t make it will apparently see a video.

  This is how I’ve had it planned for the past three months. And that look on her face is why.

  I can stand a little attention for that look. It’s worth it.

  “Do you wanna open it?” I ask her, my voice carrying like we’re the only ones in the bar now that everyone’s gone quiet. Even the music got turned down at some point. “I was gonna do it, do the whole present it to you thing, but if you—”

  Riley quickly shoves the box against my chest and pulls back. “You can do it,” she rushes out, hands knotting together and pressing against her stomach.

  I chuckle, watching Riley give me the prettiest smile I think she’s ever given me and cutely shrug her shoulders.

  “I’d hate to ruin the moment,” she teases.

  “Certainly not.” Clearing my throat, I drop to one knee and look up at her.

  Tears start spilling down her face.

  “CJ, what are you doing down there?” Nolan asks me.

  I lower my head for a breath as collective chuckles fill the room, then looking down the bar, I spot Nolan hanging over the edge, head tilted down and face serious. His mask is off now and his hair is wild. Hattie’s holding on to him so he doesn’t fall onto the floor.

  “Asking Ms. Riley to marry me,” I annouce.

  At those words, Riley whimpers.

  “For real? That’s really what you’re doing?” Nolan questions before pushing up and looking toward the table. “Mom, I gotta do this for Ryan. This is what I’m talking about.”

  “For fuck’s sake,” I grunt, keeping my voice low, but Riley hears me and giggles.

  I look up at her with pleading eyes.

  “Oh, baby. Come here,” Mia urges, sniffling, a steady stream of tears pouring down her face now too. “We’ll talk about it later. Let CJ do his thing.”

  “Yes. Everyone please.” Riley stomps her foot and shushes the crowd. “Let my man do his thing,” she says, smiling at me and lifting her chin.

  Shaking my head, grinning, already thinking this is the best fucking proposal in the books just going off her reaction alone, I pause, but only to make sure I don’t get interrupted again, before I finally open the box and lift it for her to see.

  Riley gasps, hand flying up to her mouth.

  “I think you know how crazy I am about you,” I begin, watching the best thing that’s ever happened to me finally pry her eyes off the ring to look into my face. “I don’t think you know how I’ll go out of my mind if I can’t spend every day of my life with you.”

  “Aww,” Reed says.

  I grit my teeth. “I’m regrettin’ asking your permission.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  Riley looks shocked. “You asked his permission?”

  I nod. “His. Your parents’. I’m suddenly wondering if I need to take a moment and survey the room.”

  Riley bursts into laughter, along with the crowd gathered around us. “Please don’t take another minute,” she says. “Oh my God. I’ll die if you don’t ask me soon.”

  I smile at her, looking down briefly before meeting her eyes again. “We were always meant for this, darlin’, and for everything that’s coming after this. And there’s a lot coming. I’m telling you—I want it all. Whatever it is. And I want it with you. Will you marry me?”

  “Yes!” she shouts, as if she’s been holding that one word in her entire life, just waiting on me so she can say it.

  Clapping, cheering, and hollering, the crowd goes nuts around us as I slide the ring on her finger, letting the box fall to the floor. Standing, I pull Riley into my arms and lift her up, kissing her while my hands roam all that black leather.

  “Jesus Christ. Please tell me this isn’t a rental,” I say against her smiling lips.

  She giggles and kisses me. “It’s all mine. Bought and paid for.”

  “Sweetest words I’ve ever heard, second to that yes you just gave me,” I say.

  Riley leans back and cups my face, staring into my eyes. “I love you.”

  “I love you, darlin’.”

  We share another slow, soft kiss before our friends come over to give well wishes, practically trampling us to do just that.

  Riley shows off her ring to the girls, the group of them screaming, hugging, and crying. Arms around each other in their little squad—the one Riley couldn’t wait to be a part of.

  I can’t stop looking at her. She’s so fucking happy.

  The guys congratulate me with slaps on the back and handshakes. Reed tells me he captured it all on his phone, even my tears.

  Feeling too good to fucking care, I let that one slide and thank him for doing that for us.

  I’m sure Riley will want to watch the video every chance she gets. I tell him to send it to us both, then feeling a tap on my leg, I look down, finally pulling my eyes off Riley and giving Nolan the attention he’s seeking.

  I got my entire life to look at her. That’s the only reason I do it.

  “What’s up, man?” I ask, smiling at his hair, wet and sticking up all wild. When he waves me closer, I bend down, grinning when I see what he’s holding in his hand.

  “Is it okay if I keep this?” he asks.

  “Yeah, sure. What do I need it for?”

  “Yes!” Nolan pumps his fist into the air, then peers around me, holding up the ring box. “Mommy, look what CJ said I can keep! Now I just need a ring and I’m set!” He rushes around me to show Mia, who walks over with the rest of the girls, smiling and wiping tears from her eyes.

  “That’s great, baby,” she says, cupping his cheek before giving me a look of appreciation.

  Nolan rushes off toward the apple-bobbing set-up at the bar, squeezing in between people to get through.

  Ben throws his arm around Mia’s shoulders and kisses the top of her head. He’s holding Chase now, who’s still passed out. I’m surprised the commotion didn’t wake him.

  “This place just got even more awesome,” Tessa says, stopping beside Luke. “You did good, Tully.”

  I lock eyes with Riley when she finally pulls her attention off her ring. “Yeah, I did.”

  She smiles, rushing at me, and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me down for a kiss.

  “So, when’s the wedding going to be?” Beth asks, leaning back against Reed when he steps behind her and holds her swollen stomach.

  I look down at Riley, brow raised. “Your call, darlin’.”

  She pulls her lips between her teeth, thinking for a second before informing the group, “Maybe this summer after I graduate? I don’t want to wait too long. And I’d really love to do it at the beach.” Riley peers up at me. “Would that be okay?”

  “You wanna do it at Sparrow’s Island?” I ask.

  “Hey, that’s our beach,” Reed says.

  I glare at him. “You don’t own the beach.”

  “I didn’t say we own it.” He rests his chin on Beth’s shoulder, smirking now. “We just . . . made a lot of memories there.”

  Beth turns bright red.

  “So did we,” I argue, watching Reed stiffen.

  Fuck that.
<
br />   I’m sure Reed and Beth did make a lot of memories at Sparrow’s Island, considering that’s where they spent their wedding/honeymoon, but that’s where Riley and I began. We met for the first time officially that weekend. We fucked for the first time there too, and if that’s where she wants to get married, Reed can take his memories and fuck right off with them. I’m getting that beach.

  Riley tenses in my arms while Ben and Luke crack up laughing, watching Reed grow increasingly uncomfortable.

  “You guys are funny,” Mia says. “I’m pretty sure we all made a lot of memories there . . .”

  All eyes widen and turn to Mia. She never says shit like that.

  She shrugs, leaning into Ben and laughing. “I’m just saying. If that’s all it takes—Ben and I own that beach too.”

  “Yeah, us too. We own a lot of that beach,” Tessa adds, biting Luke’s jaw.

  “Fine,” Reed grumbles, looking around the group. “But Beth and I own McGill’s. We’re the only ones allowed to make memories here. So no couple bathroom breaks, and stay the hell away from the storage room. We own the shit out of that after what went down in there earlier.”

  Danny stops behind Reed, glaring at the back of his head.

  Everyone tries containing their laughter as Reed stays unaware.

  “This is going to be good,” Riley whispers, leaning back against me and drawing my arms around her tighter.

  “You wanna see him get his ass beat?” I ask against her ear.

  “If it means we get Sparrow’s Island, then yes.”

  I chuckle and kiss her cheek.

  Realizing something is up, Reed slowly turns his head, spots Danny and smiles wide. “Hey! You know, I was just coming to look for you.” He releases Beth and puts his arm around Danny’s shoulders, leading him away. “Let’s talk about all those renovations you were wanting to do here, and how it’s not gonna cost you a damn thing . . .”

  Beth throws her head back and laughs, then everyone joins in.

  I guess Tennyson Construction will be footing that bill.

  “Come on. Let’s order some food,” Ben suggests, motioning toward the table they left that’s still vacant.

  I turn Riley in my arms when the group leaves us in the middle of the dance floor. “You happy?” I ask her.

  Beaming, she looks from my face to her ring, letting go of my neck to study it. “You could’ve tied a string around my finger and I would’ve been happy,” she says, gripping hold of me again and smiling up at me, her sinful body tucking closer. “It’s beautiful. It’s so beautiful, and I’m so happy, Cannon.”

  Cannon.

  Fuck. What it does to me to hear her call me by my real name.

  Growling, I let my hands travel lower, settling at the top of her ass. “Don’t be calling me that here,” I say. “Unless you wanna go find out what the fuck is so cool about the storage room.”

  Giggling and rolling up on her toes, she offers me her mouth, and I take it in a long, slow kiss, getting rock hard by the end of it.

  “Where are we going?” Riley asks, startled, when instead of leading her toward the table and our friends, I pull her in the direction of the door, shoving people out of the way when they aren’t moving fast enough on their own.

  “My truck. Your brother didn’t say shit about making memories in the parking lot.”

  Nolan

  Two days later

  I punch my finger against the screen of Mommy’s phone, making sure I’m hitting the right numbers this time. I studied them good off the paper.

  “Oops,” I say when I hit one too many. I lift the phone to my ear, breathing faster and faster like I do when I’m running when I hear it start to ring.

  My eyes open all the way up.

  “Holy crap. This is it,” I whisper.

  I’m actually calling her.

  “Hello?”

  A man answers the phone. He sounds probably as old as my dad, so I know exactly who it is. I got this.

  “Hi, Ryan’s dad. This is Nolan.” I sit on the edge of my bed, listening.

  I don’t hear anything except his breathing. He’s breathing a lot. Then I think he says something like “Handle this,” but I don’t know what that means.

  I pick at the edge of my shoe.

  “Nolan? Is that you, sweetie?”

  This lady sounds just like my mom. I bet they’re the same age and everything. I remember her from the wedding. She was really nice to me.

  “Hi! Can I talk to Ryan, please?”

  Daddy told me to make sure I asked nicely. He said it’s good to get in with the parents.

  I don’t know what that means, but I’m making sure I do it.

  A soft laugh tickles my ear. “Sure. Hold on one second, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  I keep picking at the edge of my shoe.

  “Baby, did you give Nolan our number?” Ryan’s mommy whispers, but I can hear her real good. Then somebody’s breathing again, but faster this time, just like I’m doing.

  “Hi, Nolan.”

  I sit up straight and forget all about my shoe.

  “Hi!” My stomach does this weird flip-flop, like when we ride the roller coasters at Six Flags. “Um, I got your number off the picture you sent me. That’s like, the coolest thing I’ve ever gotten in the mail so far. Even better than when I get money from my Nana for my birthday.”

  She giggles in my ear. “Did you like the picture? I got yours today too. I put it on my wall above my bed.”

  Holy crap. I’m in her room.

  “I loved it. It’s just like the dragon tattoo I’m gonna get one day.” My head wrinkles. “Did I tell you about that?”

  I can’t remember. I think I did.

  I think I told her a bunch of times.

  “Yep,” she says.

  “Good. Just making sure.” I stand from the bed and walk around my room. “So, I needed to ask you something, Ryan. It’s a really big deal for me.”

  “What is it?”

  “I know we’re just kids, and my dad says I don’t need to worry about this yet, but I can’t help it. I wanna marry you. And I gotta make sure you wanna marry me. If I don’t know for sure, I’m gonna lose it.”

  I stop walking so I can listen really good, holding my breath as I look at a spot on the carpet.

  I don’t move a muscle.

  “Okay,” she says.

  I lift my head. “Really? You’ll do it? You want to?”

  “Yep.”

  “That’s great!” I run over to my bed and climb on. “That’s great. Wow. Okay. I think I’ll be able to sleep now.”

  She laughs again.

  I really really like the way she does that.

  “I gotta go. My daddy needs the phone,” she says.

  “That’s cool. I can call you anytime I want now. That was such a good idea to send me your number, Ryan. Probably the best idea anyone has ever had.”

  “And I have your number now too. I can see it on the phone.”

  “So you can call me . . .”

  “Yep.”

  “Will you?”

  “Yep.”

  I smile. “That’s great. I hope you do. Okay, so my dad always tells my mom he loves her before they hang up the phone. It’s just . . . I don’t know. It’s just something people say.”

  I bend my knee up, getting ready to pick at my shoe when she doesn’t say anything, but I don’t start picking at it, because she speaks just when I’m about to do it.

  “My mommy does that too. She says it all the time. She won’t get off the phone until she says it.”

  “Sometimes my mom says it first.”

  “My dad says it first a lot.”

  I chew on my lip. “Mm. Okay.”

  “Okay.” She giggles again.

  I smile really big. “I love you.”

  “I love you.”

  “Dylan.”

  That is definitely her dad talking to her mom. I know his voice by now.

  “Bye, Nolan.
”

  “Okay, see ya!”

  I hang up the phone and spring from my bed, running out of my room with my arms raised in the air.

  “She said yes!”

  Don’t miss these other titles from NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author J. DANIELS

  Alabama Summer

  Where I Belong

  All I Want

  When I Fall

  Where We Belong

  What I Need

  Dirty Deeds

  Four Letter Word

  Hit the Spot

  Sweet Addiction

  Sweet Addiction

  Sweet Possession

  Sweet Obsession

  Visit her at www.authorjdaniels.com

  About the Author

  J. Daniels is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Sweet Addiction series, the Alabama Summer series, and the Dirty Deeds series. J. grew up in Baltimore and resides in Maryland with her family.

  You can sign up for email updates here.

  Thank you for buying this Swerve ebook.

  To receive special offers, bonus content, and info on new releases and other great reads, sign up for our newsletters.

  Or visit us online at us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  SO MUCH MORE

  Ben

  Reed

  Luke

  CJ

  Nolan

  About the Author

  Copyright Page

  These are works of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in these novellas are either products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously.

  So Much More. Copyright © 2018 by St. Martin’s Press.

  “So Much More” copyright © 2018 by J. Daniels

  All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  www.stmartins.com

  Cover design by Annette Defex

  Cover photographs: man © FXQuadro/Shutterstock.com; lantern © Arina P Habich/Shutterstock.com

  ISBN 978-1-250-14826-1 (ebook)

  First Edition: April 2018

  Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, ext. 5442, or by e-mail at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.