I Choose You Read online

  Kent nodded, he’d give her all the time she needed, as long as she’d give him a chance to explain and apologize for hurting her.

  When they got to the table, Kent heard Rich filling Briana in on his plan to open the Rec Center.

  “Oh my gosh,” Briana exclaimed, giving Rich a hug. “That sounds amazing. I would love to give some cooking lessons when I come in to town.”

  They all talked over each other about what they wanted to contribute to Rich’s plan, and by the end of the conversation he was grinning from ear to ear.

  “You guys are the best,” Rich said sincerely.

  Kent pulled Roni to the side while everyone continued to talk.

  “Sounds like a great idea, right?” He asked her.

  Roni looked at Rich thoughtfully, then smiled at her brother. “Yeah, it really does.”

  “He mentioned wanting to include dance lessons the other day. You would be great at that,” Kent said.

  “I don’t know…” Roni replied.

  “Just think about it.”

  Roni nodded and accepted his brief hug.

  “I still think you should have more clothes on,” Kent teased her, causing her to smile again and punch him playfully in the arm.

  “Shut up.”

  Once it looked like the party was winding down and people were starting to leave the party, Kent scooted next to Nicole and asked if he could give her a ride home.

  Nicole looked up at him and gave him a hesitant smile. “Sure.”

  They walked around and said goodbye to their friends. Kent stomach began to twist as he thought about the conversation they had to have. He knew after they did, there was a possibility that Nicole would be out of his life, at least romantically.

  Epilogue

  When they got outside, he realized that it was pretty cold out and she wasn’t wearing much. As he looked down at her beautiful face, he wished more than anything that he had the right to touch her, to kiss her, to pull her into his arms and keep her warm.

  They hurried to his car and got in. He turned it on to allow the heat to warm her chilled arms. Then he looked over at her and said, “You look amazing.”

  Nicole looked down at her scantily clad body and tried in vain to pull the dress down over her legs, but smiled softly at his compliment.

  “Thanks.” She looked up and into his eyes.

  He looked at her sweet face, so full of hope, and he worried that he’d never be able to give her everything she deserved.

  He grew nervous and started to wonder if his initial decision to let her go was right. Was he just being selfish by trying to keep her in his life?

  “Kent?” She questioned softly when he didn’t start driving.

  He turned to look at her and said, “I don’t know exactly what to say, Nic. I mean, I know that I hurt you the other day, and I wanted to apologize for that. But I also want to say that I miss you, and I hate to think that I have caused you any pain.”

  “I won’t lie to you,” Nicole replied. “You did hurt me, but I understand where you were coming from.”

  Kent nodded, happy that she understood him, but sad that she may in some way agree with him. Agree that he wasn’t good enough.

  “I’m sorry for the things that you went through as a child, but where you come from and how you were raised is not a factor in the way I feel about who you are now.” Nicole put her hand on his cheek; she wanted to make sure he was looking in her eyes as she continued. She wanted him to see that she was sincere in what she said.

  “Kent, I think you’re the most wonderful, talented, kind-hearted, amazing person that I‘ve ever met. When I’m with you, I feel strong and invincible. You make me believe that I can be anything I want to be.”

  She smiled shyly at him and continued, “Kent, I’m in love with you.”

  Kent couldn’t help the pride that he felt at her words. The way she described him is the way that he always hoped people would perceive him. Not as his father’s son, or the boy who came from nothing, but as the man he was today. He was still afraid and unsure, but he felt he owed it to Nicole to tell her what was in his heart as well.

  “Nic, I think you’re a strong, beautiful, and capable woman. The way you stood up for yourself and your beliefs, even when you knew that your parents wouldn’t understand, amazes me. You have a kind heart and are the sweetest woman I’ve ever met. I want to strive to make you proud of me and hope that you’ll always look at me the way you do now.”

  He looked deep into her eyes and declared, “I’m in love with you, Nicole.”

  Nicole smiled broadly and a single tear fell down her face.

  Kent wanted to kiss her, but he had to make sure that she understood everything he was feeling.

  “I love you. That’s why I think you deserve better. You deserve a man like Jake. One who is as innocent as you, who hasn’t seen and done unmentionable things. Any man would be lucky to be able to marry you and raise children with you, and I want you to be sure that you can see a future with me.”

  He paused to give her a moment to process everything he’d said. ”Your parents will probably never approve of me, and my parents will never be in the picture. It’ll just be us… and Roni. I don’t want you to feel that you’re settling by staying with me.”

  Nicole took his hands in hers and held them tight.

  “We have Roni, Rich, Bree, Colin, Kara, and Pete. They’re our family. I don’t need anyone else. If my parents won’t approve of you or our relationship, then I don’t need them in my life.” She squeezed his hand in hers and said, “I don’t see being with you as settling. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world when I’m with you. Jake’s not the man that I want or need, you are.”

  Kent saw the truth in her eyes and relief flooded him.

  He finally did what he’d wanted to do since he first saw her that evening. He pulled her to him kissed her thoroughly, putting everything he felt into the kiss.

  When they pulled away, Nicole looked happily up at him and said simply, “I choose you.”

  Keep reading for an excerpt from the third book in the Friends & Lovers Trilogy

  Trust in Me

  Available in Spring 2013

  Prologue

  Roni tried to brace herself for the blow before it landed, but she was still knocked backwards into the stove. Her hands flew out, instinctively covering her face, as her hip caught the corner of the stove and she collapsed onto the jaundiced linoleum.

  She curled into the fetal position and brought her arms up to cover her head, but his boot still found its way to her ribs. Roni cried out in pain as her husband kicked her repeatedly.

  Hank shouted obscenities at her as he grabbed two fistfuls of her long blonde hair and dragged her towards their dingy living room.

  Roni tried not to struggle as she was pulled along the floor, worried that her hair would be yanked out if she did. She kept her eyes and mouth shut, she’d been in this predicament before, and knew she’d end up with more cuts and bruises if she struggled.

  She saw her opportunity when Hank stopped in the threshold and loosened his grip.

  Roni rolled backwards and sprang to her knees. In one fluid motion, she gained her footing and turned to sprint towards the backdoor. Since her back was turned, she didn’t see Hank raise his leg to kick her, but felt his foot made contact with her back right before she went sprawling face first back onto the linoleum.

  She didn’t pay attention to the blood that started oozing from her nose; instead she boosted herself up on to all fours and began crawling towards the exit.

  Hank’s dry chuckle turned her belly cold, but Roni tried to push through the fear and stay focused on her goal.

  This wasn’t the first time her husband had used physical violence to make a point. When she’d first met him, she thought he was so handsome and strong. She’d thought he’d take her away from the nightmare that she’d grown up in and protect her, the way her twin brother always had until he went away to college. She cou
ldn’t have been more wrong.

  The first time he’d hit her, she’d been beyond shocked. She’d never been struck a day in her life, her brother, Kent had made sure of that. When she’d told Hank she was going to leave him, he’d been full of remorse and promises, and she’d been foolish enough to believe him.

  The last straw had come the night before, when he’d punched her in the stomach after they’d returned from the local bar. She’d been dancing to the band, by herself, but he hadn’t been pleased. As soon as they’d walked into their small trailer, he’d blind-sided her and called her a whore.

  When she woke up this morning, she’d called Kent and told him the truth about her marriage. He’d been angry and appalled, but agreed to come and help her leave Hank, just like she’d known he would.

  Kent was the one man she could always count on.

  The surprise came when Hank had come home early and found her packing her things. She’d said she was leaving when her brother arrived and tried to walk out of the trailer quickly, but Hank had caught up to her in the kitchen.

  Her thoughts seemed muddled in her mind and she crawled as quickly as she could. She felt like she’d been crawling forever, but had only made it a few inches, before she felt Hanks boot in her ass. Roni sprawled on the floor, then quickly tried to curl back into the fetal position and protect as much of her body from him as she could.

  She felt his hot breath on her cheek as he leaned down and whispered, “I will never allow you to leave me.”

  Roni braced herself for the next blow, then opened her eyes when she heard scuffling and the cold, hard tone of her brother’s voice.

  “I should kill you right now,” Kent said in a low dangerous voice as he pulled Hank from her and flung him back towards the wall.

  Roni scrambled up off of the floor and ran to the bedroom to grab her bags. When she got back, Kent was pummeling his fists into Hanks face.

  She ran over to him and put her hand softly on Kent’s shoulder. “Stop. He’s not worth it. Let’s just get out of here.”

  She heard Kent breath in deeply. He pulled back and Hank slid slowly down the wall. He landed on the floor with a thud.

  “You will never see my sister again,” Kent explained to his brother-in-law, then he turned, put his arm around Roni, and led her out of the trailer.

  When they walked outside, Roni winced at the bright sunlight. Kent stopped and turned her towards him.

  She was ashamed to look him in the eye, so she kept her head down. He put his finger under her chin and brought her face up so he could examine it, his grey eyes filled with worry.

  “It’s just my nose,” Roni said softly. “Hank doesn’t like to mark up my face.”

  Kent swore under his breath and pulled her gently into his arms. “Why didn’t you call me sooner, Roni. I could’ve helped.”

  Roni felt her eyes fill and her throat get hot and scratchy. “I was ashamed. You always protected me from Dad, then I go and marry someone just like him. I was afraid you’d be disappointed.”

  “I could never be disappointed in you,” Kent replied as he kissed her softly on the top of the head. “I’m taking you back to Texas with me; we’ll figure everything out once we get there, okay?”

  “Okay,” Roni said with a small smile. She let her brother walk her to the rental car and settle her into the passenger seat. While he shut the door and walked around the car, she settled back in to the seat and closed her eyes.

  Roni felt Kent get into the car and heard him start the engine. As they drove away from the tiny trailer she’d called home, she finally felt

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I have to start by saying that I am humbled and grateful. Your amazing reception of Make it last fueled me to get I Choose You ready as quickly as I could. I hope you enjoy the second installment in the Friends & Lovers trilogy, as much as you did the first.

  I would like to thank a few wonderful women: Raine Thomas, Autumn Sexton Hull, Taneesha Freidus, and Marilyn Almodovar, who once again took the time to Beta read for me and gave me their input. Thanks for your continued support.

  Next, I’d like to thank Allie at b designs for designing the beautiful cover to I Choose You. She captured the relationship between Kent and Nicole perfectly. You can check out her designs here: http://bdesignpublishingservices.wordpress.com/

  I would like to thank, Heather, at SupaGurl Tours for setting up a book blast. You can find information about her tours here: http://www.supagurltours.blogspot.com/

  Finally, I want to give a big Shout Out to Julie at AToMR Tours. Thanks for taking a chance on me and allowing me to schedule the tours for Make it Last and I Choose You with you. If you are interested in finding out more about AToMR Tours, you can find it here: http://atomrbookblogtours.com/

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Bethany Lopez was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Michigan and San Antonio, Texas. She went to High School at Dearborn High, in Dearborn, Michigan, which is where she has set her Young Adult series. She is married and has a blended family with five children. She is currently serving in the United States Air Force as a Recruiter in Los Angeles, California. She has always loved to read and write and has seen her dream realized by independently publishing her first novels through Amazon.

  Visit Bethany Lopez at:

  www.bethanylopez.blogspot.com

  http://www.facebook.com/#./pages/Bethany-Lopez/214630865247702

  @BethanyLopez2

  http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/bethany-lopez.html