We walk through the house and out the back door. There’s more grass—the perfect size backyard to hold a swing set and maybe even a pool—with more white fence.
We go back in, and he walks me through more of the downstairs—including the spacious master bedroom and en suite bathroom. There are five bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a large library upstairs that can double as an office.
“Brody and I came to see it the other day, when you were working late, to make sure it looked the same in person as the virtual tour,” Ben says, standing in the middle of the library. “It’s actually not too far from his school and only a thirty-minute drive into work. I was thinking we could make this an office, and once the baby comes, we could work from home a few days a week. I haven’t put an offer on it yet because I wanted you to see it first. See if you can picture yourself living and raising a family here. So, what do you say, Sav, want to fill this home with me?”
I attempt to tell him yes, but my emotions get the best of me, and I choke out a sob, tears blurring my vision. “Yes,” I finally get out. “I most definitely would love to fill this home with you.”
Benjamin
Seven Years Later
“You did it!” I wrap my arms around Brody and pat his back. “I’m so damn proud of you.” Today is his college graduation. He earned a business degree while spending the past four years working for me and learning the business. When he told me he wanted to follow in my footsteps, I wanted to make sure my footsteps were worthy. So over the past several years, I’ve worked—with the help of my wife—to make Fields Enterprises a place where people want to work and are comfortable coming to me.
When I finally met with my dad’s attorney, I learned he was in debt—bad. He had depleted all of his assets, his cars were being repossessed, and his house was under foreclosure. He was always the type of man to handle shit himself, never wanting to talk. He did it with my mom when she was sick, refusing to get her help, and then again with us when he was going through whatever he was going through.
Not wanting it to continue with me, I’ve made it a point to make sure my door is always open, and my family and employees know they can come to me at any time.
“You know what this means, right?” Brody deadpans. “I’m one step closer to becoming the next CEO of Fields Enterprises.”
I glance at my very pregnant wife as she beams with pride at Brody while holding our six-year-old son’s hand—we named him Olivier, after my dad—and I chuckle. “Yeah, that’s exactly what it means.”
With Savannah expecting again—something we weren’t sure would ever happen again since we decided not to go to a fertility clinic but instead let nature take its course, or not—I’m ready to settle down and work fewer hours. I have baseball games to coach, and with our little girl on the way—it’s not confirmed, but I think she is—I imagine we’ll have our hands full with her.
“I’m so proud of you,” Savannah says, giving Brody a hug.
“Thanks.” He roughs up Olivier’s hair. “One day, you’ll be walking across that stage.”
Olivier dodges Brody and laughs. “I don’t wanna go away. I wanna stay home with Mommy.”
“Let’s see if you say that in a few years,” Brody tells him.
Brody didn’t go away to school, but he did move out, wanting to live in the city, which to Olivier is like living on another planet.
After Paola gives Brody a hug, telling him congratulations, we head out to meet everyone for dinner to celebrate.
We arrive at the restaurant and are brought back to the private dining room where our friends and family are waiting for us since the university only allowed four tickets per graduate.
Everyone stands, congratulating Brody on a job well done while the kids run around, catching up with each other.
Savannah comes over and wraps her arms around me from the side, her head dropping against my chest. “I love that sound,” she says, tightening her arms.
“What sound?” I glance down at her. “All I hear is a bunch of people talking and kids screaming and laughing.”
“Exactly. It’s the sound of love… of happiness… of family.” She tips her face up and presses her lips to mine. “It’s a sound I’ll never tire of hearing.”
Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed Savannah and Benjamin’s story, please consider swiping to the end and leaving a review when prompted. <3
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About the Author
Reading is like breathing in, writing is like breathing out. – Pam Allyn
Nikki Ash resides in South Florida where she is an English teacher by day and a writer by night. When she’s not writing, you can find her with a book in her hand. From the Boxcar Children, to Wuthering Heights, to the latest single parent romance, she has lived and breathed every type of book. While reading and writing are her passions, her two children are her entire world. You can probably find them at a Disney park before you would find them at home on the weekends!
Keep reading for a glimpse at Only Ever Yours: An Instalove romance…
Only Ever Yours: An Instalove Romance
Chapter One
Isaac
“I call dibs on the brunette.”
I follow my friend’s line of vision over to the two women who are eyeing Noah and me and groan. One has bleached blond hair with way too much makeup and fake tits, while the other has natural auburn hair, less makeup, and breasts that look like they’re the perfect handfuls. “You’re a dick. You know I prefer the brunettes.”
Noah downs the last of his whiskey and chuckles. “True, but I’m sick of blondes. I’m ready for something different.” He grabs the bottle from behind the counter, since the bartender is a friend of ours and doesn’t give a shit, and pours himself another glass, bringing it to his lips and downing it in one go. “Besides, I’m wondering if the saying is true: blondes have more fun. And there’s only one way to test that theory out.” He nods toward the brunette. “Fuck her and see if she’s more or less fun.”
I shake my head and laugh, questioning how the hell I’m even friends with this guy.
When he refills his glass again, I side-eye him. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“You know I’m not going to just let you have her, right?” I tell him, referring to the brunette neither of us knows.
He laughs and says, “Of course not,” no doubt remembering the first time we met. We were both at this same bar, drinking with some mutual friends, when a sexy brunette approached. We both had eyes for her, but it was me she went home with. The next night, we were out again, and a blonde approached. I told him he could have her because I’m only into brunettes. She ended up being a dud and so Noah and I spent the next couple hours bullshitting while we watched the game. When I mentioned I was going boating the next day, and he told me he’d never been on a boat, I offered for him to join me and we’ve been hanging out ever since.