I smile to myself, just sitting back and enjoying the bumpy, loud ride.
I’m happy as hell to hear that though. I don’t ever want him to change a damn thing about himself.
THIRTY-EIGHT
OAKLEY
“Yeah! Come on, Little Bates!” I shout out over the noise of the crowd, trying to be the loudest as my boyfriend shakes his head from his spot next to me.
“You know he hates that,” Jameson says, and we all sit down after cheering like crazy when the Kensley Panthers scored yet another touchdown.
It’s homecoming, and the crowd is hyped.
“Well, he is the younger Bates brother,” Travis tells Jameson, all matter-of-factly, and I slap a big kiss on his cheek.
“You always have my back.”
“Always.” He winks at me, and my heart does this fluttery thing I can’t seem to stop when I’m around him.
“You two are gross,” Garrison says, but he’s grinning like a fool as he kisses Jameson on the mouth and then looks out at the field. “Coach doesn’t look happy.”
I chuckle. “Coach is never happy.”
“They’re winning. You’d think he’d smile,” Travis says, taking my hand in his, and we don’t worry about anyone seeing it. Anyone who matters already knows and are happy for us.
His parents are here at the game, along with all our parents. I even see Kingston Wells and Camden Prescott a couple of rows down, wedding rings shining on their fingers.
We were invited to their small wedding over the summer, and you bet your ass we went and danced the night away, celebrating our former team captains. Kensley has definitely changed a lot for the better over the past couple of years.
After the game, we skip the party and go back to our place—yes, ours. I finally talked Travis into giving up his apartment and moving in with me a couple of months ago.
He was already practically living with me, but it was good to make it official. Really damn good.
As soon as we get into the house, we’re glued together, clothes flying and our lips crushed together. We pass the bookshelf I made him for Christmas that’s now in our living room and head into our bedroom.
We take our time, exploring each other’s bodies and in no rush to get off. When we both come, we continue the lazy kisses as I hold him in my arms and tell him just how lucky I know I am and how much I love him.
“I’m the lucky one, Oakley.”
“Nope.” I kiss the tip of his nose and hold him close. “You’re wrong sometimes. I’m the lucky one.”
He chuckles. “We should sleep. We have a big job tomorrow.”
I smile, thinking about the patio setup we have planned at a house a few towns over. Garrison and Jameson are going along to help. They’re our first full-time employees now, but we’re actually looking to hire a few more.
Travis is still taking business classes and, of course, killing it. He applies it all to our company, and it’s thriving. Everyone wants us to decorate their backyards so they can show them off at the barbecues and parties they host.
“I have a better idea,” I say against his lips with a big smile.
“I can’t go again yet. You wore me out.”
I chuckle and get off the bed, smacking his ass to get him moving. “Come on.”
He doesn’t argue with me this time, following and tugging on some clothes and a jacket before I lead him out to the backyard to sit in our swing and look up at the stars. He rests his head on my shoulder as we sway in the night.
Yup, best life ever. Dreams do come true.
EPILOGUE
TRAVIS
3 YEARS LATER . . .
“What are you doing?” I ask Oakley as I walk out of the bathroom which is still full of steam. He’s shirtless and still wet from the shower we shared, but he has a sketchbook in front of him and his phone out.
“Just thinking.”
“Oh yeah? New project?” I hop on the bed next to him and look, seeing a quickly drawn sketch of a house.
“Maybe.”
“You wanna fill me in?”
He looks a little nervous now, and it’s really cute. “I’m thinking it may be time to start working on that house we’ve talked about.”
My grin is huge now, and I hope it tells him how happy I am with this plan. I love the house we’ve been renting, but Jameson and Dixon bought their own house last year, and it’s not the same with them not being next door.
“Show me.”
He shows me his plans and some things on Pinterest he wants to include. “I can build this wall in the office as a bookshelf, so you’ll have a lot of room for your books.”
I look at the design on his Pinterest and nod in agreement. “I love that, as long as I can keep my smaller one too.”
He smiles and kisses my lips. “Of course. You’re stuck with that, like you’re stuck with me.”
“I’m happy to be stuck with you. You know that, right?”
Surely after three years, he knows that, but I still like to remind him as often as I can. “Yeah, I think so. I am a catch, after all.”
“And oh-so-humble,” I laugh. “Will it have a porch swing?”
He cocks his head to the side like I’m crazy. “Two, actually. An A-frame, that can sit out on its own in the backyard, and one on the front porch that’ll be hanging.”
He’s definitely thought this out, and I love him for it. “I love it, Oakley.”
“I love you, Travis.” He shuts his phone off and puts the sketchpad away, pulling me into his arms, and I kiss him, holding onto him.
“I love you too.”
I have no idea how I got so lucky, even though I fought so hard against it. But he was stronger.
My friend. My lover. My defender.
With him by my side, there’s nothing I can’t do.
The End
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Thank you so much for reading Defender! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it. Kensley is so close to my heart. I’m a small-town girl, and it’s like going home for me every single time I write about it. I cannot wait to bring you Coach’s book, which is next! The preorder is up on Amazon, and it won’t be long!
Rivaled: https://tinyurl.com/5duwc5kp
Thank you to Dena Mastrogiovanni, for editing all my work and putting up with me. Also thank you so much, Ari, for reading this book chapter-by-chapter, which has to be torture. But I need you, as you know. The co-dependency is real.
Thanks also to my friend and coauthor, Cora Rose, for lighting that fire under me and helping me finish this book! Don’t ever leave me!
And thank you to all my readers for being there every single step of the way with me. Your support means everything, and you all keep me going.
I need to send a special thank you to my beautiful, sweet, strong daughters who make me want to do better and be better every single day! And to my amazing husband, for being my rock and listening to me whine about everything and anything.
Love is a beautiful thing, and I’m so happy my job gets to be writing love stories! Thank you all for making that possible!