Trust in Me (14 page)

He was getting more and more local business
owners, like Colin’s dad, contact him about investing.

He’d been floored when he’d walked into his
parents that day and Mr. Grayson had laid a check on the table and
said he’d love to be a part of the center.

Rich didn’t need to accept the money, but he
loved that everyone seemed to want to be involved. It made the Rec
Center more than just his dream, but something that really belonged
to the whole town.

He’d been very busy, which was good since
Nicole had stopped by to talk to him about Roni.

“She needs some time to figure out what she
wants,” Nicole has explained to him. “She’s got a lot to work out,
and just asks for some space while she does.”

Of course, he’d agreed. He wanted to be with
Roni, but he needed her to want to be with him too. He’d already
been in a one sided relationship, and was in no hurry to go through
that again.

So, he’d focused solely on his new business,
and had been enjoying every minute of it. He and Jason trained in
the mornings, then he showered and sat down at his desk for a few
hours. Planning event, getting clients signed up for classes, and
working on marketing.

Jason had really become his right-hand man,
and was putting a lot of time and effort into managing the gym. He
already had fifty gym memberships and was running a couple
different weight classes already.

Rich was teaching the youngest class of kids.
It was only once a week, so he had plenty of time to work on the
business, but this was really why he’d had the idea of the Rec
Center in the first place. He loved teaching the kids and seeing
the love of the sport begin to show on their faces.

He was just finishing up his first class when
Alex stopped by to speak with him after her last class of the
evening.

“Hey, Rich,” Alex said as she approached,
still in her karategi. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“No, we just finished class,” Rich responded.
“What’s up?”

“I wanted to ask if you have time to meet
tomorrow. I have some ideas that I wanted to run by you, and I have
time in between my day job and tomorrows class,” she said.

“Yeah, that sounds good. So, around five?” He
asked, pausing to wave and say goodbye to a couple kids that were
being picked up by their parents.

“Perfect,” she said, turning to leave.

“Hey, Jason,” Rich yelled, calling his friend
over.

He saw Alex pause as the other man
approached.

“What’s up, Rich,” Jason asked as he neared.
“Hey, Alex,” he said with a shy smile.

“Hi,” she responded, smiling back
prettily.

Hey, man,” Rich started with a twinkle in his
eye. “I know we were supposed to go out for a drink, but I’m not
going to be able to make it. I’ve got some paperwork that can’t
wait.”

“Okay,” Jason said, a little puzzled by the
statement. “No big deal, we’ll catch up later.”

“But, hey,” Rich said, turning to Alex, “If
you don’t have any plans, Alex, you should take my place.”

Alex looked at him, her mouth slightly open
for a minute, before she turned to Jason, “I don’t have any
plans.”

As the realization of what Rich had just
maneuvered set in, Jason’s face got flushed. He shot a look at
Rich, but turned to Alex and asked, “Would you like to have a drink
with me?”

Alex’s face bloomed, causing Jason to smile
broadly back at her.

“I would love to.”

Rich shook his head and smiled as he watched
them walk out. Funny how it was so obvious to him that they liked
each other, but they were both utterly clueless.

Rich finished putting away the equipment,
making sure everything was perfect before turning off the lights
and closing up the gym. He was almost to his room when Roni
appeared before him in the hallway.

He stopped and looked at her for a moment,
eager to soak in her beauty and commit every bit of her to memory.
He worried for a moment that she’d come to tell him that she’d
thought things through and still wanted to end it. Rich wasn’t sure
he could take that. The last couple weeks of not being able to hold
her and talk to her intimately, had only strengthened his feelings,
and proven to him that she was the right woman for him.

He could only hope their time apart had the
same effect on Roni.

“Hey,” she said quietly, a small smile on her
lips.

“Hi,” Rich responded. They’d seen each other
in passing, and he’d looked in on a couple of her classes, but this
was the first time they’d spoken. It felt good to hear her
voice.

“Are you busy?” Roni asked and her voice
quivered with nerves.

“No. I just finished up with the kids, and
was going to grab a salad out of the fridge and have a beer,” Rich
responded. “You want one?”

“No, I’m okay,” Roni responded. “But I don’t
want to keep you from your dinner.”

“It’s fine, Roni,” Rich said a bit
desperately, afraid she’d take any opportunity to turn around and
leave. “We can go talk. I’ll eat later.”

They walked back to his room and sat
down.

“I really need to get some furniture in here
or something,” Rich said with a laugh. He turned to look at Roni.
He love the way she looked with her hair swept back in a ponytail
and no makeup on.

“It’s okay,” Roni said, fidgeting a bit with
her hands, as if unsure of how to start. “First I want to thank you
for giving me some time to think these last few weeks. I needed the
time alone to figure out what my next step needed to be, and I
really appreciate you understanding that.”

“I’ll give you anything you need, Roni. All
you have to do is ask.”

She smiled at his words, then took a deep
breath and kept talking, “I also want to make sure you know that
I
know that you’re nothing like Hank.”

Rich took her hand in his and squeezed it
slightly.

“When I broke down, it was from a culmination
of memories, and the fear I had of commitment. I never thought you
were going to hurt me, I’d just been holding everything in for so
long, that I freaked out. I know you’re a good man… A great man,
really, and I want to make sure you know that.”

“Thank you,” Rich said sincerely, bringing
her hand briefly to his lips, before placing it back in her
lap.

“I’ve been to see a counselor,” Roni told
him. “I’ve had a couple sessions now, and I think she’s really
going to help me a lot. She already has. I told her about Hank, and
I told her about you. She helped me realize that what happened with
my parents and with Hank is not my fault, and that I do deserve to
be happy. I have to be strong and confident in myself, before I can
allow myself to truly be happy with someone else.”

Rich felt his stomach drop. Did that mean she
was telling him she needed to be alone?

He gave her a moment to compose her thoughts,
hopeful that there was still a chance.

Roni stood before him and placed her hands on
his cheeks, looking into his eyes as she continued, “I know that I
want to be with you. You are everything that I have always dreamed
a man could be, and I have to believe that I deserve the happiness
that I know we will bring each other.”

Rich couldn’t help himself, he had to kiss
her. He stood up swiftly and crushed her to him. He brought his
lips to hers and entered her mouth eagerly, when she opened it for
him. Their tongues danced and Roni moaned lightly, before he pulled
back to look down at her face. He caressed her face with his hands,
smiling at her as he said, “Sorry, I know you weren’t done talking,
but I couldn’t stand not holding you for another second.”

Roni leaned her forehead against him briefly,
happy to be back in his arms again.

“It may take some time for me to get to the
place I need to be, but I would be humbled and grateful if you
would be there with me for the duration.”

Rich held her close, kissed the side of her
neck and promised, “I’ll be here, for as long as you need, and
however you need me. I want you to feel comfortable talking to me
and know that you can lean on me whenever you need to. I plan to be
with you for the rest of my life, Roni, and I want to make sure you
know that I love you and you can
always
trust in me.”

Coming in May 2013

The Friends & Lovers Trilogy Box set

With Bonus Endings for Each Couple

Keep reading for an excerpt from my upcoming
Contemporary Fantasy

Nissa: a contemporary fairy tale

Available April 23, 2013

1

I’m only 900 years old, which is relatively
young for a Fairy Godmother, equivalent to an eighteen year old
human.

My clan is considered small amongst the
fairies of our woods. I’ve ten brothers and sisters and am the baby
of the bunch. Normally, woodland fairies cannot be godmothers or
godfathers, but our mother was a fairy godmother before she
partnered with my father, so it’s in our bloodline.

My mother is a descendant of the Huldafolk.
They’re known for their kindness and generous spirit, which makes
them ideal godparents for humans.

My father is a Feeorin, a capricious lot,
with a love of singing and dancing.

We got our red hair from our father and pale
skin from our mother, although I often wished for the green
complexion of my father’s family.

Despite the differences in their clans, my
parents knew immediately that they were meant to be. My mother had
returned from a mission and my father was singing at the
Midsummer’s Eve feast. It was love at first sight.

When fairies find the person they’re fated
for, we love each other for all eternity. Our bodies give us signs
to help us realize that we have found the one.

My parents were lucky to have found each
other when they had reached their mature forms and were old enough
to be bound.

Once they met, fell in love, and The Fates
determined they could be partnered; my mother was able to forgo her
fairy godmother status and stay permanently in the woods with my
father. She could, however, pass her status on to one of her
children.

Our parents love to tell us the story of how
they met and fell in love and how The Fates help us all find
love.

When you come in to contact with a fae that
you have a strong connection with, your heart pounds like a drum,
your right hand begins to tingle to the point of itching, and your
eyes will momentarily turn the pink of your yearning heart.

When all of those things occur, you may
appeal to The Fates for a blessing of your union. If The Fates do
not agree that the union is everlasting, you will not be allowed to
see each other again in this lifetime. If they agree that you are
meant, your life together will begin in that moment and will not
end until the passing of both beings.

“What happens if you never feel the signs,
Mama?” my younger sister, Ella often asked our mother.

“Don’t worry, sweet girl,” Mother always
assured her. “It’s in our nature to live lives full of love.”

We all love to hear the stories and can’t
wait to feel the stirrings of fate. I always dreamed of finding my
fate, but I also wished to follow my mother’s path and be a
godparent. The thought of helping humans reach their potential or
overcome a hardship, really called to me. I wanted to make a
difference and be a part of something grander than the woods of my
youth.

My brothers and sisters have no interest
whatsoever in being a godparent. They’re content to rule the woods
and live a happy and carefree life.

We all look alike, with our fair skin and
bright red hair; our wings are the feature that separates us. Each
pair is unique, a reflection of our personalities.

When it comes to personality, I’m the odd one
of the bunch. Don’t get me wrong, I love to frolic and dance as
much as my siblings, and I’m always ready to join them on a merry
chase, but they often joke that if I can’t be found, listen for
signs of the injured or brokenhearted, I’ll be there trying to fix
the situation.

The day I finally gathered the courage to
talk to my parents about my desire to follow my mother’s path, I
came upon them sitting outside our dwelling, enjoying the glow of a
lightening bug.

My mother looked up at me, her pleasure at my
approach evident, but I noticed the concern on her face, as if she
had been awaiting my arrival and knew the outcome of our
conversation.

“What’s it sweet girl? We know something has
been bothering you,” my mother began as I walked nearer, my wings
fluttering gently in the breeze of the cool morning. She held my
father’s hand in hers, as if it were an extension of her own.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long
time, but I haven’t known how to tell you until now,” I said
softly, staring down at the ground. “I want to help people, as you
did, Mama. I want to train to become a godmother.”

They looked at each other, smiled, then
looked back at me.

“Of course you do, honey,” my father said
with a quiet voice.

“You already knew?” I looked out over the
pond outside our home relieved that they weren’t upset.

“Nissa, of all of our children, you are the
most like your mother: kind hearted, giving, and sensitive. Your
siblings are content with life here and will be happy as they are,
but we knew that you would be the one to choose this path.”

They weren’t sad about my decision, sad that
it meant I would have to leave the woods. Knowing that this would
make me happy and fulfill my destiny made it easier for them to
accept.

In between “projects” I was free to come home
and visit my family for a while before I took on a new mission.

After finally finishing the three years
training, which consisted of classroom education, use of magic, and
finally, hands on experience, I was about to embark on my first
project without my trainer, Fairy Godfather Titus, who had been
with me since my first day at Headquarters.