Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 60940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
“Oh my God,” Mom stressed, looking me up and down. “It’s true. You’re pregnant with Ledger’s baby?”
My eyes widened. “Who told you?”
“Does it matter? Why didn’t you tell us?”
“It was Johnathan, wasn’t it?”
She nodded. “At least he told us. I can’t believe what you’re doing with your life, choosing this man over Johnathan. He’s perfect for you.”
“Mom…”
“He is! I thought you were engaged. What’s going on?”
“We haven’t been engaged for a long time.”
“It would be nice if you had told us that!”
“You need to calm down,” I ordered, feeling Ledger’s heat radiating from him. “You’re making a scene.”
“I don’t need to do anything. People need to know that he maliciously got you pregnant to steal you from us! I bet he knocked you up on purpose. This was all planned. I’m your mother! How could you do this to us?”
“Your mom’s right,” Dad chimed in. “How could you betray us like this?”
I lightly gasped. It was only then that I realized why I couldn’t tell Ledger I loved him or why I couldn’t say yes to his proposal. It was because of them. It all came back to that.
“I can’t believe I’ve been such an idiot. It’s your fault.”
For the first time, I understood why Ledger chose Chance over me. It was his loyalty to his best friend, just like it was mine for my parents. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t involved in their feud. I still took their side without realizing I had. They were my parents, they gave me life, and I couldn’t betray them.
“What are you talking about, Hazel?” Mom questioned. “You’re speaking in circles.”
Shifting my gaze to Ledger, we locked eyes.
“I understand why you hurt me. I get it now.”
He frowned.
“I’m so sorry, Ledger. I’ve been keeping you at arm’s length because of my loyalty to them. I didn’t even realize I was doing it until right now. It all makes sense, and I need you to forgive me.”
He caressed my cheek with the back of his fingers. “There’s nothing to forgive, sugar.”
Before I put my parents in their place, I had to tell Ledger, “I love you. I’m so in love with you, and I never stopped. It’s always been you.”
He smiled, brushing the hair away from my face. “I know, sugar. I love you too. You and Hallie are my whole world.”
My parents’ loud gasps tore my attention back to them.
“Hallie?” Mom exclaimed. “You’re naming my first grandbaby after a woman who is our enemy.”
I jerked, suddenly pissed as fuck. “How dare you say that to me? His mother meant everything to Chance and me. She’s not here to defend herself either!”
“We don’t care! That’s our grandchild!”
“Well, if you want to meet her one day, then I advise you to get used to it.” I didn’t back down, adding, “Ledger’s my fiancé. We’re getting married before the baby is born, so you’ll have to deal with it. This is my family now.”
“Sugar,” Ledger rasped, making me peer at him again.
“Yes. My answer is yes. I want to marry you. I want to be Hazel Beckham. I want to build a life with you and have many more babies. I’m sorry it took me so long to get to this place, but I’m here now, and I want nothing more than to be your wife.”
Ledger was down on one knee in one swift movement, grabbing a ring box from inside his suit jacket. I sucked in a breath, surprised.
“I’ve been carrying around this ring, just waiting for the right time to give it to you, and I can’t think of a better one than this moment. “Hazel”—he opened the box—“will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
I beamed, shouting, “Yes! Yes! Of course, I will!”
Without noticing, we had gathered a crowd, and they broke up cheering and clapping. Ledger slid the princess-cut diamond ring down my finger. It was exactly what I always dreamed of. As he was standing, he gripped the sides of my face and kissed me like we weren’t in front of a bunch of people.
After he pecked my lips one last time, I turned to my parents, who wore their devastation.
I didn’t waver, demanding, “You need to leave. You’re not welcome here until you stop whatever stupid rivalry you have with his family’s ranch. They mean you no harm, and they never have. It needs to end, or you’ll never see me or your grandchild again.”
Out of nowhere, Chance was standing beside me. “Or me,” he spoke with conviction, grabbing my hand.
Their wide stares flew back and forth between us, and I added, “If you keep this going, I will do everything in my power to make sure you go out of business. I have all the money in the world to take you down, and don’t think for one second I won’t do that for my husband.”