Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Lacey

W atching my parent's shitty marriage, and living with my own idiosyncrasies, had all but turned me off on the idea of marriage. It's amazing how one person can come into your life and completely change your perspective. Before Carter, I was content to focus on my career as a teacher. But now, I can't imagine my life without him.

He interrupts my thoughts for just a moment as he takes my hand and presses a kiss to the back of it. His eyes meet mine and I revel in how cherished he makes me feel and how happy I am.

"I love you, woman."

My smile widens, and he leans in to press a soft kiss to my mouth. "I love you, too," I whispers against his lips. The man makes my heart feel full to bursting.

"Would you knock it off?" Declan playfully chides. "You're making me sick with all this lovey dovey crap."

Carter's brother breaks through the sweet moment, and we turn to see him rolling his eyes and pursing his lips. He loves to give us shit.

"You're just jealous," I accuse.

"You're making me nauseous," he jokes with a flattened tone.

"Declan, pull up a chair for me." Rose smiles as she comes through the doorway. Perched in her hand is a glass of wine. She waits as her son does her bidding and I smile. A pang of bittersweet emotion washes over me as the sucker punch of my own loss hits below the belt, so to speak. It hasn't been easy for Rose and it's bearing witness to moments like these I cherish. Rose has become such a dear friend. She's overcome so much raising two boys alone. She joins our group and takes a seat. Her relaxed expression warms my heart. I wish moments like these could last forever, frozen in time like a cherished photograph. It's a nice thought but I'm a realist. I'm well aware life is ever changing, like the seasons, and always moving forward.

As Rose relaxes in her seat, the sky morphs into cotton candy with soft shades of pink and blue. I whisper to Carter, "I'm so glad we have this time together."

"Me, too," he answers, squeezing my hand. "It feels good to be here with family."

Never in a million years did I expect to hook up with a cop but, as in many things, Carter Sinclair is an exception.

Willow Acres wasn't exactly the nicest place to grow up. In the trailer park most did what they could to avoid the police. The majority of kids who lived there got in trouble with the law by the time they'd reached their teenage years. I was the exception. My mother wanted better opportunities for me than she'd had for herself, so my upbringing was strict. Mom put great importance and heavy emphasis on my schooling. Lucky for her I loved to learn. She instilled in me a passion for education along with a heaping dose of ambition. Her efforts paid off. I never fell into the pitfalls suffered by my peers. I suppose every decent parent wants their child to do at least one step better than they did and, by the time I reached my junior year of high school, offers for university scholarships came rolling in. It seemed only fitting that I go into teaching.

I'd saved enough money from waitressing jobs to afford moving into a small apartment of my own. It wasn't far from the high school where I accepted a teaching position. Carter was the love story I never saw coming.

A few months into the school year, a teacher friend named Julie set me up on a blind date. Only after I insisted I wouldn't meet alone with a total stranger did she arrange for her and her husband to join us. Her husband, Ken, was a Trooper and Carter was their friend. Julie told me three things about Carter. One, he was a Trooper. Two, he was handsome. Three, he lived on the lake.

From the moment I met him, I knew he was different than anyone I'd met before. He had this aura of strength about him that enveloped me as he approached. It wasn't intimidating. It was more like a sense of protection I had never felt in Willow Acres.

His tall frame towered over my petite one. He was unbelievably handsome, with sharp features that demanded my attention. His cheekbones and jaw were exquisitely cut, and he was impeccably groomed. He exuded authority like the scent of cologne, and the intensity in his gaze uncloaked a seriousness I found sorely lacking in most men I'd met.

Within the first few minutes of our meeting, he checked all my boxes. His confidence and charm blended with his good looks. We discussed politics and current events and how we pictured our futures. As we grew to know each other better we learned we had more in common than just our love of good food. Like me, he was a runner. We started with one run a week, then two, then more.

When Carter took me to Baltimore to meet Rose, Declan was visiting their mother. It didn't take long for me to recognize that the face of Ralph Lauren and Gucci ads was, in reality, my boyfriend's bratty little brother. I loved their interaction. Little by little I learned of all they'd been through together and it explained Carter's intensity, Declan's need for attention, and their loyalty to each other and Rose. They defined the word family and, when I lost my mother, they taught me that not all family share a bloodline.

"How are you doing, sweetheart?" Rose gives me a sweet smile.

"I'm good. I like it here. How about you? How are you feeling? You put in a full day's work in that kitchen."

"I'm fine." Rose's cheeks are slightly flushed but I'm guessing it's more from the wine than the work. "This is a good place. We love it here."

I follow her gaze to the ocean and the pastel sky which is changing as quickly as if it was a kaleidoscope. "I'm so glad Carter invited me."

"Me, too. I love my boys, but it's nice to have another woman to talk to. She steals a glance at them as she lowers her voice. "They can be a real pain in the butt sometimes, if you know what I mean."

I nod and then am distracted as Carter clears his throat. "I heard that, Mom."

I savor the sweet tang of the salty sea breeze as I close myself off from their banter.