Guarding Hearts (Living Again #3) (40 page)

He had gone from being a detached, miserable shell of a guy to someone who could not only admit that he was head over heels in love with this woman, but had gotten the chance to live his dream of being a dad to Mason and accepting being a son to the only man that had ever been a parental figure to him.

Two Years Later…

Sam sat on the large deck, watching Mason and Ellis throw a football in the sand below. Mason looked so much like Ellis, it was amazing. He had just turned sixteen, and they were having to beat the girls off with a stick. He was playing football in high school, and had adjusted really well to being part of their life. He thanked them often for showing him what it was like to be part of a real family, and she knew it killed Ellis every single time he said it. While he was a normal teen that liked to buck the system, they had really gotten fortunate with what a great kid he was. She had officially adopted him right after their wedding, and for all intents and purposes, Mason was her son.

It had been an amazing two years since the night that Ellis had gotten on the stage and proposed to her. Their wedding had been only six months after the proposal, neither of them wanting to wait long. They had gotten married right here on Sunset Beach at their house, where it all started for them, surrounded by their family and friends. They came here as often as they could, but mainly lived in Nashville. Since most of her business stuff had to be done there, they thought that was for the best. It was the tail end of summer break, so they were enjoying the beach house one more time before Mason started his junior year and she got back to work on her new album.

Her career had continued to get better, and she was now considered to be one of country music’s leading ladies. That was an amazing feeling, seeing as she was still young.

Her parents had decided that it was time for them to leave the show business up to her, and they had retired. Ellis had taken over running the security team, and she had hired a new manager, one who was not in her family. Ellis was doing some private contracting on the side when he had time, since her career kept him busy enough.

She had gotten very close with Rachel, Kayley, and Emily. They got together often when she was in Florida, and talked daily when she was in Nashville. Lacey was finished with school and was interning at a veterinarian’s office in Nashville. They spent as much time together as they could with both of their busy lives. Recently she had taken to talking about a guy who had come in to the vet’s office with his sick dog. When Sam had questioned her on it, she had said she was just telling her about the dog that she was treating, but Sam didn’t buy it. She had started grilling Lacey on who this guy was, and why she was so interested in telling her about this one animal above all the others she helped. She had even had to go out to his house and do a house call! But Lacey denied that she had any feelings for this guy, and even refused to tell Sam his name or what he looked like. To Sam, that meant she was purposely holding out on her because she didn’t want to admit her true feelings. She was determined to get to the bottom of Lacey’s mysterious behavior when she returned to Nashville. Her strong willed friend needed to let her guard down and let someone in, and she was going to make sure she was there to see to it.

Carl had recently moved to Nashville, having retired and missed being near Ellis. He also would travel back and forth to Florida with them when they came down. Especially now that they had a new little one to spoil. He and Mason had a great relationship, and he was a wonderful mentor to him.

“How are my girls?” Ellis bounded up the steps, Mason behind him. He leaned over and kissed her lips, and she tasted the ocean. Never would she tire of this man and the way he made her feel every day. His eyes shifted to their sleeping daughter, snuggled into Sam’s chest. He smoothed her dark hair back gently, careful not to wake her.

“We’re just fine. I’m tired just watching you two play out there for so long. Do you want some lunch?”

“I’ve got it, Mom,” Mason announced. “You and Kerri stay right there. Dad and I will wait on you. Right, Dad?”

Ellis looked at her, and the unspoken emotion was there between them. Mason had taken to calling her Mom not long after Kerri was born, and it made her heart squeeze every time he did it. “Right. The Warner men wait on their women. You hear that, Kerri? Don’t ever take less than the best. You’re a princess and should be treated as such.”

Sam laughed as they went into the house to make lunch. “You hear them, sweetie? You don’t ever settle for less than the way your daddy treats me. Your brother Mason will be a great husband, too. You watch the two of them and see what you need to find. That is, if your daddy ever lets you get married.”

Kerrigan Ella Warner had been born just two weeks ago, and their lives had been changed forever. While Ellis was a fantastic father to Mason, seeing him with their daughter was something else entirely. He had wept like a baby when she was born and he had said that she was the third best thing he had ever done in his life, Mason and Sam being the other two.

Sam would never forget the little girl that she had been forced to give away, but knew that it had happened at a time in her life when she wasn’t ready to be a parent. Sam mourned every year on her birthday, and Ellis understood. While she had no idea where her daughter was, that was okay. Everything happened for a reason, and now she had everything she needed.

If she had learned anything over the last two years, it was that she had to live one day at a time, let her heart lead her, and if she just believed, everything always worked out for the best.

Ellis stood next to his son as they made lunch, and his heart felt full. There were days he still couldn’t believe that Mason was here with them. Now that he and Sammi had a daughter, he really felt that he had everything. A smile played on his lips as he remembered the night that she had told him she was pregnant with Kerri. She had just gotten home from the studio, and he had been cooking. She hadn’t been doing nearly as much traveling, preferring to be at home with him and Mason. She had picked Mason up from football training, and when the two of them had walked into the kitchen, Mason had been wearing a shirt that said “I’m going to be a big brother.” Ellis had done a double take and then started laughing at his big, almost grown son wearing a shirt that was usually reserved for toddlers. He had then grabbed his wife and kissed her senseless in front of Mason, who pretended to gag but was smiling the whole time. She had eventually told him she had gotten the shirt custom made for Mason, and they all had a good laugh about it while sitting around the table, talking about the new addition to their family. It seemed like that was yesterday, yet here they were with a newborn little girl.

The radio played softly in the speakers, and he hummed along before realizing he was humming the song that Sammi had sang to him at the steakhouse that night. They had also danced to that at their wedding, which had been the most fantastic night of his life, especially when his wife got on the stage and performed the new song she had written just for them, “Only Him”. There hadn’t been a dry eye in the place, including both of them.

He couldn’t be prouder of his son and what he had accomplished in the two years that he had lived with them. About a year after he got him back, they had his name legally changed to Mason Ellis Warner. At the same time, Sammi had adopted him.

“So what’s going on with Jillian?” Ellis winked at his son. Jillian was the girl next door, who was also visiting Sunset Beach with her family and she was from South Carolina. They had met here when they were both fourteen, and had become fast friends. She and Mason had been inseparable the whole time they had been here, and he knew that he was upset over their time together being over.

“We’re going to keep in touch,” Mason said, “But we also know it probably won’t work out. We’re young, and we have our whole lives ahead of us.” Ellis was impressed at what a mature response that was. “But, I really care about her, Dad. What would you do?”

Every time he asked him for advice, like he was actually someone worth taking advice from, it made him so thankful for the relationship they had with one another.

“I think if you care about her, Mason, then try to make it work. You’re young, but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.” What he didn’t add was that at his age, Ellis had already had him. He tried to discourage that as much as possible, though of course Mason knew the entire story. He had to give it to Mandy. Even though she had taken Mason from him, she had always been respectful when she talked to Mason about him. If it hadn’t been for her, the transition might not have been as smooth.

Mason nodded. “Thanks, Dad. You’re so much cooler than most of my friend’s parents. They freak out and stuff, and you’re always so level headed and never go off the rail about anything.”

Ellis put his arm around his son’s shoulders. “I can’t promise you will always like everything I say, but that’s just because I want you to do anything and everything that you want to do in this life. Nothing should hold you back, son.”

They took the trays of food and walked back to the porch where Sammi and Kerri were sitting. As he set them on the table, he saw that Sammi was asleep with Kerri on her chest, her head back against the chaise lounge. He smiled as he looked at the two girls he loved the most in this world. He knew that she was so tired, but she never complained.

He indicated for Mason to be quiet, and he walked over to the chair, crouching down next to them as they slept. Sammi’s long eyelashes were fanned over her cheeks, and her lips were pursed as she breathed evenly in and out. His gaze moved to their daughter, Sammi’s carbon copy. Even some of the expressions their daughter made were the same as Sammi’s.

He put his hand on Kerri’s back, feeling her breathing steadily. He took his other hand and traced his wife’s face. When he looked at his life now, he knew that the whole reason he was even a fraction of the man he was now was because of Sammi. He could finally allow himself to feel again, and accept the love that the people around him were offering. He was no longer guarding his heart against everyone, but had instead realized that his heart was capable of so much more than he had ever thought.