She stood up, arms bent and hands on her hips.
“Well?”
With a laugh, I stepped forward and embraced her. She held me tight, her soft skin and the quiet tremble in her voice just like home.
“I’m always glad to hug you,” she said in a teary voice. “But that’s not what I meant.”
Startled, I pulled away. “What do you mean?”
“Well?” She motioned behind me. “What are you going to say?”
I glanced back, then gasped. Mark knelt on one knee a few steps away. Something glittered in between his thumb and pointer finger. Shock rippled through me as I slowly turned. He smiled, and all nerves, all fear, were gone. Nothing but certainty filled him now.
“Stella Marie,” he murmured. “Will you officially be mine?”
With trembling hands, I reached for him. He stood and trapped my hand. Cool metal slid onto my left ring finger. An ostentatious diamond sparkled there, set with smaller ones in a white-gold setting.
“Mark, I . . .”
Unable to finish the thought, I just gaped at him. He leaned forward to whisper, “At this point, it’s a good idea to say yes or no.”
Laughing, I grabbed his face.
“Yes, Mark. Forever.”
He was smiling when our lips touched, and another ragged, unsynchronized, but heartfelt cry filled the air from the Bunco club. I wrapped my arms around Mark’s neck with tears in my eyes and held him close.
Grandma called out, “That hunk is my grandson-in-law!”
A deep chuckle reverberated through his chest as he held me close. I’d found my home forever. Now I knew, without a doubt, that I'd never have to run away again.
FIGHTER
Mark has long been a favorite of mine (probably because he has SO much of me in him) so attacking this book was a daunting prospect. So much to live up to, in my own head and for fans of I Am Girl Power and Lovesick.
Hopefully, this was all you wanted and more.
As usual, thank you to everyone that helped make this book possible. My team at KC Writing, that helped me get out all the bad ideas, then nudged me onto the good ones. Mark and Stella Marie came together so quickly because of you. Thanks for running the company so I can write!
Most importantly, thank you to my readers for all your love, support, and enthusiasm. You make all the late nights worth it!
If you’re ready for more, keep reading for a sneak peek of FIGHTER, the next novel in the Coffee Shop Series. FIGHTER features Benjamin and Serafina. MMA champ or not, he’s not ready for the fight that Serafina’s going to bring into his life.
In fact, he just might lose his heart over it.
(The Frolicking Moose will be back at it in FIGHTER, don’t you worry! )
FIGHTER
Chapter 1.
Serafina
The moment I walked into the MMA Center, I knew exactly what would happen: snap judgments, a flare of annoyance, and maybe even concern. But I walked in anyway, because desperate times call for desperate measures.
This fat lip wasn't going away fast enough.
On purpose, I stepped inside at 8:50 pm, ten minutes away from closing, so I didn't get roped into a conversation I didn't want. My old black backpack was slung halfway across my back and my maniacal brown curls tamed into something of a ponytail.
There weren't many people left here, which wasn't surprising. The MMA Center was a place for athletes across the country to train in mixed-martial arts, not an every day gym. But Benjamin Mercedy, the owner and founder, had been forced to pack it with weight machines and treadmills and ellipticals for the average mortal to use in order to pay the rent. The giant mats taking up most of the room, however, belied the casual jogger's attitude.
This was a serious place.
A girl across the room spritzed down gym equipment with a bright spray, then wiped it with a white cloth. A heavy-set guy huffed away on a treadmill below a TV with the news streaming across it, ticker-tape style.
My gaze honed in on the girl. Medium height, just like me. Strong, but unassuming. She was way more wiry than me. I had thighs thick enough to be proud of, as Mama said, but I sensed an understanding soul in her. She'd get me. No judgment from a fellow woman. I turned toward her, but stopped when a deep, rolling voice to my left asked, "Can I help you?"
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I paused midstep. Fantastic. Just who I didn't want to encounter. Benjamin Mercedy himself. I responded without looking over. Maybe I could make it in and out of here without him seeing my swollen face.
"I just had a question about classes." I adjusted my backpack strap. "And what you offered."
"We have a full schedule on the website."
"I saw it."
Silence answered. I closed my eyes and sucked in a slow breath. Obviously, this was awkward. He had to see this. I couldn't talk to the mats on the other side of the room without looking like a total weirdo. Finally, I turned to face him.
As expected, Benjamin stood behind a counter, both of his hands on the desk. He peered at me through golden eyes framed with thick eyelashes enough to flutter away. Longer brown hair normally grew in waves around his face, but tonight he'd pulled the top half of it back. The rest wasn't long enough. His arms coiled in muscles all the way up his neck. They'd probably ripple down his back, too.
His adam's apple bobbed as our eyes collided. I stared right at him to avoid looking at the rest of him and I forced my voice to remain normal. "I . . . I just wanted to see if you offered self defense
