Keeping Her 18+ (Her Series book three)

Wilder, Present Day

"There's a new server at the diner in town. She's living above it." River's words replay in my head as I drive like a bat out of hell down the road on my way to the diner late at night. "She has a little boy too. Cutest damn kid I've ever seen. I don't know how old he is, but he looks to be around four or five." A kid? A fucking kid? "He's got dark curly hair and when he smiles he has a dimple in his right cheek." He looks just like me. Jesus, fuck. "Her name is Alex. Alex Cartwright." Alex. My Alex. My Goldie. My heart is about to beat out of my chest and sweat is dripping down my hairline as the trees blur in the windows outside my truck while I fly down the dark road into town.

I don't know what to feel; I don't know what to think. All I know is that I have to get to her. Now. My adrenaline has never been this amped up before. This is a dream, or a nightmare? Who the fuck knows.

My brothers and I just finished taking care of my new sister-in-law's piece of shit serial killer ex when River told me a new server moved to town. A new server who just happens to be the woman who got away from me four years ago. Alex Cartwright. The sneaky witch.

After I graduated highschool, I spent a year just traveling around the U.S, trying to find my purpose in life outside of the small town I grew up in, when I locked eyes on the most beautiful blonde headed girl I had ever seen, right there on a beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama. I knew immediately that she was mine.

Here in GaleTown, Texas, where I grew up, it's a town legend that the people from here find their soulmates with just one look. My dad always said that it was like lightning striking at that moment. That when it happens, you just know. I never believed it, I thought it was just an old wive's tale or something the old men in town would say to make their old ladies feel special. Until it fucking happened to me. Then it all made sense. I had found my other half... and then she slipped right through my goddamn fingers in the middle of the night after the best week of my life.

I spent two years traveling around the south, mainly Georgia where she said she was from, searching for her. No matter where I went or how long I looked, I couldn't find her. She just vanished. I had no choice but to finally give up and come back home. I've been home for about two years now, even opened up my own bar in town, and she lands her sweet ass right here. A kid. A son. She had my baby. I'm a father. I feel like puking and punching something all at the same damn time.

I don't even know what I'm doing right now. It's late at night and everything in town is closed down. I park my truck in the diner's parking lot and just sit here as I stare at the apartment above the diner. The apartment my woman and son are currently in if what River said was accurate. I want to climb those steps and break the fucking door down and demand answers from her, but my kid is in there asleep and the last thing I'll ever do is scare him. I have a fucking kid. I rub my palm down my face as I lean back in my seat to get comfortable. Christ. How did my life get so fucking complicated?

I was supposed to convince her to come back home with me after our vacation was up. I was going to talk her into completing her studies at a school here and then marry me. She was supposed to be my wife. Instead, she left my bed in the middle of the night and I never saw or heard from her again. I feel elated and sick all in one.

Here recently, I've watched two of my brothers find their woman, and while I'm happy for them, I can't help but feel resentful of their love too. Which makes me feel like the biggest piece of shit alive. I have four older brothers, I'm the baby of the family, and River is the only one that knows about Alex. The night before our vacation ended, I called him and told him the good news. I told him about meeting my woman and how I was planning on bringing her home and putting my ring on her finger. He was excited for me, until I didn't come home for another two years, alone. I also turned into an asshole from what my brothers say. They would too if they finally found their woman just to lose her.

This legend every fucker around speaks highly of, is more like a curse for me. I had her right in my arms. She was mine completely, then I lost her. Finding her, feeling that connection, knowing that this person was made to complete me, feeling hopeful and happy for the future, man... It was perfection. Then I lost it in the blink of an eye and couldn't find it again. All that happiness and hope drained right out of me and all that was left was a husk made from bitterness and anger.

My brothers would understand why I changed if they knew the truth, but the last thing I need is the pitying looks and quiet words every time I leave a room. They would tone down their affection with their women in front of me, thinking they were being considerate of my feelings, which would just make me feel worse. No, they deserve all the happiness in the world, and so do my new sisters, Alice and Mia. Fuck, so do I, and I'm going to get my happiness back if it's the last thing I do.

I have a second chance now and I'm not letting it slip through my fingers this time. Alex will never get away from me again. I'll become a full-fledged psycho and do what Mia's crazy ex did and put a fucking tracker in Alex's neck if that's what it takes. I'm past the point of caring. It's been years of internal torment not knowing where she is or what happened to her. She was with me; she was all in, I could see it in her eyes. Then she just left me without a note or anything, in the middle of the night while I was asleep, thinking I had her wrapped in my arms. I'm going to find out what happened, why she left me, then I'm going to bend her over and spank the ever loving shit out of her ass until she begs for forgiveness for putting me through this. After that's done, I'll glue her to my goddamn flesh, so she's never out of my sight again. I learned my lesson with her, I can't give her any space or she might run. I'll become her shadow and she'll just have to accept it.

I smile to myself as a plan forms in my mind. As soon as the diner opens my ass will be in there, and I won't be leaving without her and my son. Even if I have to sling her over my shoulder caveman style with her kicking and screaming to do it. I'll never hurt her, but I'll damn sure punish the fuck out of her. She only has herself to blame for the monster she's created.

I hope you're ready Alex, because I finally found you, and this time, I'll be keeping you.