Chapter 20

Aaron

I HAD FOUGHT LIKE HELL not to speak the words earlier before I made love to Sierra, but I couldn’t hold them back any longer. They were out before I could stop them.

“Marry me, Sierra.”

Sierra’s mouth parted open as she stared back at me. “W-what?” she mumbled as her eyes filled with tears.

Closing my eyes, I shook my head. “Damn it. I didn’t want to just blurt that out. I wanted to wait until you were divorced and I wanted you to move in with me, and help me raise Princess. I wanted to show you how much I love you and how I’ll always take care of you with everything that I am. Please, baby, don’t get spooked. I know you’re still married, and I’m not even sure if you ever want to get married again, but—”

Sierra smashed her lips to mine as she kissed me. Hard. Her hands moved to my hair where she grabbed a handful and pulled. Moving her hips, she began to grind against me as my dick quickly came back to life.

Lifting up, Sierra sank down onto my dick and rode me until we both called out each other’s names. I was hoping like hell that was her way of saying yes.

***

Sierra was sleeping peacefully in my arms as I stared out through the skylight. She had yet to say anything to my marriage proposal. My heart felt heavy, and I knew I had moved entirely too fast.

Carefully slipping out of the bed, I quickly got dressed and headed up on deck. I had made dinner plans for us this evening, and I wanted to make sure we were back in time for them.

Sailing through the channel, I felt Sierra before she even walked up to me. Wrapping her arms around my waist, she held onto me tightly. Smiling, I went to ask her how she slept when she let go of me and slipped between the steering wheel and me.

She wore a bright smile and her eyes were picking up the light from the water. I’d never seen her look so beautiful before.

“Yes,” she said as her smile grew even bigger.

Swallowing hard, I wanted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I knew that some day when I asked the woman of my dreams to marry me, it was going to be grand. Not me blurting it out in a bed with her straddling me. Sierra deserved more, and I had every intention and asking her the proper way but the fact that she just said yes had me wanting to jump up and down like a little girl.

Slowly shaking my head, I repeated her word. “Yes.”

Nodding her head, Sierra lifted up on her toes and whispered against my lips. “A thousand times yes, Aaron.”

Closing my eyes, I said a quick prayer. I followed my heart and not my head. Opening my eyes, I said, “You just made me the happiest man in the world, Sierra.”

Her eyes filled with tears as she said, “Just tell me you’re going to win on Wednesday.”

“I promise you, Sierra. I’m going to win.”

Wrapping her arms around my waist, Sierra buried her face into my chest as I held onto her and took us back to the dock.

***

Sitting in the library, I couldn’t stop staring at Sierra as she sat on the sofa with her legs pulled up underneath her. My father was asking her questions as if he was Robert’s lawyer. Had she ever cheated? Why she had a separate bank account the entire time she was married to Robert. Next time I saw her father, I was going to tell him that was the best piece of advice he could have ever given his daughter.

Chuckling, I pulled out Sierra’s trust fund paperwork I had noticed was missing after reading over it over a week ago. Trying to get the original law firm to send it over was like trying to pull a tooth. I began reading over it as my father and Sierra continued to talk. Sierra had gotten the trust fund when she turned thirty, which was after she had separated from Robert. His lawyer argued the trust fund should be considered part of the marital assets. Robert’s lawyers were also claiming half of the money Sierra used to buy her home in Hyde Park. I had hired a forensic accountant to track Sierra and Robert’s bank account. He had come back showing Robert has been slowly draining the account and putting it in an alternative account. Little did he know that account was still considered part of the marital assets. I couldn’t wait to see his face when we brought that little fact up at the trial. I would be able to convince the judge that, in fact, Sierra had only used her half of the marital assets. Actually used less than her half. No prenup was both a blessing and a curse through these proceedings that was for sure.

My father and Sierra were now talking about Sierra keeping her cool on the stand. She wasn’t to get upset or angry.

Standing up, Sierra stretched as my father walked over to me. “Aaron, Sierra and I are going to go grab a drink. Would you like anything?”

Shaking my head, I said, “Nah, I’ve only got a little left to read.”

Glancing up, I smiled as I saw Sierra take my father’s arm as they made their way out of the library.

Damn it, I want to finish this shit up so I could take her out to eat.

Wiping my eyes and slapping myself across my face to wake myself up, I started reading again.

My eyes widened as I read the next section. “Holy shit. I knew the missing documents had to have something in them. The shit was right here in front of the damn previous lawyer the whole time.”

My cell phone rang and I glanced down and saw it was Kyle Lenard calling. The private detective my father had hired to dig up more information on Robert.

“This is Aaron,” I said as I placed the trust fund documents back into the envelope.

“Mr. Walker, this is Kyle Lenard.”

“Hey, Kyle, tell me you got something for me,” I said as I sat back in my chair and pushed my hand through my hair and sighed.

Letting out a gruff laugh, Kyle said, “Your instincts were spot on, Mr. Walker. Lisa Blank was not the first person Dr. Jackson had an affair with.”

Smiling, I leaned forward. “Do tell.”

“I’m sitting here looking at two sworn statements by two different women who all have claimed to have had an affair with Robert while he was married to Sierra. All nurses at the hospital where Dr. Jackson worked before going into private practice.”

Shaking my head, I asked, “Kyle, how in the hell did you manage to track them down?”

“Wasn’t hard. All it takes is one person to start running their mouth and that was Robert’s tennis partner. I followed him to tennis four times and saw he played with the same guy. Another doctor. Turns out they went to medical school together and although he loves playing tennis with his buddy Robert, he can’t stomach the guy. Told me Robert was cheating on Sierra while they were both still in college even.”

Shaking my head, I let out a fuck from under my breath. “What an asshole,” I said as I stood up.

“Turns out the two nurses feel the same way and said once they found out he was married, they broke it off. One of them even looked Sierra up and was going to tell her, but was so embarrassed she had slept with a married man, she decided not to contact Sierra. They did both say they would be in the courtroom if you needed them to testify.”

Nodding my head, I looked down the hall for Sierra and my father. “Let’s have them wait outside the courtroom. The last thing I want is for Sierra to find out her dirtbag ex was having an affair with two nurses at his job.”

“Right. I’ll let them know if you need them, I’ll come get them.”

“Good. Did you find anything else about Lisa Blank?” I asked as I saw Sierra and my father walking down the hall. They were both laughing.

“Just that she likes her men. She’s got about three affairs going on outside her relationship with Dr. Jackson.”

“Jesus,” I whispered. “Those two were meant for each other.”

Kyle laughed as he said, “Yeah, and all three of the guys are loaded. I’m not sure how in the hell she keeps up, to be honest with you.”

Rolling my eyes, I turned and headed back to the desk. “Who the hell knows. Thanks again, Kyle, for the great work. Please just send everything you’ve got to my office and be at the courthouse a few minutes before the hearing starts.”

“Will do, Mr. Walker. Enjoy the rest of your weekend,” Kyle said.

Sierra and my father walked into the library and I clapped my hands. “Dad, I think Sierra’s ready. Something tells me she won’t even be getting on the stand.”

Sierra looked at me with a confused look on her face and then started laughing. “Wishful thinking! Maybe you’re practicing positive thinking then?”

My father tilted his head and stared at me. Giving him a smile and a nod of my head, he shook his head and laughed. “I never doubted you, son.” Turning to Sierra, my father kissed her on the cheek and said, “Go have fun. We head back to Austin early tomorrow morning.”

Sierra’s smile faded. “Ugh. I love it here. I want to stay in this happy bubble forever.”

My father glanced over at me and gave me a wink. “Something tells me you will be, sweetheart. You will be.”

Glancing between my father and me, Sierra shrugged her shoulders and walked up to me where she gave me a smile that melted my heart. “Sierra and I are going out to dinner, but I’d love to meet you, Mom, and Grams this evening for drinks afterward.”

“At the club bar?” my father asked.

Nodding my head, I said, “Sure.” I had every intention of letting my parents and Grams know how serious Sierra and I were. No more pushing things to the side. I was ready to start this new chapter in my life. After the trial, Sierra and I could start our lives together.

Together. Forever.