Lies in Love (44 page)

“Could we maybe take
your Harley to the game? I mean, with the baby coming I won’t
be able to ride it much longer and I really want to make the most of
this time.”

He placed a quick peck on
her forehead. “Are you sure? It’s going to be pretty cold
on the bike.”

“You’ll keep me
warm.” She smiled her most persuasive smile. “Pretty
please.”

“I told you. I can’t
say no to you.” He placed a soft kiss on her lips and swatted
her behind. “Go get your jacket.”

When they were dressed in
their matching black leather jackets they headed out to Landon’s
new Harley Davidson Super Glide. Talia had surprised him with the
bike for their three-month anniversary and was rewarded with a ride
to their favorite burger joint followed by a very erotic evening at
home. Life had been good for them and was only getting better.

They set out for AT&T
Stadium and, after twenty minutes of driving, Talia finally asked,
“Shouldn’t we have been there by now?”

Landon looked around and
said, “I think we’re lost.” He pulled off the
highway into a local gas station and hopped off the bike. “Fill
her up, Petal.”

“Excuse me?” She
laughed at his demand.

“I’m going to
run in and get directions. Fill her up, please.” He smiled and
bit her bottom lip before running inside.

She filled the tank and
watched him through the station window. He was smiling and laughing
with the attendant and she wondered what had them so tickled. When he
returned outside he was all business standing idly by as she
continued pumping.

Rubbing her hands together,
Talia stammered, “It’s freezing out here.”

“I tried to warn you.”
He massaged warmth into her hands before kissing the tips of her
fingers. “Good news is, we’re really close. I just missed
our turn by a couple exits.” He climbed on and fired the
motorcycle to life. When Talia wrapped her arms around him, he
skimmed his over hers, replenishing some of the warmth she lost
before he got them on their way. When her extremities didn’t
feel quite so numb, Landon kicked the motorcycle into gear and took
them in the right direction to the stadium.

Driving past Globe Life
Park, they could see the parking lot for the stadium was nearly full.
Talia knew it was probably her fault they were so late, but she’d
never be sorry for their morning interludes together. She’d
look forward to those encounters with him for the rest of her life.
They parked in a spot closer than most thanks to the motorcycle,
fortunate that it could fit in tight spaces. “I can’t
believe you paid fifty bucks for parking.”

“I can’t have
you traipsing all over Dallas in your delicate state.” He
tugged her hand, pulling her closer to the stadium.

“You didn’t seem
too worried about my delicate state in the shower this morning.”

“Petal, I know my own
strength and I would never put you or this precious baby at risk. I
promise you that.” His hand rubbed over her belly as she
self-consciously looked around the lot to make sure no one had caught
on to their private moment. They were waiting for the perfect moment
to tell their loved ones of the precious life they’d created.

Advancing with the crowd,
Landon placed his protective arms around her as they finally made
their way inside the busy stadium. The noise of the crowd filled
their ears as they grew closer to the concessions and Talia felt her
stomach rumbling as the smell of stadium food filled her nose.

“Why don’t you
go on in while I get us some drinks?”

“I can wait.”

“I’ll be right
there. You go on ahead and get off of your feet.” He gently
pushed her toward their section as he added, “Please, Petal?
Dawson will be waiting.”

Talia rolled her eyes and
said, “Fine.” With a quick kiss, she left him behind and
journeyed to their seats. When she hit the top of the stairs, every
eye seemed to be on her and she self-consciously wiped at her face
then took a step toward the stairs. As her hand reached for the
railing, two red tulips were held out to her. She looked up at the
stranger staring back at her, unsure what was going on.

Before she could say a word,
two white carnations were extended from the opposite direction. As
she descended the stairs, at each step more flowers were held out to
her: red chrysanthemums, dark red carnations, red roses, daisies. She
was shocked, but she realized each flower had some connotation of
love. Nearing her row, she saw her father appear from behind Dawson
and Mya and tears began to form in her eyes. “Daddy?” The
tears began to spill over as she turned her attention to Mya. “What’s
going on?”

Mya pointed over Talia’s
shoulder, triggering her to turn, finding Landon down on one knee
behind her. Her breath caught in her throat as he held out a blue
rose to her that she added to the jumbled bouquet. When Landon
reached for her hand, Mya took hold of the flowers, freeing Talia’s
hands to join with his. She thanked Mya while trying desperately to
suppress her tears, comprehending what came next.

“I know what it’s
like to live without you,” he began. “It’s the most
miserable I’ve ever felt.” His hands were trembling in
hers as he paused briefly before continuing. “From the first
moment I saw your face, I knew I was a goner. I’m certain my
life will never be complete without you beside me.” He stopped
to take a steadying breath. “No one else has ever held my heart
the way you do. I’d give anything for the opportunity to spend
the rest of my life completely devoted to you.” He clumsily
removed a velvet box from his pocket and asked, “Will you marry
me?”

Talia couldn’t believe
how quiet the stadium was as she watched him open the box. There,
nestled inside, sat a full carat round diamond in a fourteen-carat
white-gold channel setting. It was stunning and perfect. Fascinated
by the ring, she overlooked giving him an answer.

“Talia?” He was
hanging onto her hand, staring nervously into her eyes.

She smiled and cried, “Yes.
Of course.”

When he placed the ring on
her finger the entire stadium erupted. As he stood, she saw his lips
move, but she couldn’t make out his words over the noise of the
crowd.

“What?”

He pointed at the big screen
over the field and Talia saw their reflection on the screen. Her
cheeks flushed as she giggled and ducked into Landon’s embrace.
Looking back to the seats, there next to her father were Sara and
Landon’s father, Abel, as well as Landon’s sister, Celia.
Stunned, she asked, “Have you been planning this for three
months?”

“Longer.” He
kissed her again and, for only her to hear, stated, “But it was
definitely worth the wait.”

Thank you for reading Lies in Love. If you enjoyed this book, please
leave a review
!

There are so many amazing
people to thank. My awesome Betas Laura, Roni, Carrie, Kim and
Margaret; Jordan for all of your advice, guidance and amazing
expertise; Kristina for sending me down the right path to make Lies
in Love shine; to my family for putting up with my incessant hours
dedicated to this work and to my mom for helping me find the light at
the end of the tunnel. I’m so grateful for all of the people
who have been placed in my life.

Wrecking Ball – Miley
Cyrus

Fighter – Christina
Aguilera

Over – Blake Shelton

For the First Time –
Jonas Brothers

Up All Night – Alex
Clare

Lucky Man – The Verve

Sweater Weather – The
Neighbourhood

Get To You – Matt
Wertz

Right Here – Betty Who

When You Got a Good Thing –
Lady Antebellum

Story of My Life –
OneDirection

Heart by Heart – Demi
Lovato

All of Me – John
Legend

Not a Bad Thing –
Justin Timberlake

Only You Can Love Me This
Way – Keith Urban

As Night Falls –
Blackchords

Cold As Stone – Lady
Antebellum

Someday – Rob Thomas

Look After You – The
Fray

Ava Wood was raised in the Texas Hill Country. Growing up an only child,
Ava spent much of her time writing poetry and creating alternate worlds. Her
novels today are a mixture of romance and suspense.

When Ava isn't writing, she's spending time with her amazing husband and
two daughters or watching basketball; sometimes she does both simultaneously.

To find out more about Ava and her books, follow her on twitter
@btfl7
or like her on Facebook at
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to stay up to date with her current events and upcoming releases.