Love Grows in Alaska (The Washington Triplets) (17 page)

~ One Month Later ~

“Marisa, you’ve only lived here for like two months, how on Earth do you have so much shit?” Libby heaves a box into Zach’s truck. Me moving out while she simultaneously moves in has been absolutely horrible. Need to think that through next time.

“Lib, it’s only filling up the back of a pick-up. You act like I’m taking multiple trips here,” I hammer back, and her face turns down.

“I kinda wish you were.” She runs up to me and throws her arms around my shoulders. “You’re my only friend up here,” she says and my heart breaks that I’m leaving her. But Zach asked me to move in with him and run the Human Resources of King’s Gate Resort. It’s turning around slowly, more events being planned, and hopefully I can find a staff that won’t call him for every request.

“I’ll only be two hours away.” My eyes find Wes standing by the edge of the truck and I wave him over. “You’re not alone, Libby.” I break apart from her slowly and her fingers raise her glasses as she swipes the tears from her eyes.

Wes holds her at his side and she nuzzles into his neck while Zach emerges from my apartment with another box, stopping for a second to look at the scene unfolding. Laughing silently to himself, he continues, placing the box in the back of his truck and then tightening the harnesses across the bed. Since Libby’s moving in, I didn’t have any big furniture that needed to be moved.

Zach hesitantly walks over when he’s done, his keys swinging around his finger and eyeing me to say it’s time to leave. I bite my lip and Wes holds Libby tighter. Tears well up in my eyes, because even though we aren’t far, we won’t see each other every day. Wes whispers something in Libby’s ear and she looks up at me as tears pour out of her eyes, which makes them stream from my own.

Soon our arms are tight around each other and our faces are buried into one another’s necks. “Wes and I are coming out in a few weeks. Text me every day, call too,” Libby gushes into my shoulder.

“I will and you too,” is all I can manage to squeak out with my breath becoming labored.

“I’ll miss you,” she says.

“Me … too.” Then two strong hands wrap around my shoulders and I know Zach is urging me to step away before we never leave.

“Okay, girls.” Wes swings his arm around Libby’s waist and pries her off of me. “Have a safe trip. See you in a couple weeks.” Wes extends his hand to Zach, who shakes it immediately.

“We’ll set you up in a suite for the weekend,” Zach informs him.

“But you have to at least have dinner with us, one of the nights,” I add and Zach laughs. “And I’m stealing Libby for some shopping around downtown.” I point my finger at Wes and he holds his hands up.

“Hey, I wanted to get some skiing in anyways,” he says in defense.

“All right then.” I take a deep breath and Libby looks up at me like a kid who just took away her favorite toy. “Bye,” I say.

“Bye, Marisa,” she chokes out and Wes pulls her onto the sidewalk as they watch us part.

Zach opens the passenger door for me, and as heart-wrenching as it is to leave Libby, I’m happy to be moving forward to a future with Zach. When I moved here from Chicago, I was running from my life, but now I’m living it. I roll down the window and Libby picks up her head and waves. It hurts to leave the one person that filled my sisters’ role for so long and is now on an equal playing field to my own blood.

Starting the truck, Zach squeezes my thigh before inching over to say good-bye one last time. Placing the car in drive, the tires roll a little and my arm flies out the window. “I love you, Lib. See you soon.”

“Love you too!” she screams and then she throws herself into Wes’s waiting arms.

Turning around, Zach rolls up my window since it’s late October in Alaska, meaning it’s cold, especially for me. Maybe one day I’ll be able to sport my shorts and t-shirt in September. “You okay?” he asks, his eyes flickering between me and the road.

“I am. She has Wes; she’ll be fine,” I say out loud, more for myself. I had a good and long conversation with Wes one day at lunch and he more than convinced me how much he cares for her.

“Yes, she will and so will you.” He winks, those dimples pressing into his cheeks, confirming what I already know. This is the best decision I’ve ever made. That when I chose to flee to Alaska, I’d taken the initiative to change my life and was rewarded with Zach Greer.

“I know I will,” I confirm and the dimples deepen with his smile.

Cozying up in the plush seat, I cross my legs, noticing Zach eyeing the motion, only making me heated, thinking about crawling into our bed tonight and knowing I’ll wake up to him every morning. That thought alone makes me so elated, I can barely contain myself.

My phone dings and Zach chuckles. “Seriously, she can’t even give you five minutes?” He’s joking, but I’m sure he’s a little worried that Libby will be at our doorstep every week.

Pulling out my phone, that elated feeling grows ten times more when I see Mya’s name on my screen. Swiping it, there’s a group text with Mikaela.

Mya: Things are crazy right now. Remind me to tell you what happened with Colton...

“It’s from Mya,” I announce and Zach peers over, his happiness for my mended relationship with my sisters showing just as much as my own. He reaches across and rubs my leg back and forth with his palm, silently telling me he’s thrilled I have my sisters back in my life.

It took a lot to reach out to them, to start our conversations. At first it was awkward since none of us knew anything about each other’s lives or problems. It didn’t take long for us to come together over the past month. Due to our regular Skype and messaging, I feel closer to my sisters now than I did when we lived under the same roof.

“Baby.” Zach draws my attention away from my frenzy of texts between my sisters and over to him. A flush washes over my body when I look over to those blue eyes that pinned me with the sweet and sultry look in the elevator. “You’re home.”

The Washington Triplets

You’ve read Marisa’s story, now be sure to check out Mya’s and Mikaela’s!

Love Discovered in New York

MYA WASHINGTON IS A REBEL.
Or at least, that’s what her family has always said. As the youngest of a set of triplets, she has always been the more rebellious of the three … even though she never considered herself a rebel.

Outspoken? Yes.

Rule Breaker? Sometimes.

Trouble Maker? Nev—occasionally.

Growing tired of being typecast and misunderstood, Mya moves to New York looking for a fresh start away from the life she grew up in, and out of the shadow of her older sisters. Striking out on her own may have put a strain on the family dynamic, but it’s the new beginning Mya was looking for.

But after the unexpected death of her mother, she is blindsided yet again by a wedding invitation she didn’t see coming. Her father’s upcoming marriage only cements the wall she’s put up around her heart. Because if her father could be such an utter disappointment, why should she even attempt to open up to any man?

Enter Colton Davis.

Available Now

Love Found in California

MIKAELA WASHINGTON, THE MIDDLE TRIPLET
, has always been labeled the quiet one. Her parents claim her as the introvert or just shy. Of course she was, what other role could she take? All the others had been fulfilled.

Going away to college with her sisters was always the plan until unforeseen circumstances push Mikaela into a dark corner she can’t get out of. Her sisters think she’s just being more unusual than normal and her dad barely notices. The only person she can trust and confide in is her mom.

She stays back and lives at home with her parents. These years are difficult, but she manages to find a career and go to therapy. During this time she learns her family home is not what it seems. She sees and hears things that her sisters know nothing about. Then when her mom suddenly dies she’s left to deal with not only her tragedy, but also the secrets of her family.

Finally Mikaela realizes it’s time… time to move on, live on her own like her sisters and try to start new. When she moves to California she finds the job of her dreams and the man of her dreams attached to it… Ryan Chambers.

COMING 10.1.14

Love Found in California on Goodreads

TO MY FELLOW TRIPLET GIRLS
, Danielle Allen and Melissa Rolka. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be staring at a blank screen still, trying to figure out Marisa and Zach. Thank you for listening to my rants, brainstorming ideas and being there for me during this summer project with my girls.

Nichole Strauss from Perfectly Publishable. Thank you for pushing and prodding those feelings and emotions out of me, to make Zach and Marisa stronger characters. Christine Borgford, as always, you bring beauty to my finished project with your amazing graphics. Thank you.

Marisa Shor from Cover Me Darling, for her out of this world cover designs for not only Love Grows in Alaska, but also all of The Washington Triplets Series. We tossed some pictures your way and gave you very little direction. We got back beautiful covers that spoke to each story individually.

Heather Davenport from Book Plug Promotions. When I grow up, I want to be as organized and efficient as you are. You take on a million tasks and never let one drop out of your grasp. You are unbelievable, and I’m thankful everyday that I met you.

There are so many girls that keep me going on a daily basis. Mia Kayla and KL Grayson for our nightly sprints and cheerleaders to keep going. Karrie Puskas, Annie Trembley, Danielle LeFave, Elizabeth Thiele, Stefanie Kral, Angie Stanton, Melinda Bones, Chrissy Fletcher, Shannon Reed, Lindsey Melia and Emma Thomas. Your faithful shares and promoting never goes unnoticed. Thank you for loving my stories enough to spread the word to your readers.

Lastly, the readers who put trust in me to deliver a story that hopefully they will love.

The Basso Brothers

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