LOGINShare
Chapter Twenty-six
Last Updated:
2024-11-30 12:09:30Chapter Twenty-six
Chloe
“Hey, sweetheart.” My lips curve into a smile and I narrow my eyes from the bright sun, watching Spartan slowly walk across the pasture, clouds of dust circling his hooves. Holding out my hand, I patiently wait for my thoroughbred to take the carrots. “I missed you.”
Spartan gobbles up the carrots and impatiently waits for me to pull out a few more from the bag. I shove what’s left in my pocket and pick up his lead rope, bringing him in from the pasture.
My meeting got canceled at the last minute, and while I wished I would have known so I could have slept in, it’s nice getting to the barn this early. I rarely do. I texted Sam and let him know, but with the two-hour time difference, he’s already at work and won’t be able to text me back any time soon.
“The vet said you’re looking much better.” I open the gate and bring Spartan out of the pasture, swinging the gate shut behind us before Willow, a dapple-gray pony, can sneak out after us. “We can go out for a very light ride today.”
My heart swells in my chest at the thought of getting back on my horse, even though all we’re cleared for it a ten-minute walk. It’s better than nothing, and I’ll probably give Spartan another week off once he gets the okay to resume his usual training.
I spend a good twenty minutes brushing Spartan, and then get my helmet and bridle from my tack locker. I don’t ride bareback very often because Spartan has high withers and it’s not the most comfortable, but with us just walking around the perimeter of the barn’s property, we’ll be fine.
It’s a gorgeous day—as most are here in sunny LA—and I’m feeling torn all over again about leaving. The bright sunny weather is the biggest plus for me being in California now.
But lately—even before Sam and I saw each other again—I’ve been feeling like my time in LA is done and I’m ready to go home.
To Silver Ridge.
I just didn’t have a good enough reason before to uproot my life and return to a town that’s familiar yet is full of strangers. I have friends here in LA. I like my house on the hill. My publicist is here, and Charles has an apartment in the city he stays at a few months out of the year when he’s not filming. I hate that I need a reason to move home other than I miss my hometown and hate even more that I’m already imagining the I*******m post I’ll write up if I do move.
But what I hate most of all is the doubt that’s creeping into my mind.
Doubt that any of this will work out.
Doubt that if I take one step forward, Sam will take two steps back—away from me. Logically, I know worrying about something won’t make it happen, but self-fulfilled prophecies are a thing for a reason.
And it would be fitting for me to be the one to mess it all up.
Related chapters
Backup Plan Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-sevenSamMaybe I’m dreaming.Or having a nightmare. Yeah, that’s more like it. Because there’s no way I’m running on only a few hours of sleep, need to be at work soon, and my ex-girlfriend is standing right in front of me with her hand on her stomach, saying we need to talk.“Talk about what?” I ask, though I already know. But it can’t be. It’s not possible. Except it is.“I’m pregnant,” she says, and the ground goes out from beneath my feet.I blink. Once. Twice. My heart hammers in my chest and I’m suddenly feeling like I’m going to throw up. “Is it mine?” I ask, words coming out on their own accord. I don’t want to be an asshole, but we weren’t exactly exclusive. The last time we had sex was nearly three months ago, and it was the first time in over half a year.“The timeline matches up,” she says and makes a move to come inside. I’m in such shock I’ve just been standing here, rooted to the ground. I blink one more time, hoping the next time I open my eyes, I’m in
Last Updated : 2024-11-30Backup Plan Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-eightChloe“Damn, three thousand words already,” I say out loud to no one. Maybe I should get a cat so talking out loud to myself isn’t quite as weird as it is. I double-check that my document saved, close my laptop, and stretch my arms over my head. I’m sitting on my back patio under the shade of an oversized umbrella.It’s the afternoon, and I spent the last few hours catching up on my social media accounts and writing. I just finished a chapter in record time and now I’m going to treat myself to day-drinking in my pool.Going inside, I change into an emerald-green bikini and slather myself with sunscreen. As a natural redhead, I burn easily. I’ve yet to hear from Sam, meaning he must be having a really busy day at work again. My plan is to send him some sexy photos of myself in the pool, pushing my personal boundaries of what I consider risqué.There’s a privacy fence around my little yard, and the two houses next to me are a little lower on the hill. I don’t think
Last Updated : 2024-11-30Backup Plan Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Twenty-nineSamI set the bag of takeout on my counter and sink down on a barstool. I felt like such a fraud talking to Chloe, smiling, telling her I miss her, acting like everything is fucking peachy. It’s far from it, and I don’t think I’ve quite processed everything yet.I don’t want to, but I know I have no choice.Sighing, I take my food from the bag and stare down at the fried rice and orange chicken. Normally after work, I’d get something healthier than this after swinging by the gym for a quick workout. I’ve strayed from my workout since Chloe has been here, not that I mind at all. My eyes fall shut for a minute, trying to drown out the voices in my head telling me how much I’ve screwed up—again.Yawning, I lean back and roll my neck. My shoulders have been tense and stiff since this morning. Letting out a breath, I eat half my dinner and go into my bedroom, stripping out of my clothes to take a shower, mind on Chloe. I want to talk to her. I want to see her and be wit
Last Updated : 2024-11-30Backup Plan Chapter Thirty
Chapter ThirtyChloeMy head hits the pillow as my breath leaves in a huff. I called Sam only fifteen minutes ago and I’ve already come twice. I’ve never had phone sex, let alone FaceTime sex, but nothing was awkward with Sam, and watching him wrap his fingers around his thick cock as I touched my clit was so fucking hot.“I’m tired now,” I pant.“Me too,” he says with a sigh. “And it’s past my bedtime.”“Right.” I turn on my side, pussy still spasming from coming so hard. My vibrator is under the covers with me, and it was the first time I’ve ever let someone watch me use a toy on myself—even if it was via FaceTime. “You’re two hours ahead of me. I should get some sleep too since I have a meeting in the morning.”“Should I call and make sure you’re up?” he teases.“I might actually need the reminder,” I say with a laugh.“I’ll text you when I’m up, and I’ll call at eight your time if I can.”“Mmmhhh,” I groan as I get comfy under my covers. “I miss you.”“I miss you too, Chloe. And…a
Last Updated : 2024-11-30Backup Plan Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-oneSamI drum my fingers against the arm of the chair, anxiously waiting for the next group of passengers to emerge from the escalator. Chloe’s flight got delayed, so instead of landing at seven PM, it’s now after eleven. If I wasn’t so damn excited to see her, I’d be tired, yet the thought of holding her in my arms again sends a jolt of electricity through my veins.But there’s a little bit of dread mixed in there too.I haven’t spoken to Stacey since she dropped the bomb on me, and part of me wants to ignore it and pretend it never happened. I’m a logical person, though, and it’s not like me at all to hope getting something out of sight will also get it out of mind. I have to tell Chloe and hope it’s not a dealbreaker for her.I remind myself what Archer and I discussed: I didn’t do anything wrong, not really. Stacey and I hooked up way before I even saw Chloe again. Our relationship was clear-cut the whole time, and we both slept together knowing it was nothing more
Last Updated : 2024-11-30Backup Plan Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-twoChloe“Are you hungry?” Sam fishes the keys to his apartment from his pocket.“Starving,” I say as he unlocks the door and pushes it open wide, motioning for me to step in first.“Good, because I might have made dinner. Well, not dinner, but something to eat.”Smiling, I turn and am struck all over again by just how handsome Sam is. Thick brown hair, striking blue eyes, a sharp stubble-covered jaw, and full lips. He’s exactly the type of man I’d write about…or maybe the men I write about look the way they do because of Sam.He’s so much more than his good looks, though. He’s smart and kind and—most importantly—he’s mine.“You cooked for me?”“Cooked is relative.” He chuckles and wheels my suitcase into the foyer, and then closes and locks the door behind us. The apartment is dark, and light from the city below illuminates the corner windows. “So if it’s terrible, don’t hold it against me.”“As much as my dad likes to joke that I’m all prissy, I promise I’m not a pic
Last Updated : 2024-11-30Backup Plan Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-threeSamI fasten my fingers around Chloe’s and steal one more glimpse at her as we walk down the busy sidewalk. She takes my breath away every damn time I look at her. My heart jumps in my chest, and when I blink, I get a flash of her naked in my bed, making me want to rush through dinner just so we can get back to my place and fuck again. It’s more than just feeling good. It’s about forgetting everything else and focusing solely on Chloe.As it should be.As I want it to be.“How late are we?” Chloe asks as we step through the door to the restaurant.I look at my watch. “Twelve minutes.”“That’s not too bad.”“I’m never late,” I tell her. “I like to get places a little early, though burying my cock inside of you is as good a reason as ever to run late for anything.”“Sam!” she whisper-yells. “Someone might hear you.”“I don’t care.”Her cheeks redden as she smiles, eyes glinting with the same lust I’m feeling.“Is this dress too much?” She looks down at her breasts,
Last Updated : 2024-11-30Backup Plan Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-fourChloe“Tell me what?” I ask, arms around Sam’s waist. The air is cool and he’s nice and warm up against me. I’m a little tipsy, and I’m having a fabulous time tonight.“That I love you,” he rushes out.I laugh. “You told me already.”“I wanted to tell you again.” He pulls me to him, but not before I see the what the fuck look on Archer’s face. “Dinner was nice.”“Yeah. It was. That red wine was really good.” I take Sam’s hand, ignoring the scratchy feeling in my throat. I do not have time for a cold right now.“I’ll find out what it was and will pick up a bottle for you.” Sam puts his arms around me and kisses my forehead. We’re stopped at a street corner, and I rest my head against Sam’s chest, looking out at the city.“Did you come here while writing the series?” Quinn asks, stopping next to Archer. “Kellie and Marcus come to Chicago a lot.”“They do, and I’ve been here for book signings a few times and got to sightsee a bit.”“Ohh, I remember you were here a few
Last Updated : 2024-11-30
Latest chapter
Backup Plan Epilogue
EpilogueChloe“Relax,” I tell Sam, trying not to laugh.“I thought they said riding a horse was like riding a bike. Once you learn how to do it, it just comes back to you.”Now I do laugh. I circle Spartan around, clicking my tongue at Drake, an eighteen-year-old horse we recently adopted so Sam can go trail riding with me. Drake is the perfect “husband horse” and has much more whoa than go, and right now is doing everything he can to pull the reins from Sam’s hands so he can graze.“Pull him up,” I tell Sam. “And ask him forward. He’s testing you.”“Come on, buddy,” Sam urges and asks the horse to walk forward. Spartan, who’s ready to race along the dirty trail, speed-walks up ahead, acting as good motivation for Drake to follow us. It’s a rare sixty-five-degree day in early March, and we’re taking advantage of the nice weather while we can.I leave for a month-long tour in Europe in just a few days, and instead of just doing book signings, Charles and are attending panels to talk a
Backup Plan Chapter Forty-nine
Chapter Forty-nineSamFour months later…I stomp snow off my shoes and enter my apartment building, chilled right down to the bone just from the short walk from my car to the building. It’s been a long day, and work and the snow and cold makes me even more eager to get inside my warm apartment.“Good evening, Dr. Harris,” one of the attendants says.“Good evening. Staying warm?” I pull my gloves off and stuff them in my pocket.“I’m trying,” he replies with a chuckle, pushing the door closed behind me, wanting to seal off the cold air as fast as possible. I quickly grab my mail and then head up, squeezing in the elevator with a few other people.I’m the last to get off and hurry down the hall to my apartment, unlocking the door with haste.“Hey, babe,” I say and step inside, shutting the door behind me. “What are you doing in the dark?”Chloe turns away from the living room window, mug of steaming coffee in her hand. She’s illuminated by the light coming in behind her, so beautiful i
Backup Plan Chapter Forty-eight
Chapter Forty-eightChloeTurning away from the coffee pot that I was plugging in, I look to see who’s at the door. I don’t remember having any deliveries scheduled for today, but I have a bad habit of buying stuff off of Instagram ads and then forgetting about it. Only delivery drivers and a select few friends know the code to my gate, though that doesn’t mean someone couldn’t have hopped the fence.“Can I help you?” Charles asks right as it hits me that someone could have seen Charles come over and is trying to get a candid photo of him. Which now makes me feel bad for asking him to answer the door, but dammit, I need coffee. I fell asleep early—before I could drink more wine—but I can tell a headache is coming on fast.Eric got up nearly an hour ago and has been out jogging since. Charles and I dragged out butts out of our rooms not all that long ago, both grumbling about being too old to drink like we used to.Unable to see who’s at the door, I sidestep, and Sam’s clear blue eyes
Backup Plan Chapter Forty-seven
Chapter Forty-sevenSamLooking around the airport, I take a drink of my coffee, waiting for the caffeine rush to kick in. I need it. It’s going to be a long night. There were no direct overnight flights to LA from Chicago tonight, so I’m landing in Texas, changing planes, and will get to LA early in the morning. It’s the fastest way I can get to Chloe, and I cannot fucking wait to pull her into my arms and tell her the good news.I feel a little bad that I didn’t call Chloe when I was leaving the hospital, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep this from her, and I know how much she’ll enjoy the surprise. I was able to get the next two days off and then work an overnight shift on the third. As long as I’m able to sleep on the plane, I’ll be fine.I take another drink of coffee and lean back in the uncomfortable chair, fighting off the urge to fall asleep. I’ll close my eyes as soon as I’m on the plane, but I don’t want to take the risk of missing my flight if I fall asleep now.My pho
Backup Plan Chapter Forty-six
Chapter Forty-sixChloeI turn on my electric fireplace and grab two wine glasses, joining Charles on the couch. We’re back at my place, and I feel a little better after talking over lunch.“Red or white?” Charles asks, motioning to the wine bottles on the coffee table.“You pick. As long as it gets me tipsy to numb the pain, I’m good.” I grab a blanket and spread it over both our laps. The plan is to drink wine, order junk food later, and just hang out. Charles leaves soon to go overseas to work on a movie, and who knows where I’ll be.“The red then.” He gives me a look and opens the bottle of Merlot, pouring us both a generous amount. “I thought you were feeling better?”“I was.” I take a sip of wine and lean back. “I’m trying to shake the feeling that things aren’t meant to be and I’m struggling.”“Just because something isn’t perfect doesn’t mean it’s not meant to be,” he counters.“I know.” I nod and take another drink of wine, this time setting my glass down so I’m not tempted t
Backup Plan Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-fiveSamI grab my phone from my locker and check for missed calls or texts. Chloe called me while I was in surgery, and I immediately call her back. The service in the locker room is shitty, and the call drops before her phone even rings. Quickly changing, I stuff my phone in my pocket, grab my keys and wallet, and head out to get something to eat.I’m on-call and need to stay nearby, but don’t have to stay on the hospital campus. I could go home, though I’ve gotten stuck in traffic, made it into the lobby of my apartment building and then got called back. Sitting through hours of surgery with nothing but granola bars in my stomach isn’t fun, so I pull out my phone to order food as I walk to the car.It rings only seconds after I step into the parking garage. It’s Stacey.“Hello?” I answer.“Hey,” she replies. “Are you busy?”“Not at the moment. I’m on-call and was going to get something to eat.”“Oh, good. I was just saying how hungry I was and I’m near your hospital.
Backup Plan Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-fourChloeI drop my bags in the kitchen and walk through my large, empty house, going upstairs to my bedroom. I’m always a little freaked out to come home to an empty house after I’ve been away from a while. I have a top-of-the-line security system, so logically, I know no one could be in the house without setting off the alarm. I can go through the activity log from the last few days too and make sure no doors or windows have been opened, giving myself peace of mind.Though right now, I could use the distraction. I had a lot of time to think on the plane, and I came to the conclusion that while this sucks, I’m being dramatic. Single parents date with no issues. But starting a long-distance relationship while taking care of a newborn is a lot, and I can’t expect Sam, who already works long hours at a highly stressful job, to be able to fly to California for a quick weekend to romp around the set of a TV show with me.And there’s no way he can come visit me in Europe.I
Backup Plan Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-threeSam“What?” Chloe asks, and the smile on her face fades away.“My ex says she’s pregnant.” I swallow the vomit rising in my throat. Time slows, and I watch Chloe, heart racing as I wait for her to reply.She pulls her hands from mine. “That is…that is definitely not what I thought you were going to—what?” She shakes her head.“Stacey…my, uh, ex, told me she’s pregnant and I’m the father.” Chloe, clearly stunned, steps back a few paces, dangerously close to the shallow shoreline. She brings a hand to her face and rubs her temples. Seconds tick by, and they feel like years. Say something, Chloe. Please. Anything.Finally, she opens her mouth only to close it again. “Your ex-girlfriend?”“Yeah,” I say, and a weight comes off my shoulders, though judging by the look on Chloe’s face, a heavy weight just landed on hers. “I know it’s a shock. It was for me too.”Chloe closes her eyes, rubbing her forehead. “What?” she repeats. “I…I thought…I thought you were…you’re
Backup Plan Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-twoChloe “I have good and bad news.” I set my phone on the patio table and sit back down, pulling the blanket tighter around my shoulders. “Yeah?” Sam settles back into his chair, looking a little uneasy. He keeps flicking his gaze to Mason, who’s giving him a weird, unreadable look back. They’re having some sort of unspoken conversation, something only the two of them can understand. I used to wish I had a sibling solely based on how close all the Harris kids were. They fought like cats and dogs at times, but at the end of the day, they were a family and loved each other. I’ve always considered myself lucky to be part of it, even though I wanted to be part of it in a different way—the way I am now. “My agent was able to negotiate a much better contract with the network. She thinks I’ll like this one a lot more.” “And the bad news?” Mason asks. “The head honchos at the network want to meet with me Tuesday morning, so I’ll have to get
