Made To Love You by Megan Smith

  Synopsis: Jaylinn McCormick had finally found the man who makes her life complete. After put-ting the most terrifying night of her life behind her, she’s moving on. Suddenly, unex-pected life altering events have Jaylinn spiraling in an unknown direction. Will she be able to survive? Cooper Cahill finally found a balance in his life. He’s got the girl he always loved, business is thriving, and his baseball career is grand slamming down a new path. One phone call threatens to destroy his perfect life. Can Cooper help Jaylinn dodge this curve ball life has pitched in her direction? Will the love they’ve found in each other be enough? Or will Jaylinn walk away from it all? Review **Insert your review of Made to Love You** Need To Love You Book Six in the Love Series By MEGAN SMITH Copyright © 2015 by Megan Smith Production LLC. Subject to change prior to publication Chapter Three Jackson I sit up when I hear bare feet slapping against the floor. My head is throbbing and my mouth feels like it’s stuffed with cotton. I sit up, swing my legs around, and lean for-ward holding my head. “What’s going on?” A flash of last night comes into focus. Drinking at Ocean’s knowing damn well I should have went to Fierce. At least I knew if I went there I’d get home but since I didn’t I can’t recall how I got here. I blink my eyes a few times, I don’t have hardwood floors in my living room. I lift my head a little more and see the fireplace directly in front of me with a picture of Jaylinn and Cooper staring at me, the picture from their wedding that takes me back to a better time in my marriage. How the hell did I get here? How the hell did we get here? Cooper shakes his head at me. “Jaylinn’s in labor. We’re on our way to the hospital.” I turn my head in my brother’s direction a little too fast as the throbbing pain bounces inside my head. “Good luck.” “Thanks.” “Make yourself useful and call everyone to meet us at the hospital, will ya?” Cooper yells a little louder than necessary. Fucker. I cover my ears to stop the ringing. “Yeah, alright.” After they leave I stand up from the couch and make my way into the kitchen to get something to drink, on the search for hydration and massive amounts of pain reliever. Chloe is going to fucking kill me when I get home. Maybe I won’t go home for a while; let her cool off. Yeah, I can hopefully distract her with the news of Jaylinn being in la-bor. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll act like I came here because of that. I wander back into the living room in search of my phone that’s miraculously ended up on the floor in plain sight. I dial Chloe. As it rings once my stomach bottoms out. We’ve been trying so hard for a baby lately and nothing has happened. She’s been tracking every little thing on that app she has on her phone, she takes her temperature every morning at the exact same time, pees on those sticks twice a day that tells her if she’s ovulating and still nothing. Nothing for the last eleven months. Chloe’s voicemail picks up and I hang up not bothering to leave a message. I’m not surprised really that she didn’t answer. I tap the phone a few times and dial my mom. “Hey, sweetheart, everything okay?” Mom says while yawning. I clear my throat. “Yeah, just wanted to let you know that Jaylinn is in labor. Cooper just took her to the hospital.” “Oh, it’s about time.” She yawns again. “I’ll wake Dad and head over.” “Okay. Bye, Mom.” “Sweetheart?” “Yeah?” She’s quiet for a second before she speaks again. “Jackson, is everything okay?” I let out a long sigh. “I don’t know, Mom.” I can picture her nodding her head. “You know you can always come and talk to me, right? I’m always here for you no matter what.” “Thanks, Mom.” “Anytime, you know where to find me.” I hang up the phone and dial MacKenzie next. I know if I don’t call her right away and someone else tells her she’ll throw a fit. She finally answers on the fourth ring. “Jackson?” “Hey, just wanted to let know that Jaylinn is in labor.” “Finally!” I chuckle. “I’m hanging up to go call Mason.” “Thanks for calling me.” “You’re welcome.” I dial Mason next. When he picks up all I hear in the background is complete chaos. Kids laughing and crying, Hailey yelling and the T.V. blasting. “Hello?” “Mase?” “Hey, what’s up, bro?” “Just wanted to let you know that Cooper is on the way to the hospital with Jaylinn.” “Lex, put that down.” I swear that little girl is mini-Mason in the making. She gets into everything and anything. “Lex! That’s gross, stop.” “Mase, I’ll let you go.” “Shit, man, sorry. Lex is playing with the mop that’s soaked with Caleb’s spilled milk and she’s trying to put it in her mouth.” I shudder, then laugh. “That’s disgusting.” “Ugh, tell me about it.” “She’s your mini me.” Mason sighs. “I know and I wouldn’t want it any other way. At least I know she’ll give the boys a run for their money,” he chuckles. “She’s going to scare them all away and make my life a little easier.” “Ha, that’s what you think.” “You know I’m going to need you to watch out for her when I’m gone when the time comes.” “I got you.” I yawn and relax back against the couch. “Well, I’m going to let you go. I’ve got to run home to take a shower so I can go up to the hospital.” “Where are you? It’s not even eight in the morning.” “I crashed at Cooper’s.” “Again?” I sigh. “Yeah, I just needed a break.” Mason doesn’t say anything for a second and I know he’s wandering if he should push for information but he won’t. Mason’s not that kind of guy. He’ll wait until I’m ready. “Alright, I’ll probably see you up there.” He finally says. “Later.” I put the phone down beside me and close my eyes for just a second because the throbbing in my head is getting worse with every passing second. Ring. Ring. Ring. What the hell is that noise? Jesus, make it stop! Ring. Ring. I pry my eyes open, the sun coming in from the windows is shining right in my face. “Shit.” Leaning forward I rub my eyes with the palms of my hands. I pick up my cell phone still sitting beside me. Fuck, it’s two-thirty and I have seven missed calls and five texts. I slide my finger across the screen, my mom, dad, Kenz, my dad and mom both called another time and two calls from Chloe. All the texts are from Cooper asking if I’m still alive and where the hell am I. Running a hand through my hair I get my ass up off the couch, grab my keys, cell phone, and wallet and make my way to my truck. I open the front door of their house and shield my eyes with my hand from the sun. After locking the door, I take the two steps to the walkway and stop in front of the driveway. “What the fuck?” I close my eyes and open them. My truck isn’t here. Where the hell is it? How did I get here last night? I shake my head and take a seat on Cooper’s front steps. I’m in a world of shit. I dig my cell phone out of my pocket and call Mason. Hopefully he’ll answer and can take me to find my car. After a few rings I get his voicemail. “Fuck.” I try Hunter, MacKenzie, Cooper, and even mom and dad but no one answers their damn phones! What the hell is the point of having a cell phone if no one wants to pick it up? I guess the only other person left to call is Chloe. I could call one of the guys from work but I’d rather not mix my personal life with business. The phone rings three times before she answers. “What, Jackson?” Yeah, she’s really fucking pissed. “Um…Can you come pick me up from Cooper’s?” It’s quiet for a few very long seconds and the entire time I’m holding my breath. “Where’s your truck?” I scratch the top of my head. “I don’t know.” She huffs and then I hear her tell Alex to put his shoes on. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” “Thank---” before I even finish she’s hung up on me. At least I know that she’s bringing Alex and she won’t fight with me in front of him. Chloe pulls up about fifteen minutes later. I stand up from the steps and walk over to the passenger side of the car. I drive ninety percent of the time but I feel like I’m still drunk from the night before. “Hey,” I turn around towards the back seat to say hi to Alex but he’s not there. “Where’s Alex?” “You’re mom has him.” I nod and lean the seat back a little. “Where am I going to get your truck?” She asks as she backs out of the driveway. “Just go home first. I need a shower and more pain reliever.” No sooner do we get on the road than the questions start coming. I don’t want to fight with Chloe, I really don’t. I love her with everything I am, she’s the mother of my son and she’s my best friend but somewhere along the way shit has gotten fucked up be-tween us. “Where did you go last night?” “Oceans.” She nods her head once and I know what she’s thinking. How come I didn’t go to Fierce? But I don’t answer her because, truthfully, I don’t know. I guess it’s because I just wanted to go somewhere no one really knows who I am. I can be whoever I want to be there. No one to judge me and think ‘Shouldn’t you be home with your wife and kid?’. “How did you get to Cooper’s?” I don’t answer right away because I know this is going to kill her. “I’m not sure.” She nods again. “So you basically blacked out?” This time I nod because, fuck, I can’t remember shit last night. Only thing I do remem-ber is driving my ass to the club, sitting at the bar and ordering drinks as I watched Sports Center. Chloe shakes her head in what I know is disgust. My temper flares and I want to scream and punch the hell out of something. She has every right to be disgusted with me but Goddamn it I’m allowed to fuck up every once in a while. I’ve done everything I should have done for her since we graduated high school. As we turn onto the driveway she asks, “What the hell is going on with you, Jackson?” Her voice goes up an octave. “Did I do something wrong?” And my temper hits its threshold. Why can’t she just shut the fuck up? “You want to know what is wrong?” I yell. “I’ve always felt like I need to love you, need to take care of you, need to take care of fucking everything. I never got to grow up! Never got to go to college, never got to do my own thing or do anything I wanted because I was al-ways fucking thinking and worrying about you.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth I regret them. The look on Chloe's face shifts from anger, to shock, to hurt, and then to devastated. I just did that to her. I just broke her heart even more than it already was. Damn it! I scrub my face with my hands. Chloe hasn’t said a word and, quite honestly, I don’t know if she will. Can I even take what I just said back? I don't know but I know I have to try for us and for Alex. Maybe this is my problem. May-be I resent Chloe in some way. It’s wrong, I know it is, but fuck. Out of the corner of my eye I see Chloe turn. She places her hand on the door knob and looks back at me over her shoulder. “I’m sorry I’ve ruined your life, Jackson.” The door opens, Chloe steps out and the door clicks shut behind. I’ve just royally fucked things up.     Need To Love You will be Jackson & Chloe's story and will release sometime in the early fall. Author bio: USA TODAY bestselling author Megan Smith is a New Jersey native creating the memorable characters her fans have grown to adore. Smith is a wife and mother, who makes time for her family, professional life and the creation of her fictional characters. Fans of The Love Series— Trying Not To Love You, Easy To Love You, Hard To Love You, Let Me Love You and Made To Love You — are captivated by relationships, spe-cial bonds and family ties pervasive in Smith's emotional, energized and engaging work. Smith is also the author of the 2014 releases, Finding Us (Finding Series), For-ever Light (Forever Love) and a few top-secret projects. Literary Agency Representation: Jamie Bodnar-Drowley of Inklings Literary Agency Social Media Links: Website: http://www.authormegansmith.com/ Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-M-Smith/225762494227939 Facebook Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/megansmagnificents/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorMSmith Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/authormegansmith Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6959231.Megan_Smith Goodreads Fan Group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/161755-megan-smith-books Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/Y4MXb Rafflecopter Giveaway Link: $10 Amazon Gift Card & Signed paperback of Made to Love You Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0cba4250121/ HTML: <a class="rcptr" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0cba4250121/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="0cba4250121" data-theme="classic" data-template="" id="rcwidget_tmxcq3ss">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a> <script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>