Jasper Vale (The Edens)

JASPER VALE Copyright © 2022 by Devney Perry LLC All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-957376-21-9 No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations in a book review. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. Editing: Elizabeth Nover, Razor Sharp Editing Proofreading: Julie Deaton, Deaton Author Services Judy Zweifel, Judy’s Proofreading Kaitlyn Moodie, Moodie Editing Services Cover: Sarah Hansen © Okay Creations OTHER TITLES The Edens Series Christmas in Quincy - Prequel Indigo Ridge Juniper Hill Garnet Flats Jasper Vale Crimson River Clifton Forge Series Steel King Riven Knight Stone Princess Noble Prince Fallen Jester Tin Queen Jamison Valley Series The Coppersmith Farmhouse The Clover Chapel The Lucky Heart The Outpost The Bitterroot Inn The Candle Palace Maysen Jar Series The Birthday List Letters to Molly Lark Cove Series Tattered Timid Tragic Tinsel Timeless Runaway Series Runaway Road Wild Highway Quarter Miles Forsaken Trail Dotted Lines Calamity Montana Series The Bribe The Bluff The Brazen The Bully The Brawl The Brood Standalones Ivy Rifts and Refrains A Little Too Wild Coach Holiday Brothers The Naughty, The Nice and The Nanny Three Bells, Two Bows and One Brother’s Best Friend A Partridge and a Pregnancy CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Epilogue Crimson River Acknowledgments About the Author CHAPTER ONE ELOISE The Bellagio fountain sprayed water high into the air as lights lit up the streams. The white hotel stood proudly in the backdrop as the water twirled and danced in time with the music, a dramatic violin concerto. “It looks like moonbeams.” I sighed, leaning my head against Lyla’s shoulder. “This is magical. We should put a water fountain in The Eloise.” My sister giggled. “Good luck convincing Dad.” “Can you imagine?” I snorted. “First, he’d tell me no. Then, he’d give me that scowly face where his eyebrows come together and he tilts his head to the side.” “Whenever he gives me the scowly face, he adds the blinky eyes,” she said. “Oh, yeah. The blinky eyes. I forgot about those.” Dad would blink ten or eleven or twenty times in a row, like he was trying to figure out if I was joking or serious. “You know what I think is crap? I’ve never seen Dad give the scowly-blinky combo to Griffin, Knox or Mateo.” “Right? He saves it for us girls.” “Unfair.” According to Dad, our brothers didn’t typically cause him the same kind of stress he claimed came with daughters. Whatever that meant. “Are you drunk?” Lyla asked. “Yep.” I nodded. “You?” Lyla hiccupped. “That meant yes.” I looped my arms with hers, snuggling closer as a dreamy smile settled on my face. My limbs were a little loose. My head was a little fuzzy. My heart was a little light, floating through the air like mist. Drunk and happy, like the water fountain show. “Tonight was fun,” I murmured. “Super fun. I’m glad we came. And I’m glad Foster won his fight.” “Me too.” I let go of her arm, standing tall, then I cupped my hands to my mouth. “Go Foster Madden!” “Eloise.” Lyla swatted my arm as the people clustered around us shot me glares. “Would you shut up?” I laughed. “Oh, who cares if I’m loud? We’ll never see these fun haters again.” Tomorrow, we’d fly home to Montana. We’d say goodbye to the moonbeams and hello to reality. Lyla and I had come to Las Vegas to watch a UFC event. Foster Madden, our sister Talia’s boyfriend and the reigning middleweight champion of the world, had defended his title and defeated his opponent in tonight’s fight. He’d surprised Talia by flying us down—he hadn’t wanted her to sit in the arena alone. But this was just a quick trip. Lyla and I each had to get back to Quincy for work on Monday, and tomorrow’s early alarm clock would be brutal. We’d decided to party tonight anyway. To have a few drinks. To dance. To make the most of our cute outfits. Lyla had on a navy, one-shoulder jumpsuit that brought out the blue of her eyes. I’d opted for a simple black tube top with my tightest jeans and tallest heels. It was rare that either of us dressed up these days—demanding jobs were hell on a social life. Tonight had been a much-needed break. I only wished it weren’t coming to an end. The fountain show finale finished too soon, and the crowd beside the Bellagio’s lake dispersed. Chase, the kid assigned to hang with us tonight, was standing a few feet away, dutifully waiting for Lyla and me with his hands clasped in front of him like he was our own personal security guard. Technically, he was. Before Foster had swept Talia away to celebrate his victory in their hotel suite, he’d insisted Chase accompany us tonight. He worked for Foster’s manager as an assistant and didn’t look a day older than eighteen. I suspected that the ID he’d used to get into the club tonight wasn’t exactly legal. Considering he’d been relegated to babysitting duty, he was probably at the bottom of the UFC food chain. Poor guy. He’d followed us around all night without complaint but he looked dead on his feet. “Ready to go to the hotel?” he asked. I leaned in close to whisper in Lyla’s ear. “Think he’ll cry if we say