Then There Was You: A Single Parent Collection

by Gianna Gabriela

  Well played, Mrs Davenport. Well played.

  Jude pushed back his chair and moved forward. He took the stairs up onto the stage, and after shaking the compere’s hand, he stood in front of the microphone and began speaking.

  “I set up You Matter after my daughter lost her mother. My ex was an addict. My daughter was lucky as she had two parents, but some children are not as lucky, and as I learned when I found out the people my ex used to hang around with, some of the children had parents who were both addicts. The more I researched, the more I found that there were children being neglected due to having parents suffering from various addictions, not just substance abuse; and also for other reasons: financial, mental health problems. The list is endless. And so my charity was born. Every penny you pledge tonight for the auction prizes will go straight to the charity. There will also be collectors coming to the tables for donations. I myself am starting the night by donating fifty thousand pounds of my own money.”

  The audience gasped.

  After a short video played on the screen about the charity’s work that broke my heart, Jude spoke again.

  “All that’s left is for me to wish you a pleasant evening. Thank you once again for joining me here and please give what you can.”

  Everyone was on their feet clapping and cheering, and I joined them, as tears streamed down my face for the man who’d had to put his little girl back together after the loss of her mother. Who still fought for her every single day.

  He was forgiven.

  “Have you been crying?” Jude said when he eventually made his way back to the table, having been stopped several times by other guests.

  “Maybe a little. It’s an emotional subject to me, vulnerable children.”

  “Of course. I understand.”

  “You’re an amazing father, Jude.”

  He beamed at me. “Thanks. I do my best.”

  He scuffed his shoe against the floor a little. I expected The Dorchester staff to swoop in at any moment to protect their precious flooring.

  “Are you starting to forgive me? Just a bit?”

  I pressed my lips together then released them. “Maybe, but, Jude, if you ever call me anything like that again, there’ll be no coming back from it. Do you understand? I fully expect we’ll argue, couples do, but if you call me a whore again, or anything on those lines, you won’t see me for dust.”

  He placed his hand upon mine on the table. “I won’t ever make the same mistake, I promise you. From now on I will shower you with compliments only.”

  “We will row, Jude. I might call you a twat many more times.”

  “I can live with that.” He said. “So, can we call tonight a date?”

  I shook my head. “No. I’m working tonight, but it is my last day at this job. On Monday, I start back at Davenport Publishing. Have you heard of it?”

  “I’ve heard the boss is a right dickhead.”

  “He has his moments, but most of the time he’s a delight.”

  Jude held my hand for almost the rest of the night.

  As my car arrived for me, Jude enveloped me in his arms.

  “I wish you weren’t going home. I’m desperate for you.”

  “We’re taking things slow this time, Jude, and I mean it. We can date a couple of times a week, and then Saturdays we’ll keep our playdate with the kids.”

  “This is going to kill me.”

  “A month. Date me for a month without further incident and then I’ll… let you kiss me.”

  “Kiss you? I can’t kiss you for a whole month? I’m dying here, Pippa. Dying.”

  I laughed as the car arrived and I said goodnight to Jude and went home.

  21

  PIPPA

  One month later

  A month had flown by. Well, it had to me, but not to the man who protested he had blue balls. We were at the trampoline park giving the kids an extra treat as it wasn’t a Saturday, and they’d gone off chattering and playing.

  “You know our kiss that I’m allowed today...”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, you didn’t specify it had to be on your mouth. I think I’ll kiss somewhere further south.”

  I clenched my thighs together. “Stop it. We’re in a kids play place for God’s sake.”

  “Yes, I think I’ll peel off your panties and part your thighs with my hands and then lower myself between your thighs and kiss you right on your wet pussy. I’ll tongue you, making sure that my tongue dips inside you, in and out, until you’re pushing yourself against my face, desperate to have me deep inside you.”

  “Jude!”

  He rolled his eyes at me. “I don’t know what else you expect, given it’s been a month now. A very long month. A very hard month.”

  It had been a fantastic month. Work was going well, and an announcement had been made about Thomas Arkell’s serialisation that the press and readers were going mad for. A pre-order for the first part of the first serial had been set up and it had hit the Sunday Times Bestsellers List. Work had been so busy that to be honest there wouldn’t have been much opportunity for shenanigans in the office even if we hadn’t been on a month’s ban. Also, I was still determined not to go there. Jude still had a past within the walls of that office, even if we were working towards a future.

  Mum had applied for and received a grant for further adaptations to our home, so my extra savings were helping to pay for Teri, mum’s carer, for now. Mum had finally accepted she needed more help and saw Teri more as a friend who helped, which was what I’d hoped for. Mum was applying for funding for extra carer support now she wasn’t as stubborn about it all, so hopefully that would take over when my savings ran out but if not, we’d manage. We’d managed before.

  Ann was happy that for one thing I didn’t want to be an escort anymore; for a second, that I’d returned to Davenport’s; and thirdly, and she said most importantly, that me and Jude were giving things another chance.

  We’d also eventually made it to the Italian restaurant where we were supposed to have our first date.

  “Penny for them?”

  “I was just thinking of how nice the Italian restaurant was.”

  Jude tilted his head. “No you weren’t; you were imagining my head between your legs.”

  I slid my hand under the table and stroked across his cock. It was already rock hard.

  “It’s a month today. You have to let me kiss you.”

  “Yeah, but that’s all I’m doing. I think another month for some lower-half action, don’t you?”

  He smiled at me wickedly. “Well, no, because you’ve already broken that rule.”

  Damn it, I had with my teasing.

  “I suppose I’ll let you kiss me then. Here.” I pointed to my mouth.

  He leaned over and kissed me briefly.

  “Not now! What if the kids see?”

  “They’re on the trampolines, far too busy to think about us.”

  He was so wrong.

  JUDE

  “Daddy. Daddy. We saw you kiss. Is Pippa your girlfriend?”

  “Pippa has a boyfriend! K I S S I N G.”

  Oh God.

  “Erm, well, Addy. Yes, Pippa is my girlfriend now. But it’s very new, so don’t get overexcited about the whole—”

  “Can we be bridesmaids?” They both chirruped at once.

  “We’re nowhere near getting married. We are only just boyfriend and girlfriend, and do you remember what I told you, Addy? You have to make sure the person is the right one for you.”

  “I can tell Pippa is the right person, Daddy. If you can’t, well then you’re stooopid.”

  “Addy, you’re being too bossy and rude. We’ve spoken about this.”

  “Huh, you can’t tell me what to do.”

  “Pippa and my mum are like that too.” Liberty joined in. “Always saying things like I can’t say ‘bloody hell’ and then they say it.”

  “Well, I say that you should bloody marry Pippa.” Addy said showing off. Libby giggled
.

  “Okay, I think it’s time to go home. Someone needs an early night, and tomorrow there’s no playroom for saying that word.”

  “Whatever. I’ll get my way, Daddy, I always do.”

  I sighed. “You might be the boss of me, Addy, but you’re not the boss of Pippa.”

  Addy’s eyes scrunched up, and she placed her hands on her hips.

  “We’ll see about that, because Libby is on my side.” She said haughtily.

  “Yes, I am.” Libby grinned.

  They went running off back to the trampolines.

  Pippa burst out laughing.

  “That’s us told.”

  I took her words as a really good sign for our future.

  “Let’s get them home, and then while they have their sleepover, we can have ours.” I whispered in her ear.

  “And you call Addy bossy.” She replied.

  THE END

  About the Author

  Angel Devlin is the contemporary romance penname of paranormal, rom com, and suspense writer, Andie M. Long. Check out Angel for stories of heart and heat.

  She lives in Sheffield with her partner, son, and a gorgeous whippet called Bella.

  Check out the rest of my titles and sign up for my newsletter!

  TEMPT ME

  KALLY ASH

  1

  “She’s gone.”

  Silence greeted Max. It was the kind of silence that made him wish he already had a shot of something strong and potent in his hand.

  “Hello?”

  “Yes, I’m here, dear. What do you mean, she’s gone?” his mom asked.

  He ran a hand through his short hair and blew out a breath. “I mean, she’s gone. Her side of the wardrobe has been cleared out; all the things on the dresser are missing. She just wasn’t here when I got home.”

  More of that infuriating silence.

  “What about Erin?”

  He looked down at his daughter sleeping peacefully in her crib. “She left her behind.”

  “I’m coming over,” his mother said tersely, hanging up the phone before he could tell her not to bother.

  Max placed his phone back into his pocket. This was not what he was expecting when he came home from a fourteen-hour day at work. Walking back through to his bedroom, he stood in the doorway and studied the space he used to share with his wife. Chelsea and he had been together since they were in high school together—the picture-perfect quarterback and head cheerleader living the dream of popularity. Just before school had finished, she’d told Max she was pregnant. They’d gotten married because that was what was expected, but things were far from perfect. Max had found out she’d lied about carrying his child, and so the seed of doubt and resentment started to grow.

  He had moved on from being the high school jock. He’d gotten a real job, and after eight years of hard work, he had become the manager of one of the most popular bars in LA. Chelsea, on the other hand, seemed to be stuck in the high school frame of mind. The problem with that was there were no doting airheads to stroke her ego every day, and that job got pretty fucking boring when Max was left to do it.

  He had always thought Chelsea was beautiful—everyone did—and maybe that was the problem. She had the signature blonde hair and blue eyes that all the guys at school had liked, and that was perhaps the only reason he had agreed to date her in the first place; Chelsea was the unobtainable girl for every guy, expect for him.

  She was pretty, but had no substance. She was a picture book.

  Slumping down onto the edge of the bed, he let his head fall into his hands. What the fuck was he going to do now? Erin was barely four months old, he worked strange hours of the day and night at the bar and he had no idea how he was supposed to deal with the shit Chelsea had just piled on top of it too. Scrubbing a hand over his jaw, he looked up and saw his tired face staring back at him in the mirror hanging on the wall.

  Erin started crying before he could study himself too closely. Hauling himself up on to his feet, Max went into his daughter’s room to find her wailing, her little fists clenched tight and her face stained red. Scooping her up, he held her close to his chest and rocked her gently. Erin had taken after Chelsea in every way possible. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. She even had the same dimples her mother had when she smiled. Thinking how she had left Erin alone for god knew how long tonight made him angrier than knowing that Chelsea had actually left him. It was one thing to screw him over—he was a grown man, he could take it—but to screw over their daughter, too?

  His blood boiled.

  Erin was going to grow up without a goddamn mother, and that was what really chaffed Max.

  “It’s all right, baby girl,” he murmured into her ear, settling her until her cries became small whimpers of protest. “That’s right. Drift off to sleep now. Good girl.”

  He rocked Erin until she fell asleep in his arms. After he put her down again, he shut her bedroom door and went into the kitchen. Pulling open the freezer, he took out a bottle of vodka then found a glass drying in the rack beside the sink.

  The clear liquor froze his throat on the way down, the burn of the alcohol chasing the sensation away. He was on his second drink when there was a knock on the door. He stood up and walked through his living room to the entryway. He stared at the door—half of him hoping it was Chelsea on the other side, but the other half telling him he was a fucking idiot for thinking she would come back.

  “Max?” his mother called.

  With a sigh, he opened the door. The porch light was still broken, so he couldn’t see his mother’s face clearly, but he knew it would be a mixture of disapproval and pity. She stepped into the entry hall and took off her coat, handing it to him.

  “When did you get home?” she asked, walking ahead of him into the kitchen. Even from behind, he could see her gaze falling on the bottle of vodka and glass sitting on the bench, her head shaking in disapproval. Max watched her fill the kettle and put it on to boil before he answered.

  “About forty-five minutes ago.”

  His mother frowned. “And when did she leave?”

  “I have no idea.”

  His mom’s lips thinned into a severe line. “That woman is so irresponsible. How could she leave her child like that? Anything could have happened to her while she was alone.”

  He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. “It wasn’t like she was left with lighter fluid and a box of matches in her crib, Mom.”

  She huffed, glaring at him. “Don’t get smart with me, Max. You know what I mean.”

  He nodded. He knew exactly what she was talking about. Erin could have stopped breathing, or gotten stuck in the bars of her crib, or any number of other things.

  “Did she leave a note, at least?”

  The fact that his mom constantly referred to Chelsea as she didn’t escape his notice. From the moment they’d started dating in high school, his mom had instantly disliked Chelsea. She’d said that he would get bored with dating a shallow, superficial girl. At the time, he hadn’t thought much about it, but as time and circumstances beyond his control had fused them together, he finally saw what his mom was talking about.

  “No.”

  His mom angrily made them each a cup of tea, banging the ceramic mugs together. “You don’t seem terribly upset or surprised by this, Max.” She said the words over her shoulder as she poured the boiled water into the cups.

  “I’m not. Things have been…rocky for a while,” he replied, picking up the empty vodka glass and placing it in the sink. “I was keeping things together for the sake of Erin.”

  She stopped what she was doing, placing both hands down onto the counter top. Her shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath. “That poor child—being brought into all this.”

  He knew what she was saying. Erin hadn’t been planned. Max didn’t want to have any children with Chelsea. He’d doubted just how good a mother she would be. Today’s actions certainly cemented that suspicion. But one day, Chelsea had announce
d she was pregnant even though she was supposed to be on the pill. He had confronted her about intentionally falling pregnant in order to try and ‘fix’ their marriage. She had denied it, but he had found the box of contraception in the trash, all the foil trays untouched.

  Still, he wouldn’t have taken any of it back. Erin had given his life meaning.

  “We’ll be fine, Mom.” He took the mug his mother offered and walked into the living room. “I’ll just have to talk to my boss about working fewer night shifts and maybe getting Erin into day care during the day.”

  “Why would you want to put her in day care?” she asked, placing her mug down on the worn coffee table beside the couch.

  Max frowned. “Because I’ll have to work.”

  “I’ll take her during the day,” she said. “I’ve never had the chance to have her for more than a few hours at a time.”

  “Are you sure about this, Mom? A baby can be a lot of work.”

  She waved away his question. “I looked after you and your three brothers with no problems. What makes you think I can’t look after one sweet little girl on my own?”

  If she was being serious, she was going to save him not only a lot of money, but a lot of worry too. Reaching out, he squeezed her hand. “Thanks, Mom.”

  “When are you working again?”

  Fuck. “In the morning—we’re doing inventory and Evangeline wants us to start early.”

  “I thought as much,” she replied. “I’m staying over. I’ve already got a packed bag in the car.”

  Thank god his mom was always prepared.

  “You take my bed then. I’ll stay on the couch.”

  He looked down into his tea and wished he had the bottle of vodka again. His mother disapproved of drinking because her father had been an alcoholic. The only way he was going to get another drink into him was by going out. Pulling out his phone, he texted his best friend.