by Hope Ford
I cup her jaw and tell her with all sincerity, “You can do anything.”
We stare back at each other for so long, it’s like I’m lost. I almost tell her I love her, but I don’t want it to be about that right now. I think she needs to know I believe in her and the rest can come later. But I won’t be able to keep it to myself much longer.
“Will you kiss me again, Dusty?”
I press my forehead to hers. “You don’t even have to ask, pretty girl. I’m always going to want another kiss from you.”
And then I show her in action exactly what she means to me.
9
Dusty
Serenity and I have been together for a few months now. She’s in school and I’m proud of her, but I’m also trying to adjust to her hectic schedule and my own. I’ve barely seen her the last two weeks. And there was another tabloid picture of us. It’s the same tacky magazine from before and this time there was a picture of her with the headline, “What does Dusty see in her?”
Those bastards always have to say something ugly in order to get anyone to read their garbage. She hasn’t mentioned it, but I know she’s seen it. In return, I took a picture of her and me and sent it to a competitor’s magazine. It’s a beautiful, perfect picture of us, and if Serenity sees it, she’ll know exactly what I see in her. I’m looking down at her with love on my face and our arms are around each other.
When our schedules finally align for us to have a night together, I want to take her straight to my house and make up for lost time. Instead, my mother insists on meeting Serenity. And the only reason I agree is because I want to make Serenity a permanent part of my life, and part of that is introducing her to my mother.
“Are you sure about this?” Serenity asks me as we walk up the front steps of my mother’s house.
My hand tightens on hers. “Am I sure I want you to meet my mother? Yes.”
She stops and puts her hands on my chest. “We could go home. I haven’t seen you in two weeks. I can do that thing you like.”
Her flushed face tells me how much she’s missed me and God how tempting is she? I want nothing more than to keep her to myself tonight, but I feel like this is an important next step. “In and out. We’re already here.”
She doesn’t get time to answer before my mother is opening the door.
“Dustin, are you and your friend coming in?” she asks us, and I ignore the snide way she says friend. I walk up to my mother and kiss her cheek, whispering, “Be nice.”
“Mother, this is Serenity. My girlfriend.” Serenity’s face lights up at the name and I pull her back into my arms.
My mother gives a little harrumph, announcing that dinner is ready.
She is a difficult woman, but she seems to be minding her manners with Serenity, for which I’m very grateful.
Serenity
I’ve missed Dusty so badly that I would have agreed to meeting that wretched photographer from that awful gossip magazine if it meant I could spend time with Dusty.
“Dinner was really good, Mrs. Burgess. You’ll have to give me the recipe,” I tell her. She’s really snooty and seems a little cold, but I know it must be difficult having a son that is a celebrity of sorts.
She smiles at me, a thin line across her face that I have learned is her smile. “I didn’t cook it, dear. The staff did.”
I fidget with the napkin on my lap, and Dusty reaches over to grab my hand. “Serenity is a great cook too.”
I squeeze his hand, letting him know I appreciate him. I continue to be kind and cheerful even when his mother gives me a look of disdain.
As soon as dinner is over, Dusty apologizes to her that we can’t stay. “Serenity and I both have work and school tomorrow.”
For the first time, a full smile forms on her face. “Sure, son, but can you be a dear? Can you speak to the gardener about the rose bushes? He’s cutting them too far back. And I figure since you speak fluent Spanish, you can explain it better than me.”
I can see the indecision on his face, but I assure him I’ll be okay.
As soon as Dusty walks out the door, Mrs. Burgess turns to me. “You are not good enough for my son.”
I’m stunned. I’ve never come across someone that is just so mean. “Uh, no doubt, Dusty is a good man, but…”
I start to defend myself but I don’t get far. “Yes, he is. Too good for you. But I’m sure this is just a fling and you’ll be over soon enough.”
I walk away from her then. My feelings are hurt and the words that she said to me have been my fear all along.
I walk toward the car just as Dusty comes around the side of the house. “You ready?”
I nod my head at him. He raises his hand to wave bye to his mother and when he gets into the car, he says, “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
I take a deep breath, knowing I’m not going to say anything to him about his mother. “Yes, she was lovely.”
By the time we get to his house, I’ve worked out a plan in my head. “I’m sorry, Dusty. I completely forgot about a paper that is due tomorrow. I’m going to have to go home and work on it.”
He wraps his arms around me, and I try not to tense up. “You can use my laptop. I was really hoping we could be together tonight.”
I rest my head on his chest because I can’t look at him right now. “Me too. But I’m sorry. I have to do this.” I sniff and hope he doesn’t hear the sadness in my voice.
“Are you okay? Are we okay? I hate we haven’t gotten to spend a lot of time together lately, but I’m on a home stretch with games, so we should be able to see each other more.”
I hold on to him tightly, wishing we were meant to be. But I won’t come between a mother and son, no matter how much I love him. He would hate me in the end. But knowing all that, I can’t deal with it now without falling apart. “Yes, we’re good.”
When I pull away, I promise to call him later and then walk over to my car that’s parked in his driveway.
I smile and wave at him as I pull out, but the whole time, my heart is breaking in two.
10
Dusty
Ever since the night at my mother’s house, Serenity has been pulling away. She’s refused to be seen with me in public at all and even stopped returning my calls. Then out of nowhere, she leaves a recording on my voicemail that she doesn’t want to see me again.
I try calling her, I go by her house and her work, but she’s nowhere to be found. Sitting in my car outside of Serenity’s house, I call my mother.
She starts rambling as soon as she picks up the phone, but I interrupt her. “Mom, Serenity broke up with me. Do you know why she would have done that?”
Mom doesn’t even miss a beat. “Why would I know anything about your girlfriend? Plus, I mean that’s good anyway. She wasn’t good enough for you.”
I clench my eyes tight together. I’m hoping and praying that my mother didn’t do anything, but a part of me knows otherwise. “Did you say something to her the night we were at your house? While I was outside talking to the gardener?”
She stutters, “Well, we talked yes. We couldn’t very well just stand there and look at each other.”
I grit my teeth together. “What did you say to her, Mother?”
She sighs loudly. “I told her the truth. You’re too good for her, son.”
As soon as the words leave her mouth, it’s like an awakening. I should have known. I should have made her stay that night. I knew something was going on with her, but I didn’t want to push. “You’re wrong, Mother. If anything, she’s too good for me. But I love her and I’m going to marry her, if she’ll have me after all this. If I’ve lost her, I won’t be able to forgive you.”
I hang up the phone and bang my head on the steering wheel. Where the fuck is she? There’s one place I haven’t checked, so I put the car in reverse to pull out of her driveway. I start to drive across town. If she thinks I’m going to let her end this, she’s sorely mistaken. This is not the end. If I have anything t
o do with it, this is just the fuckin’ beginning.
Serenity
Sitting in my chair, waiting on the instructor to get here and class to start, there’s a commotion in the hallway that gets even louder when the door opens and in walks Dusty Burgess. My heart starts to hurt in my chest just seeing him. I don’t cry though. I don’t think I have any tears left.
I put my head down and look at my notebook, staring at my notes from the last class. When he stops next to me, I can feel his heat, even though he’s not even touching me. “Can we talk?”
I still don’t look up at him. “We don’t have anything to talk about.”
He squats then, forcing me to look at him. I can feel every eye in the room on us. He reaches for my hand and holds it tightly. “We do, though. I love you, Serenity. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. All that matters is me and you.”
I wipe at the tear on my face. “I can deal with the stupid hate magazines and all that, but I’m not going to come between you and your mom, Dusty.”
He brushes his hand through my hair. “I talked to my mother. I love you and I want to be with you. Only you.”
I start to cry then, happy tears, and he pulls me out of my seat and into his arms. I put my hands behind his neck and pull him down to meet me. “I want to be with you too.”
The class starts cheering and clapping, but I don’t care who’s filming or taking pictures. I kiss him then, and as he wraps me in his arms and gives me a panty-melting kiss, I can’t believe I was willing to give this up.
When we finally break apart, he tells me again, “I love you, Serenity.”
“I love you too.”
“Do you two want to take this outside?” a voice rings out above the applause.
I look at my professor and back to Dusty.
He shakes his head. “It’s fine. I’ll be outside when class is over.”
The woman in the desk next to me pats my arm. “Go ahead. I’ll send you my notes.”
I thank her and grab up my stuff and follow Dusty out the door. He turns to me as soon as we’re out, pushing me up against the wall. His hand trails down my arm and the other goes behind my neck. “You didn’t have to leave. I would have waited on you.”
I shake my head, unable to even form a complete sentence. I wrap my arms around his waist and hold him tight. My body starts to tremble and he pulls away just enough to look down at me. “What’s wrong?”
I shake my head, but he’s more stern this time. “No more of this. We talk things out. No more keeping things from each other.”
I shrug my shoulders. “I almost lost you. I almost gave you up,” I tell him in a soft voice, filled with shame.
He puts his hands on each side of my face, forcing me to look up to him. “You were doing what you thought was right and I could spank that ass for it. But what you need to know, pretty girl, is that you are what’s right for me. Always and forever, I choose you.”
And then he kisses me.
Epilogue
Serenity
Three years later
Sitting down in the front of the stadium, I have a perfect view of right field. The rest of the players can do whatever and I wouldn’t notice. I always keep my eyes on Dusty. We are up three to one against the Tigers, but if I’ve learned anything in baseball, it can change with the drop of a hat, or ball I guess I should say. The other team has bases loaded and there’s two outs. This game can go either way.
I’m sitting next to my mother-in-law. “Would you like some popcorn?” she asks me.
I shake my head and hold out the peanut and chocolate candy. “No, I’m good.” After everything with his mother, I was surprised when she showed up at my house one day. As soon as I let her in, she apologized to me, telling me that she was sorry for treating me the way she did. I, of course, forgave her and we’ve actually become close since then. Either because we really do have a lot in common, or she’s just trying to be my friend because of Dusty, I don’t care. I want our relationship to work because I want my relationship with Dusty to work.
I graduated school and started working in an office that helps neglected children. I love it and am so happy to have chosen this profession. The only downfall is not being able to get off to go to away games. I know Dusty wants me with him, but he’s the most supportive husband I ever could have wished for. He is perfect. We got married shortly after I met his mom. And even the tabloids have become nicer to me. Maybe it was the dress I wore to the award ceremonies right after we got married, or maybe it’s all of the fundraising and volunteer work I do, but for whatever reason, I’m grateful that they now only post about me in a positive light. I can’t help but think that Dusty had a hand in that.
Lost in thought, I startle when the crowd around me jumps out of their seats, cheering. His mom and I both jump out of our seats as the ball’s hit right to Dusty. We watch as it sails through the air and Dusty is tracking it, chasing it down. When he makes a diving catch for it, the crowd goes wild and his mom and I both start jumping up and down. We win and the whole time that Dusty’s running in, he’s watching me with a smile on his face.
My heart is beating triple time in my chest. When his eyes are on me, I can tune out everything else. He stops at the fence in front of me and I put my fingers through the openings. He grabs on to them as I bend down and kiss him. We started doing this after the first game I went to, and he’s continued it every game since. He tells me it’s because he loves having me there for him and wants every man to know I’m taken.
When the people around us start an uproar, I pull away and point up to the jumbotron. It took a lot of work to keep this surprise from him, but I did it. He looks behind him and the image of the two of us are up there. They usually do this for the kiss cam, but not today. Today they add a border around our picture with the text, “Daddy Dusty.”
He looks at the screen and back at me, still not understanding. I finally nod my head at him. “You’re going to be a dad!” I tell him through the fence.
The amazement on his face tells me that no one broke my secret. He jogs around the fence to the gate and pushes his way through the crowd. Everyone is patting him on the back, but his gaze is still on me. He stops only when he gets right in front of me. My hands go up around his neck. I can see his mom crying beside us, while our friends all hug her. Dusty’s hand goes to my waist. “A baby?”
With tears rolling down my cheeks, I nod my head.
As if he still can’t believe it, he asks me, “I’m going to be a dad?”
All I can do is nod, because this gentle giant that is standing in front of me is beyond emotional. There are cameras everywhere, but he doesn’t care. With tears rolling down his face, he thanks me. “You have given me so much. The first day I met you, you made my life better. You are my everything, pretty girl. I choose you a thousand times, always and forever.”
THE END
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About the Author
Bestselling short romance author Hope Ford writes short, steamy, sweet romances. She loves tattooed, alpha men, instant love stories, and ALWAYS happily ever afters. She has over 80 books and they are all available on Amazon.
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er Loves Curves Book 5)
