As I drag myself to the shower, I think about the stars moving on the wall and recall a special moment Kenz and I shared when we were younger.
***
Age 15:
“I miss Liv,” Kenzie says. “I wish I could’ve went to summer camp with her, but Mom couldn’t afford it.”
“But then you wouldn’t be lying here, taking in this awesome view of our solar system.”
She giggles, and I can’t help but notice out of the corner of my eye, her newly visible boobs, bouncing as she laughs. We’re stretched out on a blanket, side by side, gazing up at the stars.
I suddenly feel her hand in mine.
“You’re right, Luke. I wouldn’t be lying here next to you ... my favorite place to be.” Her voice is sweet and soft, and it makes me want to roll on top of her. I squeeze her hand and take a deep breath.
“A shooting star, Luke,” she says excitedly as she points to the sky.
“Make a wish, Kenz.” Her eyes close, but I see the faint smile on her mouth from the moonlight. Her soft skin is glistening, crimson lips owning the onyx space surrounding us. I do this with Kenzie any chance I get.
“What’s the record for how many we’ve seen in one night?” she asks.
“Twelve.”
“You have the best memory. Did you make a wish, too?” Her head turns, and I get the best view, one better than any fleeting star. Kenzie’s crystal blue eyes twinkle, the gleam bright from the moon.
“No,” I reply before looking back to the sky.
“Why? You make me do it.”
“I feel selfish to wish for anything else.”
“That means something came true,” she says, once again excited. “What was it?”
Rolling on to my side, I lift our hands, so I can lace our fingers tighter. Kenz rolls over, too, looking eager as ever to hear my answer. I watch as she glances to our hands and begins abusing her lip.
“Growing up, I would wish on every shooting star that your dad wouldn’t hurt you again. It finally came true, and that’s why I know our record, Kenz.”
She yanks her hand away and slings her arms around my neck, knocking me over to my back. For only seconds, her mouth presses hard to mine.
“Luke, that’s ... I don’t even know what to say. You gave up all those wishes for me.” She slides off and scoots against my side. Kenzie’s hand covers my hammering heart ... the one that beats continuously, so it can experience another day with her.
“That’s not true. They were for me, too, so I wouldn’t see you hurting again.”
Her hand moves from my heart and snakes its way behind my neck. Fingers are soon exploring my hair, causing a spine-tingling pleasure as memories flicker through my mind. Kenzie is stars and summertime, fall and leaves, winter and snowmen, and spring and rain. I’ve shared it all with Kenzie Baker.
“Make a wish for you, Luke.”
“I’ll make one for the both of us.”
***
Rushing, I rinse the shampoo from my hair and grab the towel. I have to tell Kenzie.
“Honey, wake up.”
She whimpers before rolling onto her back. Water from my hair drips onto her face, so she opens her eyes wide.
“Luke, what are you doing? Are the twins up?”
“No, I realized two things in the shower, and I’m dying to tell you.”
“Seriously? You’re waking me up to chat?”
“I know, I’m sorry, baby.”
She sits up and yawns as she scoots back against the headboard. “OK, what is it?”
I give her my boyish grin, hoping to smooth over her lack of sleep.
“If I wasn’t so tired, I’d lure you back to bed. You look hot wearing only a grin and a towel.”
“Do you remember when we were fifteen, and we laid on the blanket and gazed at the stars?”
“Which time? It’s too early, Luke, and we did that often.”
“It was when I shared with you about wishing for your dad to stop hurting you. You also kissed me, so like I could forget.”
“Of course, I remember.” She nods several times, probably hoping I’ll hurry up, so she can have at least one more hour of sleep.
“I realized we were always dating, Kenz. Since we kissed that first time, at ten years old, we’ve been dating. We just kept it PG. Well, until last year.”
She smiles at me. “Even at four-thirty in the morning, you’re being romantic. You’re right. I guess we always were. What’s the second thing?”
“I remembered the wish I made that night.” My grin only stretches farther. “I wished that I would get to marry you someday.”
Her eyebrows raise. “You wished that at fifteen?”
“Yep. You had me pretty excited that night. Marrying you meant sex was a sure thing.”
I grab her face and kiss it all over. She tries to pull away since every part of it is getting wet from my hair and mouth. After jumping up and heading toward our dresser, I throw my hand back at her and point.
“I’m marrying your cute ass, Kenzie Baker, as soon as I can take care of you the way you deserve.”
She giggles and holds a finger to her mouth, signaling for me to speak quieter.
“OK, but this cute ass would like to stay in bed for another hour. I love you, you confusing boy.” She rolls over but soon sits back up. “Luke ... that night, I wished that whatever you wished for would come true.”
I stare at her briefly, soaking in another special moment. “I love you, Kenz.”
Having babies at eighteen is no picnic, and it’s made life hard for us. While our friends are out enjoying the summer before they begin college, we’re working and getting little sleep.
We will be living vicariously through Dalton and Liv as they stay in a college dorm and go to parties. But what’s done is done, and I will never regret having or keeping Lucy and Mac.
Our four hearts are forever attached, and we need each other to exist like the earth needs its four seasons.
Epilogue
Three and a half years later
McKenzie
I’m scurrying into Thompson Arena, after getting off work late. I’ve only missed fifteen minutes of the first period, so I’m good.
The arena is packed on this Friday night, full of students, and from all the green everyone is wearing, it looks like a leprechaun exploded in this place.
I spot our family sitting much closer than normal to the rink, and I feel that tug at my heart. I’ve missed my little monsters. I shuffle in front of people to my seat.
“Mommy!” Lucy yells before she claps her hands together.
“Hi, angel. Mom, Ron, I didn’t know you two were coming,” I say, surprised since I thought she was working this evening.
My mother remarried two years ago, and moved in with Ron, leaving us in her house until we move out.
“I’ve hardly been to any games this season, so I asked off.”
“Papa bought us candy,” Mac says, holding up a bag of sugary treats and grinning.
“I see. He’s spoiling you like always,” I say as I sit Lucy on my thighs between Mom and Liv.
“I don’t spoil him,” David says. I glance over and see him smirking as Mac fills his lap. Yeah, right. He and Lisa have been spoiling the twins since we brought them home from the hospital.
It was a relief to have David lighten up on Luke and respect our decisions.
“Have I missed much, and how did you get these seats?” I ask them.
“Luke has had two assists, and he managed to get us the seats,” David replies, not taking his eyes off the rink.
“How is Dalton playing?” I ask Liv, practically yelling into her ear.
“Good. They are fired up tonight, like this one,” Liv replies, grinning and grabbing Lucy’s foot.
“One mean boy pushed Daddy down, Mommy.” Lucy twists her body to see me and scowls.
“I bet Daddy got right back up, didn’t he?”
“Yes, he skates reawy fast, too.”
“Daddy has to make a goaw this game,” Lucy says.
“Lucy, do you want some candy?” Liv asks.
“Why are you trying to sugar her up? She’s being good.”
“No, reason.” Liv turns her head completely away from me. This is what she does when she’s hiding something or feeling guilty, and I’m wondering what is up.
Luke
Life is awesome. The twins are healthy and turning four next month. I’m graduating college in three months and have a few NHL teams scouting me. I’m hoping to sign with the Boston Bruins, so we won’t have to move far from home.
Kenzie has worked through my college years, but once I’m playing professionally, we’ll have the income for her to do whatever she wants, which is to be with the kids more and attend an art college.
It will be challenging and sad to move away from our families, especially after all the support they’ve given us, but Kenzie and I are a team all the way and conquer challenges together.
My team on the ice is off to a killer start tonight, up 2-0 against Cornell. I win a face-off deep in our zone, so I send the puck back to Dalton, our defenseman, before I take off down the ice.
The opposing players stay in our zone instead of following me, so Dalton flips it over one of their defenseman at our blue line, where I’m able to pick it up for the breakaway.
It’s exactly what I’ve been waiting for. I’m wide open, and I have to make this goal for a very special reason.
McKenzie
“Yes, Daddy might make a shot!” I shout, dropping Lucy to her feet in front of me, so we can stand and cheer.
“He did it!” Liv shouts. “Lucy, Mac, your Daddy made a goal.”
“Oh, yes!” Mac says in the cutest voice before he’s hopping off his papa’s lap. I watch Luke head in toward the bench but notice in my peripheral view that Mac and Lucy are huddling together up against Liv. They turn around and smile at me.
“Daddy, um, daddy said that you said, um, he can’t ask you to marry him at a hockey game cause, cause ...” Lucy is concentrating hard to find her words, “cause everyone does that.”
She gives me the sweetest grin, proud of her accomplishment. I’m stunned and a little confused as I glance to the bench and see Luke standing facing us.
“Hurry, Mac,” Liv says. He pulls his hand from behind his back and hands me a ring box.
“But, um, Daddy said we can ask you,” Mac says before he and Lucy look to each other and smile.
“Will you marry Daddy, Mommy?” They ask simultaneously. I pull both of them in for a short hug and feel the tears forming.
“Yes,” I say as I open the box. I slip the heart-shaped diamond on my finger before my eyes dart to Luke. He has removed his helmet, revealing his dark hair, which is long around his ears and damp.
His muscular body is standing tall as he gives me his sexy grin, and I desperately want to wrap my arms around him.
“Absolutely Yes!” I yell out to him. “Hurry kids, like always, make a heart for daddy with your hands.”
The three of us make our heart shape and watch him do the same.
“Hearts attached all the way, baby!” he shouts. I watch as his teammates on the bench cheer and pat his back or rub his hair. The last four years have not been easy, but our unyielding love and faith in one another saw us through.
There are not enough seasons in one lifetime to love Luke to the depth he deserves, but I’ll try until we take our last breath. If our past is any indication, then we’ll likely do that together, too.
End Notes
Thank you for reading Hearts Attached. If you haven’t read my first teen/YA novella, My Lucky Charm, you can go to my teen website, www.scarletwolfeteen.com, to read up on it. It’s a short, sweet read that many adults have enjoyed.
My next erotica romance, Trust Game, is expected to be released on May 23, 2014.
Other books written by Scarlet Wolfe are the Soul Mates 101 series books 1-4: A Week for Love to Bloom, Brett and Hannah, Dylan and Taylor, and Matt and Morgan.
Also available are The Mermaid and her King, A Voice for my Soul to Sing, I’m Holding On, and the One Urge, One Plea, Keep Me Trilogy, sold separately or as a set.
To keep up on the latest information, teasers and covers for my novels, follow me on the web at www.scarletwolfe.com, www.twitter.com/authorscarlet, and www.facebook.com/scarletwolfe.
If you enjoy my novels, I’d greatly appreciate it if you would leave me ratings or reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Thank you for your interest in my writing!
Acknowledgements
Patrick, for your love and support. You help keep our household running, and I’m grateful. You truly are my biggest fan.
I want to welcome new followers and thank my readers for the continued support. Your encouraging words keep me pushing forward. I’m learning and growing every day from your feedback and would love to chat with you anytime about my characters.
My friends and family who promote my writing and continue to lift me up when I’m feeling discouraged. I love all of you.
Indie Designz created the amazing cover. Thank you for your efficient work! www.indiedesignz.com.
I want to thank those who run the long list of blogs and Facebook pages that help promote my work. You are invaluable, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know you.
My beta readers and proofreaders for your time. I can’t emphasize enough how much your feedback improves my work. Thank you to Kelsey, Kim, Mary C., Mary L., Nova, Stephanie and Teri. You rock!
Hearts Attached Page 16
