Discovering Lucy

by Laura Dunaway

  “DON’T FORGET, LUCY JANE,” my mom lectured once again. “Men don’t care about you or your happiness. They only want one thing.”

  My mom hadn’t met Knox.

  Drake was arrested. He tried to claim he was set up, but the judge didn’t buy it and he was sentenced to a year in jail for violating the order, three years of community service, then an added seven years for assault and battery. The DA told us that sentence wasn’t common, but because of his history with me, the judge came down extra hard on him.

  Justin was charged with aiding and abetting. He wouldn’t serve any jail time, but his law license was suspended and he received two years of community service.

  Megan had been over almost every day, bringing me food and magazines, and a few nights she and Sean hung out and brought dinner. It felt as if we were a real family.

  “Lucy?” Megan asked me one night while chomping on a Starburst.

  “Hmm?”

  “Do you think you and Knox will get married?”

  What? Knox and I hadn’t even discussed marriage. Of course, I’d thought about marrying him, but since he hadn’t brought it up, I didn’t want to get ahead of myself. We had only just moved in together, we didn’t need to rush into marriage too. “We haven’t discussed it,” I replied.

  “Really?” she asked, clearly surprised.

  “Really.”

  “Sean and I have,” she said softly.

  I shifted on the couch to face her. “What? Really? When?”

  A glow came about her as she talked. “Well, we’ve kind of talked about it casually here and there for a while, but recently, he’s been more serious. I kind of think he’s going to ask me soon.”

  I still couldn’t get up and jump around, so I did the next best thing. I told Megan to come in for a hug, then I hugged her as tightly as my ribs would allow.

  “Megs, you have to text me as soon as he proposes.”

  Her eyes gleamed. “I will.” Then her face turned serious. “I’m so sorry he hurt you again, Lucy.”

  I was confused at her change in subject. “It’s okay, Megs. He’s in jail for a long time. He can’t hurt me again.”

  She sat up and brushed her curls out of her face. “I know, but why did it have to happen in the first place? Why was he still walking around free?”

  The system was a mystery to me. “I don’t know. It doesn’t make much sense, but at least he isn’t free anymore.”

  “I’ve been thinking…I’m going to start applying for law schools. I want to be a prosecutor and send scum like him to prison.”

  “Are you serious? That would be great. Where are you thinking of applying?”

  She listed off some schools, some in New York, some not. She said Sean wanted to get his MBA, so they might as well go to school at the same time and finish up. Hearing Megan talk so seriously about their future made me happy.

  But it also made me wonder what the future held for Knox and me.

  “Baby, you feel so good,” Knox panted as he thrust harder inside of me. “Am I hurting you? Are you okay?” he suddenly stopped, fear on his face.

  I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him tighter to me. “I’m fine, Knox, don’t stop,” I begged, sighing in pleasure when he started up again.

  “I just…don’t want to…hurt you,” he grunted as he kept thrusting. It was the first time we were having sex since the attack, and needless to say we were both more than ready.

  “You’re not hurting me, you’re making me feel so good,” I whispered in his ear, making him groan. He slipped a hand between us and his thumb rubbed my sensitive spot. The pleasure that had been building burst inside of me, making me cry out his name over and over. His lips slammed down on mine, swallowing my cries as he thrust harder a few more times, then cried out his own release.

  When he was done, he lay down on his side and wrapped me in his arms. We stayed like that for a few minutes, both of us coming down from our releases. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Megan had said earlier.

  “Megan told me she wants to go to law school.”

  He was playing with my hair, my head resting on his chest. “Yeah, Sean told me. I think it’s great.”

  I nodded. “Me too. She said Sean’s going to start applying for grad schools. There’s a chance they’d have to move, which makes me sad, but I’m so happy for them.”

  “Lucy?”

  I raised my head to look at him. “Yes?”

  “Are you okay?”

  I sighed, laying my head back down on him. “I’m fine, I am. It just got me thinking.”

  He sat up and gently pulled me with him. Taking my chin in his hand, he tipped my head to look at him. “What about, angel?”

  “Just how crazy life is. A year ago I was with the scum of the earth living in a dingy apartment. Now, I’m with my knight in shining armor and just got promoted to buyer with Intimate Apparel. I still can’t believe it.”

  He leaned down and pressed his lips to my forehead. “You deserve it all, baby. You haven’t seen anything yet.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”

  He got a devious look in his eye as he started to slide under the covers. “What are you doing?” I asked, then gasped when I felt his hand touch between my legs, opening them wide.

  He tossed the covers off the bed, grinning. “I’m giving you round two,” he said huskily, lowering his head to my center. When I felt his hot tongue start to lap at my folds, I moaned and forgot all about what we’d been talking about—the only thing on my mind was what his mouth was doing to me.

  I was in my office a few days later, talking on the phone to one of our accounts, when there was a knock on my door.

  I covered the phone and told them to come in. Knox opened the door and walked inside. Seeing I was busy, he strolled around my desk, standing in front of me, and propped his hip against it.

  “I think that would be best,” I told the lady on the phone. “I’m finding more women favor nude these days than white.”

  Knox folded his arms across his chest and gave me a naughty grin as he nodded enthusiastically. “I like my woman nude,” he teased.

  I swatted him on the arm, not able to stop the smile at his humor. “Okay thank you,” I responded on the phone. “I’ll keep my eye out for that shipment. Okay sounds good, talk to you soon. Bye.”

  I hung up the phone and leaned back in my chair. “What are you doing?” I asked him, laughing.

  He stood up and held out his hand for me to take. Giving him a quizzical look, I took it and let him help me up. “I had a question for you,” he replied.

  He started leading me to the door. “Wait, you can’t ask me here?” I questioned.

  He opened the door, leading me out to the floor. “No, I need to show you something first.” Having no idea what he was up to, I gave in and followed him through my department, to the escalators.

  We went down a level and when we got off, he took my hand, leading me over to the cosmetics department. As we got closer to my old counter, I heard a piano start to play, At Last by Etta James. When we rounded a corner, I saw a string quartet set up by the counter I used to work at. They all lifted their violins to join in with the piano. I turned my head, and saw it was my favorite piano player, then turned back to see Knox down on one knee, a black velvet box in his hand.

  My hands flew to my mouth, and tears started to fall. Knox was looking up at me with the most adorable, yet nervous, look in his eyes, and he was shaking a bit. I wanted to comfort him somehow, but I couldn’t move.

  “Lucy Jane Simmons,” he asked softly. “The first time I saw you behind this counter, I knew you were the one. I knew by the way my heart raced when I saw you, I knew by the warmth that flooded my body. I knew then, and I know it now, you are my forever. Will you marry me?”

  I fell to my knees in front of him, crying and nodding yes. I took his face between my hands. “Yes. Yes, yes, yes!”

  An intoxicating grin came over his face as he snatched me into
his arms, kissing me hard and passionately. When we broke away, he opened the velvet box and the most beautiful, pear-shaped diamond in a white gold setting sat before me, gleaming. I watched as Knox took it out of its case, and took hold of my left hand. As I felt him slip it on my ring finger, the feeling that everything was finally all right nestled over me.

  I had found my forever.

  I had found Knox.

  Three Years Later

  “Push, Lucy.”

  I’d been pushing for forty minutes. I couldn’t do it anymore. I rolled my head to the side and looked at Knox. “I can’t, I’m too tired,” I moaned.

  He brushed some hair out of my face, his other hand still holding mine. “Yes, you can. You’re the strongest person I know, angel. One more push.”

  I clenched my teeth and pushed. Collapsing on the bed, I started to cry when I heard the first wail of my baby.

  “It’s a girl!”

  The tears continued to fall as I watched Knox cut the umbilical cord. A girl. We had a baby girl. When the nurse set her on my chest, all tiny and red with a head of dark curls like her daddy, a love I had never known burst inside of me.

  I bent down and kissed her sweet face as she was still wailing. “Hi, baby,” I whispered, running my hands back and forth over her. I couldn’t believe she was here. I couldn’t believe she was real.

  Knox wrapped his arms around us. “My beautiful girls,” he whispered, his eyes filled with tears. He then leaned in and kissed me, a sweet gentle kiss. “Thank you,” he told me against my lips.

  “For what?”

  “For giving me the two most precious gifts a man could ever ask for.”

  The nurse came over then and told me they had to check the baby for vitals. I watched as she carried her across the room, setting her in a bassinet. I turned back to my husband, and melted at the love I saw in his eyes.

  “Two gifts?” I asked, responding to his statement.

  He pressed his forehead to mine. “Yes, angel, two. Thank you for giving me you, and thank you for our daughter. I love you so much.”

  The tears continued to flow as I looked in his eyes. “No, thank you. You didn’t give up. Thank you for waiting for me, and thank you for our daughter. I love you more.”

  We heard our baby start to cry again, and he smiled. “Well, what are we going to name her?”

  As I listened to my baby’s cries, I knew what her name should be.

  “Hope.”

  The End

  Book Industry Love:

  Jennifer Roberts-Hall with Indie After Hours - Thank you so much, for everything. You have no idea how much I love and adore you, and appreciate you. You have been my sounding board, my cheerleader, of course my editor, and my friend. I couldn’t make it in this business without you, and I wouldn’t want to. Thank you for putting up with all of my emotional craziness and for sticking by me. You are my rock. And to your husband Ty - thank you for all of your help with our crazy documents. I appreciate it so much.

  Kassi with Kassi’s Kandids – Thank you for taking me on last minute and for answering my millions of questions. Your formatting work is beautiful, I’m so grateful to work with you.

  Angie with I love it Design Studio – Thank you for my gorgeous cover! You are a master. Thank you for helping me find the right picture, and for listening to me when I was worried. Thank you for all of your hard work for my book and me. The cover is the first thing readers see, and because of you, I have no worries.

  Beta/Friendship Love:

  Christina Rivera – I don’t know where to begin. When I wrote my first book, Distorted, I had decided that if I could reach just one person who loved it, then I had achieved my goal. You are that person. Your love for my characters and my books has made such an impact on my life. Thank you for always sharing my teasers and promoting me on Facebook. Thank you for your input on my Chapters, and thank you for being there for me. I’m so glad we are friends.

  Barbara Johnson – Words cannot express my appreciation for your help and support of me, and my book. Your beta reading has been a huge part of what Lucy has turned out to be. Thank you for encouraging me, for telling me I can do this, sharing my teasers, and for reading. I look forward to a long friendship with you.

  Michelle Lester – Thank you for taking the time to read my book last minute. Your suggestions were so helpful and have made Lucy even better. I am so glad you were recommended to me for beta reading. Just so you know, I plan on having you continue being one of my beta readers for all of my books.

  Deanna Love – Thank you for being so good to me. Your messages brighten my day. I am so glad you loved my first book, and I hope you like my Lucy. Thank you for always promoting me and sharing my teasers. You are the best!

  Megan Simpson – You were by far my toughest critic and I appreciate you so much for it. You were the one who told me it wasn’t working and were supportive of me starting over. That was the best decision I made with this book. Thank you for being my beta reader, and for being my friend. We’re friends for life.

  Christine Stanley – While we just met recently, your help and support has truly amazed me. Thank you for going the extra mile to help me get my book out there, and for trying to find me that perfect cover model for my next book. In a matter of days, I am 100% comfortable with you and love being able to be my crazy obnoxious self with you. I truly feel I’ve made a friend for life. Thank you for everything.

  Denise Tung – You join Megan in being my tough critic, but you know I love you for it as well. I am so grateful for you and your friendship, and your genuine hope to see me succeed. You always tell me you won’t let me put a bad product out there, and knowing that makes me feel so much better. Thank you for listening to me, and for encouraging me. I am so glad we are friends. We will always have Priscilla.

  Jennifer Diaz – Girl, I could not promote my book without you. You are always willing to help me, and you have no idea how much that means to me. You have been my cheerleader from day one and continue to be, thank you. Thank you for loving my books and for standing behind me. You are amazing.

  Author/Friendship Love:

  Rose Hunter Coogan – Where do I begin, truly? What started out as a few random emails has turned into one of the best friendships of my life. You have shown me what true friendship is and that I am worth it. Thank you. Thank you for listening, for advising, for telling me what I needed to hear. Thank you for saving me the last week before Lucy’s release with all you did. That meant more to me than you know. My book would not be what it is without you. Thank you. Thank you for being my friend, Kathy-face. I love our silly Facebook conversations where Kathy was born, and of course, our love of sheep. That’s right, I said it.

  Whitney Gracia Williams – You have been such a wonderful friend. Thank you for always listening, for telling me when to shut up, and for helping me with my book. Your suggestions made it so much better. You never doubt my writing, or me, even when I do. Your support has meant the world to me, thank you.

  Riley Mackenzie – Even though you are two girls with one name, I have to acknowledge you like this because that’s how I first knew you and how we chat on Facebook. You have no idea how much your help on a certain scene saved my sanity. The fact that you took the time to help me as you’re writing your own book means the world to me. Thank you so much.

  Elizabeth Connolly – Thank you so much for being such a huge supporter of me. When I gave you Lucy to read, I had no idea how you’d jump right in. I loved getting your updates on where you were in the book. Your kind messages mean so much to me. I’m very glad we met and are friends.

  Mia Sheridan – You are always willing to listen and to encourage. You are willing to share my teasers and to help get my name out there. Thank you for supporting me and for being my friend.

  EL Montes – Thank you for helping me with my blurb and title. You have been such a great help for both of my books. You are always so willing to help me, and I appreciate it so much.

  N
ina D’Angelo – We’ve been friends a long time, and your support of me never goes unnoticed. Thank you for always telling me I can do this, and for helping me keep going. We both know it isn’t easy, but it helps to have good friends support us along the way.

  Blogger Love:

  Jennifer Given Leary – When a friend recommended that I contact you about my blog tour, I had no idea an amazing friendship was about to be born. You have been such a huge part of my life. Thank you for all you’ve done to help me get my book out there, for organizing everything to do with it. My cover reveal, my release day blitz, and my tour. Thank you for sharing all my teasers and spreading the word about Discovering Lucy. Thank you for always listening to me, and believing in me.

  Lydia with HEA Book Blog – Thank you for always sharing my teasers and for supporting me. You have been a huge help in getting my book out there. Thank you for listening to me when I was freaking out, and for telling me it would all be okay. I have made a wonderful friend in you.

  Natalie and Mary with Love Between The Sheets Blog – Thank you for hosting my cover reveal, my release day blitz, and my book tour. All of your hard work on my behalf is very much appreciated. You go above and beyond for your authors, and it shows.

  To each and every blog who is on my tour and who has helped share and promote me…Thank you, thank you, thank you. We could not do this without the blogs who share our books. Blogging is not easy, and it’s competitive. I appreciate all of your hard work on my behalf.