by S. L. Scott
Her share.
She told me she would have rather had his love.
There’s not a lot anyone can say to that, so I held her a lot tighter and promised her she would never be without love again. I intend to keep that promise every day and night for the rest of my life.
The day she received the money, she paid for the wedding in full.
It’s not lost on me that on a day full of love she’s spending money that holds none. What’s mine is hers and hers mine, but I would have liked to pay for something more than the rings. My ego doesn’t need stroking . . . often, so I’m okay marrying a rich woman.
Anyway, with album sales skyrocketing over the past six months and our fame growing—we were nobodies last year, and this year, we’re everywhere—the band’s made a lot of money, more than we ever thought possible. I’m not Johnny Outlaw rich yet, but we never really have to worry again about watching our spending.
A little snag Hannah’s come upon is that when you plan a wedding on a friend’s estate, you find that the owners tend to be too generous. Holli loves to plan a party, and apparently, she and Johnny got married here, so her and Hannah have been gushing over the memories.
That’s usually my cue to head to the studio with the guys and jam.
But today is different. The planning is over, and although I got a few hours in with the guys to record, I’m now standing in front of a large floor-to-ceiling mirror next to my son, teaching him how to tie a four-in-hand knot with the sage tie around his neck. “You almost got it that time. Want to try once more?”
“Yes,” he mumbles, frustrated.
This time, I kneel beside him, and I go slower, tying my black tie while his hands mimic mine. “Dude, you did it!”
“Yes!” He fist pumps, which has Tulsa written all over it. “You were right. I just needed to be seven.”
His birthday was a month ago, and we’ve been celebrating ever since. It’s my first with him, and we went all out—Nerf battles, laser tag, cake, ice cream, and presents. Hannah pulled some from our pile to store for Christmas. She said there’s a difference between spoiling him and caring for him.
The only surprise was that all the moms stayed. I thought they would just drop their kids off and go, but their kids are seven, so I get wanting to stick around. My beautiful fiancée wasn’t so sure that was the reason they hung around, but she has nothing to be worried about.
Except for the money, apparently. I call her because I miss her. She sounds stressed. “You’re going to look just as gorgeous as you always do,” I say.
“Stop being charming. I already said yes.”
“You’ve got a lifetime of this charm coming your way. Best prepare, my love.”
“Ohh, I love preparing, especially with you.” She’s laughing one moment and not the next. She huffs instead. “What am I going to do with this money?”
“There are worse problems to have.”
“I’m paying for Alfie’s college and mine. And I’m buying a house.”
“For us or investment?”
“We’ll see.”
“There you go,” I say, trying to calm her down. “That should cover the rest of it.”
The sigh I hear on the other end of the line is happy. “I’ll see you in a little while?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Unlike Eileen, who was sent an invite on Alfie’s request. He doesn’t know she wanted his inheritance or the evil she’s capable of. We haven’t heard from her once since we won custody, not even on his birthday.
I’m not sure what’s wrong with that woman, but her heart died the day Cassie did because a black soul is all that remains. Alfie will find out eventually, but for now, we keep our opinions to ourselves in hopes that one day she’ll find a way to make amends with him.
I turn my phone off and tuck it into my pocket. Looking at Alfie sitting on the couch trying to show Tulsa how to knot his tie is quite the sight. Rivers stands by the windows looking out at the lawn where the wedding has been set up. I shove my hands in my pockets and stand alongside my middle brother. He says, “You ready for the big day?”
“I’m ready.”
“No nerves?”
“No nerves.” What is there to be nervous about? I’ve lived with Hannah for a while now. I can’t imagine there will be any surprises or changes when it comes to that. “I love her so damn much.” She’s a Crow even without the legalities in place.
“What do you love about her?” This time, he turns and looks me in the eyes, genuinely interested in my answer.
Before now, I hadn’t noticed he’d grown taller than me. Not by much, but an inch or so. My little brother isn’t so little anymore. He’s become a man; someone I’m not only proud to call my brother, but also my friend.
His question is easy to answer. “Everything—the good, the bad, the in between. All of her.”
“Yeah?” Half a smile slides up.
“Yeah. I remember driving her back to her car. I dreaded that goodbye. Every second I felt like I was driving in the wrong direction. I should be taking her home, not letting her leave. I felt like I was losing a part of me. It was wrong. Everything about that morning was wrong except one thing.”
“What?”
“When she woke up in my arms.” I should feel embarrassed for admitting that. I sound like a sap, but I can be truthful with him. He’s been there. He knows what I mean.
Rivers only asked for one invitation to be sent out. We never heard back despite how much I know he held out hope. Just in case he’s heard otherwise, I ask, “Is she coming?” carefully broaching the subject.
“No. I don’t think so.”
“Did you call her?”
“The call went to voicemail.”
I give his shoulder a squeeze. “Sorry, man.”
Shrugging, he replies, “It’s all right. What’s done is done.” Turning to me, we do our handshake and then bring it in for a hug. When he pats my back, he says, “Mom would be proud of you. Hannah’s a good woman.”
I know she is, but it’s good to have the family support behind me. He adds, “And you’re a good dad. You always were.”
“I’m twenty-seven, but I sound old.”
“Not old. Wise. I hope I’m as wise as you at your age.”
“Thanks, Riv.” It’s time, so I announce, “Come on, guys. It’s time to get hitched.”
Alfie runs up to me and hugs me. “Uncle Tulsa says I can get bird tattoos like all of you when I turn eighteen.”
I shoot a glare in his uncle’s direction. I’m obviously not against tattoos. “Can we let him be a kid for a few more years?”
Tulsa rolls his eyes. “Yes, Dad.”
“Good, son,” I say, patting his head, which spurs Alfie into a fit of giggles.
Reaching over, I wrap my arm around my youngest brother’s neck and pull him into a semi-headlock and part hug. “Hey, Tuls?” He usually fights it, but this time, he stops wriggling. “You guys are the best brothers anyone could ever ask for.” Releasing him, I pick Alfie up. “And you, sir, the best son a guy could ever wish for.”
Alfie’s arms fly around my neck, and he rests his head on my shoulder. “I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you, too.”
Tulsa pats my shoulder. “Thanks for being a great big brother.”
We stand there, letting the quiet sneak in. We’ve come a long way. I’m just glad I got to experience life with these guys by my side. “We should go. I don’t want to worry my bride by being late to the altar.”
Hannah and I decided on a small ceremony with just a few close friends, family, and our band families. We didn’t need a big party. We just need each other.
As I stand there with my best man by my side, I glance at my brothers once more who represent my family in the front row.
Johnny, Holli, and their son sit on the front row on Hannah’s side. Family is who we choose regardless of relation, blood, or bone. The people who matter are here.
&
nbsp; Her mother.
Her half-brother.
Her stepfather.
I met them yesterday when they arrived, and I see so much of her mother in Hannah. She’s clever and confident, a survivor.
It’s good to see some other familiar faces staring back at me who made the trek from Austin to Ojai, but it’s the woman who stands at the end of the aisle that steals my attention and my heart all over again.
On Dave’s arm, Hannah Lynn Nichols is an angel on earth. Her dress billows to the side as the winds blow. The sun shines off her chestnut hair bringing out the gold as it catches in the breeze under a halo of a mixture of pale and deep pink and white flowers. She walks toward me with grace, a classic eloquence and beautiful bohemian.
I’m eternally grateful to the man on her right who saved her life—not just for Hannah, but also for me—so we could share the destiny we were always meant to have.
I take her hands, looking into the blue windows of my forever. “I love you.”
Hannah smiles and whispers, “I love you.”
We’re not supposed to be talking yet, but how can I let the moment pass me by without telling her how much she means to me? I can’t.
The traditional wedding vows are read as we stare into each other’s eyes. When it’s time for the rings, my best man leans his head against my hip and says, “Am I allowed to talk now?”
“Yes, Alfie,” I reply with a smile. “You can talk. What did you want to say?”
He moves to Hannah and tugs on the dress that hangs loosely at her hips. “Can I call you mommy now?”
“Oh Alfie,” she says, kneeling and hugging him tight. “You can call me mommy whenever you want. I love you, sweetie.”
“I love you, Mommy.”
There’s not a dry eye in the vicinity, including mine. The kid has great timing. Maybe I’ll let him play drums after all.
When he returns to his spot beside me, I slip the ring on her finger. “I didn’t know I was lost until I found you. In a sea of stormy weather, you are the anchor that saved me. In gratitude, I will spend my life being an anchor for you.”
Her eyes were watering from what Alfie said, but the tears finally tip over her bottom lids and slide down her porcelain skin. She takes my ring, slips it on, and then looks up at me. “I could spend my days regretting walking away that day, but instead, I celebrate every day I’ve been given since returning. You’ve given me your patience and kindness, your support, and your love. But what you’ve given me the most is your heart and a family. Both of which I will forever honor and cherish, taking care of them with all that I am. I love you, Jet. The big encompassing you.”
The I do’s are done and rings are on fingers. My gaze slides from her eyes to her lips, delicate pink petals calling me home. I cup her pretty face and lean in to taste the cinnamon once again. Just before our lips meet, I spy dandelions in her hair and smile, not just because of the flowers, but because our lives our finally entwined forever.
My beautiful wildflower.
My love.
My wife.
My home.
If you enjoyed meeting Johnny Outlaw, Holli, Dex, Tommy, Kaz, Rochelle, and the Derrick, read all about them in The Resistance and the Hard to Resist Series.
CLICK The Resistance here and I’ve included the Prologue and Chapter 1 after the BONUS chapter in this book.
TURN the page for BONUS SPARK.
BONUS - PLEASE READ
Now that you’ve read SPARK, I thought you might enjoy a little more. Click the link for a BONUS EPILOGUE you do not want to miss and it’s FREE: CLICK HERE PASSWORD is: MERCURY (all uppercase)
The Crow Brothers Books Coming Soon:
Stay tuned for the other Crow Brother’s books coming in April and June.
Add these hot rockers’ books to your Goodreads TBR so you’re in the know when more details come.
TULSA CROW CLICK HERE
RIVERS CROW CLICK HERE
Part I
The Resistance
Copyright © S. L. Scott 2014
The right of S.L. Scott to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
ISBN: 978-1-940071-15-2
Prologue
Johnny Outlaw
I’m a fucking fool.
I’m not even sure how I got into this mess, but I know I need to get myself out of it. I look down at the hand on my thigh inching up higher and my stomach rolls. Squeezing out from between the tight confines of the third row in this van, a girl on each side wanting a piece of me, I fall over the seat into the cargo area and move away from their astonished stares. They’re speaking German and I don’t know what the fuck they’re saying, but I’ve been in this type of situation enough to know how it will end, if I let it.
Everything has changed… or sometime around my last birthday I changed.
I didn’t invite these chicks. Dex did. He’ll fuck’em all before the night’s through and the bad part is, they’ll let him. Thinking they’re special, that they’ll be the one to tame him. They’ll let him do what he wants just to be close to him.
Beyond this set up being predictable at this point, it’s really fucking old or I am, probably both. I ignore their taps on my shoulder and them calling my name. I ignore everything to do with them and focus on my phone.
On the inside, I’m freaking the fuck out that I’m sitting in the cargo hold of a huge van in Germany with attractive girls willing to do anything I want them to, but I prefer to look at a photo of a little blonde with hazel eyes. Freaking the fuck out might be an understatement.
I’m a player or was, supposed to be, maybe still am. I don’t keep score or anything like that, but I’ve slept with plenty of women, sometimes more than one at a time. I used to blame my lifestyle, but more recently, I realized I’m the common denominator in the bad relationships I’ve had.
The car comes to a stop and the driver rushes around to the back to let me out. I stumble while climbing out, and hurry inside away from the sound of my name being called. The girls will be upset when they realize I’m not staying to play, but Dex will be thrilled—more pussy for him.
Cory hops out from the front, and follows me. “Wait up,” he says, jogging to catch up.
When we reach the elevators, we look back. Dex is helping the girls out of the vehicle one-by-one. With a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, he’s sloppy, already drunk. He never lacks for female companionship. By the way he acts, I don’t see the appeal, but I don’t think that’s why they’re hooking up with him anyway.
Cory looks at me and nods once. “What’s up? What happened back there?”
The elevator doors open and we step in, pushing the button for our floor. “Over it. Over it all.”
“The girl from Vegas?”
“She’s not from Vegas, but yeah, I’ve kind of been thinking about her.”
When the brass doors reopen, we walk down the hall to our rooms. Cory and I don’t do small talk. We’ve been friends for years, best friends if I think about it.
“Maybe you should call her,” he suggests as we open our doors.
“Maybe I will.”
“Night.”
“Night,” I mumble and shut the door behind me.
Chapter 1
Holliday Hughes
“Comfort zones are like women. You have to try a few before you find the one that feels right.” ~ Johnny Outlaw
That damn lime and coconut song has been playi
ng on a loop in my head, driving me nuts for hours. I make a mental note: Fire Tracy in the morning for subjecting me to that song twenty-thousand times yesterday. She called it inspirational. I call it torture after the first two times.
Rolling over, I look at the time. 4:36 a.m. I have four hours before I need to be on the road. This may be a business trip, but it will still be good to get away for a few days. I need a break. I’ve been in a bad mood lately. The spa and I have a date I’m really looking forward to. The thought alone relaxes me. I close my eyes and try to get a few more hours of sleep before I need to leave for Las Vegas.
I get two tops.
I tighten my robe at the neck. Just as I open my front door to get the paper, I hear a male voice say, “Hello?”
Peeking through the crack, I hold the door protectively in front of me just in case I need to close and lock it quickly. “Hi.”
“I’m your new neighbor. I just moved in last week. I’m Danny.”
Curious, I slowly stick my head out to get a better look at this Danny. Strands of my sandy blonde hair fall in front of my eyes, so I tuck it behind my ear and get an eyeful. To my surprise, he’s quite handsome and has a big smile. “Oh, um,” I say, dragging my hand down the back of my hair, hoping to tame the wild strands. “Hi. I’m Holli. Welcome to the neighborhood.”
He nods toward the paper on the bottom of the shared Spanish tiled steps that lead to our townhomes. “I’ll get your paper since you’re not dressed.”
“Thanks.” I watch him. He looks like he just got back from a run or workout—a little sweaty, but not gross, in that sexy kind of way. Or maybe Danny’s just sexy. He’s well built with short, brown hair and when he bends over, I notice his strong legs and arms. Well-defined muscles lead to—Oh my God! Not just my face, but my entire body heats from embarrassment. Hoping he doesn’t say anything about me checking him out, I turn away and start picking at a piece of peeling stucco near my house number. “Um, so are you settled in, liking your place?”
