Stone froze as if she’d slapped him. “Gammy, are you…sick?”
She cracked a weathered smile. “Not that I know of, but then again, I don’t go to the doctor. When you’re my age, you live on borrowed time, son.” She turned her gaze on me. “Avery, I’m not ever going to fully understand the decision you made, but it can’t be undone. I have the choice to be angry and miserable, to stay unforgiving, or I can accept, forgive, and be happy that you’ve given me a great-granddaughter. I choose to be thankful and blessed. I choose happiness and forgiveness.”
A floodgate opened, releasing rivers of tears down my cheeks. To receive her forgiveness meant more to me than anything in the world. I jumped from my chair and ran to her side, dropping to my knees. I laid my head in her lap, and her needles and yarn fell to the floor. I clasped her hands in mine, crying. “I love you, Dovie. I’m so, so, so sorry. I love you.”
Although Stone’s eyes appeared to have misted, he still paced. A confrontation with his parents was on the horizon, just a few short hours away, and I was sure he was conflicted because he wanted to protect me and Savannah from the harshness.
“I don’t want to get cross with Dad, but Gammy you have to understand, this could get bad.”
She lovingly stroked the back of my head, but stood her ground. “I’ll handle your father. If he pisses me off, it’ll be a reckoning, and he knows better than to make me mad.”
Gammy had said her peace, and that was that. It was like the she was the Godfather—though in this case, it’d be the Godmother. Stone was less than pleased with his beloved Gammy, but he knew she was right. At some point, we had to meet the farce head on, and once they got to know Savannah, they would come to understand, at least somewhat. They may not ever forgive or love me, but they would tolerate me for her sake.
I pulled myself from the floor and walked over to Stone. “It’s okay. We had to tell them sometime. I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be, so it might as well be today.”
He wrapped his arms around me. “I won’t tolerate any of them spewing obscenities or say hurtful things to you. You’re mine to protect, Avery.”
Mine to protect.
“I’ll be okay. Let them get it out of their system. I mean, I can’t blame them, Stone. I did a terrible thing by keeping her from all of you. I can take it. I’m not that fragile girl you used to know. I’m a woman who’s learned to hold her own. The crap that happened didn’t kill me, it made me stronger.”
He looked over at the sweetest, strongest woman I’d ever been blessed to meet. Shaking his head, he murmured, “Gammy, I wish you hadn’t meddled.”
“If you’re expecting me to apologize, keep waiting, Stoney. Someone had to take the reins of this family.”
He shook his head, knowing it was pointless to argue with her. Plus, she had a point, and the last thing I ever wanted was to mess with the Mitchell family loyalty and closeness. I didn’t want to be the cause of breaking their tenacious bonds.
A few hours later, Dovie and I taught Savannah how to roll out dough using a wooden pin on floured parchment paper for chicken and dumplings. Field peas simmered in one pot, chicken boiled in another, and a corn casserole baked in the oven. Yeast rolls were still rising on the counter by the refrigerator, and the delicious aroma of a good ol’ southern meal filled the air.
My nerves played tug of war with my courage. Regardless of how prepared I was, the minute I heard the sound of a car pulling into the drive, a cold sweat spread over my body.
I watched from the kitchen window as I washed my hands, and Stone met Chad and Garrett out by the car. They talked a bit before both Chad and Garrett threw their heads back, laughing. Garrett clutched the top of Stone’s shoulder with his hand, obviously enjoying whatever they were talking about.
Stone didn’t wear the same amused face as he pointed toward the house. His eyes were hard as steel, and it looked like he was laying down the law. Dovie patted my back with her gentle hand. “Looks like they’re giving Stone hell.” There was a smirk in her comment, and if I hadn’t been the topic of conversation, I would have found humor in their banter.
The guys made their way to the mudroom entrance, where they’d removed their shoes at the door since they were children. Laughter filled the air, along with a few whistles.
“Man, I’m glad I came. I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.” I recognized Chad’s voice; he had always been one to move things along.
“Brother, this is going to be good. I think I’ll sit back, drink a beer, and watch Mom and Dad from front row seats. I’m just glad it’s your turn again. Last month, Jodi, the girl I’d been dating for six months, called Mom and told her she thought she was having morning sickness. Mom started planning the wedding before I got home from work, and that was it—I had to put her ass down the road as soon as I watched her pee a negative line on a stick.”
They rounded the corner and walked straight into their four-foot-nine Gammy. Towering over her with their six-plus feet of height, they each gave her a big bear hug. Garrett picked her up off the floor, twirling her in a full circle. This woman was loved more than she would ever grasp.
Chad tipped his head to me. “Where’s this niece of mine?”
“Hi Chad. Nice to see you too.”
“Hello Avery. How are you?” Garrett put his arm around my shoulder, drawing me close to him. “It’s been a long time.”
“Too long.” He kissed the top of my head. “Time’s been good to you.”
“So where’s my niece?” Chad asked again while shoving a cookie from the jar into his mouth.
Stone braced his hand on his back. “Come meet her, brother. She’s pretty like her mama.”
I rolled my eyes. “She looks exactly like Stone. Come on. She’s in the living room.”
We found her stretched out on the floor, playing a game on my tablet. Her small hand propped her chin up, and her feet were raised in the air.
“Savannah, come here. Your Uncle Chad and Uncle Garrett came to see you,” Stone called out.
She lifted her head, eyeing the two grownups that looked a lot like her dad. Pressing pause, she walked over to where all three of the guys sat on the sofa. I watched from a distance, happy Chad and Garrett had taken it as well as they had.
“You sure are pretty. How old are you?” Chad asked with a smile.
Savannah held up five fingers as if she were timid, and Stone pulled her onto his lap. “These two are my brothers. In just a bit, my parents will be here to meet you.”
I frowned. What should she call his parents? What if they reacted terribly in front of her? I’d half expected sarcastic comments from Chad—he’d been the smartass growing up—but he’d proven to be a bigger man than I’d thought.
Joining Dovie, I stirred the peas. “Want me to put the rolls in the oven?”
“Yes, if you don’t mind.”
I placed the baking pan on the middle rack, turned on the timer, and closed the door. “Dovie, how should I introduce Savannah to Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell? Certainly not by their first names, and it’ll be awkward and impersonal to address them as ‘Daddy’s parents’.” Another round of cold sweats hit me. “I think I need a drink of water.”
“Keep calm, Missy. Let the cards fall where they fall. She’ll either come up with names she’s comfortable with, or they’ll choose what they want to be called.”
I sucked in a deep breath. “I just wish they’d hurry up and get here. I’m ready to get this over with.”
“Your wish is granted, my dear. They just drove up.” Dovie stood in front of the kitchen window, rinsing a spoon.
“Oh shit!”
“It’ll be okay, I’ll make sure of it.”
I braced myself against the counter, holding on to it until my knuckles turned white. I heard the front door close and knew Stone had gone to keep the frontline shock outside. Dovie kept her calculating eyes focused on the events happening outdoors, and a few times she frowned and pursed her lips.
“H
ow does it look like it’s going?”
“They don’t seem to be yelling. John is leaning against the car, and Denise has her hand over her mouth.”
“Oh God. I need to go out there. Stone shouldn’t be taking the heat for something I did.”
I tossed the tea towel on the counter, wiped my palms on my shorts, and headed through the mudroom door. Raised voices echoed across the lawn, and sultry afternoon heat blistered down on my shoulders.
“Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell.”
Mr. Mitchell coolly brushed past Stone. “I don’t know what you’re trying to pull Ms. Anderson, but there will be no monetary involvement until I have a DNA result in my hands.”
“Dad, that’s not your call, it’s mine. Regardless, once you see her, you’ll know she’s mine. She looks just like me,” Stone interjected.
“I can agree to DNA testing. I have nothing to hide, Mr. Mitchell.”
This time, it was Stone’s mother who expressed her thoughts. “Say she is our granddaughter, why would you keep her from us?”
I held my head high. “You know the answer to that. I knew you both were happy we broke up after everything that happened, and I doubt you would have been very happy to hear the news of my pregnancy. I vowed to make sure Savannah was always happy, that she was never exposed to any of that. It was my job to shelter her from any ounce of grief I could.”
Mr. Mitchell crossed his arms, assessing the situation. “Stone, I would have rather been told under different circumstances. This doesn’t seem like the appropriate place to discuss this.”
“You can thank Gammy for that. I wasn’t the one who invited you.”
He frowned. “I won’t have—”
“Dad, stop. You don’t have any say in any of this. You get to be grandparents if you choose, and I hope you make the right decision, because if you don’t, you’re missing out on the chance of a lifetime. She’s adorable, sweet, and the happiest thing you’ve ever laid eyes on.” Stone laced his fingers with mine. “Avery and I are trying to work things out, see where it takes us. We have a daughter we both love, and I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.”
“Son, how can you be so forgiving about the time she stole from you? From all of us?” Mrs. Mitchell threw in.
“I’m not going to lie, it still hurts, but then I try to put myself in Avery’s shoes. What would you have done if you thought Dad slept with your mother? Plus, the thing is, she couldn’t have been a part of my life had I wanted her to. I was already in prison.”
Mr. Mitchell pinched the bridge of his nose. “I want a DNA test.”
“No. It’s my call, and I don’t need or want one.” Stone squeezed my hand. “We’re going inside. This is the last discussion we’re having on this matter. You need to choose if you want to be a part of her life. If not, get in the car and go home, because that little girl is inside and I won’t have her meet her grandparents tonight only to never see them again.”
Stone led me away, leaving them to ponder his demands. I wanted to stop the bickering between them, stop the animosity, but in the end, Stone was right. They had to decide what they wanted.
“Wait.” I stopped and turned around, forcing Stone to give me a chance to say something. “You don’t have to make a final decision tonight. If it’s too much to take in, go home. Think about it, and if you decide to meet her, share her life with us, then pick up the phone and call either one of us.”
A wash of relief spread over me. It was done. Everything was out in the open. No more secrets existed between any of us.
I held Stone’s hand as we marched toward the door, toward our daughter.
“I want to meet her,” Mrs. Mitchell called out desperately.
Glancing over my shoulder, I saw her brush past Mr. Mitchell, who then followed behind her. He didn’t say a word, but I knew he’d made his decision to see the first Mitchell girl born in over a century. I knew he was going to fall in love with her the moment he saw her; she looked too much like her father—who looked just like his father—for him not to.
Chapter 30
The entire Mitchell family adored Savannah. That night, she fell fast asleep in the living room on Mrs. Mitchell’s lap. She stroked her curly hair, offering me a gracious smile. I knew she hurt, knew she harbored hard feelings toward me, but she’d made the choice to bury them to be in Savannah’s life. Stone had meant his ultimatum, and both his parents understood.
Midmorning the next day, I walked around outside, admiring Dovie’s flowerbeds. She and her green thumb always had a picture-perfect yard. I stooped over, smelling a huge full-bloom yellow rose, and its aroma filled my nose with its beauty.
“I thought you would like these.” Stone held out six fresh-picked pink roses.
“Pink.” Grinning, I took them from his hands, bringing our signature color to my nose. “They’re beautiful, and they smell so good. Thank you, Stone.”
He kissed the corner of my mouth. “Want to go back down to the lake tonight?”
“Would love that. I forgot to check to see if our initials were still in the tree.”
He laughed, removing his phone from his back pocket and tapping on the screen a few times before holding it up for me to see. I traced the image of the heart encasing the SM + AA he’d carved into the bark on my sixteenth birthday.
“When did you take that?”
“When I set up the blanket and took the cooler with our breakfast.”
I smiled as I thought about how good it made me feel for this to be important enough for him to take a picture. “Send it to me.”
After he tapped a few more times, my phone chimed, alerting me that the picture had been received. I slipped the phone in my back pocket, but then Stone held his hand out.
“Let me see your phone.”
“Why?”
“I saw your background picture.” He seemed amused, the corner of his mouth upturned.
The night before, while lying in bed, I’d changed it to the photo taken while we were at the amusement park in Galveston, the one he’d purchased and later placed on the entertainment center by the television at the beach house. At first I wasn’t happy about taking a family picture, because on that day we were anything but.
“I like that picture of us.”
“Me too.” I smelled the flowers again. I didn’t want to dwell on thinking about family, because deep down, I knew I didn’t belong. The Mitchells were family; I wasn’t a Mitchell. I was the woman who gave birth to a Mitchell child, and I was the woman who was sleeping with Stone Mitchell without the pretenses of him ever loving me again. “I need to get these in water.”
After finding a small crystal vase in the cabinet under the sink in the mudroom, he walked with me to the bedroom. Before placing them beside the bed, I pressed my nose against the petals once more, breathing in their sweet fragrance.
“Savannah is going into town with Gammy and my parents for lunch and to do a little grocery shopping. Want to stay around here?”
“I’d love to. I don’t really feel like going anywhere.”
“There’s something you should know, Avery. The police called. They found Daryl’s truck parked at a place called Lavaca Bakery, but there was no sign of him. When he’s found, they’ll question him, but won’t be able to detain him. There’s not enough evidence right now to hold him for anything.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. We should take our own advice about moving forward and not living in the past.”
“Maybe so.”
“Try. You heard your Gammy. You can choose to live in anger, or you can choose to move forward. Our reason to move forward looks just like you, and there isn’t anything more important than her.”
He nodded. “I’ll tell you what, from now on, I’ll leave it up to the police—though if the bastard does anything else that puts you or Savannah in harm’s way, I’ll make sure he’s put behind bars.”
“Deal.” I leaned in, kissing him full on the lips.
Stone placed his warm
mouth against my shoulder. “Do you know how hard it is being down the hall knowing you’re in here? I want you in my fucking bed.”
“Sneak by for a visit tonight.” Wicked thoughts made my tone husky.
As soon as I set the bouquet on the bedside table, his hands snaked around my arms, yanking me around and crushing me into his chest. “Don’t tease me unless you want to be fucked.”
I laced my arms around his neck and held on tight. “I love being fucked by you.”
His eyes smoldered as he looked deep into the depths of my soul. “Let’s go.” He clasped my hand, tugging me down the stairs. We stopped in the gathering room where his entire family sat around. Savannah sat next to Dovie on a piano bench, learning her notes.
“We’re going to ride around, see what’s changed around town.”
Like sneaky teenagers eager to park somewhere, we made a bee-line to my SUV. I didn’t ask where we were going—I didn’t care. I just wanted to have some time alone to do bad things. Stone apparently had a plan for where we were going as he drove down a gravel road behind Dovie’s.
After a few minutes, I knew exactly where we headed, and it brought a smile to my lips. Though Dovie no longer owned Quarter horses, she held on to the ranch with climate-controlled stables. Stone and I had spent many summer days riding down by Cotton Wilson’s lake and through trails in Gammy’s pasture.
Pulling up to the stables, Stone lifted me from the front seat and effortlessly carried me into the living quarters by the old office. He set me gently down on the bed, which was covered in brown and turquoise suede with western fringe around the borders.
“I can’t get enough of you.”
I kicked off my sandals and slowly slid my shorts over my hips, down my legs, to the floor. Pulling my top over my head, I lay back, wearing a matching red lacy thong and demi bra. Propped up on my elbows, I admired him as he threw his shirt on top of my clothes. Next, he unfastened the button on the khaki shorts he dragged off, hurling them onto the heap.
Crawling toward him, I tugged his boxers down his thighs, taking his shaft in my hands. Eagerly, I slipped the tip inside my mouth. A deep groan escaped his throat and my eyes locked with his deep blues. His hips jerked involuntarily as I ran my tongue from tip to base, swirling back to the crown like I was feasting on a lollipop. Wrapping my mouth around him, I sucked him deep inside, writhing in satisfaction when he inhaled sharply.
Chasing Wicked (The Mitchell Brothers - Wicked Series Book 1) Page 21
