Sunny's Hope

by Nola Cross

  Sunny’s Hope

  by

  Nola Cross

  Sunny’s Hope

  Copyright © 2014, Nola Cross

  ISBN: 9781940744551

  Publisher: Beachwalk Press, Inc.

  Electronic Publication: December 2014

  Editor: Kelly Anderson

  Cover: Fantasia Frog Designs

  eBooks are not transferable. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  Back Cover Copy

  Can their bright new love survive?

  It’s a new year and Sunny Williamson and Ben Stillman have just fallen in love. The future holds so much shining promise for them and their two kids. Then, after a wonderful family day together, tragedy strikes. They are all involved in a serious car crash, and both Sunny and her little girl, Jasmine, are injured. While Sunny’s injuries are fairly minor, Jasmine hovers in a coma from which she may never fully recover.

  Can Sunny—a grade-school teacher—accept the unthinkable idea that her daughter may have permanent brain damage? Can she fend off her slimy ex-husband, who is only out to profit from their misfortune? And will Ben always be tormented by a terrible sense of guilt, wondering if there was something he could have done to prevent the collision?

  As Sunny and Ben struggle to come to terms with the calamity, their relationship is put to the ultimate test. Will their bright new love survive or shatter like delicate ice?

  Content Warning: contains scenes of sensual sex and adult language

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to all the wonderful readers who asked for more of Sunny and Ben’s story. Thank you from my true heart. I hope you enjoy reading about what happens next.

  Chapter 1

  “Are you sure you don’t want to try it just once?” Sunny bent down and looked into her daughter’s troubled brown eyes. “We’re going to have to leave soon and you won’t get another chance.”

  Jasmine stuck her lower lip out even further and did her best to fold her arms over her chest. The bulky snowsuit prevented her from crossing them completely.

  “No. It’s too steep. It’s too fast. We might crash.” Her breath made a poof of fog in the cold, crisp air.

  “I’ll go with you,” Sunny coaxed. “I’ll hold on to you really tight.”

  It was unlike Jasmine to be so stubborn. While the little girl was sometimes timid, Sunny could usually talk her into giving new activities a try.

  “No.” Jasmine pulled away from her mother’s touch. She walked off a few steps and deliberately kicked over the small snowman the four of them had finished building an hour before.

  “Jasmine! You didn’t have to do that. Spencer is going to be very upset. He was proud of that snowman.”

  “I don’t care.”

  But even as she said the petulant words, Jasmine’s eyes filled with tears that quickly made tracks down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Mama.”

  “That’s okay. We can rebuild him. I’ll help you.”

  About that time, Spencer’s voice carried down to them, strung tight with joy and excitement. “Here we come again!”

  Sunny shielded her eyes and looked up the snow covered hill. There were maybe a dozen people there at the crest of the gentle sled run, but she could easily pick out Spencer and Ben in their matching blue snow pants and jackets. They both wore bright yellow caps. Their oversized inner tube sat poised at the very top of the run like a little black Cheerio on the edge of a white cereal bowl. Spencer was waving like crazy.

  Sunny laughed as she waved back. “I’m glad Spencer is having such a good time.”

  The tiny tube launched down the hill, and the boy’s shrill whoop bounced off the surrounding trees and rocks. Then she heard his father’s happy laughter. The sound brought a curl of something like arousal to Sunny’s belly. She never got tired of hearing Ben laugh, and the deep tones of his voice when he spoke her name could make her go hot and soft inside in an instant.

  As the inner tube sailed closer, she could make out their faces, both mouths open in huge grins. Ben’s cap was pushed back from his forehead, and the sun shimmered off his gold hair. Her heart began to race. Closer and closer they came, and Sunny’s breath caught in her throat.

  How could she possibly feel this way about a man after only six weeks?

  They had met in early December by chance, then found they lived in the same Portland neighborhood. Jasmine, age six, and Ben’s son Spencer, age five, had taken to each other like long lost friends. Over the holiday season, she and Ben found themselves swept up into a friendship that almost seemed predestined.

  It was a friendship that had quickly deepened into something more.

  Sunny felt her cheeks heat, remembering the heights of pleasure Ben had taken her to the night before. Only their second time together as lovers, the natural chemistry between them had gone from smoldering to explosive the moment they closed the hotel door behind them. She’d never felt anything like it. Her whole body tingled now as she thought about all the ways he had touched her.

  The inner tube flashed past and then bounced off the barricade of piled snow at the bottom of the hill, spilling Ben and Spencer off sideways. Both of them were breathless with laughter as they came to their feet. Ben tucked the tube under one arm and reached for Spencer’s hand.

  “I can walk back up, Dad,” she heard the boy say.

  Ben slowed his steps so his son could keep up, and in a minute or two they had reached the spot where Sunny and Jasmine waited.

  Spencer’s eyes went wide. “What happened to our snowman?”

  Sunny turned to her daughter and silently raised her brows. Jasmine studied her boots. “I got mad.”

  “Why?” The small boy’s voice was dripping with outrage. Ben placed a hand on his son’s shoulder as they all waited for Jasmine to say more.

  “I don’t know. I want to go tubing. But I’m scared. What if we crash?”

  Ben took a few steps in the crunchy snow and hunkered down in front of Jasmine. “Tell you what, your mom can help Spencer rebuild the snowman while you and I try going down the hill just one time. We can start just halfway up, over there by that tree. That way we won’t get going so fast.”

  Jasmine looked dubious as she eyed the lone fir tree Ben pointed toward.

  “I’ll hold on to you and never let you go,” he offered, gently rubbing her upper arm.

  “Okay,” Jasmine finally said, “but not too fast.”

  “We’ll be like a couple of snow turtles,” Ben said.

  “Like snow snails,” Spencer chimed in.

  Jasmine giggled. “Do you promise?” She held out her mittened hand. Ben clasped it in his and the two of them started off up the hill.

  Ben’s voice floated back to Sunny on the crisp air. “I promise.”

  She watched as they walked away. Suddenly her heart felt too big for her chest. How lucky could one woman be?

  For just a moment she allowed herself to think about her ex-husband, Charles. She couldn’t help but compare his disinterested fathering style to the patience and focus Ben always seemed to have. Luckily, Charles had made himself scarce since Christmas Eve, when he’d shown up at her house unannounced, ruining the lovely evening she and Ben and the kids were having. If it wasn’t for Jasmine’s loyal attachment to her dad, it would suit Sunny just fine never to see the man again. Good riddance. Let Sharina have him. The skanky young dancer deserved a man exactly like Charles.

  * * * *

  Half an hour later
, as Sunny buckled Jasmine into her booster seat in Ben’s SUV, the little girl was still chattering about her adventure.

  “Did you see how fast we went, Mama? I wasn’t scared at all.”

  “You were brave.” Sunny hid her smile.

  “We went down the hill three times! And did you see how far away we were? You and Spencer looked just like tiny ants.”

  “I’m not an ant,” Spencer said as his dad buckled him in.

  “I’m glad you had such a good time.” Sunny placed a kiss on Jasmine’s cheek and closed the car door.

  On the driver’s side of the SUV, Ben was just shutting the other door to the back seat. He straightened and smiled at her across the roof, his teeth flashing white in his sun-kissed face. “That was great.”

  “Yes, it really was.” She grinned back.

  “Meet me at the back of the car.”

  Sunny laughed. “Okay.” What was he up to?

  He was waiting there, leaning against the SUV, his blue eyes now trained on her with a predatory gleam. Her body immediately reacted, thrills of excitement moving over her skin. He reached for her hand and pulled her close.

  “Oh,” she said, giving a quiet gasp as his lips claimed hers.

  His mouth took possession, teasing her lips apart. His warm tongue flicked along the seam of her lips and then swirled inside, tasting and exploring. Sunny’s legs were suddenly like two flimsy sticks of licorice candy, barely supporting her weight. Her breath came in uneven pants.

  After a heady moment, Ben pulled back. “I’ve been dying to do that all afternoon.”

  “Umm. That was nice.” She snaked her arms around his middle, frustrated by the bulky jacket he wore. All she wanted to do was dissolve into his embrace.

  “Nice? That was incredible, woman.” He kissed her again, fiercely. “You’re incredible, Sunny,” he murmured, resting his forehead against hers.

  “We’re good together,” she said.

  “I’ll say. And that thing you did with your mouth last night—”

  “Ben!”

  “It was amazing. So how soon do you think Peggy will be ready to babysit for us again?”

  She chuckled. “The woman’s almost eighty. We have to be careful we don’t wear her out.”

  “Yeah. You’re right. Well, my folks will be home from their tour of Europe in about a week. My mom will love watching the kids. I guess I can hold out that long.”

  A spasm of uneasiness tightened Sunny’s belly. “Have you told them about me?”

  “Only that I’ve been seeing someone. They’re thrilled about it, believe me.”

  “Have you told them I’m African American?”

  He frowned. “Why would I? What difference does it make?”

  The expression of genuine puzzlement on his face made Sunny love him all the more. “I know it doesn’t matter to us, Ben, but it might to other people. I guess I just want to know where we stand with your family. As a couple.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about it,” he said, moving in for one last kiss.

  * * * *

  The fading glimmers of a pale yellow sunset filtered through the clouds as Ben guided the SUV down the mountain highway. They joined a long line of other cars heading west to Portland. The snow parks on Mount Hood provided the perfect winter afternoon getaway. He’d been pretty certain Spencer was old enough now to enjoy tubing, and he’d been right. He’d had a blast with his boy. The good-natured little guy had played non-stop all afternoon.

  Ben was particularly pleased that he’d finally been able to coax Jasmine into riding the tube as well. Once she had relaxed and trusted him, she ended up having a wonderful time. He smiled as he realized the little girl was a lot like her mother. It had taken three outings together before Sunny had really begun to allow herself to have fun.

  Silence from the back seat told him both kids were asleep, completely worn out. He’d have to wake Spencer up to feed him and get him into his PJs once they got home. Then he’d need to put in a couple of hours on the preliminary sketches for the Heartwell project. He had a morning meeting with the elderly couple and was excited about the accommodation design he’d come up with for their planned home remodel.

  “What a lovely afternoon that was.” Sunny’s hand reached across the console and came to rest on his thigh.

  Even though he wore snow pants on top of his jeans, Ben’s body reacted immediately, as it always did to her touch. He smiled to himself and did his best to ignore the tightening in his loins. After last night you’d think I’d be satisfied for a while.

  “Yeah. That was big fun. I’m glad Jasmine decided to give it a try.”

  “Me too. You were wonderful with her, by the way. Just the right amount of firmness. You have a real knack for dadding.”

  “Dadding?” He chuckled. “That’s a new one.”

  “What? You’re not up on the latest parenting jargon?”

  “Apparently not.”

  “Well, whatever you want to call it, you’re really good at it.”

  “Thanks.”

  A minute or so ticked by. Ben kept his eyes on the tail lights of the compact car in front of them. Ahead of that, a whole string of brake lights flashed red on the road snaking downhill toward Portland. It was going to take longer than he’d thought to make it home tonight, especially since the temperature had dropped when the sun went down, and the packed snow on the road was beginning to refreeze. Good thing he’d put on the studded snow tires last week.

  “Hmm. I’m thinking about some other things you’re really good at too.” Suddenly Sunny’s hand slid another inch or two up his thigh. His cock went rock hard.

  He laughed. “You’re going to get us into trouble in just about a minute.”

  “Who? Me?” Her fingers massaged his thigh.

  It was too dark now to see her clearly, but Ben glanced over anyway. The red glow from the brake lights reflected back into their car, illuminating Sunny’s profile. She turned to look at him, a wide smile on her beautiful, sexy mouth.

  “I love you,” he said. The words just kind of fell out of him of their own volition.

  “Me too.”

  “You sure Peggy can’t watch the kids—”

  Bang!

  There was a horrendous, jarring jolt from his right and then they were spinning out of control. Red and white lights blurred past.

  The airbags deployed, blinding him. Ben hung on to the steering wheel for dear life.

  Sunny screamed. From directly behind him came Spencer’s high-pitched shriek.

  Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. As the spinning car slammed to a stop against the guardrail, the airbags deflated and Sunny collapsed sideways across the console.

  For a moment, he was completely dazed. His brain refused to focus.

  “Sunny? Kids? Is everyone okay?” he shouted. He shook Sunny’s shoulder, but she didn’t answer, didn’t move. He snatched ineffectively at his seat belt, unable to remember how to undo it.

  A face appeared at his window. Somehow he managed to find the button that operated it and rolled it down.

  “Are you okay?” the woman asked, peering in. Several people ran up behind her.

  “I’m not sure.” He couldn’t seem to get a grasp on anything right now. Why were there so many headlights shining in?

  “Can you unlock your doors?” The woman’s voice took on a more urgent tone as her eyes lit on Sunny’s unmoving body.

  “What happened?” Ben asked. What the hell had made that god-awful noise? That impact?

  “A truck ran the stop sign at that last crossroad. The other side of your car is completely caved in. Is there anyone in the back seat? Can you unlock the door?”

  More faces appeared on the passenger side. Someone banged on the window. “Unlock the doors!”

  Behind him, Spencer whimpered. “Dad?”

  Sunny moaned softly.

  Oh my God! Oh my God! I shouldn’t have looked away.

  Chapter 2

  “
Don’t move, Ms. Williamson.” Someone placed a firm hand on her chest.

  Sunny couldn’t seem to pry her eyes open. Couldn’t lift her head.

  “Don’t move, please,” the voice said again, this time more adamantly.

  Sunny floated in nothingness, in a bright wash of light that somehow pierced her closed eyelids. Odd smells filtered into her nose. Was she at the dentist’s office? What was that strange, rhythmic whacking noise far in the background?

  “Can you hear me?” A different voice this time. A woman. Someone was holding her hand. She struggled to open her eyes, to focus. There was a sudden pinch on the back of her hand.

  “Ouch,” she mumbled, trying to pull her hand back. Her mouth tasted funny.

  “I need you to lie quietly, Ms. Williamson. I’m just placing your IV.”

  IV? Why would she need an IV? There was another pinch on her hand.

  And then she remembered.

  The crash!

  “Jasmine?” The ragged sound tore from her throat. She struggled to sit up, but something seemed to be holding her down. Something kept her head from turning. Sheer panic set in.

  “Don’t move, please. It’s important that you lie still.”

  “Where am I? Where’s my little girl?”

  Sunny forced her eyes open, tried to focus on the woman’s face. Gradually her vision cleared. The woman wore a helmet of some kind and spoke through a mouthpiece. She was dressed in a blue nylon jumpsuit.

  “You’re in a Life Flight helicopter, Ms. Williamson. We’re heading for Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland. Jasmine is right here beside you.”

  Thank God! “She is?” Again she tried to sit up, to get to Jasmine, but her body seemed to be encased in some kind of shallow box.

  “Just lie still, please. We need to keep your neck and spine immobilized.”

  “But I’m fine. I’m fine. Really. How’s my baby?”

  The medic smiled and patted her hand. “Her vitals are good. We’ll be at the hospital in about eight minutes. The ER trauma team has been alerted and are standing by. You and your daughter are getting the best possible emergency care.”