by D. A. Young
Graham couldn’t help but press closer as the Scottish bastard lifted her in a bear hug. As soon as he released Annabelle, Wade took his turn as well while Graham pinned him with a death glare and Max and Tavish swallowed their laughter.
“Think we’re all good here,” Graham snarled as he grabbed her hand and eased her to the other side of him.
“Bleeeehhh!” He was promptly pushed aside as George Jefferson shoved his way between them and gave him a mulish glare before batting his eyes at Annabelle adoringly and shoving his head at her palm.
“Ach, Georgie boy! Dinna worry the lass! Come and let’s get ye fed,” Tavish motioned to the goat who trotted off with him after one last adoring look at Annabelle.
“Looks like G’s got some stiff competition,” Wade remarked to Max behind the couple as they reached the top of the hill as a red Cherokee jeep pulled up then screeched to a halt. The group watched as Kenya and Chelsea jumped out screaming.
“Annaaaabellllee!”
They ran toward her, and Annabelle did the same. The trio came together, tear-streaked faces pressed against each other as they laughed, cried, and rejoiced at being reunited.
***
“I can’t believe you’ve been in Furla!” Kenya shrieked at Annabelle. “Wait until I tell Rodney!”
“I needed to get as far away as possible, and I remembered when the two of you started dating and he was describing the place to Chelsea when we were hanging out at the Rockin’ Rooster,” Annabelle explained. “After leaving Baymoor, I visited a couple of other cities but finally decided to go for it.”
She left out the fact that she had to go before giving birth so she wouldn’t have to obtain documents for Rory to travel. Contritely, Annabelle confessed, “I was also there when Bailey visited the island and spent her entire vacation hiding at home for fear of running into her.”
Chelsea reached out and squeezed Annabelle’s arm comfortingly as she passed by her on the way to retrieve ice for the margaritas. “You should come by my office so we can talk about your time away. I want to hear all about your time in Furla.”
“You know she just wants to ‘shrink’ you, right? She did the same thing to me when I moved back for good,” Georgie inputted.
“And me when she realized Wade was Camille’s father,” Eliza added as well.
“And what’s wrong with that? I think everyone could benefit from a little counseling,” Chelsea responded defensively.
“That’s funny because you’ve never even offered your services to me!” Kenya stuck her tongue out at her friend. “Why not, heffa?”
“Because there isn’t enough couch time in the world for your crazy ass,” Chelsea explained patiently. “We’ve been through this time and again. Letting you unwind would be like releasing the Kraken!”
“Biiisshh!”
“Georgie, on a scale of one to ten, how much trouble are you in with Max?” Annabelle changed the subject as she removed the sizzling pan of chili-lime steak from the stove.
Georgina grimaced as she added the fajita seasoning to the shrimp and stirred until they were coated in spices. The smell of garlic, cumin, and onion wafted tantalizingly in the air. “Thanks to you, I’m owing him big time. He said we’d discuss it later tonight in bed. The sacrifices I make for my loved ones.”
Kenya, Eliza, and Chelsea whooped and hollered with laughter. Chelsea gave her a knowing look as she scooped the pico de gallo she’d made into a serving bowl. “Sacrifice where? If y’all didn’t have to work, the two of you would never leave your bed.”
“But are you mad at them?” Kenya joked as she rimmed three margarita glasses with salt as Eliza was drinking apple juice because of the baby. “Hell, between Rodney being on the road with his pharmaceutical job and our daughter, we try to get in where we can fit it in. Except when “Power” or “Game of Thrones” comes on. That’s where I draw the line. I refuse to watch a recorded episode. Why? So everyone else will know everything before me? I don’t think so. Rodney knows better than to play with me when my shows are on. Aside from that, I’m down for whatever my boo wants to do.”
Eliza watched Annabelle flit around the kitchen, laughing and chiming in on the interaction. This was her brother’s soulmate and had tamed his wild ways before they’d even come face to face. They moved together fluidly and were constantly touching as if they couldn’t bear to be apart from each other. When Graham walked out the door after kissing her goodbye, Annabelle had stared after him as if willing him to come back. Finally, he’d turned around as if he knew she’d still be there, and Graham mouthed ‘I love you’ to her. Eliza watched Annabelle’s body relax and suspected she mouthed it back to Graham as she blew him a kiss.
The front door opened then slammed as footsteps trudged down the hallway to the kitchen. Thanks to the security heavily guarding the place, everyone knew the newcomers were friends and family. It was Val, Chandra, and Camille. “We’ve got dessert, sopapilla cheesecake, and more bridal magazines!”
Chandra engulfed Annabelle in a hug so tight, Annabelle could barely breathe. She was enveloped in the familiar scent of tuberose from her childhood. “You’re really here! What a blessing you are on my eyes, Annabelle! I’ve missed you too much, girl!”
“I missed you too, Auntie Cee! You look so good! Where’s Inez?”
“Oh, honey, she’s been off creating her brand, but once she hears the good news, I know your cousin will hightail it home!” They caught up for a few more minutes, and then Chandra’s eyes clouded over. “I noticed that you haven’t asked me about your parents, honey. Have you not talked to them?”
Annabelle gave her a tight smile. “No, I haven’t and don’t think I will.”
“And just why the hell not, young lady?” Chandra demanded, placing her hands on her hips. “Your parents have been so torn up since you left! The store fell on hard times again and your daddy is struggling. My sister has been a complete wreck.”
Annabelle knew that all of this meant that Brenton Fowler had retracted his money from the Gas ‘N’ Go. “Auntie Cee, I give less than a damn how they feel and so would you if you knew the part they played in manipulating me, along with Brenton.”
“Chiiiile, am I gonna have to snatch my baby sister’s edges?” Chandra demanded. She should have known from the way Samantha could never give her a straight answer about her last exchange with Annabelle. Since her daughter’s disappearance, she could be found at home chain-smoking and drinking. Even more so in the past couple of months. She hardly left the house, and she and Thomas weren’t seen together. Samantha’s immaculate appearance had taken a hit as well, and now, she usually wore a wrinkled t-shirt and her husband’s boxers, and the house was a dark, unkempt mess. “What did she and Thomas do to you?”
The kitchen was silent as the women waited for Annabelle to answer. She was startled when her eyes locked on Camille’s, whom she’d forgotten was in the room. The little girl was an exact replica of her mother with her auburn curls and hazel eyes. “Just leave them alone, Auntie Cee. We can talk later about it; I promise.”
Camille wandered over to examine the fajita station before addressing her aunt with her usual serious demeanor. “Did Mom tell you that she suffers from heartburn? That in her bag is a container of grilled chicken and couscous that she’s supposed to be eating instead of shrimp and steak fajitas?”
“Oops! I forgot the container at home,” Eliza chimed in with an innocent expression. “I guess I’ll have to eat it another time.”
“No, she didn’t tell me anything, baby.” Georgina regarded her sister with a glare. The family joked that Camille was an adult trapped in a child’s body. She loved watching The Golden Girls, knitting, and playing bridge and pinochle. She was the sweetest child who could do no wrong, and Georgina would be damned if she disappointed her niece.
“Yeah, I didn’t think she did either,” Camille replied with a reproachful look for her mother before turning to Val. “Told ya. That means I win.”
“Win wh
at?” Eliza demanded suspiciously as Val reached into the paper bag she held.
“Your daughter, who just knows you so well, asked me to stop by your house and retrieve the container she lovingly packed for you.” Val handed it to her chagrined niece. “Bon Appetit!”
Everyone laughed as Eliza kissed Camille’s cheek and pulled her onto her lap. “What am I even going to do with your grown tail?!”
“You’re going to finish planning this wedding while I can still hopefully be considered a flower girl instead of a flower preteen. You’re also going to relax because I heard you tell Daddy that your blood pressure was slightly elevated,” Camille added matter-of-factly. “Which means no salt for you as well.”
Annabelle hid her smile and turned back to making the margaritas while Eliza grumbled and the other women teased her.
After saying grace, Annabelle looked around the table at the group gathered. She’d wanted to wait to tell them about Rory and now seemed like the perfect time. Her dearest friends, family, and future family members, God willing, were here, and Annabelle wanted to share her daughter so they could love her as well.
She picked up her fork and clinked her glass for attention. “There are no words to describe how blessed I am to have all you back in my life and to be in yours as well. We have so much to catch up on and,” Annabelle smiled warmly at Eliza and Camille, “I look forward to us getting to know each other.”
Annabelle pulled her phone out of her pocket and unlocked it to reveal her screensaver of Rory and Graham at her daughter’s dance recital. While she’d been stuck on stupid over Rory choosing Graham over her, Edith had captured the priceless memory. He was holding Rory, and she was tapping his nose, their foreheads pressed together as they shared a laugh. “While I was gone, my life changed in a way I couldn’t even imagine.” Annabelle held her phone up for everyone to see.
“This is my daughter Rory.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Baby, I love you, but spades ain’t your thang.”
Annabelle was escorting Graham to Max and Georgie’s front porch to say goodnight. He’d come back after dinner at the inn, and they’d spent the evening playing spades with Max, Georgie, Nate, and Val. The older couple had trounced them all royally.
Afterward, they’d Skyped with Edith and Rory, who was having the time of her life with her new friends.
“Hi, Mr. Ram! Hi, Mummy!” Rory wiggled her fingers at them before pointing behind her to a little girl sitting cross-legged on the bed with a haphazard bow hanging off her head and a woeful look on her face as a boy stood behind her patiently trying to fix it. Her large gray eyes were filled with sadness at her predicament. “That’s Ruby. She’s my new friend. She’s sad because her brother, baby Jack, pulled her bow out. That’s her cousin D.J. He took baby Jack to Gigi and Ms. Vivi.”
The little boy glanced up, and his eyes lit up with recognition when they focused on Graham. He finished fixing Ruby’s bow then made his way over to the laptop and sat down next to Rory. He was a cute kid with dark red hair and big brown eyes. D.J. nodded respectfully at Graham and Annabelle. “Hey, Uncle G., Ma’am. How are you this fine evenin’?”
“Hey, D.J.,” Graham grinned at the natural-born charmer. “I’m doing just fine. How’s school going?”
D.J. shrugged. “Reckon’ I can’t complain. I’ve got all A’s, but now that you mention it, I am havin’ a little trouble with geography.” He slow blinked Graham, causing his hackles to rise suspiciously, and innocently asked, “Is Camille around by chance? Maybe she could help me out.”
Graham’s smile flatlined, and upon seeing it, Annabelle giggled at his now thunderous face. “Boy, don’t play that game with me! You want to talk to my niece, you follow the chain of command and go through her daddy first. You know the rules.”
“Heard a rumor that if you obey the rules, then you miss out on all the fun, Uncle G,” D.J. drawled. Graham made a mental note on how to build an electric fence around his niece without shocking her.
“Do I need to ban your visits to Baymoor? You do know her daddy is the sheriff, right?”
“Can you blame me for tryin’?”
After Graham threatened to call his daddy, D.J. disappeared, and they chatted a little more with Rory before speaking with Edith, who assured them that everything was fine.
Annabelle pinched his ass. “Like I’m with you because of your spade-playing abilities! So what if I’m not great at it? Will spades help you with a breached birth? I don’t think so, buddy.”
“Tonight, your trash-talking is level with your subpar spades game.” Graham dropped down one step, which almost brought them eye-level. “Gimme some sugar, Doc.”
“You really not tryin’ to make me lose my breath tonight, Mr. Carlton?” Annabelle purred into Graham’s ear as her hand trailed down his chest to his abdomen while nuzzling his beard. Lawd, he smelled so good. Like citrus, something woodsy, and verbena. Annabelle could feel his muscles flexing beneath his denim shirt at her touch, and she smiled into his soft beard. “Anything I can do to persuade you to change your mind? Did I mention that I brought my stethoscope and lab coat to pair with these boots?”
“Well dayyyum, girl.” Graham’s hand slid through her curls as he drew her face to his and captured her parted lips with his. He made love to her mouth, stirring the embers of desire that lay just beneath the surface of their skin since their shameless afternoon romp. “Pleeaase seduce me.”
When they finally broke apart, Graham pressed his forehead to hers, and Annabelle raked her nails over his bald head and drew his bottom lip between hers. “I love the way you hold me, Mr. Carlton. It’s an affirmation, should I ever need one, of why you’re the only one for me. You’re so confident. I can just feel how hard you’re riding for me. You do know the feeling is one hundred percent reciprocated, right?”
Graham drew the soft skin covering the pulse at her neck into his mouth. “I appreciate that, but you didn’t need to tell me, Doc. We both know what this is and there are no definitions for it. As long as we understand it, an explanation won’t ever be needed.”
“Fucking sweet-talker.”
“Says the anaconda charmer,” Graham teased, wagging his eyebrows lecherously as he pressed her closer, allowing to feel his heavy erection that was ever present in her company. He winced when she plucked his ear. “What did everyone say when you told them about babygirl?”
Under the porchlight, Graham could see the excitement in Annabelle’s sparkling eyes as she grinned, recalling the stunned expressions that rapidly turned to eagerness to see Rory. She’d been a little worried that people would associate her with Davis and wouldn’t be receptive, but that hadn’t been the case. “They can’t wait to meet her! Camille especially. I’m sure you know this already, but she’s absolutely perfect and thinks the world of you. They all do, baby. You’re a lucky man to have so many beautiful spirits in your life.”
While Annabelle was loading the dishwasher, the little girl had volunteered to help before going horseback riding.
“Uncle Graham is the best, Ms. Annabelle. He’ll be a great father to Rory. He’s never broken a promise and will teach her everything. Uncle Graham will never disappoint you or her,” Camille said solemnly as she brought the dishes over to the counter. She paused and Annabelle could tell that she was debating how much to say. Throughout lunch, Annabelle noticed Graham’s niece assessing her. She assumed that Camille had finally come to a conclusion.
“Camille, I love your uncle as much as he loves me and plan to be around for a long time. I’d like to get to know you, so please say whatever is on your mind,” Annabelle urged her.
“If you insist, Ms. Annabelle.” Her little chin jutting with determination, Camille pulled up the sleeves of her red cardigan to rinse the dishes then hand them to Annabelle. “My uncle is the coolest person I’ve ever met. Don’t tell my dad, grandpa, or Uncle Max I said that, but Uncle Graham is!” Camille frowned up at Annabelle. “I hope your intentions are honorable tow
ard him, Ms. Annabelle. If not, you’ll have to answer to me.”
“What she means is all of us, Annabelle. Issa family affair.” Eliza came to stand next to her daughter, as well as Georgie and Aunt Val, forming an attractive, well-dressed united front that allowed Annabelle to see the crazy in their eyes. It let Annabelle know they weren’t playing games when it came to Graham and his feelings. “He’s never brought anyone home, and he obviously cares for Rory. Graham is the best of us. Don’t hurt him, Annabelle.”
The ‘or else’ was heavily implied and reeked of dire consequences if she foolishly didn’t heed their words. Annabelle wasn’t offended in the least. She loved the fact that they cared enough about him to warn her off.
“I won’t hurt him, ladies. You have my word. Graham and I are in this for the long run,” Annabelle vowed. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’m the luckiest of men, Doc.” Graham kissed the tip of her nose as he rubbed her back in languid circles. Annabelle snuggled into his warmth, trailing kisses down his throat and slipping her hands into the back pockets of his jeans as the cold night fell over them. “Nobody’s got it better than me with you by side and them at my back.”
***
Annabelle’s alarm went off at four-thirty in the morning. Bleary-eyed, she stumbled into the bathroom and turned the shower on. Without waiting for it to warm up, Annabelle stripped and stepped under the icy spray. Biting back her squeal, she endured the coldness until the hot water infiltrated the water system. Careful to keep her wrapped hair away from the pounding water, Annabelle showered efficiently before hopping out and drying off. She slathered herself in shea butter and Eucerin to protect her skin from the freezing temperatures she’d grown unused to.
Last night, Annabelle had tossed and turned in the bed formerly occupied by Graham. She’d wondered what he was doing while she lay, going out of her mind with need for him. As soon as she saw him later today, she planned on letting him know how displeased she was with this arrangement. It didn’t help that she could hear Georgie and Max below her, laughing and loving on each other long into the night.
