Worth the Wait (Picking up the Pieces #4)

by Jessica Prince

  “What the hell do you need that for?” Lizzy asked, exasperated.

  “Uh…to carve,” Trevor answered, his well, duh face causing laughter to bubble up in my throat.

  “Trevor, you’re a grown man with no kids. Why do you need to carve a pumpkin? Especially one that size.”

  “It’s not just to carve, cher. You’re also gonna make me a pumpkin pie. Now, chop chop. Callie said something about funnel cake and I want one.”

  The ladies and I had a bet going on whether or not Lizzy was going to let Trevor live to see Christmas. I had my money on dead by Thanksgiving. And after what I’d witnessed, I felt pretty confident I was about to be two-hundred bucks richer.

  The kids were at daycare and Brett was at work, so I had the house to myself all day long. I was looking forward to complete silence. I had tons of books on my Kindle just begging to be read. I also had a backed-up DVR with hours of shows to watch. If I wanted a bubble bath, I could sit in there for hours. I could possibly put on a facial mask and give myself a mani-pedi. The options were endless.

  I’d just finished applying my mud mask and sat on the couch. Criminal Minds was cued up to play and I held a bottle of OPI My Paprika is Hotter than Yours, ready to paint my nails. The orangey color was perfect for Halloween just days away.

  I was one coat down on my toes when the front door burst open, startling a screech from me. Lizzy, Emmy, Savannah, Mickey, and Stacia came sauntering in and planted their butts on the living room furniture like they lived there.

  “Uh…hi?”

  “What up, babe?” Emmy asked as she plopped her pregnant self down on the couch next to me. “Ooh, mani-pedi time. Fun.”

  “Honey,” Lizzy said, taking the bottle of polish from my hand and propping my foot on her lap so she could take over painting. “You could have come by the salon. I’d have done you for free.”

  Savannah let out a chuckle. “Kinky. I like it. But if you don’t record that for Trevor, he might die of disappointment.”

  Laughing off Savannah’s comment, I turned back to Liz. “No offense, sweetie. But the salon’s the last place I want to be on my day off.”

  “Understandable.” She moved my foot off her lap, grabbed hold of the other and got to work on it.

  “Sooooo,” I dragged out, looking around at the women filling the living room. “To what do I owe the surprise visit? In the middle of the day. On a Wednesday.” Didn’t these people work?

  “Ah, yes,” Lizzy said with a laugh. “You’ve never experienced this particular benefit of being part of our gang.”

  “And what benefit is that?”

  “The benefit of having a key to everyone’s house,” Stacia said with a laugh.

  Oh, yes, I recalled Savannah and Emmy telling me it was something I’d get used to the night we staged Trevor and Lizzy’s intervention.

  “So you decided to stage a B&E to, what, raid his fridge?”

  “Actually,” Mickey leaned in close, her face a mask of seriousness. “We have something we really need to talk to you about.” I had no idea what they needed to talk about, but by their somber expressions, I was a little concerned. What if they didn’t think I was good enough for Brett? What if they came here to tell me to leave their friend alone? Could I walk away from him if that’s what they all wanted me to do? I knew the answer to that. No way in hell. I’d just have to prove to them I was deserving of his love.

  “What do you need to talk about?” I asked them quietly.

  Savannah leaned close, resting her elbows on her knees. “We need to know, how big is he?”

  Huh?

  “What?”

  “Brett,” she said simply. “How big is he?”

  My eyes bounced from one woman to another. “Sorry, guys, I’m not following.”

  Stacia spoke up. “Look, each one of us has been with one of the guys in our group. So we’re able to report back to each other what each dude is packing. For instance, Gavin’s a good eight inches and curves a little to the left.”

  “Ben’s turns kinda purple when he’s close,” Mickey said. “I’m talkin’, it actually looks kind of angry when he needs to come.”

  “And Jeremy’s has a tendency to hook up in this perfect way that hits just the right spot to—”

  “Enough!” I shouted to stop Savannah before I heard something that I would never be able to un-hear.

  “Luke’s seriously blessed in the girth department,” Emmy told me.

  “And when I first saw Trevor, I freaked the hell out. I’m talking Hulk dick here. I was like, there’s no way in hell that’s gonna fit!” Lizzy shared.

  “Okay, first of all…Son of a bitch! I never needed to know any of this about any of the guys. Seriously, I’m gonna giggle and blush like a damn schoolgirl every time I see any of them. I’m going to have to work to keep my gaze off their crotches. So thanks a lot for that,” I deadpanned.

  Stacia continued like I hadn’t said anything, “The only one none of us has seen naked is Brett. That’s where you come in, Kenzie.”

  “So let me get this straight. You all left work early and let yourself into Brett’s house because you’re dying to know about his dick size?”

  Each woman nodded, eyes wide as they waited for my answer.

  “I can get down with that.”

  “Score!” Mickey fist-bumped Emmy before turning back to me, each of them giving me their full attention.

  “Okay, so, I only really have one other person to compare him to, but when I saw Brett the first thing I thought was that he made Lance look like an amateur.”

  “I knew it!” Savannah cried out, smacking Stacia in the shoulder. “I told you! Didn’t I tell you? I knew he was working with something good.”

  “But it’s not his size that’s the most impressive,” I continued, stunning them all silent. “It’s how he uses it.”

  Emmy’s elbows rested on her stomach, her chin propped in her hands as she looked at me in wide-eyed wonder. “How do you mean?”

  “Well, he’s able to hold off from coming for like, ever.” I got a collective gasp from the room. “And he uses it against me.”

  “Shit. That’s hot,” Lizzy whispered in awe.

  “Yeah. Just the other night, he did this thing where he went super slow, like agonizingly slow. He kept me right on the edge the whole time, but wouldn’t let me go over until I told him I loved him.”

  “No way!” Savannah squealed.

  Emmy clapped like a little girl, saying, “I knew that man was a freak. So hot!”

  “And the man has a gift for dirty talk,” I told them excitedly. “I mean, I could get off from just his words alone!”

  All of a sudden, Mickey stood from her seat and started for the door.

  “Where are you going?”

  She turned back to me as she shrugged her jacket on. “I suddenly need a little afternoon delight. I’m gonna surprise Ben at work.”

  “Ew!” Savannah shouted. “Not in his office! I go in there. I don’t need to walk into work every day and try to figure out what all surfaces your naked ass has been on!”

  “Then I’ll just have to bend over it instead then.” Mickey shot Savannah a saucy wink, causing her to gag. “See you bitches later.”

  After about another hour of sharing naughty stories, the rest of the girls took off to either go back to work or go find their man and work out some suddenly very pent up frustration.

  I spent the rest of the day doing exactly what I’d wanted to do. With Lizzy having finished my toes, I worked on my nails, washed my mask off, watched a few episodes of Criminal Minds and read smut while soaking in a bubble bath.

  I’d put a pork roast in the slow cooker earlier that morning, so by the time I got back from picking the twins up from daycare, it was ready to be served. I’d just finished setting the table when Brett came walking through the door.

  Nothing bad had happened in our relationship since saying those three little words to each other. If anything, it had become even be
tter. Every evening he walked through the door from work, I melted at the sight of him. No matter what he was wearing, no matter if he was sweaty from work or not, I always wanted him. He showered my kids and me with so much love that it was impossible not to fall for him over and over again.

  The first thing he did every evening was scoop Callie and Cameron up in big bear hugs, squeezing them until they squealed with delight. Then he’d make his way to wherever I was and plant a kiss on my lips so tender and heartfelt that my brain would fry on the spot. He made sure to ask all of us how our days were as we sat down to eat. And it had officially become Brett’s job to handle burrito duty at bedtime. I’d read the twins Goodnight Moon and give them their kisses, then Brett would wrap them up tightly before turning off the light and pulling the door to. Hardly a night passed where we weren’t all over each other like two horny teenagers sneaking around behind our parents’ backs. Unfortunately, some nights were harder than others with two kids under the same roof. But on the nights where there were no interruptions, Brett made certain to show me as well as tell me just how much I meant to him.

  And I made sure I showed him the same. I love you was something that was said in his house multiple times every single day. I was living a life I was so unaccustomed to, that I sometimes had to pinch myself just to make sure it was real. Each night, I went to sleep wrapped in the arms of the man I loved, and each morning I woke up clinging to him like a second skin, so afraid I’d wake up to discover he was just a dream. I was desperate to keep him, to keep this perfect life we seemed to be building together. But in the back of my mind, I always had that niggling doubt that it would all be taken away from me in the blink of an eye, disappearing like a puff of smoke if I didn’t protect it with everything I had.

  Pulling me from my musings, Brett walked over to the stove and planted a mind-numbing kiss on my lips.

  “Hey, beauty. You have a good day?”

  I smiled against his lips and twined my arms around his neck, basking in the feel of him pressed against me.

  “I did. Had a little pampering time and the girls stopped by for a visit. It was a pretty great day. How was yours?”

  “Good. A little weird, but good.”

  “What made it weird?”

  “Well, I stopped by Virgie May’s for lunch. Savannah was there with Emmy. They were just acting strange.”

  Biting my lip to keep from laughing, I had to ask, “Yeah? How so?”

  “Well, they turned bright red when I walked through the door and kept giggling like idiots. And I swear to God, I kept catching Emmy staring at my crotch. What’s up with that?” I had to fight to suppress my own giggle as I looked at his confused face. “I think Savannah even called me a super freak at one point. I swear, Jeremy and Luke have their hands full with those two.”

  My laughter couldn’t be contained any longer. My head fell back on a deep belly laugh that had Brett looking even more bewildered.

  “I’m guessing you know something about Crazy and Crazier’s issues today?”

  I gave him a wink and a smirk, saying, “Maybe, but I’m not gonna tell you. You know, girl code and all.”

  “Uh, huh,” he mumbled, one side of his lips tipping up in a grin.

  “But just know this, you should be very, very proud.”

  With a laugh of his own, he leaned in to give me another kiss. “Yeah, you fit in just perfectly with those crazies.”

  Being held in his arms and having spent a great day relaxing and hanging with friends, I took that as a compliment. I couldn’t think of any other group of people I’d want to fit in with more.

  Past

  “What the fuck is this?” Lance shouted, holding up a piece of paper in his hands. Unsure of what it was, I remained silent, knowing whatever I said would only make matters worse.

  “Sixty dollars at Party fucking City? What the hell did you buy, Mackenzie?”

  “Th-the kids’ Halloween costumes,” I stuttered, my eyes glued to the ground, too terrified to meet his hate-filled gaze. “I asked you if I could go buy them,” I whispered, knowing that the reminder wasn’t going to help any. “You said I could.”

  Charging me, he gripped my chin in a brutal hold that I knew would leave bruises come the next day. He roared in my face, “I didn’t say you could spend sixty dollars, you stupid cow!” His yell was followed by a strong backhand across my cheek that sent me flying into the kitchen island, the corner of the counter jabbing hard into my side.

  “Take those stupid fucking costumes back,” Lance hissed at me. His bright blue eyes sparked with so much hatred I thought his look alone would cut through my skin.

  “Lance,” I pleaded, even though I knew it was pointless. But the thought of disappointing my children hurt more than anything he could ever do to me. “They’ve already seen them. They’re so excited. Please, don’t make me take them back.”

  He grabbed a chunk of my hair and jerked my head back, pulling some of the strands from my scalp and making me cry out in pain. “Take. Them. Back. Or so help me, I’ll make you wish you were dead. Do you understand me, you stupid bitch?”

  “Yes,” I whimpered as tears streamed down my face.

  Without so much as another word, Lance hauled my head back by my hair and slammed my face into my island counter. Through my scream of pain I heard the startling sound of bone crunching, knowing good and well he’d just broken my nose.

  “I’m so sorry, babies.” I tried my hardest not to cry as I dressed my kids in costumes I’d managed to make using clothes I found in my closet. The thick concealer I wore to hide the fading bruises on my face would run, but more than that, I didn’t want my babies to see me cry, not when they were putting on their own brave faces.

  “I’s okay, Mommy,” Callie told me, but my poor little girl couldn’t even muster up a smile. They’d been so excited when I brought home their costumes. Callie was going to be a princess, Cameron a ninja. But now I had to find a way to make something out of nothing. I’d wrapped Callie in one of my white button down shirt, tying a belt around her waist to make it look like a dress. I still had my apron from when I waitressed. Pairing that over the shirt and tying her hair up in a high ponytail, her costume was complete.

  I’d managed to scrounge up a few bucks and made a trips to the dollar store where I found a clip-on bowtie and toddler suit jacket only a size or two too big for Cameron. I put him in a pair of his black dress pants that were for special occasions and his black tennis shoes, slicked his hair to the side in a neat part and told him he was a fancy man in a tuxedo.

  I hated it. I hated that my babies grew up in a home where, as only toddlers, they had already learned to put on a brave face and not to throw fits over what they couldn’t have. That was when I made my decision. I was done with it. I couldn’t live like that anymore. And I couldn’t put my children through it any longer. I was going to give my kids a better life. It was time to start planning.

  He’d taken my kids’ Halloween. I wouldn’t let him take anything else from them. Starting right then, I’d put the wheels into motion.

  Present

  “Nuh uh, no fuckin’ way in hell, beauty. I love y’all, but I have to draw the line at this.”

  The pouty expression on her face was almost enough to do me in. But when I glanced back at the costume that lay across the bed, my balls shriveled up and I practically felt myself growing a vagina.

  “That’s all right,” Kenzie spoke softly as she picked up the costume from the bed and shoved it into the back of the closet. She called it a Prince Charming costume. I called it a straight man’s nightmare with tights, sparkles, and puffy fucking sleeves. “If you don’t want to go trick-or-treating with us, it’s no big deal. I’ll take the twins and you can hand out candy here.”

  Son of a bitch. I got the distinct impression that I was being manipulated. But damn if I wasn’t letting myself fall for it, hook, line, and sinker.

  “Now hold on just a damn minute. I didn’t say I didn’t want to go
trick-or-treating. I’d love to go. I just don’t want to have to dress up like a fruit loop to do it!”

  “Prince Charming isn’t a fruit loop! He’s the ultimate ladies’ man,” Kenzie argued. “He’s the one who basically started the whole swoony male thing. I mean, without Prince Charming, all those fairytale chicks would have grown into old spinsters. Honestly, if you really think about it, the guy basically laid the foundation for men everywhere. Prince Charming created the woman’s ultimate fantasy guy.”

  Damn the woman and her valid argument. Still didn’t mean I was cool with dressing up like an old-school douche. I’d never live it down. “I don’t know,” I whined. Yes, me, a grown-ass man was whining about wearing a friggin’ Halloween costume.

  “Baby,” Kenzie said, walking over and placing a hand on my cheek. “I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do. If you aren’t comfortable dressing up like Prince Charming to go with Callie’s princess costume, that’s okay. I love you anyway.”

  She looked so damn sincere as she said it that I couldn’t help but cave. “All right, beauty. If it’ll make you and ladybug happy, I’ll wear the costume.”

  Kenzie let out a squeal as she jumped at me, wrapping her arms and legs around me like a monkey. “I knew you’d do it, honey,” she said as she planted kisses all over my face. “You’re such a good guy.”

  A deep laugh rumbled up from my chest as soon as I realized what had just happened. “You totally played me, didn’t you?”

  “Maybe.” She was just too fucking cute when she giggled that I couldn’t help but to forgive her.

  “Christ, I’m such a sucker for my ladies.”

  “Dude!” Luke shouted. “What the fuck are you wearing?”

  “Watch your mouth!” I yelled back, hitting him upside the head with my plastic sword.

  “Luke said a bad word. Luke said a bad word,” Callie and Cameron sing-songed as I hit him one more time.

  “Why’d you have to invite everyone over?” I turned back to Kenzie, pouting like a giant pussy.