by Jordan Ford
I clench my jaw and nod. “Yeah, man. I want to be.”
He looks grim, pressing his lips together and slowly nodding. “Then let’s do it. We’ll keep her with us as long as it’s safe.”
“Dude, if I’m doing this, I’m committing for life. There’s no way I’m turning out like my parents. This kid is gonna know exactly what it’s like to be loved and cherished. It doesn’t matter if some days I don’t feel like it. I’m not letting her down.”
Trey stares at me for a long beat before his lips rise into an impressed smile. “Those words sound good coming out of your mouth.”
“Do you believe me?”
“Yeah.” He nods. “Which is why I’m saying let’s go for it.”
“It’s a big ask. Everyone needs to agree.”
Rising from his seat, Trey gives my shoulder a light punch. “I think you’ll find that everyone already has. Wolves stick together, man, no matter what.”
I smile up at him as he walks back into the house. And then Jules appears. She has a sleepy smile on her face as she shuffles onto the porch. I extend my arm and pull her onto my knee as soon as she’s close enough. Resting her head against mine, she stares down at the baby.
“She’s so beautiful.”
“Just like her mommy.”
Jules gives me a sad, wistful smile.
“Hey, you know what I think?”
“What?” she murmurs, still gazing at the baby.
“I think we should name this little one. Pretty Baby won’t fly when she’s a teenager.”
Jules stiffens under my touch, her eyes rounding as she slowly looks at me. “We can’t… You don’t name something you’re giving away.”
Catching her eye, I hold her gaze with the sincerest look I can muster. “I think we should keep her. I know you want to.”
“But…”
“No buts. She can have a good life up here, Julienne. Think about it honestly. How are you going to say goodbye to her? What can Keith and Cassidy give her that we can’t?”
She blinks, her jaw quivering as she tries to answer me. “A shot at a good life.”
“We can give her that.”
“I can’t…I can’t raise a kid.”
“You’re already doing it.” I smile at her. “We’re doing it. And yes, some days it’s going to be so freaking hard and we’ll wish we hadn’t made this choice, but in your heart…in my heart…I know it’s right.”
“But what about school for this little one?” She brushes her hand down the baby’s side. “And when she becomes a teenager.”
“Jules,” I snicker. “That’s years away. By then this crap with Ana will be over and we can move to a town or city. Find a house. Have a normal life together. Growing up here as a start will be awesome. It’s quiet and peaceful. The air is fresh. The food is healthy.”
Touching my cheek, she searches my face and whispers, “Please don’t let this be romantic nonsense that you’ll change your mind about later. I can’t go down this path again. I need the truth. One hundred percent. Why are you saying all this? Why do you want me to keep the baby?”
My heart starts hammering—not a fast thump that makes me feel sick, but a strong, sure beat. “Jules, when I told you I love you, I meant it. I’m in with you all the way. And this girl here, she’s part of you. I’m falling in love with her. I want to watch you mother her. I want to see her grow up surrounded by people who care about her welfare. Yes, we’re young, but we can do this. Five to one’s a pretty decent ratio. The odds are definitely in our favor.”
Jules snorts and leans her forehead against mine. “Do you think the others will agree?”
“Come on, you know they will.”
Her sniff is soft and sweet. “Then maybe we should name her.”
My grin is pretty damn triumphant as I lean back and brush the back of my finger over the baby’s soft cheek. “Well, it’s kind of up to you, Mommy.”
She lets out a shaky sigh and I glance up in time to see the worry skittering over her face.
“Jules, it’s a name. You can’t screw it up.”
“Yes, I can. A name is huge. I mean, she’s gonna have it for the rest of her life. I want something cute, because that’s exactly what she is. But she won’t be cute forever, so we need something she can grow into. We have to picture her as a fifty-year-old. What will she want to be called then?”
“How about Ellen?” I shrug. “We can call her Ellie for short.”
“Ellie,” she whispers, a soft smile tugging on her lips.
“Yeah, it means…um…it means shining light.”
“How do you know that?”
“My grandmother.” I swallow as emotion tries to get the better of me. “The nice one who died when I was a kid. It was her name.”
“Ellie,” Jules whispers again, reaching forward to touch the tip of her baby’s nose. “I love it.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Her smile is wide and exquisite. “It’s perfect.”
“What’s perfect?” Riley appears around the side of the house, looking up through the railing.
“Ellen,” I announce, trying to sound more confident than I feel. “We just named the baby.”
Riley doesn’t say anything, just walks around and climbs the stairs. When he reaches the top, he pulls off his building gloves and slaps them against the palm of his hand.
“So, we’re keeping her, then.”
“You know it’s the right thing to do.”
Staring down at Ellen, he gives her a sad smile and nods. “Congratulations, you guys.” He looks between me and Jules, then back down at his niece. “Ellen Bishop,” he murmurs. “Too bad it’ll never be official, huh?”
And with that, he kills our buzz, walking into the house and leaving Jules and me to stare morosely at her child. He’s right, as usual. With our current situation, it’s like she doesn’t even exist. No birth certificate, no Social Security card. With the exception of Tia and Caitlin, no one knows she’s even on this planet.
Dammit, Riley. Why’d you have to shit all over this moment?
I huff and mutter, “He’s so damn sulky at the moment. It’s frickin’ painful. Stupid long walks alone. They’re not good for him.”
“He always seems unsettled when he gets back. I wonder what’s going on in that head of his.” Jules looks back at the glass door.
Worry spikes through me. Riley’s always held his secrets close to his chest. I’m worried if these ones don’t come out at some point, he’ll self-combust.
“What are we going to do, Kade?” Jules’s voice trembles and I know she’s thinking about the baby again.
I force a reassuring smile, brushing my nose across her cheek. “We’re going to protect her and raise her…and one day, when this is all over, we’re going to introduce her to the outside world.”
“You sound so sure.”
“I am.” My lie is hidden by the fact that I believe one hundred percent in my next statement. “Jules, the most important thing we can do is love her. And that can be done anywhere. She’s gonna have a shot at life because we’re going to treat her the way we always wanted to be treated.”
Jules’s eyes glow with affection as she touches my cheek. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m so glad those jerks beat you up and left you bleeding on the ice for me. I never would have given you a chance if you hadn’t needed me so bad.”
I snicker, then find my voice thickening with emotion. “Thank you, babe. You saved my life.”
In more ways than one. This gorgeous girl on my lap has shown me what home looks like. She’s filled in the missing pieces and given me the things I didn’t even know I wanted.
Even as we sit here, our future a hive of uncertainty, I feel secure.
“My knight,” Jules murmurs with a soft giggle before pressing her lips to mine.
#Riley
Ellen. It’s a cute name.
I really like it.
But I hate that they’re acting like ro
bbing her of a normal life is no big deal. Sure, the thought of giving her up kills me. It’s only been three weeks and I’m convinced she’s the most lovable, beautiful baby on the planet.
But what kind of future can she have?
They’re raising her to be a freaking mountain goat.
Slapping the gloves onto my dresser, I kick off my boots. They thud onto the floor with a thwack. With an irritated huff, I bend down to straighten them, then lean against the window frame and stare into my lonely little room.
I’m a fifth wheel.
But I can’t be anything more.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I grip the back of my neck and ward off the dark stirrings in my belly. I don’t know what it is about this place but it makes me feel sick.
I don’t understand it because I have so many happy memories here.
Sure, they’re vague and fuzzy, but I have blurry images of laughter and fun. My uncle teaching me how to bait a fishhook. Sitting in his little boat with our lines in the water. I remember his voice was deep and rich, filled with wisdom. I used to cling to everything he said. Every word was a life lesson.
I thought he was cooler than my dad.
This rugged mountain man knew everything about life. How to catch it, raise it, plant it, nourish it.
I don’t know what’s happened to him. It’s eating at me like a parasite. The questions. Always the questions.
Why didn’t he claim me after my parents died?
Where is he now?
Why can’t I remember my last time here? It’s like this black void I’ve never been able to fill in.
I have distant happy memories and then…and then I’m told my parents are dead.
Cops are standing over me, stating the facts like they don’t hurt.
Someone’s arm is around me, her wrinkled, bony fingers gripping my shoulder so I won’t run away.
The children’s home smells like old socks and stale bread.
The mattress is hard.
Cars drive past outside my window.
The air is cold.
The walls are lifeless.
I’m waiting for Uncle Rafe.
He’ll save me from this place.
He’ll take me to the mountains and teach me everything he knows.
But he doesn’t come.
He never comes.
I thought maybe coming up here, I could find out why. I could challenge him.
But he’s gone.
Every day I walk in the woods, searching for clues. But the area is so vast, and I find nothing.
Every day I have to come back to the house acting like I’m not being eaten from the inside out. I’m not sure how much longer I can be here without knowing what happened to my uncle.
Mom and Dad’s murder was hell enough. Two dead bodies found in their car on the side of the road. No prints. No explanation. A mystery never solved.
But somehow this mystery is worse.
Because I can’t shake the feeling that buried deep in my mind is a truth so terrifying that I blocked it from my memory.
I know something. Somewhere in these mountains is the key to my unrest.
And I have to find it before I go insane.
Keep reading to learn more about Riley’s story, HEAR NO EVIL…
Coming in February 2017
HEAR NO EVIL
Riley Duncan is haunted by a past he can’t remember. Something happened in the isolated cabin he now calls home. Something deadly. And he can’t rest until he finds out what it is.
Not wanting to burden anyone with his nonsensical nightmares, he keeps to himself until his contact in town, an intelligent girl he’s desperately trying not to fall for, reveals some long-buried evidence that will destroy everything he thought he knew about his family.
Caitlin Powell is cursed with an overpowering curiosity. So when a gorgeous stranger shows up in her small town of Legacy, she is compelled to figure out his story. Something about his quiet way and shy smile works like a magnet to draw her in, and she soon finds herself caught up in a mystery from long ago. A mystery people in Legacy refuse to talk about.
Unearthing the truth is a scary business and the young couple soon find themselves caught up in a game of life and death as enemies from the past come back to finish what they started a decade before.
**SPECIAL OFFER**
If you’d like to find out details about the next Brotherhood novel, plus an exclusive short story about Ana’s reasons for ending up in witness protection, you’re welcome to sign up by following the link below.
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You’ll also receive an exclusive gift of the Nelson High Playbook—an inside guide to the characters in The Big Play Novels.
Note from the Author
I fell in love with Julienne when I was planning out this series. I couldn’t wait to write her story…and watch Kade fall in love with her. She’s such a sweetheart, and she was the only girl who could steal Kade’s heart. Turns out our self-centered playboy is a bit of a marshmallow after all. I love seeing Kade’s sweet side, especially when he’s holding Ellie in the last chapter.
Life is always full of surprises—some good, some bad. It’s what we do with those unexpected curve balls that count. Jules and Kade both made their own mistakes, but in the end they found each other, fought for each other, and now they’re a little family. I can’t wait to write the final Brotherhood novel. Poor Riley has some tough challenges ahead of him, but his family is going to step up and fight right alongside him. I can’t wait to see it.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this story. If you’d like the recipe for Julienne’s Ambrosia Pie, I’ve included it after this note. My son and I made it together…so good!!!
Thank you so much to my team of awesomeness that helped me make this story great. Cassie, Rae, Lenore, Beth, Kate, Kristin, my eagle-eye proofreaders, my review team, my readers and my newsletter subscribers. Thank you so much for everything you do to encourage and help me. You seriously are the best!
I also want to thank my family. I suffered a little writer’s block during the first draft of this book. It’s never really happened before and it totally threw me. My family were awesome at helping me process my freak-out and got me back on track.
And, as always, I’d like to thank my creator. Thank you for new life, new love, new stories. Thank you for inspiring me every day with your unconditional love and faithfulness.
xx
Jordan
Julienne’s Ambrosia Pie
Ingredients
*300 grms (10oz) cookies*
(I used plain gluten-free ones, but you could use Graham Crackers or any other cookie that will create a good crumb)
*100 grms (3.5oz) melted butter*
* 300 mls (10 fl oz or 0.6 pints) cream*
*2 cups (1 pint) of berry yogurt*
*600 grms (20oz) of pitted cherries*
(I used a can of cherries and drained off the juice. You can use any berry you prefer - fresh or canned)
*100 grms (3.5oz) of grated chocolate*
(If you’re in NZ—Flake Bars are perfect!)
* 200 grms (7oz) marshmallows*
One:
Crush cookies and blend with melted butter
Two:
Press into a pie shell, or individual tart trays
Three:
Refrigerate shell while you work on the filling
Four:
In a large bowl, whip cream until firm, then blend with yogurt. It’s important to taste test until you get the right blend of tangy and creamy. You may want to adjust quantities to suit your personal taste.
Five:
Fold in berries - fresh or canned
Six:
Fold in 75% of the grated chocolate
Seven:
Fold in marshmallows
Eight:
Pour mixture into set cookie base
Nine:
Refrigerate—the longer the better. Overnight in the fridge will ensure the marshmallo
ws are super soft and squishy. However, the marshmallows will start to soften within a couple of hours.
ENJOY!!!
Books by Jordan Ford
BIG PLAY NOVELS
The Playmaker
The Red Zone
The Handoff
Shoot The Gap
THE BROTHERHOOD TRILOGY
See No Evil
Speak No Evil
Hear No Evil (Due for release Feb 2017)
If you want to find out more, you’re welcome to sign up for Jordan Ford’s newsletter:
JORDAN FORD NEWSLETTER
About the Author
Jordan Ford is a New Zealand author who has spent her life traveling with her family, attending international schools, and growing up in a variety of cultures. Although it was sometimes hard shifting between schools and lifestyles, she doesn’t regret it for a moment. Her experiences have enriched her life and given her amazing insights into the human race.
She believes that everyone has a back story…and that story is fundamental in how people cope and react to life around them. Telling stories that are filled with heartfelt emotion and realistic characters is an absolute passion of Jordan’s. Since her earliest memories, she has been making up tales to entertain herself. It wasn’t until she reached her teen years that she first considered writing one. A computer failure and lost files put a major glitch in her journey, and it took until she graduated university with a teaching degree before she took up the dream once more. Since then, she hasn’t been able to stop.
“Writing high school romances brings me the greatest joy. My heart bubbles, my insides zing, and I am at my happiest when immersed in a great scene with characters who have become real to me.”
