One Day His
by
Melanie Shawn
Copyright © 2014 Melanie Shawn
Kindle Edition
All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this book. No part of this may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission in writing from Melanie Shawn. Exceptions are limited to reviewers who may use brief quotations in connection with reviews. No part of this book can be transmitted, scanned, reproduced, or distributed in any written or electronic form without written permission from Melanie Shawn.
This book is a work of fiction. Places, names, characters and events are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Disclaimer: The material in this book is for mature audiences only and contains graphic content. It is intended only for those aged 18 and older.
Cover Design by Mayhem Cover Creations
Copyedits by Mickey Reed Editing
Proofreading Services by Raiza McDuffie
Proofreading Services by Tiesha Brunson
Book Design by BB eBooks
Published by Red Hot Reads Publishing
Rev. 1.0
One Day His is book 2 in the Someday Series.
NOTE: This trilogy was intended to be read in the following order:
Someday Girl (The Someday Series, #1)
One Day His (The Someday Series, #2)
Forever Us (The Someday Series, #3)
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
About the Someday Series
1: Cat
2: Cat
3: Jace
4: Cat
5: Jace
6: Jace
7: Cat
8: Jace
9: Jace
10: Cat
11: Cat
12: Cat
13: Jace
14: Cat
15: Cat
16: Cat
17: Jace
18: Cat
19: Jace
20: Cat
21: Jace
22: Cat
23: Jace
24: Cat
25: Jace
26: Cat
27: Jace
28: Cat
29: Cat
Sneak Peek: Forever Us
Other Titles by Melanie Shawn
About the Author
Chapter 1
Cat
One day his
Eyes
Will look into
Mine
I have to believe
One day, his arms will tightly hold me
One day
My dreams will come true then
I will be happy
Contented
In the warmth of love
One day, his hands will touch my face
One day, his lips will kiss mine softly
One day, his heart will love me
If I just have faith that I will be
One day his
Cat Nichols, Age 16
I listened to the surf pounding behind my mother’s house as Jace reached out through the driver’s window and pressed the code on the security pad. My eyes squinted as I peered through the slats of the gate at the house I hadn’t seen in months. The same house I’d spent every day of my eighteen years growing up in. A Mediterranean estate surrounded by lush, green landscaping, with an expanse of pristine sandy beach right behind it. The combination was a rarity even in exclusive Malibu. A realtor’s dream. And my nightmare.
As the black, ornate gates opened, a sick feeling of dread filled my stomach. Aesthetically speaking, the scene should have brought me peace. Everything about the estate had been created to form a calming, resort-like atmosphere. Every small detail had been meticulously planned by architects, designers, and landscapers to give off an air of luxury and relaxation. However, the emotions that rushed through me at the familiar sight were anything but tranquil.
For me, tranquil was the shores of Arcata Bay, which we’d just left ten hours before, the only place I had ever found peace and happiness. Jace and I had driven through the night down nearly the entire length of the state of California and had finally arrived at the golden sands of the Malibu shores where I had grown up.
The trip had gone smoothly. Mainly, I had been quiet. I couldn’t help the fact that I was in my head. Thinking of one thing and one thing only—the reason we’d driven all night. My mother. The person who, one way or another, was always pulling the strings. The puppet master. The car accident for which—it didn’t matter what the police report claimed—I knew she was one hundred percent at fault and I knew she would never face any consequences.
As we drove through the gates, my palms dampened and my heart raced. I was home. Although I would have to face my mother when she was released from the hospital, I was happy to have time to acclimate myself before my nightmare began.
“You can pull around to the side,” I instructed Jace, pointing to the small drive that would take us around the back of the property. I noticed that my finger was shaking and there was a tremble in my tone.
Wiping my hands on my jeans, I took a deep breath to steady myself as I listened to the sound of the tires moving over the loose gravel that lined the path of the staff driveway. As difficult as my mother’s irrational and extreme mood swings were to deal with, the time I spent on the receiving end of one of her tirades was never quite as frightening as the time leading up to when I knew I was going to see her. That holding-your-breath feeling. That waiting-for-the-other-shoe-to-drop nervous energy. The total uncertainty of not knowing if I was going to be walking into a flower-scented hug and over-the-top affection or a violent rant on something I had done wrong without realizing it.
We parked the car, and as I heard the engine shut down, I glanced over at Jace, wondering if he was picking up on my nerves. He was always so in tune to me and what I was feeling. Luckily, he was leaning forward, tilting his head to peer through the glass of the windshield, his eyes glued on the house.
I took a moment to study his profile. His strong jawline peppered with the sexy scruff of his five-o’clock shadow. His full lips that did magical things to my body. His long, dark lashes framing his crystal-blue eyes. His jet-black hair, so soft that it felt like silk when I ran my fingers through it. Even just sitting beside me in the truck, his hands casually resting on the steering wheel, after no sleep for the last twenty-four hours, he dripped sexiness. He had such an air of authority, control, command.
“Wow,” he spoke in awe.
Jace’s voice snapped me out of my borderline groupie-status inner thoughts. I scooted to the front of my seat to see what he was looking at. As my eyes took it in and I pushed my negative emotional connection to the house down, I could, without bias, admit that it was impressive.
“Damn, Cat,” he said with an almost disbelieving tone of voice. “This house is…insane…”
“Yeah, it is,” I agreed, my own tone sounding flat.
As I stared at the structure in front of me, I did everything in my power to resist the internal war my nerves were waging against me. They were systematically infiltrating and conquering my mind, which was flooded with unwanted predictions of what was in store for us. My stomach, in which acid was doing a fairly good impression of the Pacific Ocean beside us, was swelling with waves and then crashing inside me. And my heart, which was now beating so fast that I was sure it would explode like a ticking time bomb if it didn’t slow down.
It had been hard enough growing up here, living
with my mom’s illness, never knowing what or when her disease would appear when this was all I knew and I had nothing to lose. Now, I had a life. I was attending a school I loved. I had roommates I adored. And I had Jace, who was…everything.
Logically, I knew that this trip home shouldn’t put any of that in jeopardy. Emotionally, I was terrified that I would lose it all.
I knew that the longer I stayed in the safety of Jace’s truck, the harder it would be to force myself to face the reality that awaited me. I was already feeling dangerously close to hyperventilation and not having any luck slowing my breathing. So, deciding that I should treat this like ripping off a Band-Aid—sure it would hurt, but best to get it over with as quickly as possible—I wrapped my fingers around the steel door handle.
“Let’s go,” I announced, my words come out sounding borderline panicky as I struggle to get enough air into my lungs.
“Cat.” Jace’s deep voice stopped me.
I turned my head, still struggling to catch my breath. His brilliant, blue eyes stared straight into mine, searching for answers that, if he got them, I was sure he wouldn’t like. His expression grew darker and more concerned with each second of his visual inspection.
Then, moving towards me on the bench seat, he slipped his arms around me and pulled me close. “Baby, if this is too much, just say the word. I have no problem getting back on the road and driving us straight home.”
I shook my head against the comforting feeling of his strong, broad chest. Like butter in a hot pan, I felt myself melt into his protective arms. I wished we could do what he’d suggested. Drive straight back to the only place I’d ever felt happy. I appreciated his offer. It was a sweet impulse, but it wasn’t practical.
After taking a deep breath, I explained the reason that I knew we had to be here but hadn’t voiced up until this point. “No, I have to do this. My mom’s not just an actress. She’s a very rare brand of celebrity. She’s one of the few entertainers that, in this digital age, has not only managed to cultivate but also maintain a major air of mystery about herself. No one knows anything about her private life or what she does behind these closed gates. Who she really is.
“Obviously, you and I know the reason for that. The public at large does not, and it drives them crazy. They salivate for any little tidbit about her that they can pick up. Seriously, we’ve been pursued to the ends of the Earth just for one photograph of her doing something personal or unexpected. Even going to the grocery store is a major event. It’s crazy.
“And that craziness is without anything happening that is out of the ordinary. That’s just standard operating procedure. But now, something’s happened that is extremely public and extremely unexpected. She’s gotten in this car accident, and it was under ‘suspicious circumstances’ no less. Believe me, the press is going to be on this like sharks sniffing blood in the water. If I’m not here to give them their sound bites, they’d find me. I’m her only close relative. They would hunt me down, no matter what it took. Coming here, and facing it, is the only way to protect my life. I have to do this.”
Jace’s strong fingers stroked my hair as I spoke, and he kissed the top of my head when I finished. Then he squeezed his arms extra tight around me. “I am so proud of you. You’re the most incredible girl I’ve ever met. You amaze me. Even though I know this is the last thing you want to do, you’re here, ready and willing to face it. Not complaining, not making excuses—just doing it.”
Then, moving slightly back, Jace cupped my face with his large hands and gently tilted my head up. When my eyes met his, he spoke in a low, authoritative tone that sent a tremor through my body.
“Just know that, no matter what happens, I will be by your side every minute. I’m here, and no one is going to hurt you. Do you understand? No one.” He inhaled loudly through his nose, and I saw his nostrils flare as pain flashed in his eyes. “It kills me that there’s nothing I can do about what you’ve gone through, how you’ve been treated in the past.” His thumbs brushed against my cheeks as his tone softened. “I know it’s not enough, but all I can do is make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
I looked up into Jace’s eyes, my own eyes shining with unshed tears, as his words spread through me, filling me up completely, even to the deepest edges of my soul. “You have no idea how much that means to me. It’s more than ‘not enough.’ It’s everything.”
While I still had the strength to do it, I disentangled myself from Jace’s embrace. Even though I believed the words I had said to Jace about needing to come here and face this, and I knew that, when push came to shove, I absolutely would stand in front of the flashing cameras and do my part, the temptation to just stay there, huddled safe and secure in his arms, was almost overwhelming. Removing myself from that warm circle of security was one of the hardest things I’d ever done.
“Well,” I said with grim determination, “I guess we’d better just do this, then.”
Chapter 2
Cat
Jace grabbed our bags from the bed of the truck and we started walking towards the front door. When he saw me turning down the path that led to the back, I noticed a strange expression flash on his face. But instead of commenting on it, he pivoted and began following me towards the staff entrance. Insecurity began to creep into my consciousness as I realized that it might be strange to him that I didn’t use the front entrance.
“I’ve always just come in this way,” I explained, the words rushing out. In a tone that was unnecessarily defensive, I continued my rambling rant, “The foyer’s too big and formal. Cavernous, really. That entire part of the house just gives me the creeps. I hate it. Plus, I saw a movie once that a chandelier fell on someone and killed them and it looks exactly like the one that’s hanging in th—”
Jace pulled the strap of his duffel bag up on his shoulder as he interrupted my babbling. “This way is good,” he assured me in a calming voice, “I like this way. It feels very behind-the-scenes. Anyone can walk through the front door. You have to know somebody to walk through this door.”
“You have to know somebody to walk through the front door, too.” I snapped at him. After which, I immediately wanted to do a face palm.
I had no idea why I was blurting, rambling, and even being defensive. Jace had dropped everything and driven all night long to be by my side and face this circus of terror. He was the one person who absolutely did not deserve to be at the receiving end of any of the irrational responses being here inspired in me.
After taking two large strides, Jace stopped in front of me. With the hand not holding his bag, he reached up and brushed a stray strand of hair that had fallen in my face, tucking it gently behind my ear. Then he softly kissed me on my forehead before speaking quietly, in an intimate tone.
“No matter what happens after we walk through that door, I want you to know that I love you, Cat, and nothing and no one is going to change that.” A small smile crept up his face as he leaned farther down and kissed me briefly, then said against my lips, “Not even you.”
How did I get so lucky?
I mean…seriously. I’m really asking. How in the freaking world did someone like me—a socially awkward, tongue-tied, shy girl (who not only babbled uncontrollably when nervous but also got snippy) end up with this rock-solid guy who knew exactly the right thing to say in any situation? Who radiated safety, calm, and protection? Who had made it clear in so many different situations that he loved me unconditionally?
I had no idea what I had done to deserve it, but I did know what I was going to do now that I had it. Enjoy it. Enjoy every second of it.
I returned the kiss, letting myself feel his warm lips against mine until he pulled away, much too soon for my liking.
“Thanks,” I said, making a conscious attempt to express as much sincerity as possible through my voice. I wanted him to really be able to hear how grateful I was for his strong presence. “I love you. I don’t know what I’d do without you here.”
He squeezed me reassuring
ly. “You’ll never have to find out.”
Feeling the strength of his words infuse my soul, for the first time since I’d found out about my mom’s accident, I was ready to face this.
As we continued down the path, the delicious smell of roasted meat and exotic spices drifted through the air, and a warmth filled me as I realized that, for the first time since this roller coaster had begun, Jace was going to meet two of the most important people in my life—Don and Rachel.
When I was a kid, the only glimmer of stability and light in my dark and chaotic world had been the couple that took care of our house—and, in many ways, took care of me. Don was a jolly old guy with a quick smile and an even quicker wit. He had a slight Southern accent that he played up sometimes for comic effect, especially to make his wife, Rachel, laugh. Rachel was a plump, grandmotherly figure who had been my rock all through my childhood and teenage years. She had grey hair that she always wore in a bun, merry eyes framed by wrinkles that matched her husband’s, and a soft, mellifluous voice that had sung me to sleep many times.
Somehow I knew, without ever being told, that they had only stayed at the house of horrors all these years because they couldn’t bear the thought of leaving me alone in that house with my unpredictable mother. I was beyond grateful to them. I loved them to death. And now, I was excited that I was going to get to introduce them to Jace.
When we reached the back door, I punched in the access code. It immediately unlocked and the glass door slowly opened. At the click and swoosh sound, my heart stopped for a moment and nerves threatened to overtake me again. This was it.
Swallowing over a lump in my throat, I led Jace through the mudroom and into the kitchen. As we stepped through the doorway, I saw Rachel standing with her back to us at the stove, a perfect bow on the bright-red apron she wore tied at her waist, very intent on whatever was in the pot she was stirring. An audiobook was playing on the boom box she always had sitting next to her on the counter. She was so focused that she hadn’t heard us come in.
One Day His (The Someday Series Book 2) Page 1
