by S. J. McCoy
Ben shook his head. “No, it’ll be down to me to do that when the time’s right.”
“But when will that be?”
For the first time, Ben’s smile faded. “I don’t know yet.”
April had to wonder what was going on. She decided she was going to find out. Charlotte had told her she wanted updates if anything happened between her and Eddie. Well, there was certainly enough going on to warrant sending her an email. And asking how Charlotte was doing.
Chapter Eighteen
Eddie smiled to himself as he watched April and Marcus sitting on the dock fishing. They were his family now—how cool was that? His smiled faded as he remembered Chase’s words last night. She’s still his wife. He hated that thought. He hated that she’d ever been married to her asshole of an ex, and he hated that she and Marcus weren’t really his family, and they couldn’t be until she was divorced. She’d said that she was going to sign the divorce papers today and that she’d put them in the mail tomorrow. Then it would be done with. They’d have to wait a while for the legal process to work its course, but it’d all be over. As much as April kept talking about starting a new chapter in her life, Eddie was starting a new chapter in his life too. He didn’t want the shadow of her ex hanging over them any more than she did.
He made his way down to the dock to join them. He’d have to leave for work soon, and he wanted to hang out with them while he could. Marcus smiled up at him as he joined them. “Who taught you to fish?”
That seemed an odd question.
“We were just talking about how I taught Marcus, and my mom taught me,” explained April.
Eddie smiled. “Well, my mom didn’t teach me. My dad did.” Fishing with his dad was one of the few happy memories he treasured from his childhood. He’d always craved his dad’s attention and going fishing with him had been one of the very few times he got it. His dad loved to fish. When he was fishing, he was happy, and that cascaded down to Eddie and the way he treated him.
Marcus was watching his face. “Do you ever see your dad anymore?”
He nodded slowly. He hadn’t for a long time, but then a few years ago he’d felt the need to track him down. Eddie was finally at a place where he was okay with himself. He didn’t need anything from his dad anymore, but he wanted. He wanted to understand why he’d just walked out on them. He wanted to know how he could leave his son to share a house with his mom’s new husband who beat the shit out of him.
It hadn’t been too hard to find his dad when he started looking. He hadn’t gone too far. He’d moved from the Bay area, where Eddie had grown up, down to Orange County. And, man, had he done well for himself! Eddie smiled as a thought occurred to him. “Would you like to meet him?”
Marcus looked wary. He looked up at April to check her reaction.
She nodded cautiously.
Eddie grinned. “I’d love for you both to meet him. I didn’t see him for a lot of years, but since I found him again, we’ve become…” He didn’t know what the word was. They weren’t close in the traditional sense that a man and his father might be close. “Friendly.” That was the best word he could come up with. They were friendly with each other, although he wasn’t sure they were exactly friends.
“Where does he live?” asked April.
“He’s down in Orange County. We could go see him next weekend, if you like?”
“What about work?”
He shrugged. “I can ask Chase to solo it for one night.”
April looked uncertain.
“Let me see what I can come up with.” It wouldn’t be easy. Marcus was at school all week, and he worked on the weekends. But he’d come up with something. Now that he’d thought of it, he loved the idea of the two of them meeting his dad—and his dad meeting them. He didn’t want to delve too much into what his motivations might be. He just knew it felt like a good idea, and he wanted to make it happen.
~ ~ ~
April hugged Renée before they closed up the bakery.
“Are you sure you want to send them?”
April nodded. “I’m absolutely sure. I want it to be over, and this is the only way to make that happen.”
Renée hugged her a little tighter. “Then go do it. Mail those suckers back to him and kiss that chapter of your life goodbye.”
April smiled. “I don’t know about kiss it goodbye; I want to slam the door on it, and throw away the key.”
Renée nodded. “I know how that feels. But all we can do is move forward.”
April nodded. “Neither of us can change our past, all we can do is learn from our mistakes and try to make better choices in the future.”
Renée smiled and pointed through the window to where Eddie and Gabe were chatting outside. “I think those two are proof that we’re both making better decisions these days.”
“We are. Eddie is the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and to Marcus.”
“I love that for you. You so deserve it. Go on. You get going, Get those papers in the mail. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
April hugged her one more time. “See you tomorrow.”
Eddie put his arm around her shoulders when she reached him. “Hey, sweetie.” He pecked her lips.
“Hi.” She smiled up at Gabe. He was a bit intimidating most of the time, but she liked him, and he was a different guy again when he got around Renée.
“How’s it going, Gabe?”
He smiled. “Great, thanks. The Development Committee is doing well. We’ve got the town on track for some major improvements.”
“Nothing too major?” asked Eddie. “I love this place just the way it is.”
“So do I,” said Gabe. “Don’t worry. The whole purpose of the Committee is to make sure that the town grows financially without losing its essence. We want to bring in new business, but the right kind of business.”
“Good,” said April. “Summer Lake is a special place. I’d hate to see it change.”
Gabe smiled. “Me too.” He peered at the window of the bakery. “I’ll let you two get on with your day. I want to grab a quick lunch with Renée before I have to get back to work.”
“Okay, see ya.” Eddie kept his arm around her shoulders as they walked away.
She looked up at him. “Can we go straight to the post office?”
He met her gaze. He didn’t need to speak; his eyes asked all the questions.
She nodded. “I signed them this morning. I’m going to put them in the mail and be done with it.” He looked uncertain, and she wanted him to be happy, so she gave him a big smile. “Today is the first day of the rest of my life!”
He smiled back. “I’m happy for you. As long as it’s what you want.”
“It is, Eddie. I just want to be done with it all. It’s going to be such a relief.”
She didn’t feel much relief, though. Later that evening, after Marcus was home from school and he and Eddie were kicking a ball in the backyard, April watched them through the window. She’d expected to feel relief—or at least something. If she felt anything at all, it was flat. She’d hung onto those papers while she decided what to do, even though she’d known all along what she would do. She’d thought the act of signing them and mailing them would feel significant. It did, after all, represent a huge turning point in her life. But there was nothing. She’d sent them off, they’d come home, and that was it. Back to business as normal.
She did love their new normal as Eddie called it. This little life they had going here. It was perfect. They were becoming a real little family. She was happy. Marcus was happy. Maybe she was just used to spending her life on high alert, ever on the lookout for the next threat. The threat had always been Guy, but she’d never known what form his anger might take, or where it might be directed next—at her or Marcus. Now she didn’t have to worry about that anymore, it was over. That might take some adjusting to!
Marcus waved up at her. “Are you coming to play, Mom?”
She smiled
and waved back. Maybe now she didn’t have to use up all her energy on worrying; she might have more left to simply play and have fun with her son—and the wonderful man who was now a part of their lives. She made her way down the stairs and out into the yard to join them.
Marcus passed the ball to her, and she hit it with the side of her foot, sending it straight through the gap between Eddie and the blanket on the ground that was acting as the goal post.
Marcus raised his fists in the air and ran around the yard yelling.
Eddie cocked his head to one side and gave her a puzzled look. “You are a woman of many talents, April Runyan.”
She laughed. “I’m full of surprises, once you get to know me.”
“Then I just need to keep getting to know you better!” The look that accompanied his words told her he meant in the bedroom.
She smiled. She didn’t think she knew enough to surprise him in bed, but she was certainly enjoying learning everything he had to teach her.
“Come on!” Marcus called to Eddie who was still holding the ball. “Let’s play!”
April gave him what she hoped was a sexy smile. She wanted to play with him too, but that would have to wait until later.
Eddie hadn’t forgotten by the time bedtime rolled around. After she had checked that Marcus was sleeping, she let herself into the bedroom to find Eddie waiting for her. He was sitting on the bed in just his underwear. He was so sexy! He had his hands behind his back, and a little thrill ran through her, wondering what he might be hiding there.
She couldn’t have been more surprised when he presented her with a bunch of red roses. She clutched them to her. “Thank you! What are these for?”
He smiled. “Today’s an important day. You sending those papers back was a huge decision for you; I didn’t want to let the day pass by without us marking it somehow. I wanted to give you something to help you celebrate.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“I mean, celebrate how far you’ve come. I didn’t know you in your old life, but from what you’ve told me, I know that you’re growing and getting stronger every day. Today is a huge milestone on your journey.”
Her eyes filled with tears. He got it! He understood her so well. “Thanks, Eddie. I built it up to be such a big thing in my mind, and then, once I mailed the papers I felt kind of flat.”
“I felt the same way. It was like this big event that we’d been building up to, this big decision that you had to make and go through with and then…” he shrugged. “We just came home and had dinner. I need you to know that it’s a big day for me, too.”
“Thanks.”
He nodded. “I don’t just mean for you; I mean for me. I want you and Marcus to be my future, and that’s hard to do when you’re still married to someone else.”
What did he mean?
He shrugged. “You need to be free before you can decide if you want to be mine.”
“I am yours; you’re mine.” She sat down on the bed beside him. “Do you want me to show you again?” She ran her hand over his chest. She loved to touch his smooth skin, to feel his taut muscles.
He covered her hand with his own. “Of course, I want you to show me. I want to show you.” He smiled. “I want to show you over and over. All night long. But I don’t just mean like that. I want you to be mine, in every sense, not just in bed.”
She looked up into his eyes. Was he saying what she thought he was?
He dropped his gaze. “I know that’s not fair of me. It’s too soon to ask you to think about that, so I’m not asking you to. I’m just letting you know that it’s what I want. Someday, down the road, when you’re ready.”
“Do you mean…?”
“Shh.” He placed his fingers on her lips. “Let’s just leave it at that for now. I want to do some more of that getting to know you that you were talking about earlier.” He trailed his fingers down over her throat and on down to her breasts. He teased her taut nipples through the fabric of her top, making her sigh.
Her mind was racing with what she thought he’d just said, but her body was more intent on what he was doing right now. She lay back on the bed, wrapping her arms around his neck to take him with her. He’d said they should leave it for now, and he seemed pretty intent on distracting her. It was working.
Within seconds she was naked, and he was lying beside her. As he propped himself up on his elbows, she shook her head with a smile. She’d told him she was full of surprises, and what she was about to do was a surprise even to her. She raised herself up on her elbows and smiled down at him. Something inside her was changing. She wanted him to make love to her, but she wanted to do more than just lie back and let him.
He raised an eyebrow, and she nodded. She put a hand on his shoulder and turned him onto his back. A slow smiled spread across his face as he understood.
This felt strange but good. She propped herself on one elbow and trailed her hand down over his chest. It was what he usually did to her. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath as her hand found its way between his legs. Everything was the reverse of what they normally did. She felt incredibly sexy, and she felt empowered too as she took hold of him and worked her hand up and down the length of him. He moaned, and his breath grew slower and shallower. She could feel herself getting wetter; this was turning her on so much. And she’d always believed that it was down to the guy to turn a woman on; she would never have guessed that she could take charge like this and have it feel so good.
She dipped her head to kiss him, and his hands came up to tangle in her hair. She kissed him deeply, their tongues tangling as she positioned herself above him. His cock pushed up at her as she straddled him and she rubbed herself against it, tormenting them both. He stroked one hand down her back till it grasped her ass and pulled her down onto him. She rocked her hips, wanting, needing to feel him inside her.
She reached down between them and took hold of him, guiding him toward her entrance until she could feel his hot hard head pressing into her. She lifted herself upright and then thrust her hips, impaling herself on him and making them both moan. He closed both hands around her ass and began to move her up and down the length of him, slowly at first, driving her crazy. His gaze was fixed on her breasts as she moved above him. She smiled to herself and slid her fingers up over her rib cage. Seeing his eyes darken with desire and feeling him grow even harder inside her emboldened her. She brought both hands up and cupped her breasts. She wasn’t sure if it was the touch of her fingertips on her sensitized nipples or the way he thrust so much harder as he watched, mesmerized, that sent ripples of pleasure cascading through her. She felt herself tighten around him. She was going to come and come hard.
She rocked her hips wildly against his thrusts, and at the same time she rolled her nipples between her fingers and thumbs, squeezing just hard enough, in the way Eddie had taught her felt so good. He grabbed hold of her hips and thrust up into her over and over and over until he pushed her over the edge. The tension that had been building inside her exploded in a shower of bright lights behind her eyes. She soared away as wave after wave crashed through her. Her orgasm took Eddie with her; she felt the moment when he let go, felt his release deep inside her as they carried each other away. She’d never known anything like it.
She finally slumped down onto his chest panting. His hand came up to stroke her hair. “That was amazing!” he murmured.
She nodded. She didn’t have any words yet. She was still floating away, her mind and body shattered into a million shiny, happy pieces. “You’re amazing,” she said when she could finally lift her head.
“That was all you!” he replied with a grin. “You took me by surprise.”
She shrugged. “What can I say? You bring out the best in me.”
Chapter Nineteen
Eddie looked around the house to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything. He was nervous about the trip now it was here. Should he be taking April and Marcus to meet his dad? What was he thinking? It wasn’t as
though his dad was a part of his life. Not an important part. He’d found him; they’d talked. His dad had explained his actions all those years ago when Eddie was a kid. And that had been it. They didn’t know each other anymore; it wasn’t as though they had anything in common. Eddie was a musician—that was all he’d ever been. All he wanted to be. His dad had reinvented himself. He’d become very successful. He was a banker of some kind. Eddie didn’t understand the details. He’d never been interested in big business, or big money. They weren’t factors in his own life. At least they hadn’t been. Now he had his trust fund. Not that that meant much to him. His dad managed it, or at least had people who did. All it meant to Eddie was that he didn’t have to worry about paying the bills anymore.
April came back into the living room. She looked nervous, too. “Are you ready? Or do you want to change your mind? We don’t have to go, you know. Not if you don’t want to.”
He went to her and closed his arms around her. “I do want to. I want you to meet him. I want him to meet you. If I’m honest, I just don’t know why. I’m questioning my motivation.”
She gave him a puzzled look.
“I want him to see how far I’ve come. I want him to meet the people who are important to me.” He hesitated but decided to say it anyway. “I want him to meet my family. That’s how I see you two. You’re my family now.”
The way she smiled told him she loved that—it didn’t freak her out, which relieved him.
“And what’s wrong with that? Isn’t that normal? I’d like my family to meet you, but I don’t know if that will ever happen. I don’t intend to go back to Montana anytime soon, and I don’t see them ever coming down here.”
Eddie nodded. “It is normal; it’s just that, I don’t need his approval. I have a feeling that part of me just wants to show him what he missed out on. I can’t help it. The more time I spend with Marcus, the more I think my dad was stupid. I love Marcus. My life’s so much better because he’s in it. And my dad? He walked out on that.” He shook his head. “I didn’t think it mattered. I’ve forgiven him, but apparently part of me hasn’t, part of me wants to rub his nose in the fact that he missed out on raising his son.” He met her gaze. “And I don’t think I should be using you and Marcus to make my point.”
