I turn on the TV to find out about the storm. Hanna has stalled out but will be coming ashore in the next few hours. Flooding is pretty bad already and everything is closed down. No one with any sense will go out in such a storm. Stewart didn’t even bother surfing yesterday because he isn’t here waking up with a hangover.
Who would have thought I’d wake up in-love with a great girl and I’m not hung-over? John, from Al Anon runs through my mind, how much he loved his wife and how everything changed in an instant. The court ordering me to go to Al Anon is the only reason I went, and the only reason River is my lover.
Something large sounding hit the side of the house, causing me to jump. The wind is out of control and there’s nothing to do but ride it out.
The sound of someone padding down the hall distracts me. River looks adorable with her bed-head and rumpled up clothes. She was naked when I left her, now she’s in a pair of my gym shorts and my t-shirt.
“Hey sexy, why aren’t you sleeping?” I ask.
“You’re the one who’s not sleeping. The room is cold without you to snuggle with. Are you coming back to bed? We can ride out the storm under the covers all day long.” River sounds like a little girl telling a story to her parents.
I reach up and pull her onto my lap. “I’ll keep you warm,” I promise.
____________________________________________
Jed and I head out to check out the damage. Hanna lingered and left a path of destruction for us to clean. We lost power for a good 12 hours before it came back on about an hour ago. The generators worked perfect. Trees are down all over the neighborhood. We’re loaded up with chainsaws and work gloves to help clear them out.
The rain has slowed to a trickle, giving a much needed reprieve to outdoor workers. Jed is going home to check on things, it isn’t as though I need him to protect us any longer. Garrett has been out and about checking on his clients and told us River’s house is okay. She was one of the lucky ones and didn’t lose power at all. His company will stay on as security for my office and to keep the store site from becoming a party zone. I don’t know anyone who would party there, but I’m not a fifteen year old boy anymore.
River and mom went out and cleared the debris from the yard. The pool guys will show up in the next few days and deal with the mess in the pool. Like a well-oiled machine, everything works together.
How the death of Heather has changed my life boggles my mind. With every leaf and limb I pick up, it’s like pieces of my past being tossed out. Drugs ruined her life, and because of it, I have found love.
River is bending over intensely studying something on the ground when I walk up.
“What did you find?” I ask quietly trying not to startle her.
“Oh hey, it’s a penny. I like old pennies, my dad collected them. I only collect the ones dated the year he passed away and earlier. It really makes it less cluttered now. When I was a kid, it was really easy finding coins dated 1995 and before. Now, they’re less common.” She holds the penny up for me to see the date. Sure enough, it’s a 1995 penny. “I tell myself they are signs from him to let me know he’s always around. Sounds silly, huh?”
“I don’t think so. I think it sounds like someone who loved their daddy very much. I hope to be loved like that too,” I admit.
“I have no doubt you are. The news said the government offices will be open tomorrow. Maybe, we will hear something from Alex.” She stands up and adjusts her shorts. She smells like bug spray to ward off the mosquitoes and me.
My mom comes around the corner with a lawn bag filled to the brim. “Caide, do you have more lawn bags? I told you to stock up, but I don’t see any under the sink or in the utility room.”
“That’s because I don’t keep them in either one of those places, they’re in the garage. I’ll go grab a box. I came to the house to get more myself. You’ve done enough; go home and get some rest.” I take the bag from her and set it out on the curb. As the sun shined through the clouds, a small rainbow appeared. A beautiful rainbow!
____________________________________________
The phone ringing wakes me up from a dead sleep. I wiggle out from under River to reach the phone. I have the blackout curtains drawn and it looks like the middle of the night in the room. I glance at the clock and it reads 10:30 am.
“Hello, Caide speaking,” I say, though I’m not sure why.
“Caide, are you sleeping?”
“Yeah, who is this?”
“Alex, it’s after ten in the morning. Wake up.” She demands.
I shake my head trying to free myself from the lingering effects of sleep. “I’m good, what’s up?”
“You got her, Caide! She’s yours! They took a plea deal, and the judge gave you full custody. They’re huge people in the community so they only got one year locked up and five years probation. It doesn’t matter; Lucy is on her way back from Raleigh with the nanny. She’ll be here by 1:00. Meet me at the office and you can take her home. Congratulations!”
“That’s it? It’s all done? Oh shit! Thank you so much, Alex!” We hang up and I pounce onto the bed and kiss River’s face until she opens her eyes. “River, Lucy is mine!”
She sits up and the two of us giggle like kids on Christmas morning.
Two and a half hours has never taken so long before. My mind is running in circles, worried Lucy forgot me or won’t want to live with me. River holds my hand and reminds me over and over how daughters don’t forget their dads. Inside, I know she’s right, but it doesn’t keep me from thinking it.
I’m too nervous to sit inside Alex’s office, so I stand outside on the sidewalk. The traffic is still light since everyone is working on the hurricane damage. I watch each and every single car, waiting until the one with my baby girl arrives. A dark blue SUV pulls into the parking lot and I catch my first glimpse of her since the week her mom died. Erin, the nanny, smiles at me as she opens her door.
“Hi, Mr. Caide, Lucy is excited to see you. Would you like me to put her car-seat in your car?”
“We’ll figure all of that out in a few minutes.” I walk over and open the door to the backseat. “Goosey Lucy! I missed you!”
“Daddy!” She squeals and holds her hands up as I unbuckle her. I barely have it undone and she has leaped out and wrapped her arms around my neck.
I see River standing on the sidewalk with a big grin across her face.
Lucy gives me sloppy kisses and keeps saying Daddy over and over.
The weight of everything I’ve been carrying on my shoulders is lifting away and tears stream down my face. I motion for River to come over and I pull her into our first group hug. My daughter, the woman I’m going to marry (if she says yes), and a deeper understanding about addicts, love, and determination.
“Let’s go home,” I say as I kiss Lucy for the hundredth time. “River, are you hungry for hot dogs and some mac-n-cheese?”
“Sounds delicious,” River says and slides her arm around my back.
I mouth the words, I love you to her. She mouths it back to me.
The End
____________________________________________
If you’d like to take a sneak peak at Devyn’s New Adult Paranormal Romance, Sapphire a Werewolf Love Story, keep reading!
Accidental drug overdose is becoming an epidemic with both recreational drugs as well as prescription medicine. In 2010 the LA Times reported 74% of prescription drug deaths are accidental. Fatal prescription drug overdose outnumbered deaths by heroin and cocaine combined. The CDC reports in 2008, 36,000 people died from prescription drug overdose. If you know someone who needs help fighting drug or alcohol addiction please help them to reach out for help.
Drug & Alcohol Addiction
866-480-3826
Help 24/7
Veterans Crisis Line
www.veteranscrisisline.net
1-800-273-8255 (press 1)
Confidential Veterans Chat
Al-Anon Family Groups
www.al-a
non.alateen.org
Cry Me a River discusses Al-Anon, but there are also Al-Ateen for teens living with an addict.
Acknowledgements
First, I must thank you, the reader. Your encouraging words keep me writing when I feel like I’m falling apart. It’s fun to hear from you, so please email me!
I have the best beta’s EVER! Julie Askew, you understood Caide better than I did at times. Thank you for all of your wisdom! I’ve come to enjoy our late night talks! Lara Acheson, you’ve been such a great cheerleader! Janie Harrington, I know you’ve been busy, and I thank you for all of the hard work! Amber Clark, you’re so great - even when some scenes were racier than you like! Thank you!. A special thanks to Patty Euefueno - you’re such a great fan! To my girls at YA at Heart! Thanks for the stress release!!!
Last, I must thank my biggest fans - my family. My husband Mike for rooting for me on days I felt like slamming my laptop against the wall. My son Hunter, he’s always believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. My daughter Paris - she is by far, the biggest fan I could ever want. She has been the driving force to get Cry Me a River a readable book for you! She has been my editor on the last two books and has done a great job. She even had a baby and still helped until the wee hours of the night. I love you all.
About the Author Devyn Dawson
Devyn Dawson is the author of the best selling series; The Light Tamer Trilogy, The Legacy of Kilkenny Series, and new adult book Sapphire, A Werewolf Love Story. Her career has included working for Fortune 500 companies, grave decorating, and accounting. She enjoys spending her spare time riding on the back of her husband's motorcycle to the beautiful North Carolina beaches, or cuddling her new granddaughters.
Devyn lives in New Bern, North Carolina (about 2 miles from Nicholas Sparks)with her husband of twenty years, two cats, three dogs, and two cockatiels (3 of her pets are named after vampires, Klaus, Bella, and LeStat).
Sapphire a Werewolf Love Story
SAPPHIRE
Three years ago
“Ruby, you’re getting on my nerves. I told you already, I’ve been volunteering at the hospital all day,” I complain. A few weeks ago, I was sentenced to community service at Mercy hospital after my sister Ruby got into a minor disagreement in the movie theater parking lot. I intervened; and my fist was caught making contact with a mouthy girl’s cheek. The security officer called the police.
“You were there for four hours, how does that make it an all day event?” Ruby asks. She comes into my room to admire herself in the full length mirror. One thing Ruby doesn’t lack…confidence. “How are my girls?” She says and turns sideways to see her profile.
“Your girls look fine. There is more to you than your boobs. I had to go into the shop before I did my CS, so don’t tell me if I’m tired or not.”
Ruby busts out laughing. “Okay Phire, I don’t need a lecture about how I’m so much more than my rockin’ body. I picked this shirt up at a yard sale last weekend. I love when I find a name brand bargain.” The red lipstick she carefully applied accentuated the fullness of her lips. “Come on, Erwin will be there with his boys.”
“I know Erwin, and his boys are nothing but trouble makers.”
“Says the girl who just got finished with her community service,” Ruby quipped.
She did not just go there. “Oh, says the girl who started the fight.” The whole fight was over a girl flirting with Erwin. The girl threw a punch at Ruby and I turned and knocked her out.
Ruby crosses the room and kneels next to the bed, “I might be a pain in your ass, but we’re going to go strut our stuff. Get up, throw on your jeans and boots, it’s time to get rowdy.” She holds her hands up in prayer and pouting.
“If I go, you’re going with me to the casino after the game. You promised me that we’d do karaoke when I finished my community service. Keep in mind; as soon as Erwin’s boys start acting like horn-dogs, I’m out. Got it sis?”
Ruby leans over and kisses me on the nose. “You’re the best, I owe you one.”
“Yeah, yeah, about fifty…who’s counting? I hope it doesn’t rain tonight. I can’t wait until tornado season is over.”
~~~~~~
Ruby graduated high school last summer but she couldn’t give up soccer games. She played soccer until her junior year when she had an ACL injury. Her coach and doctor agreed her soccer days were over. At nineteen she not only looks older than she is, but she knows she’s an expert at prowling. She never had a shortage of boyfriends but she couldn’t stay committed when Erwin came around. He’d been a senior her freshman year. I was a senior too, but I took classes online so I could work during the day to help with bills. He was the quarterback, and she was smitten, they were picture perfect to the average eye. It wasn’t long before his personality proved he was after one thing and would stop at nothing. They dated off and on for the last couple of years. With every break-up, I loathed him more and more.
I tucked in my black button down blouse, making sure the top two buttons are left open. I turn around and check my butt, making sure the pockets make it look fuller. Black Ariat cowboy boots, and a rhinestone belt, yeah I’d turn heads, with any luck…the adult male ones.
“Ooo girl, wow, for someone that hates outdoor soccer games, you look smoking hot.” Ruby says as she shimmied into her denim jacket.
~~~~~~
We’d no sooner walked through the gates for the game, when we were bombarded by a group of screaming girls. Ruby has never had a shortage of so-called friends. I never trusted them; they only seemed interested in our half-brother Stone. His father is from Spain, mixed with our full-blooded Native American mother Pearl. His exotic look and big smile turns heads wherever he goes. He works as a ranch hand, which made him big and bulky, the kind that teen girls and cougars find sexy. Ruby would bring someone home and they’d no sooner walked in the door, and would ask where Stone slept.
Knowing Ruby would be gossiping for another ten minutes, girl can talk! I decide to bite-the-bullet and stand in the concessions line. I stand there staring at my cell phone, pretending to be engaged in an important text conversation. I glance up; my gaze lingers into amber-colored eyes. He’d been looking down at his phone a second ago, now, his eyes boring into me. My heart flutters as we lock eyes.
Don’t stare Sapphire, that’s rude. My mom’s words running through my head. I drop my gaze, but not before he gives me a crooked grin. He is not walking over here. Oh yes he is. I take mental inventory of my surroundings. Habits die hard with me, especially since I was attacked during my sophomore year. I left the library one night after dark, but my car was parked right in front of the building so I didn’t pay much attention to the parking area . I didn’t hear him sneak up behind me until it was too late. It wasn’t until the librarian closed up and she saw me face down in the parking lot. My shirt had been ripped and I had my throat slit open. The weeks that followed consisted of me in the hospital and police guarding me day and night. They were concerned the person would come back to finish the job since he thought I could identify him. Truth is, I don’t remember anything about the attack.
“Hey there, did I catch you at a bad time?” The deep voice startled me out of thoughts. He put his hands up, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Have you ever looked at another person and known that you were in trouble? Not in the bad kind of trouble, the kind of trouble that is sinfully good. I couldn’t help but smile at him. “Oh, sorry, I was thinking about something. Do I know you?”
He put his hands half-way into his front pockets of his faded Levi’s. He was making red flannel the sexiest material I’d ever seen before. My eyes dropped from his gaze and I snuck a peek at his chest. Only fair since I caught his gaze drop to mine too.
“No, I’d remember you if I’d met you before,” he replied. Even though it sounded like a line, it came across as if he meant what he said. “I saw you come in with your friend, and couldn’t help but notice she ran off.”
I’m not
used to guys walking over to talk to me, at least not good looking sober ones. “Yeah, that’s my sister Ruby; she still has friends that go to school here.”
“I’m Parker, my friend Collin’s younger brother is playing tonight. He’s told me he’s been training for the Olympics for the last two years.” He holds out his hand for me to shake.
“Next,” the woman in the concession stand says.
“Excuse me for a second,” I say to him and turn to face the PTA mom. I order a bottle of water and some peanut M&M’s. Before I had a chance to dig two dollars from my pocket, Parker has handed the lady the money. “No, you don’t need to pay for my junk food.”
His eyes smiled at me and I knew he did it out of kindness and nothing expected in return. “If I can’t buy a pretty girl a bottle of water, what’s the point of working?”
“You’re good at this,” I grin at him as he holds a hand out to me. “I’m Sapphire, but my friends call me Phire.” We shake hands as we walk away from the concession stand. I look around checking if I can see Ruby, but of course she has disappeared.
“Ruby and Sapphire, I like the names and I love that you’re called Phire.” His five o’clock shadow was a couple of days old and I watched as the sun glinted off his auburn whiskers.
All around us were cheers and the sound of gravel as we crossed over towards the bleachers. His friend stayed next to the chain link fence, and was yelling out with the rest of the crowd.
“Yeah, my mom has always said she’d never have anything more precious than her children, so we ended up with names of gems. My brother didn’t get as lucky, his name is Stone.”
He and I walked up the metal bleachers; he puts his hand on my elbow and guided me to the top seats. A couple of girls nudged each other as we walked past. I didn’t blame them at all; he was nothing short of a younger, healthier, better looking Marlboro man. I’d almost expected him to smell like tobacco, he was that sexy.
Cry Me a River PG-13 Edition Page 15
