Entwined Souls (Soul Sister Book 1)

by C. M. Youngren

  The truth was, I wasn’t either at that point.

  When I first met little Embry, she had stolen my heart. Just like Jurnee had when she first walked into my life again not so awfully long ago. Those two were special, easy to love, and were meant to be loved back. They deserved to be handed the moon.

  “I’m so sorry babe, that had to be hard.” Not able to imagine what my girl had been through while trying to console Embry, and not being able to promise her the world like I knew Jurnee would have wanted to do, I was almost at a loss for words. Almost, but not quite.

  I think it is time to reach for the stars.

  Suddenly the timetable in my head changed course.

  “Let’s get the dishes cleaned up, a movie picked out, and let me hold you okay?”

  “Sounds perfect.” She paused. “And Brax... thanks for everything.

  “You know I told you that you never had to thank me for being here for you.” I knew I was frowning and didn’t want her to think I was mad, but I needed her to understand she didn’t have to keep thanking me for supporting her in any way I could.

  She offered me a small smile. “I know, but it’s been one thing after another, along with emotional shit too, and that’s just not fair to you.”

  “Of course it’s fair, we’re a couple. That’s how it works and always will. Come on, let’s get cleaned up and comfy.”

  Thirty minutes later, Jurnee was laying between my legs on the sofa, with her head on my thigh, while we watched Transformers. After our first lunch date, it seemed only appropriate that we would watch that together.

  Lightly stroking her hair, she seemed relaxed and content. When she turned a little and looked up at me with her big brown eyes, the words I spoke next were out of my mouth without thinking. But the moment they were, I had known they were exactly what I’d wanted to say.

  “Marry me, and let’s adopt the little Doodlebug.”

  Looking thoroughly shocked, she completely froze. I just carried on. Jurnee was my family now too, and with every ounce of blood flowing through my body, the angel that had captured my girl’s heart was too.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Braxton

  I meant all eight words that came so swiftly from my lips, but I knew it was going to take many more to convince Jurnee that what I’d asked her was what I honestly wanted.

  This wasn’t the first time proposing to her had crossed my mind, but I hadn’t over-analyzed since I had no clue when the time would be right. But in my heart, I knew that having her as my wife, along with Embry as my daughter, was what I wanted.

  My heart raced with nervous energy as I waited for my girl to respond. “Are you going to say anything, Dimples?”

  A wide-eyed Jurnee jumped off me and the couch then started pacing. It was like watching a caged lion at the zoo. Walking from one end of the room, turning, then heading the other direction. Back and forth she went, until suddenly, she stopped, looked at me, and…

  “I have to pee.”

  And just like that, she was gone.

  It wasn’t the time to laugh, I knew that, but my girl didn’t make it easy not to sometimes. She was so damn adorable, and her nervous peeing habit was cute as hell. It would never get old. I just had to wait for her to convince herself to come back out.

  Before long, she was back. Only now, she was pacing again, nearly burning holes in the hardwood. Finally stopping in the middle of the room, she placed her hands on her hips, a stern, crazed look on her face, and finally spoke her peace.

  “Why would you say something like that, Braxton? You can’t mean it and it wasn’t fair to just blurt that out when you know what happened today and how badly I yearn for both of those things, yet I can’t have them!”

  Now my girl was getting worked up. She needed to see that she could have both. We talked about this once— that I didn’t make it a habit to say and do things I didn’t mean, and she needed to believe in and trust that. Because I was one-hundred percent ready for this.

  “What did I tell you before?” I asked her, standing up and moving in closer to her.

  Looking at me confused, I wasn’t going to make her think too hard, she was struggling already.

  “I told you I don’t say things I don’t mean, and neither do you. I know that you may find it hard to believe, but I’ve been thinking about this before tonight. I may not have known this was the time, but I have no doubt now. That little girl needs us, and you were meant for her, and she was meant for you. I just get the bonus of having you both in my life forever.” Pausing to see what she would say, I had to admit, I was scared shitless. And I didn’t get scared. But this woman was everything to me.

  “You said you want to fix this for me, but that’s not the reason you go and get married.” Jurnee was teary-eyed and the anxiety panic laced her tone. You can’t just swoop in with grand gestures like that to save the day. Even if it’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

  “Babe, I’m not trying to be sweet, I’m asking you to marry me and get Doodlebug because it’s what I really want. You’re mine, Jurnee, and I love you with all my heart and soul. With that, Embry can be ours, she belongs with us.”

  Uncertainty crossed her face, but also longing and hope. Deep down she knew I was a man who went after what he wanted, meant what he said, and always had been. Come on baby, believe in me. She wanted to grab onto it all, I could see her mind racing as she battled her conflicting emotions.

  But a few last words did it.

  “Trust in me, let me make you and that little angel the happiest you both can be, let’s be a family? I want to love you both forever.”

  She ran, throwing herself into my arms, tears raining down her cheeks and her body trembling as huge sobs broke from her beautiful lips. But I’d been fairly sure they were happy ones. I let her get it all out, or most of it, before gently pushing her away from my body a little, so I could see into her big brown eyes.

  “Is that a yes?” Heart thrumming a mile a minute, my body tensed as I waited for what felt like an eternity for her to respond.

  “It’s a yes. It’s everything I want and so much more. It’s a yes. I can’t believe this is happening!” she screamed, twining her arms around my neck and smothering me with kisses all over my face as she cried and laughed at the same time.

  “Believe it, Dimples.” My smile was huge; I was one happy son of a bitch.

  Jurnee

  Standing outside on the bedroom balcony deck, I looked out over the water, just as I had done the first time Braxton brought me to his house. So much had happened in that small amount of time. Amazing things. I needed the girls here to pinch me again. This pinching thing is beginning to become a habit, but a good one nonetheless.

  Oh boy, the girls. I just had sprung the moving out on them, now how was I going to have to tell them that Braxton asked me to marry him. On top of that, we were going to try and adopt a child. Not just any child though… but Embry. They are my girls, they have my back.

  Muscular arms wrapped around me from behind, pulling me back against a warm masculine body. “Hey gorgeous,” he whispered, his breath tickling my ear and sending millions of goosebumps all over my very aroused body. “What are you thinking about?” Thinking, yeah right. I may have been a moment ago, but now…my brain is mush. Who could think straight with Braxton half-naked and so close?

  The need to see him face-to-face had me twisting around.

  Yup, just what I thought. Sexy as hell. Sweats hung low on his hips and the top half of him was bare. That little line of hair rising from his pants and up his belly wreaked havoc on my senses. Any good sense I had tumbled over the ledge, and right out there in the open, I dropped to my knees.

  Slowly pulling Brax’s sweats down with me as I went, I saw he had gone commando. Damn that was hot. Wasting no time at all, I took Brax’s love muscle into my mouth. As the silly name popped in my head, I giggled. The vibration of my laughter must have set him off, because both his arms hit the railing in
front of him, over my head, and a loud groan echoed through the night.

  Good thing we lived a good distance away from any neighbors and we were hidden at the backside of the house. Right now though, I didn’t care. I had a man to please. And from the sounds of it, I was doing a damn good job. Just as he was about to explode, he grabbed me under my arms and pulled me up.

  “What are you doing, I was almost done?” I asked, a pout on my moist lips.

  “I need to finish inside you. Get that sweet ass in the house and on the bed.”

  Naughty Jurnee came out to play. Which Brax seemed to like. “Make me,” I sassed.

  “Woman, be careful what you wish for.” Before I could reply, he smacked my ass, threw me over his shoulder, and headed through the doors to the bed. I seemed to spend a lot of time face down, staring at his fine ass.

  It was exactly where I wanted to be.

  Fully ravished, I laid spooned up with Braxton. He had fallen asleep after we made love. The light snore coming from his mouth, tickled the back of my neck and soothed me. Yet I still couldn’t fall asleep. I was happy. Truly content and looking forward to the future. Sighing, I must have woken Brax because he stirred and squeezed a little tighter.

  “You okay, Dimples?”

  His warm and inviting tone had my body humming to life again. I never thought I would find love like this, or that sex could be this wondrous. It seemed I would never get enough of this man.

  “I can’t get enough of you.” Braxton must have been reading my mind because he said exactly what I had been thinking.

  “Make love to me again,” I told him, reaching behind me and stroking his cock.

  “Only if you tell me why you were laughing while going down on me outside.” My hand stilled, then released him. I debated telling him because it was funny as hell to me, but I’m not sure about him since it was his sister who gave me the funny terminology. We’d talked about it before, but I couldn’t help but tease a little.

  “Not sure you would want to know, but I was thinking about your sister’s term that she uses for a man’s junk.”

  Braxton burst into laughter. “Not only have you made me think once again about her crazy name for a man’s penis but now I’m going to remember you called the very parts that drive you wild, junk.”

  I also was in a fit of laughter, tears rolling down my face. It didn’t matter if it was the serious moments, the playful, or any other time, life was always better with Braxton in it.

  “What am I going to do with you woman?”

  “I can think of something,” I replied, as my hand made contact with his cock again.

  “Me too, babe.” Braxton reached around and rubbed my sensitive area, pulling a moan from my lips.

  “Umm, Brax?” I managed to barely squeak out.

  “Yeah?”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too, Dimples.”

  He didn’t waste any more time in showing me just how much.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Jurnee

  Even though I talked to my parents a lot, it had been a while since I’d seen them. I’d told my mom about dating Braxton and moving in. Of course, they thought he was a great guy, but worried it was moving too fast. I was their little girl, their only daughter, so it was expected.

  They had come over for dinner at our house because Braxton wanted to properly talk to my dad about me marrying him, even though he’d already asked me. Telling them together was what he thought was best and the right thing to do. While I’d waited for them to show up my nerves were at their max.

  I just wanted them to be happy for me. And proud of me.

  When they arrived, pleasantries were exchanged, and we showed them around the house. As we wandered through the rooms talking, my parents asked Brax about his life. I loved how genuinely proud of him they were, even expressing that to him aloud. Between his military career, starting his business, and buying this beautiful home, they seem quite impressed with all that he’d accomplished.

  By the time we sat down for dinner, which Braxton made, things seemed to be going tremendously well. My guy even set the table, which we never ate at, just for my family. Normally the two of us plopped down on the couch together while we ate, talking or watching a show together.

  If we managed to get our precious girl, there would be more dinners at the table for sure. The picture in my head of the three of us sitting together while sharing a meal, made me smile. I’d been so caught up in my thoughts, I missed what was being said around me.

  “Jurnee, are you listening?” my dad asked me.

  “Umm sorry, I was just thinking about something,” I replied with a sheepish expression.

  “Would you like to tell us what it was that you were thinking so hard about?” my mother asked, curiosity lining her tone.

  I felt like I was in school and just got caught by the teacher for passing notes. That had happened on more than one occasion and I could still hear the teacher's voice in my head. “Since whatever you have there is so interesting, would you like to share with the rest of the class?”

  That was a big fat no—then and now. Eventually, my thoughts would be out in the open, but I wasn’t ready yet. Baby steps, I told myself. I’m sure my parents had no clue as to what was coming, and I was leaving all that up to Braxton. Me though? I cowardly changed the subject and kept eating.

  A short time later, everyone seemed to be getting full and dinner was winding down. I fidgeted under the table waiting for Brax to get the conversation going that we had brought my parents here for. Thanks to my anxious bladder, I was about to jump right out of my chair and head for the bathroom but didn’t want to leave my man all alone to fend for himself.

  Wiping her mouth with the napkin, my mom praised Braxton for the chicken parm, pasta, veggies, and bread. The man could cook better than me that’s for sure. I suppose that growing up with parents who probably didn’t take the time to do that for you, that you learned to do many things on your own. And Braxton did everything pretty much perfect in my book, especially— Head back in the game Jurnee, this is not the time to be thinking about sex.

  When I was at the foster home we didn’t get meals that good, but at least for me, things had gotten better. That was not the case for Braxton. Sometimes people got so lost in their own sorrow, they didn’t always realize how bad others had it. I believed I noticed when other people hurt, and I was empathetic, but there were no doubt times when my painful memories consumed me to the point that I forgot about everyone else. It made me feel awful. I thought about Brax and Alley fending for themselves all the time, and my heart hurt for them just as it had when we were kids.

  My knee stopped bouncing with anticipation when Braxton placed his hand on it and spoke up. “I have something I would like to talk to you both about, it’s why we asked you over for dinner,” he said, giving my leg a little squeeze.

  Bloody hell, here we go.

  My parents' faces—man if I could have only taken a snapshot of those to save for someday in the future. When a guy starts with, I have something I would like to talk to you about, I think it’s easy to discern something big is coming. I wasn’t sure they were ready.

  Braxton didn’t go slow and build-up to the big moment, it was like ripping off a Band-Aid and getting right to the heart of the matter. Even though he was talking to both my mom and dad, his eyes were on my father. “I love your daughter and have asked her to marry me. I’m sure you feel like it’s too soon, but we both want this,” he said taking his focus off my dad and looking at me with more warmth in his gaze than the sun could ever produce. Then, he glanced at my mom before meeting my father’s stare once more. “That’s not all either. I’m sure as much as Jurnee and you two talk, you know about the little girl named Embry at her center. Well”—he paused— “we plan on trying to adopt her.”

  My parents were stunned into silence. Both just had sat there I think trying to process the words still hanging in the air. All I could think was, wo
uld one of you please say something? but it took a little while. My knee started nervously bouncing again. Palms sweaty, I felt like I was gonna puke or pass out from holding my breath.

  I needed them to be okay with this. They meant so much to me.

  I’d let out a sigh, along with all the air I had been holding in when my father spoke up. “I think you're a great guy Braxton and would be happy for my little girl to be with a man such as yourself, but don’t you think it’s a little too soon to jump into all of that?”

  Oh shit, maybe I breathed a little too soon.

  I wasn’t so little anymore, but I guess to him I would always be just that. He was my father. I understood where he was coming from, hadn’t I asked the same question myself? But then I realized when it was everything you want, why wait? That was the motto I had been running with since Braxton became part of my world again.

  “I’m sure people will think so, but we both very much want this and are going for it,” Braxton replied. “And I respect your concern. I’m sure one day I will feel the same with my own daughter. In fact, I hope like hell I get that chance. I’m asking you both for your blessing because I know how much you mean to Jurnee. I will do everything in my power to make her happy.”

  Wow, not only was I crying after that, but my mother was too. Dammit, this man was good. I saw my dad look over at my mother, and even after all these years he had just as much love shining in his eyes.

  Reaching out his hand toward Braxton, he told him exactly what we wished to hear. “Her mother and I’d be honored to welcome you into the family. You both have our blessing.” They shook hands, my mother and I let more tears fall, and a round of hugs were exchanged.

  Happiness, peace, and love. I felt them all.

  My parents left shortly after our talk and the dessert that I had picked up from the bakery for tonight’s dinner. Cherry cheesecake, me and my mom’s favorite. It was so damn good too. We walked them out and I had just come back in and shut the door when my body was slammed flat up against it.