Shelby's Awakening: Legacy Series: The Beasley's Book Three

by Lacey, Leila

  “Logan, you and I have known each other for a very long time. Lance is my best friend. What kind of man would you be if you didn’t wonder how I was doing?” she finished. She was trying to not get wrapped in this moment. She was looking at her tablet, the bed, the sheets and anything she could except at Logan.

  “You know that is not what I mean, Shelby,” Logan said standing up and sitting on her bed. He slowly took her tablet out of her hand and placed his hands on both her cheeks to force her to look at him.

  “Baby, I know that I have failed you in so many ways, and I am so sorry for that,” he said looking her in the eyes and caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. “I came here to put you on notice. I am not letting you kick me out of your life. I am going to prove to you that you and I are meant to be together and I do not want any woman but you.” Leaning in, Logan softly touched his lips to hers, gently at first gauging how open she was to him kissing her. When she did not smack him, he took that as a ‘Hail Mary pass’ to take her deliciously curved lips into his mouth and suck them. He slid his left hand down her back and the other around her neck slightly pulling her in, making sure she knew that she could break the contact at any point but she didn’t. Sliding the tip of his tongue along her lips, Logan moaned at the softness of her lips against his. He could not believe how connected he felt to Shelby every time he was near her. He had heard of this kind of connection but thought it was only in fairytales. Deepening the kiss, Logan pulled Shelby closer to him and their tongues danced with each other. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Shelby moaned and leaned further into him. ‘Get it together, Chandler,’ Logan thought breaking the kiss and standing up. He turned his back to her to adjust the hard on that was damn near bursting from his pants. Shelby was staring into space looking like she had just seen the Ghost of Christmas Past and trying to figure why, no matter how hard she tried, she could not get enough of this man.

  “I am sorry. That is my fault; I shouldn’t have kissed you but your lips are so irresistible to me,” Logan said to her over his shoulder before he turned around.

  “Its ok, I seem to not have any willpower when it comes to you,” Shelby said quietly. “An idiot with no willpower; I am sure that is very attractive,” she finished almost mumbling.

  Whipping around, Logan looked at her like she was an alien. “Is that what you think I think of you?” he said going back to the bed to sit in front of her again. “Is it?” he finished grabbing her arm to make her look up at him.

  “Frankly, Logan, I don’t know what you think of me,” Shelby said to him snatching her arm back from him. “Since every time we are in each other’s presence, we have sex, fight and then don’t speak for a while. That is not all that surprising, is it?” she finished crossing her arms over her chest looking down at the bed playing with the quilt that her grandmother had made for her to have while she was here so she’d feel the family love all around her.

  “I guess you are right,” Logan said taking a deep breath and standing up. “That is what I came here to tell you, and I just got caught up in the moment,” he said looking longingly into her eyes.

  “Excuse me?” Shelby said. The longer he was here the more confused she became.

  “I am going to prove to you what I feel for you,” Logan said to her. “Without touching you, in a sexual way that is. Without kissing you, without making love to you,” he finished clearing his throat feeling a knot develop there at the thought of not being with Shelby. “I am going to show you what you mean to me, Shelby, until you can look at me and say ‘I know you love me, Logan.’

  “Ok and what is this going to prove?” Shelby asked. Smiling, Logan strolled over to her bed and sat down in front of her again. Looking longingly into her eyes, he stroked her cheek again. “You will see,” he whispered. Kissing her on the tip of her nose and her cheek he stood up to leave.

  “Wait, you are leaving?” Shelby said to him confused. “That is a weird start to showing me what you feel for me.” Laughing as he opened her door, Logan turned and looked at her. “I will see you tomorrow, baby girl,” he said winking.

  Shelby threw her over stimulated self-back onto her bed like a rag doll, frustrated. Why would he come here, bring her favorite flower, give her this whole speech and then leave with no other explanation? Shelby sprang up in shock right at that moment before she realized she was swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Shelby’s therapy focused on restraining the portion of the body that is unaffected by the paralysis in order to retrain the side that is only capable of partial movement. Shelby had been undergoing intense physical therapy using the injured limb while the other limb was strapped for the majority of each day.

  She had performed daily activities with the partially paralyzed side, which had progressively grown stronger throughout the course of her therapy. Her brain and her damaged limb eventually reunited and increased her mobility.

  The doctors had told her that occupational therapy assists in retraining the body to perform basic hygiene and self-care procedures. Life skills therapy, similar to occupational therapy, focuses on her learning new skills and performing with her disability. A trained physical therapist helped her physically compensate for her ‘disability’ which was a word Shelby was really starting to hate!

  “That is it! You are doing great, Shel!” Cassidy was saying to Shelby. She had come again to help Shelby with her physical therapy today. But Shelby was not fooled; she had not just come to help her out today. After she told Cassidy about the talk she and Logan had, she had vowed to be there every day to ‘help.’

  “Thanks,” Shelby said falling back on her back feeling pain and exhaustion setting in on her early. She had not slept well last night thinking of her life once she left the rehab facility. She knew if she was not walking on her own by the time she was released, she would have to go and stay with her parents until her home was renovated which was something she was NOT looking forward to. On top of that, Logan had come to see her and spoke in cryptic platitudes as if she did not have enough on her mind. ‘Oh great, and now I am cranky,’ she thought to herself. Just then she heard, “Well look at my baby girl out of that bed!” Sitting up, Shelby saw her grandmother, Queenie, wheeling toward her with Logan at her side, dressed in sweats looking like he was about to work out.

  “HI Granny! What are you doing here?”

  “Well, I was having my breakfast this morning when this fine specimen of a man came to see me. Now while Granny was hoping that he was coming to light her fire, which has been too long extinguished, he came to talk to me about you,” her grandmother said.

  Laughing under her breath and raising her hand, Cassidy said, “I am sorry to interrupt, Granny, but you still get horny?” smiling yet trying to hide it.

  “Baby, I am old not dead, and while my son is a walking monument to birth control I still get moist every now and then while watching my stories. You know who gets me moist? That Sonny Corinthos on General Hospital, woo wee! Yes, Granny would give that boy a taste.”

  Leaning over, Cassidy gave Granny a high-five then fell to the floor laughing. Logan covered his ears and Shelby just dropped her head. Granny had never been one to mute herself no matter where she was.

  “Granny, I am glad that you are here. It’s so good to see you,” Shelby said as she tried to struggle to her feet to get to her grandmother. Before she knew it, Logan had swooped in and picked her up and placed her in a seat next to her grandmother. Shelby was shocked speechless, but she should have known her grandmother would have something to say.

  “Well, if that did not turn you on, baby girl, you are a lesbian.” It was at this point that Cassidy lost it and laughing hysterically. “Cassidy, shhh!” Shelby said swatting at her. There were other patients having their physical therapy now too and they had to be disturbing them.

  “Oh relax, baby girl. Everyone needs a laugh every now and then,” Queenie said looking around the room at the physical therapist and patien
ts She then leaned in to whisper to Shelby and Cassidy, “Like her, I bet Nurse Ratchet has not seen a dick since she shot out of her daddy.”

  “GRANNY!” Shelby said to her grandmother while Cassidy fell to the floor once again.

  Shaking his head and coming around to kneel down on one knee in front of Granny, Logan said, “I totally agree with you,” winking at her he continued, “I am gonna take Cassidy to get some oxygen and a cup of coffee and let you ladies work out together. We will be back,” he finished smiling at her.

  Patting his arm, Queenie leaned in to Logan, “Baby, you better watch touching my knee. You will find out what the real Beasley Legacy is all about,” as she smiled and kissed his cheek.

  Laughing to the point of tears, Cassidy started walking toward the door. “I will wait for you in the hall, Logan. I can’t….” she said walking away.

  Laughing under his breath and shaking his head, Logan said, “We will be back in thirty minutes.” He leaned in and kissed Shelby’s cheek and left.

  “How is my baby girl doing?” Queenie said patting Shelby’s hand now giving her granddaughter her full attention.

  “I am fine, Granny” Shelby said smiling at her grandmother. She was not going to complain to her grandmother about all the confusion and demons that were rolling around in her head. She could still smell Logan’s cologne and as happy as she was to see him, she was still very confused by him, and their relationship, if that’s what you call it.

  “You did not give me that real million dollar smile, baby girl, so I know you are not telling me the truth,” Queenie said. Queenie had always told Shelby that she had a million dollar smile when she was growing up. Then she had cemented it when she was twenty-one by giving her a million dollars for her birthday, which Jackson had balked at. Queenie had quickly told him, “Jackson, I don’t tell you how to be an ass, don’t you tell me how to spend my money,” which had stopped all conversation.

  Sigh. “Granny, there are so many things running through my head every day, it feels like a hurricane,” Shelby said looking at the ceiling holding back tears.

  “So start from the beginning and we will go from there,” Queenie said lovingly.

  “I keep feeling like there is something I don’t know about the night of my accident, that no one will tell me about because of the repressed memories thing where I need to remember things on my own rather than have people tell me what happened. Then Daddy has been here almost every day trying to see me. I am not ready to forgive him, Granny, not yet. If I am not at least walking with a cane before I leave here, I will have to move into the house with Momma and Daddy again. My biological mother is trying to get to know me but there are so many things I want to say to her that are NOT nice. Savannah is even more of a hell bitch now that all of Daddy’s indiscretions are out. Greyson, well I have not seen my brother in weeks and he does not answer my calls and last but certainly not least, I love Logan. I am woman enough to admit that. I love him, but I do not think that he can be the man that I need. If this accident has taught me one thing is that I do not have to settle for someone that cannot love ALL of me; money and all,” Shelby said shaking her head.

  Queenie leaned into Shelby kissing the top of her head. “Well, that was more than a mouthful! When I said ‘start from the beginning’ I did not mean go from beginning to end in seconds, sugar plum,” Queenie said chuckling to herself. “Baby girl, I am still angry at your father for the disgrace that he has made of this family, not so much of the Beasley name but of the name ‘father’. But you know what, baby, keeping that on your heart will only hurt you. Parents make mistakes, baby, children do not come with a manual and we do not stop being people because we have become parents.” Lifting Shelby’s chin to force her to look into her eyes, she said, “Baby, while your father is a special kind of stupid, he is still your daddy and he has loved you in his own ridiculous way his whole life. Find forgiveness in your heart, baby girl, not for your father’s sake but for yours.”

  Shelby reached up and wrapped her arms around Queenie’s neck hugging her tightly. “I do not know what I would do without you Granny.”

  Smiling and patting Shelby’s back, Queenie said, “Well, it’s a good thing you will never have to find out, because in case you did not know; Diva’s live forever.” They both laughed and continued to embrace. What neither of them had noticed is that Logan had come back because Cassidy had gotten an emergency call and had to leave. He was standing where he could hear every word they said but not be seen by the ladies. ‘She loves me.’ he was thinking astounded, terrified and ecstatic all at the same time at hearing those words out of Shelby’s mouth. ‘She truly loves me’ and knowing that made Logan more determined to prove to Shelby that she could trust him with every piece of her including her heart.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Shelby was standing in her room packing up the last of her stuff to go home. She had been walking on her own with a cane now for two weeks and she was so relieved that she did not have to go and stay at her parents, although she had been shocked at how saddened her mother had been that she would be able to go home.

  “Well, I am so glad that you are healing so well, baby girl,” she had said the day the doctor had told them Shelby could go home and care for herself.

  “Then why do you look so disappointed, Momma?” She had said to her mother. Shelby and Sarah spent every afternoon together now talking and getting to really know each other. Initially, Shelby had thought that it was because Savannah had gone off the rails and was getting drunk almost every night and not talking to anyone in the family. Greyson was in a war with her father over the company, Shelby knew it was his way of retaliating against their father and dealing with his truths. Shelby still had not figured out what she was going to say to her father. Or what their relationship would be after she did figure out what to say. All she knew was that she would never see him in the same way.

  “I guess I was looking forward to having you at home again and doing this a little better this time,” Sarah had said picking at her skirt. It hurt Shelby to see her mother so insecure. With her biological mother around and them getting closer, Sarah was struggling with feeling replaceable to all of her children. Shelby had taken her mother’s hands in hers and said, “Momma, you are my momma. You raised me and good or bad, our relationship before was all I had as a child. I love you and I will never love anyone else like I love you.” Sarah had started to cry and bundled her into her arms. Rocking her back and forth saying, “Oh my baby girl, I have always loved you so much, I just didn’t know how to deal with my pain from your father,” she had started to say and stopped talking to fall into tears in Shelby’s lap. Soothing her mother as she placed her head in Shelby’s lap, Shelby started to hum You Are My Sunshine. It was the song that Sarah had hummed to her when she was a little girl and had nightmares. Sarah had popped up out of her lap looking at her in shock wiping her eyes. “You remember that?” she had said.

  “Of course I do, Momma,” Shelby had said smiling at her. “You are my momma and you always will be,” she had said hugging her.

  “Well, there is a view I don’t mind having!” Logan said jokingly from behind her. Shelby had gotten so wrapped up in her thoughts that she had not heard him come in and definitely had not realized that he was standing behind her looking at her ass.

  “How long have you been standing there?” she said turning around walking toward him and wrapping her arms around his neck. Shelby still had weakness in her right leg and a limp but she had made so much progress in the last few weeks. Logan had hired three new mechanics and a store manager. The shop was doing so well, which had left him plenty of time to come and spend with Shelby, helping her with her physical therapy. Taking her on picnics on the grounds of the rehab clinic, he had even gone to the library and brought her some books by some of her favorite poets; things he had learned in their texts and chat messages when he had to be in the shop. Logan and Shelby had learned so much about each other in the past couple of weeks. He
had known for years she was an amazing woman. He had not known just how amazing she was. Like he did not know she was a Big Sister to an eight year old girl that had lost her family in a fire stemming from her father’s meth addiction. Or that she drove for Meals on Wheels twice a month. Some of the senior citizens that she brought food to had come to visit her as a group.

  “Long enough to enjoy the majesty that is your rear end,” Logan joked wrapping her into a bear hug. Shelby had come to find out that one of Logan’s favorite parts on her body was her behind. They had an entire discussion around it, and why she was always putting herself down physically.

  “I hate when you do that, Shelby!” Logan had said irritated.

  “Well, I am sorry. There is no reason for you to get mad!” she said to him uncomfortably trying to get up off the ground. They had been picnicking in the gardens of the rehab facility. Logan had walked over and swung her to her feet, keeping his arms wrapped around her. He had given her a stern look. “Shelby, you are beautiful and I do not ever want to hear you saying anything different,” Logan said kissing her cheeks and neck while sliding his hands down her back to her ample bottom. “OK,” Shelby had whispered almost over taken by desire and pleasure when he kissed down her neck. Trying to change the direction of the conversation before she became too aroused, “I just I have just gotten used to saying what other people will say before they can get a chance to say it,” she said breathlessly. Logan stepped back from her and took her hands in his, kissing them softly.

  “I guess more men should think about the fact that women that are not a size zero, and under, are not praised or told they are sexy and beautiful in the main stream media or even in their homes in some instances. So saying to a sexy voluptuous woman with curves that will make a grown man sell his house to take her on a date, ‘you are SEXY AS HELL, baby,’ would more than likely go a long way.” Smiling and wrapping her in his arms again, Logan had dipped her and whispered, “Shelby, every inch of this delicious body is sexy as hell to me and I would have you no other way,” before he had kissed her breathless. Shelby had not said anything negative about her body since that day.