Blood Rose

by P. T. Michelle

  My throat is burning with the need to tell this kind woman the truth, but I know I can’t, so I smile and shake my head. “I won’t hear of it. Keep the money. You’ve been worth every penny. I can’t thank you enough for everything, Roxanne.”

  Calder holds Rose while I buckle her car carrier in the back seat. I’ve never been more thankful for my godmother duties. Spending quality time with Joey really prepared me for the little things, like understanding how to safely buckle her into a car seat.

  “You’re quite the pro, aren’t you?” Calder muses as I take Rose and arrange the seatbelts around her small, sleeping frame in her car seat.

  I look at him as I pull the harness around her chest to make sure it’s secure. “When she wakes up in a new environment, it’s going to be a hard transition for her. And for us. I’m not deluding myself about that.”

  He touches my shoulder once I brush the curls away from Rose’s forehead to check on her. “We’re doing what’s best for her. It will all work out.”

  I nod my agreement. “I know we’re doing the right thing. But we’ll have to decide together if we’re going to tell her the truth when she’s older.”

  Calder touches my chin, and just as I meet his gaze, the street lights pop on behind him, shrouding his face in shadows. “My mom’s death devastated me. I don’t want her to ever question if she was wanted, Cass. Not for a single second.”

  The thought that his mother’s suicide made him question her love for him breaks my heart. As I kiss his palm, he continues, “We’ll tell Rose that we adopted her because we wanted to start our family right away. She’ll learn that her birth mother had no other family, and that sadly her mom died not long after Rose was born. Her father was never in the picture. The rest will remain buried with Celeste.”

  I nod, my gaze misting with appreciation for his empathetic perspective. Calder understands more than anyone how much the truth can tear a child’s world apart. Rose needs a stable, loving, and loyal family. We will give her that.

  Calder pulls me to my feet, his gaze searching mine. “Do you agree with that truth?”

  Nodding, I push up on my toes and press a kiss to his jaw. “You’re going to be a wonderful father.”

  Before I can pull back, he steals a kiss. “Only because of you. And for the love of all that is holy, let’s please set a date, angel.”

  As darkness descends around us, my eyes adjust. Holding his gaze, I raise my eyebrow. “How does Saturday sound? I seem to remember you insisting that would be perfect.”

  “Now she’s fine with a short notice wedding.” Pulling me close, he exhales a low laugh, then looks over at Rose yawning and rubbing her eyes. “It might take more than a couple days to create Rose’s adoption paper trail. We’ll want it as clean as possible, so let’s work the wedding around that to line the dates up.”

  This man has such a big heart. I love him so much. Too emotional to say anything, I wrap my arms around his waist and nod.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Calder

  Four weeks later

  “Are you sure Elijah and Theo have the property covered?” I ask while touching my black bow tie for the fiftieth time. “And where the hell’s my ear bud?”

  Bash gives me a don’t-even-ask look, then glances toward the ocean behind us. “Unless someone’s coming by boat, we’ve got you covered.”

  When I don’t react to his sarcasm, he looks at me and frowns. “Why are you so tense?”

  I roll my shoulders and wish my custom tux had a little more give. “It took a lot to get us here and I feel—”

  “Like it’s all going to fall apart?”

  “Something like that.” I unbutton my suit jacket, then re-button it. “I know it’s not rational, but in the back of my mind, there’s a scenario where Celeste shows up and all hell breaks loose.”

  Bash adjusts his cuff under his tux’s sleeve, then claps me on the shoulder. “And I thought my wife was the only one with a vivid imagination. Cass is inside being fussed over by Talia, Beth, and Mina. Den hasn’t left their side. And Rose appears to be in grandparent heaven. Your family is safe and will continue to be so, Cald. We’ve got your back.”

  I look at our families and close friends gathered in the white wooden chairs on the manicured lawn behind Bash and Talia’s Hamptons home, and nod to acknowledge Cass’s parents when they see me staring. The Rockwells have been a godsend. They cut their trip short the moment we told them we had set a wedding date and were adopting a child, and have been there for us ever since.

  Even now, Cass’s mom beams with happiness while holding Rose on her lap. I think she adores that Rose’s curly dark hair matches hers. She adjusts her granddaughter’s little white dress across her knees, then lifts her tiny hand and tells her quietly, “Wave to Daddy.”

  When Rose turns her head my way, waves enthusiastically, and says, “Da-da,” my heart jerks and I cut a proud smile Bash’s way.

  “Did you hear that?”

  He lowers his hand from his ear, clearly listening to one of the BLACK security guys. “Sorry, hear what?”

  “I heard it,” Ben says from his position behind Bash. “I’m pretty sure she just called you a sheep. Baa Baa.”

  “Punch my groomsman in his wounded arm,” I mutter to Bash, who just ignores me while suppressing his laughter.

  Though I think there will always be a bit of rivalry between us, Ben and I have called a truce. Now our interactions are mostly good-natured with an edge of sarcasm.

  The last few weeks have been an adjustment for Cass, Rose, and me, but just this week we’ve gotten the little one through the transition and settled into her new routine. The way Rose has taken to Cass’s parents, who’ve watched her while Cass worked on wedding stuff or had meetings with clients about future shoots, should make the next couple of nights with her grandparents an easy and fun event.

  Cass’s father kisses her mother on the cheek, then I watch him disappear behind the bank of French doors. I hate that I can’t see inside. I’m sure Cass insisted on closing the blinds to keep me in heightened suspense. I’m so ready to hear her say, “I do.”

  My gaze drops to the two empty chairs up front beside Cass’s parents. Decorated with massive black and white ribbons, the chairs are for my parents. Cass insisted we honor their presence. I just wish they could have met her. My father would’ve adored Cass’s all-in nature and my mother would’ve loved that even though she loves me, she’s not afraid to challenge me too. While I wait for the wedding march to start and my bride-to-be to walk through the doors, I say to Bash, “Talia took care of the ribbon on Cass’s bouquet, right?”

  He nods. “It’s from Talia’s bouquet, but now died blue per your request. Talia told me to let you know that she gets extra points for not only assuring that it meets your borrowed and blue requirements, but also because she made sure it matched Cass’s black and white wedding theme.” When I give him a questioning look, he shrugs. “It’s apparently midnight blue.”

  As I nod and return my attention to the French doors, Bash lets out a low laugh. “You do realize that you being as traditional-as-they-come with your requests doesn’t negate anything Cass might say or do that is in any way traditional.”

  “Not worried at all,” I say, chuckling at his reminder of our bet, but then all five sets of the French doors open at once, and my cocksure amusement turns serious as the string quartet just inside the doors begins to play the wedding march. I’m a bit surprised by the very traditional song Cass chose, but the fact that it’s signaling I’ll see her soon is all that matters.

  Talia walks out first carrying two bouquets of deep red roses. Beth and Mina follow behind with their rose bouquets. Each lady is wearing her choice of a black sleeveless dress, and with their hair pinned away from their faces, they all look beautiful. I look over at Bash, but his gaze is only for Talia. He’s transfixed. It’s good to know marriage and becoming parents hasn’t dimmed their passion. When Talia meets his gaze and gives him a secre
t smile, I inwardly chuckle. If anything, it’s deepened it.

  Once all three ladies come to stand in a line to my right, I nod my appreciation when Talia takes a step back and lays one of the bouquets on the stone patio in front of her to represent Sophie’s maid-of-honor position.

  As the music slowly dies down, I look up to see my beautiful Cass standing in the doorway with her father, a bouquet of red roses in her hand wrapped in the midnight blue ribbon. Unlike the bridesmaids, her gorgeous hair is flowing in soft curls down her back. I hear the crowd commenting on her simple, unadorned white strapless dress that pinches to a tiny waist before billowing out in a perfect bell shape.

  Bash nudges my shoulder, saying under his breath, “She’s gorgeous as hell. Can’t get more traditional than that, Cald.”

  Just then, the quartet starts playing a very familiar intro, and a middle-aged woman with silver streaks in her short dark hair steps just outside the doors to belt out the first two words of a song from years gone past. “Aaaaaaat Laaaaaast…”

  As she continues to sing in the iconic style of Etta James to chill-inducing perfection, Cass steps forward with her father, her gaze locked with mine and a sweet smile on her face.

  The lump in my throat is so knotted, I have to work hard to clear it. She knows my love of old songs, but how did she know this was one of my parents’ favorites? This woman has yanked my heart right out of my chest and slammed it back in. The song “At Last” is perfect for our wedding. God, she fucking gets me on so many levels. I’ve never smiled so big.

  Once my bride takes the few steps and starts down the aisle, every person she passes lets out a gasp of delight and a sudden flurry of photos are taken.

  The song ends to fascinated gazes locked on my bride. She is gorgeous, no doubt, But it’s not until Cass’s father releases her hand and I move behind her to pull the train around, that I see why everyone is so enthralled.

  The entire back of Cass’s wedding dress is solid black, with embroidered silver threads in a distinct pattern that begins just below her tiny waist and goes all the way down the train. The pattern starts as two big arcs at the widest part of her dress’s skirt, then narrows into points on either side of her train at the bottom, forming two massive raven wings. It’s fucking gorgeous and so beautifully impressive, that I gesture to Bash to help me so he can experience the Cass that I know and love.

  The moment he bends down to lift the right side while I lift the left, he looks at me and smiles. Shaking his head, his amazed gaze clearly concedes that my bride is anything but traditional.

  Once we’ve settled the train behind Cass, I take my position beside her as she hands her bouquet to Talia. Nodding to the sandy-haired pastor to let him know I have something to say, I address our family and friends. “Thank you all for sharing this day with us. Cass forgot her ‘something old and something new,’ so of course I’m going to rescue her non-traditional self.”

  They all laugh as I pull a gift from my pocket. Holding a delicate chain with three rose gold Victorian style keys in different lengths in front of her, I say, “My father gave this necklace to my mother when they got married and she added the third key to it when I was born. If you look at the smallest key, Cass, you’ll see the part that’s new.”

  Cass lifts the keys in her hand and her eyes fill with tears when she sees the rose gold rosebud I had the jeweler form at the top of the smallest key. “It’s such a beautiful, sentimental gift. Like your parents are giving their blessing. Thank you, Calder. Can you please clasp it for me?”

  While I hook the delicate necklace around her neck, I whisper in her ear, “My parents would’ve adored you, Cass. The song did me in and the dress finished me off. I’m so thankful you’re finally going to be officially Raven mine.”

  Once I nod that I’m done, the pastor says a prayer, then speaks about marriage as a blending of families and how our marriage will need to weather the good and the bad. Once he reads another passage, he tells the crowd, “Cass and Calder will now say their own vows as they exchange their rings.” Looking at me, he smiles. “Calder, you go first.”

  I stare into Cass’s beautiful brown eyes that are so full of love and think about the life we’re making together. Clasping her left hand, for a brief second I forget about our audience and softly kiss her knuckles. When she blushes, I wink at her. “Cassandra Rockwell, you’re the most selfless, free-spirited, amazing woman. I will be forever thankful how you stumbled into my life. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know if I would’ve ever found my way back to myself again. You make me a better person, because I want you to wake up every day, happy with your choice to be my partner in life.”

  Cass’s eyes soften when I touch her black diamond with my thumb. “I told you that I would always protect you, sweet Cass. And for those times when we’re apart,” I slide her wedding band of pavé white diamonds outlined with a delicate row of black diamonds up her finger and hook it around the black diamond, “I want you to carry my promise with you everywhere you go.”

  The moment Cass sees that her wedding band forms the shape of a raven with its neck wrapped around the edge of her diamond, she looks at me with teary eyes and a trembling smile. “It’s breathtaking, Calder.”

  Her hands shake as she takes my hand between hers. “The day you walked into my life was the day I started to believe in me again. The impact you had on me set the path I took and led me to where I am today. You puzzled me out, Calder, and saw right through me, refusing to let me hide the person I was meant to be.”

  Cass slides a black titanium ring with a thin brushed platinum center band inlaid with a low-key black diamond to match hers. My ring is sleekly modern and classy as hell, but more than anything I fucking love that it means I’m hers and she’s mine.

  When I fold my fingers around hers and smile, Cass sniffs back her tears. “I never expected I would have an instant family, but nothing about our relationship has been traditional, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I love you, Calder Blake. I’m so happy to finally be able to call you my husband.”

  Hearing Cass say it out loud for the first time is my undoing. I pull her to me and kiss her without a second thought.

  “Ahem,” the pastor says. “It seems you two skipped right over the “I do” part—”

  “We do!” we say in unison, making everyone laugh and clap so loud that the pastor chuckles and let’s them go for a good fifteen seconds before he raises his hands, asking them to settle.

  Once our friends and families quiet, his eyes are full of happy amusement as he looks at us. “Calder Jackson Blake and Cassandra Nadia Rockwell, now that you’ve said your vows, by the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride.”

  This time I do. With everything I’ve got, I give the woman I love a kiss worthy of a sailor home for good. When Cass grips my neck and bends us back, saying, “Give me all you’ve got, Navy,” I smile that she’s thinking about our first connection in this very house, and plant another one on her to loud whoops, thunderous applause, and a standing ovation.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Cass

  After Calder and I dance one last slow song together while Rose falls asleep on my shoulder, I hand my sleepy child over to my mom’s waiting arms. My heart tugs while Mom tucks her little body close against her. I’m going to miss her smell. I can’t believe how quickly I became attached as I pat my baby’s back and kiss her soft curls.

  Now I totally get all the fuss parents make over their kids. Rose might not be my biological child, but she is mine, and I will protect and defend her like any mama bear would. “Sweet dreams, Rosebud. Enjoy spending the weekend with Mimi and Granddad.”

  I was so thankful that Mom didn’t question why we decided to adopt before officially tying the knot. She still doesn’t know the details, like the fact that Calder and I took a trip out of town for a day to create an adoption paper trail, or that we just signed Rose’s adoption papers as a married couple right after our past
or and Talia witnessed and signed our marriage certificate for the official record. I honestly don’t think my parents wanted to question the details behind Rose’s adoption, because all it took was one look at Rose’s adorable face and they both fell hard for her.

  “It was a lovely wedding and reception,” Mom says, drawing me back to the present just as Dad leans over and shakes Calder’s hand.

  “Take good care of our daughter, Calder. She loves you fiercely.” His gaze fills with love when he turns his dark head and looks at Mom holding Rose. “And don’t you two worry one bit about this little one. She’ll be appropriately spoiled rotten.”

  “Ah, but don’t—”

  “Shhh, baby girl,” Dad interrupts me. “We’ve got this.” Leaning in for a hug, he kisses me on the cheek and whispers, “Your mom’s the push over, but wisdom comes with the silver hair at my temples. I’ll make sure little Rose stays on her sleeping schedule.”

  Hugging his neck tight, I nod my appreciation. “Thank you, Dad. I know she’ll be in good hands.”

  Once my parents leave with Rose, Calder looks at me. “Are you ready to start our weekend, Mrs. Blake?”

  I smile. “After we say goodbye to Sebastian and Talia.”

  Calder catches his cousin’s eye across the room and inclines his head.

  Sebastian nods and walks over to Talia, who excuses herself from speaking with the caterer. As they make their way toward the entryway, I glance up at my husband. “Do you and Sebastian have a BLACK Security nod? Are there other secret-coded looks I should be aware of?”