by C. A. Harms
“I need to tell you something.”
A look of concern covered his features immediately.
“Actually more like show you something,” I continued as I walked around the edge of the bed and pulled a plastic baggie out of the second drawer. As I turned back around and began to walk toward him, his gaze dropped to my hands and he swallowed hard.
“What is that?” he asked as I held it out in front of me.
“Here.” I thrust it forward, and he lifted his hand to accept it. He turned it over, and a smile tugged at the edge of his lips. “Yeah?” he whispered.
When he looked back at me, I nodded.
“A baby,” he said, almost in disbelief. And I nodded once more. His gaze fell to my stomach, and he pressed his palm against the spot that held our child. “I didn’t think there was anything else you could give me that would make me happier than I already was. But I was wrong.” He tugged at the towel that covered me, and I released it to let it pool at my feet.
Ryker fell to his knees before me and pressed a kiss just below my belly button.
“Our child,” he said before he kissed me once more. “Something tells me our little girl is gonna be rooting for a sister.” His eyes glistened with tears of joy as he smiled. “I love you,” he said as he stood back up and wrapped me in his arms. “You’ve given me so much, Nic.” He cupped my cheek with his strong hand and tilted my head upward. “Thank you.”
He pressed his lips to mine in a sweet kiss just before he rested his forehead against mine. “Always mine.”
His words made my heart constrict and my stomach flutter. He was right, I would always be his.
“I got the key to your place, and the movers should be here on Friday,” I explained to Ben. “Nicole is going to let them in.”
“I really appreciate all you’ve done. Both of you.” He was still in Germany for a couple more weeks, which made it hard for him to get himself settled here. So offering our help came easy. I would soon have one of my best friends here in Arab, and everything else in my life had begun to fall into place.
“And congratulations,” he added. “You sure work fast,” he said with a chuckle.
“Yeah, that’s what Luke said too. I talked to him last night. He sounds like he’s doing okay. Have you talked to him?”
“A couple days ago,” Ben replied. “Did he tell you who else is in Jacksonville with him?”
“No.” Now my curiosity was piqued.
“Bear,” Ben said. I could sense his smile. Bear, or Wade as most know him, was an old friend. He was one of the first guys I met in the Marines. We lost touch after I got shipped off to Germany, but knowing Luke had found him made me feel a little better about him not having me and Ben near.
“That’s great,” I replied. “You know we’re gonna have to plan a trip to Jacksonville once you get here and settled.”
“Yeah, that’s what I told Luke.”
Ben and I talked for a while before I let him go and gathered my things.
Nicole and Tori had gone with Elle and Liz for a girls’ day out, and I had stopped at the deli in town for a quick bite. When Ben called, I’d lost track of time and knew Nicole would most likely beat me home.
I tossed my garbage into the trash and had turned around to leave when I stopped in my tracks. Tyler was just outside being pushed in a wheelchair by a girl with reddish hair. She looked around our age.
I hadn’t seen Tyler since his accident, and I wasn’t sure how an encounter between us would play out. I contemplated staying inside to avoid him, but when they approached the entrance of the deli, I knew it was no longer an option.
Once they entered, Tyler’s gaze immediately locked on mine, and I offered a slight nod.
“Tyler,” I said, trying not to sound as off kilter as I felt. “How’ve you been?”
He looked down at his legs, and I instantly felt like an ass for asking. I thought for sure I’d only triggered an argument I was hoping to avoid, but when he looked up at me with a smile, I felt myself relax just a bit.
“I’m getting by, but this one here doesn’t let me sit around feeling sorry for myself.” He tilted his head and looked back at the girl. “You remember Regan, from school?” he asked, looking back at me. “She was a year younger than us.”
I vaguely remembered her, but she ran with a different crowd. I knew there was something familiar about her, though.
“She was my nurse at the hospital,” Tyler said with a wag of his eyebrows, and I chuckled. That explained why I felt there was a familiarity about her.
I never imagined standing in a deli having a civil conversation with Tyler, but it felt nice.
“Well, you take care,” I said as I stepped to the side and allowed them to continue to enter.
Just as I was about to exit, Tyler said, “Hey, Ryker.”
I turned back to face him, and he wore a serious expression unlike the relaxed one he’d had only moments ago.
“Take care of her.”
I knew he was talking about Victoria.
“I know you will. I just needed to say it,” he added.
“I definitely will,” I replied. “She’s a great kid. Thank you for letting me be a part of her life.”
A flash of emotion crossed his face as he nodded.
I would be forever grateful that he allowed me to adopt Tori. He just wasn’t in the right place to be a father, and I’m blessed for being able to step in and take the role. Never in my life would I allow a day to go by that Tori didn’t know how much I loved her. It was a strange feeling knowing that one of my biggest enemies for years was responsible for the joy I felt each time that sweet girl looked at me as if I hung the moon.
I know Tyler and I would never share a beer over a football game, or hell, even be considered friends. But now a peace had settled between us, and I found myself wishing for him to one day find the happiness I had found.
Everything had fallen into place. I had a gorgeous wife, a beautiful daughter, and a precious baby on the way.
Life was good.
FOREVER DEVOTED
Book 2 in the Crazed Devotion Series
I tossed my cell phone in my bag and chose to ignore the seventh message I’d received in the last hour.
Benjamin Matthew Keaton was a dedicated man. Stubborn and irritating, but so damn dedicated. I had shared one night with him months ago, and most think it was a night of random sex, but they truly had no idea. It was so much more, and that is what freaked me out the most.
Yes, that was what we’d planned, yet it had taken a whole different turn. Of course there was some play involved, but mostly we talked.
And it scared the shit out of me. I wasn’t ready for the intensity of that man, but he had other ideas.
In fact he’d spent the last hour explaining to me why he and I “were meant to be.” His words, not mine. And I’d spent the last hour ignoring the knot his words had caused to form in my stomach.
The vibration in my purse told me he hadn’t yet given up.
Curiosity got the best of me, and again I found myself digging through my purse to find my phone.
Ben: Don’t lie to yourself, wildcat, you know you’ve thought about how good you and I would be together. How I make your heart race and how that heat forms deep within your stomach when you picture us.
His cocky arrogance only made me toss my phone into my purse once more.
I gathered my bag and keys and pushed open my car door in irritation. What the hell was wrong with him? He was thousands of miles away. What did he expect me to do?
The moment I stepped in to Lucy’s, I zoned in on my best friend and sister. They had no idea they were about to get an earful. Nicole for giving Ben my number—I know she had a hand in it—and Elle for giving me shit about avoiding him. What the hell did she know? She wasn’t the one that felt like her stomach bottomed out every time he brought up the intense connection he felt when we were together. I was feeling unsteady, and they just so happened to be in my
line of fire.
“Men are so damn frustrating,” I blurted out as I dropped down on the barstool across from them.
“Is it the man, or the woman he’s chasing that’s frustrating?” Elle chirped, entirely too happily.
I narrowed my eyes at her, and she laughed. “Yep, that’s what I thought. It’s the woman.”
“You’re an ass,” I said as she turned around with a full tray of drinks and walked toward the group near the pool tables. Sometimes I found myself planning a slow, tortuous payback on my younger sister. She thought she had it all figured out.
“Speaking of men,” Nicole said, and I turned around to face her, “Ben actually ar—”
“Don’t get me started on Ben. He’s to blame for my mood.” I reached inside my purse and grabbed my phone. “He’s been texting me for over an hour, going on and on about this connection we have.”
I thrust my phone at her. “I’m cursed, you know it and so do I. Connection or not, Nicole, I am not built for what you and Ryker have. I live in self-destruct mode, and that man needs to steer clear of me if he knows what’s good for him.” I let out a deep breath and laid my phone on the bar top when she wouldn’t take it. “Besides, he’s in Germany and I’m here,” I added.
“About that,” Nicole said, and I looked up to find her looking over my shoulder.
When I turned to see what it was, my heart felt as if it lurched upward into my throat.
“Hey, Wildcat, you done ignoring me yet?” Ben’s deep, husky, amused tone ran through me like a mad rush of heat.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Didn’t Nicole and Ryker tell you? I live here now.”
I looked back over my shoulder and narrowed my eyes at my best friend. “No,” I replied. “It seems they both forgot to mention it.”
Just as I turned back around to face Ben, I saw Paul approaching me. He was the guy I always fell back on whenever I needed a little release. Now Ben was here, it only made what I’d planned for tonight feel dirty.
“Hey, baby, you ready?” Paul asked as he stepped up to Ben’s side.
My stomach dropped when a look of anger washed over Ben’s features. I slid from the barstool with every intention of telling Paul there was a change of plans, but Ben spoke first.
“You better get going, baby,” he said in a disgusted tone. “You wouldn’t want to keep your guy waiting.” He didn’t even give me a backward glance as he turned around and walked toward the bar, leaving me behind to feel like the biggest bitch.
And there was my confirmation that I was, in fact, cursed when it came to guys and relationships. Even when I wasn’t trying to fuck things up, I still managed to.
To Melissa Gill from MG Book Cover & Designs. It has been awesome working with you, and I look forward to many more in our future. Thank you so much for your dedication and bringing Nicole and Ryker to life. Check out her wonderful creations at MG Book Cover & Designs.
To Amy Giles, my proofreader. It was such a pleasure working with you. I appreciate you taking the time to read through my work and offering your feedback. You are a Gem.
The Charmed Girls, you are all amazing. The continued support you show me is something I will never be able to express just how much it means to me. Thank you all for sharing my work and for just being you.
Thank you, Lydia, because you are a true friend and motivator. Always making me laugh and smile. We are an amazing team, and your friendship means the world. Thank you for being one of my biggest cheerleaders.
Maria, no, I have not forgotten about you and never could. You are always there willing to read through my roughest drafts and give me feedback. You give me a boost when I hit a dead spot and get me back on track. Thank you for being the push I need to continue on.
To my husband and children. Thank you for being the best part of my days. For tolerating me when I get lost in the world of fiction and understanding that sometimes dinner may be a little late. Jayden and Tayler, no matter how many books I write, you two will always be my best creations.
My fans, I am always so humbled by your support. Those random messages I received after you read my books, whether it be something big or small, I truly love them. Hearing what you think, in my eyes, is one of the greatest things about releasing a new book. I am never too busy for you.
A little about me, let’s see where to start.
I love HEA stories, as long as they come packing a little heat. I need some excitement, some angst, and moments that make me fan my face, those are always good too. I am an Illinois girl, born and raised. Simple and true, it honestly doesn’t take much to make me happy. I love the little things, they truly mean the most. I may have a slight addiction to my new Keurig—oh my, that thing is a godsend. And so fast too. I have two children who truly are my very best friends. Their faces never fail to put a smile on my face. I have been married to my husband for sixteen years, and even though at times I want to beat him with a stick, I would never change the years we have had. We have learned and fallen, only to pick each other up, dust off the aches, and help each other make it right.
I am one of those authors that adore my fans. I love to hear from you. After all, it is because of each one of you that I continue to write. I look forward to you feedback.
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