Preach to me Baby

by Hazel Parker

  She’d barely been able to look Wanda in the eye when she and Sawyer had returned from their hot night in the trailer, but she hadn’t seemed to notice that they hadn’t come home. Camille had taken a hot shower and a nap the next day, trying not to seem too eager when Sawyer returned home from another rodeo and took her for a walk around the ranch. The man who had once been a stranger now felt like a friend—a friend who made her feel pleasure beyond her wildest dreams.

  Making sure her makeup was even, she met Sawyer and September in the foyer of Wanda’s house, and they led her to a formal dining room at the back of the house, overlooking the pond and pasture where the horses grazed in the sunset.

  As she walked in, she was greeted by the three older men she knew were Sawyer’s brothers: Trenton, Cody, and Ben. They could have been triplets, they all looked so alike: creases between their eyebrows, dark hair, and gaunt cheeks. They were so different from Sawyer and September that she had a hard time believing they were all related.

  “We’ve heard so much about you,” Trenton, the oldest brother, said. He embraced Camille, but his eyes remained very cold.

  Is it because I’m black? Camille wondered. What the hell? It feels like the temperature in this room just went down ten degrees at least. They might hate Sawyer, but why would they hate me?

  “Let’s eat,” Wanda said brightly. Of course, she had cooked, even on her birthday—she wouldn’t trust anyone else with the menu. Steak, squash, potatoes, and spinach salad weighted the table, and Camille couldn’t wait to dig in. Let the brothers be assholes all they’d like; it wasn’t going to stop her from celebrating this meal with a woman who had become like her own mother.

  As the three older brothers chatted amongst themselves and Sawyer and September teased each other, Camille stayed quiet, keeping her eyes on her plate. It wasn’t until Wanda brought out the apple pie for dessert that the brothers turned their attention back to Camille.

  “I find it hard to believe you haven’t gone back to Atlanta,” Cody said with a pinched smile. “Sawyer here isn’t known for treating women well.”

  “Stop that,” Wanda said sharply.

  “It’s true, you know,” Ben chimed in. “It’s not like he took any interest in bringing anyone home before the will.”

  Camille felt sick as she swallowed the first bites of apple pie, even though it was delicious. “What will?” she asked quietly.

  Sawyer was staring at the chandelier above the table, jaw fixed and hard. “Can we have this discussion another time?” he said tightly.

  “Were you going to tell her that her baby is the reason all this is yours? Or were you going to wait until she couldn’t run away?” Trenton sneered.

  Camille pushed her plate away, fighting back tears. “Can someone please explain what’s going on? Why do you all hate me so much?”

  “Now, please—” Wanda started.

  “The first Adkins son to have a child is the one to inherit,” Cody said. “Sawyer’s using you, sweetheart.”

  Camille’s eyes were so blurry with tears she could hardly find her way back to her bedroom as she left the table. She saw Sawyer rise to stop her, but she pushed her way past him.

  Fuck this stupid place, she thought. I wish I’d never laid eyes on any of it. I wish I had never met Sawyer Adkins.

  ******

  Sawyer couldn’t believe his brothers had stooped so low. He knew they hated him, but he didn’t realize that they would be willing to sabotage everything that made him happy for an inheritance he didn’t even want. After Camille left, he pulled a crumpled document out of his pocket.

  “I was going to wait to share this until after dessert,” he said bitterly. “I want you to know that I talked to the lawyer and that I set us up as equal partners. There was no need to play games with Camille. You were going to get a fair share anyway.”

  September’s eyes were huge as she looked from Sawyer to her brothers. Wanda was resting her head in her hands.

  “You boys never did understand the importance of family,” she said. “So I think it’s time we lay it out right now. That woman is carrying your niece or nephew”—she turned to Sawyer—“your child. Isn’t that more important than money? No one’s leaving this table till we get that straight.”

  ******

  It was late when Sawyer knocked on Camille’s door.

  “Come in,” she said, staring at the ceiling. When Sawyer walked in, she couldn’t hide the hurt and anger on her face. “You could have just told me you only wanted my baby,” she said. “It would have saved me a lot of time.”

  Sawyer sat on the rocking chair in the corner of the room. “You were always what was most important to me.”

  “Really? Not the billions of dollars you stood to gain here? You’re telling me that doesn’t matter to you at all?”

  “Camille…”

  “No,” she said. “I thought I loved you, but it was clear I was mistaken. Please, just leave me alone. I’m driving back to Atlanta the next chance I get.”

  Sawyer watched her intensely, with no trace of the smirks that had been so common early on.

  He has grown up, Camille thought. But it doesn’t matter now.

  “I love you, Camille,” he said. “You’re the only thing that matters.”

  “It’s too late,” Camille said, turning to face the wall. Sawyer left the room and shut the door quietly behind him.

  Another knock came a few minutes later, louder this time.

  “Who is it? Please just go away, Sawyer,” Camille said—but the person who entered the room was September.

  “Mom wanted me to check on you,” she said, and reached out to touch Camille’s belly as she had made a habit of doing the past few months. “Can I touch?”

  “Yes,” Camille said. September’s hands were pleasantly cool on her stomach.

  “I was so excited about being an aunt,” September said sadly. “I was really hoping you would stay.”

  “I’m sorry, Ember,” Camille said. She was about to say a real goodbye when, to her shock, a fluttering feeling filled her belly. It happened again, and this time she could tell September felt it, too.

  “That’s the baby!” September said with a grin. “It’s a sign, Aunt Cammy.”

  “Maybe it is,” Camille said, filled with wonder.

  Chapter 8

  Sawyer registered for the rodeo early the next morning. He had been ready to give up bronc riding for good, but what was the point if Camille was leaving him? He entered the arena, pulling his cowboy hat low over his face.

  ******

  Camille was sure she would find Sawyer flipping pancakes as always that morning. But when she reached the kitchen, the only one there was Wanda, face white as a sheet.

  “It’s Sawyer,” she said. “That damn rodeo…they’re taking him to the hospital now.”

  “Oh my God,” Camille said. “I’m coming with you.”

  Wanda drove faster on the highway than Sawyer ever had, finding a parking space lightning-fast in the hospital lot. “Go,” she said. “I’ll catch up with you. He needs you.”

  Camille raced to the front desk. “Is Sawyer Adkins here?” he asked the receptionist, breathless.

  “I—I can’t tell you that, ma’am. I’m sorry.”

  “Please! I’m his girlfriend,” Camille said. “There’s been a terrible mistake…he thinks I’m leaving, and—”

  “Let her in, Anne,” Wanda said, walking in behind her. “She needs to see my boy.”

  “Of course,” the receptionist said, surprised. “I’ll page you back.”

  Wanda had told her what had happened on the way over. Sawyer had been thrown from a bronc and had hit his head—they were worried he would fall into a coma. Oh, Sawyer...what if last night’s words were the last time I’ll ever speak to you?

  “I can only take one of you at a time,” the nurse said as he saw Camille and Wanda waiting.

  Before Camille could argue, Wanda waved her ahead. “Take her,” she said. “She
needs to talk to my son.”

  After the nurse led her down the hall, Camille took a seat next to Sawyer’s bed, watching his sleeping body and the heart monitor. Impulsively, she grabbed his hand.

  “I’m sorry, Sawyer. You’ve done such a good job taking care of me, and you’ve been so kind. I don’t know how I thought you could be faking or using me this whole time…I love you. I’m sorry.” A hot tear ran down her cheek as she felt the baby kicking again inside her. Camille squeezed Sawyer’s hand.

  He squeezed back.

  ******

  Camille heard Sawyer’s truck pull into the drive from her bedroom and cried out with joy as she ran to the front yard to meet her cowboy. He was still in rough shape—the bronc hadn’t gone easy on him—but he was every bit the handsome cowboy she now knew she was in love with.

  He caught her in an embrace as she ran to meet him, and then he held her at arm’s length, meeting her eyes with a mischievous grin.

  “Camille Starr,” he said. “I called your father from the hospital to ask permission, because I wanted to do this the right way.”

  Camille’s heart skipped a beat as she heard Wanda, September, and Sawyer’s brothers—who seemed much more amenable now that family and business didn’t have to mix—join them in the front yard. “Sawyer,” she breathed. “Are you—”

  He dropped to one knee, ring in hand. “Camille, I need you to know I love you and want to be with you—and our baby—forever. Will you marry me?”

  “Yes,” Camille whispered, and they shared a gentle kiss.

  Bad Boy Attraction

  Chapter 1

  “Things are getting busy around here,” Allen commented as he looked down at his clipboard. He was standing in the hallway, right outside one of the examination rooms. Marshall looked up from his own clipboard, momentarily prying his eyes away from one of the charts he was trying to decipher.

  “What, are you cracking under the pressure already?” Marshall grinned at his partner, before taking a powerful step forward and placing a hand on his shoulder. Their eyes locked as Marshall’s hand squeezed the other man’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it.”

  Marshall made his way into one of the rooms where an elderly lady was waiting for him. As the door slowly closed shut, Allen could hear the barrage of questions she had for his colleague. It seemed every part of her body had some sort of ache she needed to complain about.

  Allen shook his head, looking down at the paperwork again. They were booked full and the influx of work was only going to increase as their new clinic, A &M Medicine, became more known in the small town.

  Since they were one of the only clinics in the area, all the locals were flocking to them. They wouldn’t be able to it all alone. Allen thought about this with a sigh before making his way to his next patient.

  By the end of the day, both of them were exhausted. Marshall still wore a smile on his face, however, and looked just as fresh as he had when he turned up to the office that morning. Allen looked at him, trying to figure out how Marshall did it.

  The tall man in front of him wore a tight fitting, purple dress shirt that showed off his amazing physique. His dark-brown hair was perfectly gelled to the side and his face seemed rather relaxed as he sat back in his chair in their shared office, nestled in the back of the small building.

  “How do you do it?” Allen finally asked as he dropped his pencil on the desk and grabbed his coffee. While Marshall looked pristine, Allen sported a worn-out look from a long day at work and his face showed signs of wear.

  His light-green eyes were tired and his short, sandy hair was ruffled from his constant toying with it in his moments of focus. Marshall chuckled as he crossed one leg over the other, his hands cupped around his knee. His eyes were intense as he noticed the coffee stain on Allen’s white lab coat.

  “Do what?” Marshall lifted a well-groomed eyebrow in the man’s direction. It was obvious that Marshall was a lot more concerned with his looks than Allen dared to be. Allen often scoffed at Marshall’s playboy gimmick.

  “Always look so put together,” Allen said, sighing as his hand reached up, rubbing the facial hair that had grown ragged along his jaw line. He was aware he needed to shave, but at the same time, he knew that once he got home, he would collapse on the couch and relax. Shaving would be the last thing on his mind.

  “Call it a gift.” A grin spread over Marshall’s face as he got up and straightened himself out. Allen rolled his eyes at the answer. “I’ve been thinking about what you said,” Marshall declared after grabbing a cup of water and standing in the middle of the room.

  He had one hand in his pocket while the other held the cup at chest level. In this stance, although relaxed, he commanded his surrounding area until Allen had no choice but look at him and give him his utmost attention.

  “About what?” Allen questioned, this time supporting a quizzical face. The day had been such a blur that he could barely remember what he had for breakfast, let alone what their rushed conversations had been about.

  “Us being so busy. I think I might just have the perfect solution.” Marshall took a step forward this time. He placed his cup down, before leaning forward and getting close to Allen, a sly look on his face, as if he were up to no good.

  Allen clenched his jaw, expecting some ridiculous plan to come out of his partner’s mouth. It wouldn’t be the first time. The two men had gone to medical school together and during that time, Allen had learned first-hand that Marshall didn’t always make the best of decisions.

  “Let’s hear it.”

  “We can hire a nurse.” A grin spread over his face like an infection. His eyes were gleaming as he waited for his partner’s reaction. In his mind, the plan was fool proof and there was no way Allen would deny such a reasonable proposition.

  “Why? So we can relive through what you did last time?” Allen shot an accusatory glance in Marshall’s direction as he got up. Taking a step forward, he closed the distance between them until he squared off to Marshall.

  Allen was a few inches shorter than Marshall, but nonetheless, he made an effort to stand his ground. Marshall smirked slightly in response, thinking the show of dominance to be somewhat diminutive. Marshall had always been the leader of the two, and Allen the ever faithful follower.

  “I’ll be good this time.” Marshall paused, as his lips curved into an almost seductive smile, flashing his pearly white teeth. Before he could say anything else, Allen bypassed him, stepping into the middle of the room.

  “That only works on girls. Not me.” Allen retorted, trying to get the devilish smile out of his mind. He hated it when Marshall tried to make him bend to his will.

  “But, if you promise to be good, it can’t hurt to put an ad out there.” Allen rationalized the plan in his mind, slowly coming to terms with what his partner requested.

  “I promise.” The answer sounded painfully insincere, but Allen smiled to himself, believing that his partner would not go back on his word. “In fact, I’ll put in the ad myself.” His eyes crinkled with mischief as he sat down, firing up his laptop.

  “Can’t you do this at home?” His voice expressed his fatigue. Marshall stopped his typing for a minute as if contemplating the choice.

  “Okay.”

  Chapter 2

  A few days later, Marshall was looking through his email, checking all the applications he had received for his job posting. Most of them were older women who no longer wanted to work in the fast-paced environment of a hospital. He quickly deleted these candidates from his email with a frown on his face. He was sitting on the couch, a cup of hot coffee on the table in front of him.

  “How’s it coming along?” Allen asked as he walked in, sitting down on the nearby loveseat with his own cup of coffee. He turned on their TV and laid back, enjoying the day off. He lived for the weekends when the clinic was closed and they had some time to themselves.

  “No one suitable yet.” Taking a sip of his coffee, Marshall kept looking through the em
ails, his disappointment deepening. He had hoped for at least one cute nurse to make her appearance in the pool of applicants, but things didn’t look promising.

  “I don’t believe you. You’re not denying people based on their looks alone, are you? This isn’t some dating site for your own, sick pleasure and gain,” Allen chided as he got up, about to look at his roommate’s laptop.

  As he approached, however, Marshall moved away, keeping the laptop from his grasp. “You promised you would be good about this! Why did I believe you?” Allen shifted his disappointment to himself, something he did often when he got into arguments with Marshall.

  “I am being good! I only want the best nurse for our clinic,” Marshall said, trying to defend his exclusive nature. It was true that he wanted a well-qualified nurse, but what harm would it do if she was good looking as well? As he got sidetracked, daydreaming about it, his guard dropped for a moment and Allen snatched the laptop.

  As he sat down with it, his thumb flicked over a button and all of a sudden, the picture of a beautiful young woman appeared on the screen. Allen stared at her a moment. She looked to be of mixed race: white and Asian.