At the back of the property, under one of the largest trees, Bloom pulls us to a stop and drops my hand. She takes a few more tentative steps then bends to place the bouquet on top of the headstone. I’m determined to stand back and give her the space she needs but when she crashes to her knees in front of the grave and begins to weep I rush to her side and pull her into my arms. She only stays there a few minutes before she pushes away from me and wipes her eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispers as she smoothes her hand down my chest, not meeting my eyes.
I place my hand under her chin and make her look at me. “It’ll always be my pleasure, darlin’.”
Bloom nods then gently removes my hand from her face, placing it in hers on her lap. She turns back to her Daddy’s tombstone.
“Daddy, I’m sorry I haven’t visited before and I have no excuse good enough to explain why. I’m moving away and if you’ve been watching over me you probably already know what’s been going on. I just wanted to say sorry for not coming sooner and I promise I’ll come back to visit when we come back to town. Also, I wanted you to meet Pike. He’s gonna take good care of me Daddy, and I don’t want you up there worrying about me. I’ll be okay.”
She gets quiet and I send up a silent promise to Michael that I’ll take care of his only daughter. We stay there on our knees, holding hands, for a long time. Bloom needs this, she needs me and I’m more than happy to give it to her. It might be the last thing she lets me do for her. When she stands up I join her and place my hand on her back, quietly showing my support. She leans down and traces her fingers over the inscription that reads: Beloved Father and Husband. When her fingers reach the husband part she jerks her hand back like the word burns her finger tips. I watch her face closely, she’s deciding something and it’s difficult for her to admit to herself what she’ll have to do. Finally she kisses the tips of her fingers and places them back over the inscription and traces it all the way through letting her fingers linger over the last word.
“She didn’t deserve you, Daddy, but I know you never stopped loving her. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to give her the kind of forgiveness you did, she doesn’t deserve it, but I think I need her. She may be the only one who can give me the answers about who I really am.” She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before she finishes, “Bye Daddy, I’ll always love you.”
When she lets her hand drop back to her side I take the opportunity to guide her to a stone bench that sits closer to the church. She leans into me and I kiss the top of her head.
“I need to find her, Tennessee,” she whispers. I love that she still uses her nickname for me and I sit there for a moment letting it soak in. There’s a chance after I tell her she may not use it anymore. She’ll probably come up with a harsher name to throw at me. I squeeze her tighter to my side for just a second more then I pull back so I can look down into her face.
“Bloom, I have something to tell you. I was planning to tell you even before you decided, I need you to know that, though I should’ve told you sooner.” I watch her face crinkle in confusion and I push on when she doesn’t say anything. “Rose, your mother, she’s a member of our pack. I promise I didn’t know when I first found you. Billy showed me her picture after he told me your parent’s story. I was trying to find a way to tell you.”
She pushes herself farther away from me. “How long?”
“I promise I’ve only known for a few days. I’m sorry I kept this from you.”
“No, how long has my mother been with your pack?” She jumps to her feet and paces in front of the bench.
“I was around 4 or 5 when she joined our pack. Her mate had already been a member.”
“She’s been there ever since … ever since she left me.”
“That’s what it looks like. Bloom, talk to me baby, I promise I won’t keep something like this from you again. Please, just tell me if you forgive me. I don’t want to lose you,” my voice cracks on the last sentence and I can feel my eyelids fighting to keep the tears inside.
Bloom stops pacing long enough to really look at me. I know I have to be a retched sight, my hands are shaking and I’m preparing to cry like a baby. She comes back and sits beside me and pulls my head into her neck and holds me. I can’t hold the tears in any longer and they slide from my eyes soaking the shoulder of her shirt.
“I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at her. It had to be hard to tell me what you know and all that matters is that you told me. Do I wish she wasn’t part of the pack? Yes. Will it stop me from coming with you? Hell, no. You’re not losing me, Tennessee, and I’m not losing you over her. She’s hurt me enough.”
I pull back to look in her face, I can tell through our bond that she isn’t lying, but I need to see her face to reassure myself. Her eyes glitter with the hurt her mother has caused, the understanding she’s showing me and the unshed tears that threaten to spill down her cheeks. I place my hands on either side of her face and lean in to press my lips to hers. She willingly accepts my kisses, and when the tears finally fall from her eyes, she lets me wipe them away. When the last one has dropped she places one last kiss on my lips and pulls back.
I let my hands drop from her face so they can grab her hands. “Bloom, there’s something else you need to know.”
“Oh gosh, Pike, please tell me she isn’t dead, because I’m not sure I can handle any more bad news,” she says closing her eyes, like it’ll keep out the bad news I’m getting ready to tell her.
“No, it’s nothing like that, darlin’. Some might even consider it good news, but that’s up for you to decide.”
“Just tell me, fast, like it’s a band aid you’re pulling off. I can handle it come on.” Her eyes are still closed and she’s gripping my hands harder; hanging on for dear life, like this last revelation might be the one that breaks her.
“You have half brothers, three to be exact.” Her eyes flick open as her mouth falls open, but nothing comes out, so I continue. “Tucker is the oldest, 19 he’ll be 20 in a few months. He’s my beta our second in charge. Then there’s the twins Kyran & Killian, they just turned 18.”
“I-I-I … she has more children. I have brothers.” I watch as she does the math in her head. “If Tucker is almost 20 that means … she got pregnant right after she had me! Do they even know about me?”
“I’m certain they don’t.”
“AHHHHHH!” she screams slamming her fist down on the concrete bench. I grab it to make sure she hasn’t done any damage, thankfully it isn’t broken.
She stands jerking her hand from me and pointing her finger from the other hand at me. “That woman is a … well she’s a bad word, and when we go to Tennessee I will be informing her of just the word she is and you will not stop me.”
I stand up and pull her back into my chest so I can smooth my hand through the hair falling down her back. I have to suppress my chuckle. She’s awfully cute when she’s mad. “I would never try to.”
“I may even slap her,” she grumbles against my chest.
“I’m behind you no matter what you decide.”
“What if I decide to punch her in the face?”
“I’ll still be behind you, just promise me something,” I say leaning back to push the hair back from her tear soaked face.
“What?”
“Use your other fist.” I grab her swollen hand and continue, “I don’t think this one can take much more damage, at least not for a few days.”
Chapter 28 – Bloom
~ You should always go with your gut ~
Five hundred and eighty-two miles or roughly nine and half hours, that’s how far it is from my old home in Ohio to my new home in Tennessee. That’s how far I have to go till I’ll be in the same town as my mother, the woman who abandoned me at birth to go start her new life with her new family. Am I angry? Hell yes I am, and sleeping on the news didn’t help to squelch my anger at all, if anything it made it worse. Every time I closed my eyes last night I saw her raising her three boys, my broth
ers. She bandaged their scrapes, made them cookies, kissed them good night, and soothed them when they were crying. I bet they were raised to know about their wolf side, they weren’t left to struggle with a part of them they never knew existed. Like me!
As mad as I am at Rose, I know I can’t hold what she’s done against my brothers. It’s not their fault our mother is a … well you know. Some also refer to a female dog by the same term.
Hey don’t group me and that woman in the same category. I guess my wolf dislikes our “surrogate” as much as I do.
Anyways, those boys are the only family I have left (Rose doesn’t count in my mind), and I want to get to know them. I hope they feel the same way when they find out about me.
“I can’t speak for the twins, but I know Tucker and he’ll want to know his only sister.” Pike stretches his hand across the front seat of the sedan we’re in to grab mine. I rub my thumb along the top of his hand and give him a little smile before I turn my eyes to stare at the scenery passing by us at 60 miles per hour.
“Tell me about them, please?” I plead.
“Pike, we’ve been on the road for hours. I’ve drank three bottles of water and if we don’t find a ladies room real soon, you’ll be cleaning a wet spot up back here before this rental is returned,” Bonnie interrupts before Pike can tell me about them, I can’t blame her though, it’s not like she knows we’re discussing them through our bond.
“Don’t be so quick to soak your panties. There’s a rest area a couple miles up ahead. Emily, text one of the guys and tell them to stop with us.” The boys, Kit & Price, are two members of the pack that Pike had Tucker send to Ohio to drive our moving truck back to Tennessee. Pike doesn’t want to be separated from us girls. He’s still on high alert from Trace’s attack on me. We haven’t seen hide or hair of him since that night, and neither has anyone else in town, so Pike’s convinced he’s hiding out waiting for his next chance. I don’t think he’s brave enough to attempt anything else and I definitely don’t think he’ll follow us to Tennessee, not that he even knows that’s where we’re headed.
“I sent Kit the text. He said that’s fine with them,” Emily states from the back seat where she’s sitting with Bonnie.
At the rest area each of the guys take turns watching over the girls’ room, while the others do their business. They’re sticking to the thought that we need to be guarded. After washing my hands I walk out to find myself alone in the lobby with Kit and Emily.
Kit Drake is easily six foot one and has auburn colored hair that is messy with curls that fall into his steel grey eyes. If Pike wasn’t my own personal dream man come to life I could’ve easily fell for his crooked smile, just like Emily seems to be doing. The two are so close in height they can look directly into each other’s eyes, which is exactly what they’re doing. It’s such an intimate moment, Emily’s lips are parted in a soft smile that’s so genuine and happy it tugs at my heart and Kit’s is almost as bright though somehow I can tell he’s trying to hold his back. He’s the type of guy who will always hold his cards close to his heart until it’s time for them to be revealed. The whole encounter has the butterflies in my gut working overtime and if Emily hadn’t already explained to me that she isn’t old enough to be mated, I would’ve guessed them to be mates.
“They might still be some day, darlin’. There is still time for that connection to hit them.” Pike walks up behind me and wraps his arms around my middle, placing a kiss on my neck.
“I know, but seeing them together seems right. I feel it in my gut. Does that sound strange?” I turn in his arms to look up into his face. His eyes get distant as he contemplates my words then he looks back down at me and smiles.
“No, it doesn’t sound strange. You should always go with what your gut is telling you, I’ve always followed mine and so far I love where it’s led me. Right to you, darlin’.” He leans in and presses a brief kiss to my lips then releases me to address the group since Price and Bonnie have joined us.
“Alright, we’re gonna get back on the road, but there’s gonna be a little change. Price you’re gonna ride in the back of our car with Bonnie. Emily you’re gonna ride with Kit in the moving van.” He looks at everyone to make sure there won’t be any complaints and then claps his hands together and says, “Okay, let’s hit the road. Bonnie try to refrain from drinking your weight in water because I’m not stopping again till we reach Tennessee. Once we’re across the state border we’ll stop and get lunch.”
Emily looks at me and mouths “what the heck”? I shrug my shoulders though I know her brother’s trying to give her and Kit more time alone. I’m slowly learning that my mate’s worse than one of the old busy bodies that come around Billy’s trying to fix me up with some long lost nephew. A complete and utter meddler, I make one comment and he’s ready to plan the wedding.
“I hear spring’s a good time to get married.” Pike laughs in my head.
“Ha ha, weren’t you the one who just told me they had time?” I ask climbing back into the passenger seat of the car.
“I wasn’t talking about them, darlin’.”
“Then who are you talking ….” I looked over at him after fastening my seat belt and he winks at me.
“Oh no, Tennessee, we have more than enough hurdles to cross right now without throwing a wedding into the mix. Plus if you’re gonna propose to me it better not be in the front seat of a rental car that smells like sweaty feet.” Crap, that came out kind of mean, I hope he isn’t serious.
He stares at me for several long moments then starts laughing so hard he doubles over against the steering wheel. Once he’s able to contain himself he leans in and grabs my neck pulling me to the center of the car so his lips can meet mine. He pulls back from the kiss to press his forehead against mine and whispers, “God, I love you.”
OH MY GOSH!
He loves me, but it’s only been a week. I lean back so I can look into his eyes. “Already?”
You’re his mate. Stop questioning if he loves us, of course he does. Geesh! My wolf shakes her head at me though I can tell she’s glowing from his declaration just as much as me.
He skims his fingers along my cheek down to my lips. “Since the first moment I saw you walking through those woods determined to help an injured animal.”
We’re moving so fast, it’s only been a week since he came barreling into my life and half of that week he spent in his wolf form pretending to be a dog, but my heart’s screaming for me to say those words back to him. He’s surrendered his heart to me and I feel the need to surrender mine to him.
I grab the hand he has touching my face and kiss his palm, then lean in to kiss his lips. “I love you too, Tennessee.”
“The two of you are so sweet; you’re liable to give me a toothache. Can we please get on the road now?” Bonnie jokes from the back seat. I turn to find Price looking at her like she grew a second head and I have to laugh when Bonnie notices to and asks, “What? You’re thinking it too, it’s not my fault you’re afraid to say it because he’s the big bad alpha.”
Dang, my friend’s leaning heavily on her sass this week. I hope she remembers her sweet side is just as good.
“She’ll be ok, darlin’. She’s only using it to protect herself.”
“What does she need to protect herself from?”
“Bloom, you’re not the only one who’s faced a lot of revelations this week. Bonnie also found out there are shifters and that her closest friend is one. Not to mention she saw you attacked. So give her some time to adjust to her new world. She’ll go back to herself once she does.”
“Goodness, I hadn’t even thought of that. No wonder she’s been acting this way.”
“She’ll be fine. Don’t worry darlin’.”
“I’ll hold you to that, Tennessee.”
“Oh, I love when you hold me.” I roll my eyes at him as I pull out of our connection.
Price is looking between Bonnie and Pike; I can tell he’s waiting to see if my mate will do an
ything about her outburst. I’m quickly learning pack members are not suppose to disrespect the alphas, but Price hasn’t learned yet that Bonnie isn’t pack and even if she were she would always speak her mind. It’s one of the things I love about the girl and there’s no way I’m gonna ask her to change just to appease some uptight wolves.
“Calm down, wolf, Bonnie means no harm. She’s all bark and no bite,” Pike reassures the younger man.
“Hey now, you don’t know I might bite.” She turns to Price and winks with a huge grin across her plump face. “At the very least I nibble.”
Price flushes ten shades of red before his skin finally turns back to its normal creamy white. He really is a handsome guy. He’s only an inch taller than me, but he makes up for his lack of height by being pure muscle. Price looks like a fighter, or with his dark brown hair buzzed that way, maybe I should say a soldier. Yes, I can easily see him with dog tags hanging around his neck, but no he’s a wolf. That means there will be no life in the military for this brown eyed man. He’s sworn his life to his fellow pack members and he’ll die before he breaks that promise.
Reviving Bloom (Bloom Daniels Series) Page 13
