Bluebird
Page 19
I take my time cleaning her up with a warm cloth, letting my mouth touch every sweet spot I can find before I make my way back up to her sweet mouth. I cradle her face with my palms as her thighs fall open all the way, letting me rest between them. I drag my thumb across her full bottom lip and she wraps her legs around me.
“I’m pregnant,” she whispers.
“Pregnant?”
“Yeah,” she says, her eyes shining. “Are you ready for another one?”
I press my mouth to hers, coaxing her lips to open so I can taste her again. When I pull back slightly I speak the words against her lips.
“You and me.”
“Always,” she says.
My Prairie. The girl who took my heart and never gave it back. The woman I love and can’t live without.
My bluebird.
The End
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my amazing husband and my beautiful daughters for all your love and support.
To my tribe - L, R and J – It is a privilege to know you. Thank you for every ounce of support and motivation you give me.
To my readers and supporters, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you all dearly.
Stella xox
About the Author
Stella James enjoys reading, yoga and beer/wine. Not necessarily in that order. She writes in her limited spare time for your reading pleasure and also to silence the various characters that have taken up residence in her cute little head.
If you would like to be informed of upcoming releases or if you just want to be nosy because it’s fun, come and find her on social media.
https://www.instagram.com/stellajamesauthor/
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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15308422.Stella_James
Also by Stella James
Currently available on Amazon
Worth the Chance – Blue Falls Book 1
Worth the Risk – Blue Falls book 2
Clipped (a Blue Falls novella 2.5)
Worth the Fight – Blue Falls Book 3
Wild (a Blue Falls novella 3.5)
Worth the Wait – Blue Falls Book 4
The Boss – A novella contribution to the Amazon bestselling anthology, Brothel: The magnolia diaries
The Beard – A contemporary standalone romantic comedy
An excerpt from Worth the Wait
Book 4 in the Blue Falls series
Available now on amazon!
Chapter One
Grey
I stare at my reflection in the dirty mirror, allowing my eyes to linger on the complete disarray that is my current appearance before I snap myself out of it and pull my thin red hoodie up and over my head. I’ve been on the road for nine hours now and I smell like it. I pull a wad of paper towel from the broken dispenser and wet it with warm water before swiping it under my arms and tossing it in the garbage can. I remove my white tank top and plain cotton bra and repeat the process, this time wiping under my breasts. God, I need a shower. Or a hot bath. Yes, a hot bath with bubbles and candles and the sweet sound of silence. Unfortunately, I’m still three hours away from my destination so my little impromptu gas station sponge bath is going to have to do for now.
I pull a clean bra and a fresh shirt out of my duffle bag and apply some deodorant. I brush out my blonde hair and smooth it back into a ponytail and after washing my face I’m already starting to feel like a functioning member of the human race. I don’t bother with makeup and roll my dirty clothes into a ball and shove them back into the duffle bag, checking my appearance one more time in the mirror before I flip the lock and offer an apologetic smile to the woman waiting outside the door. I browse the shelves and settle on an iced tea and a bag of pretzels, reaching for my debit card out of habit before remembering that I emptied my account before I left. I give the young cashier a twenty instead and search for the thick envelope of extra bills that sits at the bottom of my purse, breathing a bit easier when I feel it beneath my fingertips.
I head back out to my car and toss the duffle bag into the back seat where the rest of my luggage sits. I pick up my iPod and plug it in, swiping the screen until I find Miranda Lambert’s latest album. I start the engine and turn the volume up nice and loud, which in my opinion is the only suitable way to listen to music, and crack the window a bit to ease the heat until the AC kicks in. I earn myself a couple passing glances from people as they make their way across the parking lot and into the store. As per usual, I don’t care. I suppose the last six years that I’ve spent stripping my clothes off for a living has desensitized me to the point where I no longer care what people think. I put the car in reverse and pull back onto the highway, blending in with the traffic and singing along with Miranda about her bathroom sink.
It’s late afternoon by the time I reach the town limits of Blue Falls. I pass the familiar sign welcoming me to the community of just under three thousand people and exhale a sigh of relief. Finally. I round the bend and feel a sense of peace as I approach the heart of the town. The sidewalks are filled with people coming and going, clearly taking advantage of the warm weather. I roll my window down further and breathe in the fresh air, letting it sit in my lungs for a moment before I exhale. The memory of my parents and I walking along these same streets, eating ice cream and looking for the perfect souvenir makes my heart heavy and my nose tingle.
I was thirteen the last time we made the trip and spent our two week summer vacation at a modest bed and breakfast. We’d been coming here every summer since before I could remember. They always used to say that when they were ready to retire they were planning on doing it here. My dad died less than a year after that last trip. My mom followed eventually three months ago. When I found myself unceremoniously in need of a fresh start, the first place that came to mind was the beautiful mountain town they loved so much. I like to think that by coming here and starting over I’m honouring their memory in some way. I have other reasons for making the trip, of course. Blue Falls is safe.
I scan the streets as I drive and look for a place to park. I’m positive I look even more dreadful than I did the last time I stopped, but my back is aching and I’m starving. I’ll grab a quick bite to eat and then head over to the small motel where I made my hasty reservation just yesterday from a different motel in a different town. I’ve been travelling for just over three days now and I am sick to death of being on the road. I’m lucky I got a room at all being that summer is just beginning and this place is already crawling with tourists. The price will no doubt be jacked up as well but I should have enough to cover me until I find a job and can earn a paycheck.
I spot an empty space in front of a hardware store and pull in, quickly putting the car in park I turn off the engine and open my door. My stiff muscles rejoice as I stand and lace my fingers together bringing my palms high above my head. I lean side to side and try to work out the kinks as best I can. When I look down I realize my baggy T-shirt has slipped down, exposing my shoulder and the strap of my red bra. The boldly coloured collage of tattoos that cover most of my upper arm and shoulder is exposed as is the large piece on my opposite forearm. I adjust my shirt just as I turn towards the front doors of a hardware store and see a man and little girl walking down the steps. The man doesn’t give me a passing glance but the brown haired little girl pushes her glasses up her nose and stares openly at me, likely at my tattoos. I give her a friendly wave and she giggles, waving back at me as the man gently tugs on her hand and smiles at her while they head down the sidewalk.
I open the back door and grab my purse from the floor before I lock the doors and quickly look up and down the street for somewhere close by to eat. I walk about half a block and come to a small diner called Rosie’s. I don’t remember this place being here before but a lot has changed in the thirteen years since I was here last. I open the door and I’m instantly assaulted with the heavenly scent of old fashioned home cooking. My mouth begins to water before I’m even a
cross the threshold and as the door shuts with a jingle behind me, a woman spots me from behind the counter and gives me a welcoming smile. She’s on the petite side and looks to be in her forties maybe, her dark brown hair is held back in a messy ponytail and her eyes are warm and sincere.
“Have a seat wherever you like sweetheart, I’ll be right with you,” she says.
I return her smile and choose a small booth beside the window so I can watch the people walk by. I set my purse beside me and pull out my cell, sending a quick message to the only number I have programmed in this phone.
Me: Made it.
I avoid providing details, he’ll know what I mean anyways. My phone chimes a second later with a short response.
DM: Keep your cell with you at all times.
I delete the conversation and scroll through my apps while I wait for the waitress to come by. I snort under my breath when I realize how pathetic it is that I don’t have anyone else to check in with. My mom’s gone now, I have no other family and any so called “friends” that I had were girls at the club and even then, I wouldn’t label them as anything other than superficial acquaintances. I set the phone down and remind myself that this is a fresh start. My fresh start. No more medical bills, no more taking my clothes off for self-entitled customers and no more simply existing. My life begins now.
“Hey there, sorry about that, would you like coffee or something else to drink?” The woman who greeted me now stands beside the table holding a full pot of coffee and a menu.
“Could I just have water please, I think I’ll fly out of here if I drink any more caffeine today.”
“Of course,” she smiles. “I’ll leave this menu with you and be back in five.” Just then the door jingles again and a family of four walks in. “Better make that ten,” she groans before she heads back behind the counter and grabs a handful of menus.
I look around the small diner and notice for the first time that it is almost completely packed. There’s maybe three empty tables in the entire place and it looks like there’s only one waitress. Without thinking too much about it, I toss my phone into my purse and use the longer strap to drape it across my body. I walk up to the sleek counter and duck behind it, grabbing the extra pot of coffee off the burner. I make a round and top up everyone who needs it while the other woman continues to take orders. We meet behind the counter and she hands me a small pad of paper and a pen.
“I assume you can take orders honey?”
“Yes I can,” I smile.
“Girl, you are my guardian angel, take the tables along the window and I’ll take the rest, leave your slips beside the till and I’ll enter them for you. We’ll get you squared up on pay when the dinner rush is over.”
“You got it,” I turn and head towards the first table when she calls out behind me.
“I’m Molly by the way, what’s your name sweetheart?”
I stop short and turn back around. Grey Donovan. “Grey,” I say. My name is Grey Caldwell.”
*
“Sweet merciful lord I need to get off these feet,” Molly says as she plops down in the booth across from me.
I ended up helping out until closing which was just a few minutes ago. I’m practically devouring the slice of homemade cherry pie that Molly insisted I eat while we wait for her husband Jack who’s finishing up in the kitchen.
“Mm, this is the best damn pie I’ve ever eaten in my life,” I say as I shove the last bite into my mouth. “Soooo good,” I groan around my mouthful of pastry.
“I wish I could take credit for that but it’s all Sophie over at Olive’s café. That girl has skills I could only dream of having. She makes our desserts for us since Jack and I are both useless,” she chuckles.
“Hey now, who are you calling useless, woman?”
“Oh don’t be a baby, you know you make the best pulled pork in the entire county,” she says smiling as he takes the space beside her.
I watch the two of them grin at each other and it’s plain to see they are one of those couples that are just meant to be. He throws a muscular arm around the back of the booth they share and pulls her against his side. He looks about the same age as her, forties give or take. His dirty blonde hair is short and thick and he has neatly trimmed beard. He’s quite a bit taller than she is and I can’t help it that my mind instantly goes to Beauty and the Beast when I see them sitting together.
“So, are you both from Blue Falls originally?” I ask as I push the empty saucer away from me. I’m tempted to lick it clean but that probably isn’t the best first impression to make.
“Jack is,” she says, looking up at him. “I came passing through about five years ago on my way to my cousin’s wedding. I got a flat tire and pulled over just across the street, Jack noticed and came out to change it for me. I ended up with a wedding date and he ended up with a business partner.”
“The diner was only halfway built at that point,” he says. “We built the rest together.”
“Wow, that’s the kind of love story a girl likes to hear,” I say with a smile.
“Oh don’t be fooled, we’ve had more than enough bumps in our road, both divorced, we’ve both got kids in college and we’ve both made enough mistakes to fill up a decent sized landfill. But when the bumps lead you to someplace good and unexpected I suppose they’re worth it,” she says.
“Damn right they are,” he says. “So, what brings you to town?”
Right.
“Well, I guess you could say I’m looking for a fresh start. My parents are both gone now and I don’t have any other family so I figured I’d take a chance and start something new. We used to come here as a family when I was a kid and I always remembered loving it… so here I am.” I know I’m being vague as hell but it’s better for everyone this way, I just hope it’s enough to score me a job.
“Aw, I’m sorry to hear about your folks,” Molly says. “But you definitely came to the right place if you’re looking to start over. I would know. And you showed up at the perfect time, we’ve been going through staff like crazy, young travellers coming and going who only want to work enough shifts to get some cash in their pockets and then they take off,” she sighs. “We usually have a couple high school kids to cover evenings but with finals wrapping up we’ve been giving them less shifts so they can study.”
“Molly’s been running damn near on empty for the last week, so we appreciate you helping out tonight,” he says. “If you’re inclined to stay in town I’d be happy to have you on full-time. School’s out for the summer at the end of the week so we’ll have our girls back on evenings. You okay with early mornings?”
“Mornings are great,” I say a bit too quickly. “I mean, I would appreciate anything you can give me, I wasn’t expecting to find a job so soon and I’d rest easier knowing that I won’t have to burn through my savings.”
“Then it’s settled. If you can handle doubles for the next couple of days Molly can get you trained on the till and show you where everything is and by the weekend we’ll have you on a regular schedule,” he says. “Otherwise we’ll see you tomorrow at seven.”
A soft breath of relief bursts from my lungs and I thank whoever is listening for small mercies. Jack heads back to the kitchen to finish up and Molly and I tidy up the front. It’s dark by the time I make it back to my car and drive over to the quaint motel on the other side of town. I check in and pay cash for the week before I park my car around the side of the building where it’s not quite as visible from the road. Better safe than sorry.
I haul my luggage to the ground floor room where I’ll be living for the time being and when I open the door I’m relieved to see that although it’s modest, it’s clean. I lock the door behind me and promptly fall back onto the bed. I’m asleep within seconds.