Waiting for Forever (Hope Valley Book 8)

by Jessica Prince

  At that very moment, I was building up to my second. He’d given me my first while fucking me from behind and playing with my clit while I was on my hands and knees. Now I was on top. Leo was sitting with his back pressed against his headboard, watching me as I rode him. My bottom lip was clamped tight between my teeth, my eyes half-mast as he grabbed hold of my hips and began thrusting up from underneath me.

  “Oh God,” I whimpered as the pressure built out of control.

  “Give it to me,” he grunted, one hand traveling up to cup my breast, his rough thumb scraping over my nipple, as the other hand moved down to where we were connected. “I want those eyes on me when you come,” he ordered, rubbing my clit. “I wanna watch.”

  His fingers at my nipple and clit and his cock inside me was a triple threat. I had no chance of holding back, but when he talked dirty like that my release skyrocketed, and I came hard, my walls squeezing him like a fist as my muscles locked tight and I moaned out my release. He followed me over a second later, gripping my hair and slamming my mouth down on his so he could grunt his orgasm past my lips.

  I collapsed against him, and he gave us time to come down, running his hands along my spine and ribs tenderly before finally lifting me off of him and depositing me into the bed.

  He disappeared into the bathroom just long enough to wet a washcloth, then came back and proceeded to clean me up and pull one of his tees over my head, just like he did every night. Every time he did that, my heart swelled and I fell more in love with him.

  Finally, he shut off the lights and climbed into bed, wrapping himself around me and letting out a sated sigh against my hair.

  “I’m probably gonna have to work late tomorrow, but Macie’s got gymnastics practice. Would you mind takin’ her? I’d hate for her to have to miss it.”

  I rolled over to face him, looking at his shadowed face. “Of course. I don’t mind at all. I haven’t gotten to see her do gymnastics before so it’ll be fun.”

  He let out a sigh, this one not sated in the least, but full of concern and weariness. “It seems to be the only thing she actually enjoys anymore.”

  My heart clenched. “Leo, honey, we’ll get her squared away. She’ll be okay. She’s still got you. You’re an incredible dad, so whatever she’s goin’ through, you’ll see her past it.”

  “I just fuckin’ hate that I don’t know what’s wrong. She won’t talk to me. My baby girl’s always talked to me.”

  Wrapping my arms around him, I squeezed tightly, bending my head to press a kiss against his chest. “It’s all gonna work out,” I whispered. “It’ll be okay, and you’ll have your happy, I promise.”

  He returned my embrace, hauling me up so he could reach my lips with his. “Do you have any idea how much you mean to me?”

  I smiled. “You love me.”

  “I do,” he confirmed. “And you love me.”

  “I do, honey.”

  I held on, feeling some of the tension melt from his body. He settled seconds later, but never once loosened his hold, whispering, “Goodnight,” against my forehead.

  I offered him the same, my arms wrapped around my man.

  Concern filled me up from the inside, scratching at my throat as I made the drive to Macie’s gym. She’d been silent the whole way, staring out the window in a daze. It was so unlike her not to chatter constantly, that I knew whatever was on her mind was something big, something she wasn’t able to handle on her own.

  “Honey,” I started, glancing in her direction from the corner of my eye. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, Dani,” she mumbled. I waited for more, but that was all I got.

  “You know, if there’s ever anything you need to talk about, anything at all, I’m here. Your dad is too, but I get that, sometimes, as a girl, there are things we aren’t comfortable talking about with boys.” That caught her attention, and from my periphery, I saw her turn to face me, so I continued. “You can talk about those things with me, sweetie. I just want you to know that.”

  “Like girl stuff?” she asked hesitantly.

  I glanced over to give her a smile. “Yeah. Like girl stuff. Or anything else.”

  The silence descended on the car once more, so I shifted my focus back to the road ahead, trying to think of something to say when she finally spoke.

  “Dani?”

  “Yeah?”

  “How old were you when you got your first period?”

  Caught off guard by that unexpected question, it took me a few seconds to think on before I answered, “Well, I can’t remember exactly, but I think I was around your age.” I peeked over and saw her staring down into her lap, chewing anxiously on her bottom lip. “Macie, a girl getting their first period is nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s totally natural. It just means you’re growing up. I still remember going to my mom when it first happened.”

  “And she helped you?”

  “Of course,” I replied. “It’s a mother’s job to help her daughter through that first time. It can be a little scary.”

  She didn’t say anything, but I heard a sniffle coming from the passenger seat and was hit with an uncomfortable thought.

  “Honey, did you talk to your mom about it?”

  “I-I tried,” she stuttered, making my stomach sink.

  “What did she say?”

  “She didn’t say anything,” Macie whispered. “She just went into her bathroom and came back with a handful of tampons and tossed them on my bed.”

  Red began to seep into my vision and my fingers twisted harder around the steering wheel as rage set in. The fact that Whitney would be so careless as to leave her daughter to navigate a situation like her first period all alone pissed me right the hell off. I pulled a long, careful breath in through my nose, trying my hardest to get back to calm before I dared to speak again.

  “Macie, has she ever talked to you about using a tampon? There are things you need to know—”

  “I didn’t use them” she said quickly. “I just . . . they kind of scared me. I called one of my friends, and she brought me some pads at school the next day.” Her voice broke on the next whispered words. “It was so embarrassing.”

  I reached across the console, placing my hand on her knee and giving it a squeeze. “There is nothing for you to be embarrassed about. It took me months to work up the courage to use a tampon. It’s intimidating. You did the right thing by calling your friend.”

  “Yeah, but she shouldn’t have had to be the one to talk me through it and tell me about cramps and stuff.”

  “No, she shouldn’t have,” I admitted gently. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. It wasn’t fair to you. But if you want, I could take you to the store tomorrow and get you set up with everything you need.”

  “You’d do that?” she asked, sounding a bit surprised.

  “Of course,” I insisted. “Macie, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to help you. That’s what people do when they care about each other, and I care about you very much. This is a difficult time for you, honey. Your hormones are going nuts, cramps can be painful, and a lot of girls tend to get really emotional during that time of the month. It’s not something you should have to navigate by yourself, and I’m happy to help you. That is, if you want me to.”

  “Thanks, Dani,” she said quietly. “I was gonna ask Dad, but . . .”

  “This is a girl thing,” I finished for her, giving her knee another squeeze. “Guys don’t get it, so we gotta stick together, me and you. What do you say?”

  I looked over just in time to catch her giving me a tiny smile, and the ball of tension that had been forming in my chest over the past few weeks finally began to loosen. “Yeah, Dani. That sounds great.”

  I focused back on the road, my lips trembling with a suppressed grin when she spoke again. “And just so you know, I really care about you too. Like, a lot.”

  God, but I loved this girl.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Danika

  I was beside mys
elf with glee as I watched Macie flip and leap along the balance beam. For the first several minutes, I’d watched with my heart in my throat, afraid she’d fall and get hurt, but it quickly became obvious that my girl had immense talent in more than just baking. She owned that beam.

  “Way to go, honey!” I shouted, cupping my hands around my mouth so she could hear. “You’re incredible!”

  She hopped onto the mats and glanced back at me, her cheeks flushed and a tiny smile on her lips as she gave me a little wave and turned to listen to something her coach was saying.

  “First time watching her?”

  I turned to look at the woman who’d just come up beside me, smiling as I nodded. “Yeah. If this is how I get watching her practice I probably shouldn’t come to any of her meets. I’ll just embarrass the poor girl.”

  “Nah,” the woman said. “I can see her face. She’s loved every second of you cheering for her.” She extended her hand my way. “I’m Lois.”

  “Dani,” I said, giving her hand a shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You too. So how do you know Macie?”

  I probably should have prepared for questions like that. Leo said Macie had been with this gym since she was little, so all the parents and kids knew each other. “Oh, um . . . I’m dating her father, Leo.”

  Lois’ eyes went wide. “Oh, so you’re that Dani.” At my concerned expression she quickly waved her hands in front of her. “I’m sorry. That came out wrong. I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I just mean, she’s talked about you. Quite a bit. She’s told us about your dog and your baking lessons. That girl really likes you.”

  “Thank you for telling me that,” I said on a croak, my throat growing thick with emotion. “I really like her too.”

  Lois turned back to watch the floor and I figured the conversation was over. I found out I was wrong when she spoke up a few seconds later. “Nice to see she’s got a woman in her life that’ll cheer her on. That mother of hers,” she said with a sneer in her voice as she shook her head. “Either sits up in the stands with her face in her phone or cackling with her snooty friends. Hardly ever pays her own girl a bit of attention. Certainly never cheers her on.”

  I opened my mouth to ask her more, to ask if she’d possibly seen anything recently that would explain the change in Macie, because I was sure it wasn’t just about how poorly Whitney had handled her daughter’s first period. But before I could get the words out, a voice like nails on a chalkboard yelled out so loud it carried through the entire gym.

  “Bitch! Who the hell do you think you are, being here?”

  I whipped around to see Whitney had arrived, probably called by one of those snooty friends to inform her I was there. “You have no right to be here!” she continued yelling. “You already took my husband and my son. I’ll be damned if I let you take my daughter too!”

  At the sound of her mother’s voice, Macie came jogging off the mats, but instead of going to Whitney, she reached my side and grabbed hold of my arm, clinging tight as she whispered, “Dani?” in a tone so full of panic, it made my blood boil.

  “Macie, get over here right now. We’re leaving!”

  “Ms. Drake,” the coach called out, coming to stand between us and Whitney. “Ma’am, I’m gonna have to ask you to lower your voice and watch your language around my kids. If you can’t do that, you’ll be forced to leave my gym.”

  She looked up at the man, much taller and stronger than she was, and curled her top lip. “You can’t make me do a damn thing. I pay for my girl to be in your gym.”

  She turned her sights back to her daughter and sidestepped the coach. “Don’t make me repeat myself. Move it. We’re going. Now!” She reached out and tried to grab Macie’s arm, but I moved faster. I pulled her back and tucked her behind me, doing my best to keep my voice calm in the face of this despicable woman. “You aren’t taking her anywhere. She’s going to finish her practice, then I’m taking her back to her dad’s. It’s his week. You’ll see her on Monday.”

  “If her dad gave a shit then he’d be here instead of having his skanky sidepiece cart my daughter around. Now move the hell out of my way.”

  Whitney lunged, trying to get to Macie, but I took a step back, shuffling her along with me.

  “Dani,” Macie said, her voice shaking. “I don’t wanna go with her. Please, let me stay with you.”

  “Don’t worry, honey,” I told her in a soothing tone. “You’re going home with me. I promise.”

  “She’s not going anywhere with you, slut!” I made a mistake in taking my eyes off Whitney, just for a second. Before I had a chance to react, she advanced, coming at me with her arm thrown wide. I tried to move Macie out of the way, but before I could, Whitney’s palm slammed against my cheek. Mid-slap, she curled her fingers, digging her nails into my skin and raking them down the side of my face.

  It wasn’t hard enough to knock me down, but I still teetered to the side, one whole side of my face feeling like it had caught fire.

  Everyone around us burst into motion just then. A line of moms formed between Macie and me, and the coach trapped Whitney in a bear hug from behind, holding her in place as she thrashed and screamed against him.

  “I’ve called the cops,” Lois said, moving in to inspect my cheek, but I quickly brushed her off, needing to get to Macie.

  Tears where pouring down her pale cheeks as I dropped to my knees in front of her, offering her a smile against the pain in my cheek. “Hey, hey. It’s okay. I promise. It’s all gonna be okay.”

  “She . . . sh-she hit you,” Macie cried, the tears coming harder and faster.

  “It was nothing, baby. Look at me. I’m fine. I swear. It was just a slap.”

  “B-but you’re bleeding.”

  “Just little scratches,” I replied, running my hands up and down her arms, trying to hold her attention so she wouldn’t focus on her mother screaming terrible, vile things. “A little antibiotic ointment, and I’ll be good as new.”

  She sniffled, batting at her cheeks with the back of her hand. “R-really?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Turning my head and looking up, I saw Lois was standing right at my side. “Is there an office or something in the back where Macie can stay for a little bit?”

  “Absolutely. I’ll take her.” She held out her hand to Macie, but my girl grabbed my arm in a death grip.

  “Go with Lois, honey. I’ll be right there. I promise. I’m right behind you.”

  She hesitated for a second longer, but finally let me go and allowed Lois lead her off. Once she was out of earshot, I rose to my feet and slowly turned to face the bitch who’d just scared the hell out of her daughter.

  “What?” she asked on a sneer. “Still too pathetic to stand up for yourself Dorky Dani? Just gonna let me hit you and walk away?”

  “Yes,” I hissed, getting in her face. “Because what you just did? That’s assault. In front of plenty of witnesses.”

  “I got it all recorded on my phone,” one of the moms shouted, causing Whitney to stop struggling and all the color to drain from her face.

  “That means, after this scene and you slapping me, Leo has everything he needs to get his daughter away from a poisonous, disgusting woman like you for good.”

  With that, I shouldered past her and headed toward the office so I could take care of my girl.

  Leo

  I stormed into the gym to find two uniformed officers already there, asking questions while Whitney sat on the bottom bleacher, her hands cuffed behind her back. The second she saw me, her eyes went big and she shot to her feet.

  “Leo! Leo, please. You have to talk to them.” The officer closest to her placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back to sitting. But she didn’t give up. “This is ridiculous. You can’t let them arrest me. Please! I’m your wife.”

  “Ex-wife,” I hissed, stopping a foot away and bending at the waist so we were nose to nose. “You put your hands on my woman. You scared my daughter. There’s n
o fuckin’ way in hell I’d ever help you.”

  “Please,” she begged, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. “If you ever cared about me—”

  “For some reason, you have it in your head that I hold some kind of affection for you, Whitney. I don’t. You have no sway over me. You hold no cards, and now, after this stunt, you’re fucked. I’m gonna make sure you’re never able to hurt my kids again.”

  Her face screwed up with hate, the real Whitney returning to the show as she shrieked, “So you’re just gonna let them arrest the mother of your children?”

  “Fuck yes, I am.”

  Then I disregarded her, turning to face the officer closest to me. “You get everything you need from the people here?”

  “Just about, Drake.”

  “All right. I’m goin’ to get my girls. I’ll give you five minutes. I don’t want her here when we come out.”

  “You’ve got it.”

  With a tilt of my chin, I moved away, my feet beating against the matted floor as I headed for my girls.

  Danika

  I waited until Macie was asleep before carefully shifting off her bed and tiptoeing to the door.

  She’d clung to me from the moment we left the gym until she passed out, and I didn’t mind one damn bit. If she needed me at her side so she could make sure I was okay, I’d give her that. Hell, I’d give her absolutely anything.

  By the end of dinner, some of that light that we’d missed for the past month had come back, that spark in my girl growing a bit stronger. But she still needed a woman to lean on, and I was honored to be that for her.

  I pulled it partially closed and spun around, starting for the stairs, when Hardin’s door opened. He stood there for a second, Roscoe by his side. At some point, my dog had become more Hardin’s than mine, and I was totally okay with that. He stared at the thin scratches on my cheek before lifting his gaze to mine. Finally, he spoke in a craggy voice. “She’s gonna be all right?”