by J. E. Parker
“Don’t tell my husband either,” she continued, wickedness gleaming in her irises. “Actually, you know what? Please tell Brantley. I like it when he gets all possessive and jealous. Maybe he’ll spank me.”
“Good God almighty, Clara,” Keith, Maddie’s father, said as he stood from the chair where he’d been silently sitting, a half-eaten plate of food clutched in his hands. “Now I’m gonna have nightmares!”
With a roll of her eyes, Clara waved a dismissive hand in his direction. “Don’t worry, you’ll live.”
“What did I miss?” Carissa asked, climbing the back porch steps before us, her blue eyes alight with curiosity. “And why does Keith look like he’s going to either faint or puke? I can’t quite tell which.”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Maddie answered, nonchalantly. “Daddy just overheard Clara talking about wanting to be spanked by Brantley on account of her incessant drooling over Pop.”
Carissa, who until that moment had come across as shy and reserved, shrugged before saying something that nearly surprised me to death. “Getting spanked is fun sometimes.”
Clara slapped her hand over her mouth as Maddie nodded in agreement. “It is. And let me tell you, when Hendrix—”
“That’s it!” Keith hollered, tossing his plate into the trash can beside him. “I am done eating for the day!” Throwing his hands up, he stomped down the steps toward where the guys had gathered. “Whatever team Hendrix is on,” he yelled to no one in particular, “put me on the opposite one so I can tackle the hell out of him!”
“Don’t you dare tackle my husband, Daddy!” Maddie fussed, hands cupping the sides of her mouth as she yelled. “I mean, go ahead, but if you do, I promise he’ll take it out on me later and well…” Dropping her hands and lowering her voice so only we could hear, she finished with, “I promise I’ll like it.”
A chorus of cackles, mine included—when was the last time I laughed this much?—echoed through the air as Shelby grabbed my hand, threading our fingers together.
“Come on,” she said, squeezing it. “Let’s get away from these horndogs before I throw up. We can grab a seat beside Grandmama where we can watch our girls, all the babies, and the guys.”
She winked and pulled me down the steps, then led me toward a line of lawn chairs, where the Crazy Old Biddy was already seated, an old-fashioned camcorder propped up on her hunched shoulder.
Where she’d gotten it from, I had no clue.
“Here,” she said, slapping a hot pink encased iPhone onto my lap when I plopped down next to her. “Use my cellar phone to record the game. I need a backup in case I run outta tape.”
I stared, shell-shocked, as Clara shouted from where she still stood next to a grinning Maddie on the porch. “Remember what I said, Beauty! Embrace the crazy!”
Blinking, I shook my head, picked up the phone, and then glanced at the wooden swing set where most of the kids played, while Chiquita, Little One, Hope, and Heidi, sat at a rustic picnic table, watching over them.
My heart squeezed.
I wanted to be by their sides so badly, Chiquita especially, but I was trying to give them room to reestablish their sisterly bond once more without impeding. They’d always loved each other so much, and they needed time without me hovering, but giving them space was hard.
Not to mention heart-rending.
“Is Charlotte working the morning shift at the shelter tomorrow?” Shelby asked someone, who I had no clue. Distracted, my eyes bounced back to Guapo, who was commanding all my attention.
Looking directly at me, his heated stare seared holes into my skin, including my bare thighs. Wanting to covertly tease him, I made a show of sitting up straighter and crossing one leg over the other, causing the skirt of my dress to rise the slightest bit.
Hands twitching, his chest inflated as he inhaled.
Jaw clenched, he stepped forward but was stopped from taking another when an oblivious Hendrix moved in front of him, blocking me from his view.
I wanted to scream in frustration.
Quickly becoming addicted to having his eyes on me, his sole attention caressing parts of me that I’d spent far too long craving for him to touch with his rough hands and then taste with his gifted mouth, I was close to going loca.
If I hadn’t reached that point already.
“Yup,” Clara replied, answering Shelby’s question as she dropped into the vacant chair to my right. “She’s working tonight too, same as Wendy, so I was going to fix a few plates and run them, along with the rest of the leftovers, over there.”
“Good.” For a few seconds, silence reigned. Then, “Hey, Mama C,” Shelby continued, jerking my attention from James.
She called me Mama C…
Just like Ashley and Jade.
“I’m off tomorrow, but do you want to run down to the shelter with Gracie and me? We’re kind of looking to hire a few people, so I thought maybe you’d be interested…”
“Me?” Shocked, I pointed back at myself. “But I…” I struggled to find the words I wanted to speak. “I’m just a housekeeper. I don’t—”
“Don’t you even dare,” Maddie said, cutting me off as she kneeled before me, with Carissa standing next to her. “Being a housekeeper is an honorable job, and one that all of us respect, so don’t you degrade yourself or anyone else by saying just a housekeeper.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“Besides,” she interjected as if I hadn’t spoken. “You are more than you give yourself credit for, Beauty. You’re a trafficking and domestic violence survivor and a recovering addict, which means you are the exact type of person who Charlotte, our boss and my future stepmother, has been looking to hire.”
Her future stepmother?
I didn’t know what to think or what to say.
Carissa knew it too because she sat down on Clara’s lap and took my hand in hers. “I know you’ve had a tiring day,” she started, her touch featherlight and comforting. “And I’m sure your head is spinning since all of this”—she gestured to the yard full of people, all of whom had accepted Jade and me without a second thought—“is a lot to take in. But we really could use you at the shelter. You may not believe it, but you, who has been through everything that you have and still made it to the other side, would make one heck of a victim’s advocate.”
“She would,” Clara agreed, nodding.
“Yup,” Maddie added, standing.
“You’re dadgummed right!”
Putting her giant camera on her lap, Grandmama turned to face me. Pulling my hand from Carissa’s, she took it in hers, squeezing my fingers the slightest bit.
“Listen here,” she started, shooting me a look that reminded me of the one Mamá used to give Alejandro and me when she expected us to shut up and listen.
The sight nearly brought me to tears.
“Go talk to Charlotte, take the job I know she’s gonna offer you, then get to work helping all those women and children who are in the same spot that you, Ashley Jo, and Jade, along with Clara and her boys, used to be in.”
My stomach ached.
Clara had been hurt?
The revelation almost made me puke.
“’Cause all of them special souls down yonder need someone to fight for ‘em, and there ain’t a woman better than you for the job since you’ve already gone to war over two of my other grandbabies before.”
She peered at me over her sparkly glasses. “Now, you gonna do as I say and go on down there come morning? Or do I need to pull out my swatter?”
Chin trembling, I didn’t hesitate before looking at Shelby. “What time are we leaving?”
Clara threw her arms up and squealed in excitement as Maddie beamed a smile, and Shelby gave me a thumbs up, happiness clear on her features. “Ten okay with you?”
Pulling my hair from the tie holding it secure after Grandmama released my hand, I nodded. “I’ll be ready.” Chest filling with an emotion I couldn’t describe, but that felt an awful lot like pride, I pushed my
wild locks back over my shoulders and focused back on Guapo, who was still staring at me, a knowing look on his face. “It’s not like I was planning on heading back to Charleston tonight, anyway.”
Seven years may have passed since James and I were ripped apart, but now that we were reunited, I refused to go slow as many would expect me to.
He was my soulmate.
It was a truth I’d known the moment my body first collided with his, even if I hadn’t accepted it right away. And after being away from him for so long, I wouldn’t allow another second to keep his heart from mine.
“I don’t blame you,” Carissa whispered, grabbing my attention as she stole a peek at James, who wasn’t paying a bit of attention to anyone but me. “I’m not into the whole older guy thing, but James sure is easy on the eyes.”
Clara nodded in agreement.
As for me, I took a deep breath and gathered every ounce of courage I could muster, which wasn’t a lot, and sent up a silent prayer.
Please don’t let me make a fool of myself.
“Guapo!” When he crossed his arms over his chest and lifted his chin, silently demanding I continue, I twirled a stray piece of hair around my pointer finger, trying my best to flirt, something I’d had zero practice at. “Is it okay with you if I stay at your house tonight?”
Before he could answer, Jade shouted, “If you’re staying with him, then I’m spending the night with Ashley!”
A blind man could’ve seen that coming.
“You think I was really going to let you stay anywhere else?” the smartass answered, a sly smile curving his tempting mouth as he teased me. “You and I both know where you’ve always belonged.”
What a caveman.
Clara sucked in a breath. “That’s just… hot.”
Hand covering her mouth, Carissa laughed as Shelby gagged once more, this time so hard I was surprised her tonsils didn’t pop out of her throat.
I shrugged a lone shoulder. “Si, we do.”
“Alright, now!” Grandmama hollered, more than eager to see some sweaty, bare-skinned action. “Stop trying to melt my purdy ol’ shade trees with all this tension and let the men get to playing some booty-ball.” Booty-ball? “I mean it! I want those purdy tushes in the air! Except for you, Keith. You stay outta my camera frame, son!”
My lungs burned from laughter.
“I’m so glad the kids aren’t paying any attention to her insanity,” Maddie mumbled, lips pressed in a thin line as she sat down on the grass by my feet and leaned against my legs. “Can you imagine the therapy bills?”
“I—”
“Mama!” Maci interrupted as she ran toward Maddie. “Since CeCe is spending the night with Pop-Pop, can I stay over there too?”
“Not tonight, sweet pea.” Maci’s face fell, and a sharp pang ricocheted through my chest. I didn’t like seeing her sad. Not at all. “But how about we ask CeCe if you can sleepover tomorrow since I’m sure she’ll be staying with Pop-Pop then too?”
If I had anything to say about it, I would.
Maci’s whiskey-colored, hope-filled eyes swung to mine. “Can I? I promise I’ll be good.” She pouted, sticking out her bottom lip. “I’ll even help you cook supper and stuff.”
Hands shaking with the need to pull her into my arms and hug her so tight that my demons never stood a chance of ever resurfacing again, I cleared my throat. “I’ll make you a deal, bebé. You can spend the night with me at Pop-Pop’s tomorrow—since I never plan on leaving—but only if you bring Melody, Gracie, and Addie too.”
She clapped before frowning once more. “But what about Bella, Olivia, and Lily Ann? Ty says Brielle is too young for sleepovers, but the others aren’t.”
“You know what?” I leaned forward and palmed the sides of her freckle-covered face. “How about we invite the entire street, your brother and the rest of the boys included? From what I saw, Pop-Pop’s house is big enough. He’s got room.”
Boys at a sleepover? I chastised myself.
The men are going to matar me!
I yelped in surprise when she squealed and leaped toward me, slamming her body into mine and nearly knocking us both backward and right out of the chair.
“Yeah, we’re going to invite them all!” she shouted, wrapping her arms around my neck, and smashing her cheek to mine as Clara grabbed the side of the chair, stopping us from toppling over. “And we’re going to have so much fun!”
Excited conversation erupted around us, but I ignored everyone speaking and focused on the beautiful little girl I held in my arms, her warmth and steady heartbeat bleeding into me.
“We are,” I assured her. “We’ll cook whatever you want for dinner, and then we can make dessert together. How does that sound?”
“Yesss!” My ears rang from her high-pitched squeals. “Wanna know something?”
“I do.”
“You’re going to be the best CeCe in the whole wide world,” she whispered, knocking me off guard as she nuzzled against me like an affectionate kitten, healing one of the many shards of my broken heart. “And I’m going to love you with my whole big heart forever and ever.”
Hugging her tighter, too tight, I turned my face and pressed a kiss to her sweaty forehead. “And I’m going to love you right back.” Gently resting her small hand atop my racing pulse, I threaded her tiny fingers with my shaking ones. “With every healing piece of me...”
Hearing what I’d said, Maddie buried her face against my bare outer thigh, her own hot tears wetting my skin as I stared at her little girl, mi nieta, and one of the biggest blessings I’d ever received.
“Forever, mi cielo.”
My heaven.
That’s what I’d called Maci, because like the rest of her familia—my familia—that’s what she was becoming, along with what I knew each of them would always be.
For all time.
15
Carmen
I was going to have a stroke.
Sick to my stomach with trepidation, I stood on the dark sidewalk next to my Kia, my shaking arms wrapped around Chiquita as she buried her face in my throat, her ragged exhales fluttering against my skin.
“Please don’t leave,” she whispered, her bruise-inducing fingers digging deep into my sides. “Because if you do, even if you promise to come back, I won’t be able to handle it.”
I sealed my eyes shut, willing the tears that blurred my vision not to fall. “I’m not leaving you. Not even again,” I replied, clutching the back of her tank top in my fists. “I’ll just be up the street at Guapo’s.”
Swaying in place, I rocked her in place just as I had many times in the past. “Unless that’s too far? If it is, say the word, bebé, and I’ll stay right here with you and Little One, because you two come first, just as you always have and always will.”
Pulling back, she peered at me, her eyes level with mine, and wiped away the tears that had spilled down her cheeks. “No.” Shaking her head, she glanced up the street before taking a step back. “You need to spend time with Pop, too. You two have been apart long enough. Besides, if you’re staying with him and not going back to Charleston, I’ll be fine.”
A sly smile curved her lips.
My tight chest loosened in response.
“Just don’t have too good of a time, okay? I mean, you two are getting up there in age and we wouldn’t want either of you to break a hip or—”
Standing behind her older sister, with Chase’s arm thrown over her shoulder, Jade’s maniacal laughter drowned out the smartass words Chiquita had uttered.
Not that it mattered if I’d heard the rest of the sentence. I’d gotten the gist of the garbage being slung my way simply fine.
“You,” I said, biting back a smile as I pointed at my second oldest chica now that Shelby, who I was drawing inspiration from if my next words were anything to go by, had come into the picture. “Silencio, or else I will muzzle you.”
Knowing my threat was nothing but manure, Ashley rolled her eyes, same as Jade alwa
ys did. “Oh, whatever.” My brows arched at her newfound feistiness, which I loved, as she held her hands up, palms out. “I was just trying to look out for you.”
I smirked. “Sure.”
Pulling free of Chase’s relaxed hold, Jade popped open the back door of my car. “Ash, help me get all my crap out of here. I’ve gotta take a shower since I’m all sticky with sugar and smell like lemons thanks to the glass of tea that Colby, the little turd, dumped all over my lap.”
She glared toward Evan and Hope’s house over the roof of the car. “On purpose, I might add. I swear, he and Wyatt are both pure trouble.” Shaking her head, she smiled. “I think they may be my new best friends.”
Ashley scoffed. “Great. All it took was one afternoon, and the wrecking-crew twins have already replaced me.”
Jade shot her an you-know-better look before leaning inside the car and scrummaging through my cluttered back seat, grabbing assorted items from the overfilled clear motel trash bags I’d thrown inside hours earlier, when I was preparing for us to run, for what I thought was our lives.
That had been less than twelve hours ago.
Yet, in so little time, so much had changed.
We’d gone from fearing that our last breath would soon come to falling headfirst into a new future. One filled with insurmountable beauty, endless love, and the very thing we’d been missing for far too long.
Familia.
I just prayed that it would all last because after feeling Heaven’s light dance across my skin, there was no way I could survive the flames of Hell rendering my flesh to ash once more.
Point blank, no matter what I had to do, I would hold on to the fresh start I’d been given because sliding back into the darkness, where my demons raged, and pain never stopped battering my soul, wasn’t an option.
And it never would be again.
“Mama C!”
Snapped free of the thoughts flooding my whirling mind, I turned my attention to Ashley, who wore an expectant expression.
