The Way We Were
Page 22
Considering the circumstances of my night, this is wrong of me to admit, but Savannah and I tested the nickel theory. Don’t do it. It doesn’t hurt, but the laughing that follows the nickel’s bounce may sting your ego.
It did mine.
Lucky for me, Savannah’s lips soothed the sting in the best way possible. Even with her skills being as rusty as my truck when I brought her, Savannah gives better head than any woman I know.
Recalling where I’ve been the last four hours, I adjust the thickness in my pants before drawing Savannah off my chest so I can see her eyes. I need them to quell the unease swirling in my gut. I’ve only had this feeling twice before. It was the two times I had Savannah’s life in my hands.
“Was Brax hurt?” Savannah questions, confused by the deep groove between my brows.
I shake my head. “No. It’s just...” A sigh finishes my sentence. “Something about this case is off.”
Savannah chews on the corner of her lip, making her look as youthful as she does in my memories. “You don’t think it’s a standard mugging?”
I shake my head again. “Have you heard from Damon lately?”
The quick squeeze of Savannah’s thighs answers my question on her behalf.
Cocking my head to the side, I arch a brow. “You didn’t give him money again, did you?”
Guilt grows in Savannah’s eyes before she shakes her head. “Jet said that’s the worst thing I could do.”
“It is. If you’re not going to listen to my advice, you should listen to Jet.”
Miraculously, I keep jealousy out of my tone. That is a first. Savannah only sees Jet as a friend; Jet returns her friendship, but I’m confident if I weren’t in the picture, he’d be happy to fill my spot.
“Where did you see Damon?”
“Outside that little bakery in town. He wanted to talk to Rylee.” Savannah lifts her too-easy-to-forgive eyes to me. “He asked about you. He misses you, Ry.”
I want to believe her, but I know that isn’t the case. Damon didn’t just break the promise we made over a decade ago; he crumbled it to pieces. He's more like our father than he’s ever been, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love him. Just like Chris, I’ll never give up on him; I just need him to put forth the same effort.
I run my hand down Savannah’s back, loving the boost of color it gives to her cheeks. “Did you give Damon the brochure I gave you?”
Her teeth graze her bottom lip as she nods. “He said your mom already gave it to him.”
“Ma gave him a drug counseling brochure?” Shock resonates in my tone.
Savannah smiles, wiping away my shit day in an instant. “Yeah. She’s getting better, Ryan. Maybe not at a pace suitable for everyone, but a step forward is better than a step back.” Her smile doubles, tripling the growth in my pants. “Did Brax tell you where he was planning to take Clara last night?”
The zeal in her voice shocks me. I haven’t heard her tone this high in months. Well, except when she’s screaming my name in ecstasy, but since I’m trying to ignore the rock in my pants, I’ll pretend I’m shocked.
When I shake my head, Savannah reveals, “Back to his apartment.”
My mouth gapes. “Brax doesn’t take girls back his apartment. That is the very first rule on his long list of many.”
“I know,” Savannah squeals, her voice piercing my eardrums. “That’s why I asked Mrs. Daphne for proof. Clementine had to show her how to work the camera on her phone, but there's no doubt Brax had a girl in his arms last night.”
She leans over to snag her cell off the bedside table to show me the proof firsthand. When she slams down onto my lap, we both freeze for a moment. If I weren’t wearing trousers, and she wasn’t wearing panties, we’d be...
No, don’t go there, Ryan. You are a grown man having an adult conversation with a woman you plan to marry one day. You are not an out-of-control teen.
Even Savannah thrusting a picture of Brax into my peripheral vision doesn’t dampen my excitement. The girl of my dreams is right here, directly in front of me.
I’d be a fool not to take advantage of the situation.
Faster than Savannah can snap her fingers, I swipe her wrists out from underneath her. She topples onto the mattress with a giggle, her fall softened by my outstretched hands. I’d never hurt her...not in a million years.
“Kiss me,” I demand, narrowing my mouth toward hers. The pout she makes shouldn’t turn me on, but it does.
“I’m not kissing you, Ryan. I have horrible morning breath.” She folds her arms under her breasts, thrusting her glorious tits that have grown a little bigger the past three months into my line of sight.
“Kiss me,” I demand again, tickling her, my fingers running more over the generous mounds on her chest than her actual ribs.
She arches her back. It is more for show than annoyance.
“Ryan!” Savannah squeals when I up the ante. “I swear to god, if you make me pee my pants, I won’t speak to you for a week.”
“I’ve had worst,” I jest, laughing.
I continue my onslaught, loving that it seems like we’ve stepped back in time. When I am with Savannah, I truly feel free of burden. I will always feel guilt for what happened to Chris. What I said to him when he killed himself will stay with me for eternity, but with Savannah’s help, I’ve realized Chris never intended to be here for the long haul. He wanted an out; I gave him one—it just wasn’t in the manner I had believed.
He didn’t want to leave his brother, so by me promising to look after Noah, he finally felt at peace with his decision. Was it the right one for him to make? No. Never. But I'm glad he has found peace.
I’m drawn from my thoughts when a pair of smaller hands joins my campaign in tickling Savannah into submission. Rylee bombards her mother’s ribs, making sure she doesn’t press too hard on the little curve peeking out of Savannah’s pajamas.
The beautiful roundness of her stomach proves that wishes can come true. You’ve just got to put in the hard work first, because whether you have millions in your bank account or not even two nickels to rub together, life isn’t easy. Everything you want, you have to fight for. That includes love.
After placing a kiss on the two letter name scrawled on Savannah’s lower left hip, I continue tickling her ribs. Savannah claims she got her “Ry” tattoo in the weeks following Rylee’s birth as a commemoration, but she's as bad at lying as she's at saying no to Rylee. If it were solely for Rylee, she would have had gotten her whole name. It represents me as well.
By the time I’m hunched over with a stomach cramp from laughing so hard, Savannah’s face is as red as a beetroot. Happiness isn’t the cause of her inflamed cheeks, though. She looks moments away from murdering someone.
As she charges into the bathroom like a woman on a mission, my eyes swing to Rylee. “I think we made Mommy mad?”
Rylee grins an adorable dimpled smile before nodding.
“Should we make her something yummy for breakfast to make up for it?”
Her smile turns blinding.
“Alright, jump on.” She leaps onto my back before my offer is fully issued.
“What do you think your little brother will let mommy hold down this morning?” I ask Rylee as we giddy-up into my kitchen.
“Hmm...” When I place her on the kitchen counter, she taps her index finger on her pursed lips. “Fruit Loops?”
My brows furrow. “Do you think Fruit Loops will stop Mommy from being sick?”
My deep tone is smothered with uncertainty. Savannah has a hard time keeping down toast, so I don’t think she’ll fair well with sugary cereal and full cream milk.
Rylee shakes her head. “No, but the toilet will look pretty after she vomits.”
I throw my head back and laugh. Stick me with a fork, ladies and gentlemen. I am fucking done. If I hadn’t already worked this out months ago, there's no doubting it now. Not only is Savannah Fontane, the prettiest and most entrancing woman in Ravenshoe, but my god, so
is her daughter.
“Please be careful,” Savannah begs, handing me the cannister of coffee she made when I announced a break in Brax’s case required me to go back in after only an hour of sleep. “Do you think you’ll see Brax today?”
I nod. “I’ll drop in to update him on what Nate discovered before heading to the office. Why?”
She tries not to smile. She shouldn’t have bothered. Her dimples give away when she's smiling even without her lips moving.
“Can you give him this for me?” She doesn’t hide her grin when she hands me a white paper bag.
Her shit-eating smirk morphs onto my face when I peer into the bag. There's a twelve pack of magnum condoms nestled in the middle.
“You were over the moon when you discovered I was pregnant. I have a feeling Brax might not be so eager to join the parenting club just yet.”
I laugh. “I think he’d shit bricks.”
“Most men would,” Savannah agrees, smiling.
I inch my mouth closer to hers. “Lucky for you, I’m anything but normal.”
Any reply she's planning to give is halted by the lash of my tongue against her lips. My god—as sweet as honey and as sinful as vodka. Savannah’s intoxicating palate would make a sane man insane and a sober man drunk.
I stop refilling my lungs with air when a grunt sounds through my ears. It is closely followed by the stomping of a foot. Not needing further instructions, I bob down to Rylee’s height so she can issue me the same farewell kiss she has given me every day for the past nearly four months.
“Bye, Daddy,” she whispers, her farewell as perfect to my ears as the first hundred times she’s called me her dad.
She curls her arms around my neck to squeeze me tightly. “Be careful.” She stutters her last word, her fret as high as her mother’s when I am on duty.
Although the massive settlement Savannah will be paid by the state means I could soon live like a king, I have no intentions of resigning from my position at Ravenshoe PD. What Regina said all those years ago was true. I was born for this job—I just needed to pull my head out of my ass to see it. Savannah understands this; that is why she’s never mentioned me leaving. It is only Rylee who doesn’t understand why I can’t stay home and play Barbie dolls with her all day. The long paternity leave I’m planning to take when her brother is born will hopefully quench her desires for a few months.
After drawing Rylee into my chest, I assure her, “Don’t fret, sweetheart. Daddy has been waiting for your mommy for a very long time. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. And neither are you.”
News Article
Town Hero Ends Challenging Year on a High.
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Ravenshoe Police Officer and beloved local, Ryan Carter (30), is set to marry childhood sweetheart, Savannah Fontane (30) in an intimate wedding on the cliffs of Bronte’s Peak later this evening. The couple’s two children, Rylee (5) and Christopher (6 mths) will be a part of the ritzy celebrations. With members of the wedding party being much-loved residents of the Ravenshoe area, the guest lists has been reported to be in the high- to mid-three hundreds.
Ryan is a decorated officer who received a medal of honor for his risky rescue on the banks of Bronte’s Peak fifteen months ago. After being shot by his brother, Damon (28) in a domestic altercation twelve months ago, Ryan began a long and bumpy road to recovery. His fiancée was at his side every step of the way.
Forever an advocate for domestic violence victims, Ryan testified on behalf of his brother at his trial. He requested for the judge to be lenient on the basis that victims of domestic violence also include other family members subjected to repercussions of the abuse. The Judge heard his plea. After serving his bail period in a minimum security prison, Damon Carter was sentenced to two years of extensive rehabilitation at a center in Kentucky. Although he was initially included on the guest list for today’s celebration, at last report, he will not be attending the festivities.
I am sure you will join Ravenshoe Gossip in wishing Ryan and Savannah the best of luck today. Their wedding has been many years in the making.
The End
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The next book in the Enigma series is Cormack! His book is called Sugar and Spice . It is available NOW!
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Facebook: facebook.com/authorshandi
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Instagram: instagram.com/authorshandi
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Email: authorshandi@gmail.com
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Reader’s Group: bit.ly/ShandiBookBabes
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Website: authorshandi.com
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Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/AuthorShandi
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Hunter, Hugo, Cormack, Hawke, Ryan, Rico & Brax stories have already been released, Brandon, Regan and all the other great characters of Ravenshoe will be getting their own stories at some point during 2020.
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If you enjoyed this book - please leave a review.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to the following individuals who without their contributions and support this book would not have been written.
First to my husband Chris—my rock, my boo! I love you!
Second to my mum Carolyn Wallace. You support is endless!
Third to my editor, Krista. Thank you for making my manuscripts nice and shiny. Love your work!
Fourth, to Bec, for listening to my ramblings. AKA—spoiler alerts! Let’s take this industry by storm!
And last, but not at all least, my beautiful readers. You guys ROCK! I love every blood one of you!
My first book was originally written to be shared amongst my friends, in a hope that others may enjoy the story I created, but with the support of the people mentioned earlier, I self-published my stories to share with others. I hope you enjoy them!
Please remember to leave a review of my book.
Cheers
Shandi xx
Also by Shandi Boyes
Perception Series
* * *
Saving Noah (Noah & Emily)
Fighting Jacob (Jacob & Lola)
Taming Nick (Nick & Jenni)
Redeeming Slater (Slater and Kylie)
Saving Emily (Noah & Emily - Novella)
Wrapped Up with Rise Up (Perception Novella - should be read after the Bound Series)
* * *
Enigma
* * *
Enigma (Isaac & Isabelle #1)
Unraveling an Enigma (Isaac & Isabelle #2)
Enigma The Mystery Unmasked (Isaac & Isabelle #3)
Enigma: The Final Chapter (Isaac & Isabelle #4)
Beneath The Secrets (Hugo & Ava #1)
Beneath The Sheets(Hugo & Ava #2)
Spy Thy Neighbor (Hunter & Paige)
The Opposite Effect (Brax & Clara)
I Married a Mob Boss(Rico & Blaire)
Second Shot(Hawke & Gemma)
The Way We Are(Ryan & Savannah #1)
The Way We Were(Ryan & Savannah #2)
Sugar and Spice (Cormack & Harlow)
Lady In Waiting (Regan & Alex #1)
Man in Queue (Regan & Alex #2)
Couple on Hold(Regan & Alex #3)
Enigma: The Wedding (Isaac and Isabelle)
Silent Vigilante (Brandon and Melody #1)
Hushed Guardian (Brandon & Melody #2)
Quiet Protector (Brandon & Melody #3)
* * *
Bound Series
* * *
Chains (Marcus & Cleo #1)
Links(Marcus & Cleo #2)
Bound(Marcus & Cleo #3)
Restrain(Marcus & Cleo #4)
Psycho (Dexter & ??)
* * *
Russian Mob Chronicles
* * *
Nikolai: A Mafia Prince Romance (Nikolai & Justine #1)
Nikolai: Taking Back What’s Mine (Nikolai & Justine #2)
Nikolai: What’s Left of Me(Nikolai & Justine #3)
Nikolai: Mine to Protect(Ni
kolai & Justine #4)
Asher: My Russian Revenge (Asher & Zariah)
Nikolai: Through the Devil's Eyes(Nikolai & Justine #5)
Trey (Trey & K)
K: A Trey Sequel
The Italian Cartel
* * *
Dimitri
Roxanne
Reign
Mafia Ties (Novella)
Maddox
Demi
Rocco
Clover
Smith
* * *
RomCom Standalones
Just Playin’ (Elvis & Willow)
Ain't Happenin' (Lorenzo & Skylar)
The Drop Zone (Colby & Jamie)
Very Unlikely (Brand New Couple)
* * *
Short Stories
* * *
Christmas Trio (Wesley, Andrew & Mallory -- short story)
Falling For A Stranger (Short Story)
* * *
Coming Soon
Skitzo