Holden's Resurrection (Gemini Group Book 6)

by Riley Edwards

  Instead of standing, he reached into his pocket, then grabbed my left hand and slid an enormous diamond on my finger. But I knew he wasn’t done when he looked up at me and said, “This one is us. Uncut, a diamond is rough, but when it’s polished it’s beautiful and strong. When you’re not by my side, I’m jagged and raw. But when we’re together,” Holden tapped the ring, “nothing but beauty.”

  He slid a second ring on my finger, brought my hand to his mouth, and kissed the rings he’d slipped on. “Faith. It’s said that an amethyst is the bridge between the concrete and the divine. The antidote for clumsiness and foolery. It’s fitting that it’s our girl’s birthstone. She certainly has brought my life into brilliant clarity.”

  I didn’t look down at the new ring, I was sure it was pretty, but Holden’s glassy, brown eyes held me hostage.

  “Beautiful,” I muttered.

  “Stunning,” he returned and winked.

  Holden rose to his feet and brushed his mouth against mine while he told me how much he loved me. Before I could return the sentiment, I felt arms wrap around my thighs and looked down.

  “So we’re moving into the house?”

  I nodded.

  “And we’re for sure getting a puppy?”

  God help me, one of the best moments of my life was being interrupted for confirmation a puppy was forthcoming.

  I nodded again.

  “And it’s gonna be a Tank dog?”

  “Yes.” I changed tactics, hoping my verbal answer would appease my child.

  “Awesome.” Her accompanying dance, if it could be called that, had the room laughing again. “I’m getting a pup-py,” she chanted and jerked her body this way and that way.

  “Lord, save me.”

  “Anyone else in shock that Holden’s middle name is Clarence?” Weston hooted.

  I opened my mouth to defend my man but Holden stopped me. “No, baby, let them have this.”

  “But, there’s nothing wrong with Clarence. Besides, it’s a family name.”

  “Trust me. Let Weston dig his hole.” I tilted my head, not understanding. “I know what his is.”

  “Is it bad?”

  Holden leaned close and whispered, “Orville.”

  I tried, I really did, but I couldn’t stop the laughter from bubbling up.

  “Dad?” Faith’s voice rang out sure and strong like she’d been calling Holden that since she could talk. When in actuality, she’d never in her life called a man dad.

  The laughter died down and I felt all eyes come to me, including Holden’s, before his gaze slid to his daughter. It was at that moment, Holden changed. I saw it happen right before my very eyes. Everything about him softened, and if Faith hadn’t already had Holden wrapped around her pinkie, calling him dad would’ve done it.

  “Yeah, doll?”

  “If Mom will buy me a bike, will you teach me how to ride so me and Rory can have a race?”

  What my child didn’t know was, I wouldn’t have to buy her anything. I had a feeling by tomorrow morning there would be five bikes sitting outside.

  “Absolutely,” Holden answered in a rough voice.

  “Yay!” Faith did her signature jig and turned to Rory. “My dad’s gonna teach me to ride a bike. Then we can race.”

  The girls’ chatter faded into the background. Dinner plans, house buying, engagement, company, all forgotten. Everyone except Holden ceased to exist for me. I never wanted to forget this moment, the look on his face, the happiness that radiated from him. So I took my time and memorized the moment. I committed every nuance to memory and I locked it away nice and tight in a secret place that was just for me.

  It was then some of the hatred faded.

  It was then I realized that with all of the people conspiring against us, we’d won. Sure, we lost some time, but we hadn’t lost it all.

  There was a lot of life to live. There was more to our story. And we were finally going to live it.

  35

  “Dad?”

  Holden forced his body to stay relaxed as he looked over at Faith. He wasn’t entirely successful in this endeavor, seeing as his neck muscles had stiffened and his heart pounded violently, but he didn’t think his daughter noticed.

  This wasn’t the first time he’d heard Faith call him “Dad” and it wasn’t even the third. Over the last few hours, it seemed once she’d broken the seal she was using every available opportunity to call out to him even if he was right next to her. Case in point, they were side by side on the bed Faith and Charleigh shared and Holden had been reading her a bedtime story.

  “Right here, doll.”

  “I just like calling you that.”

  Jesus, Jesus.

  “That’s good, ‘cause I like hearing it.”

  “Why was Paul my dad if you really were?”

  Fuck.

  How in the hell did he explain to an eight-year-old the mess he’d created?

  With honesty. But how did he break it down in a way she could understand?

  “When I was in the Navy, I got hurt and had to go see a doctor.” Okay, that was a good start. Now what? Holden studied his daughter and wondered how it was possible he’d had his head so twisted he’d missed really seeing her. It had been right in front of him the whole time, all he had to do was look. Faith wasn’t a carbon copy of him—most of her features came from her mom—but he was there, too. The shape of her eyes, her skin tone, her hair color, she even had his nose. Holden shook those thoughts from his mind and came back to her question. “The doctor had to give me a bunch of tests. And he told me I couldn’t have children.”

  “But…you’re my dad, right?”

  Goddammit. He was screwing this up. He needed Charleigh, she’d know what to say.

  “Yes, Faith. You are my daughter. The doctor was wrong. But at the time I didn’t know that. I didn’t leave because I didn’t want you or your mom. I left because I wanted you so badly to be mine, but at the time, I believed the doctor. I didn’t ask the right questions and because of that I missed a lot of your life.”

  “I asked Mom for a brother or sister and she told me no.”

  Holden’s gut clenched at what was coming next.

  “Now that you’re my dad and we’re gonna live together, can I have a brother or sister?”

  Punch to the throat.

  “I’d like that very much, but that’s something I have to talk to your mom about.”

  “She’ll say yes.” Faith solemnly nodded.

  He had no doubt. Charleigh had wanted kids—plural, as in as many as they could have and still live a life that was full of adventures and outings. The problem wouldn’t be talking her into more, it would be whether or not Holden was capable of producing them. Not that Holden would explain that to Faith. Nor would he tell her that for the time being she would be an only child. He wanted time to get to know her and build a solid relationship before they added to their family.

  Then a thought hit him—he’d taken Charleigh bare. Not once had he used a condom. It hadn’t occurred to him he could get her pregnant and he hadn’t asked if she was on birth control.

  She could be pregnant right now.

  It was a whisper that fluttered over him. A fantasy, a wish that even in his darkest days without her had never gone away. Knowing Faith was his, and there was a possibility they could have more, revived his dream.

  Maybe.

  That was the best he could hope for until things settled down and he sought a second opinion.

  “Time for bed. It’s been a busy weekend and you have school tomorrow.”

  “I can’t wait to tell Andy I have a dad.”

  Good Christ, that felt good.

  “You do that. And make sure you tell him that your dad owns—”

  “Holden,” Charleigh snapped and his gaze went to the door.

  “What?”

  “We talked about this.”

  Had they? He didn’t think they did. They’d talked about when Faith could date, which he was hold
ing firm on sixteen—eighteen if he could push it and get away with it. And they’d talked about him not being allowed to threaten a little boy. But they had not talked about Faith telling Andy and all the other little twits in her class that he owned guns and a lot of them. They hadn’t even touched on the fact that he knew a multitude of ways to inflict bodily harm. Nor had they discussed that he had zero issue kicking teenager ass if one of them tried to put his filthy hands on his girl. But if Charleigh frowned upon that, he would make sure Alec’s boy, Caleb, was up for the task. He smiled at his fiancée and added giving Caleb hand-to-hand combat lessons on his mental to-do list. Alec would be all for it—as a matter of fact, Alec might have started his training already.

  “We didn’t, but I’m sensing you don’t like the idea of Faith telling—”

  “No, I don’t like the idea. Unless of course, you want our daughter’s classmates to think you’re Rambo.”

  Holden took a moment to consider her question.

  “I see you like that idea.”

  “I do,” he admitted.

  “Who’s Rambo?”

  “Who’s Rambo?” Holden mock gasped. “Only the best action hero of all-time.”

  “Never heard of him.”

  “Charleigh, you’ve deprived our child of Rambo?”

  Faith giggled and Charleigh smiled.

  “Yeah. Call me crazy but I think she’s got a few more years before she’s ready for blood, guts, and gore.”

  “Well, there’s something to look forward to.” Holden tousled Faith’s hair and said. “In five years you and me got a date. Rambo marathon and popcorn.”

  “Try seven,” Charleigh returned.

  “Six,” he countered.

  “Fine, six. But only if you promise not to call Andy’s father.”

  “Deal,” he gritted out because he really did want to call Andy’s father but he couldn’t wait to introduce his daughter to action movies.

  “Time for bed, sweets.”

  “I know, Dad already told me.”

  Holden chuckled and Charleigh huffed.

  Then Faith did the third best thing that ever happened to him, when she scrambled up on her knees on the bed next to him, grabbed his face, and rubbed her nose against his. “Eskimo kiss.” She bent his head forward and pressed her lips to his forehead. “Sweet dream kiss.” Then she righted his head and kissed both cheeks. “French kisses until the morning comes.”

  Holden sat in stunned silence as a golden stream flowed through him.

  “Your turn,” Faith declared, looking at him expectantly.

  “Um…”

  “Watch,” Charleigh said, and made her way to Faith’s side of the bed.

  Faith moved to her mom and repeated the routine, then Charleigh did it back and his two girls scrunched their noses and giggled.

  Jesus fuck. That had to be the most beautiful thing he’d ever witnessed. That was, until Faith scooted back to him, repeated the process, and he returned the gesture and saw up close his daughter’s eyes light with happiness.

  That was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his whole damn life.

  “Goodnight, Dad.”

  “Goodnight, doll.”

  “Night, Mom.”

  “Night, sweets.”

  Holden scooted to the edge of the bed and threw his legs over the side. He had to wait a moment for the dizzy spell to pass.

  Did that just happen?

  Hell, yes, it did.

  His daughter had just initiated him into her bedtime ritual. A ritual she’d only ever shared with her mom.

  Sweet Christ, that felt good.

  Holden didn’t look back as he exited the room. On shaky legs, he walked to his room, fire pumping through his body with each beat of his heart. He stopped in the middle of the room, his head dropped forward, his hand went to the back of his neck, and he thought back over his life. This time without compunction or regret, but searching. He loved Charleigh, he knew it down to his bones, he loved that woman something fierce. But never had he felt a love so pure and sweet. Never had he loved so completely, without hesitation or pause.

  “You okay?” Charleigh asked.

  The door clicked shut, he heard her approach, but he didn’t move.

  “Holden?”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  “No, baby, I’m not all right.”

  “Hold—”

  “I just fell in love with my daughter.” He felt rather than heard Charleigh’s swift intake of oxygen. “I reckon it happened for you the second your hands wrapped around her tiny body. A moment when you and she were still one. Mine happened with Eskimo kisses.”

  Holden righted his head.

  “I love you, Leigh-Leigh. Down to my soul, I love you. It’s a consuming, undying, unwavering love. But that girl in there, I love her more than that. I love her in a way that I never thought was possible. Different than how I love you.”

  “Good,” she whispered.

  “Thank you.”

  “You don’t—”

  “Thank you for being such a great mother.”

  “Honey, you never have to thank me for that.”

  “I need you to teach me how to be a good dad.”

  “You don’t need me to teach you anything. She’s happy in a way I’ve never seen her. All she needs is you.”

  All she needs is you.

  He hoped like hell Charleigh was right.

  Unable to wait another second, he tagged Charleigh around the waist and hauled her closer, then closer still until she was plastered against him.

  Then he thanked her properly.

  The kiss wasn’t sweet, there was no slow gradual build-up. He went straight to deep and wild, even though Faith was still awake and he couldn’t take it where he really wanted, which was hot and wild with Charleigh on her back, his tongue not in her mouth but in her pussy.

  That would have to wait.

  Holden broke the kiss but kept her close and told her, “I have to talk to you about something. But first, let me go lock up the house.”

  Charleigh burrowed closer, giving no indication she’d heard him so he repeated, “Gotta lock up the house.”

  Her head tipped back and she pressed a kiss under his jaw while asking, “Will this talk take long?”

  Fuck, he hoped not.

  “It’ll go faster if you let me go lock up and get back to you.”

  Holden felt her smile against his throat before she gave him another lip touch and stepped away.

  He caught her before she could get too far, brushed her hair over her shoulder, and let his fingers glide through the soft strands.

  So damn beautiful, his Leigh-Leigh.

  “In the interest of saving time, it wouldn’t go unappreciated if you got into bed without your panties on.”

  Holden watched her lips quirk before she nodded. “Noted.”

  “Bra, too.”

  “Your wish is my command.”

  “We’ll see if you’re still saying that later when I get you on your knees.” He watched with no small amount of satisfaction when she shivered. “Not in the mood for gentle tonight,” he warned.

  “Good, because neither am I.”

  “Bed, baby,” he growled and turned to leave.

  “You know it’s sexy when you grunt your demands.”

  Fuck, now his dick was rock-hard and facing a long wait before he found any relief. His hand went into his jeans to make the necessary adjustments before he attempted to walk down a flight of stairs and he heard Charleigh’s soft giggle.

  “You keep laughing, baby.”

  And she did, she kept at it as he exited the bedroom. Even though he could no longer hear her as he walked around checking that the doors were locked and the lights were off, he was sure she was still up in his room laughing herself sick, thinking it was funny she could get his dick hard and ready with a few words. He used the time it took to get back upstairs wisely and plotted his revenge. There would be a whole lot of be
gging on her part before the night was over.

  By the time he got back to the room, Charleigh was in bed, her back to the headboard, blanket up to her waist, and she obviously rummaged through his bag and nabbed one of his tees, something she used to do when they lived together, but something she hadn’t done since they’d been back together. Mainly because he’d done his best to keep her naked, making good use of their limited alone time.

  But right then he appreciated the tee—her naked would distract him from the talk they needed to have.

  Once he’d stripped off his clothes, he climbed in next to her, and even knowing it was a fool thing to do, Holden’s arm went around Charleigh and he tugged her to his side. Further, he continued the lunacy and cupped her bare ass.

  It took three deep breaths to get his body under control, then he started.

  “Sydney Powell.”

  Charleigh jerked and her head tipped up.

  “The girl I’m planning the party for?”

  “Yeah. What are her parents like?”

  “Rich.”

  “No. What are they like? Good people, attentive parents, watchful?”

  “Um…negative. They’re planning a blowout fifteenth birthday party so they can brag about having the party of the decade. They’re doing this because from what I’ve witnessed they mostly ignore her. Her dad is a workaholic and her mom likes to spend his money as fast as she can. Of course, I don’t know them well, but I do know a spoiled brat when I see one.”

  Shit. That was what he was afraid of.

  “What’s she look like?”

  “Why?”

  “I’ll explain in a second.”

  “Okay, she’s tall, only a couple inches shorter than I am. She’s very pretty though she has a heavy hand with makeup and her clothes are far too skimpy, especially for a teenager.”

  “What color hair?”

  “She’s a blonde and she has blue eyes.”

  “Fuck.”

  “You’re scaring me.”

  Holden squeezed her but refrained from telling her she should be scared because if he was right, the fifteen-year-old was being groomed by a sick fuck who intended to harm her.

  “I don’t know for sure, I reckon there are a lot of high school girls with the name Sydney in Kent County but…”

  Over the next ten minutes, he ran down the case for her, leaving out some of the details she didn’t know, but giving her enough to understand Jonny needed this guy off the street.