Then There Was You: A Single Parent Collection

by Gianna Gabriela

  “What? No. On the contrary, you did everything right. I told you becoming a parent comes naturally. It was me who acted like an idiot.”

  “Nah. You didn’t act like an idiot; you acted like a concerned mother.”

  “And this is my cue to go. I’ll be home late.”

  “You do look like a biker chick. Where are you off to?” I ask, curious. I don’t want her doing something stupid like hooking up with another guy.

  “To meet up with a few of the nurses from work. There’s a concert at the Bowl tonight. We’re going to shop, walk around, and get into all kinds of trouble.” She’s lying. She may be going out, but it is not with girls from work. I know her. She is full of shit.

  “Vivian,” I warn. The last time she went out with a guy, her trouble ended up hurting her.

  “Not that kind of trouble. I’m done with men. No offense to you, of course.” She waves my concern off with a hand.

  “None taken.”

  “Have a good time today. The two of you deserve it.” With that, she flips her matching leather bag over her shoulder. I stand there unable to move until I hear Ethan holler out his good-bye.

  “I’ll be right back,” I say, then dart out of the room. I know Ethan told me not to smother him, and I won’t. It’s just I need one minute to really make sure he’s okay with all of this.

  “Ethan, wait a sec,” I holler at him right before he climbs into that deathtrap of a car Vivian owns.

  “First off, buckle up when you get in Aunt Vivian’s car. Second, you would tell me if you weren’t all right with everything that’s happened this past week, right? I mean, you and I, we haven’t had a chance to really talk about any of this. I love you, Ethan. I think you’re the greatest kid in the world. I know it looks as if I’m being all weird, as you so blatantly pointed out, and maybe I am. This is new to me, too. Right now isn’t about me; it’s about you and the man who gave you to me. I guess what I’m really trying to say is, are you honestly okay with the idea he’ll be around here all the time? I’ve always tried to set a good example for you, to be honest with you about everything. I should have talked to you right away about all of this. Please tell me you understand.” My words pour out in a heated rush. Stupidly. I know he’s happy. I guess as his mother I needed to ask him, then hear him follow up with his own words. I also feel Riddick behind me. It doesn’t matter what Ethan tells me right now; I would still need to feel his strong arms around me, to console me, tell me I’m a good mother. That my son’s opinion means more to me than anything. I want him to look up to me. To value himself as well as others.

  My eleven-year-old son must sense the panic I’m in. He drops his bag onto the floorboard of the car and comes to stand in front of me. In this crucial moment for me as his mother, I feel our roles reversed. That he’s the parent with all the answers, while I’m the kid waiting for that big explanation to make me feel better.

  “Mom, I’m a kid. I’m happy. I want to get to know my dad as well as I know you. I also know more than you think I do. I promise you I won’t freak out if he spends the night here or if someday you do get married, so quit acting weird about stuff. He promised me he would never hurt you or me. He wants to take care of us, Mom. I’m good, Mom, really, I am. I want you to be happy, too. I want all of us to be happy. You need to quit worrying about me. Put yourself first for once. I think you’ve earned it.” I don’t need to cry any more to have a clear view of this eleven-year-old boy who spoke to me as if he were twenty. I want him to respect me like he always has. I want both him and Riddick to learn about each other at their own pace. Most of all, I want my child to understand that no matter what, his happiness, his needs will always come before mine.

  “Can I go now? I really want to play video games, Mom.” After what has to be a couple of minutes of me standing there, eyes blinking back tears of joy for being blessed with the best kid ever, I let him go.

  “Yeah, son, you can go to Aaron’s. Hang out, be a kid. I think you’ve earned it.”

  18

  RIDDICK

  I never thought it would be possible to love this woman more than I do. Standing here listening to her simply be the epitome of love. She’s nurturing, yet powerful; cherishing, yet respectful.

  I watch her shoulders relax, her breathing even out after Ethan told her what she needed to hear. That one gesture made me recognize that this incredible woman is as selfless as they come. It also made me proud to be that boy’s father. A kid, who told his mother she deserved to be happy. A boy, who just like his mother, is as caring as a person should be.

  “I think our kid is more in tune with what’s going on than I am,” she confirms what I already know. I knew it when he spoke of her weirdness in the kitchen. He picks up on more things than she thinks he does. His imitation of her was the funniest thing I have seen.

  “Yeah, I agree. Although when the time comes, I think he needs to be schooled on how to kiss. Puckering up like a dead fish isn’t going to sit well with a girl,” I joke.

  “Right,” she says, her back still to me as we both watch the car carrying our world off to a place where he’ll be safe until we pick him up. I watch the familiar truck pull out to follow them from the curb before I speak again.

  “Jude is following them. Once she drops him off, I have a couple guys I trust watching the house until we get them. He’ll be safe.” Her shoulders become rigid. She turns around, and if she had a smile on her face, it’s broken down with worry now.

  “That’s what you were doing on your phone? I knew it. Thank you. I have to tell you, though, we better hope she doesn’t see him. Those two have history,” she expresses, all the stress and unease from earlier drained from her beautiful face, replaced with a little too much seriousness for my liking. Under the circumstances between Jude and Vivian from what he told me he said to her I get it. We need to stay out of it as far as I’m concerned.

  “He volunteered. Not letting our son go anywhere unprotected. Not until we find those fuckers. No matter what went down between him and her, Jude would give his life to protect the two of them. I can promise you that. I’m not getting involved in their shit. What he did was wrong. It’s unforgivable, if you ask me. That’s between them. You and I, on the other hand, have a date. And yes, I have a couple of men on us as well. I promise you this, though; Jesse isn’t around. He has no idea we know what he’s done. Too many years have gone by for him to become suspicious. We’ll catch both of them before they even know what hit them.” I’m trying not to sound overconfident or pretentious here. I know the cowardly little fuckers are out there buying their time. I’m damn good at my job, so are my friends. So are the two private investigators who just so happen to be willing to jump at the chance to dump their usual man-cheats-on-wife cases they’ve been working on. She also needs to know I’m not getting into it with her about those two. Especially when today is our first official date, and with evidence being compiled as we speak, it will be our last until this is over. They can work it out for themselves. Jude fucked up, and he knows it. It’s his problem to fix. Not mine and not hers.

  “Okay. I trust you, Riddick. We can talk about all of this tonight. Like you said, we have a date, and even though I don’t want to become your old lady, I do want to take a ride on your bike.” My dick goes from soft to hard in a matter of seconds. I wished many times while cruising down the road that she was on the back of my bike. That the two of us were cruising up the coast. No words spoken between us, just the feel of her arms around me. Her chest pressed against my back, her legs straddling mine. Free.

  “We have a lot of things to talk about later. The one thing we won’t discuss is the two of them. We stay out of it. I’m not letting their mess take up even one second of my time with you. Understand? Now, go change your clothes. I’m no good to any of us if I’m sitting behind bars for beating the shit out of every guy who looks at your tits in that tank top.” I give her body a once-over. If I stare at her legs, tits, or her pussy too long, we won’t be
going anywhere except to one of our beds.

  “Whatever. A MILF I am not, and I’ve already told Vivian I’m staying out of it.” She rolls her eyes in amusement.

  “I beg to differ. A MILF you most definitely are, and if you don’t move that sweet ass of yours, you’ll become an MIWF.” I slide my hands down and palm two handfuls of her delightful ass.

  “It’s MILF with an L, you crazy ass.” Her voice wavers.

  “Not in my vocabulary, it’s not. You’re a mother I will fuck. Now go.” I slap both of those tasty cheeks, hard.

  “Ouch,” she squeals. “Are jeans okay? I don’t own anything leather.” Fuck. My dick is as hard as a bad habit thinking about her in leather, and this woman is without a doubt a habit. A good one. One I will never get rid of.

  “Jeans are fine.” I want to tell her she can ditch wearing panties under those jeans, except I’d be sporting this hard-on all day, and today isn’t about fucking the shit out of her sweet little pussy; it’s about showing the world we’re together.

  Ten minutes later, she comes strolling into her living room, which I didn’t pay much attention to until now. It’s girly as fuck. Cute, but not a room for a boy. I decide right there as I stare at the turquoise-colored chairs, the white couch, and loveseat with several shades of pink pillows that when this is all over and I for real ask her to be my wife, that we are moving into my home. A home she has yet to see in its entirety. I also decide that tonight we will be staying there. I want her in my bed. My home. My kitchen. It was all designed with her in mind, and I want her to see the rest of it. To feel it and to know it.

  “Where are we going?” she asks with wonderment in her sparkling eyes. With the wicked thoughts of what I’d love to do to her running through my mind, I’m going straight to hell. I want to tell her ‘Let’s go to bed’, so I can rid her of those tight jeans and that plain white t-shirt that shows her lacy white bra underneath right the fuck off of her and fuck her from behind until my knees give out. She thinks she isn’t a MILF, my goddamn ass. She’s the definition of it. Jesus Christ, I’m veering in the wrong direction again for what today should be about. This is important to her, so I need to get my mind in check. Tell her my idea to get her on the back of my bike.

  “I’d give anything to be able to ride up the coast with you on the back of my bike. For today, let’s stay close. Just ride around. Have a late lunch by the beach, walk around.”

  “Put this on.” I hand her an extra helmet. Once she has the thing on her head, I help her adjust the straps, lifting the shield as I do so I’m able to see her exquisite face.

  “It’s a little big. I’ll get one for both you and Ethan when I can.” I chuckle. She looks ridiculous and stunning at the same damn time. She’d freak the hell out, though, if she knew these things are bullet proof. The few distractions we’ve had were great and all with finally meeting her dad since I told her all I know about Jesse, but this would have her flipping her shit, and the motherfucker has no room here today. Today is all about the two of us.

  “Great. The first time I ride on the back of your bike, and I look as preposterous as this helmet.” She waves her hand dismissively.

  “Come on, biker boy, take me for a ride.” She flips the shield down, graciously struts to stand next to my bike, and all I can do is watch her ass sway in an unfair way to my throbbing dick. Here I am, worried about protecting her head when the one between my legs needs a goddamn shield. Fuck me.

  “You’ll ride me later, all right,” I finally manage to get out when she turns to face me with hands planted on her hips.

  “We’ll see.” Her words are mumbled through the glass.

  “I’ll see, all right. See your sweet pussy sliding up and down my dick. That’s what I’ll see. Now get your ass on my goddamn bike before I take you upstairs and fuck the ever loving shit out of you.” I take the few steps to her, fling my legs over my bike, and adjust the stand then motion for her to get on.

  “I see where Ethan gets his mouth from now,” she responds. I smirk.

  “Like father, like son. Now get on the bike, Angel.” Her eyes open wide, her mouth goes lax under the lightly tinted shield.

  It takes all the self-control I’d give anything not to have right now to not grab her by the waist, hoist, and position her body in front of me to have her straddle me instead of this lucky bike. When she’s planted her ass on the seat and scooches herself forward, I groan internally, grab my own helmet off the handlebars, place it on my head, then drown out the notion that I’m giving the girl of my dreams a piggy-back ride with her tits pressed against my back, her legs spread across the leather of my bike. Warm. Tight. Those hands are clinging to the sides of my shirt with a clenched fist. Instead, I grip ahold of the connection between the two of us. It’s sizzling. Hotter than the pipes along the sides of this Harley. I twist the throttle and take off. Her body is shimmying even closer. Shit. It’s going to be a long, hard ride.

  We cruise out of town into the pleasant countryside, weaving our way with ease through the east side of the county. Cora shifts her body at the perfect angle when we make a turn through the winding roads as if she’s been on the back of my bike for years, moving her body in the right direction just as she should. I’d love to be able to open the throttle, hit the highway, and cruise for miles. Unfortunately, today isn’t the day for that. I check the time, turn back around, and head back out of the twisting, turning roads until we hit the busy city streets. My relaxed body is now on high alert. Every person on the sidewalks, in cars, and all around us becomes a possible minion to Jesse.

  Ignorance or denial of a threat I know is coming will get us killed. I meant it when I said he’s not gunning for her, yet. That doesn’t mean shit to me, though; that bastard has someone who knows what she’s up to. I know he does. It magnifies the danger both she and Ethan are in; that’s why I’ve taken every precaution I have to make our time in the open safe for her. He wants that money more than anything, and he’ll stop at nothing to make sure he gets it on time. Especially with his limitations having been next to nothing for the past few years. The fucker has to rediscover all his tracks. Get his shit together, only to cover them all over again.

  “Let’s go in there?” Cora yells in my ear when we make a stop to allow several pedestrians to walk across the walk. My eyes scan every single person as they make their way in front of us. Some are minding their own business while others look from the two of us to my bike. She prompts me with a pinch to my sides, waking me up to let me know we can go. These mind skills are a habit when I know danger is lurking. A goddamn necessity when it comes to protecting her, my most important mission to date.

  I nod, pull into an empty parking spot, cut the engine, and place my hands on her legs giving them a gentle squeeze. Unstrapping and pulling off my helmet, I place my hand out for her to take. She glides off, and I follow. “Let me help you take that off,” I start to say, but am caught off guard and completely spellbound by her excitement when she squeals, practically flies off the bike, and jumps right into my arms. Her legs are wrapping around my waist, her helmet still on her tiny head.

  “Take this thing off of me, so I can kiss you,” she babbles happily through her shield. I can feel eyes on us from every direction; not one of them matter when I see the blissful, flirty expression on her face after unhooking her helmet, tugging it off her head while she hangs on to me like a monkey, her braid all messed up. Her eyes slightly sly.

  “I love him,” Cora pledges loudly. All I see is the once young woman I fell for. Her innocent eyes as they would peer into mine. Hoping, wishing, and praying for our plans of being free. To be two young teenagers in love and to show each other off. Even to the townsfolk in our small community. Not a damn one of them meant shit to me. For her, they did. She wanted a simple life. Normal. And now as she plants her soft lips to mine, her tongue snaking out to take control of our kiss, I drop the helmet to the ground, place my hands on her ass, and kiss her like it’s our first time. Ravenously.<
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  “You can put me down now, Tarzan,” Cora enunciates softly with a giggle that sends my heart soaring. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of hearing her laugh.

  “Fuck that. You wanted to relive our teenage years, so that’s what we’re doing.” I’ve positioned her body around on my back, giving her a genuine piggy-back ride across the street, down the sidewalk a ways, then planting her feet firmly on the ground in front of the Harley Davidson shop she pointed at earlier. Our minds must be thinking alike today, as this was right where I wanted to go. I’m not going to tell her that. The thought of her thinking about wanting bike gear mixed with the delightful arrival of a happy Cora is enough for me to allow her to think she derived going into this store all on her own. It’s also owned by an ex-Marine who happens to supply the department with the protective gear we need through his billion-dollar ballistics company. They make everything from bulletproof windows to safe rooms, vests, and more. He’ll be as discreet as they come when I ask him to supply me with a couple more helmets.

  The guy is loaded, too. A damn mastermind. He’s the reason why I feel secure enough to have Ethan and Cora stay with me until we feel it’s safe enough for them to go home. Something tells me Vivian won’t be spending much time in my home for the time being, or I’d ask her. She’ll be safe with her parents, if that’s where she decides to go.

  “I’m assuming this is where you wanted to go?” I joke, knowing damn well it is.

  “Yes,” she replies like a kid. Eyes wide, teeth showing as she smiles and reaches up to plant a brief kiss on my cheek.

  “Come on then, baby, let me get you into some leather, so I can turn around and take it off you the minute we get to my place.” She exclaims while gasping when I open the door for her to enter.