Within Six Months (A Wild Roses Novel Book 1)

by Cleo Scornavacca

  “Damn it! This is what we should have been doing all along.”

  “Yeah, but then again, if I hadn’t left the party to come back here, I may have never found the letter.”

  Jade nodded.

  “You said, it revealed more. Was it the note your family was hoping to find, so they could understand more about Jimmy’s death?”

  “Suicide.”

  “Huh?”

  “I always hated to say suicide, and although we all knew what it was, everyone around me allowed me to sugar coat everything that Jimmy’s death touched. This letter, his words helped me to figure out what I already knew, but kept hidden.”

  “Baby, death under any circumstances is hard, but your brother’s…” I couldn't find the words.

  “His suicide was unimaginable, right?”

  I nodded with puzzled uncertainty.

  “It was, but this letter confirmed what he was dealing with had been going on for years and years.”

  “Jade, I thought he died after he sustained an injury surfing at The Mavericks.”

  “Oh, he did, that’s true, but the reason behind his death was more. According to his letter to me, The Mavericks and the injury from that accident was only a small part of why he killed himself. The accident only confirmed his dark intentions.”

  “I’m not following you.”

  “He planned to die before The Mavericks. Here…read it for yourself.” Jade handed me the letter. Discomfort coursed through me, making me stand and move around the room until the last word was read.

  “You see now?”

  “I’m so sorry, Jade.”

  “Don’t be.” She stood and came to me. “Jimmy wasn’t happy at times. I saw it. We all did. He was miserable working with my dad. Yet, he never tried to change it. Day in and day out, we all have shit we don't like to do, Jimmy was no different. Yet, I thought he was no different, meaning I never saw any signs Jimmy’s upset was…monumental. He never acted out or expressed his emotions that way, other than the way we all did when we got pissed or disappointed. Apparently, he hid it well. I spent the last three years asking why. It took you and Jimmy to answer me. Thank you.”

  “Me?”

  “You pressed me without pushing. You made me feel without forcing. You made me want without knowing why. You made me question my decision to be alone. You woke me from a sleep—a trance I created for myself. A place that was swallowing me up, making me disappear. You brought me back, you pulled me out. On the beach the night of Reece’s party, the last thing I remembered was you walking away. It was our last moment. Jimmy said always remember your ‘lasts,’ but you leaving was not the kind of thing I wanted to cherish. What I wanted was to feel your last kiss, hold onto our last embrace, hear your last words, see your last smile…knowing all of it belonged to me. Those were the feelings I wanted to cherish, to own, to crave, to honor, and to have again and again. I blew it that night, and I’m sorry for that.”

  I placed the letter down and wrapped Jade in my arms. After what felt like forever, I lifted her up and carried her to my room…to my bed. Laying her down, I kissed her lips briefly, pulling back to drink in her beauty. Her image was one I thought I’d lost forever only forty-eight hours ago. Sure, I promised myself I would fight for her, but fighting a memory, a loss that reached the deepest part of her soul seemed an impossibility of beating.

  Her, here tonight was unforeseen. Jimmy’s mention of always remembering our ‘lasts’ not only touched Jade, but it gutted me. I remembered the last time I saw Jade—at Reece’s home. Protecting herself with an invisible shield, her expression stoic. I did that to her, and I knew I never wanted to be the cause for her to look or feel like that again.

  “Jade, I…” I took a chance, but she jumped first. I always thought of myself as spontaneous, but the move to the beach house taught me I was a guarded man. Much in the same way Jade guarded herself, I learned through her I was no different—living a structured life, until destiny forced me out of my comfort zone to build something, in my case rebuild something—me.

  “I love you, Tommy.”

  Jade’s soul showed in her smile, as her confident arms wrapped around my shoulders. She needed to be first. Who was I to argue? Leaning in, I kissed my girl. The world asleep around us, but I was alive…full of life. Jade’s love, her words, made me realize I was drowning, not knowing I needed to be rescued. Sleeping, but I couldn't wake. Suffocating, but continued to breathe through shallow breaths. Jade saved me, without me realizing I needed to be rescued. Jade freed me without me acknowledging I was trapped.

  “I love you, too, baby.”

  I held her. Held onto her. I was the one who needed her. I needed her strength, her love. I craved it, I desired it, and now I’d have it and I’d never let it go…let her go.

  Topping her, our mouths met, dancing softly at first, then savoring our connection, our tongues stealing, touching, confirming what was in our hearts. The momentum built, entwining our bodies, Jade’s danced beneath me, mine over hers. Our emotions confined behind the veil, peeking through then releasing everything we held back since we first met.

  Breaking from our kiss…

  “I want inside you. I need to feel you again to know this is real, to know this is forever.”

  Jade’s hands tugged the hem of my shirt, pulling it up over my head. Her hands returned to my waist, releasing me. My mouth returning to her mouth, expelling a feral groan as she gripped my hard shaft.

  I thought I would lose my mind, her hand tightening further, her jerks more deliberate. I could finish this way but denied myself that pleasure. I had to be with her, in her, part of her. Pulling back, my hand covered hers, she slowed.

  “I don't want it this way, not this time. You told me you love me. Now, I need to show you, Jade.”

  She let go of my cock. Abandoning it to frantically slip out of her clothes. I divested from what I remained wearing, leaving a heap of mangled fabrics on the floor. With our bodies unrestricted, Jade moved to straddle my lap, taking my cock once more and guiding me into her sweet, soaked pussy.

  A softy, achy moan set Jade free. Her body filled, her sex dancing uninhibited over my erection. My thrusts meet her bounce. Her head slowly dropped back, her long dark tresses fell away, revealing a pronounced pulse at the side of her neck. My mouth found the soft flesh of her breast, her nipples hardened.

  Her arousal grew with mine, mine strengthening with hers. We were fluid, each action deliberate, each response to the other perfect, knowing…in sync with each other. The declaration of our love started this, our carnal wants completed it.

  Her breathing escalated. Mine, tighter and restrained…wanting the sex driven by our love, our untamed need to go further, last longer.

  Discreetly, I slowed, but Jade noticed and pressed harder. Her fingers caressed her clit, soothing it, calming her arousal only enough to speak.

  “Don’t stop. Be with me. Take me. Make me come.”

  Her pleas weakened me; I tried to hold back, but my body was losing with each sound from her voice, inching her closer to her release. I surrendered, taking Jade onto her back, spreading her wide. My hand held her hip in place, my other tended to her core, my thumb replaced her fingers on her swollen nub. She watched my cock drive into her, one arm over her head pressed the wall, while her fingers from her free hand were at her mouth, each being teasingly bitten.

  My girl knew exactly what she was doing. Jade unabashedly met my thrusts, her eyes speaking to mine, not a word said outwardly…her focus called me, held me to task, making my body move her, move us to our release.

  “Baby…”

  “Tommy…”

  Our breathing tattered, raw, building toward our climax. Our bodies exploded unashamed, driven by what we felt in our hearts. We made it through, we came out on the other side whole, together, there in the bed we shared, and in the love we had for each other.

  Fearlessly, purposefully unhurried, we floated back and settled in. There would be no more lett
ing go, only moving forward, joined as one…complete.

  Jade’s body, cocooned in white linen, rested along my side. Studying her, I smiled. She was finally mine. No hidden secrets, no trepidation, dread, or alarm. It was all replaced with compassion, truth, courage…love.

  Our night was replaced with daylight, seagull calls, water lapping and receding as the tide from the Atlantic mimicked the mood in our bed…easy, peaceful, contented.

  Stretching and taking in a deep breath, I wrapped myself around Jade further. She buried her face in my chest.

  “Good morning, baby.”

  “Good morning,” she said, not moving.

  “Hey, we’re okay, right?” A simmer of doubt rose inside me.

  “We’re fine. I just don't want to get up and start the day.” Wrapping her arms around my waist to keep the invisible pull of life from removing her from my bed, she pressed herself tightly against me.

  I chuckled. “We have all day. Isn't Monday your day off?”

  “Yes, but unfortunately it’s moving day.”

  I had forgotten, with everything going on, Summertime Sweets needed to move all the contents from the old building into the new one today. We would get it done, for Jade to be ready for the grand opening on Friday.

  “Ah, yes, but you’re not alone. You have me and Viv…”

  “No Viv.”

  “No Viv? Why?”

  She sat up and ran her fingers through her tangled mane. “Viv collapsed on Saturday night.”

  “Is she hurt? Damn it! I shouldn't have left her with that note.”

  “Tommy…stop! Viv fainted due to dehydration and a minor heart condition she hid from everyone. I found out when Reece got a call from Blaze during the time I was confronting him about the little stunt he pulled at his party.”

  “How is Viv, now?”

  “Better, but not well enough to be lugging boxes between the two shoppes. Besides, I have my staff to help me.”

  “And me,” I added.

  “Yes, especially you” She grinned and leaned forward to kiss me before scooting off to start her busy day.

  Pulling her back, I had a surprise I wanted to give her before we left. “Wait! I have something I meant to give you Saturday night.”

  I left our bed to retrieve my gift.

  “Here, baby. Open it,” I said, climbing back in bed, giving her a reassuring smile, as I handed her the small box.

  She opened her surprise to reveal the white fisherman’s rope bracelet done in thinner, multiple strands that connected with a large lobster claw clasp on the ends. Attached to that clasp was a small diamond Starfish.

  “It’s so special. Thank you, Tommy. I love it.”

  Taking the bracelet from her hand, I attached it to her wrist. “The Starfish…”

  “I know.” Closing her eyes, Jade cherished it already, she understood. The symbol stood for healing and renewal, a Starfish can lose its legs, have a part of them violently ripped away, only to grow back and become stronger—to heal.

  Jade settled into my chest, and I lay back against the pillows. Holding her in my arms, we pushed back the events of the day for a bit longer. A short reprieve, shorter than expected as her phone began to ring and ping.

  “I’ll get it.” Leaving Jade in bed, I went to retrieve her phone in the other room. The screen was lit up like a Christmas tree.

  This wasn't going to be good.

  Jade sat erect the minute she saw my face. “What is it?”

  “I’m not sure, but you are one popular lady this morning.”

  Jade took the phone and scrolled through quickly. Curiosity turned to concern as Jade phoned one of her staff members.

  “What happened? Holy Shit! I see. Was anyone hurt? Did you call the police?”

  Jade was incredibly calm, but her last question got my attention. She disconnected—she didn't stand or run or scream. She put the phone on the sheets, releasing it, clutching the fabric in her fists, trying to find strength, holding onto what little composure she was losing.

  “What happened, Jade?”

  “I don’t know, but everything is gone.”

  “What?”

  “The boxes, the equipment that we were taking over to the new place ourselves, are missing. The only things left were in my office. It was untouched.” Shaking her head, staring at the sheets, she went quiet.

  “Baby, could the movers have gotten their wires crossed and come earlier than expected?”

  “No, these were items we agreed to move on our own. They weren't overly large, and being I needed everything in place to create the food for Friday, we decided to unpack as we went along, so all we had to do Thursday was bake. Now it’s all ruined.” She wasn't moving, she didn't want to go. She put her head in her hands to hide her tears from me, but her trembling frame was a sign of Jade breaking once more.

  The days that passed had been emotional ones for her…Reece’s party, our fight, Jimmy’s letter, Viv’s collapse, and now this. I had to do something.

  “Jade, let’s go. We need to see what happened. A police report needs to be filed. Then we can take it from there.”

  She wiped her face, nodded, and shot out of bed. “From where should I take this, Tommy? Everything but my office is gone. I don't have the proper equipment to make anything. None of the things taken can be replaced quickly enough to be up and running on Friday!”

  “There has to be a mistake. If someone was going to steal your stuff, wouldn't they have taken the registers, the money? Are you sure about the movers? Who steals food equipment?” I tried to lighten things up.

  Her laugh quelled my worry.

  “I know what we agreed on, but then again I was busy losing my boyfriend, so maybe I misunderstood what they told me.”

  I grinned. “Well, your boyfriend is here now, and you didn't lose him, so let’s go fix this, baby.” I held out my hand for her.

  She nodded, taking it.

  We quickly washed up and dressed. I drove Jade to the first location as she made calls to her staff and the moving company and to Viv to let her know that we were together and everything was okay. We arrived at the shoppe to a small crowd out in front with balloons in hand.

  Jade looked to me, and I to her, before getting out and addressing the people in front of her old place. Walking to them, the crowd separated exposing Blaze and Reece holding the balloons.

  “Surprise, sweetie!” Blaze hugged Jade before she could speak.

  Reece came forward and handed Jade the balloons and a bouquet.

  “These are for you.”

  “What’s this about?” Jade asked without a ‘thank you.’

  “Jade, I can live with many things. I apologize to no one, but you're different. I owed you, so I called a friend of mine at the police department and we unlocked this place and had your staff and some of the people I hired work through the night to get the new place ready.”

  Jade looked to me, pools filled her eyes. I gave her a quick wink to settle her.

  “Reece, a simple, I’m sorry, would have sufficed.”

  “My darling, you know I don't do simple. I did, however, leave your office untouched, as I would not want anyone rummaging through my papers.”

  Jade and Reece embraced. Not letting go of her, he walked to me and held out his hand.

  “Mr. Conte, I apologize. I’m rarely wrong, but I was wrong in this instance.”

  “Apology accepted.”

  “Now, you have everything you need in place to make Summertime Sweets new location a complete success. Don't disappoint me.”

  He loved her. No matter his misgivings about Jade and me, Reece loved her. He had a funny way of showing it, but an incredible way of making it up to her.

  She kissed him and Blaze before heading inside the old shoppe to collect the boxes in the office. She instructed her staff to head over to the new place while she and I stayed to clean up.

  Reece’s surprise could have been a disaster, but it turned into the perfect start for Jade
and her week ahead.

  Speaking of surprises, I had one more up my sleeve for her.

  One that would have to wait until Thursday.

  Jade

  I LEFT EARLY each morning to make sure the shoppe was ready for Friday and the Labor Day holiday weekend ahead.

  It was Thursday, the day before the grand opening. With Tommy still sleeping in my bed, Lucky right next to him, silently, I walked to the door to leave without disturbing him. Placing my hand on the doorjamb, I spied my Starfish dangling from my wrist. Looking back, Lucky’s head popped up, her tail lightly tapped the blanket. My eyes went from her to the man who rescued her…the man who rescued me.

  Tommy’s hair flopped over his eyes, the sheets covered the parts of him that could keep me in bed all day long. His inked arms flexed over his head as he slept through my departure. I loved him more than I could have imagined. Hesitant to leave, I whispered, “I love you,” before going to work at the new place.

  Today was frantic. Although we had no customers, we did have the occasional pleasant interruption of one of the locals inquiring about the opening, or one of our regulars coming by to make sure we opened on schedule, as promised. None of it was annoying, all of them showed how much they cared about our work and how they were looking forward to tomorrow.

  My staff finished up. We were ready. I stayed behind to put some finishing touches on my office space, make a few calls, and of course, pay a few bills. When done, I locked the office door and walked up the hallway through the opening to the pastry area. The entrance from the back allowed me to enter from behind the cases of the displayed treats. Surveying each shelf, a wide smile formed on my face that almost hurt. I was proud, happy, excited, scared…ready.

  Yeah, we’re ready.

  Standing up to stretch, I decided it was time to shut the shoppe down for the day and head home for dinner with Tommy. Before leaving, I noticed a cellophane package tied in teal ribbon lying on the cookie scale in the center of the case in front of me. It was odd, but it may have been left there by one of my staff members. Whatever it was, I picked it up to put back in the case, but upon closer examination, I realized it was filled with Starfish of all different sizes.