by Megan Smith
I was upstairs lying in bed when Tanner brought my phone up to me, “Jas is on the phone with the baby.”
Squealing, I took the phone and I saw Nevaeh’s precious little face on the screen. This is what I had to deal with because I wasn’t allowed to travel per the doctor’s orders so it would be a little while before Tanner and I made the trip to New York to see them.
“Oh my god,” Tears sprung to my eyes every time I saw her. “She gets cuter every day.”
“Say thank you, baby girl.” Jasmine says softly the love pouring off of her.
“So how are you feeling?” I ask Jasmine.
She yawns, “Just a little tired. Someone decided they wanted to stay awake last night and sleep all day today.”
“Aww, how can you be mad at that little face?”
Jasmine and I talked for a while before the baby started getting fussy. Miss Diva wanted a bottle and she wanted it now.
Tanner crawls into bed beside me and places his hand on my stomach waiting for the baby to kick him. He did this every night at the same time, it became our thing.
His phone started ringing interrupting our time together. Groaning, Tanner lies on his back and answers the phone.
“Hello?”
Tanner pinches the bridge of his nose, “Alright, see you in a few.”
He hangs up and rolls over on his side again and kisses my cheek. “Something happened and Jeremy needs us to watch Ava for a little bit.”
Worry creeps in, “It’s late, babe, shouldn’t she be in bed? Is everything alright?”
He sighs, “Yeah, but he said he wouldn’t ask us to keep an eye on her if it wasn’t important.”
“Alright.”
Something isn’t right. Jeremy loves that little girl more than life itself. He’s two different people. He’s Jeremy the man whore on all the days that he doesn’t have Ava and he’s Daddy when he does. He doesn’t introduce just anyone to Ava and while I’m thinking about it I don’t think he’s introduced her to anyone other than us. The sun sets and rises with that little girl who looks exactly like her daddy.
About a half hour passes when Tanner goes downstairs in our fairly new home and opens the door for Jeremy. I hear a lot of swearing and that is all that I need to hear before I’m jumping up from bed to find out what the hell is going on.
When I walk into the kitchen my heart shatters into a million pieces. Ava is sitting up on the counter with a little old dirty bunny rabbit that has seen better days. Her hair, the color of midnight, is greasy and pulled back into a messy ponytail. Her princess nightgown in disgustingly dirty and has holes all over it. The bottoms of her feet are black, her finger nails are caked with dirt and she has a ring of dirt around her mouth. What the hell has happened to Ava?
“What’s goin’ on?” I ask slowly stepping into the kitchen.
As I get closer to Ava and she turns towards me I see a hand print clear as day on her tiny little face. I cover my mouth with my hand, “Oh my god.”
Tanner wraps his arms around me as Ava begins to sob. She buries her little face into her bunny rabbit and her shoulders are shaking.
Jeremy starts throwing out every curse under the sun.
“Let’s go out back, Jeremy.” Tanner says trying to calm the situation down.
Tanner kisses the top of my head before turning to Jeremy and more or less pushes him outside. I walk slowly over to Ava who still has her head buried.
“Ava,” I place my hand on her dirt covered knee. “What happened, sweetie?”
She looks up with red rimmed eyes and a tear streaked face. “Momma’s friend hit me because I wouldn’t go to sleep.”
I shake my head not wanting to believe her but the proof is there on her face. “Is that the only place he hit you?”
She nods and when she does her ponytail loosens a little more. I’ve never seen her in this condition; I wonder if this is what Jeremy deals with every time he gets her on the weekends. This is no way for a child to live. I step over to the freezer and grab a bag of frozen peas. I wrap them in a paper towel before placing it on Ava’s face.
She jumps at first but then settles and leans into it. “Does that feel better?”
She nods. So I stand there for a few minutes and hum Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. When the song is over I remove the peas and throw them back in the freezer.
“How about we go take a quick bath, sweetie, and then we’ll find a t-shirt of mine for you to wear. How does that sound.”
She gives me a sad smile but nods.
Carefully I help her from the counter and lead her upstairs to the master bathroom. I start the shower and help Ava out of her clothes. I give her a quick bath and take her back to my room to find something to wear.
I get her settled in my bed and I walk over to my dresser and pick up the Frozen DVD I made Tanner pick up for me the other night.
“So I heard all these little girls love Frozen.” Ava’s eyes light up. “How about you say we pop it in and watch it?”
Ava nods and her freshly washed curls come back to life.
I set the movie up and slide in beside her in my bed. Ava scoots over a little closer to me and lays her head on my shoulder and then like she’s afraid she inches her little hand over to mine and grabs a hold of two of my fingers. My heart is breaking right now for this little girl’s untold story. I’m beginning to understand Jeremy’s anger. Who can do this to a child and how can we prevent it from happening again?
About halfway into the movie Tanner appears in the doorway of our bedroom. “Hey.”
He smiles and walks over to me. He sits on the end of the bed, elbows resting on his knees. “Jeremy is losing his mind and nothing I was saying to him could calm him down.”
I run my hand up his back.
“He left. He said he’d be back in one hour. He had to take care of something but wouldn’t tell me what that something is.”
I take a deep breath and let it out. “It’s okay. Ava is fast asleep and she’s safe. He loves this little girl too much to do anything stupid.”
Tanner lays back and puts an arm around my shoulder careful not to hit Ava’s head. “I hope you’re right.”
And hour turns into two, then three, then four. Tanner’s phone starts to ring, he digs it out. “Hello?”
Tanner rests his arm over his face. “Alright, see you in a few hours.”
He tosses his phone on the floor, “Jeremy got locked up.”
I don’t know what to say so I don’t say anything at all. Jeremy hasn’t had it easy since he got together with Ava’s mom. He’s such a great guy and deserves to find his happiness.
I have to thank my husband and my little monkey. I love you both more than I could ever put into words. Things are changing and I can’t wait to see where they take us.
My beta readers, thank you for helping me with the southern ways. This Jersey girl had a lot to learn. LOL. Jen Bradley and Danita Bunce, I don’t think I’d be able to function without your daily help. It’s hard to find people you can trust these days who will have your back and always support your work and always be willing to help out when I need it. I seriously love you girls, thank you for everything!
Elaine, Elaine Elaine!!! What in the world would I have done without you? Oh, that’s right…I wouldn’t have finished. Thank you for helping me perfect Rhea and Tanner’s story!
My Magnificent’s, thank you for all the pimping, love and support you have shown me! I couldn’t be where I am without you! And, yes, now I will start to work on Eli’s story for you all.
Forever Light (Forever Love Series) ~ October 16, 2014**
Leave With Me (With Me Series) ~ Winter 2014/2015**
Made To Love You (Book 5, The Love Series) ~ 2015
Finding Happiness (Book 2, Finding Series) 2015
Need To Love You (A novella for The Love Series) 2015
Already Released
Trying Not To Love (Book 1, The Love Series)
Easy To Love You (Book 2, The Love Se
ries)
Hard To Love You (Book 3, The Love Series)
Let Me Love You (Book 4, The Love Series)
Finding Us (Book 1, Finding Series)
** Forever Love Series is being written with Chelsea Landon as a two-book release. More details to come.
**With Me Series is a spin off to The Love Series.
USA TODAY bestselling author Megan Smith is a New Jersey native managing purchasing for an award-winning business IT and software development firm - and by night creating the memorable characters her fans have grown to adore. Smith’s The Love Series introduces readers to MacKenzie Cahill - a hopeful young woman who experiences adversity, challenges and the bittersweet triumph of true, authentic love.
Smith is a wife and mother, who makes time for her family, professional life and the creation of the Cahill’s world. Fans of The Love Series —Trying Not To Love You, Easy To Love You, Hard To Love You—are captivated by relationships, special bonds and family ties pervasive in Smith’s emotional, energized and engaging work. Smith is also the author of the 2014 releases, Let Me Love You—continuations of The Love Series, Finding Us (Finding Series) and a few top secret projects.
Literary Agency: Jamie Bodnar Drowley of Inklings Literary Agency
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