by Lisa N. Paul
The harsh sound of a throat being cleared and an unintelligible grumble popped the bubble she and Decker floated upon. Still embraced but no longer lip locked, they caught the disapproving leer of a woman leading four screaming children, who must have been quadruplets, out of the water park.
Decker’s eyes widened as both bewilderment and sympathy crossed his handsome features. “No wonder she didn’t want to watch us making out.” He whistled softly as the door closed behind the frazzled mother and her four unruly kids. “Poor woman probably hasn’t had time for a proper kiss in six years.”
April chuckled at Decker’s comment, his brown eyes warm with affection as he gripped her hand tighter in his. The combination of caring father and hard man was a potent mix that melted April’s panties every damn time. “Speaking of a proper kiss…” She playfully batted her eyelashes as a deep laugh rumbled from Decker’s chest through hers. “I’d love one of those.”
“Oh, babe.” The side of his mouth ticked up in his gotcha grin. “It would be my greatest fucking pleasure.”
It took effort not to close her eyes when his calloused palms cupped her face. The rough texture on her soft skin was tantalizing, arousing, but she wanted—no, needed—to see his face, the look in his eyes just before his lips met hers. Her desire, her love, her commitment stared back with a silent promise to move forward together.
His full lips claimed hers, nibbling as his tongue sought entrance into her mouth. His thumbs stroked her cheekbones as he deepened their kiss. Grateful for the populated area, she knew no one but he heard the quiet whimper that left her throat as he massaged her tongue with his own. She needed this man like she needed fresh air. Where the hell was his room?
“April? You came!”
No, no, I didn’t, not yet, her libido screamed before realizing that the little voice came from the girl running toward her and Decker with open arms and a bright smile painted on her beautiful face.
“Daddy”—Charlie’s brows pinched with confusion—“you said April and Eli weren’t coming.”
April’s heart lurched as she looked at the misunderstanding playing out between Charlie and Decker. She knew that she was the one who’d created the mess in the first place by not coming on the weekend trip, and she’d made it worse by showing up halfway through without Elijah.
“Charlie, honey”—April got to her knees, not caring that the water from the ground was wicking through the cotton of her jeans—“your dad had no idea that I was coming here today. I didn’t want to interrupt your time with him. I just had something really important to tell him.” Gah, how does one explain to a six-year-old that one made a mistake and wants to make things better? April bit the inside of her mouth, looking for the right words. “I… um—”
“I’m so glad you’re here.” Charlie lunged her small body at April, giving her no choice but to catch the little girl in a tight embrace. “We’ve really missed you guys.”
* * *
WHILE HE KNEW the past few weeks had been emotionally disastrous on him, he thought he’d done a decent job of faking happiness around Charlie. Seeing the way her eyes lit up as she curled in April’s embrace, he realized that his little girl had been pining for April’s return just the same as he had and that made Decker feel wonderful and horrible all at once. He’d had such high hopes of getting April back that he never discussed her complete disappearance with Charlie other than to say she was busy. In retrospect, he’d acted like a pussy. Seeing tiny tears escape from his little girl’s eyes made him want to kick his own ass.
“Deck, I’m sorry. I tried to keep her with me, but when she saw you and your friend… well…” Janine snorted. “It would have taken a tranquilizer to hold her back.”
Decker roped one arm around his friend’s shoulder and puffed out a lungful of air. “It’s all good, Janine.”
April placed another kiss on Charlie’s wet hair before lifting them both up to their feet. He’d seen April’s eyes narrow in what could only be described as jealousy when his friend approached, but as soon as he mentioned her name, he watched as her shoulders sagged in visible relief. She knew of Janine and the rest of the group—he’d told her about them when he first mentioned the trip—however, it was sexy as hell to know that his woman felt just as possessive of him as he was of her. That said, he’d never give her a reason to question his faithfulness. After quick introductions, Janine excused herself and went back to the waterslides and her family.
“So, where’s Eli?” Charlie questioned, searching the area by the door.
“Oh, well, honey,” April hedged, “here’s the thing—”
“D-Man!” Elijah squealed as he darted through the door, slipping on the wet stamped concrete and landing flat on his butt.
Decker’s breath hitched in his chest as tears welled in the little boy’s big hazel eyes. Without thinking, Decker sat on the ground and scooped the startled child, whom he’d grown to adore, into his arms. “Aww, E-Man, are you okay?”
Eli’s bottom lip trembled as one large tear rolled down his cheek. Decker did a quick body check and found no torn clothes or blood. He looked up to find April staring down at him, her gaze filled with concern, love, and trust. He was one lucky son of a bitch.
“Hey, buddy,” Decker said through a smile to the sweet little boy in his arms, “I’ve got some bad news.”
Eli wiped his eyes and looked up at him with reverence, as if whatever Decker was about to say was the most important thing Eli had ever heard. “What is it?”
“Well, it seems as though when you fell just now… you hit the ground so hard…” Decker pulled in a dramatic breath. “That you split your butt clear in half.” He couldn’t contain his smile when Eli looked concerned. “Dude, you have a butt crack!”
The sound of Eli’s high-pitched laugh would have brought him to his knees had he not already been sitting on his ass.
“Elijah Maddox!”
Decker looked up to find not just Ellen Maddox but also his own mother busting through the entrance of the water park room.
“You can’t just run away from us like that. You scared Grandma to death.” Sheer panic graced the features of April’s mother.
“Mom? What are you guys doing here?” April looked just as confused as he had been just moments before.
“I called her,” Robyn said, her lips curling with confidence. “And I’d love to explain, but can we move our conversation to the lobby?” Her gaze met Decker’s before traveling to Charlie’s. “I can’t be in a place like this without wanting to go down the slides, and clearly, I don’t have my swimsuit on just yet.” She winked at Decker before pulling at the neckline of her shirt.
He knew his mother. The air was thick and humid, and she was probably uncomfortable as hell but didn’t want to make a scene.
“I’d love to take this to the lobby. It’s hot and sticky in here,” Ellen complained, causing April to roll her eyes and Eli to giggle.
Once in the lobby, Charlie and Eli sat together with the crayons and coloring books that magically appeared from Ellen’s handbag, quickly getting lost in a world of colors and creations. Decker and April squeezed next to each other on an oversized chair, facing their mothers, who filled the tiny loveseat that faced them.
“This was meant to be a family vacation,” Robyn started, “and the four of you are a family.”
* * *
APRIL CHEWED ON the inside of her mouth as she sat snuggled next to her handsome man and listened to Robyn speak. It was true—they had become a family, and it was one that she never wanted to lose.
“After you called me this morning, April, I knew it was time for me to pull out the big guns,” Robyn said.
April could feel Decker’s eyes on her, burning with love and affection, and it made her burn just as hot.
“Wait, Mom,” Decker interrupted. “What the heck are the big guns?”
Robyn turned to Ellen and Ellen to Robyn.
“We are of course,” Robyn replied. “Doesn’t m
atter how old you get, dear children, sometimes you need your parents to step in and clean your sh… stuff up.”
“Well, not all of the time,” Ellen clarified before continuing where Robyn stopped. “The two of you were a mess. So we pointed you in the right direction and prayed.” Ellen glanced at April. “And when you finally saw past your stubbornness”—she pointed her stare toward Decker—“you guys were already here. So Robyn called me, and we decided to follow April up here with Eli and give you the weekend you deserve.”
“And I’ll speak for both of us when I say that we’re so happy you did, but what I don’t understand is, why both of you?” April asked, grateful but still confused. “Mom, aren’t you just dropping Elijah off and heading home?”
The way both grandmothers grinned would have been creepy if their reasoning wasn’t so damn sweet.
“No, April,” Robyn responded. “Your mother and I want you and Deck to have the weekend you all deserve. So we’re going to commandeer the suite that Decker and Charlie stayed in last night, and we rented a separate room… for you and Decker to spend the next two nights… alone.”
When Robyn winked, April flushed then shot an astounded glare at her mother, who’d spent April’s entire life shouting “abstinence makes the heart grow fonder” messages through a megaphone.
“So family time during the day and adult time at night,” Decker concluded, his gotcha grin draped across his face.
Both mothers nodded, clearly proud of themselves.
April shivered when Decker pulled her tight to his side. “What do ya say, beautiful? Can you handle two whole nights of adult time with me?”
“Big guy, I can handle as many nights as you wanna give me.”
Pure unadulterated desire flashed through his chocolate eyes as he leaned in and claimed her mouth. Knowing that she had officially given her heart to the man beside her somehow made her feel stronger, more independent, and more alive.
* * *
SEEING THE LOVE sparkle in her green eyes felt like watching the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean—breathtaking, enchanting, and unforgettable. He’d finally found the woman who touched his heart, claimed his soul, and healed his spirit. Okay, fine, Ford would say he sounded like a pussy, but he didn’t care. April was the woman he’d spend the rest of his life loving, and he couldn’t wait to start. Two full days of family time… his family—it couldn’t get better than that.
Epilogue
“HEY, BIG GUY,” April called from the first floor of their custom-built single-family home. “Charlie and Eli are arguing over what movies to bring for the car ride up to the Poconos. Can you please get Stella out of her crib and get her dressed?”
“No need to yell, beautiful. We’re right here.” Decker walked into the family room with their two-year-old daughter, Estella, propped on his hip.
The way he loved Elijah, treated him no differently than he did Charlie, still touched April to the depths of her soul. The look in Decker’s eyes the first time Eli had called him Dad was like nothing words could ever describe. However, watching him with Stella, their little baby girl, captivated her. They’d named her Estella after the elderly woman who had fallen off the treadmill at the gym. Each agreed it was in that moment that the true connection between them formed. Each time April thought about the way Decker had fawned over her during her pregnancy, the way he’d held her hand during labor and delivery, and how he’d been there, loving her and their children as though they were the most precious gifts, every minute since had been a blessing.
While she didn’t think of her former life often, her ex-husband’s words floated through her mind sometimes, making her laugh. He was right. They could have never been the fairy tale, because she’d ended up with the best happily ever after any woman could’ve asked for when she met Decker Brand.
The End
Acknowledgements
THIS IS THE part of each book that I love writing the most, but causes the greatest amount of stress. While each story comes from my own mind, every single book is a project that takes a great many people to achieve. I kid you not, if it were only me producing Blocked you would have a hand drawn cover (drawing is NOT a strength of mine…think stick figures), run-on sentences, a word count of approximately two hundred thousand words (to me, everything is important), and this book would have come to you in Word Doc (I can’t format). Needless to say, I had help and I am eternally grateful. However, as every author knows, it isn’t just those that help with the book that deserve heartfelt gratitude, but those around you who are forced to deal with the everyday craziness of life with a story teller. I’d like to take a moment to thank the people in my world – without them the destination wouldn’t be worth the journey.
The first thing anyone sees when they look at a book is the cover. I wanted something sexy, seductive, and…well…silly. As always, the wonderfully talented Regina Wamba from Mae I Design and Photography whipped up a cover that had me giggling the moment I saw it. Thank you, Regina, for always giving my words the perfect muse.
When I decided to “try writing something different” I was scared, nervous, and downright anxious that I wouldn’t be able to get the thoughts that were so vivid in my mind onto paper without losing my writing voice in the process. Changing genres is scary as hell and going from Erotic Romance to Contemporary Comedy Romance frightened the crap out of me. However, there was one woman who stood by my side from the very first day – megaphone in one hand and pom-pom in the other screaming… “DECKERRRRRRR!!!” Debi Barnes, you make one hell of a cheerleader, a great sounding board, an efficient beta reader and a fabulous friend. Thank you for keeping my path lit and cleared even when it would have been easier for me to quit. Blocked would have never been written if not for you.
As I said above, when writing, I tend to think everything is important…EVERYTHING. What I’ve learned through the process of writing is one of the most important things an author needs is a good beta reader. I was fortunate enough to have several amazing women on my team. Each offered unique insight to my story, and it was through their eyes that I was able to fully see my work. Fleshing out unnecessary words/parts as well as adding to sections that I may have seen clearly in my head but not translated effectively onto paper. Thank you Joanne Schwehm, Debi Barnes, Erin Noelle, Ilsa Madden-Mills, Jennie Wurtz, and Lauren Collins you ladies are the dream team of Betas!!!!
After all of the writing and re-writing, after the beta reading and the fixing of the most common things, what I heard from each of my beta team was, “You have a ton of grammar issues, but the editor will fix that…right?” My editors are actually superheroes. I mean that, truly. I feel so blessed to have them in my life. Pamela Snyder, you have been with me for a while now and I appreciate how you always make time for me. You’re steady and calm, kind and caring with my words. Thank you. Cassie Cox, you recently came into my life and wow, you’re like an encyclopedia of grammatical knowledge. I almost want to come up with questions just to see if you’ll have the answers. Thank you for your help. I look forward to working with both of you in the future.
Once my mess of words has become an edited story, I send them to one of the most talented and patient women I know. Julie Titus of JT Formatting has been with me since my very first book making the woman a true saint. No matter how many times I’ve rescheduled (with notice), no matter how many times I’ve had to change things, no matter how many questions I’ve had, Julie has kindly answered them without ever showing an ounce of irritation or frustration. See…a saint. I adore you, Julie.
Dave Griffin, you my friend are in Chapter Eighteen. My part is complete. Your turn.
To Edward Galgon and Jasun Romain at Montgomeryville Acura, thank you for helping me out. Believe it or not, you’ve inspired me more than you know.
Speaking of inspiration, writing is a solitary profession. So many hours are spent in silence with only the tapping of the keys on the laptop for background noise. Without intending to sound rude, unless one is in the field
, it’s impossible to understand the lifestyle. I have been fortunate, lucky, blessed (you name it) to have found some of the most incredible friends a girl could ever want through this business. While the list is long, there is just a small little group that I can honestly say I wouldn’t be able to survive in the writing world without. Joanne Schwehm, L.b Simmons and Ilsa Madden-Mills you three are my sisters. I can’t believe I got through life before meeting you. All of you are different from the other, yet each such an integral part to my life.
Ilsa, you are my sweet southern lady. You’re honest and kind and even when you aren’t, it still sounds like you are ;). You are one of my favorite people in the world to talk to, because I know how much you truly care about me and whatever nonsense I’m sputtering on about.
L.b, you have been my other half since the start. I feel your happy and your sad. The conversations that we can have through nothing more than emojis will forever crack me up! But NOTHING will ever be better than the time we had a full conversation while we acted out the emojis ;)
Joanne, (the second funniest person I know) seriously? Our relationship is not normal. I fluffing love you. Yes, it’s true, if not for you we’d both have ten books written by now, but I wouldn’t give up even one of our phone conversations no matter how many books we could have written. There is something so therapeutic about the amount of laughing we do each day. Agree? Thank you for being just as crazy as I am. Thank you for loving my characters as much as I do. Thank you for letting me corrupt you. And thank you for taking Jon and me to Line and Bull, I belong there…for real!! Your family has become mine and I couldn’t be happier. I love you.
I’m not sure I’ve ever laughed as much in my thirty some-odd years as I have since meeting you ladies. Thank you. There aren’t enough ways to express my love for you.