by C. C. Wood
“Come here,” Charles said, sinking back into the sofa and pulling me against him. “I want to tell you a story.”
Confused, I let him pull me across his lap and I settled my head on his shoulder.
“When I started working at our office, I met this beautiful, intelligent woman. She was kind and considerate but not a pushover. I was so drawn to her. Then, I heard she had a baby and assumed she had a husband. So, I did what every self-respecting, immature guy does when he likes a girl; I was a jerk.” I smiled at his self-deprecating words. “Then, one day, the woman I liked had enough and she told me she was sick of my shit. As pretty as she was all other times, she was gorgeous when she was angry. She also told me she was single, though inadvertently, and I knew I would do anything for a chance to be with her.” I burrowed closer to his body as he spoke, his words touching something deep within me. “The first time we went out to lunch, I fell a little in love with her. She was feisty, but sweet. Smart, but not condescending. And she seemed completely fine with my crazy family interrupting our date. She even laughed. Every time I saw her after that, I fell deeper and deeper in love with her and I knew, knew down to my bones, that I would do whatever it took to earn her love.”
My head came up then and I looked at Charles in surprise. “You fell in love with me on our first date?”
He laughed. “Actually, I think it was when you smacked me in the chest with your nameplate and called me an asshole.” He smiled when I giggled. He lifted a hand to my face, his thumb and forefinger holding my chin. “The point is, Yancy, you deserve everything you want for yourself and your daughter. You didn’t get it with your ex. He took you for granted. I could see it and I couldn’t help thinking he was a stupid shit, because only little boys throw away someone like you. A man knows that a woman like you has to be earned. Your love, your trust, are worth any amount of work, any amount of effort. Actually, I’m glad your ex was too stupid to understand what he had because it left the field wide open for me.”
When Charles didn’t continue, I asked, “Why?”
He kissed my lips before he answered. “Because I get to keep you. His loss is my gain.”
I wrapped my arms around his shoulder, cuddling with him. “So what now?”
His arms tightened around me. “We do exactly what we have been. We take things one day at a time and we build something wonderful, together. Does that sound good?”
I put my lips to his throat, then whispered, “That sounds perfect.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ten Months Later
I PICKED UP the phone and called Charles.
“Hey, gorgeous.”
I smiled at his greeting. “Hey, babe. How’s it going?”
He chuckled. “Good. It’s going good.”
“Great. Carolena and I are finally done shopping and heading home.”
“Perfect. Dinner will be done in thirty minutes, so you’ll be here just in time.”
That morning, Charles woke me up and made love to me in the first light of dawn. After, as we lay cuddled in bed before Carolena woke up, I asked, “What was that for?”
Charles stroked my bare back and hip in lazy sweeps. “I just wanted to be inside you while the sun came up, to start the day by showing you how much I love you.”
I decided then and there he could wake me up at dawn any time he wanted, even if we had gone to bed just an hour before.
Finally, I rolled out of bed to shower before the baby woke up. It was nice being able to take my time in the bath and relax without little hands banging on the shower door or, worse, in the shower with me and trying to yank all my products off the shelves.
As we ate breakfast together, Charles asked, “Can you and Carolena find something to do this afternoon that will take you out of the house?”
Confused, I asked, “Why?”
He grinned mischievously. “It’s a surprise. Just be back in time for dinner.”
Suspicious, curious, but still amused, I nodded. “Fine. Lena is outgrowing her clothes anyway, so I should probably go shopping. Will that work?”
Carolena clapped her hands at the mention of shopping. Unlike most toddlers, she loved to shop. “Yay!” she exclaimed.
Charles and I both laughed. The last ten months had been both wonderful and terrible. True to his word, Coop had his lawyer draw up the necessary paperwork to terminate his rights as Carolena’s father. His attorney, Delinda, even the judge, had asked him repeatedly if he was sure this was what he wanted to do. They all warned him that it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to have his rights restored. He signed the documents with little hesitation anyway. That day was one of the worst of my life.
The week leading up to filing the papers, I constantly questioned myself, wondering if I was really doing what was best for Carolena. I barely slept, couldn’t eat, and seemed to snap at the least little thing. I was grateful to Charles for his patience, because I was sure that I tried it. However, not once did he blow up or get angry with me and I appreciated that more than I could ever tell him.
Once Cooper’s rights were terminated, things slowly settled into a routine. After dating for only three months, Charles was practically living at my house. Over time, we became a family. Now, Charles and I had been together for a year and it had been one of the best years of my life.
Under his attention and affection, Carolena blossomed. I hadn’t realized how much she missed because her father was gone. I honestly thought she wouldn’t notice the difference until she was older. I was wrong.
I also found another job that allowed me to work from home most of the year. Once or twice a month, I would have to go into the office for meetings, but I spent most of my days close to my daughter. Kathy still came over to watch her while I worked, but I got to eat lunch with Carolena almost every day and I loved it. I missed seeing my girlfriends, but we tried to get together for brunch a couple of Sundays a month. They were all caught up in their own lives and relationships, but we managed.
Carolena seemed to love Charles as much as I did. I know my family loved him. My mom and dad welcomed him to all the family events. My sisters were distant at first, worried that Charles was taking advantage of me in a vulnerable time. It took a few months, but they came around. Once they stopped being so stubborn, they finally saw in him what I did, a genuinely good man.
I loved his family too. His mom, sister, and aunt were as nutty as ever but sweet and funny. I laughed constantly when I was around them. It was wonderful to be accepted so quickly by his family. Coop’s parents were aloof even after we were married. While I still called them and offered to let them see Carolena, they rarely took me up on it. They preferred to remain distant from me and their granddaughter.
I was so happy. The only thing that could have made life better was if Charles and I were married and he adopted Carolena. It was only paper, I knew that and I could live without it, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want it in my heart of hearts. Maybe it was selfish of me, but I wanted it all.
I loaded Carolena into the car at the mall after stowing our bags and her stroller in the trunk. I wondered what surprise Charles had for us at home. He must have been watching for us, because he came out of the house as soon as I pulled into the driveway. He grabbed the bags out of the trunk while I got the baby.
Lena and I laughed as he pretended to struggle under the weight of the bags. He winked at me. When we walked through the front door, I was bombarded by delectable aromas. It smelled as though someone was cooking a feast. Charles hauled the shopping bags upstairs as I took off our coats.
Over his shoulder, he called, “Don’t move from that spot until I get back.” Curious, I did as he said. He came back down the stairs quickly, a grin on his face. With a flourish, he gestured to the formal dining room that I never used. I stepped inside and gasped.
There were flowers on the table and the sideboard and small candles flickered everywhere. Two places were set with my great-grandmother’s wedding china and
a third with Carolena’s toddler dishes and utensils. That china was reserved for only the most special occasions and Charles knew that.
“This is beautiful, Charles.”
Carolena agreed. “It’s pwetty.”
He smiled and pulled out a chair that held Carolena’s booster seat. Once we got her settled, he did the same for me. “Stay right here. I’m going to serve you.”
Carolena and I whispered and giggled together as he disappeared into the kitchen. He returned with two serving bowls, one full of pasta and a rich sauce, the other with a salad.
“Don’t start yet,” he said, pointing a finger at both of us and disappearing back into the kitchen.
He came back with a bowl full of garlic bread, a plate of stuffed mushrooms, and an open bottle of wine tucked in the crook of his arm. Once everything was on the table, he poured a glass of wine for both of us. There was already a sippy cup full of milk in front of Carolena’s plate.
The food was incredible. The best I’d ever tasted. Lena and I told Charles about our shopping trip and we talked about what we should do tomorrow. Finally, I had eaten my fill and I pushed my plate away.
“That was delicious, Charles. Thank you so much.”
“Thank you, Charl,” Carolena parroted.
He smiled. “It was my pleasure, but dinner’s not over yet. We haven’t had dessert.” Standing up, he carried our empty plates into the kitchen and came back with a small cupcake stand and dome. I’d bought the set a few months ago as a decoration.
Confused, I watched as he placed the stand in front of me and carefully lifted the fragile glass dome. Instead of the decadent dessert I expected, there was a perfect red rose under the glass. Something glittered in the center of the flower and I used the tip of my finger to gently brush the petals away. I lifted the object and saw it was a ring. A diamond ring.
“Charles?” I looked over at him, unsure if I completely understood what was happening. Maybe I was in the throes of severe food poisoning and hallucinating. Or I was dreaming the best dream ever.
Charles was on one knee between my chair and Carolena’s. He took my left hand in his and plucked the ring from my nerveless fingers.
“Yancy, Carolena,” he said, looking at both of us. “I love you both and I want to build a family with you. You’re everything I ever wanted or needed. Will you marry me?”
His simple statements took my breath away. Carolena appeared confused and lifted her eyes to me. I smiled at her and asked, “What do you think, Carolena? Do you want Charles to live here with us?”
She grinned then. “Yes!”
I looked back down at Charles. “My answer is the same as hers. Yes.”
He pulled me down and kissed me hard enough to leave me dizzy. When he released me, he placed the ring on my finger and said, “There’s just one more thing.”
“What?”
“When we’re married, I want to adopt Carolena. She needs a father and I want it to be me.”
Tears filled my eyes. Earlier, I’d wished that, someday, Charles would want everything he was offering me. It seemed that my wishes were going to be granted more quickly than I hoped.
I lifted my wet eyes to my daughter and asked, “Do you want Charles to be your daddy?” I knew she was too little to truly decide, but it was obvious that Charles intended for her to be included in this.
She blinked slowly, looking at me, then Charles. “Daddy?”
Charles smiled and I swore I saw the sheen of tears in his eyes as well. “Yes.”
My daughter smiled and leaned over to kiss Charles on his cheek. “My daddy.”
Unable to contain myself any longer, I hiccupped and let the tears escape. She probably had no idea what she was saying, only repeating what she heard, but it was still beautiful. I managed to get myself together before I scared Carolena, but barely. Once I was calmer, Charles went for our real dessert, which was my favorite, crème brulee. We finished our meal and I helped Charles carry the dishes into the kitchen, which was almost spotless.
“How did you make all this and have time to clean the kitchen?” I asked.
His cheeks reddened slightly and I gaped at him. He was blushing. Clearing his throat, he said, “Mom and Sherri came over and helped me prep and wash up. I cooked everything, but washing dishes after a marriage proposal kinda kills the romance, so they were my sous chef and dishwasher.”
“They knew?”
He nodded. “Your parents knew too.”
“What?”
He grinned at my shocked expression. “I went to see your dad and ask his permission. I know it seems antiquated, but Mom would have killed me if I hadn’t. She’s very traditional that way.”
I laughed in disbelief. “How is it that I didn’t know about this? My mom can’t hide things from my sisters and my sisters can’t keep a secret to save their lives.”
Charles smirked. “I told them I would convince you to elope in Vegas if they told you beforehand.”
I laughed. “You sneaky rat.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise. I know we haven’t talked much about marriage, but we’re practically living together already and I love it. I want to make it official so I can run off any of the men who think they have a shot with you.”
I walked to him and kissed him. “What men?” When he smiled, I said, “I look forward to being married to you.”
We made out in the kitchen for about five minutes before Carolena came tearing through, yelling about watching a movie. We both laughed and Charles insisted I go start the movie while he washed the last few dishes and then he would join us.
A few hours later, after Carolena was bathed and I had just put her to bed, Charles scooped me up as I exited her room. I giggled as he carried me into our bedroom and threw me on the bed. As he crawled up my body, I lifted my left hand to cup his cheek and the glint of the diamond on my finger caught my eye.
As the events of the day sank in, I found tears filling my eyes again. Charles lifted his head and smoothed my tangled hair away from my face.
“What’s wrong, gorgeous?”
I shook my head and sniffed. “Absolutely nothing. I just can’t believe that all my dreams came true.”
Charles lowered his forehead to mine. “So did mine.”
Just as we began our day with love, we ended it the same way.
The End
Acknowledgements
Thank you so much, Donna, for everything you do. From keeping track of my schedule, telling what I need to hear, and talking me down from the ledge on a regular basis, you have kept me sane this year. Well, slightly less insane. I really would be lost without you. Expect me to show up on your doorstep when you get settled in your new house.
Tania, you did a fabulous job editing this book for me, even on your vacation. I promise I won’t be as late with the next book. You believe me, right?
To some of the best beta readers; Nikki, Amber, and Stephanie. Thank you for reading my books and sharing your thoughts.
I also have to tell my girls in C.C.’s Sinners how much I love them! Thank you, ladies, for responding to my crazy posts and tolerating all the baby pictures I inflict upon you. You do a great job helping me get the word out about my books too!
Lastly, I deeply appreciate all the blogs and readers that have read and reviewed my books. It makes me incredibly happy to know that people enjoy the stories in my head as much as I do. I’m grateful to you all!
About C.C.
A native Texan, C.C. grew up either reading or playing the piano. Years later, she’s still not grown up and doing the same things. Since the voices in her head never shut up, C.C. decided to try and profit from their crazy stories and started writing books.
Now that she has a baby girl at home, C.C.’s non-writing time is usually spent cleaning up poopy diapers or feeding the poop machine. Sometimes she teaches piano, cooks, or spends time bugging her hubby and two beagles.
Contact C.C.
C.C. loves to hear from her readers!<
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Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorccwood
Twitter: @cc_wood
Website: www.ccwood.net
Titles by C.C. Wood
Novellas:
Girl Next Door Series:
Friends with Benefits
Frenemies
Drive Me Crazy
Girl Next Door-The Complete Series
Kiss Series:
A Kiss for Christmas
Kiss Me
Novels:
Seasons of Sorrow
NSFW Series:
In Love With Lucy
Earning Yancy
Paranormal Romance:
Bitten Series
Bite Me
Once Bitten, Twice Shy