Cupping her cheek in one hand, he tenderly brushed his lips across hers before leaving the room. It felt like he was abandoning her to take care of his problems, but there was something in Sadira’s eyes that brooked no argument. One thing he’d just learned? Sadira was more than capable of getting what she wanted from him. Even if it went against his better judgment.
God help him when she figured that out.
Chapter Eight
“Well, I never thought I’d see the day when the high and mighty Sebastian Taylor let a woman fight his battles for him.” Dedra sneered. “You’re one of the girls’ teachers, are you not?”
“I am. And Sebastian isn’t ‘letting’ me do anything. I chose to force the issue because I don’t want him saying anything he’ll regret later.”
“So, when did the two of you get so…familiar? ‘Bastian, was it?” She raised one delicately arched eyebrow. “Sounds suspiciously like you’re sleeping with my husband.”
“First of all,” Sadira said, slowly but steadily moving toward Dedra, “he’s not your husband. Second, I seem to recall three heartbroken girls coming to school after Christmas break last year. It took weeks before any of them finally admitted their mother was gone.” Sadira stopped just in front of the other woman, her own temper spiking as she remembered the pain the Taylor girls had gone through. “Rebecca was especially devastated. Did you even think about how your leaving would affect your children? And on Christmas?”
Dedra waved away Sadira’s comments with an imperious flick of her wrist. “They survived. They’re too spoiled as it is. A year without me didn’t hurt them. If anything, they should be grateful to me for helping them prepare mentally for life in the real world.”
Inhale for patience. Don’t smack the bitch.
“You’re not serious.” Sadira couldn’t quite believe this. “I always knew you were a piece of work, but this is beyond anything a decent person should be capable of.”
“Absolutely. Besides, I’ve just had a horrible couple of weeks. I certainly don’t need your opinion on how I should raise my own daughters, and I could care less what you think of me.”
“You don’t get a say in how they’re raised anymore.” Sebastian’s deep voice seemed to boom through the room. Of course he wouldn’t stay gone long. He’d simply dressed and looked more in control of himself. Sadira was really glad, because she was rapidly losing her own control. He carried with him a legal document. Likely a copy of their divorce agreement or whatever it was called. Considering she was sure Sebastian had had little input in drafting the document, she hesitated to call it an agreement. “As of Christmas Day last year, you relinquished all parental rights to all three girls. You get no say. End of story.”
“Oh, rubbish!” Dedra’s countenance changed altogether. Now she looked angry and annoyed. The nerve of the woman! “They’re my girls! I’m their mother!”
“You might have given birth to them,” Sebastian continued, “but they’re not your girls. Not anymore.”
“Are you saying you’d take them away from me?” Now she was going for the hurt and mistreated wife and mother? Sadira wanted to barf. “How could you? All I needed was a little time away. Surely you can understand that.”
“According to this document”—he tossed her the bundle of papers, which Dedra caught on reflex—“you sued for divorce from me and relinquished all parental rights and privileges to all three girls. They are named specifically in that fucking document. For one solid year, we never heard the first word from you. Not a letter. Not a phone call. Not even a fucking postcard. Yet now you’re trying to make me out to be the bad guy?” Unlike Sadira, Sebastian hadn’t gotten in Dedra’s face. He’d kept his distance this time, looking thunderous, but in control of all that anger. He no longer looked like he might murder Dedra—though Sadira was contemplating it herself—but he definitely wanted her gone. “I’m not going to do anything to ruin another Christmas for the girls, so I’m not going to throw you bodily out of this house and risk getting arrested. But you need to leave. Go back to wherever you’ve been the last year.”
There was silence for long moments as the two stared at each other. Then Dedra’s facade seemed to crumple. She dissolved into tears. “I can’t,” she wailed. “Justin decided to go back to his wife! He kicked me out of the apartment we shared in Key West, and I have nowhere else to go! He just told me to get my things and leave! He was done with me! I had to buy my own plane ticket home, and I don’t have any money to get a hotel room!” Though Dedra made an abundance of noise, no actual tears marred her perfectly applied make-up. Apparently, Sebastian noticed as well. Or he just didn’t care. And, really, who could blame him?
“So your lover kicked you out, and you decided to pick up your old life where you left off. Did you not consider that we’d all moved on?”
“Of course I did! But I’m back now, ‘Bastian. I—”
“Don’t call me that!” He snapped at her. “Never, Dedra!”
“Why not? She did.” With a contemptuous nod, Dedra indicated Sadira.
“Because she’s earned that right. For the last year, she’s been more of a mother to all three girls than you ever were. Because of her, they were able to pick themselves up and continue. Sadira earned the right to call me ‘Bastian with blood, sweat, and tears. She held each of them as they wept over you, assuring them that they were loved and cherished despite being abandoned by their own mother.” Sebastian put his arm around Sadira then, pulling her into his embrace. “And tonight, she proved to their father that you hadn’t killed his passion. She also showed him that he hadn’t lost his heart when you left.” He looked down at Sadira then, speaking more to her now than to Dedra, and Sadira was woman enough to recognize it. “It was still mine. At least it was until I gave it to her.”
Had the situation not been so surreal, Sadira would have melted. Her heart still threatened to beat through her chest, and she was sure she was grinning despite Sebastian’s ex-wife looking like she might do murder herself any second.
In that moment, Sadira thought she had an insight into Dedra, and she almost felt sorry for her. Looking back at the other woman, she said, “You didn’t realize what you had until it was too late, did you? What did he promise you that would possibly make you leave your family?”
“A new life. No responsibilities. All I had to do was be available, and he’d take care of me.”
“Still not a good trade, but what happened? Obviously things didn’t work out.”
Dedra pursed her lips, but answered. “His wife threatened to take him to the cleaners if he divorced her. I guess Justin didn’t want me enough to give up half his fortune.”
“I hate it for you, Dedra. I really do,” Sebastian said, not losing his hold on Sadira. “I wish you all the best, but you’re not welcome here. Not now. After Christmas, I’ll tell the girls I saw you and that you’re interested in seeing them. If they choose to see you, I’ll be happy to arrange a visit. But there will be no unsupervised visits, and only if they want to see you. You can leave your number, and I’ll let you know.”
“I can’t believe you’re doing this to me,” Dedra said, looking stunned. “You never used to be so unreasonable”
“Yeah, well, that was before you left. Before I realized I was fighting a losing battle with you. Before I knew what real love felt like.”
“So, that’s it? You’re kicking me out? And right before Christmas?”
“You’re a real piece of work, Dedra.” Sebastian sighed. “I suggest you go home to your parents if you need a place to stay. They’re decent people. I’m sure they’ll be happy to take in their only daughter.”
“This isn’t over, Sebastian,” she said, her eyes calculating, but Sadira thought she saw a flicker of resignation there. Yeah. She knew.
“Yes, Dedra,” Sebastian responded. “It is.”
Epilogue
If the tree Sebastian had purchased for Christmas had been any bigger, they would have had to cut a hole in the roof. As it was, the t
op was folded over and hanging down half a foot. Where they were going to put the angel ornament, Sadira had no idea. But it wasn’t going on the top, that was for sure.
For the last week and a half, she, Sebastian, and the girls had been making homemade ornaments to go on the tree. After what seemed like miles of strung popcorn, more lights than even this massive tree could hold, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree, Zoe finally declared the tree ready for Santa.
“Finally.” Sadira slumped on the couch next to Sebastian. “Thank the Lord it’s done.”
“It only took a week and a half,” Rebecca grumbled, glancing at her youngest sister. But Sadira noticed the twitch of her lips, and the teenager hadn’t done more than offer token protests the entire week and a half it took to satisfy Zoe.
“I think it’s a beautiful tree,” Jessica announced.
“It certainly is,” Sebastian said, hugging Sadira closer to him. “Nearly as beautiful as my girls.”
Zoe then proceeded to get votes on which Christmas movie to watch, declaring December Sappy Christmas Movie Month. Sadira groaned and moaned, telling them she refused to get all gushy over the Hallmark Channel. Secretly, she gave a fist-pump, screaming “yes!” inside her head. She loved sappy Christmas movies. The girls just loved it when she and Sebastian protested.
Surprisingly, Dedra had kept her distance. Sebastian had spoken with her parents several times. They’d assured him they would do their best to make her abide by his wishes so he didn’t need to get the court involved. They’d even promised to work out a time the girls could spend time with them for Christmas without worrying Dedra would show up and make a scene. The older couple might be Dedra’s parents, but Sebastian had said they’d never supported her decision to leave and had always seemed to have their granddaughters’ best interest at heart. Sebastian trusted them, but indicated he’d still be watchful and protective. Sadira would do no less.
All in all, things were going smoothly. Sadira had no doubt Sebastian would keep his world to tell his girls their mother was back in town and silently dreaded it even though she knew he had no choice. They had to make the decision to see her or not. He couldn’t make it for them.
So here they were. The night before Christmas. The girls were nestled snug in their beds, but Dedra knew sugar plums were far from their dreams. In fact, she’d barely gotten Zoe to sleep at all. The child might be mature for her age, but Santa was still very real to her. Well, either that or she was milking it until no one believed her anymore. Sadira believed the former rather than the latter. Or maybe she just wanted to believe it. She wasn’t their biological mother, but even she knew they grew up too fast.
“Merry Christmas, baby,” Sebastian drawled from behind her. She’d been leaned against the doorframe watching Zoe sleep. His strong arms enfolded her, and his lips grazed the side of her face tenderly. “Santa got the goods all ready for tomorrow. What say you soothe his aching back? Hauling around all those presents is a chore, you know.”
Sadira stifled a giggle, excitement coursing through her at the thought. “You think Santa deserves a little back rub, huh?”
“Nope. Maybe a front rub, though.”
Urging her away from the door, he led her to their bedroom. Thankfully, it was on the other side of the house, away from the girls’ rooms. They’d still have to be quiet, but they could indulge in each other until Zoe woke them at the ass crack of dawn as Sebastian predicted she would.
“You know I love you, right?” Sebastian asked as he shut and locked the door, cocooning them in some much-needed privacy.
“I do. You know I love you, too?”
“Absolutely,” he said, reaching for her. As his lips found hers, she sighed into him. “I’ve needed you all damned day,” he said, helping her out of her clothes before removing his own.
“Then take me,” she responded with a happy smile, her voice husky with need.
“I think we’ve more than made up for last Christmas. You’re so good to the girls.” He brought her left hand to his lips, kissing the engagement ring he’d secretly given her earlier that day. “I think they’ll be pleased to have you as their mother.” They’d dropped hints over the last couple of weeks, and they’d all looked at Sadira with longing, though only Zoe had expressed what the other two hadn’t been able to. She wanted Sadira to be her mom and never leave them. When little Zoe had made that announcement, that the girls wanted a mom for Christmas, Rebecca and Jessica had looked at each other with apprehension, but had run into Sadira’s arms, hugging her fiercely. “They love you nearly as much as I do.”
“I love them too, ‘Bastian.” Love for this man and his children seemed to bubble up inside her. Though she loved the girls as fiercely and protectively as any mother, in that moment, her focus was on their father. Sebastian needed her as much as they did. What this family needed, Sadira would provide. If they needed a mother for Christmas, a wife for Christmas, she was only too happy to volunteer for the roles. “Now, shut up and make love to me.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice.”
A Mom for Christmas Page 4