Everything She Needed (Cedar Valley Novel Book 2)

by Christina Butrum

  Rachel stood close by, camera in hand as Leah unwrapped her gift. It was a necessity to catch the rush of emotion that was about to happen as Leah undid the last of the wrapping paper and saw what the gift was. Leah’s eyes beamed as a smile spread across her face, followed with brimming tears as she pulled out the diaper bag filled with everything she could possibly need, including a tiny scrapbook for the baby’s firsts.

  “Rach,” she managed to say, despite her trembling lips and inability to say anything more.

  Rachel snapped a picture, receiving a look from Leah promising payback. Wanting to hug her best friend, she first had to help her stand before wrapping her arms around her and pulling her close. “I’m so happy for you, and I can’t wait to meet Willow Mae.”

  * * *

  After spending the last hour helping Leah haul everything home from the baby shower, Rachel and Ava pulled into the driveway. It was nice to finally be home. She was more than ready to relax.

  The guys were in the backyard with Tyler, playing football. Adam was doing his best with the one arm he had to work with. Rachel pulled open the sliding door and slid out onto the back deck.

  Conner tossed the ball back to Tyler, who was now dodging and weaving between his uncle and father, trying to make an imaginary touchdown on the other end of the lawn.

  Ava stood on the edge of the steps alongside the baby gate, clapping at the touchdown her big brother had just made. Adam turned his attention on her, and before he had a chance to reach her, she was running toward Rachel’s chair in order to get away from him. Adam climbed over the gate and pretended he couldn’t find Ava. “Where’d she go? I can’t see her?”

  Ava sat quietly in Rachel’s lap as she dug her face into her mother’s shirt—her fair attempt at hiding from Adam. It hadn’t lasted long once Adam announced the tickle monster would be able to find her. Ava bounced off Rachel’s lap and ran the opposite direction of Adam’s outstretched hands.

  The tiny screams echoed; ricocheting off the side of the house as Adam cornered her, allowing her no way to escape being tickled. She watched on with amusement as Ava kicked and squirmed her way free of Adam’s torturing tickles. She couldn’t go too far before he grabbed her once again with one arm and twirled her around in a circle, causing her to shriek in delight and laughter.

  Conner reached out once Adam stopped and tickled Ava’s belly, which was now sticking out from under her shirt. “I’m going to get you,” Conner said, pouncing in the direction Ava ran. The look on her face told Rachel she wasn’t having it. A short fuss and scream later, Conner called it quits. “Okay, I’ll stop.” He offered a hand out and asked, “Can we still be friends?”

  Ava stuck a thumb in her mouth and rubbed her free hand against her tired eyes. “Someone sleepy?” Rachel asked, not expecting Ava to admit to being tired. Usually she put up a fight and refused taking a nap. This time, Rachel walked her up the stairs and placed her in the center of her big girl bed, tucking her in with her favorite quilt that grandma had made for her.

  Walking back outside, she told Adam that she needed to run to the café to make sure the cupcakes were ready for tomorrow’s big day. He offered to keep an eye on the kids while she ran in to town, as she promised it wouldn’t take longer than a few minutes once she was there.

  When he kissed her, he purposely let his lips trail to familiar territory, causing her to squirm right there on the back porch. Trying to hide what he did to her, she turned away from him and pulled open the door before attempting to escape the hold he had on her. He followed her inside, closed the door, and pressed her up against the wall.

  “Stop,” she pleaded, pointing in the direction of the back door. “They’re out there.”

  He shrugged against her, pressing his lips hard against her neck, allowing his teeth to graze against the skin as he pulled her into the kitchen, out of view of Tyler and Conner. “And we’re in here.” His words and breath hot against her neck.

  Her head fell back against the cabinet as he lifted her onto the counter, pressing his hardened length, suppressed by denim, against her. She couldn’t deny how badly she wanted what he had to offer. Between the pills and the injuries that had kept him from any activity, it had been a while since they had been intimate, and the tension between them had been evident, even more so now, as he ravished her with his hands and mouth.

  With one strong swipe, he had her over his shoulder and was carrying her toward the stairs. Digging her fingers into his back on the way up the stairs, she heard his grunt as he placed her on their bed. He undressed her with his eyes first as he tossed his own clothes aside, leaving a pile on the floor.

  Taking her own initiative to undress herself, she pulled at the button of her shorts and slid them down her thighs, allowing him to strip her free of what blocked him from seeing her lying naked in front of him.

  A low growl was heard as he pulled her hips closer to him and entered her in one fluid motion, promising her much more than a quick escape as he thrummed his thumb along the spot of no return. Arching into him, she allowed him to take her to that point and back—over and over again, until they were both sent over the edge and left in the afterglow of sweat and bliss.

  25

  Being injured and on the mend had set him back a few weeks. Now, with the town’s baking festival set up and ready to go, his plan was shoved back until another time—which was okay, because no one wanted to see a man with only one usable arm propose to a beautiful woman like Rachel. No matter what her answer would be, it’d still look pitiful on his part.

  Liam had called it like he saw it as Adam walked into Levy’s. “Haven’t figured it out yet?”

  The place had picked up since nine that morning and Liam had told him to stop in to talk through some things. Adam knew what things, or perhaps thing, Liam was referring to.

  He pulled a barstool away from the bar and took a seat. There wasn’t time for drinking, with the parade about to start in less than thirty minutes or so. He had left his brother in charge of lining up the trucks while he took a quick break to clear his head.

  Tyler had stayed back with Conner, and Rachel had Ava helping prepare the stand with her up and coming prize winning cupcakes. They all knew she’d win with those buttercream frosted chocolate treats.

  The town was buzzing with excitement over this festival and here he sat, wishing he’d get some courage to get his crap together.

  “Here’s what I think you need to do,” Liam said, offering Adam a glass of Pepsi on ice. Adam took a drink, hoping there would be something stronger mixed with it, but he hadn’t been that lucky. He wouldn’t complain though, the ice cold drink cooled him down from the heat of the mid-summer sun he’d been in all morning. “I still think you should propose when you have the chance.”

  Adam didn’t like the idea of winging it. Something would go wrong and then the whole surprise of the proposal would be blown. Not that planning things always went the way they were planned, but still... it was a chance he was willing to take.

  “I’m thinkin’ you should do it when she’s least expecting it. Kind of like what I did with Leah,” Liam said, with a smirk plastered on his face.

  “I’m thinkin’ I should just keep thinkin’,” Adam said, taking a long drink before saying, “I’m just not sure when the right time is.”

  Liam shrugged, and even though Adam knew he had something more to say, he watched Liam walk down to the other end of the bar and say something to Adam’s grandfather, who in turn, looked down at Adam and asked, “What are ya waitin’ for, boy? Go put a ring on that woman before someone beats ya to it.”

  Liam glanced down at him, smirk still plastered on his face, and offered Adam a reassuring “That’s what I think, too” look.

  He decided he would take their advice. No sense in waiting around for the right moment when the right moment may never come. Better now than never.

  Climbing off the barstool, he tipped back what was left of the Pepsi and waved in their direction as he h
eaded for the door. If a proposal was what everyone wanted, it would be a proposal they would get... as soon as he figured out when and where.

  * * *

  Rachel had never been so nervous in her life. She wasn’t a pro, yet the ladies swore she was. They had included her in their registration at the bake off, telling everyone, including the judges, that they had no idea what they were in for. Doris had offered a sample to one of the judges prior to the festival kick off, but it had been hush hush because they all knew how illegal that had been.

  They had placed their table front and center, lined with cupcakes and a few other frosted treats. Their prize winner would be the buttercream frosted cupcakes with a glaze of sprinkled sugar and walnuts on top—or so the ladies had said that morning, when they had been helping Rachel with the table.

  The emcee announced over the loudspeaker that it was time for the judges to receive their desserts. At this time, she shooed Ava off in the direction of Tyler, who was sitting front and center of the stage. He reached for Ava and set her in his lap as they both gave Rachel a thumbs up.

  Rachel’s nerves thrashed and her stomach flip-flopped about as she watched the judges take a bite of each cupcake, taking time with each one, being sure to take another bite if there was any doubt on where the cupcake stood as far as taste. They conversed amongst themselves, keeping their voices soft as whispers. One had even gone so far as whispering behind her notecard.

  This was intense. Nothing like Rachel had thought it would be. Sure, she had known there would be judges and what not, but nothing like this. She thought it would have been something fun and quick, not serious with deliberate judging.

  The judges were as serious as those in a courtroom, deliberating and discussing the taste and every minute detail of each cupcake—as though it would be life or death.

  The ladies of her “cupcake tribe” from Granny Mae’s fidgeted and squabbled beside her. Francine almost shouted for the judges to hurry up and make a decision already, and she would have, if Granny Mae hadn’t kept her seated with a hand over her mouth.

  The judges still had three more entries to try, which meant Rachel’s, along with everyone else’s, nerves would be fried by the time the verdict was in.

  * * *

  Adam had never been as nervous as he was now. The parade had ended and now he was standing among the crowd gathered around the bake off contest.

  He spotted Rachel right away in the crowd of contestants. The way she ran her teeth over her bottom lip told him how nervous she was—something he had picked up on when they had first started dating.

  As if she could feel his eyes on her, she turned in his direction and gave him a quick nervous wave. There was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to make that beautiful blonde woman his for the rest of his life.

  Giving her a wink in return that he knew would cause her a whole new set of butterflies, he made his way to Tyler and Ava, taking a seat next to a few husbands who were more than eager to get on with their day.

  Where most husbands sat bored, he sat in admiration of the one he loved as he contemplated his next move.

  * * *

  It had taken the judges more than an hour to announce the winner. He swore he had seen actual court proceed faster than that. What the hell was so hard in choosing the best cupcake?

  The judges sat in their assigned seats before deciding on which one of them would make the announcement. Finally, one of them, a dark haired woman with freckles and glasses asked the contestants to approach their tables.

  He could see the sweat glistening on Rachel’s face, reminding him of the intimate moments they had recently shared. Taking his thoughts away from that, he thought about how badly Rachel wanted the win for the ladies at the café.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen,” the freckle faced woman announced before clearing her throat. “There was a good selection of contestants today and a lot of great-tasting cupcakes, too. Which made it a bit of a challenge to choose just one winner.”

  This was straight torture. The amount of time they had taken, he could have proposed three times over again.

  “I just want to take an extra minute and thank everyone for participating in the bake off this year,” the woman said, obviously wanting to draw this event out and keep everyone on the edge of their seats. “Without further ado, I will announce the winner. The winner will receive a check in the amount of ten thousand dollars.”

  Stalling long enough to drive the crowd to restlessness and demanding shouts, the woman finally announced, “The winner is Rachel Elliot and her team from Granny Mae’s Café.”

  The woman fumbled the mic as she tried to clap along with the crowd. She moved to the side as the festival’s director, who happened to be the town mayor, presented Rachel and the others with a check. They held their pose for a few minutes longer, making sure pictures captured the moment for the local newspaper and the town’s website.

  Rachel’s smile was knockout gorgeous as she stood on the stage, accepting the win with a polite “thank you” to each of the judges. What she said next surprised him. It wasn’t supposed to be her surprising him...

  “On behalf of Granny Mae’s and the rest of the community,” she said, fixing her eyes on him as she said every word. “With this check, and the multitude of donations received, we would like to present the money to the CVFD.”

  The festival’s director turned their attention to the crowd, following Rachel’s pointed finger in Adam’s direction, and called him up to the stage.

  26

  Announcing the donations go to the Cedar Valley Fire Department had made everything worth it. The look on Adam’s face as he made his way up to the stage, she knew it had made his day.

  Tyler sat with Ava in the crowd, both of them clapping and Ava babbling incessantly without a clue as to what had truly happened and why her mother was on stage with tears in her eyes.

  Regardless of winning or not, this moment would have happened, and that thought alone made Rachel proud to be a part of this community. They had pulled together to make this happen and it had, without any trouble at all.

  What she hadn’t expected to happen, happened right after Adam thanked the town of Cedar Valley, along with his gorgeous girlfriend, on behalf of him and the fire department.

  “Ever since the day I had met Rachel, I knew that she was something special,” he said, offering her that sly wink of his, which would always set her heart racing. “The baking was just an added bonus, along with Ava, her beautiful, curly blonde haired little girl, who has stolen my heart right along with her mother. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to come into Tyler’s and my life.”

  Turning to Rachel, he reached for her hand and held tight as he continued with his swoon-worthy speech. “Rachel has been nothing but the best for Tyler. Offering her patience and warm guidance, teaching him and nurturing him as a mother would,” he said, and at that very moment, Rachel could see the tears that had gathered in his eyes. “There is no doubt in my mind that I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”

  Adam turned to face her for what she had thought was just a kiss, but instead, he dropped to one knee while fishing something out of his pocket.

  Standing speechless in front of him as he pulled a small black box out and opened it, Rachel couldn’t wait to answer with a yes. She had been waiting for this moment since the first time she had met him.

  “Rachel, I want you to be the one I wake up to every morning and the one I kiss goodnight. I want you to be mine for as long as I live. Will you marry me?”

  “Yes, Adam Jacobsen, I will marry you.” Pulling him up by a tug of her hand, she wrapped her arms around him and whispered in his ear, “You didn’t think I could have possibly ever said no, did you?”

  * * *

  “You’re engaged?!” Leah shouted into the phone. It was a good thing Rachel didn’t need her hearing much anymore. “I can’t believe he finally asked you! He and Liam have been talking about it forever! And of course, I missed
it because of the heat!”

  Holding the phone away from her ear to save some of her hearing, Rachel said, “Yes, he finally asked. And of course I said yes, because there isn’t anyone else I’d rather be with.”

  She didn’t care how cliché or cheesy it sounded, because it was true. There had been a few men she thought were “the one,” but they had instantly proved her wrong, before she had even gotten her hopes up, Scott included.

  “We’re going to celebrate once I have this baby,” Leah promised, her voice much calmer than it had been. “Which will be soon enough if these contractions get closer together.”

  The thought of Leah having contractions should have trumped anything else Rachel had to offer in the conversation, but it wouldn’t. “I’m afraid that won’t happen so soon.”

  “What? The contractions getting closer and more agonizing?”

  Rachel hesitated, giving a minute for what she had said to Leah to sink in. She didn’t have to wait too long before Leah’s shrieks were heard even as she pulled the phone away.

  “Rach, are you serious?” Leah’s voice an octave higher than she had first started out with. “When did this happen?”

  “Well, there was this time when...” She had yet to tell Adam, who would find out later that night when she would surprise him with a bag containing a t-shirt, a onesie and the positive pregnancy test.

  “I mean, how far along are you, smartass,” Leah said, sounding like she was hyperventilating.

  “Take a breath, Lee,” Rachel said, realizing something wasn’t right.

  “I’m trying, but something just happened...”

  “What? What just happened?” Rachel clung desperately to the phone in her hand as she pressed it hard against her ear, willing Leah to say something—anything. “Lee, what happened?”

  “My water just broke.”

  This day was sure to go down in history, double marks on the calendar worth keeping for both sides of the family. Rachel’s engagement was now shared with the birth of Willow Mae Spencer, a bright eyed and beautiful chestnut-brown haired baby with eyes the color of the sky mixed with a crescent of golden brown that matched her mother’s.