by Zoe Mullins
“Seriously who are talking about?”
“Logan. You bitch.” She slammed her hand against the wall. “Logan was mine.” She was beginning to sob now. Her voice rose with the strain. She wiped her eyes on the back of her wrist.
“He said I was too young. I still had some growing up to do. But I know he wanted me. He loved me as much as I loved him.”
“Suzie, listen, I’m sorry,” Cait began, trying to talk her down. “I’m sure he loved you very much.”
“Liar. You stole him away.”
“Suzie, I didn’t even know Logan when we graduated high school, remember? I didn’t know your family. I barely knew you.”
“I was waiting and then you swooped in and took him away.”
Two years later,Cait thought but didn’t say it. “I was wrong to do that. I’m so sorry.”
“No. I tried to make you sorry. Triedto get you to leave. But you don’t give up.” Suzie shook her head emphatically as she talked, swinging it wildly back and forth while she fumbled in her pocket. She pulled out something silver and shiny. She hit a switch and a blade flicked out. “I have to get rid of you somehow, before you take everything from me.”
“You did those things to my house. My business.” Cait gasped in astonishment. “I wouldn’t have thought you had it in you.”
God Cait, she yelled at herself, Way to antagonize the crazy person with a sharp little Swiss Army knife. “You didn’t have to do that,” she soothed. “You could have just asked me to leave.”
“You won’t go,” Suzie said and swiped the blade toward her in an arc. She wasn’t close enough to reach her.
Cait moved quickly, trying to keep two steps ahead as they began to circle each other. “Sure I will go. I can move. I can teach yoga anywhere.”
“Liar.” Suzie jabbed the knife toward Cait. It still missed its mark, but it was getting closer.
Cait grabbed a pair of leggings from the sales rack and held them between her hands in front of her, like a lion tamer’s chair. A new mantra repeated in her head—don’t let her close, don’t let her close.
“I’m not lying, Suzanne. I will leave. And you can go back to your home, and your kids and you can forget you ever met me.”
When the next jab came, it poked a hole through the spandex of the leggings, catching for a moment, allowing Cait to kick out at Suzie. The blow hit Suzie in the stomach and she stumbled.
Cait knew immediately that was a mistake. When Suzie raised her head, she was scowling, her teeth bared. Her eyes were slits. And she growled. Cait barely had the chance to brace for impact as Suzie bull-rushed her.
As Suzanne sprinted forward, she brought the blade down again. Cait was ready for it and caught Suzie’s hand in the tights, effectively holding it away from both their bodies as they wrestled back and forth.
Cait needed both hands on the leggings to keep that blade away from them. She pushed her shoulder into Suzie’s chest as Suzie made a grab for Cait’s hair. Cait screamed as Suzie pulled.
Cait vaguely heard the sound of shouting as she maneuvered herself in front ofSuzie. If she could just get a bit of space. She brought Suzie’s trapped arm around in front of her, her right shoulder slipping under Suzie’s armpit. The grip on her hair slackened and she knew it was her only chance to strike.
Cait hunched forward then surged back with all of her might, the top of her head cracking into Suzie’s jaw.
The knife clattered to the floor as Suzie stumbled back, blood rushing from her mouth. Officer Adams and Scott caught Suzie’s arms and threw her against the reception desk as they cuffed her.
Cait was pulled into Jackson’s arms, her head buried in his chest. It didn’t muffle the sound of Suzie screaming that she would kill her, even as the police led her out to the patrol car.
Cait heard someone crying and turned in Jack’s arms to see Rebecca sobbing quietly as she followed the police outside.
She looked up at Jackson. He was crying too. “I’m so sorry,” she said immediately, apologizing for driving his sister crazy. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
Jackson’s jaw was tight. He slanted his lips over hers, the kiss taking her by surprise. She opened her lips to his, sure she was tasting his fear. When he let her breathe finally, he confessed, “I have never driven so fast as I did to get here. I thought I was going to lose you.”
He still hugged her tightly to him. Her arms were pinned to her sides as she looked up at him.
“But I drove your sister nuts,” she blurted out as the strain began to wash over her. “She tried to kill me, you know.” Her own tears started to flow hotly down her cheeks and she buried her face back in Jack’s chest.
“I know, baby.” He squeezed harder. “I am so sorry.” He buried his head in her hair, kissing the top of her head.
Rebecca stepped back into the shop. Sophie had an arm around Rebecca’s shoulders, supporting her. “They are taking Suzie to the hospital.”
“They want to do a psychiatric assessment,” Sophie clarified. “I can bring your mom there.”
Cait pulled away slightly from Jack. He didn’t let her go far. She watched him nod to Sophie and his mother. “We will be along shortly.”
“Don’t you want togo too?” Cait whispered after they left.
“I do, but I just need to hold you for a little longer.” She wasn’t going to argue with that. When she’d been struggling with Suzie, all she had hoped for was the chance to be in Jack’s arms again.
After several minutes, Jackson said, “We should probably have you checked out at the hospital too.” He loosened his hold on her, but not before kissing her gently on the lips.
“She has a hard jaw.” She rubbed where her head had hit Suzie in an effective uppercut maneuver.
“Remind me never to make you mad at me.”
She looked up at him, one hand on his forearm so he couldn’t walk away. “I take it back.”
“You take what back?” He looked at her.
“This is probably the adrenaline talking, but I take back all the stupid stuff I said about not being ready for more,” she said. “I am ready for more, with you.”
“We are having you checked for a concussion.” His expression was serious.
“I may have one, but that doesn’t change anything. I’m sorry. I’m ready for a life with you, a home with you. I don’t want just your collar. I want it all. Everything. I don’t want to waste any more time. My house is lonely without you. And it doesn’t have a view.”
He crushed her into his arms, lifting her from her feet. She wrapped her armsaround his neck and her legs around his waist. He turned her and sat her on top of the reception desk.
He sighed. “Why is nothing with you the way I have it planned?” He fumbled in his wallet and pulled out a ring. It wasn’t a diamond solitaire this time. She was still wearing that one on her right hand. He slid a diamond-link ring onto her finger.
“Don’t think you are going to get out of being my sub, baby girl, but will you also be my wife?”
She looked up at him and the exertion hurt her head, but she didn’t care. “Yes, Jackson. I will be your wife.”
Epilogue
Six weeks later
Jackson and Cait brought their friends and family members together for a Sunday afternoon garden party. It was good to put behind what had happened and to focus on the future.
David had taken a leave of absence from his firm and was living in St. Augustin with the kids so he could be near to Suzanne as she received treatment for postpartum psychosis. With proper treatment, Suzanne was returning to herself, and was appalled by what she had done. In time, it was hoped that she would be able to join her family again.
Cait turned from David and the kids, and looked over at the other friends who had joined them today. Patrick and Sam were fussing over the buffet, which they had insisted on catering. Cait couldn’t say no, having taste-tested many of Sam’s latest dessert creations.
Sophie was talking with Gi
na and her boyfriend Paulo, trying to pretend she didn’t notice Ben running his finger up and down her arm. Sophie had brought Chet with her and he was talking to Jack’s dad as his mom played with her grandchildren.
This was her family. This is where she belonged. And speaking of belonging, she had still been nursing a mild concussion as Jack oversaw the moving of her things into his home. Their home. This was the home they had dreamed together a dozen years ago.
She smoothed her hands over her simple floral sundress then tucked her hair behind her ears. She looked up at Jack and nodded.
The lines around his eyes crinkled as he laughed at something Ben said. He returned her nod and grinned. He excused himself from Ben and snagged a spoon from the buffet. He tapped the side of his champagne glass.
“I would like to say a few words,” he began. “I want to thank all of you for coming out today to enjoy this beautiful weather we have been blessed with, and to celebrate the end of summer. But we wanted you to here to celebrate another occasion as well.” His eyes shone with love when his gaze rested on her and she returned that look with the largest smile she could manage.
“As you know, I have been in love with this woman, Cait McKenzie, from pretty much the first time I saw her.” There was a small round of applause and a few whistles. Jack smiled at the interruption, but she could feel a blush rising up her neck. “Our roads have taken us down divergent paths long enough. I can’t imagine my life without her, and thankfully, she feels the same way.”
“Always,” she told him, lifting her glass to air-toast his.
“Will you please all raise your glasses to my wife, the beautiful Mrs. Steele?”
Cait smiled widely as her their friends and family crushed around them, and the well wishing and the questions began.
No one was surprised, however, that they had slipped away quietly and done the deed at the registry office, not after all that happened. Ben and Sophie had been their only witnesses yesterday as they pledged their love to each other.
What mattered most was not where the wedding was, what they wore, or the flowers that she held. Most important was that they had found each other again. That finally, after all this time, they were going to get their chance at happily ever after.
The End
About Zoë Mullins
The only reason Zoë learned to type in high school was so she could write even faster. A prolific write, even in elementary school, she was jotting down poems and stories whenever she had the chance. After years of working in corporate communications, Zoë decided to refocus on the kind of writing she loved – hot romance with strong, independent heroines.
Zoë and her husband of 20 years (yes they did marry in elementary school, thank you for thinking so) live in Atlantic Canada with their fur-family (two dogs at this time.) When not at her desk or with her laptop in the gazebo, you can find her at her favorite yoga studio, camping by the lake or renovating their money-pit of a house.
Zoë loves to hear from her readers. You can contact Zoë by email, Facebook or Twitter. If you want to get more insights into the characters you’ve read about, or get a sneak peak at what’s ahead, check out her Pinterest page.
Tell Us What You Think
We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email the author directly or you can email us at [email protected] (when contacting Customer Service, be sure to state the book title and author).
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Winning Cait
ISBN 9781419994425
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Winning Cait Copyright © 2015 Zoë Mullins
Edited by Shannon Combs
Cover design by Allyse Leodra
Cover photography by Shutterstock
Electronic book publication August 2015
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
The publisher and author(s) acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book.
The publisher does not have any control over, and does not assume any responsibility for, author or third-party websites or their content.
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com to find erotic reading experiences that will leave you breathless. You can also find our books at all the major e-tailers (Barnes & Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Google, Apple iBookstore, All Romance eBooks, and others).
www.ellorascave.com