by Velvet Reed
We chat for a few minutes, and then it’s time to go. Giving Cooper a kiss on the forehead, I hand to over to Mom. “Be a good boy for Mommy, little man,” I tell him.
“Pfft. As if he’ll be anything but perfect,” Mom rebukes.
Giving her a kiss, I lean in and whisper, "Please take care of them, Mom.”
When I move back, she puts her hand on cheek. "Of course, I will. You take care of yourself.”
I just nod because I don’t trust my voice to remain steady with the emotions racing through my system. My dad kisses my mom, Cooper and Gracie, and then proceeds to pick up my bags and take them out to the car. Taking Gracie’s hand, I lead us out of the front door. This is the first time I’m leaving her, and it makes me feel sick.
Gracie reaches up and cups my face with both hands, a gesture I would normally do to her. She places one soft kiss on my lips. “Like you said, it’s only four days, right.” She’s trying to be brave but her voices catches at the end.
“Only four days, but I’ll miss you like crazy, Sweet Cheeks,” I confess. A single tear escapes making a slow path down her face. “Hey, come on. I won’t be able to leave if you start crying, baby. Please don’t. I’ll call you as soon as I land in Seattle, okay?”
She nods furiously as a few more tears spill over. “I’m being silly. I’m sorry,” she says with trembling lips.
Pulling her in tight against me, I hug her. “Don’t be sorry. It just confirms how much you’ll miss me, and how much you love me. Trust me, Gracie; I’m barely holding it together myself.”
We stay in our embrace a little longer before I’m capturing her in a goodbye kiss. She melts into me as our lips move together and our tongues caress slowly, but I don’t let it go on too long because it would only make it harder to leave.
“I love you, Gracie,” I implore as I place a final kiss to her forehead and let go of her.
“I love you, too, Cole. Have a safe flight.”
I head for Dad’s car, and as I’m just about to get in, I look back at her and give a quick wave. “See you Thursday night.”
She smiles through her tears, and I wipe away one of my own. “Are you ready?” Dad asks as I buckle my seatbelt, and he puts the car in gear.
“No, but the sooner I get there, the sooner I can come home.”
Chapter 30
Grace...
Four days and nights without Cole have almost driven me crazy. I feel sorry for Ashley and Olivia, who have had to put up with my pissy mood the previous few days, which was only exacerbated by the fact that Cole didn’t call last night like he did the other three. When I heard from him this morning, he was in a rush because he over slept and was running late for the final seminar.
John left not long ago to collect Cole from the airport, so Olivia and Ashley are talking about the wedding again while I mentally count down the minutes until my fiancé arrives home.
“I think as soon as Cole looks at all the information for the chapel and reception, we should let everyone know dates, so they can ask for vacation time,” Olivia says.
“Do you think the hospital is going to have a problem with three doctors and a nurse being away at the same time?” Ashley asks.
“They shouldn’t since John, Cole and Sam are in different departments and Allison being away shouldn’t affect the nursing staff. Besides, it’s for a wedding. I’m sure it will be fine.”
They continue talking about different things, but I tune out; I'll wait until I can discuss everything with Cole first.
“Gracie... Gracie.” Ashley repeats my name.
“Sorry what?” I ask, and they both start laughing.
“Is this wedding stuff boring you already?” Olivia jokes.
I shake my head in denial. “No, I was just thinking about Cole coming home. What did you say?”
“Your phone just pinged with a message,” Ashley tells me pointing to the kitchen counter where it’s sitting.
“Oh, thanks,” I absently reply and hop up to get it, hoping it’s from Cole.
I slide the screen open and type in my password. There’s one new message notification. Clicking the message app, it displays an unknown number. That’s weird. I’m expecting to see some sort of spam message, but when the picture lights up the screen, my stomach churns. My jaw drops and I feel like a knife has just been plunged in to my heart.
I unconsciously drop the phone to the counter and grip onto the edge so hard my knuckles turn white as I try to keep myself from falling over. The bang from the phone’s impact garners the attention of Ashley and Olivia, and they are immediately at my side.
“Gracie, what is it?” Olivia asks, her tone fraught with concern.
I’m rendered mute. Totally unable to put together a single word, as the heartbreaking feeling of betrayal courses through my body. I let go of the counter and sink to the floor, one hand going to my throat. Oh, God, I can’t breathe. Muffled voices continue around me, but they sound so far away. How could this be happening? Why?
“Gracie! Breathe, damn it!” Olivia’s voice penetrates my senses as she shakes my shoulders.
My deprived lungs burn as I suck in a huge gulp of air. Olivia's face comes in to clearer focus with each breath I take. “What on earth happened?” she asks.
‘Your son’s a bastard’ is what I feel like saying, but I simply reply, “The phone.”
Ashley’s voice is the next one I hear. “I’ll fucking kill him,” she hisses, her voice full of unleashed fury.
“Who?” Olivia anxiously questions again and from the corner of my eye, I see Ashely thrust the phone at Olivia.
Still in a daze, I get to my feet and stumble over to the bar area and pull out the vodka. I don’t even hear Olivia’s response to what she sees on the phone because I’m too busy downing my second shot. I’m pouring my third when Olivia approaches me. “There has to be some explanation, honey. He loves you; he loves Cooper. You’re getting marri—”
I cut her off with a mirthless laugh. “Oh, yeah, that photo shows just how much he loves me, Olivia.” She winces at my sarcasm and probably at my use of her name instead of Mom. Downing shot number three, I face her. “I have no doubt he was thinking about how much he loved me when Miranda’s tits were in his face and she was riding his cock.”
Olivia rears back like I just slapped her, but I really couldn’t give two shits about her feelings right now. I pour myself shot number four and hold it up in salute. “Cheers to the picture of true fucking love,” I declare and toss back the vodka like it was water.
“Gracie, stop!” Ashley commands, tugging the bottle from my hand. “That won’t solve anything, and you have a baby to take care of. You can’t do that if you’re drunk.”
Cooper. Oh, shit. How could I not think about my baby? Tears instantly well and spill over. “Why?” I ask no one in particular, not really wanting an answer.
“Let’s just wait until he gets home and see what he has to say for himself,” Olivia suggests. “And if what is in that photo really happened, then I’ll chop his balls off myself.”
They lead me into the living room and sit either side of me on the sofa where we begin our wait for Cole’s arrival home. Cooper wakes up not long after so Olivia goes in to deal with him. Ashley doesn’t say anything to me. She just holds my hand in support, but I feel the tension coming off her in waves.
When Olivia returns it’s with Cooper in her arms ready to be fed the bottle she has, his irritable little cries have me yearning to take him, but it wouldn’t be fair to hold him in my chaotic emotional state. As the minute's tick by, the deafening silence in the room is a stark contrast to the thunderous turmoil in my mind, the heartbreak getting overpowered by fierce anger.
The sound of car doors closing has me up out of my chair to retrieve my phone and the evidence. I won’t run away from this like I did when I found out they had been engaged; I want answers. I deserve answers and by God, Cole is going to give them to me, even if I have to beat them out of him.
&nbs
p; I’m back in the living room and standing at the far end of the room when the front door opens and his smooth, sexy voice reaches me. “Sweet Cheeks.” My body tenses ready for the impending altercation that’s about to take place, nothing like the joyful homecoming I imagined.
I see the way their bodies react the moment they step in to the room. The smiles fall from Cole and John’s faces. “What’s wrong?” Cole concerned question bounces off the walls. His eyes scan the room, quickly taking inventory, and he lets out a breath of relief when his gaze lands on Cooper.
With determined strides, I’m in front of him shoving the phone on his face. “You care to explain this shit?” I snap.
His eyes widen in shock, obviously not expecting this kind of reception either. “Gracie?” he says my name in question and goes to touch me, but I move back and extend my arm further offering the phone.
“Look at it, Cole,” I bite out.
His brow furrows in confusion, and he takes another look around the room before meeting my unrelenting glare. With slow, tentative movements, like a person approaching a wild animal, he takes the phone. I watch his face carefully, waiting for this reaction to the incriminating photo.
What comes over his face is not guilt, but genuine shock before his face goes red with anger. “What the fuck is this?”
“You tell me, Cole,” I state.
Everyone else remains quiet, though John takes the phone from Cole’s hand. “Jesus,” he mutters and he moves away from Cole’s side.
“Well?” I ask. “Did you have sex with Miranda while you were away, Cole?” I ask straight to the point.
He shakes his head at me “Of course not, Gracie, and I can’t believe you would even think that.”
My jaw drops. “Gee, Cole, when I get a photo like that sent to me, it’s kind of hard not to think that.”
“Number one: Miranda wasn’t even at the conference. It was for ER doctors, not oncologists. Number two: I love you and quite honestly with our sex life as it is I have no need or desire to look elsewhere when everything I want is right here in front of me. Number three: Miranda repulses me. There is nothing I find remotely attractive about the woman and God knows I wouldn’t contemplate having sex with her if she was the last woman on earth.”
My shoulders sag with relief because I can see in his eyes he’s telling the truth and his no-nonsense tone leaves me with no doubt of his fidelity. “I don’t understand then. Why would someone send me that?”
He moves to me then and takes me in his arms. “I have no idea, Gracie. What number did it come from?”
“I didn’t recognize it,” I tell him.
“Well, I do,” John’s voice interrupts. “I don’t how she got your number, Gracie, but the photo came from Miranda. That’s her number. I know it because of work. It was kind of stupid for her to send it from her own phone if you ask me.”
“Gracie, I swear to you she wasn’t even there,” Cole says. “I would never betray you like that. I just asked you to spend the rest of your life with me. There’s no way I would do anything to jeopardize that.”
“I believe you. I’m sorry,” I mumble into his chest before looking up at him. “That picture is just the worst possible thing I could ever see.”
“I understand that. I do. I have no idea where it was taken, and it certainly wasn’t done with my knowledge.”
“She’s gone too far this time, John. We need to do something because she obviously isn’t going to stop trying to cause problems. I’ll call Regina and tell her what’s happened, and if I lose my dearest friend because of her daughter, then so be it. I won’t stand by and let the money-grabbing, power-seeking little witch cause any more problems for my family,” Olivia announces with steely resolve.
“We’ll deal with it,” John agrees.
Ashley, who remained quiet, stands and says she’s going to go. She says her goodbyes to the others, leaving me until last. “Call if you need me,” she requests while hugging me.
“I will.”
“Thanks for staying here while I was away, Ash,” Cole says. “And sorry about this mess.”
She gives him a genuine smile and rubs his arm. “I’m always here to help out and don’t apologize for the bitch, Cole. It's not your fault the woman's crazy. It’s too bad Gracie didn’t knock some sense into her last time they met.”
I cringe at the memory of Cole and my fight and break up outside the hospital when I learned they were previously engaged. It seems like even though we’re getting married and have a baby, she still won’t stop her attempts at breaking us up. Well, that’s not going to happen. Karma’s a nasty bitch, and I’ll rejoice the day it pays Miranda a visit.
John and Olivia stay for an early dinner which ends up being Chinese takeout. As we sit at the dining table, conversation consists of sharing the wedding details we have received with Cole and then a recap of how his trip and the conference went.
While no one brings up the photo or Miranda again, an air of tension looms over us, not permitting a completely relaxed atmosphere. I can tell by the surreptitious glances being cast around, everyone is slightly on edge after the afternoon’s events.
When dinner is done and we are out front saying goodbye to John and Olivia, she pulls me in for her customary hug. My body betrays me with a small tremor at the comfort she provides. She must feel it because her hold tightens fractionally. “We’ll fix this, honey. Go and give Cole the reunion you should have had this afternoon. John and I will deal with Miranda; I promise,” she quietly says so only I can hear.
I give her a gentle squeeze acknowledging her words. When she releases me, she places her hand on my upper arm and gently rubs up and down. “Don’t let her come between you, Gracie. Don’t let her devious schemes doubt your love.”
I bite my lip and silently nod, afraid of losing my composure if I try to speak. Olivia turns to Cole, and hugs and kisses him too, whispering something in his ear that he replies to in the same hushed tones. With a hug from John and a meaningful look, they’re both in the car and pulling out of the driveway.
Cole wanders back over and stops in front of me, neither of us saying a word. Taking Olivia’s advice, I push the image from my phone out of my mind and pretend this is the first time I’ve seen my man in four days. Plastering a bright smile on my face, I lay both hands to his chest. “Welcome Home, Doctor Tierney. I’ve missed you so much,” I say, and then reach up on my tiptoes and join our lips in a display that communicates more than my words.
His tongue moves leisurely across the seam of my lips, retracing a path that it hasn’t travelled in four long days. A small moan escapes him when my fingers find the way to his neck, delving in to the silky strands of hair. “I missed you too, baby...so much” he supplies as I trail a smattering of kisses along his jaw and down his neck. “We should probably take this inside though, before we give the neighbors a show.”
“Mmmm, that sounds like a plan, and we might not have long before Cooper wakes up so you better hurry,” I suggest.
Without a second to lose, his hands are under my thighs and lifting, so I take that as my cue and wrap my legs around his waist, pressing my body to his and holding on tightly. We’re up the steps, through the front door, which he locks behind us, and heading to our bedroom without once breaking eye contact. I can see the depths of love in his sparkling blue eyes, and I’m sure he can see the same in mine.
He lays me down on our bed with reverence, and then slowly removes my clothes before shedding his own. When Cole settles above me and little by little inches his way inside, his focus on my face doesn’t waver. The connection he’s making isn’t just physical. The gaze reaches in and takes hold of my heart and soul claiming them as his own and reaffirming his love and commitment to me. “I love you, Gracie. Only you. Always and forever,” he declares as he continues moving within me.
Internally berating myself for ever doubting him, I let go and let him consume me. I lose myself in his slow, thorough lovemaking, giving all of myself
to him and taking all of him in return. “I love you, too, Cole,” I breathe on a sigh.
When we both reach our release, he kisses me with sweet tenderness and holds me like I’m the most precious thing in his world. We stay like this, still physically joined and so thoroughly content that before long, we drift off into a sated rest.
Chapter 31
Cole...
Standing under the warm spray from the shower, I reflect on what happened the day before. It certainly wasn’t the home coming I had anticipated, and I can understand how Gracie would have felt seeing a photo like that, so I don’t blame her for her reaction. What disturbs me the most is Miranda’s actions and how she continues to try to cause problems for Gracie and me. I hate to say it, but it feels a little like Troy all over again, though this time we know who the asshole is.
Stepping out of the shower, I hurry through my routine, wanting to spend some time with Gracie and Cooper before I go to work. Friday’s normally my day off, but I swapped the shift, so I could take a full weekend off after my time away. Grabbing my cell off the dresser, I check that it’s charged and notice a message from my mom asking me to send the photo to her phone, so she can show Regina when they meet this morning. It feels kind of immature to have my parents dealing with the situation, but Miranda has made it abundantly clear by her actions that she won’t listen to me.
Gracie’s sitting at the table where breakfast is already set up with Cooper in her arms drinking his bottle. She’s singing to him as he lays there, eyes wide open and his little mouth sucking furiously on the teat.
I wait on the threshold until she finishes before joining them. “He has such a healthy appetite now, doesn’t he?”
Gracie looks up just as I touch my lips to her forehead. I lean over to do the same to Cooper, and he stops sucking as soon as I say, “Good morning, little man.”
Gracie giggles. “Stop disrupting him while he’s eating. You know he loves to hear your voice.”