by J. E. Parker
He didn’t owe me a dang thing. If anything, I owed him.
“I love you, Bee. Now, forever, and always.”
I squeezed him as tight as broken piece after broken piece inside of me snapped back into place. “Love you too, Henny. More than you’ll ever know.”
With one final kiss on the top of my head, Hendrix stood me back on the ground and made his way back to his wife and newborn daughter.
Seeing them together, it was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever witnessed.
“Shelby,” Maddie whispered my name. “You promised to help me get the hang of nursing her.” She extended a weak arm. “Come help me, blondie.”
With a single nod, I moved toward her.
Taking Maddie’s hand in my own, I looked down at her with love-filled eyes. “Okay, beautiful girls,” I said, a smile on my face, “let’s do this.”
That day ended up being one of the best of my life.
41
Shelby
Maddie, Melody, and Hendrix were asleep.
After pressing a good-bye kiss to each of their heads, I stepped out of the hospital room and headed for the waiting room. It had been almost eight hours since our arrival so I didn’t expect anyone, other than Keith and Grandmama, to still be there.
I should’ve known better.
“Shelby!” Hope squealed, jumping out of her chair. Everyone else including Keith, Grandmama, Evan, Carissa, Heidi, Pop, and Kyle all followed suit and stood. I’d known Anthony and Lucca weren’t there, but it still made my heart hurt not to see their smiling faces.
I miss my boys so dang much.
“Are they doing okay?” Hope continued, shifting her weight between her feet.
I quickly nodded. “Yeah. Did the nurse talk to y’all? Hendrix told her—”
“Yeah, but she didn’t tell us anything,” Grandmama hissed with a scowl etched across her face. “Just said Maddie and the baby were fine but wouldn’t even tell us if it was a boy or girl.” Madder than a hornet in a Coke can, Grandmama slammed her purse down on a blue chair. She looked like she was a heartbeat away from throwing a full-fledged hissy fit. “So spill the beans, blondie. Or did that behemoth swear you to secrecy? Because if he did, I swear on the good Lord’s name I’m gonna march my rear end in there and—”
“Calm down, old biddy,” I replied, stopping her rant in its tracks. “No need to get yourself all worked up.” Everyone waited for me to continue. “Maddie and the baby are fine. Everyone—including Hendrix—is asleep so you may have to wait another hour or so before you get in there to see them.”
“And,” Keith said, motioning with his hand for me to hurry the hell up. “Is it a boy or girl?”
I looked from him to Pop, and from Pop back to Grandmama. “Congratulations, y’all”—I paused, drawing out their torture—“it’s a girl!”
Grandmama grinned so wide I was sure her face would split in half. “Well, I’ll be,” she cried, covering her mouth with a hand. “Another little Maddie.”
“I’m not so sure. I know it’s early, but she’s got a head full of inky, black hair, and I’ve got a feeling she’s going to be her daddy’s mini-me.”
Pop’s smile was so bright, it was nearly blinding. “I’ll be damned. Another girl?” Despite the issues that still lingered between us, the pride etched all over his face made my heart warm. “Now I’ve got two.”
His words repeated on a loop in my head.
Now I’ve got two. Now I’ve got two. Now I’ve got two.
Another broken piece snapped into place. “Yeah,” I replied, once again on the verge of crying. “Now you’ve got two, Pop. Me and the baby.”
Fisting his hands at his sides, he looked like he was trying to restrain from grabbing me and pulling me into him. I wouldn’t have fought him if he’d tried.
Keith who hadn’t said anything up until that point cleared his throat. Hands shoved in his pockets, he looked as stoic as I’d ever seen. “What’s her name?”
I swallowed, knowing that my answer would rock him to his core. I’d never seen Keith cry, but I had a feeling I was about to. “Her name is Melody.” Another pause. “Melody Ray Cole. She weighs seven pounds, three ounces, and is twenty inches long.”
Hope dropped to the chair behind her and buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook with the force of her sobs. Sitting down beside her, Evan draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side.
Dropping his head forward, Keith interlaced his fingers behind his head. “She named her after her mother.” It wasn’t a question; it was a statement. “She named her after my Melody.” Keith turned around and walked to the corner. I didn’t have to see his tears to know he was crying.
Grandmama’s eyes found mine. Still smiling, she said, “Yeah, and she named her after Shelby too.”
Emotion once again threatened to swamp me.
Feeling lightheaded, I took a step back. “Y’all, I hate to cut this short, but I need to go.” Grandmama’s smile grew. “I want to see…” My voice trailed off, and I took a breath. “I need to see my boys.”
Pop stepped forward and nodded at the elevator. “Come on, Bee. I’ll take you home.”
Nodding, I blew everyone a kiss. “Love, y’all. I’ll probably see each of you sometime tomorrow.” My eyes found Hope’s. “Can you call Clara for me?”
“Yeah,” she replied, still crying. “Consider it done.”
With a final wave, I headed for the elevator. “Come on, old man,” I said to Pop. “I’ve got to get home. Lord only knows what Anthony and Lucca are up to. With my luck, they’ve probably built a Lego fort the size of Mt. Everest in the living room.”
Chuckling, Pop fell into step beside me.
When we climbed onto the elevator, he leaned over and whispered, “I didn’t get the chance to tell you this, but you look beautiful today, Bee.” I smiled. “Still can’t believe you’re mine.”
I looked Pop over from head to toe. “You look mighty spiffy yourself. You clean up good.”
He snorted before tugging at the button up shirt he wore. “Yeah but this damn monkey suit is driving me crazy. Long as I live, I hope I don’t have to wear another one.”
I turned to face him head-on. Placing my hands on my hips, I cocked my hips to the side and raised a brow. “Excuse me?”
“What?” Pop looked confused. “What did I say?”
“I’ll have you know that you’re wearing a suit to my wedding too.” Pop’s eyes widened. “I won’t have you walk me down the aisle wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.” Rolling my eyes, I continued. “I may be as country as a turnip green, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like dressing up and getting fancy every once in a while.”
“Shelby,” Pop said, his voice pained, “you want me to walk you down the aisle when you get married?”
I blinked. “You’re my daddy, aren’t you?” Pop nodded slowly. “Then you’re walking me down the aisle.” I turned back to face the door of the elevator. “Unless you don’t want to. Then I’ll just—”
“Don’t finish that sentence,” he snapped, interrupting me. “I’m walking you down the aisle, and that’s final.”
Well alrighty then.
“Good.” I nodded, patting him on the shoulder. “Glad we’re on the same page.”
Silence ensued as the illuminated numbers above the door counted down.
“You planning on marrying, Moretti?” Pop asked, crossing his brawny arms over his chest. “I mean, is what you two have the real deal?”
Exhaling, I steeled my spine. “I love him, and he loves me back.”
Pop tensed beside me. “Yeah? Just how much do you love him?”
Butterflies took flight in my belly when I thought about how much I loved Anthony. “More than all the gold in the world.” I paused, gathering my thoughts. “He’s my glue, Pop.”
“Your glue?”
“Yeah, he’s like my own personal brand of Gorilla Glue.” I giggled to myself. “He’s helped heal
me; helped fix everything that was broken.” I bit my lower lip and mulled over my words carefully. “I’m not whole yet, but I’m getting there. Bit by bit, the pieces are starting to snap into place.”
Pop sucked in a breath, but he didn’t say anything else.
The elevator stopped on the ground floor. When the doors opened, I stepped through them and headed for the parking garage. My heels clicked double time as I hoofed it across the asphalt lot, in a hurry to get home.
I miss my boys. Without them, I feel empty. Lost.
I needed my glue, needed my anchor, needed my saving grace.
Jumping into the truck with Pop, I looked over at him and said, “Step on it, Old Man. I’ve got a boyfriend to kiss and a son to hold.”
Chuckling to himself, he shoved the key into the ignition. “Whatever you say, Bee.” He pointed at the door. “Put on your seat belt and hold on tight.”
With a chuckle and a roll of my eyes, I did exactly as he said.
It’s time to go home…
42
Shelby
The house was completely silent as I slid my key into the lock and opened the front door. Furrowing my brow, I stepped into the foyer and slipped out of my heels.
“Tony, sugar, I’m home.” Nothing but silence. “Lucca, baby, where are you?”
I was a heartbeat away from panicking when I noticed the colorful, handwritten note hanging on the wall to my right. Confused, I picked it up and read the words scribbled across the front in masculine handwriting.
It read, Roses are red, violets are blue, you are my world, and Lucca is too.
“What?” I whispered to myself. “What’s he up to?”
Smiling, I hiked up my dress so I didn’t fall, and quietly moved to the living room. “Tony,” I called his name again, “sugar, I know you’re up to something.”
Something cool met the bottom of my foot.
Stepping back, I lifted my leg and looked down at the ground.
That’s when I saw them.
Red and blue flower petals—hundreds of them by the looks of it—were scattered throughout the living room, creating a winding path that led to the back door next to the kitchen.
At the sight, my heart nearly flew right out of my chest.
Sweet baby Jesus, what is this man up to?
Following the petals, I made my way to the door.
Once there, I found another note.
This one simply read, Come outside.
Heart pounding, I placed my hand on the knob and turned. Pushing the heavy door open, I stepped out onto the back patio. A second later, my eyes landed on Anthony and Lucca.
Both were standing in the middle of the backyard, beneath the towering oak tree that Anthony swore he was going to building Lucca a treehouse in. Wearing matching smiles, they both watched me intently.
“Ma-Ma!” Lucca shouted. “Here, Ma-ma, here!”
Anthony didn’t move nor did he speak. He only stared.
Feeling faint, I willed my legs to move and propel me forward. My heart slammed against my ribcage with every step that I took, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to cover the distance that separated them from me. My poor legs felt like spaghetti noodles, and I was positive I was half a second away from face-planting into the grass.
I stopped when five feet separated me from them.
“Hi, Ma-ma,” Lucca said sweetly.
Bending down, I scooped my little man up into my arms and kissed his cheek. “Hi, baby. I missed you.” He giggled before tucking his face into the crook of my neck.
My eyes found Anthony’s. “What’s going on, Tony?”
Without saying a word, he lifted his hand and ran his thumb over my bottom lip. “You’re so beautiful, Shelby.”
Smiling, I pressed a kiss to the pad of his thumb. “You’re not so bad yourself, stud muffin.”
I expected him to lean in and kiss me or at the very least smile.
He did neither.
“Tony, sugar, what’s going—”
Before I could finish my sentence, Anthony wrapped an arm around my back and pulled me into him. Lucca squealed at the sudden movement.
Then, looking into my eyes, he took my free hand into his. “I’ve loved you since the first moment I saw you. I know it sounds crazy, but the second my eyes landed on you standing in the middle of the station, I knew that you were it for me. In the blink of an eye, you became my hope, my light, my purpose. All it took was one look, baby, and you became my entire world.”
I was going to faint. Seriously, I was seconds away from passing out.
Breathe, Shelby. Just fricken breathe!
“That day I decided that it didn’t matter what I had to do, I was going to make you mine.” Anthony’s gaze moved to Lucca. “And then I met Lucca, and I fell in love all over again.” Licking his lower lip, he cupped my face in his hands. “I never believed in fate until I met you, Shelby.”
For what felt like the millionth time that day, tears filled my eyes. “Tony…”
“Shh, baby, let me finish.”
Closing his eyes, Anthony exhaled. Then he dropped to his knees in front of me. At first, I didn’t realize what was happening, but then realization struck me directly in the gut.
Oh, my God.
Oh. My. Fricken. God!
“You and Lucca are the reason I breathe, Shelby. Without you, I won’t be able to survive.” Pausing, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black box. After popping open the lid, he slid out the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen. It wasn’t big and gaudy. White gold. Princess cut diamond. It was simple, elegant.
Lifting my left hand in the air, he placed the ring on the tip of my fourth finger. “I want to be your husband, and I want to be Lucca’s father.” His beautiful grey eyes bored into mine. “Give me those things, Shelby.” The hand holding mine began to shake. “Make me the happiest man in the world”—another pause—“Say you’ll marry me, sunshine.”
My heart screamed for me to tell him yes but my snarky ass brain had other ideas. Clearing my throat, I tilted my head and looked at him over my nose. “I’ll marry you but only under one condition.”
Anthony scowled, and Lucca laughed. “I’m almost afraid to ask.” Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. “What’s the condition, Little Miss Sass Mouth?”
“I want babies.” Anthony’s eyes popped open. “I’m thinking three. Though, I may go for four if I don’t get a little girl on the next two tries.” Quirking a brow, one side of his mouth tipped up. “And I want a dog. Preferably a beagle but a basset hound will do in a pinch.”
“Anything else?”
Anthony and I both looked at Lucca. “Nah, I think that about covers it.”
Shaking his head, Anthony looked at me expectantly. “Well,” he urged, “what’s it going to be, beautiful—are you going to marry me or not? Because if not, go ahead and put me out of my damn misery.”
Shimmying my shoulders, I stared down at the man who had quickly become the other half of my soul. “Yes, I’ll marry you, stud muffin.”
He exhaled in relief. “Thank Christ!” After sliding the ring on my finger and securing it in place, he stood up. Wrapping a fist in my hair, he pulled my face to meet his. “You have got to be the biggest pain in the ass I have ever met.”
I smirked. “Yeah, well, you’re stuck with me now. How’s that make you feel?”
“Like the luckiest son of a bitch in the world.” His lips crashed into mine and Lucca screamed loud enough to rupture my eardrums. “Toe kiss Ma-ma!”
Pulling back, Anthony looked down at me with heated eyes. “Sunshine, you sealed your fate the minute you opened that pretty little mouth of yours and tossed a handful of sass my way.” Smiling at me, his eyes lit up. “You’re mine, baby. From now until forever.”
“You’re mine too, Tony. From now until forever.”
43
Anthony
Epilogue
Four Months Later
I was sitting in my offi
ce at the station when I heard shouting coming from the lobby. Standing up, I pulled my gun out of the holster attached to my belt and made my way down the hall. I stopped at the heavy metal door that leads to the lobby and listened to what was happening on the other side. I needed to gauge what the hell was going on before I confronted the problem head-on.
“Listen, Mr. Donut-Chaser-In-Training, I do not have to put up with this sort of behavior.”
Smiling at the familiar voice, I slid my gun back into its holster and pushed through the door. My eyes immediately found my fiancée. Wearing a short blue sundress, knee-high cowgirl boots, and my ring on her finger, she was easily the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
Pointing at the officer—a rookie—standing opposite the desk from her, she looked ready to strangle him with her bare hands. The rookie—I couldn’t remember his name—looked half a second away from pissing his pants.
“Sunshine,” I barked, “what the hell are you doing?”
Turning her head, her fiery gaze met mine. “It’s about time you showed up.”
I lifted a single brow. “Pardon me?”
“You heard me, stud muffin.” Grabbing her purse off the desk, she sauntered in my direction. Saddling up in front of me, she poked a silver tipped nail into my chest. “I have a bone to pick with you.”
Chuckling, I gestured for her to head to my office. “Ladies first.”
After narrowing her eyes, she stepped around me, moved through the door, and headed down the hall toward my office. I groaned at the sight of her round ass swaying with every step she took.
She stepped into my office, walked around my desk, and plopped her ass right on the center of it. Quirking a brow, I shut the door behind me and followed her path. Moving to stand in front of her, I spread her legs and wedged my hips between them.
Gasping, she shifted her weight and sunk her teeth into her bottom lip.
“What seems to be the problem, Ms. Mason?”
Soon to be Mrs. Moretti, I mentally added. Only two months to go.