“Cody, this is incredible…” McKenna breathed, unable to take her eyes off the ring for a long few moments.
“It’s a family ring,” Cody said. “Lyric’s mom wore it, and her mother and her mother before her… It goes back to the 1920s.”
“Cody… I can’t take this… This is a family heirloom…” McKenna said.
“So are you saying you won’t marry me?” Cody asked, her look serious.
McKenna looked back at Cody, not sure why she couldn’t breathe for a moment, but then realizing it was because she was holding her breath.
“Are you actually going to ask me to marry you?” McKenna finally said, a grin starting on her lips.
“Gonna make me do it the hard way, huh?” Cody asked.
“At least ask the question the right way,” McKenna said, smiling.
Cody looked back at her, her eyes growing very serious. “McKenna Hayden, will you marry me?” she asked reverently.
McKenna smiled softly. “Of course I will marry you Cody Falco,” she replied.
“Whew!” Cody said, looking relieved.
“Put it on,” McKenna said, handing Cody the ring and holding out her left hand.
Cody slid the ring onto McKenna’s finger. It fit perfectly.
“Guess that seals that,” Cody said, smiling.
“Guess so,” McKenna said, biting her lips and smiling at Cody.
“Cody got the ring?” Savanna asked as she moved to lie down next to Lyric in bed.
“Yep, she got the ring,” Lyric said, smiling.
Savanna looked up at Lyric. “And you’re really okay with this?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Lyric asked.
“It’s a big step for Cody,” Savanna said.
“And you don’t think McKenna is the perfect person for our daughter?” Lyric asked, her tone indicating that she thought Savanna was crazy if she said that McKenna wasn’t perfect for Cody.
“I think Cody needs someone like McKenna, you’re right about that,” Savanna said. “But she’s still so young…”
“When love hits, it hits, babe,” Lyric said. “What’s really going on?” she asked sensing an underlying concern in Savanna’s words.
Savanna blew her breath out, shaking her head. “I guess I’m afraid of an empty nest,” she said, her look sad.
“So, what if it didn’t stay empty?” Lyric asked.
Savanna looked back at her. “What do you mean?” she asked, her tone cautious.
Lyric saw the caution in Savanna’s eyes. “I mean whatever you want it to mean babe…” she said. “Either that we adopt another kid that needs a good home, or we have a baby of our own.”
“You’re willing to do that?” Savanna asked, shocked.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make you happy, Savanna,” Lyric said, taking Savanna’s face in both of her hands. “I love you more than life, and I want you to be happy and fulfilled and to never once have to think about what happened again…”
Savanna’s lips trembled at the mention of the incident. “You know if you’d have died, I would have lost Cody too…”
“I know,” Lyric said, her voice constricted with emotion.
Savanna’s eyes filled with tears and Lyric pulled her into her arms, letting her cry, and feeling grateful to whatever powers that be that had decided it wasn’t her time. She’d thought about what would have happened if she’d died, and she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Cody would have followed soon after. From what she’d heard, and from what Cody herself had said, she knew that was true. She didn’t even want to imagine what that would have done to Savanna. It was terrifying to love someone so much that fear of dying took on a whole other meaning because of how it would affect the person who would lose you.
When Savanna had calmed down, she looked up at Lyric.
“I think I want to have a baby with you,” she said, her voice soft.
“Then I think that’s what we’ll do,” Lyric said, kissing her lips, and pulling back to look into her eyes.
She saw a thought cross Savanna’s features, and then saw her dismiss it.
“What, honey?” Lyric asked, wanting to give her wife anything and everything she could.
Savanna looked hesitant. Lyric just waited for her to decide to say what she had been thinking.
“Do you think it would be too much to ask one of the boys to donate… for a baby?”
“One of my brothers?” Lyric asked.
“Yeah, you know, so a baby would have your DNA too.”
“Yeah, and one of my lunk head brothers DNA…” Lyric said, grinning.
Savanna pressed her lips together, her look circumspect.
“I’m kidding, babe,” Lyric said. “I think that would be a fair thing to ask. Maybe JJ since he doesn’t seem to be interested in settling down anytime soon.”
Savannah smiled brilliantly then. “You make me so happy.”
“And I plan to for the rest of our lives,” Lyric replied.
Back in Los Angeles, things at The Club were in their usual swing. Jet made her way through the crowd, with beers for her and Skyler, a Baileys for Devin and a soda for Fadiyah who finally had a free evening to spend with her wife. Jericho and Zoey were there, as were Quinn and Xandy. There’d been the usual flurry of excitement about Xandy Blue being at The Club when they’d arrived but it had finally calmed down which mean Quinn could relax. Natalia and Raine were there as well. Natalia had met a friend there that wanted to talk about putting together a dance studio.
The bois in the group had admired the newcomer, a redhead with green eyes and a body that was definitely worth the time to admire if nothing else. At five four, Jazmine Collette was a definite showstopper with waist-length red hair that fell in loose curls, a sweetheart-shaped face with a perfect California tan and smooth skin, and wide green eyes that sparkled when she talked. She was a professional dancer and had danced in hip-hop videos and the like, and had been rumored to have dated a number of hip-hop stars. It was for that reason that everyone was shocked when the girl had no problem dancing with the random butches that asked her or moved up to her out on the floor. She was definitely a party girl.
Tyler and Shenin arrived at The Club shortly after everyone else and rounds of hugs were exchanged. Shenin joined the girls on the dance floor, and Tyler took her beer and stood with Quinn, Jericho, Jet and Skyler who were all leaning on the raised bar that surrounded the dance floor, watching their girls dance. Even Fadiyah had been persuaded to dance, and Natalia was showing her how.
“So what do you think of the new girl?” Quinn asked Tyler.
“The redhead?” Tyler asked.
“Yeah, not your redhead, the other one,” Quinn said, winking.
Tyler chuckled, then took a good long look. “Nice…” She looks… ah… friendly…” she stammered. “Who’s she here with?”
“Well, she came to meet Nat,” Jericho said, “but she didn’t show up with anyone.”
Tyler nodded, her look considering. “Looks like she’ll have lots of options when she leaves…” she said, as yet another woman moved in on the girl.
As the song ended, the DJ said she was taking a break, and put on regular music. The girls all headed for the group, except for Natalia and Jazmine, who headed to the bathroom.
Everyone was standing and talking, when Natalia came running back to the group.
“Raine! Jericho! It’s Jazmine! Hurry!”
Raine, Tyler, Jericho, Quinn, Jet, and Skyler all followed Natalia to the back of The Club where there was a scuffle going on. As they stopped to figure out what was happening, the girls all spread out to partially surround the two men and the woman.
There was a black guy yelling at Jazmine who was backing away from him with her hands up in front her.
“Hey!” Jericho yelled, distracting the guy for a moment.
Jazmine saw her opportunity and started to walk away but another black man, bigger than the first appeared and grabbed her. She scream
ed.
Quinn was about to react when a woman from behind stepped in. She was every bit as tall as the man, standing about six foot, and she snatched him up by two handfuls of his jacket and threw him a good three feet from Jazmine. Jazmine had fallen to the floor in the melee. As the group watched, the woman took a knee leaning down to Jazmine and saying something.
Everyone was shocked when Jazmine looked up at the woman and promptly fainted. The woman was close enough to cradle her head, then moved to pick her up easily. Turning around, her eyes scanned the crowd.
“Ray?” Tyler queried, suddenly.
The woman’s eyes moved to Tyler.
“Ty,” the woman said, nodding. “Good to see ya, where can I put her down?” she asked, a grin on her lips.
“Ah.” Tyler looked over at Jet, who nodded for the woman to follow her.
The rest of the group trailed after, having to know what the story.
In the office, the woman strode over to the couch and once again went down to one knee to lay Jazmine down gently. She stood then, turning to look at the women who were all watching her with fascination. The woman was tall, but the two inch heeled boots she wore made her seem taller. , with a strong handsome face that was tanned with black brows and lashes. Her hair, pulled back in a long thick braid, hung half way down her back and was jet black. She had the look of an American Indian, which was confirmed a minute later when she introduced herself.
She grinned showing a set of very white, very straight teeth, her dark eyes sparkling with a knowing look.
“Rayden Black Wolf, at your service,” she said inclining her head as her grin widened.
Also in the WeHo series:
When Love Wins
When Angels Fall
Break in the Storm
Turning Tables
Marking Time
Jet Blue
Water under the Bridge
Vendetta (WeHo Book 7) Page 22