Heath

by Nikki Ash

  Us.

  Me, Dad, Helen, and Grandpa.

  Her family.

  “Your story was a happy one,” I say, smiling through my tears. “Because eventually you got me, right? I was your happily ever after.”

  She laughs softly and pats my back. “You were. We didn’t have to wait long either. Our love was something that couldn’t be destroyed by fiery revenge and hate. Something strong and unbreakable was born from the ashes. Your father and I didn’t take my father’s words lightly. We fought for us every step of the way.”

  “Can you tell me what happened after? When I came along? Were you happy?” I ask, eager to hear more of the good stuff.

  “We were beyond happy. You were our rainbow after the storm.”

  Cat

  Past—One year later

  I LOOK DOWN AT MY beautiful sleeping daughter in her crib. Emily is six weeks old today. When I found out I was pregnant it wasn’t much of a surprise. Not with all the times Harrison and I had unprotected sex. I would’ve been more surprised if I didn’t wind up pregnant. I graduated from high school eight months pregnant with my dad, Harrison, and Helen cheering me on from the stands.

  After the whole ordeal with Heath went down, Helen quit working for him and since she didn’t need to work anymore, unofficially retired. A few weeks later, she came by to see our new home. She and Ethel hit it off and Helen is now living with Ethel as her roommate. Helping her around the house. She’s also been invaluable these last several weeks with Emily. Every time I doubt myself, she’s right there holding my hand.

  I’m not quite sure what happened with Theo, but the rumor is Heath paid for him to finish his senior year back at his old boarding school and he spent the summer traveling through Europe. Nobody has heard from Heath since the day we walked out of his home. I often think about him, though. Wondering if he’s lonely. Harrison thinks I’m crazy to even give the man a moment of my thoughts, but between my mother’s journals and living with Heath for that short time, I can’t help but feel sympathy toward him. He might be vindictive and malicious, but it’s only because he gave my mother so much of his heart, there wasn’t enough of it left for him to love anyone else. A love that powerful and all-consuming is so rare, and it breaks my heart that it was wasted on a woman who took it for granted.

  “Hey,” a baritone voice whispers into my ear. “You ready for bed, Mrs. Crenshaw?” Harrison’s comforting arms snake around my waist and his chin rests on top of my shoulder. My body relaxes against his strong frame. We were married in a small church in town. Harrison offered to give me any kind of wedding I wanted, but every time I envisioned marrying him, all I could see was the two of us—with my dad and Helen as witnesses—in front of a minister, promising to love each other for the rest of our lives. And that’s exactly what we did. I wore a pretty white dress and Harrison wore a suit. We had dinner with my dad and Helen and afterward he took me home and made love to me all night long. A few weeks later, I found out I was pregnant.

  “I am,” I answer him, but I don’t move from the side of the crib. I’ve recently started at a local college, but I hate leaving my baby girl for ten minutes, let alone hours to go sit in class. Harrison wants me to get an education like I planned, though. He even offered to move to New Haven so I could attend Yale like I always dreamed, but I told him no. Yale might’ve been my dream, but that was before I became a mother. Now, my only aspiration is to be a good mother to our daughter and a good wife to my husband. When I found out a lot of my life was a lie, I wasn’t sure where I belonged. But standing here with my daughter asleep and my husband holding me close, I know exactly where I belong. Right here.

  Harrison laughs softly and the sound makes me smile. “She’s sleeping, Cat. Safe and sound in her crib.”

  “I know. I was thinking, though…what if we moved her crib into our—”

  Harrison cuts me off. “Not happening, mustang girl. For one, she would hate us for it.”

  “Why?” I ask, my eyes not leaving Emily’s tiny little body.

  “Because it’s been six weeks since I’ve made love to my wife, and once I’m between those creamy thighs, I’m never leaving. And we both know how loud you can get.” His shoulders shake with laughter and I roll my eyes.

  “I’m not that loud,” I huff.

  “Yes, you are. And even if you weren’t, I’m not having sex with you with our daughter in the room. If she wakes up, she’ll be traumatized for life.”

  I snort loudly and Emily startles slightly.

  “Let’s go,” Harrison insists. His arms leave my body and he comes around me. He bends over the side of the crib and gives our daughter a kiss on her forehead. “Good night, pony girl.”

  Taking my hand in his, he guides us out of the room and into ours. We’re barely through the door and he’s pinning me up against the wall. His lips trail soft kisses down my neck and my eyes flutter shut. The feeling of my husband’s touch sends shockwaves straight to my core. He removes my shirt and his lips go to my hardened nipple. When I let out a sigh of pleasure, he chuckles knowingly. Okay, so maybe I am loud in the bedroom. But it’s not my fault, he’s good at pleasing me.

  When I feel his hands grabbing my ass and lifting me up, my eyes spring open. My arms wrap around his neck. He carries me to our bed and lays me gently in the middle, situating himself between my legs. My eyes stay trained on him as he removes his shirt over his head, exposing his beautiful artwork. My gaze lands on his newest piece: a horse identical to mine that appears to be galloping through the fields. In the tail is mine and Emily’s name. The artist worked it in around his other tattoos, making it seem as though the horse was jumping through them. When I asked him why the horse, he said he would never forget the moment he saw me on my horse that first day when Theo and I rode over to the Windy Hills Estate.

  “I knew in that moment that one day you would become mine. There were no other options.”

  Harrison pulls his shorts and boxers down and throws his clothes to the floor. His blue eyes sparkle with lust and love and so much happiness. I could live the rest of my life staring into those eyes.

  Dropping on top of me, both of his hands land on either side of my head. His mouth fuses with mine in a passionate kiss. Our bodies pressed tightly against one another’s. My hands go to his back. Rubbing all over him, craving the connection. Harrison breaks the kiss to look into my eyes. Love and adoration shining brightly in those sapphire irises. Then he’s kissing me again. My forehead, my cheeks, my neck. He kisses along my jaw. His lips find their way to my heavy breasts. He gives each one attention, licking and sucking gently on my pert nipples. Then he works his way down my soft belly to my pussy. He gives it a chaste kiss before he pushes a single finger into me to make sure I’m wet. I am. I always am for this man. He grins at the sound my pussy makes when it accepts his second and then third finger.

  “Fuck, baby,” he groans. “I’m never going to last inside this tight cunt.”

  “It’s a good thing we have a few hours before Emily wakes up.” I grip his biceps and pull him back up my body. His mouth plants kisses along my shoulder and then his lips are back on mine.

  “All mine,” he breathes against my lips as he pushes his hard length into me. My back bows at the sweet intrusion. It’s been too long since I’ve felt him inside of me. His mouth makes love to mine while he makes love to me. All too soon, we’re both finding our release. Too sated and exhausted to even clean up, Harrison rolls me over onto my side, his warm, naked body snuggling against my own.

  Harrison

  Twelve years later…

  “She’s nearly a teenager,” I grumble from under the hood of Cat’s old Mustang. This car’s been around for as long as we’ve been together. And like the sentimental pair we are, we keep it alive and running.

  Well, I do.

  Cat continues to drive like a bat out of hell and hits curbs on the regular.

  “I know,” she says, offering me a bottle of water. “But I just worry about her
.”

  I grab my grease rag that’s hanging out of my jeans pocket and swipe the sweat off my face. Then, I pocket the rag and take the bottle. It’s hot as fuck this late summer afternoon. I unscrew the lid and down the entire thing in a few quick gulps.

  My wife bites down on her bottom lip and gives me the wicked look that leads to even more wicked acts.

  “See something you like, mustang girl?” I rumble as I prowl over to her, tossing the plastic bottle into the grass.

  She squeals when I pull her into my arms, my sweaty, bare chest soaking her thin tank top. “Harrison Crenshaw!”

  I laugh and grab a handful of her ass. She’s going to have a helluva time getting the grease off her shorts. Lifting her up, I’m happy when she settles where she belongs—with her legs spread around me and her lips fused to mine. We kiss lazily as I blindly walk us up the porch steps and over to the swing. It’s bittersweet this place. “Our friend Ethel was our fairy godmother. Every story has one,” as Cat always says. Ethel passed away when Emily was only five. Our daughter loved the old woman and we were in complete shock when she left us her farm in her will.

  I settle into the swing and hold my wife. She relaxes on my chest as I draw soft circles on her back over her shirt. Eventually, she lifts up and regards me with her bright green eyes that have been the light of my world since the day I looked at them.

  “It’s hard to let her go off on her own,” Cat says, a frown tugging at her plump lips.

  “It’s just the other side of the lake.” I wink at her. “I was doing much worse at twelve than exploring the property.”

  “I don’t even want to know,” she groans. “And I wasn’t. My dad kept me on a tight leash. What if she drowns? What if someone kidnaps her?”

  I smirk at her. “Our loud, sassy kid? They’d bring her right back.”

  She chuckles and runs her fingers over my buzzed head. “I was getting used to the long hair and beard this past winter. Now you’re the young man I fell in love with again.”

  “It’s too damn hot for all that hair.”

  “I should go check on her, but I need to start dinner,” she huffs. All playfulness fades. “What if he comes back one day, Harrison?”

  We both grow somber. We haven’t spoken to Heath since that night he took Cat. I’ve seen him driving through town here and there, and once last year, he slowed down in front of my shop but never stopped. Thank fuck too, because I didn’t want to give my company a bad name for beating someone’s ass in the parking lot.

  “He won’t come back. He knows better,” I assure her.

  She nods and then changes the subject. “Did you ever look over those ads I texted you?”

  Groaning, I shake my head. “Don’t you have dinner to start, woman?”

  “No way. You’re not going to get off that easily. Those ads are important to our business. Keeps that dinner you’re so eager for me to start on the table.” Her brow arches in challenge.

  Fuck, she’s so cute when she sasses me.

  “Fine,” I grunt. “I’ll look at them.”

  She beams at me. “Thank you. Now go check on our girl before I run off and embarrass her. You’re better at this stuff than me.” She climbs off my lap and I rake my gaze up her perfect, curvy body, admiring every inch of her. People say love fades, but they must not know real love. Our love gets more colorful and beautiful each day that passes.

  I steal one more kiss and then walk down the steps of the porch toward the lake. On my way, I look at my phone to check the ad mockups Cat sent. C&H Automotive has been ours for two years now ever since Damian sold me his shop. We renamed it and rebranded it thanks to Cat. She’s the brains of our operation—always up to date on the newest marketing and advertising trends. The customers adore her and the other guys at the shop like having a lady to help look after them. As for me, I’m the one who makes it all run smoothly. Cars are my life, and now, it’s a huge part of Cat’s life too. The fact she wanted to do this with me is a dream come true. Everything about her is more than I could have ever hoped for. I choose the second ad in the text and reply back before pocketing my phone.

  When I hear shouting, I tense up, my eyes searching for my daughter. I see her standing on the dock talking—no, yelling—at a boy much taller than her. I’m unable to hear what she’s saying, but she’s wagging her finger at him and her other hand is on her hip. Looks and acts just like her mom, this kid.

  As I approach the dock, the boy tears his gaze from her and his eyes widen upon seeing me. Emily lets out a growl of frustration and marches past him over to me. She throws her arms around me and hugs me tight. She’s soaked to the bone from swimming. I squeeze her back. This kid and her mother are my entire world.

  “Hey, pony girl. That boy giving you trouble?” I ask, tugging on her wet ponytail.

  She pulls away and her finger points at the boy. “Finn tried to drown me.”

  I arch a brow at him and the poor kid trembles.

  “N-No, sir, I didn’t t-try to drown her,” he stammers all over his words.

  “Big liar,” Emily huffs. “You pushed me right in.”

  Finn flinches and shakes his head. “I was only playing. I didn’t know you didn’t know how to swim.”

  She scoffs. “I nearly died.”

  I bite back a laugh. This girl of mine is a fish. Been swimming in this lake since she was a year old.

  “But I saved you,” the boy murmurs.

  A smile tugs at her lips, but she quickly hides it. “Just barely.”

  “Sir,” he says to me, taking a step toward us. “I swear, I didn’t mean to hurt her. I know CPR. She was safe.”

  “CPR, hmm?” I say with a rumble.

  Emily flashes me a look of embarrassment, her cheeks turning bright red. “It’s fine, Dad. He saved me. I’m fine.”

  “I think there’s been enough swimming for today,” I grunt. “Em, get back to the house and help your mom with supper. I’m going to have a little chat with Finn.”

  “Don’t kill him,” she mouths to me. Then she turns to the boy. “He’s probably going to kill you for trying to kill me.” With that, she shrugs and skips off. The poor sap stares off after her with such longing in his eyes. When she’s gone from sight, he swallows thickly and regards me with fear flashing in his eyes. His gaze peruses down my frame and a shudder ripples through him. I’m well over six feet and solid muscle. Covered in tats and glaring at this kid with a “you touch my daughter, you die” kind of stare.

  He’s probably going to piss his pants soon.

  “She’s not allowed to kiss,” I tell him, my voice stern.

  His eyes widen. “Kiss? I was saving her.”

  I don’t let him in on the fact my daughter just stole her first kiss from a boy who tried to drown her.

  “Come on,” I tell him, nodding with my head to indicate he should follow me. “Let’s chat man to man.”

  He falls into step beside me with his chin lifted. There’s something in this kid’s bright blue eyes that I akin to myself. Maybe it’s the smitten look for the green-eyed fireball. Maybe it’s the fearless way he goes off with a man who could fold him into a pretzel without breaking a sweat. Whatever it is, I feel something for the kid right away. Call it intuition.

  We walk until we reach the woods. The grassy fields end along the edge of the trees and it’s a dark thicket beyond that. I point to a tree that has C&H carved into it. Pulling my knife from my pocket, I revel in the sharp intake of breath coming from the kid. I deepen the grooves of our initials and then swipe away the shavings on the blade with my thumb.

  “You like her?” I ask, eyeing the kid with an arched brow.

  “Uh, yes, sir.” He rubs at the back of his neck. “I mean like a friend, sir.”

  Smirking, I fold my knife up and slide it back into my pocket. “Good. You be a good friend to her. You want to know who my best friend is?”

  He swallows and nods. “Yes, sir.”

  “Her mother.”

 
; A smile spreads across his face. “We just moved here.” He points across the way to the big house down the road. “There.”

  “Nice place.”

  He shrugs. “I miss our townhouse in the city,” he says, his features pulling into a frown. “Well, I did until I met her.” Another smile on his face.

  “Emily is a special girl. She deserves only the best,” I tell him.

  He nods quickly. “I can be the best friend to her. I swear. I was only playing with her. I only wanted to…” he trails off and his brows scrunch in confusion.

  “Flirt?”

  His cheeks blaze bright red. “N-No, sir.”

  “Good,” I say, grinning. “But just so you stop beating yourself up about it, Emily can swim.”

  Relief flashes over his features and then his face turns bright red again. “How long will she be mad at me?” he asks.

  Reaching forward, I tousle the kid’s hair and walk past him. “She’s stubborn and fiery. Knowing my daughter, forever.”

  He doesn’t respond, so I look over my shoulder at him. Determination glints in his eyes as he stares at our house. “It’s a good thing I’m patient,” he says. “I’ll convince her to be my friend. I’ll wait until forever if I have to.”

  It’s then I realize what I see in this kid that makes me like him so much. It’s not myself or fearlessness or anything like that.

  It’s certainty.

  The same certainty I had when I saw Cat.

  When you know, you know.

  I should be scared as hell that this kid looks at Emily the way I looked at Cat all those years ago, but I’m not.

  “I think you have one helluva chance, kid,” I tell him. “Don’t fuck it up.”

  His wide, happy grin tells me everything I need to know.

  He won’t.

  When you know, you know.

  And Finn—the new kid who lives in the big-ass house down the road—knows. It’s written all over his goofy face, and if he’s anything like me, already written all over his heart too.