Waiting on Faith (She's Beautiful Series Book 2)

by Nicole Richard

  “Blue?” he said after clearing his throat.

  “Yes, Cy?”

  He reached for Sadie, taking her from me and setting her down in the direction of the door. She took off, probably in search of Boones, and then we were alone. Cy stood there for a second before he held his hand out.

  Hesitant at first, I placed my hand in his, and he pulled me into his arms, making me feel safe all over again.

  “Oh, thank God, baby,” he said after I relaxed into him. “I thought I might have lost you last night.” His words did me in. The tears trickled down my cheeks, and he pulled me closer as I took it all in.

  “Shh, baby. Everything is okay,” Cy whispered soothingly, his body hard and warm under his T-shirt that my tears were soaking.

  “We are going to be ok. I promise. I love you.” He leaned back, looking into my eyes and searching for a reaction. I knew he was worried.

  “I love you too.” Too many emotions were still running rampant through me, but I was thankful he was such a forgiving man. Hugging closer to his chest, I was certain there was no place I would rather be. I absolutely loved being in his embrace.

  “HMM, BABY. YOU smell so damn good. So sweet.” I breathed into her neck, letting the few lingering drops of water drip between our bodies.

  Both of us were wrapped in charcoal-colored bath towels and we were still warm and moist from the shower. I knew we were going to be late for my Grandparents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary dinner tonight, but I couldn’t keep my hands off my girl. I wiped circles of steam off the mirror before reaching between her breasts and undoing the twist holding her towel secure. My hungry eyes followed the towel as it fell from her body to the floor, leaving her naked in front of me. The sight of her sent my blood south, and I was hard as a rock.

  “Cy, babe we just had . . .” she started to remind me, but she didn’t finish her sentence. Her breathing turned ragged as I caressed her heavy breasts, pulling at both of her nipples. She let her head fall back on my shoulder, and her eyes drifted shut.

  I pressed my hard cock into her ass cheeks at the same time as I nibbled at the back of her neck. “Baby, I need you.” My large hands grazed their way down the front of her body, slid past her stomach, and went straight to her sweet spot.

  “Cy, we’re going to be late.” The way she moaned a little and pushed against my hand didn’t make me believe her words.

  I shook my head, undid my towel with my free hand, and let it drop to the floor with hers. I wasn’t sure what I wanted right now: to take her from behind so she could watch us in the mirror or have her sit on the bathroom counter so she could hold onto me for dear life.

  Dear life it is.

  “Turn around, baby,” I commanded gently.

  She turned, obeying my request. I leaned in, sucking on her bottom lip and lifting her by the waist until she was seated on the counter. Spreading her knees apart, I didn’t waste any time stepping in as close as I could get. I guided her legs around my hips, and she followed suit, wrapping her arms around my neck.

  She knows what I want, and hell if she doesn’t want it too.

  Sinking deep into her silky heat, she let out a loud moan as she threw her head back. My movements were slow and intentional, unhurried. At the first sign of her muscles contracting, gripping me, I picked up the pace. Then, we were both reaching the high we both enjoyed falling from together. She was moaning, I was grunting, and I was pretty sure we both needed to take another shower.

  Seeing Pete’s car parked in the driveway, the knot of tension loosened. His being at my parents’ house should keep Candace’s ass in check. I hated to think of my sister in that way. I loved her to pieces, but the last time we were here for Sunday dinner she was out of line.

  “You ready?”

  “Yup, about as ready as I’ll ever be.” She reached for the door handle, and I asked her to wait. Hopping out, I was at her side in no time, opening her door for her.

  My hands reached out to take the pan of homemade cherry pie and help her down. She shut the truck door, and we walked hand in hand toward the house. I stopped at the foot of the porch steps and Natalie bumped into my back.

  “Sorry.” She smiled apologetically. I released her hand and wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

  “Don’t even worry about it.” I swooped down for a little kiss. When I pulled away, I licked my lips. “Mmm, baby. Delicious, just like cherry pie.”

  “Come on.” She laughed, shaking her head as she started to walk again.

  My mom had outdone herself again. Gold, silver, and white balloons with matching ribbons littered the ceiling everywhere from the entryway to the living room, and a big banner that read ‘Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary Mom and Dad!’ was hung over the doorway to the kitchen. It was as if this were an actual party with at least a hundred guests in attendance instead of a small family celebration. I looked to my right and there were Peter and Neil with my dad, drinking a beer, watching the game. I’d catch up with them later.

  With Natalie tucked into my side and my arm around her waist, I walked into the happy noise.

  “Well it’s about time you showed up, baby brother,” Candace enunciated in a sarcastic voice. I ignored her, but I could already tell I would have to talk to her later. Natalie separated from me and took the cherry pie, setting it on the island counter.

  I walked over to my grandma and gave her a hug and a kiss on her cheek. “Hi, Grandma. Happy Anniversary.”

  She patted my cheek twice, smiling a wide sparkling, denture smile. “Well thank you, dear, and how are you?” She pulled my cheek down to her lips. “I heard you got a special little lady?”

  I stood straight with a wide smile on my face. I nodded, turned my top half and was reaching for Natalie when confusion hit me.

  WE ENTERED THE humming kitchen, which smelled delicious. There wasn’t anything on the stove, so I assumed Marlene was having dinner catered. Everyone was smiling except for Candace, who was at the kitchen island with a small frown on her face while she tossed a salad. Apparently, tonight was going to be a repeat of last week.

  Cy went right to the eldest woman in the kitchen, obviously his grandma, and gave her a hug. Setting the pan down, my attention shifted to Marlene, and I offered her a warm smile all the while politely ignoring Candace. I continued scanning the room, setting my sights on a man having a quiet animated conversation with Claire.

  I knew him.

  The tall, clean-cut silver-haired man turned toward Cy and then turned again, and yup, that was George, the trolley tour guide. I could never forget such a kind man.

  George smiled big and took a few steps in my direction. “Well hello there, little lady. How are you?” He scooped me up into his big teddy bear arms and gave me such a welcoming hug.

  “Hi, George. I’m great! How are you?” Before he could answer, I said, “I’m guessing you’re one of the guests of honor?”

  “I sure am!”

  Cy walked up to stand behind me and settled his hand protectively on my hip. I found it humorous he was being over protective with me, but I kept my laughter to myself.

  “Um, Blue. How do you know my Grandpa George?” he asked, glancing between his grandfather and me, confused. I looked over my shoulder, smiled, and turned back toward a grinning George.

  “I met your grandpa when I first moved here. He was the conductor on the trolley I rode.” I felt him relax and chuckle.

  “Hmm, you had me nervous for a second. I thought you might want to leave me for this handsome devil here,” Cy joked, popping a pretend punch into his grandfather’s shoulder. George grabbed onto the spot Cy just tapped, faking injury and causing the whole kitchen to burst out laughing.

  Cy released me from his hold and wrapped his arms around his grandpa.

  “How are ya, son?” George clapped Cy’s back a couple of times.

  “Good, Grandpa. And you?”

  “Oh, hanging in there. You know your Grandma keeps me goin’.” He winked at the woman who had s
idled up next to him and was looking straight at me with a warm smile. Cy introduced me to his grandma, and she moved in close, enveloping me in an equally big, warm hug. I loved this family.

  Well almost all of them.

  The boys came in from the living room and gave me hugs and waves, but Pete was the only one to stop next to me.

  “How are you?” he asked quietly, giving me shoulder a bump.

  “I’m okay, thanks.”

  Something told me to look up, and when I did, Candace was spearing a heated glare directly at me. I shook my head, dismissing her snark and was saved by my phone ringing in my back pocket. I pulled it out and saw it was a call from Spencer.

  “Hey, I’m going to take this.” I held my phone so he could see who it was.

  “Of course. Why don’t you go out on the back porch? You’ll have some privacy there.”

  “Thank you.” I stood on my tiptoes and kissed Cy’s cheek.

  I shut the screen door carefully so it didn’t slam, dialed Spencer’s number, and made my way to sit on the bottom porch step.

  “Hey! I’ve missed you,” he said before even getting out a hello.

  “Yeah.” I sighed, a little happy and a little sad at the same time. “A lot has been happening. How are you?”

  “I’m okay. I’m worried about you, though.”

  I sighed again, defeat settling in. “I seem to be hearing that a lot.”

  “Why didn’t you call me? I had to find out from my dad.” His voice hinted irritation.

  Cupping my hand over my mouth and the phone to stop my voice from traveling, I tried to explain why I hadn’t called. “I don’t know, Spence. I guess I just got caught up. I can’t shake the feeling that it has something to do with Trent.” I heard him suck his breath between his teeth. “I can’t go through that again, Spence. I just can’t . . .” I shook my head frantically.

  “Why would you think it’s him? There is no way he would know where you are.”

  “I don’t know, I mean who else would vandalize my house and everything in it, except my bedroom, and not steal a damn thing? Whoever did this left a long-stemmed red rose lying across a nightie in my bathroom.” I rested my forehead on my knee. “And Cy said he’s seen an expensive-looking SUV pass my house twice now. This just screams of Trent.”

  The line went quiet for a few seconds longer than normal.

  “Shit,” Spencer uttered. “Maybe I should come out there? I could hang for a while.”

  “No. Thank you, but no. You have a life of your own, and you can’t be saving me all the time.”

  “Nat!” he scolded and then added, “I should’ve mentioned it to you sooner, but I didn’t think anything of it at the time.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The day you gave birth. There was a flower delivery, supposedly for you—long stemmed pink roses. I assumed they had the wrong room, since no one but you and I knew you were there . . . and besides, you don’t like roses— ”

  “Seriously, Spence! Why didn’t you tell me? And you’re right, I don’t like roses, well except for yellow ones, but that’s beside the point. Roses are what Trent would send to apologize after . . .”

  “Shit! Nat, you have to understand why I didn’t tell you this?”

  “It’s okay, never mind, it’s in the past, but thank you for letting me know. And don’t worry, I have Cy here.”

  “How’s that going for you, the big baboon treating my cousin well?” He chuckled.

  “Oh quit.” I giggled. “He’s great, and he loves me so much. He makes sure to show me all the time.” I sighed contently.

  “Well, all I ask is for him to be good to you.”

  Before I was able to say another word, the screen door whacked the doorjamb, and I turned my head to see a not so friendly older sister inviting herself outside.

  “Hey, Spence, I gotta go. Can I call you later?”

  “Sure thing. Keep me posted with what’s going on.”

  “Will do. Love you, Spence.”

  “Love you, too, bye.”

  The line went dead.

  I stood, steeled my shoulders, and prepared myself for . . . what? I had no idea.

  Candace slowly stalked closer, glaring at me from under furrowed eyebrows. Her stare never wavered, and it was like she was trying to intimidate me. When her foot stepped off the bottom step, she stood there and pointedly moved her eyes to my phone.

  What a nosey bitch.

  I mimicked her glance at my phone, then looked back at her and said, “My cousin.”

  She shrugged one shoulder as if she could give a damn and continued her stare.

  “What do you want, Candace?”

  She glanced over my shoulder to the lake, holding her attention there for so long I was about to leave. “He’s one of the good ones you know,” she finally said.

  Incredulously, I stared at her and bit my tongue so I wouldn’t say something snide. Was she trying to get me riled up?

  She repeated, looking me dead in the eye, “He’s one of the good ones— ”

  “Candace,” I huffed out her name.

  After a pregnant pause, she handed me her reasoning. “I’m very protective of him.”

  I nodded. That was both obvious and understandable.

  “He’s been hurt in the past, and I see the way he looks at you. He’s never—in my presence at least—looked at a woman like that.” She glanced back at me again, and I wondered if she was going to get whiplash. “He loves you, and that right there could destroy him.”

  I scoffed at her last statement and felt a pang of guilt strike. This was too much. Not showing her any sign of weakness, I straightened my stance and glared at her. “And you don’t think he holds the same power over me?”

  Her jaw dropped an inch. Nope, she definitely didn’t expect that.

  “Blue?” His voice came from the direction of the screen door. Not paying Candace any more mind, I climbed the porch steps and right into his arms.

  Whispering close to my ear he asked, “What’s going on, baby?”

  “Nothing, and I love you.”

  WHATEVER HAPPENED BETWEEN Natalie and Candace must have been something big. For the remainder of the night, Candace had her tail tucked and played nice. Natalie politely continued to ignore her, probably not wanting to be the cause of any negativity. This was supposed to be a happy time, celebrating two people who had weighed the hands of time and came out fifty years stronger together, and more importantly, still in love.

  After serving her cherry pie, which was a hit, we all retired to the living room where Natalie and I cuddled close. The kids were spent, and all four ended up sprawled on the living room floor, out cold. I looked at them all a couple of times, deciding that I was ready to contribute a few grandkids to the bunch.

  Natalie shifted just enough to lean her head close to my ear. “We can stay at my place tonight.”

  “You sure?”

  She bit her bottom lip and nodded her head. She looked so damn tempting when she did that, and I was lucky her legs were draped over my thighs, concealing my raging hard-on. I didn’t care what bed we landed in, I wanted her writhing under me.

  “Natalie, didn’t I tell you you’d be a good match for my grandson?” Grandpa George asked, before sipping from his cup of coffee.

  “Sure did, this family’s a pretty smart bunch.”

  “Did our boy here share any stories with you? Lord knows, we got a lot of good ones. Cy and his cousin Liam would drive me half mad when they visited during the summer.”

  Every awake person in the room chuckled softly. “Oh, I’ve heard a ton of stories about summer vacations. He even took me to the lake you would take them to.”

  He looked at me. “You tell her about the time we had to rush you to the hospital?”

  “Grandpa . . . really?”

  “Well, we could always tell her about how much you loved to bake and learn to crochet?” Grandma interrupted and then covered her mouth, giggling.
r />   “Hospital is fine,” I grunted out.

  “No way.” Claire slapped her thigh and laughed. “That’s right. When Grandpa was working, we would spend countless hours learning how to bake and crochet. Grandma always said it was good therapy.” Claire nudged her brother’s arm. “Or we could tell her the one where you almost burned the house down because you forgot about the chocolate chip cookies in the oven.”

  “Why is it that each time I bring Natalie here, you all want to share embarrassing stories?”

  Natalie patted my thigh. “I really do want to hear this.”

  “Whatever,” I said, but gave her a small smile and wink.

  My family proceeded to do an amazing job of disclosing my most embarrassing childhood stories. My mom shared every gory detail of why her eight-year-old son was rushed to the hospital. She gave Natalie a play-by-play of how the emergency room doctor removed a two-inch piece of live bait from my right nostril. What could I say, Liam and I were curious kids.

  Then she added in the list of broken bones. The worst being when I was thirteen and broke my left collarbone being reckless on a dirt bike, again with my cousin Liam.

  I could feel another story coming on, but I couldn’t take it anymore.

  “Blue, you ready to head out?”

  “Yeah.” She nodded against my shoulder and tried to hide a yawn.

  I kissed her temple, took her hand in mine, and helped her up. Facing the group, I said, “Well, it’s getting late, looks like it’s time for us to say good night.”

  Tucking Natalie’s hand under my arm, I walked the two of us toward my grandparents first. Everyone else stood while I hugged my grandma, kissed her on her cheek, and wished her a happy anniversary again, then turned and said the same to my grandpa. I hugged the rest of my family before stepping around the kids. Gently ruffling each one’s hair, I blew them kisses and whispered I love yous in each of their ears and then I led Natalie out of the house.

  As soon as I clicked the buckle of my seatbelt, Natalie laid her head on my thigh and fell back asleep. I turned down the radio, letting the sweet country melodies play softly. Taking my girl’s hand in mine, I locked our fingers together to rest our joined hands around her belly.