Love So Wild

by Marquita Valentine

  They were in the living room. She sat in her usual spot on the sofa while the second season of Stranger Things played on the television over the fireplace.

  “That’s not a good time,” she mumbled.

  “Yeah, I guess eight in the evening is kind of late for him. What about on Saturday? The same bands won’t be there, but we can take Miles down to the waterfront.”

  “Stop it.”

  “Stop what?” he asked calmly, and she wanted to scream.

  “This.”

  “You don’t want me to plan stuff for us to do?”

  She shook her head.

  “Anything else you don’t like?”

  “I want you to stop spending so much time with me.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she dared him to disagree.

  “Fine, I’ll go to my bed when you’re done with me tonight.”

  Hurt, she shrank back from him. “That’s not funny.”

  “Wasn’t trying to be funny.”

  “Good. While you’re at it, stop trying to make our relationship more than what it actually is.”

  He sat up. “And what exactly do you think our relationship is?”

  “Mutual benefits.”

  “I see.”

  “Do you really?” She bit the side of her lip. “I can’t keep doing this. I went for the job interview with the women’s center today, and I started looking for my own place again.”

  “I know. Harper told me today.”

  “Then why didn’t you say something before now… and who the hell is Harper?”

  “One, I figured if you wanted to tell me, like a grown-ass adult would do, then you would. Two, she’s my sister-in-law, and if you’d bother to get to know my family instead of letting Miles be your representative, you would have known that.”

  “Like you know the names of everyone in my family.”

  “Your oldest sister is Summer. Your middle sister is Rose. Rose is married to Alexander, who she likes to call Sasha, and who took her last name when they married. They are raising Ivy together. Your mother’s name is Azalea, and from what I can tell, she messed you up good while Harrison Collins may or may not be your father, but you don’t give a damn. Did I miss anything?”

  Her mouth dropped. “You remember that?”

  “Damn right I do. You rarely spoke about your family, so when you did, I listened because I figured something you guarded so closely to your heart was important.”

  “Doesn’t matter about what you did in the past. The past is gone. We’re no longer a couple.”

  “Could have fooled me.”

  “That’s because you are a fool.” She hated herself for calling him that, but she couldn’t stop now. This was how she would make things right, even though it felt so wrong.

  No one could live with someone who didn’t appreciate what they did. Well, no one with a brain or feelings. Elijah had both, in spades.

  Which made her the biggest fool of all.

  *

  Elijah was beyond frustrated, and he was determined to get to the heart of the matter. “What do I have to do to convince you? What is it going to take to prove that you and Miles are all I want?”

  “You can’t,” she said, her face set in determined lines. “There’s nothing you can do or say to change my mind.”

  “After everything we’ve been through, everything we’ve been working toward for the last couple of weeks, and the only thing you can say is there’s nothing I can do? This is bullshit.”

  “I understand you’re upset,” she said primly.

  “You understand?” He laughed without joy. “You understand nothing about me, even when I’ve all but given you the guide to my heart. I haven’t changed. I haven’t suddenly decided to be a responsible person because I feel guilty. This is me. This has always been me. I’ve offered you everything I have, and it’s not good enough.”

  “I didn’t come here for you to offer me anything, much less everything. I came here so Miles could have a father.”

  “You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.”

  “I will keep telling myself that.” She slammed her hands down on the cushions and stood. “Honestly, it’s not your business what I do with my life. Just because we have a kid together doesn’t give you the right to assume I’ll drop everything and marry you.”

  “You’re right. It’s not my business, but are you seriously considering moving away, living alone like some witch in a fairy tale? You need people, Skye. You need friends and a family.”

  “I have Miles… and my sisters. That’s all I need.”

  He scoffed at her answer. “You haven’t been to see your sisters since you got here.”

  “So sorry we’re not a cult who has to check in every day or we get kicked out.”

  “Don’t be like that,” he said quietly. She crossed her arms over her chest, her chin tipping up in defiance, or self-defense. “Think about what you just said to me. What you just said about the people who have done nothing but bend over backward to help you, to get to know you, and not just as Miles’ mother. Skylar wants to know more about her family, but you shut down the minute she spoke. My mother wants to take you under her wing and do the things she does for all her daughters-in-law because she loves them, but you won’t let her.”

  Skye bit her lip, remorse evident in her eyes, in her stance, and in her heart, even if it wasn’t on her lips. “I didn’t ask them to do that.”

  “You didn’t have to. It’s what family is supposed to do.”

  Glaring at him, she said, “I’m done with this conversation.”

  So was he. Their damn pride would be the death of them, if he let it. Only, he didn’t want their pride to win. Eli wanted Skye, fearless, wild, and full of life. He wanted his son. He wanted them both because they were a package deal, and it was the best present he’d ever gotten in his life.

  “Marry me,” he said. He didn’t care how often he had to repeat himself. She was worth the trouble. So worth it that asking her didn’t feel like a chore.

  “I’m not the marrying kind.”

  “You will be as soon as you say yes to me.”

  She looked away. “It’s not that simple.”

  “Sure it is.” He ran a hand over his face. “I ask. You say yes. We get hitched, and go on a honeymoon. Maybe take Miles with us, and go to some kind of family-friendly resort. Don’t care where as long as we’re together and your last name gets changed to Lawson.”

  “You make it sound so easy.”

  “Because it is easy.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Only to someone like you.”

  What the hell was that supposed to mean? His jaw worked. “Care to expand on that statement?”

  She shrugged, and he could finally, finally, see the helplessness and vulnerability in her. It made some of his anger dissipate. “I can’t.”

  “Can’t or won’t?”

  Her lips thinned.

  “Dammit, Skye, you’re going to explain to me how marriage and kids are okay for your sisters, but not you, because I sure as hell don’t understand this at all. I don’t understand this side of you. You are not the woman I knew out in Denver.”

  “Holland women don’t stay with their children,” she all but shouted at him. “They sure as hell don’t stay with the fathers of their children. My sisters raised me. My sister, Rose, is raising our niece. My other sister, Summer, adopted a child. My own mother raised her sister’s child as her own before she finally abandoned us all.” Tears started to fall on her cheeks. “Even your sister-in-law Skylar hasn’t had kids yet, because her mother abandoned her… and she secretly fears she’ll do the same thing.”

  In a near whisper, she added desolately, “It’s what Holland women do.”

  “You haven’t abandoned Miles,” he pointed out.

  “No, but I made it a possibility.”

  Eli was torn between comforting her and shaking some sense into her. He settled on gripping the fireplace mantle instead. “How is that?”

/>   “By moving here.” She spun around. “I have to go. I need some space, some time to think… and I need my sisters.”

  “You want me to take care of Miles while you’re gone?” As soon as the question left his mouth, he wished he could take it back.

  “He’s coming with me,” she said and walked away, but not before he caught a glimpse of the anguish on her face.

  She was hurting badly, and he didn’t know how to fix it. He knew how to fix everything, or so he’d thought.

  But her fears… he had no clue what to do with those.

  *

  Skye wasn’t sure what kind of welcome she would receive from Rose and Summer, but she was determined they would love Miles, regardless.

  “Almost there, buddy,” she said, more to herself than him.

  Miles loved to travel. Usually, she did, too, but this was more nerve-wracking than when she drove back home to North Carolina. At least that trip had been planned, and she’d had time to go over every possible scenario with Elijah in her head.

  Her sisters, however, were a different kettle of fish altogether. Heck, they were fish that flew and walked on land.

  In other words, there was no scenario she could come up with that would accurately reflect, in any way, their reunion.

  With a sigh, she turned left onto Strawberry Grove, surprised when the gravel gave way to a paved driveway with lights on either side. It reminded her of a runway, which made her feel worse for leaving Elijah so suddenly.

  At least she’d been woman enough to tell him what she was doing to his face this time, instead of leaving a cowardly note.

  The new-to-her paved drive ended at the house, but in two parts. One that circled a fancy rose garden with a fountain in the middle, while the other led to a four-car garage. A rather ostentatious Mercedes was parked in front of one of the open bays.

  That had to be Rose’s husband’s car.

  From what she remembered of Sasha, he’d always been impeccably dressed and enjoyed flaunting his good taste, which extended to her sister. Her sister, though, was the opposite. She hated being the center of attention, and couldn’t care less about designer clothes. Skye guessed opposites did attract.

  They lived at Strawberry Grove for most of the year, but spent the remainder in Zimbabwe and England—something Skye never imagine her sister doing in a million years.

  Unsure of where to park, she drove her SUV to the roundabout and got out. As she was waking up a sleeping Miles, she heard her name shouted.

  Looking up, she spied Rose flying down the front porch stairs, her black curls tumbling around her shoulders and her hand—holy crap—her hand was resting protectively on her belly.

  Did that mean what she thought it did?

  “Skye’s here, Sasha. Skye’s here!” Rose smiled widely. As soon as her foot hit the last step, Sasha appeared in the doorway, Ivy holding his hand. He looked the same, beautifully handsome and extremely well dressed.

  Heck, Ivy was dressed in what looked like a silver ball gown. There was even was a tiara around the thick bun at the top of her head.

  “Darling, do be a dear and consider what the drive will do to your shoes—never mind. Ivy and I will return to our tea party, love.”

  “Okay. Don’t drink too much tea.”

  He looked vaguely exasperated and highly amused, but Skye couldn’t be concerned with him because Rose was standing before her and—and well, just standing there.

  Maybe she was waiting for Skye to make the first move?

  “Hi.” Lame, Skye. Super lame.

  Rose’s face fell a little, but her gaze darted to the backseat. “Can I hold Miles?”

  “Yes.” That she could handle. Loving on her little boy was something she was fully okay with, and it would ease some of the tension. “Give me a minute to get him out of the car seat.”

  “I’m so happy y’all are here. Summer couldn’t come. She’s in Brazil with Gabriel. They won’t be back until the adoption is finalized, which should be next week or so.”

  Skye lifted Miles into her arms, and turned to face her sister again. “They’re adopting another child?”

  Rose nodded happily. “Yeah, and wouldn’t you know it, but Summer’s pregnant. They’ll have a family of five instead of four like they thought.”

  “She is? But I thought… I didn’t think she wanted kids.”

  “What gave you that idea?”

  Skye’s gaze dipped to Rose’s belly again. She just could make out the swell there, and she didn’t want to argue. If her sisters wanted to pretend none of them had abandonment issues, she’d play along. “I don’t know… maybe because she gave up her first one.”

  “Can I hold my nephew now?”

  “He’s heavy, so be careful.”

  “Don’t worry. I already cleared it with Dr. Sasha,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

  Skye snorted, falling right back into their old roles… except she couldn’t remember Rose ever being this free. Or happy.

  Was Sasha responsible for this, or had Rose simply accepted herself and was determined to make the best of things?

  “I thought his doctorate was in fashion.”

  “Yeah, well, since we—uh…” Rose blushed. “I’m pregnant, too. I didn’t expect it to happen.” She took Miles into her arms, burying her nose in his curls. “We tried for a long time, Skye, and when we finally stopped wishing, I got pregnant.”

  Skye hadn’t known that, either. It wasn’t like she expected her sisters to share their hopes, dreams, and fears with her—mostly because she hadn’t done the same with them for over a decade.

  “I have a confession—I didn’t come here just to see you, Ivy, and Sasha.”

  “Blackbeard’s been on your mind?” Rose’s blue eyes twinkled.

  “Is he still alive?”

  “And kicking, just to annoy Sasha.”

  Skye laughed, but then grew serious. “I came here because I needed some time away from Miles’ dad.”

  “Oh, no.” Rose’s brow creased. “Do you need help? Sasha and I—”

  “It’s nothing like that. In fact, it’s all me. Completely me.”

  “What do you mean?” Rose asked as she started walking to the front door.

  Skye had no choice but to follow. “He asked me to marry him, and I said no.”

  “That is completely you, or at least the woman you are now. Although, I am shocked.”

  “That we’re not married?”

  Rose gave her a sideways glance. “As if I’d pass judgment on anyone, but what I meant is your answer sounds contrary to the girl I knew. The girl who wanted a husband, a family, and a fabulous career as a midwife.”

  “Two out of three ain’t bad,” she quipped as they walked inside. “Holy shit, Rose. The house looks nothing like I remember.”

  Skye stopped in the middle of the foyer, taking in the crystal chandeliers and sconces. The lack of peeling wallpaper and the smooth hardwood floors. She’d bet dollars to donuts that the stairs not only didn’t squeak anymore, but that the fifth one from the top didn’t stick up and trip people anymore.

  “The clock in the sitting room works now, too. It’s right all the time,” Rose shared, practically giddy.

  “Did you do this?”

  “Sasha did it. I mean, I helped, but do you seriously think I could have picked out stuff like this? I go for serviceable, not statement.”

  “Yet, you somehow managed to marry me,” Sasha said as he joined them. “Ivy’s playing outside with her friends.”

  Skye gasped. “Ivy has friends over?”

  “Yes, and we have wireless internet as well. Consider us the height of technology.”

  She rolled her eyes at her brother-in-law. “That’s not what I meant.”

  He smiled. “I know, but I didn’t want my wife to be insulted in her home.”

  “It’s Skye’s home, too.” Rose spun around, making Miles laugh, but Skye shook her head.

  This hadn’t been her home in forever.
/>   Sasha looked as though he wanted to make Rose sit. “Perhaps Miles would like to play with all the toys we got him.”

  Just as Skye was about to thank them for the sweet gesture, Sasha rounded on her.

  “Yes, we have toy stores, too.”

  “I was only going to say thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” A little of his formality went away. “Why don’t the two of you go to the playroom, and I’ll bring around snacks?”

  “That’s okay. I’m not—” She stopped when she realized Sasha was eyeing Rose. He was concerned. He was attentive to her needs.

  Rose kissed his cheek, and Skye swore the temperature in the room rose by about twenty degrees. “You are so very good to me.”

  “And the baby.” He placed his hand against her stomach, splaying his fingers wide. “Is it wicked of me to hope for another girl to spoil? Ivy wants a little sister, and what my daughter wants…”

  “Ivy’s your daughter?” Skye asked.

  “I adopted her before her first birthday.”

  “That’s—that’s amazing.”

  “Don’t looked so shocked, Skye. I’m not singular in caring for a woman and a child.”

  “You’d be shocked if you knew that you are unique,” she replied.

  “Maybe you should open your eyes.”

  Was he trying to start a fight with her?

  Rose stepped between them. “Thanks for the snacks. We’ll be in the playroom.”

  Skye followed her sister and her son to the playroom, which was the old formal living room. Gone were the overbearing curtains and morbid paintings of ancestors long dead. In their places were charming murals of animals playing, along with bright furniture that not only looked sturdy, but also comfortable.

  Rose sat Miles on the rug in front of the fireplace. Grabbing a nearby box of toys, she placed them in front of him to play with. Miles grabbed the box, and he gleefully dumped everything out.

  “Don’t worry. The toys are free of everything and entirely age-appropriate. The fireplace isn’t working, but if it would make you feel better, we can section it off.”